Who Says I Lost

"Sword-bitch! Clear the way!"

"Got it!"

The Heavenly Sword materialized into human form, and the twin swords struck out simultaneously, slashing toward the three guardian aberrations closest to Wang Hao.

At the same time, Wang Hao activated the Leiyuan Demon-Suppressing Tower, unleashing the last two attacks of its ninth-floor purple thunder dragons.

Two purple thunder dragons roared out from the tower's gate, each lunging at four guardian aberrations. The nine-realm thunder on the dragons' bodies scorched the twisted remnants of the aberrations' souls, and the remnants let out agonized screams.

Wang Hao himself dealt with the last two guardian aberrations.

In his left hand, he raised the Ten Thousand Hearts Lantern, its protective light shining upon the two remnant souls, their bodies writhing violently in the glow.

With his right hand, the Heavenly Sword delivered the eighth strike of the Nine Heaven-Opening Swords, cutting both remnants back in a single blow.

The eight guardian aberrations were held in check.

The main runic pattern lay exposed before Wang Hao.

He took a deep breath, pouring every ounce of power within his body into the Heavenly Sword.

The flame of the Ten Thousand Hearts Lantern, the golden radiance of national destiny, the silver-white of fortune's might, and the righteous aura of the Martial God Foundation—all power converged and fused upon the blade, forming a chaotic sword-light that was neither gold nor white.

The Ninth Sword of the Nine Heaven-Opening Swords.

The chaotic sword-light struck the main runic pattern.

In that instant, heaven and earth fell silent.

Time itself seemed frozen—the breaths of five million three hundred thousand people in Nan'an City stopped, the movements of the soldiers on the city walls solidified, and even the Heavenly Sword and thunder dragons still locked in battle with the guardian aberrations in the sky came to a halt.

Only that chaotic sword-light, at a speed beyond time and space, struck precisely at the very center of the main runic pattern.

Then, the main runic pattern shattered.

Like glass struck by a divine hammer, the main runic pattern fragmented from its struck center in every direction.

Cracks raced along the main lines to the entire black mountain, spreading to every branching rune, to every corner of the mountain's surface.

All seventy-seven thousand seven hundred seventy-seven aberrant runes shattered in a chain reaction.

The black mountain's defensive system was paralyzed.

The shattering of every aberrant rune stripped the mountain of its protection, like a giant whose armor had been peeled away, exposing the fragile flesh beneath.

The aberrant core within the mountain—a massive, endlessly pulsing black heart—lay fully exposed.

How large was the heart? Beyond description.

It was wrapped in layer upon layer of aberrant power, suspended at the very core of the mountain.

Each beat of the heart pumped thick waves of aberrant energy throughout the mountain, sustaining its activity.

But now, with the defense system crippled, only a thin layer of protection remained.

"Sword-bitch!" Wang Hao roared. "One final strike!"

The Heavenly Sword returned to its true form, the blade's light burning to its absolute limit under the blessing of the people's will. Wang Hao gripped the sword with both hands, his breath and the sword's essence merging completely in that moment.

Man and blade entered a mystical resonance—the highest realm of the sword path: unity of man and sword.

A sword-light of only three feet descended from the heavens.

No blinding radiance, no world-shaking spectacle—only a single, condensed, silent beam of chaotic sword-light.

The light pierced precisely into the black mountain's depths, striking that pulsing heart.

The heart stopped beating the instant the light entered.

Then it burst.

Not chopped apart—but dissolved from within, as the aberrant power inside was utterly purified by the people's will within the chaotic sword-light. The heart's explosion unleashed a terrifying shockwave that blasted a massive gaping wound in the black mountain.

The catastrophic damage to the aberrant core sent the mountain itself into collapse.

Starting from its base, piece after piece of the mountain's body peeled away and fell. Each chunk contained the purified remnants of aberrations, and when they struck the sea, they raised no waves—because they were no longer aberrant, merely ordinary stone.

The mountain's descent finally came to a complete halt.

It hung suspended in the air, its massive frame trembling. Though the aberrant core was not wholly destroyed, the damage was severe enough to render it combat-ineffective—at least for a long time, it could mount no further attacks.

The black mountain let out a weak, venomous howl, then began retreating southward.

It would withdraw into the deep southern sea, using the accumulated power of seventy thousand years to repair its wounded core. Once healed, it would return with renewed fury.

The eight guardian aberrations retreated with it, dragging their damaged remnant souls into the southern horizon.

The black mist began to dissipate.

The aberrant remains floating on the sea decomposed on their own once their control was lost.

A crack split the clouds above, and the afternoon sunlight spilled through the gap, striking the golden protective dome over Nan'an City and reflecting a warm halo.

Wang Hao hovered above Nan'an City, looking down at the city beneath him.

Five million three hundred thousand people were looking back at him.

The soldiers on the city walls had reddened eyes—they had just watched their emperor stand alone before five million people, using his own body to hold up a lantern, to hold up a city's hope.

The flame of the Ten Thousand Hearts Lantern still burned, its light dimmer than before, yet still warm.

Wang Hao glanced down at the lantern in his hand, then at the upturned faces in Nan'an City, and whispered to the Heavenly Sword—words only the two of them could hear.

"Sword-bitch, who said I lost?"

"A half-step tenth-realm aberration—I poked a hole right through it, and it scurried back to the southern sea with its tail between its legs."

The Heavenly Sword paused for a breath.

"It will come back."

"I know." Wang Hao's smile took on a cold edge of steel. "When it does, I'll have a bigger trap ready—not one that merely wounds it, but one that will make sure it never leaves the Eastern Wasteland again."

He looked inward at his dantian.

The cracks on his Martial God Foundation were slowly closing under the nourishment of the people's will, but the healing was slow—the willpower drawn from five million three hundred thousand people was vast, but not a permanent solution.

Still, his righteous aura was recovering, his national destiny energy re-filled, and the Heavenly Sword's power was stronger than before—this battle had been brutal, but the gains were immense. The aberrant remains of a half-step tenth-realm aberration would sustain the Heavenly Sword's devouring for a long time to come.

"Wang Hao," the Heavenly Sword said, its voice carrying an unusual note of seriousness. "There's one thing I've never understood."

"What is it?"

"You didn't have to fight this hard. You're an emperor, not a general. An emperor's duty is to sit in the palace and give orders, not to stand in front of the people and take hits. Why did you come yourself?"

Wang Hao was silent for a full ten breaths.

Then he pointed at the streets of Nan'an City.