Chapter 35: Chapter Thirty-Five: The Weight of Time

When Hong Sihai shattered the Five Lakes Hall, Qian Chen summoned a Dunguang , clad in a Clear Wind Cloud Body Talisman, breaking through the Foundation Establishment restriction and riding the Flying Cloud Pouch to ascend into the mist, rising dozens of zhang before breathing his way to the sky.

From above, he released his Black Jade Dark Demon Hook for the first time.

The Black Jade Dark Demon Hook became a dark-gold streak, hurtling away.

Fighting at a distance with swords is the proper method for true cultivators. To brawl up close with a martial artist is to dance on the edge of death—what madness is this?

Qian Chen was merely playing the role of a peerless swordsman, a paragon of sincerity; when true life-or-death combat came, his first instinct was always the traditional cultivator’s way: unfurl the Heaven’s Net Umbrella above his head, hide the Dark Demon Banner beneath his feet, wear the Dragon Sparrow Ring on his hand, and command his flying sword from dozens of zhang above, fighting you from afar.

You must stack the thickest armor, maintain the perfect distance—you must kite him.

Not only will I kite you, I’ll activate damage immunity and armor buffs… How do you fight a warrior? Block his rush, keep damage immunity ready, then drain him from range, paired with proper crowd control.

Even the madmen of Shaoying Sword Sect don’t insist on charging in with swords to brawl—after all, cultivators are mostly archers, or at least mages; a flying sword cuts heads from a thousand li away—there’s no reason to close in for hand-to-hand.

Qian Chen carefully retrieved the time-tested, enduring traditional tactic he’d verified countless times.

The swordlight flowed downward, transforming into a coiling dragon that cascaded forth.

But after Hong Sihai punched back the Kongming Chan Master, he halted his step, then turned without the slightest resistance, his fists manifesting Gangqi —blue Qiantianyiqiqinggang , pure as a clear sky after rain, as pristine as the heavens. The Qiantianyiqiqinggang coalesced on Hong Sihai’s fists, and with a single tremor, it shattered Qian Chen’s swordlight.

The Black Jade Dark Demon Hook was not inherently sharp; though its sealing layers were decent, Qian Chen’s refinement of it was shallow.

Not to mention that the Fengrui of this flying hook could never pierce the Qiantianyiqiqinggang , famed as the number-one defense among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs—nor could the hook’s swordlight withstand repeated blows from the Gangqi without growing sluggish.

The Gangqi had shaken the spiritual light of the flying sword’s seals.

Qian Chen inwardly whistled—he’d suspected Hong Sihai had condensed Gangqi , transforming his martial master’s internal qi into Gangqi by merging it with the exotic elemental qi of the Qianyuangangqi , achieving a fusion of martial and cultivation arts among the finest in the Central Land. But he hadn’t expected Hong Sihai’s Gangqi to be this refined!

Qian Chen was grateful this world had only divine weapons, no methods for forging magic treasures.

Otherwise, after achieving martial-cultivation fusion, Hong Sihai could have used the Qian Tian Gang Qi to forge his martial essence into a qi-weapon treasure.

From then on, he’d fly, strike, and prevail without fail—a martial qi cultivator so formidable even in the Central Land he’d be a nightmare.

The Qiantianyiqiqinggang was refined from the essence of the Nine Heavens’ pure qi, extreme in nature. If Qian Chen’s earlier acquired Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi was the essence of cold, freezing all qi, then the Qiantianyiqiqinggang was the essence of purity—yet weighted, distinct from the other eight pure qi essences’ light and ethereal nature.

Moreover, Hong Sihai’s Gangqi was so pure in hue—it must be of the highest quality.

This world’s primordial foundation was weak; the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs were elemental qi born only from entire celestial realms. Qian Chen had been astonished to see even a wisp of Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi . Now the Qiantianyiqiqinggang had appeared—what kind of resources were these?

“Could the common knowledge I heard in the Louguan Sect already be outdated? Are the myriad worlds experiencing a qi resurgence, and these exotic elemental qis, once priceless millions of years ago, now commonplace?” Qian Chen couldn’t help but wonder.

Yet his hands didn’t stop—he summoned the Seven Fiend Banners planted at the Five Lakes Hall’s entrance again, and rolling black fiendish energy surged forth like seven great serpents, rising and sweeping across the ground.

Hong Sihai found it strange—how could Qian Chen possess so many divine weapons, and such bizarre ones?

But these thoughts, like passing distractions beyond his true heart, did not disturb his cold, icy killing intent in battle. A golden wheel appeared behind his head; his qi amplified through the wheel emitted blinding light, tearing a slit in the roaring tide of fiendish energy.

“True Yang Divine Metal!” Sword Supreme Liu Duxing screamed: “It really is you! Of course it’s you… you beast!”

“Brother treated you so well! How could you truly be so heartless…”

Hong Sihai frowned slightly; a streak of light shot from the golden wheel behind his head, striking Liu Duxing.

Qian Chen swiftly pointed downward—the streak was ground down by the Seven Fiend Banners’ fiendish energy and vanished into the black tide.

Hong Sihai glanced at Qian Chen above, knowing his aerial mobility was limited—he couldn’t hover indefinitely. Better to first seize the ground-based target than leap about fighting Qian Chen. He split his fists, and the Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang tore through the rolling fiendish tide of the Seven Fiend Banners.

Though the Seven Fiend Banners had condensed seven fiendish energies, most were impure, and none even ranked among the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends—how could they resist the refined Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang?

Hong Sihai charged upward through the black fiendish wind, his fists ripping apart the fiendish energy, breaking free from entanglements, step by step advancing toward the Seven Fiend Banners at the entrance, intending to seize this strange divine weapon. As he stepped onto the platform outside the Five Lakes Hall, the talismans Qian Chen had hidden beneath the steps erupted—Three Realms Frozen Light Talisman.

Instantly, a spreading tide of ice froze Hong Sihai; thick ice layers covered his body surface.

A normal martial master would be immobilized by this—but Qian Chen knew Hong Sihai’s body was protected by Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang, and this talisman, equivalent to a Golden Core strike, could never hold him. If the Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang were this feeble, it wouldn’t deserve its title as the number-one defense among the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gangs.

So he flicked out an ice needle—ice qi condensed from Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi pierced the ice encasing Hong Sihai, intensifying its chill, slowly transforming the ordinary ice into millennia-old black ice.

As long as Qian Chen didn’t withdraw the Ice Soul qi, this black ice would never melt.

But this could only trap Hong Sihai temporarily. The black ice bound him—but also protected him. Internally shielded by Qiantianyiqiqinggang , externally wrapped in millennia-old black ice formed from Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi , Qian Chen’s flying weapons and treasures could not penetrate this defense—and the Qiantianyiqiqinggang was far thicker and purer than the Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi .

Once Hong Sihai adapted to the cold and shattered the ice, his ferocity would only grow fiercer.

Qian Chen gestured, recalling the Spirit Light Mirror, using it to condense several Brightness Talismans into a single beam of blinding light that pierced through the ice and struck Hong Sihai’s eyes. Then he retracted the Seven Fiend Banners, gathering their fiendish energy into a dome that enclosed the black ice trapping Hong Sihai.

The blinding light caused Hong Sihai’s pupils to contract—he simply closed his eyes within the black ice.

At that moment, Qian Chen Shandianban froze the Dragon Sparrow Ring into the black ice, directly behind Hong Sihai’s back. He manipulated the Ice Soul Cold Light Gangqi to slowly shift the ring inward, until it pressed against Hong Sihai’s spine.

He then drew forth the White Bone Stupa, forcing out its myriad demonic intentions, manifesting demonic sounds and illusions that incessantly assaulted Hong Sihai’s spirit.

With another finger, he released the Soul-Binding Rope from Fan Hui’s body—it retracted before Qian Chen, winding several more layers around the outside of the black ice.

The two exchanged a glance through the millennia-old black ice, each preparing their final killing move… Qian Chen still hovered dozens of zhang above, retracting the Black Jade Dark Demon Hook, slowly gathering killing intent, tracing his fingers inch by inch along the hook’s surface, stirring its spiritual light, accumulating momentum—his next strike would be an absolute kill.

Meanwhile, Hong Sihai, trapped in the black ice, endured the relentless assault of demonic shadows—he could not calm his mind to sense the changes in his Gangqi under the cold, nor could he use this moment to refine his Gangqi .

He could only sense the presence of the enemy above, focusing his spirit with utmost concentration, excluding the demonic sounds.

His distracting thoughts gradually vanished, leaving only a pure fighting intent, as crystalline as the millennia-old black ice outside.

At this moment, he felt the cold trapping him begin to loosen under the pressure of his Qiantianyiqiqinggang . He adjusted his breath in rhythm, his fists’ Gangqi growing denser, waiting for the precise moment to shatter the black ice and unleash his ultimate, earth-shattering killing technique.

Qian Chen too was tempering the sword within his heart…

But if this stalemate continued, Hong Sihai stood a higher chance of breakthrough—he was using Qian Chen’s pressure, the torment of the ice, and the demonic assaults to accumulate counterattack power.

Just as the Ice Soul qi began to lose its grip on Hong Sihai, the ice suddenly melted. Hong Sihai’s long-suppressed aura erupted—his Qiantiangangqi shook the sky, instantly shattering the clouds above Linhai City. The violent tremor even made Qian Chen stagger in midair.

This sudden shift broke Hong Sihai’s accumulated rhythm, but he channeled the polish he’d refined into his strike—like a sealed fist unleashed again, rolling Gangqi surged forth with his punch.

The Heaven’s Net Umbrella was pressed down, but its spiritual light could not contain this overwhelming Gangqi .

It was as if the blue sky had risen, shattering the Heaven’s Net Umbrella’s spiritual light inch by inch—only painstaking future refinement could restore it.

At this moment, Qian Chen finally smiled.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment!”

The Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang is the number-one defense, an unbreakable shell—the ultimate turtle shell. If you retreat into it, even if I attack for three months, I can’t touch you.

But you call yourself the Sky-Piercing Fist—your nature is utterly domineering. Though you can endure, I know that once given an opening, you’ll inevitably take a desperate risk… This is your martial path, inseparable from your character. How could you change so easily?

So all my previous moves, though they seemed to trap you, were actually making you stronger.

This is called “arousing arrogance.”

Now that you’ve shattered your shell, like a spring released at maximum tension, you’re immensely powerful—but this is also your moment of greatest weakness.

The Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang surged outward with his punch, crushing the Heaven’s Net Umbrella. At this moment, the residual ice still clinging to Hong Sihai’s body suddenly transformed into a needle, stabbing toward his heart.

The remaining Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang formed a thin veil of blue mist, still strong enough to halt the Ice Soul Cold Light Needle before it reached his chest.

Though thinner than the finest gauze, the Ice Soul Cold Light Needle lacked just enough force to pierce through that veil.

Hong Sihai finally revealed a supremely confident sneer—as if he held all in his grasp.

Held in his fist…

The Heaven’s Net Umbrella’s spiritual light was about to collapse, and the Ice Soul Cold Light Needle, though seemingly just shy of success, had no strength left. Hong Sihai prepared to unleash his Qian Tian Yi Qi Qing Gang and shatter Qian Chen into blood mist—when a jade ring suddenly fell from behind his head, effortlessly slipping over his golden wheel. With no divine weapon to bolster his qi, Hong Sihai’s defenses collapsed instantly.

The Soul-Binding Rope and Seven Fiend Banners contracted sharply—black tides surged, black serpents writhing, grinding toward Hong Sihai’s flesh.

Hong Sihai roared, pouring all his qi into blocking the crushing fiendish tide, holding back the rope, and defending against the ice needle.

As long as he held out until his Gangqi returned, he still had a chance.

At this moment, Qian Chen’s fatal killing blow erupted.

The black jade swordlight in his hand vanished—it was an illusion created by the Spirit Light Mirror.

From within the Dragon Sparrow Ring, a black jade swordlight shot forth—when Hong Sihai had exhausted all his techniques, at a distance of mere feet from the back of his skull, it pierced through his brow in an instant, leaving not a drop of blood.

At this moment, this martial overlord, this ambitious man who sought to dominate the world, the most decisive, cold-blooded, cruel, resolute, and intelligent Dragon Head among the Twelve Zodiacs that Qian Chen had encountered in this mission, finally knelt to the ground.

His powerful body allowed him to retain a single breath.

Qian Chen descended from the sky; the Heaven’s Net Umbrella could no longer be retracted—it hung loosely, torn and ragged, slung over his back.

…………

Kongming Chan Master, Wanshi Daoist, Kang Qiandeng, and others had been crushed by Hong Sihai’s overwhelming might, barely able to breathe. Kongming Chan Master had even resolved to sacrifice himself and the other martial masters for the righteous path, letting the younger generation survive as seeds of hope, temporarily submitting to await a future reckoning.

When Qian Chen unleashed his full arsenal, they felt dazzled, as if he had endless hidden cards—and hope stirred again.

Then, when Qian Chen trapped Hong Sihai, they nearly cheered.

But seeing Qian Chen’s face, tense as if facing a mortal foe, they dared not approach.

Then, when Hong Sihai shattered the ice and unleashed his sky-piercing punch, their minds went utterly blank—only the thought of “the pinnacle of martial arts” took root. Only when Qian Chen’s scheme deepened and he flipped the battle in an instant, killing Hong Sihai…

Did they regain their senses.

Even now, it felt unreal, like a dream.

…………

Hong Sihai’s head hung low, forehead touching his chest; a thin thread of blood slowly trailed from his brow. His martial path had indeed reached a realm unprecedented in this world—part of his will and soul had been fused into his Gangqi . Yet he could still speak. His lips trembled, emitting a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum:

“I am the Dragon Head—and also Hong Sihai. The man who killed his sworn brother, closest friend, and most trusted subordinate.”

“But the question is…” Hong Sihai’s final breath lingered long: “Who are you?”

“If I were Luo Shengyi, this revenge story would have reached a perfect ending!”

“But I am not…” Qian Chen silently sighed within.

But that doesn’t stop me from giving this story a perfect ending, does it?

So Qian Chen spoke: “My name is Luo Shengyi, son of the former Demon Cult’s Grand Master.”

“So that’s it…” Hong Sihai murmured in his final moments, his expression calm and joyful: “So… that’s it…”

“You are that child…”

That joy may have been nostalgia for the familiar, or peace with the ending.

His head sank deeper—no breath remained.

……

In the martial world’s legends, witnessed by martial heroes and masters of every sect, the Demon Cult Grand Master’s son, Luo Shengyi, completed his revenge, smiled faintly, and vanished into the wilderness—leaving only this tale behind.

This tale became an enduring legend of the martial world… Twelve Zodiacs, Dragon Head, Demon Cult, Four Seas Hall—decades later, all traces vanished, yet their names endured, sung by generation after generation of martial folk.

Qian Chen gave Kang Qiandeng a secret sword art from the Demon Cult’s vault, and returned the martial arts stolen and lost by the Demon Cult to Wudang and Shaolin.

Finally, he entrusted Wanshi Daochang and Kongming Chanshi to care for the ordinary disciples of Sihaitang, ensuring they would not be tainted by Hong Sihai, before choosing to return to the Realm of Reincarnation.