MeiYing raised a brow, her voice thoughtful. "Perhaps sword intent… but even I can't achieve such effects."
Her uncertainty lingered like a faint mist. The air still shimmered from the elegant flurry of sword strikes on the battlefield.
"She's cultivated sword intent," Gojo mused, gaze sharp beneath the blindfold. "But… she's not using it."
MeiYing frowned. It didn't make sense to her either.
Then, from the corner, Du Yun, who had sat calmly throughout the match, let out a soft sigh, as if putting together pieces of a long-forgotten puzzle. "She's talented. If I'm right… what she's exhibiting isn't just sword intent. It's the Empowered Sword Heart, the power to reign over ten thousand swords."
He paused. Everyone turned to him.
"It's the second realm in the sword path. Above sword intent, even above most ordinary Dao Hearts. Only a rare few can achieve it… and those who do are crowned Sword Emperors… or Empresses, in her case."
Gojo's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened. He was witnessing the birth of a Sword Empress.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
"Sect Master, I humbly request to take this little lass as my apprentice after this competition—!"
It came from the Fourth Elder, an old, hermit-looking man who had, until now, kept his eyes shut and his hand gripped tight around the hilt of his sword. He had been suppressing it all this while, just so it wouldn't fly out of its sheath in response to Su Qingshi's display.
The First Elder's voice rang out immediately in sharp rebuttal. "Ol' Four, you bastard! You dare make such a shameless claim?!"
The Sect Master sat back, rubbing his beard, watching their exchange with amused interest.
"What is it, you old bones?" Fourth Elder scoffed. "You hijacked the Space Controlling brat, why can't I do the same?!"
"You only took interest in her because of the Sword Heart! You don't even have the resources to nurture such a gem! Leave her to the pros!"
Their argument stirred the entire elder council. Some gasped. One nearly fell out of his seat.
The Sect Master took a deep breath. From a disciple with a Space Controlling Saint Physique, to an awakened Ancient Devil Bloodline, and now a Sword Empress in the making, it was as though destiny itself had chosen this generation.
"If this keeps up," Sect Master muttered, "I might as well retire. The sect'll be in good hands for the next thousand years."
"You old coot! You want to have a go?!" Fourth Elder roared, gripping his sword.
The First Elder grinned devilishly. "Anytime, you geezer!"
The Sect Master finally stepped in. "Calm yourselves. She's undoubtedly a rare gem… but we all know Ol' Four is the only one among us devoted solely to the Sword Dao. He's the best suited to guide her."
That silenced the quarrel.
Fourth Elder grinned, victorious, while the First grumbled under his breath.
Back on stage, the storm of swords intensified.
Su Qingshi's sword ballet controlled the skies themselves. No matter how Ma Kui dodged, long swords rained down on him with unerring accuracy, slicing through his defenses, drawing blood with every movement.
He roared, transforming again. Barbarian God Body pulsed beneath his skin. But Su Qingshi raised her hand.
"Hundred Sword Hurricane!"
The blades answered.
Hundreds of them. They spun around Ma Kui, encasing him in a tornado of steel. Flesh tore. Roars turned to shrieks. His titanic body was shredded. Somehow, he remained barely conscious.
Then Su Qingshi moved, her own trembling hands grasping her blade. Her knees wobbled. Her breathing was shallow. But she stood tall. She closed her eyes. Yuan power surged.
Then she whispered, softly, yet every soul in the arena heard it.
"Where do the flowers bloom?"
It was as if a deity had spoken. A gentle voice, resonating through the mind and soul.
A blinding sword light slashed forth. Petals, phantom or real, fell softly to the arena floor.
And Su Qingshi collapsed. Ma Kui's arm flew off. His transformation faded. He hit the ground, unconscious.
Su Qingshi had won. The crowd erupted.
"I told you she was going to win!!"
"She did it! She fucking won!!"
The cheers rang like thunder. But the joy died too quickly.
A shadow fell over the cracked stage.
Ma Song, the Barbarian King himself strode through the dust like an executioner. His eyes flared with killing intent. His fists were clenched. His rage was volcanic.
"You dare harm my brother?!"
He exploded forward like a meteor.
Su Qingshi looked up, eyes widening in horror. She was too exhausted to move. The monstrous fist barreled toward her skull.
She closed her eyes. Waiting for death. But it didn't come.
Instead...
BOOM!
She was flung backward by a pulse of power. When she looked again, she saw it..
A white-haired figure stood tall, his blindfold fluttering. Spatial cracks danced around him. A devil-may-care grin curved his lips.
Gojo.
"He saved her!!"
"He's fighting the Barbarian King!!"
"Chen Zhen is insane!"
The crowd roared again, this time with stunned awe.
Gojo's eyes glinted behind the blindfold as dimensional ripples pushed Ma Song back a step.
"You dare stand in my way?" Ma Song growled, glancing at his slashed arm.
"Technically," Gojo said, "you should be thanking me. Had you killed her, the Elders would've executed you on the spot."
Ma Song turned to the elders, and saw their cold expressions.
He knew Gojo wasn't bluffing. But if he backed down now, he'd lose all face.
The Barbarian King Ma Song. Beaten back by a blindfolded brat in front of the entire sect?
He ground his teeth. "She harmed my brother. She must pay!"
Gojo laughed. "Oi… are you fucking retarded? You love your brother that much? Willing to die for him in front of the whole sect?"
Even Ma Song blinked in surprise.
Gojo continued, "Besides, I can't let you kill her. I need to study that wondrous technique of hers. And she's pretty. Would be a shame to let her go splat under your oversized fist."
He shrugged, hands in his pockets.
"You can walk away now… or we can throw hands. Either way, I'm chill."
The crowd held its breath. Elders leaned forward.
But finally, Ma Song growled, grabbed his unconscious brother, and stormed off.
"I'll challenge you when you reach the Inner Court. Be ready then."
"See you later, Ralph the Destroyer!" Gojo called out with a laugh.
Su Qingshi pulled herself up. Her voice was cold, almost embarrassed. "I didn't need you to save me."
Gojo raised a brow. "Okay. I'll come find you later so we can discuss how you'll repay me for accidentally saving you."
He whistled as she walked off, meanwhile, MeiYing who was seated calmly raised a brow at the interaction, her eyes narrowing into slits. Then the next figure stepped into the ruined arena.
Xiao Wusheng.
The crowd erupted once more.
"We're actually going to see them fight!"
"Chen Zhen versus Xiao Wusheng!"
Even Gojo rolled his eyes. "You could've waited a bit. Why do you always make such dramatic entrances?"
Xiao Wusheng yawned and picked at his ear lazily. "You were wasting my time with all that talking. I need a nap."
"Fine, let's give this crowd what they came for." Gojo stretched his legs.
But Xiao Wusheng cut him off.
"One move."
Gojo blinked. "Huh?"
"One move," Xiao Wusheng said again, tone bored. "Let's end this with a single move."
Even Gojo burst out laughing. He liked this guy.
Trying to read Xiao Wusheng was like trying to peer through fog. The deeper you looked, the less you understood.
The arena trembled with anticipation.
"He said one move!!"
"Is he crazy?!"
"Trying to mind-game Chen Zhen of all people?!"
The fighters took their stances.
Gojo stretched his left hand outward, space around him distorting.
Xiao Wusheng took a deep breath, palm extended, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
In the stands, MeiYing narrowed her gaze, lips pursed.
Du Yun silently wiped sweat from his brow and whispered under his breath.
"Here we go…"
The air tensed.
The crowd fell silent.
And just like that..
The clash of two devils was about to begin.
---