Chapter Ninety-Three: At the Pinnacle of Martial Arts, I Stand Alone

As Jiang Ming’s voice faded, eight figures appeared around him—yes, eight beings of the Sixth Realm. Six stood on the ground, two hovered in midair, clearly spirits of the Yin God.

“You are worthy of our combined effort!” declared a white-haired elder. His bearing was immortal, his presence gentle as spring, yet now he faced Jiang Ming as a mortal enemy. “From the Pure Yang Palace, Zhang Yangzi greets you, Daoist brother!” He bowed deeply to Jiang Ming, his manner exceedingly respectful. “I offer thanks on behalf of all the people of the world.”

“On behalf of all the people?” Jiang Ming’s expression turned mocking. “Eight mighty human cultivators, and yet you let vengeful souls and fierce ghosts ravage cities, turning them into ghostly wastelands. You allow the myriad demon mountain to raise humans as livestock. How dare you claim to thank me on behalf of all people? If you truly represented them, their curses would drag you straight to hell.”

Zhang Yangzi’s lips twitched. The other powerful figures maintained their composure, making it obvious that notions of ‘the people’ meant nothing to them. At most, the masses were merely sheep under their rule.

“Though humanity has many strong cultivators, most are selfish and cannot unite. Otherwise, how could demons grow so rampant?” The elder carrying the Royal Sword spoke, his tone indignant. He cupped his hands to Jiang Ming. “Royal House of Great Yu, Yin Kaishan.”

“Heh…” Jiang Ming’s laughter was cold and cutting. “The dynasty shepherds its people and receives endless tribute. Your duty is to guard the realm, to protect the people. Yet the court watches as ghosts overrun cities, turning them to wastelands, ignores the cries of the people; watches as the myriad demon mountain breeds humans for blood, yet does nothing. And now you tell me the powerful cannot unite? What a joke—this is not your responsibility? I cleanse ghostly wastelands, I destroy the demon mountain, I am worshipped across the land, admired by the people, and yet you come to hunt me! ‘Great Devil’? Ha! Tell me, who is the real fiend?”

“And you all!”

“Born noble?”

“Born strong?”

“Were you not once weak, cultivating from nothing?”

“Look back—whose ancestors did not crawl and struggle from the mud?”

“Now, perched on high, you ignore everything.”

“You watch ghosts wreak havoc, demons run wild, and do nothing.”

“You have betrayed your ancestors, betrayed humanity.”

“You all deserve death!”

With each word, Jiang Ming’s murderous intent grew, his blood soared and boiled. Never before had his lust for killing burned so fiercely.

“Amitabha. All beings are equal. Those who cause harm will surely meet karmic retribution.” An old monk pressed his palms together.

“Equality, my ass!”

That single phrase sent Jiang Ming into a frenzy.

“Inch Fist—Ten Waves!”

“Boundless power!”

He struck without hesitation. His fist clenched and power erupted—heart pounding like a war drum, hot blood surging like rivers and seas, every muscle and marrow channeled strength to his fist.

Boom—

An explosive roar split heaven and earth.

His body, at its absolute peak, empowered tenfold, infused with boundless intent—this punch could shatter stars. The old monk’s face changed, paling with horror. He sensed the terrifying force.

No human could withstand it.

Nor could he escape.

“Amitabha! Diamond Body—Thirteen Layers of Universal Buddha Light for protection!”

He pressed his palms together. Layers of golden light radiated, encasing him tightly. The pressure of celestial phenomena descended, condensed and merged into his defense. The monk’s protective power—he believed none in the world could break it. Such was the legacy of the Diamond Temple.

From afar, it seemed a true Buddha had descended, the Enlightened One arrived on earth. Yet Jiang Ming’s fist shattered layer upon layer of golden light.

The strongest defense crumbled like paper. The monk’s eyes bulged, his mouth opened but no sound emerged. His body burst apart, flesh and blood flying.

He was of the Celestial Phenomena Realm.

Destroyed with one punch.

The remaining strongmen froze, horror etched on their faces.

They knew the monk’s strength well—how could he be killed so easily? In their understanding, even if defeated, his powerful protective arts would let him endure. Now, all of them were stunned.

“Demon from beyond, Jiang Ming—die!” Yin Kaishan grabbed the Royal Sword, unleashing it. Instantly, its sharp aura tore heaven and earth, raising Jiang Ming’s hackles.

This sword held dreadful power.

“Die!” Zhang Yangzi attacked as well.

The others erupted in unison.

Today, they had come to slay Jiang Ming. Why unite? Simply because none alone could guarantee his death. Moreover, if one didn’t join, they’d miss the benefits of killing the demon. Watching peers ascend while stagnant themselves—this was their greatest fear.

As for the people? The masses? They meant nothing to them.

They guarded power, pursued strength.

In a blink, Jiang Ming was submerged under sword light, blade light, spells, and more.

But Zhang Yangzi and the others’ faces changed again.

They saw Jiang Ming suddenly vanish.

“Die!”

Unbeknownst to them, Jiang Ming had appeared behind Yin Kaishan, his Moon Sword slicing toward the latter’s neck. The razor-sharp sword energy cut through the void, terrifying Yin Kaishan. He wielded the Royal Sword, unleashing dazzling golden energy, blocking Jiang Ming’s strike at the last possible moment.

“His speed is unmatched—he must have comprehended the Dao of Space. Everyone, suppress him!” Yin Kaishan realized the truth and quickly warned the others.

Thunder rumbled—

The celestial pressure of all the strongmen burst forth, combining to distort space, forming a terrifying anomaly.

Jiang Ming’s movement stalled.

Meanwhile, a Yin God in midair activated a mirror, its divine light shining onto Jiang Ming’s face.

“Stabilizing Realm!”

Jiang Ming, just about to struggle, suddenly felt as if bound—unable to move. He understood.

His Yin God was infiltrated by a strange force, rendering it stiff, nearly immobile.

Clearly, this artifact specifically countered Yin Gods.

His physical body was divine.

His Yin God was immobilized, his thoughts nearly halted, movement impossible.

Outside, more celestial pressure pinned him down.

Yet Jiang Ming was unfazed—he had foreseen this scenario.

“Yin-Yang intent merges to form Yin-Yang manifestation. Primordial chaos, immune to all evil!”

“Blood energy soars, shaking the heavens.”

“True energy transforms into dragons, acupoints shine like stars, the treasure body boundless.”

“Essence, energy, spirit as one!”

“Five elements, yin-yang, the world—empower my body!”

Thunder rolled—

All these forces fused together. Jiang Ming’s body erupted like a volcano, forming an endless torrent that first crushed the power of the Stabilizing Realm, preventing it from advancing.

The intent of five elements, yin-yang, and world merged, cycling and combining, the world descending, forming a true domain.

Within, chaos evolved, pushing back all celestial pressure.

This was another of his achievements—drawing from all things, chaos gives birth to the world, the infinite becomes yin-yang, yin-yang transforms into five elements, five elements generate all things.

All interconnected, evolving together.

Jiang Ming had only tested it, but succeeded.

He endured all attacks, battered but unharmed. The strongest was the Royal Sword, which sliced within three feet of his brow, but he dodged away.

“Three Swords of Immortal Execution!”

Essence, energy, and spirit united. Slaughter, death, and destruction infused together, forming the world’s most dazzling sword.

It severed moonlight, split heaven and earth, shrouded the night, and banished lingering souls.

With his power ascendant, the sword grew ever more terrifying.

Sword light swept out, instantly killing two of them, the sword energy shredding their bodies into blood mist, leaving no bones behind.

“Heavenly Step!”

Jiang Ming stepped onto the lines of space, vanishing and reappearing by the Yin God of the Supreme Heart Sect’s elder.

This one held the Stabilizing Realm artifact.

“What a terrifying demon!” the elder cried, his Yin God twitching to flee, but Jiang Ming’s eyes shot two beams—one yin, one yang—forming a revolving Tai Chi cage, trapping the elder. Though he broke free in an instant, it was too late.

“Sixteenth Sword—Thunder Light Slays Evil!”

Lightning is the purest nemesis of Yin Gods.

One sword fell, splitting the Yin God in two, then lightning annihilated it—obliterated, not a trace remained.

Eight strongmen, and in so little time, four had been slain.

The remaining four turned pale as death, their faces twisted in horror.

“Heavenly Step!”

Jiang Ming strode the lines of space, hunting another Yin God—this one was quick, fleeing at once.

Yin Gods are swift beyond compare.

“Twelfth Sword—A Single Cold Light Across the World!”

This was derived from the Black Hole Point Shatters All Laws, drawing upon the speed of spatial attack. The sword’s point gathered space’s fluctuations—one flash covered ten thousand miles.

Though not as destructive as the original, it was fast and far. The fleeing Yin God was pierced, frozen in midair.

Another sword, another death.

“Now, it’s your turn.”

Jiang Ming turned to face Yin Kaishan and the three Celestial Phenomena cultivators.

These three stood together, staring at Jiang Ming as if they’d seen a ghost. If there were a pill for regret, they would have swallowed it whole.

“Daoist Jiang, wait! Wait!” Yin Kaishan spoke at lightning speed, spitting out dozens of words in a breath. “Let’s end things here today! From now on, you shall be the honored patron of the Great Yu Dynasty. The court will support your cultivation with everything we have, open the treasury to you, let you command our armies, dispose of officials as you wish, and pick three thousand—no, thirty thousand—most beautiful women among the populace to fill your harem. If you desire, even the throne is yours. You may rule the world with a single word. In strength, you are peerless; in power, none above you; in pleasure, cuisine and beauty—whatever you desire, the world shall provide. Daoist Jiang, just let today’s matter end here, spare us three.”

“Spare you?” Jiang Ming smiled coldly.

Though they hadn’t introduced themselves, he could guess most of their identities. Yin Kaishan represented the court, another with unstable aura had just broken through, likely also from the court.

Pure Yang Palace sent one, Diamond Temple another, Supreme Heart Sect two, Demon King Sect one, and one wild Celestial Phenomena cultivator.

Eight supreme figures, the pinnacle of worldly power, gathered solely to kill him.

Now, seeing no hope, they wished to let it go?

Wishful thinking!

“If I desire it, killing you all means everything is mine anyway!” Jiang Ming replied, attacking again.

With the Heavenly Step, he vanished, reappearing anywhere at will—unpredictable, impossible to guard against.

His powerful sword forms were unstoppable.

Even Yin Kaishan wielding the Royal Sword ultimately fell.

Eight strongmen, not one remained—all buried beneath the night.

Jiang Ming stood atop the mountain, breathing in the scent of blood, his expression still cold and ruthless.

“If I must kill, then let it be enough—sweep across the world!”

“Hongyi, Yunshuang, come here!”

His voice carried into the mansion.

Moments later, Yan Hongyi and Yunshuang arrived, awed by the lingering power in the void.

Fortunately, Jiang Ming was unharmed.

“Master, did you kill them all?” Yunshuang, after her shock, gazed at him with eyes filled with love. “Amazing—who in this world can rival you? At the summit of martial arts, only Jiang Lang stands tall.”

“Jiang Lang, shall we—shall we leave a token of our love here?”

Yunshuang approached, graceful and tender.

White sand gleamed, the moon blushed shyly.

(End of chapter)