Chapter 473: That Sword, Illuminating the Entire Sacred Mountain! (Requesting Moon Tickets)

When the Dao Embryo was shattered, Lin Lin Qingying felt as if her internal organs had been ripped out—a searing pain that reached deep into her primordial spirit—but she clenched her teeth and refused to cry out and give her opponent the satisfaction.

If my master were here, he would surely sense the anomaly—I still have a chance.

In her eyes appeared sorrow as she looked toward the half-saint elders, only to see faces filled with varied expressions: regret, pity, indifference—all elevated, looking down upon this scene.

Yet those expressions unmistakably told her that the Moonlight Saint Disciple's subtle maneuver had not escaped their notice.

But why did they not stop it?

Lin Lin Qingying froze, suddenly feeling a cold so profound it seemed to freeze her blood.

Was it simply because she was not their disciple?

Or were they concerned about the face of the Master Master Jian Sheng, the Moonlight Saint Disciple's master?

Lin Lin Qingying also saw the Master Master Jian Sheng she had once revered—yet he remained unmoved, as if utterly unaware—and in that instant, she suddenly understood.

In just this brief breath, past warmth seemed crushed to dust; she suddenly grasped the underlying color of the mortal world: cold, calculating self-interest.

Compared to the Moonlight Saint Disciple, who had far greater potential to become a Saint, was it worth it for her to be destroyed as a stepping stone, to forge his invincible Dao heart?

No wonder he dared strike so ruthlessly on the battlefield—he had seen this all along.

He harmed a fellow disciple, he broke the Sacred Ground's laws, he erred—but once this battle ends, he will ascend another level, and someday he has the potential to become the Sacred Ground's third Saint!

And I, rendered useless, will be forgotten. I have no patrons. My grandfather is a high-level alchemist, but at this level, he might as well be ignored.

So this was it: no one cared about right or wrong.

Those above turned a blind eye; those below could not see.

The agony of her shattered Dao Embryo had not made Lin Lin Qingying cry—but now, tears stung at her eyes.

She suddenly felt a crushing despair, her heart gone cold.

But suddenly, a thunderous roar rang out, as if shaking her soul!

Lin Lin Qingying looked up, toward the source—and saw the face of the boy she had always known, now twisted in furious rage, hair standing on end.

That face, always smiling, always indifferent to everything, could indeed burn with anger.

Seeing the fury in his dark eyes, Lin Lin Qingying's frozen heart suddenly warmed—she felt the world regain its color.

"Hm?"

The Moonlight Saint Disciple heard the roar, glanced over, and dismissed it with indifference—then retracted his sword and struck again.

"My beloved, I had no choice but to destroy you—not only your Dao Embryo, but even your proudest Sword Dao—I must shatter it all, to wound you deeply enough!"

The Moonlight Saint Disciple raised his sword, its light coalescing into a vast, perfect Sword Intent—the Sun-Moon Sword Intent—its power radiating as if reflecting heaven and earth, dazzling and brilliant, its momentum like the sun blazing overhead, making all feel insignificant.

"That's the Sun-Moon Sword Intent!"

"Is this the Moonlight Saint Disciple's Sword Intent? It feels as if it contains all things."

"I saw traces of Water Sword Dao and Fire Sword Dao within it."

"No wonder he always calls my technique minor—compared to his, mine is indeed off."

As the vast Sword Intent filled the sky, countless people were stunned—including the Saint Disciples and Saint Maidens on the Sacred Platform—who felt as if their spirits had been seized.

Like holding a withered branch yet glimpsing a verdant mountain, suddenly feeling one's own insignificance.

The branch once treasured now felt utterly dull.

Lin Lin Qingying, standing before the Moonlight Saint Disciple, was engulfed by the Sun-Moon Sword Intent—it pierced her spiritual sense like a blade, severing her innermost Gentle Sword Intent.

In her mind, a sharp, snapping sound rang out, like a mournful cry.

Her body trembled violently; she spat a mouthful of blood, her entire frame shaking, her sword hand trembling uncontrollably, her gaze momentarily vacant.

Boom!

A wave of Sword Intent swept through, blasting her sword from her grip—it spun dozens of circles in midair before embedding itself diagonally into the battlefield.

"The Sun and Moon hang high, illuminating all things—Heaven and Earth shall reflect the radiance of my Sword Dao!"

At the same time, the Moonlight Saint Disciple's body ignited with divine flames, his eyes blazing with brilliant light, the faint tenderness in his gaze replaced by icy coldness.

In this moment, having destroyed Lin Lin Qingying's Dao Embryo and Sword Intent, he fully embraced the path of utter detachment—his heart seemed forged by Sun and Moon, as if he had become the Sun, Moon, and stars, gazing down upon all creation.

This state of mind elevated his Sun-Moon Sword Intent to a higher level, making it even more terrifying.

"His Sun-Moon Sword Intent has grown purer—this is top-tier Sword Intent."

"He has cultivated for only sixty years—his Sword Dao talent is monstrous, even having the potential to ascend to Sainthood through Sacrifice!"

"If he walks the path of Sacrifice, it will be terrifying indeed."

The six half-saint elders, including Mountain Ancestor, all grew solemn.

His Sword Dao talent rivaled their own in youth—he was an extraordinarily monstrous prodigy.

Jade Ancestor's gaze shifted to the Master Master Jian Sheng. They all realized the Moonlight Saint Disciple had used Lin Lin Qingying to forge his Sword Dao—but no one spoke, for his master stood here. They could see it; could the Master Master Jian Sheng not? Perhaps he even taught it. That was precisely why they wisely kept silent.

The Master Master Jian Sheng's gaze was calm, neither joyful nor sorrowful—only quietly watching.

On the platform, the Moonlight Saint Disciple's Sun-Moon Divine Eyes, as his Sword Intent coalesced, grew even more piercing.

After refining and elevating his Sword Intent, he retracted his power back into his body, then looked down at Lin Lin Qingying, lying broken on the ground—his eyes now held not a trace of tenderness, as if gazing at a stone:

"You lost."

He spoke these words like a verdict.

His Dao Domain retracted as well—merely by his Sword Intent alone, he could easily defeat her.

Moreover, Lin Lin Qingying had been crippled, fallen below Saint Disciple combat strength—even the top Inner Sect prodigies could defeat her now.

Hearing those three cold words from above, Lin Lin Qingying snapped back from the shattered Sword Intent—her mind flooded with chaotic Sun-Moon Sword Intent, while her original Gentle Sword Intent had been destroyed and could no longer coalesce.

She had already accepted defeat—but for him to declare it so haughtily now felt cruel and absurd.

Outside the arena, the disciples, hearing the Moonlight Saint Disciple's cold words, could not help but cheer.

Aside from the Saint Disciples, Saint Maidens, and a few top Inner Sect disciples who sensed the truth, most saw only that the Moonlight Saint Disciple had effortlessly defeated Lin Lin Qingying with a single slash through her abdomen—seeming like a normal attack.

Under the receding Sun-Moon Sword Intent, his godlike pronouncement stirred Kuangre admiration in countless eyes, sparking cheers.

In this battle, the Moonlight Saint Disciple didn't just win—he crushed his opponent, revealing a Sword Dao beyond imagination.

In the Sword Ancestor Sacred Ground, all disciples trained in Sword Dao—and now, the Moonlight Saint Disciple's Sword Intent had won over countless hearts.

Only those who truly trained in Sword Dao could feel the vastness of the Sun-Moon Sword Intent—and their own insignificance.

The formation slowly retracted; the battle ended.

With this victory, the Moonlight Saint Disciple had defeated two opponents—undoubtedly, he was the champion of the Sword God Contest!

The greatest young talent of the Sword Ancestor Sacred Ground in a hundred years!

Compared to this, the contest between Lin Lin Qingying and the Spirit Illusion Saint Disciple for second and third place now seemed insignificant.

Whoosh!

The moment the formation dissolved, a figure shot onto the platform—it was Li Hao.

Li Hao rushed to Lin Lin Qingying's side, his spiritual sense probing—and saw that the thick power within her internal organs had vanished.

Her Dao Embryo had been destroyed. If she could regenerate like him through blood rebirth, she wouldn't need to fear being crippled—but she lacked the Seventh Extreme Realm.

"Does it hurt?"

Li Hao looked at her pale face, her swaying body, his expression grim.

Lin Lin Qingying pulled her thoughts back and slowly smiled at Li Hao: "I'm fine."

Li Hao fell silent, his fingers tightening slightly.

"Let's go."

Lin Lin Qingying turned away—she no longer wished to look at the platform, nor hear the deafening cheers—she only wanted to leave and heal. Second or third place meant nothing now.

"Your sword."

Li Hao reached out, summoning the green sword that had been blasted away, and handed it to her.

Lin Lin Qingying looked at the sword that had accompanied her for years—her eyes filled with sorrow. Her Sword Intent had been shattered; the influence of the Sun-Moon Sword Intent was etched deep into her soul, irremovable—she would never escape its shadow, and her progress in Sword Dao was finished.

"My current sword skills don't deserve it. It's my friend—and you're my friend too. Take it."

But Lin Lin Qingying did not take the sword; she whispered softly.

Her eyes were hollow with despair—her Sword Dao severed, aside from her cultivation base, she had no hope of further advancement in this life.

"Don't belittle yourself. Your Sword Dao is not inferior."

Li Hao gazed at her and said.

Lin Lin Qingying's lips twisted bitterly—she knew Li Hao was comforting her, but such words held no meaning now.

Li Hao knew too: words carried less weight than facts.

"Hey!"

He turned toward the Moonlight Saint Disciple, who was preparing to leave the platform, and called out suddenly.

The Moonlight Saint Disciple halted. That voice had roared earlier—he'd felt annoyance. Now, seeing such insolence, his eyes grew cold as he turned to Li Hao.

Li Hao casually twirled the green sword in his hand, his voice icy:

"You seem satisfied with your Sword Dao. Would you care to face me in a single strike?"

At these words, everyone outside fell silent.

Lin Lin Qingying was startled, then stared blankly at Li Hao—but quickly regained her senses, realizing he was standing up for her.

But this was no matter for impulsive emotion.

Even if Li Hao was an alchemist, the Moonlight Saint Disciple's status surpassed even high-level alchemists—he had dared publicly cripple her; he could just as easily cripple Li Hao.

She grew frantic and grabbed his arm: "Don't be reckless!"

"Did I hear that right? Who is he?"

"He's challenging the Moonlight Saint Disciple? Trying to gain fame—even if he loses, he'll be remembered."

"Is he a Saint Disciple? I've never heard of him."

"What saint disciple? He's a pill alchemist—don't you know? Master Lin Qingfeng has been highly praised lately in the alchemist circles."

"Master Lin Qingfeng? So it's him?"

"What's going on? You're telling me a pill alchemist is challenging the Moonlight Saint Disciple?"

"Is he standing up for Lin Lin Qingying? Lin Lin Qingying already lost—what can a pill alchemist possibly do?"

"He's a pill alchemist—he doesn't even understand how terrifying the Moonlight Saint Disciple is. Who would've thought Master Lin Qingfeng is this foolish?"

Below the stage, many disciples finally realized what was happening and began whispering and sneering.

On the Saint Stage, the other Saint Disciples and Saint Maidens were equally stunned. Many of them had previously sent emissaries to befriend Master Lin Qingfeng; they never imagined his bond with Lin Lin Qingying ran so deep that he would dare defend her now—especially by choosing swordplay. Had he lost his mind from rage?

"What is Lin Qingfeng doing? Call him back immediately."

"Foolish! No matter how close he is to Lin Qingying, he shouldn't provoke the Moonlight Saint Disciple like this."

Zhao Zhao Yingzhen and the other pill alchemists were also alarmed. They hadn't realized Lin Lin Qingying's Dao Womb had been destroyed—they only knew she had lost, and lost utterly.

But among disciples, defeat is common. No one had ever expected Lin Lin Qingying to win this match; after all, the Moonlight Saint Disciple had already shown just a fraction of his power—and it was already overwhelming.

"He's going to strike?"

Among the inner disciples below, Jiang Yingyu froze, then suddenly her eyes lit up.

She didn't know how skilled Li Hao was with the sword, only that his talent was truly exceptional—he had mastered the Great Expansion Sword Art in ten days. But his ninety-seven-layer Dao Domain haunted her thoughts. If they truly fought, could he defeat the Moonlight Saint Disciple?

"Lin Qingfeng?"

Yao Zu, seeing Li Hao step forward, was also startled. She had heard his roar earlier and hadn't expected anyone besides them to notice Xiao Master Yue's subtle maneuver. Now, seeing him challenge Xiao Master Yue in righteous anger, she could understand.

But challenging him with swordplay? That was irrational.

"Challenge me to a single sword strike?"

The Moonlight Saint Disciple, hearing Li Hao's words, felt a flicker of amusement.

He had heard the murmurs below, assuming it was some inner disciple—only to find out it was a pill alchemist. Absurd.

He coldly said, "Since you're a pill alchemist and don't understand the cosmos, I'll overlook this offense. But don't dare repeat it!"

With that, he turned to leave.

Li Hao said nothing. He glanced at the green sword in his hand, then raised his arm as if casually slashing.

This simple motion unleashed a terrifyingly vast sword qi that shot straight into the heavens.

The three-foot green blade blazed with blinding light, severing every sneer below and illuminating countless eyes with brilliant clarity.

The sword qi stretched as if thirty thousand li long, cleaving through the clouds atop the Shengshan, as if splitting heaven and earth itself!

The entire stage below was split in half by the mere ripple of the sword qi.

The qi skimmed past the Moonlight Saint Disciple's body—his retreating figure froze instantly.

The passing qi made every hair on his body stand on end; his blood seemed to freeze in an instant, a chilling numbness spreading from head to toe.

It felt as if Death itself had brushed past him.

Had that sword strike been aimed at him, he would already be gravely wounded.

The Moonlight Saint Disciple's expression hardened, his pupils shrinking slightly.

The previously noisy Shengshan fell utterly silent.

The slowly drifting clouds remained parted; a gentle breeze swept across the stage—all seemed still.