Do you know what the final level of the Sword Manual is?
Di Ni chatted idly with Li Su, seemingly oblivious to the great battle raging outside.
Li Su frowned slightly, looking at the other party with some confusion. Why start such a major battle, only to begin telling stories to her? What kind of thought process was this? What was the other party trying to achieve?
The Mercy Voyage Sword Canon, of course I know it. The final stage is Death Barrier, another method summarized from the final level of the Dao Heart Demon-Planting Technique, which involves breaking through the void. Unfortunately, in Huang Da's novel, only Qin Mengyao successfully broke through the Death Barrier, and no one else, including Di Ni, was mentioned.
"It's called the Death Barrier, and it's somewhat related to you. This realm was created when I studied the last chapter of the Dao Heart Demon-Planting Technique."
Di Ni murmured, "For the sake of shattering the void."
"However, I failed. I couldn't break through and was stuck on the edge of Death Barrier. I saw the door, but I couldn't get through. In the end, I could only slowly lose my spirituality and my soul shatter in that place that felt like another dimension."
Li Su's eyes narrowed, and her expression changed.
Anyone with a modicum of comprehension should understand that, according to her words, she should be dead.
After all, their souls were shattered, weren't they?
How did she survive? How did she manage to exist?
Seemingly sensing Li Su's confusion, Di Ni smiled and said, "Yes, I should have already perished, so why am I still alive?"
She raised her head, gave Li Su a deep look, and said calmly, "The reason is simple: the Death Barrier, and... reincarnation."
Li Su's pupils contracted, and her expression changed slightly as she considered a very terrifying possibility.
" Death Barrier is shattering, and I was undoubtedly shattered, but I failed to succeed and was stuck between worlds, unable to move forward or backward, and thus my soul was scattered."
Originally, my story should have ended here. Although it was regrettable, it was also a lifelong pursuit, and I didn't feel any resentment or bitterness.
But just as I was accepting the outcome and quietly awaiting my own demise, a thought suddenly popped into my head: this experience of my soul being scattered seemed all too familiar.
And as time goes by, this feeling grows stronger and more frequent.
Finally, one day I realized why I felt this way after breaking through to the Death Barrier. It was because I was stuck between two worlds, and my shattered soul was accumulating little by little, growing more and more with the passage of time...
It's bugged!!!
Upon hearing this, this was the first answer that came to Li Su's mind.
It's obvious that in the real world, the World Fragment will keep opening, meaning the Twin Dragons Chronicle will be refreshed again and again. As a result, this Di Ni in front of us keeps entering Death Barrier and shattering away.
They should have dissipated, but being situated between two worlds, the Twin Dragons undoubtedly shattered, while the shattered past world remained, thus allowing Di Ni's soul to linger there.
Thinking of this, Li Su couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. The World Fragment, once they enter a person, will disappear after they come out.
Even if the Twin Dragons could shatter, shouldn't the world they connect to also shatter along with Twin Dragons? Why has that world survived?
In an instant, an immense question arose in Li Su's mind: Where was his master's shattered past world?
By the way, if Di Ni reacted this way, wouldn't that mean his master had also been broken a thousand times? Why didn't he react like Di Ni? Could it be that Di Ni exploited a bug?
No, no, no.
If the other world exists, then the master who has already shattered will naturally still be alive. And that world must be at a much higher level than this one. With the master's talent and ability, he would naturally grow stronger rapidly. If this world shatters again, as individuals with the same spiritual soul, it's impossible for him not to sense it.
Countless thoughts raced through Li Su's mind, leaving her completely bewildered.
Di Ni didn't care what Li Su was thinking. In fact, once she started explaining, everyone who heard it would be incredulous. Even she couldn't believe it at first.
"The number of such accumulations increased until the final amount became so large that it could not be dissipated in a short period of time."
"It wasn't a big deal in itself. Although I was puzzled as to why I was caught between these repeated gaps in the shattering, I quickly calmed down and began to focus my mind, wanting to truly and completely break through the shattering and get to the other side."
"Unfortunately, even though I shattered a thousand times, and my soul was strengthened time and time again, that world was still too far away, and the barrier was too strong. It was far beyond what could be achieved by accumulating thousands or tens of thousands of times."
At this point, Di Ni paused, a rare occurrence, before continuing, "So I decided to go back, return to my original world, and continue my cultivation. With such a massive soul, returning to my physical body to make breakthroughs should reduce the difficulty..."
"Because of this decision, a nightmare began."
"Several times I decided to return, but when I came to my senses, I reappeared in that rift. This puzzled me greatly. Was I dead? Had I failed? With these thoughts in mind, I began to try. I would go back and immediately shatter back, or go back and wait a month to shatter back, leaving traces of information through the rift. I tried once, ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times."
"In the end, I realized that the world I live in will be destroyed in a few hundred years, about ten years after a country called the Tang Empire Dynasty is established."
"That day, the whole world was shrouded in darkness. The sky descended from one side to the other, and the light disappeared as the sky closed in. The earth was reduced to ruins in the night, and everything was destroyed in that instant."
A rare look of horror crossed Di Ni's face. "The world... it's destroyed. For no reason, without any logic, it just stood there in front of me, and I could only watch helplessly as it was destroyed."
"That result almost drove me mad, I couldn't bear it. I searched for a breakthrough tens of thousands of times, again and again, frantically searching. There were times when I was so mad that I couldn't believe it myself. I killed everyone in the world with my own hands."
Suddenly, Di Ni's eyes lit up, widening and staring intently at Li Su, making his scalp tingle and his hair stand on end.
"This action made me discover something different. There was someone who, although speaking the same words and doing the same things as most people in this world, was different. When I killed him, he shouted, 'How can there be such a strong person? How can such a strong person exist? Impossible, impossible, these are fragments of martial arts, how can there be an 'immortal'?'"
Li Su couldn't help but clench her fists, unable to remain calm any longer, and instantly realized something terrifying.
The person before him knew this world was an illusion, knew of the existence of transmigrators like themselves—no, or rather, the other person was looking for him!!!
Damn it, in an instant, Li Su's hair stood on end, and an incredibly terrifying thought arose in her mind.
Isn't she planning to possess my body? To leave this world and go outside?
If that were the case, Li Su felt his hair stand on end, his energy and spirit pushed to the limit, staring intently at his opponent, ready to strike at any moment.
Di Ni laughed at Li Su's reaction.
"I knew it! You're a ' Raider ' too!"
"Hiss!" Li Su shuddered, unable to suppress the involuntary roar of "Holy shit!"
"But don't worry, I won't possess your spirit."
"Huh?" Li Su's pupils contracted. "Can't possess someone? What does that mean? Has the other party possessed someone before?"
"Yes, I have possessed bodies, and more than one." What does possession matter to an existence so insane as to slaughter an entire world? Di Ni directly responded to Li Su's guess, nodding in agreement without hesitation.
Li Su instantly got goosebumps all over her body, and her eyes showed a fear she had never felt before. This guy...
Di Ni lowered her head, completely unconcerned. Instead, she began to analyze and summarize, saying, "Based on my experience with possession, the existence of our world is based on two reasons: the story of its development and your existence. No, in fact, your existence is the reason for the existence of this world. The story won't end immediately if something goes wrong, but if something goes wrong with you, then the story will end immediately."
"At the same time, perhaps because my cultivation level is insufficient, or for other reasons, once I possess a body, the world will immediately collapse, and I will be crushed in the next moment."
Li Su clenched his fists, staring intently at the man who called himself Di Ni. He couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you want?"
She calmly recounted her experiences and actions, even telling him about her failed attempt to possess someone. What was she trying to do? To instill fear in him? It couldn't be that simple, could it? But it wasn't entirely impossible. After all, the person in front of him was already insane. Putting himself in her shoes, he would probably go insane too.
"What do you want to do?"
Di Ni chuckled nervously, staring wide-eyed at Li Su: "When someone is in a cage, do they think about anything other than escaping?"
Li Su narrowed his eyes, took a deep breath to suppress the shock in his heart, and said, "So you came to me because you want to break free from this cage?"
"That's right!"
"Even possession is useless, do you have any other way to break free from this cage?"
"Have!"
"What method?"
"Shatter the void!"
Li Su's eyes narrowed, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Impossible. You couldn't possibly not know about my master. He shattered right before my eyes, which means that once this world restarts, he will also return to his original form."
He shouldn't have said this, as it might have driven the other party crazy, but Li Su didn't hesitate and said it.
Because he also had doubts: if Broken could really escape this cage, then had the old man succeeded? Li Su cared a lot, not because he was worried that the Evil Emperor would end up like Di Ni, but because he was worried that the old man had never been just a master and disciple to him, but a father and son. If possible, he would never want the Evil Emperor to end up like that.
Moreover, Di Ni's mentality is also a huge problem. Faced with a calm madman and a crazed madman, the latter may be more destructive, but there is no doubt that he has more flaws compared to the former.
This wasn't some old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, but an old monster who had lived through countless World Fragment. Li Su didn't think she had a better chance of winning against her calm demeanor; on the contrary, her madness made her even simpler.
To Li Su's astonishment, Di Ni raised her hands and gently pressed them against her face. Her youthful, exquisitely beautiful face shone with an incredibly radiant light. Her eyes shone brightly, her emotions surged, and she was overcome with excitement. She cried out, overflowing with joy, "Indeed, Xiang Yutian truly existed here!"
Um???
Li Su's pupils contracted, staring at the other person in utter astonishment. What did that mean?
"After failing to escape this damned cage no matter what I did, I went mad searching for any trace of him. The Dao Heart Demon-Planting Technique has a realm of shattering the void, and with his talent, it's impossible that he couldn't overcome it. In Yang Gong's Treasure Vault, Lu Miaozi obtained the Evil Emperor Relic from him and put it inside. Yin Empress Zhu Yuyan of the Underworld also met him. In order to find him, I once lurked beside the two of them and waited for decades."
Di Ni was utterly dejected, and said in a tone of bewilderment and shock, "However, the Evil Emperor Relic has appeared, Yin Empress also knows the method to absorb the Relic, but Xiang Yutian is the only one who seems to have never appeared. There are traces of him everywhere, but I have never been able to find him, not even once in hundreds of attempts."
"As expected, as expected, this is the opportunity, the only opportunity."
"That's right, what I felt was right. The fluctuations at that time... this world was truly shattered, utterly shattered, heading towards Xiang Yutian as he broke through the void! Haha, hahaha!"
Di Ni clutched his head, his expression utterly crazed, his eyes fixed on Li Su as if possessed, like a shark smelling blood or a dragon seeing a jewel. "My decision was right, my observation was correct. You are the opportunity, the opportunity to break this damned cage."
Di Ni licked his lips. It had been too long, far too long.
Li Su stood there, his mind racing. The situation with that old man was undoubtedly a completely astonishing one. Xiang Yutian from the previous world was actually in a state similar to Schrödinger's cat—existing, yet not existing.
It's simply incomprehensible.
Considering that the opponent was able to shatter the void, demonstrating the power to break the world, and since even the partially shattered Di Ni could undergo such changes, then the Evil Emperor, who could shatter his physical body, should not be trapped in place.
Wait, wait, wait...
In an instant, a huge question arose in Li Su's mind: if that were the case, then what was the meaning of "Overturning Clouds and Rain "?
Unlike The Legend of the Twin Dragons, *The Legend of the Twin Dragons ends with Overturning Clouds and Rain Pang Ban and Lang Fanyun shattering the void and departing. That novel was opened more than once, just like *The Legend of the Twin Dragons *, meaning the two characters must have shattered the void countless times.
Both of those Shattered-level beings definitely exist, so why haven't they undergone any changes?
Countless thoughts flashed through Li Su's mind in an instant, with about two possibilities.
First, it has mutated, but the information has been hidden.
Secondly, because Li Su was incredibly powerful, the World Fragment system was bugged.
Yeah, that's right, that's how confident he is. What a load of rubbish, the only reason he dares to think that way is because he's done his research.
Yes, since he came out, he has read all kinds of guides and complained a lot about his experience in Heavenly Dragon. Zhao Heng's bug-like existence shocked him. However, what surprised Li Su was that after reading more than a hundred guides, he was surprised to find that none of them mentioned him.
In all the guides, there's only one unparalleled master in Heavenly Dragon: the Sweeper Monk!
Is it because talent, weighted at over 100%, triggers a qualitative change?
The World Fragment gain power through trials, and are inevitably threatened from the moment they enter. But for Li Su, it's a different story. With his talent, even if Heavenly Dragon didn't go to Shaolin Temple, even if he only got the most basic Taizu Long Fist, he could still reach the second-rate level in the Circulation Realm Tian realm. Waiting for thirty to fifty years to reach the first-rate level wouldn't be a problem. With a little effort, he could even reach the super first-rate level. It's really as easy as eating and drinking.
It's fair to say that unless the world adds more drama, like Zhao Heng in Heavenly Dragon Ba Bu or Di Ni in Twin Dragons, he could simply be ignored.
However, in reality, regardless of the adversaries he faced during his time travel between the two worlds, there's no doubt that S-level martial arts techniques appeared before him immediately. The reason why Heavenly Dragon could be explained by his visit to Shaolin, but why was the Evil Emperor accepting him as a disciple in Twin Dragons simply a matter of luck?
So, the second possibility is the most likely at the moment, but Li Su is not happy about it at all. He doesn't want this kind of special treatment at all.
After a long silence, Li Su looked at Di Ni, whose expression was gradually calming down, and said, "So your purpose in luring me here was to fight me and thus trigger the shattering of the void?"
"That's right!"
"Why use this method? If that's the case, why didn't you just come to me directly?"
Li Su frowned, somewhat Wrath. Perhaps the world was an illusion; undoubtedly, Di Ni's situation was also tragic.
But you can come directly to him and tell him everything. If breaking through the void is possible, Li Su doesn't think he would reject the other party; he wouldn't mind giving help.
If possible, he would be more than happy to let his beloved father-in-law Song Que and the Evil King escape alive.
And then Yuhua and the Di Ni's words undoubtedly shattered Li Su Su's hopes completely. Once she left, they would all die and then wake up again at some point.
This was undoubtedly difficult for Li Su to accept.
What about Heavenly Dragon and Xuanci? Were they all dead? Li Su dared not think about it; the thought made her heart ache.
The feelings are real.
Even if they're imposters who've instigated this huge war, they're still alive, aren't they?
The World Fragment may be the foundation for his growth, but these worlds are undoubtedly ones he loves dearly. Despite having Heavenly Dragon master's revenge, Li Su still couldn't help but run to save Xiao Feng, only to have him end up in such a tragic way, thus fulfilling a dream of his own.
Now, listening to the sounds of battle outside, how many people have perished, how many have shed their blood?
They could have lived a peaceful and stable life for the rest of their time, so why?
You know the truth now, and yes, you are pitiful, but that doesn't give you the right to act recklessly.
Di Ni looked at the Wrath Li Su, her expression unchanged. Instead, she nodded and said, "Ever since you challenged the Heavenly Blade, I've been watching you closely, right up until the end of the Battle of Ba-Shu. Because of this, you give me a very strange feeling, different, completely different, unlike the other Raider I've found. They only have greed and desire for this world, never caring about the life and death of the people here. You are different. You respect the Heavenly Blade, you pity the Yin Empress, and your gaze towards everyone is full of equality. Even if you are strong, you are not arrogant. Because of this, I am even more certain that if it were you, you could definitely do it."
Li Su's eyes narrowed. He hadn't expected that he had been under someone's watchful eye all this time, all the way to Ba-Shu. He hadn't felt it at all.
etc.
"The battle on the Tianjin Bridge..."
"I deliberately instructed you behind Qinghui's back to see how you treat the people you bring with you. There's no doubt you care about them."
"Why did you do this? Why go to such lengths? Even if it's you..."
"Haha..." Di Ni laughed, a hint of mockery in his voice. "How confident you are."
"Um?"
"Little guy, do you really think that breaking through the void is such a simple, easy thing to do???"
Di Ni's gaze was icy, utterly cold at this moment. "Do you think you can break through the void at will? If that were the case, why would I have stayed in this world for so long, still unable to break through?"
Li Su was taken aback.
"Do you think your strength is comparable to mine?"
Di Ni's gaze grew increasingly icy, and her aura began to erupt—a terrifying sword intent, a sword intent capable of crushing everything.
In an instant, within the imperial city of Luoyang, entire swathes of earth began to collapse, and everything crumbled under her sword intent.
"What you have now is not enough, not nearly enough!"
Feeling the sword intent that almost pierced through his protective aura, and the force that nearly immobilized him, Li Su's face showed a look of horror. How could this be? His opponent was so strong, yet he still couldn't break through the void? Did that mean it would be difficult for him to break through either?
"This is an opportunity, and the only opportunity. I will implement any possible solution to ensure its success."
Di Ni looked at Li Su, his eyes devoid of any emotion, filled with utter coldness. "The reason I didn't appear was to wait, to let you meet more people, to let you forge more connections, to let you invest more emotions. Struggle, First Tower! Before all the people you care about are dead, before I kill you, use all your strength to struggle, to break through!"
Li Su's pupils contracted as he stared intently at Di Ni, finally understanding the other's meaning and actions.
Everything he has built up so far—his parents, his siblings, his friends, everything—given so much time, is simply adding to his already immense wealth.
Instantly, Li Su froze, slowly clenching his fists until the veins on his face bulged.
As mentioned earlier, Li Su is not a saint; his feelings are basically only directed towards those around him and those he cares about.
Only they are his Achilles' heel.
Li Su's eyes reddened, his chest bulged with rage, and his emotions were on the verge of exploding. He stared intently at the other person, even though the person before him was an old monster who had lived countless lives, he was still filled with boundless Wrath and killing intent.
How dare you oppress me in this way?!
Ahhh!!!
With a roar, Li Su fully activated his Dao Heart Demon Seed, one of the Four Great Extraordinary Skills, a martial art that shatters the realm and focuses on the spirit. As his emotions reached their extremes, the boundless and terrifying fluctuations exploded at this moment.
Even with Di Ni's supreme sword intent, it was eroded and shattered by the frenzied emotions of Li Su!
There's no need for further dialogue. At this point, there's only one outcome: a fight to the death!
No one can touch his sore spot, no one!!!
" Heart Blade!"
Li Su roared to the sky, his heart, his will, and his spirit all cleaved like knives.
The three swords combined into one.
The Heart Blade Appears.
The blade was like a wheel, its intent soaring to the heavens. The moment it rose, even the void seemed to pause. A terrifying blade light shot into the sky, directly slashing towards the seated Di Ni, who was sitting cross-legged a dozen feet away.
Di Ni, sitting cross-legged, remained motionless. Her eyes narrowed, and a sword materialized in the void, its blade gleaming, its spirit unparalleled, its color infused with blood, and its killing intent boundless.
Clang!
The first collision was earth-shattering.
One is reincarnation through a thousand lifetimes.
One possesses unparalleled talent.
Two unparalleled forces exploded with a deafening roar, half a blade of energy and half a sword's power, shattering the inner city of Luoyang!
Heart Blade, Heart Blade, Heart Blade!
With each roar, Li Su roared furiously, his eyes bloodshot, his emotions reaching an extreme. One after another, blade beams exploded from his majestic body, the blade intent rising into the sky, sensing everything, seeing through everything, and shattering everything under the influence of the demonic seed.
Faced with the oncoming blade of light, a rare look of surprise appeared on Di Ni's beautiful face as she sat on the ground.
It seems that the opponent was underestimated.
She was no longer calm and composed; her figure rose without wind, and a fierce sword intent gathered wildly. At this moment, her spirit was also shaken. The more this happened, the better.
What she feared most was never that the First Tower was too strong; she was afraid that the opponent was too weak.
Only by becoming stronger can one break through the void and escape from this cage.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The clash of swords was like the battle of unparalleled divine weapons. The legendary Tai'a Divine Sword clashed with the Dragon Sparrow Divine Saber, and the sound reverberated for miles around.
In just a few moments, the terrifying impact erupted completely, causing the entire city of Luoyang, the largest city in the Central Plains covering tens of thousands of square meters, to shake violently.
"Die!!!"
A figure soared into the sky, his body radiating a sharp, piercing aura of blades. Endless energy surged forth, each wave transforming into a surge of blade energy that flowed towards him. Wave after wave of Heart Blade continuously exploded from his body, slashing towards the person opposite him.
Di Ni was equally unwilling; having reincarnated countless times, her spirit had already reached an unimaginable height.
Her soul is hundreds of times thicker than that of an ordinary person. Even if her talent hasn't reached the very top of this world, it has undoubtedly touched that ceiling.
The sword intent soared into the sky, and even the Sword God trembled with fear.
At this moment, the two clashed violently in the void, one filled with extreme Wrath, the other with boundless madness.
The killing intent was like rain, like a tide.
In the face of the terrifying collision, both the people fighting in Luoyang City and the million-strong army battling outside Luoyang City couldn't help but stop and turn their heads in shock to look at the sky above Luoyang.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sharpness of a blade, the power of a sword.
Unparalleled and boundless, each strike exceeded tens of feet in length. With each swing and collision, heaven and earth, wind and clouds were stirred up and overturned.
World-class, the pinnacle...
No, words cannot describe this moment. The two combatants were like gods, completely exceeding everyone's expectations.
Even Heavenly Blade, Evil King, and the others couldn't help but show surprise on their faces at this moment.
They could understand what Di Ni meant; the other party was no longer human.
Could it be the First Tower???
Are you kidding me?!
How long has he been cultivating? Even if it's only been about a year since the battle in Ba-Shu, how could he possibly be this strong???
Perhaps the Di Ni was triggered because of the Death Barrier, or because of another world.
But without a doubt, Li Su's very existence is a bug!
This is a 7,000-word chapter. Please subscribe, add to your favorites, and vote! It feels like it's getting longer and longer; it shouldn't be short anymore, right? At this rate, each chapter will break 10,000 words! Holy crap, it used to be 2,000 words a chapter.
Then, barring any unforeseen circumstances, the second chapter should be released around 10 PM. If it's not updated by then, it's probably over. After all, it's 3:40 AM now. I'm taking my mom for her checkup tomorrow morning, and after that I'll catch up on some sleep and then work on it, but I might not be able to finish the long chapter.