Chapter 1048: Whence Comes This Divine Sword?

It was clear that Mei Gongzi's fusion of the Asura Sword, the Mysterious Circles of Heaven, and Star Shift hadn't been something she had mastered beforehand, but rather an insight she had suddenly grasped under immense pressure. Otherwise, the Mysterious Circles of Heaven could have neutralized Lan Moqian's attack, but the follow-up strike wouldn't have been that simple sword; it would have been some other divine technique Tang San had taught her that might secure victory.

"She lost... She actually lost?" Ning Chen'en stood there murmuring in a daze.

He truly hadn't expected Lan Moqian to lose this match. Who better than him to understand Lan Moqian's strength and heritage? Her two divine heavy swords possessed immense might, and she even had the Blue Gold Fruit obtained at the grand auction. No matter how grievously injured, she could swiftly restore her peak combat strength.

Yet in the end, with the Earthshade Nymph Emperor stepping in to stop the match, and Lan Moqian respectfully bowing in thanks afterward rather than questioning the decision, it proved that Mei Gongzi's final strike had truly threatened her life. She hadn't even had the chance to use the Blue Gold Fruit. And if an opponent of the same level had the power to kill her before she could do anything about it...

"It's just one match; there are many more to come," sounded Tang San's voice.

Ning Chen'en turned and saw the smile on Tang San's face.

He sighed. "I truly hadn't expected the Lord of Kali City to have reached such heights of strength. No wonder when my brother-in-law went to propose marriage, he was rejected. With power like that, even my brother-in-law might not be able to win."

When he mentioned Jin Anguo, his bitter smile deepened. Though Lan Moqian had lost today, at least she had won her first two matches. Jin Anguo, on the other hand, had already lost twice. And today's opponent was no ordinary one; it was none other than Lü Fuyao.

Sure, Lü Fuyao had surrendered against Tang San last time. And indeed, he had two losses. But unlike in the case of many others, his losses had both been voluntary, and he had expended no energy in the round-robin. As for the elimination rounds prior, he had shown formidable strength. In other words, today's match would be very tough for Jin Anguo as well.

Mei Gongzi returned to the rest area, her beautiful face showing delight, but she didn't speak to her mothers. Instead, she went straight to her seat, sat down cross-legged, and began meditating. She needed to seize this moment to ponder on her newfound understanding.

When she began drawing the Mysterious Circles of Heaven, the immense pressure from the opponent had borne down entirely upon the Asura Shadow Sword. The Mysterious Circles of Heaven felt that massive weight—so great that even the Asura Shadow Sword trembled slightly under it. It was under this pressure that Mei Gongzi instinctively guided her spatial power.

Unexpectedly, with the Asura Shadow Sword as a conduit and her Celestial Dance as the source of the movement, things flowed naturally. The Mysterious Circles of Heaven didn't just neutralize the opponent's force; it incorporated the traits of Star Shift, and they complemented each other to dissolve the attack and borrow its strength. The pressure borne from borrowing that power was largely dispelled by the Asura Sword.

In the next instant, her sword had already slashed forth smoothly.

That was Mei Gongzi's most perfect strike ever. At that moment, it was as if a new door had opened for her. The three bloodlines within her body seemed to produce a strange fusion centered on the Asura Sword. The feeling was truly unique; although everything was flowing together and intermingling, her mind was utterly clear.

At the same time, she sensed her bloodlines merging, and even vaguely felt the rejection of the world.

Tang San had once described this sensation to her: It was the natural repulsion of the plane when a transcendent bloodline was born. And in addition to that, she had glimpsed another world—the world of Emperors.

Luo Qingzhu and Su Qin saw Mei Gongzi sitting cross-legged in meditation. Unsure whether it was from overexertion or enlightenment, they did not disturb her but stood guard at her side.

Both mothers' faces were filled with pride and excitement. Mei Gongzi had defeated Lan Moqian, who was not only a seeded contestant but one of the top seeds! With three wins from three matches, she now had six points. And unlike the points Tang San had gained by clever means, Mei Gongzi had earned hers in hard battles, step by step, breaking through every barrier in front of her.

Outside, the arena was being repaired, but the cheers of the crowd rose in wave after wave, all for Mei Gongzi. Three victories, each over a powerful opponent. Mei Gongzi had won the audience's recognition with her strength.

At this moment, the Emperors too were stirred.

"Does anyone know where Kali City Lord's sword came from?

" The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor's voice sounded in the minds of the other Emperors.

Before the others could answer, the White Tiger Demon Emperor cut in.

"Celestial Fox, don't tell me you want to ban this divine item too?"

When Tang San's Scourge Dragon was prohibited, the White Tiger Demon Emperor was quite displeased. He was the only one who knew how much the Scourge Dragon helped conceal Tang San's identity. Now that the Celestial Fox Demon Emperor was targeting Mei Gongzi, he couldn't hold his tongue, and luckily, this time, he didn't have to hold it. She was his granddaughter, and he was openly favoring her.

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor said,

"That's not what I meant. I'm just curious. This divine item's might is beyond anything I've seen. Back during the Ancestral Court Elite Competition, she did use it once, but it seemed to only manifest a single blade of sword intent. Now, that sword intent has become a physical, immensely powerful divine item. I'm just curious. White Tiger, perhaps you could enlighten me?"

White Tiger Demon Emperor said,

"I don't know where it came from either. But you can treat it as a gift from me."

These words were a clear declaration:

Don't even think about targeting my granddaughter.

"Hey, if push comes to shove, I can reveal that she's my daughter and tell them I gave it to her."

Another Emperor whispered in private to the White Tiger Demon Emperor—it was of course the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor.

The White Tiger Demon Emperor's mouth twitched.

You gave it to her? What nonsense. Even assuming people would ignore the fact that she's your daughter, do you think anyone would believe you had something like that?

But seeing the Crystal Phoenix Demon Emperor's obvious love for his daughter, he let it slide without mocking him; he simply gave a reminder that some secrets had to be kept secret for as long as possible.

The Sword Saint Demon Emperor chimed in, in an unusual display of enthusiasm.

"That divine sword is the most remarkable I've seen. It contains the power of justice and judgment, able to restrain all that is dark and evil. Its might is immense, and its suppression of energy with negative attributes must be exceptionally strong."

Of anyone alive, he was the most devoted to the sword. His words only confirmed the sword's extraordinary nature.

"Incredibly sharp, and moreover, it seems to me like its energy has an indestructible trait to it. It's practically inexhaustible,

" the Endless Nymph Emperor added. As the one who had personally suffered from it, it too spoke up, and who was more qualified to talk about inexhaustible things?

The other Emperors mostly listened in silence, but there was no doubt that this divine sword had entered their notice.

The Celestial Fox Demon Emperor said,

"With such a divine sword, this tournament's result will truly be well-deserved."

The Emperors could clearly see that based on Mei Gongzi's performance so far, especially in defeating Lan Moqian with her dual divine swords, she was practically guaranteed to enter the finals.

While this discussion was ongoing, Tang San didn't linger. With Mei Gongzi's match done, he planned to leave. Otherwise, more clans would surely come to curry favor, and he preferred to avoid the trouble.