Chapter 138: We People of the Martial World Care Little for Trifles

The roars of two old men echoed between heaven and earth. The Sword Saint unleashed all his sorrow, fury, resentment, helplessness, and the accumulated grievances of many years into that single strike. His voice trembled, laced with a faint, sobbing undertone.

For reasons unknown, Dad suddenly joined in the roaring as well. His rough, booming voice was also imbued with traces of anger, remorse, hesitation, nostalgia, tenderness, helplessness, and a thousand other emotions.

As Ji Huo listened, he inexplicably felt a surge of passion. It sounded like the story of a middle-aged man, laid off and forced back into the workforce, struggling against the indignities of life—the harsh criticisms of superiors, the competition from younger generations, a declining body and fading memory, the disdain of a wife, and the burdens of raising children—yet still bravely facing the storm with a burning, middle-aged fire in his heart.

"Why are you crying?" Xia Ningchang asked, stunned.

Ji Huo wiped the corner of his eye, casting the unbearable past to the back of his mind, and sighed, "Their shouting moved me; it reminded me of happy times."

Xia Ningchang: "???"

The blue flames and the sky-filling sword energy collided violently. The two forces held their ground, and in an instant, the very space between them began to twist. Dazzling light and terrifying destructive power formed a storm of death around them. Bai Rou had no choice but to scramble up from the ground and flee into the distance.

"Aaaaaah!"
"Yaaaaah!"

It was unclear who had started screaming first, but the other followed suit, as if competing to see whose lungs were stronger. As their shouts grew louder and more energy poured in, the confrontation between the lightning-fire and the sword energy became increasingly unstable.

*Zzzzt!*

A slender arc of light grazed the ground. Without even an explosion, a bottomless fissure appeared in the earth, as if the ground had instantly dissolved. Bai Rou’s heart skipped a beat; she abandoned all pretense and bolted, not stopping until she reached the spot where Ji Huo and Xia Ningchang were hiding.

*Zzzzt! Zzzzt! Zzzzt!*

Arcs of light spread rapidly, destroying everything in their path. The power grew ever more immense, the aura of destruction descended, and the sky began to dim.

Xia Ningchang frowned and gripped Ji Huo’s shoulder. She could see that if this power were to explode, even standing this far away, they would be caught in the blast. She felt that this power was even more terrifying than the strike the Sword Saint had unleashed in his fury against her years ago.

In the eyes of the two men locked in the standoff, a myriad of emotions flickered like a slide show: from persistence to heat, to anger, to obsession, to hesitation, to bewilderment... Finally, both men cleared their minds simultaneously, their eyes regaining a profound clarity.

The two made eye contact, let out a low, synchronized shout, and with perfect tacit understanding, shifted their power upward in perfect unison.

Usually, if either side in such a standoff were to let their power fluctuate—becoming stronger or weaker and breaking the equilibrium—it would easily trigger a catastrophic explosion, obliterating everything nearby. Yet, both the Sword Saint and Dad easily managed to guide the power high into the sky, their fine-tuned control flawless.

As the sword energy and lightning-fire were pushed into the high atmosphere, they finally erupted in a massive explosion, far beyond the reach of the naked eye. First, the sound vanished, followed by the frenzied discharge of terrifying power. A gale descended from above, blowing against those on the ground as if a giant hair dryer were hovering over their heads.

The combined strike of two peak Grandmaster-level experts had finally shattered the barrier of their rank, evolving into power of the next realm. The Sword Saint and Dad looked up, staring at the sky, which was now filled with colorful, unpredictable patterns.

To Ji Huo and Xia Ningchang, the sky looked like an aurora, swaying like a goddess’s gown; beyond that, they could discern nothing.

The Sword Saint stared intently at the radiance in the sky, as if he had seen something inconceivable. His pupils dilated, his gaze flickered, and finally, his brow smoothed as he spoke slowly, "Did you see it?"

Dad also stared at the sky for a long time. The confusion in his eyes vanished, his broad, tense shoulders relaxed, and a look of relief appeared on his face. He let out a soft sigh. "I saw it."

"What did you see?" the Sword Saint asked, unwilling to let it go. He had assumed that Ji Xiaoxiong had suffered internal injuries and wasted the last decade, leading to his power stagnating or regressing. He had not expected that, through simplicity, Dad had allowed his suppressed talent to surge upon his recovery, reaching the very end of the Grandmaster realm in such a short time.

Dad grinned and said, "Know the muddiness, keep the clarity."

The Sword Saint fell silent, then slowly replied, "The clarity brings peace to the world!"

High above, the ribbon-like light suddenly brightened, transforming into a massive surge of power that slammed downward, striking directly upon the two men.

*BOOM!*

The violent energy wave swept across everything!

Ji Huo’s expression changed. He shielded Xia Ningchang and Bai Rou, channeling his internal arts. A bright yellow aura shield manifested on his skin, desperately blocking the lethal wind of energy. The power mixed within the wind—sword energy, lightning, searing heat, and masculine force—was enough to annihilate everything, far exceeding Ji Huo’s understanding.

Just bracing against the wind made him feel as if his body were being torn apart. If not for the power of the earth flowing into him incessantly, acting as an anchor to hold his body fast, he feared he would have been blown away. Even Xia Ningchang and Bai Rou behind him felt breathless, unable to open their eyes, as if they were submerged in thick, viscous magma. Because the wind was so strong, and the two women lacked Ji Huo’s ability to be anchored by the earth, they were unsteady on their feet, on the verge of being swept away.

Bai Rou subconsciously wrapped her arms around Xia Ningchang’s slender waist, then pinched her, whether as a warning or a prank. Xia Ningchang shuddered; even with her eyes tightly closed, she knew what Bai Rou meant.

After half a second, Xia Ningchang reached out with trembling fingertips, fumbling until she held onto the waist of the man shielding her from the wind and sand, pressing her body tightly against his back. The moment she touched him, she felt his waist muscles tense violently. Through his clothes, she could feel his eight-pack abs suddenly protrude, and the muscles of his back bulging like hard plates.

He was like a startled cat.

*Why are you so nervous? I’m not going to do anything to you...* Xia Ningchang kept her eyes shut tight, her chest pressed firmly against his back, feeling his heart pounding wildly.

*Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!*

It was like an apple pulled by gravity, falling to the earth. Subconsciously, Xia Ningchang gave up all restraint and simply rested her head against the nape of his neck.

The "thump-thump" sound grew even more frantic, turning into a rapid "drum-drum-drum-drum," like the beating of war drums.

For some reason, the earth seemed stimulated, pouring power crazily into Ji Huo’s body. Eventually, the influx was so great that it formed a bright, protective aura around him, enveloping all three of them. In the midst of the violent storm of power, this glowing light-sphere became an isolated island in a sea of death, standing firm against the endless waves.

"E-extraordinary circumstances," Xia Ningchang’s voice came from behind, sounding slightly stuttered. "W-we of the martial world... we don't stand on ceremony..."

After a few seconds, Ji Huo did not turn back, but replied in a low voice, "Mmh."

Not far away, several golden dragon phantoms circled down from the void, quickly sketching out the figure of the Big Brother. He had sensed the powerful energy and come to check in case of an accident.

Big Brother first glanced at Dad and the Sword Saint, who were at the epicenter of the power, and then his gaze fell upon the bright yellow island in the middle of the violent ocean.

"Whoa~"

He exclaimed, a strange look on his face as he muttered to himself, "Looks like my timing is off again."

With that, several golden dragon phantoms emerged beneath his feet and spiraled upward. Wherever the golden dragons passed, his figure seemed to be erased like a pencil mark, vanishing into the void.