Chapter 472: Sword Dao Ninth Stage! Li Hao

Painting Dao, Ninth Stage!

As Painting Dao broke through, countless insights flooded into his mind, drowning out Li Hao's joy and plunging him into profound realization.

That earlier, impassioned painting—using his heart to glimpse the Sage, capturing the indescribable divine aura of the Sage—had purified his spirit.

Ninth Stage meant Li Hao's painting had entered the Dao.

He pierced through the surface of all things, extracted their essence and spirit, depicted their inner bones and Dao-rhythm—painting was Dao, Dao was painting.

"Finished?"

The Sword Master sensed Li Hao had stopped brushing; the sensation of being probed to the bone also vanished. His eyes turned to Li Hao's painting board.

Li Hao snapped back to awareness, slowly unrolling the scroll, and handed it to the Sword Master with both hands.

The Sword Master took it, seeing the ink still wet, yet the painting's divine aura already leapt off the paper.

And as he gazed at the silhouette in the painting, he felt a humming sword intent vibrating in his mind—it was his own Sword Dao! Li Hao had captured one-third of his Sword Dao!

The Sword Master's calm smile instantly turned grave; his gaze locked onto the painting in his hands.

Between the ink and brushstrokes lay a Dao-rhythm he had never seen before.

The Sword Master looked up at Li Hao, seeing the boy's serene expression, his entire being radiating an ethereal yet tangible aura.

In just a brief moment, this boy beside him had changed.

The Sword Master studied Li Hao deeply, waited for the ink to dry, then rolled and stored the painting. "I'll keep this painting. Thank you for it—I love it."

"Glad you like it."

Li Hao smiled.

At that moment, he saw the Painting Dao on his panel rise from Ninth Stage to Tenth Stage—his experience jumped from one million to five million! Yet, painting the Sword Master alone had granted him 370,000 experience—absurdly excessive.

Even so, to fill the Tenth Stage experience, he'd need two or three Sages to be completely drained of their essence.

Tenth Stage meant entering Sainthood—masterpieces that echo through millennia, timeless and eternal, legendary works.

But Li Hao knew, to break into Tenth Stage, experience alone wasn't enough—he needed to attain the right heart-state.

The sun set, twilight painting the Sacred Mountain in hazy gold.

Wild geese flew south; bamboo shadows swayed before the Sword Cliff, the waterfall surged—a rare, peerless vista.

Li Hao casually painted this scene of the Sacred Mountain at dusk, unexpectedly gaining five thousand experience.

After bidding farewell to the Sword Master, Li Hao descended the mountain and returned to the Alchemy Courtyard.

The duel before the Sacred Mountain had ended; when Li Hao returned, Lin Lin Shanhai asked, "Why didn't you go watch today? What a shame—you have no idea how fierce the battle was!"

"Oh?"

Li Hao fetched a teapot; he'd been fishing all day and was thirsty. He drank two sips to moisten his throat: "Have the top four been decided?"

"Yes. Tomorrow, two more will compete for the final two spots to enter the Top Ten. Then comes the Top Ten battles!"

Lin Lin Shanhai said.

The entire Sword God Tournament would last a month—it was a once-in-a-century grand event, not something settled in a day or two.

Li Hao nodded, glancing at Lin Lin Qingying, sitting quietly alone in the courtyard.

As if sensing his gaze, Lin Lin Qingying opened her eyes and looked toward Li Hao.

She hadn't seen him today, so she knew he'd gone fishing again with the Sword Master.

They exchanged a glance, saying nothing, yet a silent understanding passed between them.

Lin Lin Qingying's gaze returned, calm and indifferent.

She knew what he wanted to ask—whether she had confidence. Her response was always: adapt as needed, do your best.

Lin Lin Shanhai noticed their gaze meeting, sensing a faint threat. He muttered inwardly, feeling like he'd invited a wolf into his home—his granddaughter would surely be stolen away soon.

He tugged at Li Hao's sleeve, diverting his attention to the day's battle details.

Li Hao listened as Lin Lin Shanhai recounted the fight vividly, though with much exaggeration. Still, Li Hao could feel the battlefield's intensity—the clashes between the Saint Sons and Saint Daughters.

After all, he'd watched every first-round match; he remembered each disciple's sword techniques and methods, and could predict how their battles would unfold.

When idle chatter ended, Li Hao went to the kitchen and prepared some small snacks, offering one to Lin Lin Shanhai and calling Lin Lin Qingying over to try them.

Hearing Li Hao's invitation, Lin Lin Qingying rose slowly, her exquisite blue robe gliding forward. She came to the dining mat and savored the snacks with quiet grace.

Lin Lin Shanhai, who had been enjoying his snack with full delight, now saw his granddaughter actually accepting Li Hao's invitation. Watching them sit quietly together, eating and drinking in unspoken harmony, he suddenly found his snack tasteless.

Though Li Hao and Lin Lin Qingying spoke not a word, Lin Lin Shanhai still sensed something passing between them—something that bypassed him entirely.

He smiled bitterly, feeling the ache of a daughter growing beyond his hold.

When the snacks were finished, Lin Lin Qingying rose and thanked Li Hao, then returned to the courtyard to continue her sword meditation.

Li Hao also bid farewell to Lin Lin Shanhai, stood, brushed off the dust from his pants, and returned to his own small courtyard.

Once inside, he casually cast a barrier. Combined with his Catalog, unless someone deliberately probed, they'd be unlikely to detect his condition.

After this, Li Hao called up his panel and saw a new heart-state listed: Painting Dao Heart (Unused).

Previously, he'd used his Cooking Dao Heart on his Body Dao and Control Dao, causing his Sword Dao to stagnate. Though his realm had risen, his Sword Dao attacks remained weak.

Now that his Body Dao had reached Ninth Stage, combining it with Sword Dao would maximize his combat power in the short term.

After all, he had strength—he just needed the means to strike!

Without hesitation, Li Hao selected Sword Dao and embedded it.

Instantly, a flood of insight surged in—using Painting Dao to comprehend Sword Dao! His mind filled with countless sword intents and qi, his small courtyard vanished, replaced by a world of swords.

Endless sword qi, every type of sword, appeared before him, within him.

Long swords, short swords, slender swords, heavy swords—all of them.

Each sword type had its own optimal offensive techniques and sword arts.

Now all of them surfaced in Li Hao's mind, like a dazzling array of visions. When all swords merged, he felt a sudden awakening.

Sword is sword. Sword is only sword.

Long sword, short sword, heavy sword—all are sword.

Flowers and grass can also be sword.

No sword in hand, but sword in heart—that is Sword Dao.

At this moment, Li Hao's Sword Dao ascended to Ninth Stage—Sword Dao fully enlightened!

The Sole Self Sword Intent he had previously forged now merged gradually with his Ninth Stage understanding, transforming into the Sole Self Sword Dao. What is Sole Self?

When his own Sword Dao emerges, all other Dao submit and perish! This is the Sole Self Sword Dao—supreme arrogance!

Li Hao opened his eyes again, yet he felt no sharpness—instead, he sat as if upon the river of time, serene and profound.

But if one looked closely, the spot where he sat had become the center of the entire courtyard, even the center of a radius of dozens of li. His posture, his spine, stood like a sword planted on the ground—dull in appearance, yet if one glimpsed even a trace, they would be severed.

At this moment, purely in terms of Sword Dao level, Li Hao had reached Sword Saint rank.

If he reached Tenth Stage, he could sacrifice his Sword to become a Saint!

That would be a true Sword Saint, the supreme sovereign of Sword Dao. Yet though his Sword technique now matched a Sword Saint's, his actual combat power still lagged far behind—just as his Sixth Stage Sword Dao had once slain a Dao Law cultivator.

And Sixth Stage Sword Dao was among the lowest in the Inner Sect of this Sword Ancestor Sacred Ground.

"Sword Dao, Sword Dao—sword intent follows the heart, Sword Dao follows the will…"

Li Hao murmured to himself.

He looked at his small courtyard. Now, viewing this humble courtyard, his perception was utterly different.

The weeds, the stone slabs, the old jars—all in Li Hao's eyes carried a certain resilience, a resilience inherent to Sword Dao.

In all things, he could find the shadow of the sword.

After absorbing it all, night had deepened, the stars blazing overhead.

Li Hao drew back his thoughts. He did not attempt to swing his sword or test his Sword Dao's power. At this level, he had absolute clarity over his own strength—he needed no trial to know.

He casually waved his hand, drawing a piece of wood toward him. A carving knife landed in his palm—but now, to Li Hao, the carving knife had become a sword blade. His carving became even more effortless.

His carving skill had already accumulated to Fifth Stage experience.

Li Hao glanced at his current panel stats.

Body Dao: Ninth Stage. Control Dao: Seventh Stage. Sword Dao: Ninth Stage. Movement Dao: Sixth Stage. Fist Dao: Sixth Stage.

Artistic skills: Chess Dao: Seventh Stage. Music: Fourth Stage. Poetry and Calligraphy: Fourth Stage. Carving: Fifth Stage. Cooking Dao: Ninth Stage. Painting Dao: Ninth Stage. Fishing: Sixth Stage.

Remaining art points: 7.

Movement Dao and Fist Dao were both stuck, lacking the required soul-insight heart-state.

These two were also crucial. Li Hao currently relied heavily on the Xuanyuan Extreme Realm to compensate, but if his Movement Dao reached Ninth Stage and combined with Xuanyuan, he couldn't imagine how far it would take him—it would likely surpass all expectations in utilizing the Xuanyuan Extreme Realm.

Fist Dao not only enhanced his fist techniques but also added extra arm strength, which boosted Sword Dao power—it was indispensable.

"Heart-state, heart-state—if I can raise Fishing and Carving both to Seventh Stage, my combat power will leap another tier."

Li Hao sighed inwardly—time was still too short. Though he trained, fished, and carved relentlessly every day, progress remained painfully slow.

Shaking his head, Li Hao closed his panel and resumed carving.

This time, Li Hao targeted the Sword Master. He slowly carved the divine aura he remembered into the wood. Soon, a trace of that aura emerged.

When the carving was complete, Li Hao checked his experience gain—over five thousand points.

Merely carving the Sword Master's posture from memory had yielded such massive experience.

If he carved him face-to-face, it might be tens of thousands.

Li Hao didn't pause—he immediately began carving the second piece.

Though the experience was rich, Li Hao clearly felt carving a Saint was far harder than carving others. Had he not already entered Sword Dao, had he not used Sword Dao to guide his carving knife, he would have injured his hands several times.

As the second carving was completed, his Carving Dao experience surged past its bottleneck—reaching Sixth Stage! Sixty thousand experience was needed to fill Sixth Stage.

Li Hao continued carving, five or six times in succession, averaging two to three thousand experience per carving.

When the experience gains began to dwindle, Li Hao thought of Yao Zu and other Half-Saint Elders, and the Sword Saint himself.

Li Hao's mind conjured the image of Yao Zu, and he immediately began carving; his carving knife danced like a brush in flight, wood shavings spraying as a stunningly beautiful woman, as if a celestial immortal had descended to the mortal world, took shape in his palm—it was Yao Zu.

As Li Hao immersed himself in carving, the Sword Master, seated atop the Sword Tower, gazing silently at the moon while sipping wine, suddenly stirred, sensing a presence watching him.

That sensation, drawn by the Sacred Dao, sharpened his melancholy gaze, turning it piercing as he looked toward a certain spot.

His gaze seemed to pierce countless miles, landing upon a small courtyard.

When he saw the familiar face, he paused, the sharpness in his eyes vanishing instantly; then his gaze fell upon the boy's hands.

Seeing the boy earnestly carving a piece of wood, he was momentarily stunned, then fell silent.

He had thought the boy's obsession with painting was strange enough, but now he was dabbling in carving? Good heavens, even when alone, he didn't cultivate—yet he still found time for this? How did he ever reach the 97th-layer Dao Domain? He observed for a moment and saw that Li Hao's carving radiated profound spirit—clearly not a passing hobby; without deep dedication, such mastery was impossible.

Shaking his head, the Sword Master wearily withdrew his gaze.

He had met countless souls, but never before had he encountered someone as unconventional as this boy.

The boy's tranquil, profound aura was no pretense—it was naturally cultivated.

"I wonder which old fellow has been reborn, appearing in the Sword Ancestor's Sacred Ground, mysteriously drawn here—could it be one of my old companions? It's been so long since we last met; could one of them have already undergone Nirvana?"

The Sword Master muttered.

He hadn't seen those old friends in ages; usually they communicated only through spiritual resonance. When they finally met, they had little to say—everything worth saying had already been spoken long ago.

He planned to find time to visit them, lest one of them had quietly been reborn without his knowledge.

On the summit of the Sacred Mountain, in another pavilion atop Green Peak.

Inside the pavilion, the Sword Saint, clad in snow-gold robes, sat beneath a massive locust tree in the courtyard, watching the woman practicing swordplay beneath the moonlight.

She was unleashing her Ice-Snow Sword Intent, her assault icy and fierce, turning a three-zhang radius into a domain of ice and snow.

"Your Ice-Snow Sword Dao has hit a bottleneck."

The Sword Saint saw the problem at a glance—he had noticed during the daytime battle that her sword intent had veered off course.

Hearing her master's words, Bian Bian Ruxue sheathed her sword and bowed her head. "Please, Master, guide me."

The Sword Saint smiled. "Don't be discouraged. At your age, achieving this level is no small feat—though my teaching helped, your own insight is no less remarkable. Your childhood foundation was solid."

Bian Bian Ruxue had won her daytime battle, but it had been grueling, leaving her feeling defeated.

Now, hearing the words "childhood," her thoughts drifted back to that courtyard.

The child, sprawled on a chessboard, idly speaking, had corrected the flaws in her sword practice on the training ground.

Master Xue Jian Xue Jian Wudao had also said her sword foundation was strong.

But she didn't know that child had been a sword prodigy.

Unfortunately, that prodigy later veered off his own path.

Bian Bian Ruxue pulled her thoughts back, just as her master continued:

"Ice-Snow Sword Intent isn't about sharpness—it's about condensation!"

The Sword Saint said: "When you fought Lin Lin Qingying earlier, her intent was Ultimate Softness—Ultimate Softness disperses, while Ice-Snow Sword Intent condenses!"

"When condensed to its extreme, its power surpasses dispersion at its extreme."

"The two sword intents differ fundamentally—just as some sword arts favor defense, others favor offense. Ultimate Softness is weak in attack but unbreakable in defense—and this is relative. Your earlier defeat stemmed from this: your intent lagged behind hers."

Bian Bian Ruxue nodded slightly. She understood her master's meaning: if both intents reached full maturity, hers would be fiercer and more dominant, capable of overpowering hers.

"It's about condensation…"

Bian Bian Ruxue murmured softly, a spark of insight flickering in her mind.

The Sword Saint was about to speak further when his expression shifted—he let out a soft "hmm?"

Someone dared to spy on him?

His eyes shot out a piercing beam, turning to look—his gaze pierced countless miles, quickly revealing a small courtyard.

When he saw the boy inside, carving knife dancing, sculpting his upper body, he froze slightly.

"Master?"

Bian Bian Ruxue, noticing her master's odd reaction, frowned in confusion.

The Sword Saint stared for a moment, then withdrew his gaze.

He recognized the boy lived behind Lin Lin Shanhai's alchemy courtyard—likely close to him. The carving wasn't disrespectful; more likely, it stemmed from reverence.

Such things weren't unfamiliar to him, but the boy's carving somehow captured his spiritual essence—that was unexpected.

Only extreme devotion would prompt such careful observation—but he could tell the boy wasn't devoted; his skill in carving was simply so refined that he had captured the essence.

If it were devotion, he would have received the boy's worshipful incense.

Saints could instantly discern their devotees—and Li Hao was not his devotee.

"Nothing. A boy with decent carving skill."

The Sword Saint's expression remained calm, neither annoyed nor disturbed.

"Carving?"

Bian Bian Ruxue frowned, but didn't dwell on it—such minor arts made her think again of the child who loved chess.

He must have become the Chess Saint by now… Bian Bian Ruxue's lips curled into a bitter smile.

…

Li Hao didn't know his carving of the Saint had been detected—he remained focused. As his carving skill neared full sixth stage, time slipped into the next day.

Lin Lin Qingying and Lin Lin Shanhai went as usual to watch the battles; Li Hao, uninterested, stayed in the courtyard to continue his carving.

When truly weary, he went to fish with the Sword Master.

On the Sacred Mountain, the battles raged fiercely; in the end, two emerged victorious, fighting their way back from the losers' bracket into the Top Ten.

They were Qiu Qiu Wuhen and Bian Bian Ruxue.

After three more days of rest, the Top Ten battles began.

This time, Lin Lin Qingying would compete, and Li Hao accompanied Lin Lin Shanhai to watch.

During these three days, Li Hao successfully elevated his carving skill to the sixth stage's fullness—only the step of infusing spirit remained.

Now, his courtyard was filled with all manner of carvings—many depicted familiar mortals, half were of Yao Zu and other Semi-Saints, and the rest were of the Sword Saint and Sword Master.

On the floating seats, Li Hao sat with Lin Lin Shanhai and other alchemists, watching quietly.

Again, matches were paired two by two; the atmosphere of the Top Ten battles was far more electric. The brutal clashes in the losers' bracket had stirred the Sacred Ground disciples' blood, heightening their anticipation.

Lin Lin Qingying's opponent was Bian Bian Ruxue again—when the pairing was announced, many gasped, silently mourning for Bian Bian Ruxue.

After barely clawing her way out of the losers' bracket, she now faced the one who had already defeated her—they all felt despair for her.

Bian Bian Ruxue hadn't expected to draw her again; her expression darkened.

This fated confrontation filled her with unease.

Though her master had guided her, her Ice-Snow Sword Intent had not yet fully awakened—it remained on the path of comprehension, only slightly improved from before.

Lin Lin Qingying was also surprised, but her expression didn't change.

Others envied Lin Lin Qingying—this was effectively an automatic promotion.

The Sword Saint, seeing the result, sighed softly. He could have subtly manipulated the laws—but he didn't. It was unnecessary.

The more advanced a Saint, the more they believed in fate.

Because they could barely glimpse it.

Fate cannot be reversed! In the Four Standing Realms, though the Reverse Fate Realm claims to defy fate, it cannot act when obscured by a Dao-Perceiving Realm.

Suoweiniming ， Buguoshiyilouyizhishenkuxiuzhici ， Shangtianciyudeyicijihui 。

A single chance to beg Heaven for a new fate.

It is not defiance—it is exchange.

True fate is irrevocable! As the battle began, the Moonlight Saint Disciple still triumphed with overwhelming dominance—his Sun-Moon Divine Eyes discerned the traces of the Return Void, combined with his own Return Void teleportation and Dao Domain, granting him an invincible aura in his realm, leaving no visible weakness.

The duel between Lin Lin Qingying and Bian Bian Ruxue began. This time, Bian Bian Ruxue unleashed stronger sword Gang, her power deeper—but before Lin Lin Qingying's Ultimate Softness, she was effortlessly defeated.

Two defeats left Bian Bian Ruxue bitter, yet her Dao heart remained unshaken. She was still too young; she had cultivated among mortals before. Though she had received elite resources in the Divine General's Mansion and been taught by Master Xue Jian Xue Jian Wudao, compared to these prodigies, her starting point was still far too low.

Other Saint Disciples were mostly born in the Sacred Lands, some even incarnations of Saints themselves—losing to them was only natural.

Bian Bian Ruxue sheathed her sword and returned to the Sacred Platform. More battles awaited against other prodigies from the Canglan Realm. For now, she could meditate on her intent, refining it to fullness.

"That child, Lin Qingying, has already entered the Top Five—how incredible!"

"But tomorrow's match will be hard—everyone else has perfected sword intents too. Strength will depend on other factors."

Zhao Zhao Yingzhen and others were delighted for Lin Lin Shanhai. Top Five was already a great honor; if he reached Top Three, it would be truly monstrous.

Lin Lin Shanhai's face beamed with joy, yet a shadow of worry lingered in his eyes.

The next day.

Top Five competition.

This time, the rules weren't paired matches—each of the five chose their own opponent! Those not chosen advanced automatically to the Top Three.

This method seemed casual, but tested one's judgment.

After so many brutal battles, if someone still foolishly chose the wrong opponent, they deserved to lose.

The five who advanced were: the Moonlight Saint Disciple, Lin Lin Qingying, Qiu Qiu Wuhen, the Spirit Illusion Saint Disciple, and the Crimson River Saint Maiden.

On the Sacred Platform, Lin Lin Qingying and Qiu Qiu Wuhen exchanged glances. Due to their prior connection through Li Hao, they had briefly interacted before the Sword Tower. Now, they both understood each other's intent—and neither chose the other.

Their gazes fell on the others, but both avoided the Moonlight Saint Disciple.

The Moonlight Saint Disciple's expression remained calm, as if expecting this—he smiled faintly.

Soon, the mutual selections were revealed.

Qiu Qiu Wuhen chose the Spirit Illusion Saint Disciple; Lin Lin Qingying chose the Crimson River Saint Maiden.

The Moonlight Saint Disciple chose Lin Lin Qingying.

But since Qiu Qiu Wuhen and the Spirit Illusion Saint Disciple had mutually selected each other, and Lin Lin Qingying and the Crimson River Saint Maiden had mutually selected each other, the Moonlight Saint Disciple was left without an opponent.

No one chose him, so his selection was voided, and he was automatically promoted.

The spectators, all disciples, gasped at this result—but it was expected.

Since the great battle began, the name of the Bright Moon Holy Son had been extremely renowned; unfortunately, among the other Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, though some who usually hid their strength emerged like dark horses, none were strong enough to challenge the Bright Moon Holy Son.

As the battle commenced, a fierce clash erupted between Qiu Qiu Wuhen and the Spirit Illusion Holy Son; both were at the Fifth Pole Realm, fighting until their Heavenly Manifestations clashed, their sword intentions surging like tides, violently colliding across the battlefield.

Had the battlefield array not been set by a Semi-Sage, this power alone could have reached hundreds of miles away.

The Spirit Illusion Holy Son's sword intention was illusion—his sword seemed real yet illusory, hard to guard against; in the fierce struggle, Qiu Qiu Wuhen's Thousand Threads and Innumerable Webs Sword ultimately lost by a hair's breadth.

The second match, between Lin Lin Qingying and the Red River Holy Daughter, was equally intense, ending in a clash of Heavenly Manifestations; the Red River Holy Daughter's sword intention was also complete, her Crimson Flame Sword Intention turning the entire battlefield into a sea of fire and hell.

Yet even under this fierce sword intention, Lin Lin Qingying held her ground; both fought with all their might, and in the end, Lin Lin Qingying narrowly won.

Next came the losers' match: Qiu Qiu Wuhen versus the Red River Holy Daughter, to determine fourth and fifth place.

Lin Lin Qingying, the Bright Moon Holy Son, the Spirit Illusion Holy Son, and others would compete tomorrow to determine the top three rankings.

Nightfall.

The bright moon hung high.

Li Hao watched the woman sitting alone in the courtyard; today, she had not been cultivating her sword, but merely gazing blankly at the moon.

Li Hao walked over with some pastries, sat beside her, and smiled: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Eat something."

Lin Lin Qingying tore her gaze from the moon and turned to Li Hao, fixing her eyes on his smile; she didn't understand why he was always so carefree, so happy.

But this feeling stirred a quiet envy within her.

"Tomorrow I will lose to the Bright Moon Holy Son, but I still want to fight with all my strength!"

Lin Lin Qingying suddenly said.

Li Hao paused slightly, looking at her.

Clearly, she had already recognized the gap between herself and that Bright Moon Holy Son—it could not be bridged merely by completing her sword intention.

After all, his sword intention had also reached completion.

"Either explode at the limit, or perish at the limit. I won't betray my sword. Before I've given my all, I won't surrender."

Lin Lin Qingying said.

This sounded as if spoken to Li Hao, yet also to herself.

Li Hao nodded and said: "It's just a sparring match. Fight with all you've got."

Lin Lin Qingying glanced at him, nodded slightly, then her gaze fell on the pastries in his hands; her slender hand reached out, picked one up, and ate it, her tone suddenly growing lighter:

"Tastes good. Where did you learn to make this?"

"I figured it out myself."

Li Hao smiled and began eating too.

The moonlight bathed them, casting two shadows as one.

Lin Lin Qingying asked: "I've noticed you haven't practiced swordplay these days. Have you given up?"

She knew cultivation was hard, but Li Hao had talent in sword Dao; she thought giving up was a waste.

"I'm practicing secretly," Li Hao smiled.

Lin Lin Qingying fell silent, said no more, only gently stroking the sword in her hand: "Since my parents died, this sword has been my only companion."

Li Hao glanced at the sword in her hand and whispered: "Then it truly is a thoughtful, loyal companion."

Lin Lin Qingying smiled at these words, turned her head to look at Li Hao; the boy's face, bathed in moonlight, was half-lit, half-shadowed, his features deep and defined.

She looked, then turned her gaze away.

There was a second half to that sentence—she didn't say it.

That was "before," and "now."

Now, she was no longer accompanied only by her sword.

After finishing the pastries, beneath the quiet moonlight, Li Hao bid Lin Lin Qingying farewell, and they each went to rest.

The next day.

The final battle of the Sword God Contest had arrived—this fight would decide the title of Sword God!

Even before reaching Shengshan, one could feel the fiery atmosphere above.

Li Hao arrived with Lin Lin Shanhai; among the disciples below, excited murmurs filled the air, all speculating whether anyone today could shake the Bright Moon Holy Son's position, and who would take second and third place.

Though previous matches had been fierce, no one knew if anyone still hid their ultimate techniques.

Today's selection was still mutual.

But this time, the surprising choice was that both the Spirit Illusion Holy Son and the Bright Moon Holy Son selected Lin Lin Qingying.

According to the rules, this meant Lin Lin Qingying received a bye; the Bright Moon Holy Son and the Spirit Illusion Holy Son would fight first, the winner would challenge Lin Lin Qingying, and the loser would fight again to determine second and third.

As the clash between the Spirit Illusion Holy Son and the Bright Moon Holy Son began, everyone expected a fierce battle—but it ended quickly; the Spirit Illusion Holy Son's sword intention was perfectly countered by the Bright Moon Holy Son's Sun-Moon Divine Eyes, which pierced through his ultimate illusion, and he won swiftly.

This match sealed the Spirit Illusion Holy Son's fate—he could only compete for second or third, not first.

The anticipated dark horse never appeared; the Bright Moon Holy Son's power was too overwhelming, as if crushing all hope of miracle.

Then came the match between Lin Lin Qingying and the Bright Moon Holy Son.

"Do you know why I kept choosing you?"

The Bright Moon Holy Son looked at Lin Lin Qingying, a smile on his lips, yet his eyes gradually turned icy.

Lin Lin Qingying frowned slightly, sensing his change; previously, he had pursued her repeatedly, but she had refused, yet he had always maintained composure—now, something was different.

"Marry me, let me sever my attachments and forge an emotionless sword heart—it would be mutually beneficial. After I become a Sage, I'll find you a sacred path. But you're too foolish."

The Bright Moon Holy Son said—this was telepathic, unheard by those outside.

"If you truly have the ability to become a Sage, why need you use me? You could become one yourself."

Lin Lin Qingying frowned.

The Bright Moon Holy Son sneered: "Don't speak such grand words. Cultivation is about plundering—eating pills, eating food—aren't all these ways of strengthening yourself through external means? How is that borrowing?"

Lin Lin Qingying fell silent, gave no reply.

"It doesn't matter. Even if you refuse, I have my own methods."

The Bright Moon Holy Son smiled.

Seeing his smile, Lin Lin Qingying felt a chilling sensation, a bad premonition stirring in her heart.

But she did not choose to surrender immediately; having stepped onto the stage, having walked this lonely sword path, she was destined to fight against all odds—even if she lost, she would gain something; if she surrendered now, she would truly be defeated.

As the array solidified, the battle erupted.

Boom! The Bright Moon Holy Son suddenly struck, his body exploding with divine light; in one step, he reached Lin Lin Qingying's side, condensing forty-nine layers of Dao Domains, instantly crushing her Dao Domain.

Then his sword intention erupted; his Sun-Moon Divine Eyes locked onto her, and he slashed directly at her.

Lin Lin Qingying's pupils contracted—his sudden full-power assault was something she had never seen in prior battles.

She rapidly expanded her Dao Domain, her body transforming into the ultimate soft sword intention; simultaneously, her Dao Embryo rotated, fusing with the soft sword intention, swiftly elevating her state to its peak.

But the Bright Moon Holy Son's offensive was too overwhelming; his Sun-Moon Sword cleaved down, carrying the ultimate destructive force of yin and yang—this was the Bright Moon Holy Son's true sword intention!

Boom! The ultimate soft sword intention Lin Lin Qingying had formed shattered instantly; before the overwhelming heavenly might of the Sun-Moon sword intention, even her utmost dispersion offered no escape—she was directly suppressed.

One sword sent Lin Lin Qingying crashing into the array, spitting blood.

"I originally planned to marry you, then sever my attachments. Since you refuse, I must use harsher means—to utterly ruin you. Only when the wound is deep enough can the severance be complete!"

The Bright Moon Holy Son's eyes were icy as he telepathically spoke to Lin Lin Qingying.

Lin Lin Qingying's pupils contracted; she hurried to flee—but her Dao Domain was completely covered; his Dao Domain vastly surpassed hers.

"You—!"

Lin Lin Qingying was shocked and furious; she never imagined his heart was so cruel—he intended to use her defeat to forge his own sword Dao.

"I surrender—"

Her words escaped, but she suddenly realized they were blocked by his Dao Domain.

The Bright Moon Holy Son's eyes were icy: "You have no chance. When I chose you, I already planned this. In front of everyone, I will ruin my beloved—this wound is too deep, too painful. This is exactly what I need!"

Hearing his words, Lin Lin Qingying felt a cold dread spread through her body, and a wave of nausea rose within her.

The Bright Moon Holy Son strode toward her, watching the hatred in her eyes; a flicker of satisfaction appeared in his own: "Yes—this hatred. The more you suffer, the more my heart aches, the more thoroughly I cut!"

He suddenly struck, thrusting his sword toward Lin Lin Qingying's abdomen, aiming to destroy her Dao Embryo.

Lin Lin Qingying, terrified, desperately parried—but a vast, overwhelming pressure radiated from the Bright Moon Holy Son; his Dao Domain suppressed her, and the Sun-Moon sword intention merged into his Dao Domain, revealing power far beyond any other Holy Son.

At this moment, Lin Lin Qingying deeply understood the gap between them.

In a normal sparring match, she would have surrendered by now—she would have lost without regret.

But now, she was completely restrained—even surrender was impossible.

"Hmm?"

Meanwhile, below the stage, Yao Zu and others noticed something amiss, surprised—the Bright Moon Holy Son's power was too overwhelming, completely suppressing Lin Lin Qingying.

Unless Lin Lin Qingying had another trick, she would surely lose.

But Lin Lin Qingying did not surrender; she continued to resist.

Even worse, she seemed utterly crushed.

"What's going on? Could it be that…?"

One Elder's eyes shifted; seeing the Bright Moon Holy Son thrust toward Lin Lin Qingying's Dao Embryo, he sensed something unusual.

The Sword Sage also noticed; he frowned slightly, but his eyes flickered, and he said nothing.

On the floating seats, Li Hao also sensed something was wrong—the Bright Moon Holy Son was now unleashing near-total power; Lin Lin Qingying had no chance of winning.

He understood her abilities fairly well—she knew she would lose, and had said she would fight with all she had, just to see the gap—but now, she clearly saw it; she should have surrendered, not stubbornly hold on.

Whoosh! Li Hao's figure flickered, appearing at the edge of the array, standing directly opposite Lin Lin Qingying.

Lin Lin Qingying noticed the figure suddenly flying toward the outer formation, her eyes filled with sorrow.

She knew she could not stop it.

Boom! The Moon Saint Disciple's sword tip lashed out, piercing Lin Lin Qingying's abdomen and shattering her Dao Embryo.

"Stop!!"

Li Hao saw Lin Lin Qingying's gaze and instantly understood—he clenched his pupils, disbelief gripping him; how could a sparring match between disciples be this cruel! (End of chapter)