Tang Fan did not translate any further for Bibi Dong. After all, even without a translation, she could grasp the general meaning of those two passages in classical Chinese.
The three swords described to the Son of Heaven of Yin spoke of the Dao, of an elevation from the tangible to the intangible. Yet the people of Douluo Continent were utterly unable to grasp their profound meaning.
"Three swords that can't kill anyone? What use are they? If someone awakened a sword like that as their Martial Soul, it could only be a Trash Martial Soul."
"Exactly. Never mind imagery or hiding the edge-it's all bullshit. Swords are meant for killing. If they can't kill, they're garbage."
A group of noble Soul Masters huddled together, reveling in their own opinions. Still, there was some truth to what they said. If someone on Douluo Continent really awakened the Chengying Sword as their Martial Soul, it might indeed be treated as a Trash Martial Soul.
It was not just the nobles. Titled Douluo like Qian Daoliu, Bo Saixi, Tang Chen, Sword Douluo, and Bone Douluo likewise could not understand what a sword that did not kill was.
"A sword that can't kill? What does that mean? If it can't kill, how can you protect yourself or fight? Ji'er, what do you think?"
Qian Xunji shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps that world has some special understanding of it."
At that moment, Tang Fan thought of something fun and searched for another video on his phone.
"Bibi Dong, if you can't understand it, why not watch this? A fight like this might be easier for someone from Douluo Continent to understand."
"A fight? Didn't you say those three swords couldn't fight?"
"I said they couldn't kill, not that they couldn't fight. Take a look at how the Hanguang Sword fights."
Tang Fan played a video of Yan Lu wielding Hanguang against Sheng Qi and Juque.
Of course, the video was also shown on the sky screen over Douluo Continent.
Yan Lu, holding the invisible Hanguang Sword, fought Sheng Qi, who wielded Juque. Their battle could be said to have displayed two kinds of sword technique to their fullest.
The heavy sword had no edge; the greatest skill looked like clumsiness. In Sheng Qi's hands, the greatsword Juque whistled through the air with fearsome force, every stroke powerful enough to split mountains and shatter stone.
Yan Lu, meanwhile, brought Hanguang's conception of drawing back without striking to heights beyond the reach of ordinary people.
He sought not to hurt others, yet others could not hurt him.
The people of Douluo Continent were left especially dumbstruck by the sight of countless sword images reflected by the Hanguang Sword in the sunlight, surrounding Sheng Qi.
Sword Douluo could produce much the same visual effect, but that required Soul Power. What appeared on the sky screen was clearly not an effect created by Soul Power, but merely the sword's characteristics and technique.
At the end of the fight, Sheng Qi appeared to have won by holding his sword across Yan Lu's neck. Yet during the battle, Yan Lu had carved the character "benevolence" into the ground beneath Sheng Qi's feet.
It was clear from this that Sheng Qi had fought with all his might but had never managed to make Yan Lu do the same. He was the one who had lost.
"A sword that doesn't kill! A sword that doesn't kill! So that's how it is. That man's ideals are far beyond mine, far beyond mine!"
Sword Douluo had suffered one blow after another and was somewhat numb by now. Or rather, he had accepted the truth: he simply did not have much talent for the way of the sword.
Most of the female Soul Masters on Douluo Continent, however, had their eyes on Yan Lu's looks.
Yan Lu's gentle, refined bearing, that of a modest gentleman, truly had a deadly attraction for women.
Tang Fan put away his phone and asked Bibi Dong, "Do you understand now?"
"Mm, Yan Lu is so handsome!"
Tang Fan was speechless. =_= "Were you only looking at his face? The point is the sword, the Hanguang Sword!"
Bibi Dong gave an embarrassed smile. "Hehe, sorry. You're handsome too, so don't be angry."
"I wouldn't get angry over that."
Bibi Dong changed the subject with a question. "What's the most powerful sword you have here?"
"The most powerful sword? Probably the Xuanyuan Sword, the sword of the holy way and the Yellow Emperor's sword."
"An emperor's sword? Don't you have no emperors here?"
"The Yellow Emperor, not an emperor. The Yellow Emperor is the founding ancestor of our civilization.
"Legend has it that the gods gathered copper from Mount Shou and forged the sword for the Yellow Emperor. The sun, moon, and stars were engraved on one side of its blade, mountains, rivers, grasses, and trees on the other. One side of its hilt bore images of farming and animal husbandry, the other the unification of the four seas. The Yellow Emperor wielded it to slay Chi You at Zhuolu. It was later passed down to Xia Yu, who controlled the floods and brought order to the Nine Provinces.
"In other words, the Xuanyuan Sword represents our entire civilization."
"The gods forged a sword for the Yellow Emperor? Was he a god too?"
"Why do you focus on such strange things? Never mind. We're from different worlds, so cultural differences are only natural.
"The Yellow Emperor wasn't a god. He was the founding ancestor of our civilization, an ancestor, and one of the Five Emperors. We generally consider the Yellow Emperor's status to be even higher than that of the gods."
Bibi Dong still could not understand. By analogy to Douluo Continent, it was as though the Heaven Dou Empire or the Star Luo Empire had raised its founding emperor to a status even higher than that of the gods.
Neither empire would ever dare do that, and Spirit Hall would not allow it to happen either.
On Douluo Continent, only gods could occupy the highest seat.
Tang Fan could see that Bibi Dong did not understand. He shook his head. "Forget it if you don't understand. But there's something I have to tell you: our people have never been willing to grant gods absolute authority over humanity!"
Those words were unquestionably blasphemous, yet they resonated with Bibi Dong.
On Sea God Island in Douluo Continent, Bo Saixi sighed. "Heretics. They really are all heretics! The gods are absolute authority to begin with. Since when did their authority need to be granted by humans?
"Only a heretic could speak such disrespectful words about the gods. Pass down my order: the Sea God's followers are forbidden to discuss the heretical words on the sky screen. Anyone who does so will be driven off Sea God Island."
"Yes, High Priestess."
Bo Saixi had reacted so strongly entirely because Tang Fan's words struck at the foundation of faith, deconstructing the gods.
Spirit Hall, on the other hand, had rarely promoted the Angel God to begin with, so it did not need to worry too much about the matter now.
After talking about swords for so long, Tang Fan recalled Zhuangzi's On Swords. "Hehe, after all this talk, what we've been discussing is still just the sword of the commoner. Want to hear how a real big shot spoke 'On Swords'?"
"The sword of the commoner? What does that mean?"
"Disheveled hair and jutting sideburns, caps hanging low, chinstraps drawn out long, coats cut short in the back, glaring eyes and defiant speech.
"They strike at one another, slashing necks and collars above, tearing open livers and lungs below.
"This is the sword of the commoner. It is no different from fighting cocks: once a life is lost, it is over, and it is of no use to the affairs of the state."
"Huh?! Aren't you insulting people?"
"That's not me insulting people. A sage from more than two thousand years ago was the one insulting them.
"In his eyes, every sword used to show off martial prowess and indulge a love of fighting was a sword of the commoner.
"Crossing swords was like fighting cocks. Once you were dead, that was the end of it.
"Hahaha, if you broadened those words a little and applied them to Douluo Continent, you could say they insulted ninety-nine percent of Soul Masters.
"I'm not wrong, am I? Aren't Douluo Continent's Soul Masters all obsessed with personal valor and eager to fight?
"Otherwise, the Soul Master Tournament couldn't have become such a grand event for all of Douluo Continent."
"Hmph. Wasn't that sage of yours afraid someone would beat him up for insulting people like that?"
"Hehe, they'd have to be able to beat him first. The sages of that era were no frail scholars."