With the Blade

But right now, the one whose word is law isn’t the emperor, but Emperor Tian.

So just as a leave note was handed in the next moment, a sword light descended from the sky into the courtyard of that fourth-grade high official, killing his entire family in a single breath, even the family dog was sliced into pieces.

Since then, nobody dared to miss Emperor Tian’s duels, and Emperor Tian himself seemed to enjoy being in the spotlight — of course, strictly speaking, Shan Bing always felt that in Emperor Tian’s eyes, these people weren’t even seen as humans. He always felt that Emperor Tian viewed these people, including him, with a rather odd perspective.

That gaze, Shan Bing found hard to describe.

But it definitely wasn’t a gaze for looking at people.

Just like this, the audience soon became a scene of blood and corpses, yet Emperor Tian’s expression remained indifferent. The death of some people seemed no different to him than the death of a group of ants, this strongest man seated on the high platform didn’t care about the life and death of these ants. He just wanted to see what kind of surprise the strongest bug could bring him.

And after killing nearly a hundred people, the elderly man wielding the long-handled broadsword seemed somewhat embarrassed, as he turned around and pointed his sword at Emperor Tian on the high platform.

"Young child! Today you’ll witness this old man’s Dragon-Slaying Sword Technique!"

Said the elder, his form spinning backward, the long knife dragging out, with such momentum that was truly like a dragon flailing its tail with overwhelming force!

"Divine Dragon Shows Its Claws to Exterminate Demons and Monsters!"

"..."

On the high platform, Emperor Tian still wore that cold expression, looking at the tail of the Cyan Dragon with even a tinge of impatience.

"Divine Sword, Descend Sun."

An ancient Longsword descended from the sky, the imposing Cyan Dragon was torn apart by chaotic blades.

However, the elder did not fall there and then.

"Indeed, just relying on the Cyan Dragon can’t kill you."

The elder wielding the broadsword spat out a mouthful of blood.

"But haven’t you wondered why this sword technique is called the Dragon-Slaying Sword Technique?"

As he said this, the elder wielding the broadsword suddenly, in full view, took off his pants.

Then, with a wave of his broadsword.

"This, is the true Dragon-Slaying!"

Accompanied by something bloody and mangled falling to the ground, the already-feeble momentum of the elder suddenly soared infinitely high, that extreme pain, that extreme hatred, combined with the most extreme Evil Qi, dyed the Cyan Dragon’s shadow behind the elder as black as ink in an instant!

Such vicious ferocity was terrifying to behold, even Shan Bing beside him was shaken; although the process was somewhat unspeakable, this elder without his pants was undoubtedly the strongest challenger he had ever seen.

Harnessing ultimate pain and ultimate humiliation to spur ultimate hatred, then using that endless hatred as an endless source of power.

This... can work?

This nonsensical method actually works?

Shan Bing’s mind struggled to process it, he had never seen such outrageous tactics — but no matter how much he wanted to deny it, reality lay before him.

This was a very twisted reality, even indescribable, a mad old man relying on a crazed will, breaking free from the gravity of reality, obtained an indescribable power... After realizing this, Shan Bing felt a bit dazed, he couldn’t distinguish anymore between reality and illusion.

Only when his gaze turned to Emperor Tian on the high platform did he slightly calm down.

Emperor Tian on the high platform, his expression still unchanged.

As if everything in the arena was just illusionary bubbles.

"Is this all you’ve got?"

Facing the enormous black dragon charging fiercely, Emperor Tian on the platform simply shook his head.

"Divine Sword, Descend Sun."

With one swing of the sword, the outcome was decided.

The once-mighty enormous black dragon was torn into pieces, along with the large blood dragon emerging from the elder’s body, the entire arena reeked of blood and the stench of innards.

"Clean it up."

Shaking his head, Emperor Tian on the high platform stood up and flew back to the imperial palace.

Leaving only Shan Bing and Jiang Wenyuan, along with some Commanders.

They were deliberately left by Emperor Tian, Emperor Tian not only spared their lives but also made it hard for them to wish for death — Emperor Tian did this for only one purpose, simply because the filthy arena needed someone to clean up.

Apart from that, Emperor Tian didn’t interfere with their matters, just like humans couldn’t be bothered with ants crawling on the ground.

"Another one dead."

A Commander wearing a face mask was numbly washing down the floor.

"What’s the count for this month?"

"Should say another batch died, actually."

Shan Bing sighed, similarly wearing a face mask, his face expressionless.

"Including the audience, was it thirty thousand dead this month? Or fifty thousand? Hard to recall, such things are impossible to count."

Or rather, no one wants to count such numbers, after all, just staying alive is hard enough, no one wants to recall these bloody memories, it’s precisely because of this, that the strong liquor of Jiankang City has been selling increasingly well lately.

Though drinking can’t solve problems, at least it can numb oneself temporarily, allowing one to avoid thinking about overly painful memories.

And the stench of alcohol, can somewhat cover up the bloody smell on oneself.

After clearing away the ground littered with corpses, Shan Bing returned to his life, still a walking corpse patrolling, still getting off work early to go home, a few small dishes, a bottle of strong liquor, both to relax his tense body and slightly ease his strained mind.

"Mind."

After a few drinks, Shan Bing thought about this again.

He doesn’t want to think about these, but can hardly control himself not to, especially after witnessing that duel during the daytime, some thoughts he never considered before began to grow madly in his mind.

It’s just, although for so long, he had always taken the words from that giant and their conversation as motivational, what if, or suppose, the giant was right?

Regardless of how reality is, if what the giant said is true, that a firm will can really change everything...

It suddenly all makes sense, doesn’t it?

At least Emperor Tian’s behavior suddenly becomes understandable, why he must repeat the name of his techniques over and over, why he must, in front of everyone, defeat one master after another with such extreme brutality...

Shan Bing once thought, it was just Emperor Tian’s personal quirk as a master, they weren’t required to understand, nor were they qualified to understand.

But now, at this moment, Shan Bing suddenly understood.

"Firm will."

Shan Bing felt he grasped the truth.

"He’s making his will firm!"

No, not even Emperor Tian’s own will, if it was just that, Emperor Tian could have just self-hypnotized, no need to come out and fight — but now, Emperor Tian has set up a martial arts stage, built a huge audience, even had officials and generals made to watch.

"He needs an audience, he needs fame... no, not fame!"

Reaching this point, Shan Bing vaguely touched on something deeper.

"He needs... others to believe?"

A chill swept through Shan Bing’s heart.

The good news is, maybe he finally discovered Emperor Tian’s weakness, as for the bad news... naturally, that weakness is now useless.

Now after the martial arts contests have persisted for months, after Emperor Tian has killed so many masters, when countless people firmly believe Emperor Tian is an invincible monster, that high and mighty Emperor Tian really became an invincible monster.

Can anyone truly defeat such a monster? Is there really someone?