Luo Tan stood frozen, his spirit shaken by the Blade Emperor's overwhelming presence.
He immediately knelt on the ground, "I am willing to lead the Titan race to surrender to you!"
At this moment, surrender was perhaps the only way to save his life; otherwise, he would surely die.
The fate of Tian Peng would be his fate.
Unexpectedly, the Blade Emperor declared imperiously, "Sorry, I do not accept surrender!"
In an instant, Luo Tan's heart turned to ash. Before he could react, the Blade Emperor's saber descended.
Instantly, Luo Tan, whose body was as colossal as a mountain, perished.
The Blade Emperor sheathed his saber with satisfaction.
"You've hogged all the glory!"
The Sword Emperor was speechless. When it came to being ostentatious, he considered himself the best in the Final Era, and no one dared to claim otherwise.
But now, he was convinced. It was simply because he was no longer at his peak!
Thus, at this moment, the title of "King of Swagger" changed hands, becoming exclusive to the Blade Emperor.
Afterward, the Blade Emperor said to Yun Fan, "Benefactor, from today onwards, I shall fight for you!"
"Welcome aboard!"
Yun Fan was deeply moved. At his lowest point, such a powerful being had joined him without hesitation.
It was impossible for him not to be touched.
Just as the three were preparing to leave, a boundary monument descended from the sky, blocking their path.
The boundary monument emanated a powerful aura.
It was clear that this boundary monument served as a warning from the Tai Hua Saintess to the Blade Emperor.
Clearly, it was time for another choice.
If the Blade Emperor did not sever this boundary monument, it would mean the Tai Hua Saintess would not trouble him. If he did sever it, it would signify that from that moment on, he would be a true enemy of the Tai Hua Saintess.
For ordinary individuals, the former outcome would be chosen, as the Tai Hua Saintess was not someone to be trifled with.
However, the Blade Emperor swung his saber and severed the boundary monument that stood before them.
This meant that from this moment on, he had truly become an enemy of the Tai Hua Saintess.
This was the path he had chosen for himself.
Yun Fan was touched by this gesture.
The three returned to the Origin Realm.
At this point, Yun Fan asked the Sword Emperor, "Senior, is your strength truly irrecoverable?"
The Sword Emperor's emotions were somewhat subdued.
"It is not possible. Unless I can comprehend the ultimate profundity of the Way of the Sword, it is simply impossible!"
The Sword Emperor said, "But comprehending the ultimate profundity is incredibly difficult. I have no clue whatsoever!"
Back then, attempting to comprehend the ultimate profundity of the Way of the Sword had not only failed but had also nearly cost him his life.
Since then, he had developed a psychological shadow.
After all, he no longer had the courage to strive for it. If Yun Fan had not severed one of his arms back then,
he might not have even survived.
At this moment, Yun Fan said to the Sword Emperor again, "Senior, since you failed, why do you lack the courage to start anew?"
"What?"
The Sword Emperor looked at Yun Fan in confusion.
Yun Fan continued, "What I say might not sound pleasant, but isn't the path of martial arts about constantly being reborn and rising again, with an unyielding will, to reach the pinnacle of accomplishment! All martial artists strive for this goal. Many have paid with their lives, but I believe that even if they had to start over, they would still choose to do so!"
Upon hearing this, the Sword Emperor's heart was profoundly shaken. The inner demons that had plagued him for years gradually dissipated at this moment.
For this, he said to Yun Fan, "Young friend, I never expected that the problem that had troubled me for years could be resolved by you. You are truly my lucky star!" Su Dan Novel Network
He had thought that Yun Fan, in his lowest period, would be of no help to him, but instead, he was grateful to Yun Fan from his peak.
Even if it meant sacrificing his life, he would not hesitate.
Unexpectedly, under Yun Fan's guidance, he had an opportunity to start anew.
No, it should be giving himself another chance, because starting anew implies starting from the beginning.
For example, Yun Fan was starting anew.
"Good!"
Yun Fan said, "Senior, I believe you will succeed this time!"
"Succeed or die trying!"
He said to Yun Fan, "Young friend, from now on, it will depend on you and the Blade Emperor. I must re-enter seclusion to strive for the ultimate realm of the Way of the Sword!"
Of course, the primary reason he wanted to restart was his newfound conviction, and a smaller part was the Blade Emperor's excessive showmanship.
As the undisputed "King of Swagger," how could he allow anyone else to steal his title? It was impossible.
This was also his motivation for starting over.
"It's alright! Senior, please go ahead with confidence!"
Yun Fan encouraged him.
Then, the Sword Emperor exchanged a few more words with Yun Fan and disappeared.
At this moment, the Blade Emperor arrived.
"Impressive! I didn't expect you to be able to persuade this old piece of wood!"
The Blade Emperor was full of admiration.
He had moved someone with just a few words; this was Yun Fan's unique charisma.
"I merely spoke the truth!"
Yun Fan asked, "Senior, after failing twice, will she personally intervene?"
If the Tai Hua Saintess personally intervened, even with the Blade Emperor present, it would be useless.
After all, as the current foremost expert in the Final Era, the Tai Hua Saintess's strength was terrifying.
The Blade Emperor replied, "Probably not. In my opinion, she is currently comprehending the realm you once reached. At present, she likely doesn't have time to kill you!"
"What realm was I in back then?"
Yun Fan asked curiously.
"Beyond the void! To become the sole existence!"
The Blade Emperor said to Yun Fan, "Since the commencement of the Final Era, you have been the first. No one has ever reached your realm. You are that unique one!"
The Blade Emperor said with genuine admiration.
Currently, he was still pursuing the Tai Hua Saintess's realm. Yun Fan's peak realm was something he dared not even imagine.
He could only yearn for it in his heart.
Yun Fan did not know what realm the Blade Emperor referred to as "the sole existence," but he knew that throughout history, only he had achieved it.
That was indeed extraordinary.
At this moment, the Blade Emperor said to Yun Fan, "Only when she truly becomes that unique existence can she completely control the Final Era!"
"Because, as it stands, although it appears she rules the Final Era, her power is actually unstable. It is far from as stable as yours was during your reign. After all, during your time, you were the undisputed ruler!"
The Blade Emperor was not flattering Yun Fan; he was merely stating the facts.
Yun Fan said, "I believe that if I start again, I will definitely reach that realm! I will surpass her and become the unique one!"
This was Yun Fan's conviction. Although his current strength was low, this belief, to others, might seem overconfident.
However, the very fact that he had once attained this realm was enough.
He did not need any elaborate reasons.
At this point, the Blade Emperor said to Yun Fan, "However, in my view, her primary motive for pursuing that realm is to guard against you!"
"Guard against me?"
Yun Fan was stunned, as he saw no reason for anyone to guard against his current self, given how weak he was.
The Blade Emperor replied, "That's right. Even though you are weak now, she is actually more afraid of you. After all, she knows how terrifying your talent and potential are!"
"I understand!"
Yun Fan said, "I will not let her succeed. If I rise again, the Ten Great Powers will not need to serve me. Humanity is the supreme existence!"
This was Yun Fan's ambition.
Upon hearing this, the Blade Emperor was deeply moved. In Yun Fan's era, humanity's status had risen from that of food to a position of supreme respect.
But with Yun Fan's demise, humanity had once again fallen into dire straits, existing at the very bottom even now.
As for the Tai Hua Saintess, she was not human at all.
Therefore, when Yun Fan possessed this fiery heart, his ambition was ignited.
After all, his legendary blade had not yet dulled.
...
In the following years, Yun Fan diligently cultivated, but returning to his peak was a long and arduous process.
As for the Sword Emperor, there had been no activity since he went into seclusion that day.
However, the Tai Hua Saintess's pursuit of Yun Fan had never ceased.
One day, another powerful individual descended upon the Origin Realm, possessing formidable strength.
To prevent damage to the Origin Realm, the Blade Emperor directly whisked the intruder away. The outcome of the battle remained unknown.
Yun Fan was about to offer assistance, but the Blade Emperor insisted he would handle it himself. It was evident that the Blade Emperor had a grave expression as he departed.
It seemed the opponent was indeed not weak.
Not long after the Blade Emperor took the intruder away, a figure arrived.
This was something Yun Fan had not anticipated.
"Who are you?"
Yun Fan directly inquired about the newcomer's origin.
The figure replied, "Everyone calls me Emperor Shen Xu!"
"Are you human?"
Yun Fan immediately recognized the person's identity; he was undoubtedly human.
Emperor Shen Xu stated, "That's right, I am human. You could say I am one of humanity's pioneers."
"Then what is your purpose here?"
Yun Fan asked, unsure if this person was an ally or an enemy.
Emperor Shen Xu declared, "I am here to kill you!"
Instantly, Yun Fan's expression became grave, as he was no match for Emperor Shen Xu.
Emperor Shen Xu was not just famous for his reputation; his strength was comparable to that of the Blade Emperor and the Sword Emperor in his prime.
For Yun Fan, there was no chance of victory.
"As fellow humans, I don't understand why you would want to kill me?"
Yun Fan said, "If you are fighting for the Tai Hua Saintess, then forget I asked!"
"Of course not!"
Emperor Shen Xu replied, "I am not a subordinate of the Tai Hua Saintess. I am killing you for myself!"
"For yourself?"
Yun Fan asked, "It seems my rise has no conflict with you."
"Of course, there is!"
Emperor Shen Xu explained, "If you rise again, then I will have no chance of becoming the leader of humanity. Humanity is in ruins, and I am the most qualified to lead it. But now, things are different, because you are still alive!"
This was Emperor Shen Xu's reason. Although narrow-minded, not everyone possessed Yun Fan's ambition that transcended all else.
After all, people were different.
At this point, Yun Fan stated directly, "Humanity does not need a master, so I will not become the master of humanity, nor will you!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Shen Xu said coldly, "Humanity needs a master to lead them to rise, and that master can only be me!"
Emperor Shen Xu was so obstinate that Yun Fan saw no point in arguing further, as no matter how much he said, the man would still try to kill him.
Therefore, at this moment, Yun Fan did not waste any more time and decisively chose to flee.
There was no other option; his strength was not on the same level as Emperor Shen Xu's.
Thus, at this moment, he could only temporarily retreat.
However, Emperor Shen Xu did not let Yun Fan go. With a grasping hand from a distance, he sealed off the area around Yun Fan.
Even if the Blade Emperor returned, he might not be able to find them for a while.
At this moment, Emperor Shen Xu said, "In that era, I also had the qualification to become that unique existence, but you beat me to it! I am not convinced. This time, I will kill you to prove that I am stronger than you!"
"How shameless of you to say that!"
Yun Fan retorted coldly, "You are the one climbing the mountain, while I am the god descending from it. In my prime, would you dare to be so arrogant in front of me? You, a mere clown, only dare to attack me when I am at my lowest!"
These words seemed to have hit a sore spot for Emperor Shen Xu.
When Yun Fan was at his peak, no matter how dissatisfied he was, he dared not utter a single word.
He only dared to provoke him when Yun Fan was at his lowest.
"Even if I am a clown, so what?"
Emperor Shen Xu sneered, "When you are at your lowest, you deserve to be trampled underfoot!"
"I never expected that before I could even truly fight the Ten Great Powers, someone within humanity would try to kill me. What a bitter irony!"
Yun Fan said firmly, "If this is my tribulation, I accept it, but I will never surrender. Make your move! Even if it costs me my life, I will take half of yours!"
"Ridiculous!"
Emperor Shen Xu chuckled playfully, "You are not qualified to say that yet!"
At this moment, he charged towards Yun Fan with incredible speed.
His killing moves against Yun Fan lacked grandiosity but were all lethal and dominant.
Yun Fan was forced to retreat under his onslaught, facing perilous situations.
But Yun Fan did not yield. Even though he was injured, there was no fear in his eyes.
This made Emperor Shen Xu extremely jealous.
He recalled that during his rise, he had been pursued by experts from the Ten Great Powers. To survive, he had even knelt before them and sacrificed his own clansmen before they would let him go.
Yun Fan's unyielding and fearless spirit was something he could never achieve in his lifetime.
Why did Yun Fan, despite his weakness, possess such a will? It was impossible for him not to be jealous.
"You dare to be fearless in front of me? I will show you what cruelty is!"
With a peak power strike from Emperor Shen Xu, Yun Fan could not evade it. After being hit, he was left on the brink of death.
At this moment, Emperor Shen Xu approached Yun Fan, who could barely muster the strength to get up.
"See? Compared to me, you are the real clown now!"
Emperor Shen Xu sneered, "Of course, for fairness, I will give you a chance to live. If you kneel and beg for mercy, and hand over your woman to me, I will spare your life!"
Indeed, what he wanted now was to trample on Yun Fan's dignity. As for sparing Yun Fan, don't even think about it.
He had never intended to spare Yun Fan, and this time was no exception.
For someone like Yun Fan who had once reached the pinnacle, showing him any mercy would only increase his own risks.
Therefore, at this moment, he was merely toying with Yun Fan.
Unexpectedly, Yun Fan replied directly, "No need. If I feared death, I wouldn't have come this far. Even if you kill me, I won't even frown!"
This was Yun Fan's unwavering attitude.
In life, one might make many mistakes and face countless risks.
But Yun Fan was certainly someone who would never compromise in the face of immense difficulties.
This was Yun Fan's unique charm.
At this point, Emperor Shen Xu became furious. He had not expected to be denied the opportunity to humiliate Yun Fan.
It had become the ultimate luxury.
He angrily declared, "Don't worry. If you won't humble yourself, I have ways to make you do so!"
Regardless, he would not kill Yun Fan in a hurry. He wanted Yun Fan to abandon all his dignity before killing him.
At this moment, he prepared to torment Yun Fan.
Xi Huang, who was hiding in the shadows, was furious, but she was not a foolish woman. She immediately stepped forward to help.
If she had done so directly, she would have undoubtedly become Yun Fan's weakness.
Yun Fan would not humble himself, but she knew Yun Fan too well. If she fell into Emperor Shen Xu's hands, Yun Fan would surely abandon his dignity.
Therefore, at this moment, Xi Huang was extremely anxious and did not know how to save Yun Fan.
Finally, she gritted her teeth and decided to sacrifice her own life, self-detonating to attack Emperor Shen Xu and create an opportunity for Yun Fan to escape.
Xi Huang was a woman who acted decisively once she made up her mind.
"My lord, do not be afraid, I will create a path of survival for you!"
Just as she was about to self-detonate, countless sword intents suddenly appeared in the sky. These sword intents formed a sharp giant sword that severed Emperor Shen Xu's formation.
Then, it descended towards Emperor Shen Xu.
Although Emperor Shen Xu used his strongest defenses to block the sword intent, his forehead was still cut.
Emperor Shen Xu gasped. This unexpected turn of events was truly sudden.
Yun Fan breathed a sigh of relief, for he knew the Sword Emperor had emerged from seclusion.
Even though Emperor Shen Xu had used formations to block the outside world, he likely never expected that within this formation, not only were Yun Fan and Xi Huang present, but also the Sword Emperor, who had been in seclusion for a long time.
From the extent of the Sword Emperor's intervention just now, Yun Fan knew that the Sword Emperor had successfully comprehended the ultimate profundity of the Way of the Sword.
The Sword Emperor had been reborn.
Emperor Shen Xu's expression also became grave, as he knew the Sword Emperor's story. Why did someone who had fallen from his peak possess such terrifying strength?
At this moment, the Sword Emperor stood in front of Yun Fan, confronting Emperor Shen Xu.
Xi Huang then appeared beside Yun Fan and helped him up.
She said guiltily, "My lord, I apologize. In fact, I was present the entire time, but I did not reveal myself!"
Yun Fan replied, "No need to explain, I understand! And you must not feel any guilt, understand?"
"Mmhmm!"
Xi Huang nodded repeatedly.
In fact, Yun Fan also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. If Xi Huang had appeared, his vulnerability would have been greatest.
In this regard, it was truly fitting for Xi Huang to be called a "female hero" for considering all the consequences.
At this point, the Sword Emperor said to Emperor Shen Xu, "Shen Xu, you despicable scoundrel, to dare attack him!"
"Old man, you've lost an arm and a leg, I advise you not to meddle!"
Emperor Shen Xu cursed angrily.
Currently, he did not know why the Sword Emperor was in this state, but thinking that the Sword Emperor had already fallen from his peak, why should he be afraid?
The Sword Emperor stated, "After all, you are human, yet you want to kill a great hero of humanity. Today, no matter what, I will not let you go!"
"Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
Emperor Shen Xu declared, "Originally, I only wanted to kill him, but now that you have appeared, I will kill you both!"
It was evident how arrogant he was, daring to threaten to kill the man standing at the pinnacle of the Way of the Sword, not knowing where he got such courage.
The Sword Emperor scoffed, "Is that so? Then I'd like to see if you have the strength for that?"
The next moment, the Sword Emperor attacked. After all, he had undergone a complete transformation, so he wanted to regain his feel for combat.
Although Emperor Shen Xu underestimated the Sword Emperor, he dared not be careless and immediately unleashed his full power.
Unexpectedly, the Sword Emperor, with just one strike, severed all of his flashy skills.
"Hiss!"
Emperor Shen Xu gasped. He was utterly bewildered as to why the Sword Emperor was even stronger than in his prime.
"Have you recovered?"
He looked at the Sword Emperor in great shock.
The Sword Emperor replied, "Not only have I recovered, but I have also surpassed my peak. And you, despicable scoundrel, are the first person I shall strike down in my rebirth!"
"What?"
Emperor Shen Xu realized at this moment that he had caused trouble. He never expected the Sword Emperor to have grown to such a terrifying extent.
Ultimately, he had miscalculated.
Although he now considered leaving, the Sword Emperor would not give him such an opportunity, directly using his sword intent to seal off the surroundings.
At this moment, the Sword Emperor began his "showboating" mode.
"I will only use three strikes. If you can withstand them, then I will let you leave. If you lack the ability to withstand them, then it can only be said that you are out of luck!"
"Three strikes? Are you serious?"
Emperor Shen Xu said coldly.
In his opinion, the Sword Emperor was being too ostentatious. Although the Sword Emperor was indeed powerful, he was not weak either. As pioneers of the same era, how could he be finished off with just three strikes?
"Of course, I am serious!"
The Sword Emperor said, "For me, those who are not on the same level only qualify for three strikes. Looking around, I cannot see you anywhere. You are not worthy of me using more moves!"
Upon hearing this, Emperor Shen Xu felt utterly miserable. He had not expected that although the Sword Emperor did not use vulgar language, his words were so demoralizing.
Even he, who had been demoralized countless times, was greatly angered by the Sword Emperor this time.
For this reason, he said to the Sword Emperor, "Come on! I'd like to see how you can kill me with three strikes? After the three strikes, I hope you will not regret it and will honor your promise to let me leave!"
After all, he simply did not believe the Sword Emperor could kill him in three strikes. Previously, although there was a gap between them, it was not that significant. Therefore, at this moment, his confidence reached its peak.
Yun Fan on the side was speechless, but not too surprised. After all, he knew the Sword Emperor was a "showman" type of person.
The kind who felt uncomfortable if he didn't show off for a day. If he didn't show off, the Sword Emperor would surely be very unhappy.
Therefore, he was truly accustomed to it.