All Heavenly destiny reduced to ashes
Chapter 565 - 166: Defeat is No Hindrance

Chapter 565: Chapter 166: Defeat is No Hindrance

——Madman! Is there still a need to fight?!

But indeed, this is what a true Martial Artist is!

As An Jing was pressing himself down, falling to the ground, Xie Gusu had no choice but to revive his spirit once more, shaking off the opponent who intended to defeat himself.

Due to the Demonic Qi entering his body, he was now seeing many hallucinations: The scenes of the Divine Court’s envoys fighting against the rebel Ghost Gods during the chaotic end of an era, the savage battles, as vivid as reality, charging straight towards his skull.

And now, the image of An Jing overlaps with that of the Ghost Gods from those years; both have lost their weapons, both engaging in close-hand combat!

Taking advantage of An Jing’s loss of half an arm and his slight unbalance as he fell, Xie Gusu performs a roll as he hits the ground, getting up even faster than An Jing, then launching attacks with both hands, deploying the Taiming Sect’s widely known Tai Fu Long Fist, carrying two bone-chilling cold winds, one from above and one from below, striking like lightning, attacking both the Purple Mansion Dantian, aiming at An Jing!

Without weapons, there’s no attacking? Utter nonsense! Even the Taiming Sect, which manipulates the Netherworld Ghost Gods, and the Guanming Sword known for its swordsmanship, still possesses utterly solid hand-to-hand skills!

Faced with the rapidly approaching Tai Fu Long Fist that enveloped all of his vulnerabilities, An Jing, having lost half an arm, not only did not panic, he felt no fear, and even showed a hint of nostalgia.

To tell the truth, compared to various weapons, he indeed excels more at fist and foot grappling techniques.

At the juncture of life and death, he once again activates Grasping Heavenly Moment, seizing the opening in the lightning-fast fist at a speed five times beyond his own limits!

He thrusts his heel against the ground, establishes his stance, his body tilts sideways slightly bent, his left elbow exploding outwards, Iron Mountain Lean!

With this lean, the Taibai Luminous Godly Ban around his body is like the most secure mortise and tenon structure, with layer upon layer of power accumulating, all bursting forth simultaneously, like the continuous beat of stirring drums, and in the final drumbeat, explosive force surges forth like thunder, as if a mountain shifting sideways, colliding with Xie Gusu’s right fist!

With this strike of the elbow, An Jing’s own left elbow bone shatters on the spot, but Xie Gusu’s fist also gets tendon torn and bone fractured, and he is sent flying.

However, there’s still a disparity in strength, An Jing’s vulnerabilities are greater, and in his moment of instability, Xie Gusu’s eyes sharpen, his left hand turns back, erecting a palm knife, his whole body’s tendons suddenly tense transmitting force, aiming to slant-cut towards An Jing’s neck with the force of his body’s shift, intending to decapitate this young Martial Artist on the spot!

But this is the moment An Jing has been waiting for!

His right arm lost, left elbow pulverized, Xie Gusu’s strike did not at all account for An Jing having any possibility to retaliate, but perhaps this Great Sect Martial Artist has never really fallen into true despair— He may have lost, been defeated, struggled, risen again, he possesses a sufficiently strong will and a firm fighting spirit, but he just lacks one thing.

And that is the desperate struggle to survive in the face of death!

His eyes wide open, with a burst of light, An Jing’s eyes are filled with rage, from his lungs he lets out his last breath, one could hear the incomparably heavy heartbeat throbbing deep in his chest— his front foot stomping the ground, his upper body seemingly limp, rapidly falling forward, but at the same time, he spins his waist, channels power from his feet, his calves like a coiled spring, storage power and then blasting forth, turning instantly from a straight pole standing upright to a Big Spear lunging forward, carrying Mysterious Gold colored Thunder Light, fiercely thrusting out!

From beginning to end, An Jing has been charging, always moving forward, and this time, he isn’t just charging, not just advancing—he is a cannonball, a bolt of lightning piercing down!

An Jing’s right hand, already missing the forearm, thus carries the ferociously violent power, brutally smashing into the chest of the unsuspecting Xie Gusu!

Whoosh! Boom!

The palm knife sweeps across, slicing off the tips of An Jing’s long hair, but An Jing’s arm bone, with a thunderous explosion of brutal force, breaks through Xie Gusu’s Flesh and Blood, penetrating his heart.

Wounding Sword Qi, full blast!

Yin Yang Reincarnation Destruction, all the Yin Evil Sword Qi previously endured by An Jing, stemming from Xie Gusu, along with An Jing’s own Martial Meridian Formation Base, all mashed together into one, transforming into Yin Yang Annihilation Thunder Light Sword Intent!

The long-accumulated strength, along with the root of An Jing’s Martial Meridian, bursts out together, the heavy dull collision of Flesh and Blood resonating, visible shockwaves forming rings that spread outwards, clearing all the dust and rain curtains in the vicinity, the surrounding air and even the Demonic Qi all expelled by the aftermath of this strike, scattering all the dust and soil in every direction!

"You..."

Xie Gusu raises his hand, grabbing An Jing’s arm, trying to pull it out and push away, but his first attempt lacks the strength to succeed.

Blood seeps from the corner of his mouth, his expression incredibly complex, tinged with unwillingness, admiration, and a trace of pity.

A True Person of the Divine Repository does not have a weak heart, but the Annihilation Sword Intent penetrates his internal Formation Realm, turning the neatly ordered small Three Realms into chaos, even beginning to conflict and cancel each other out!

He seems to want to say something, but An Jing pays him no heed— with a furious shout, Wounding Sword Qi urged further, countless Sword Intent condensing within his broken bones, extending out a black and white Divine Skill Qi Soldiers, forming into a Killing Life long sword, erupting violently, thoroughly piercing through Xie Gusu’s body!

Not just that, An Jing’s blood, filled with endless amounts of Gold Fiend Blood Fiend Demonic Qi, infiltrates into Xie Gusu’s body like a deadly poison.

Lava-like terrifying heat releases within, Blood Fiend poisonous Qi along with the heavy cold Gold Fiend corrode the tendons, dissolve the Flesh and Blood, the Fiendish Qi that An Jing himself can endure is absolutely toxic to other Martial Artists, which even a True Person of Divine Repository, once penetrated by Annihilation Sword Intent and his Divine Skill Dharma Body breached, can hardly fare much better in this moment.

Boom!

A furious power suddenly erupted, pushing An Jing back, but Killing Life still remained inside Xie Gusu’s body. He stood his ground, his body slightly trembling, taking half a step backwards. Around him, yin energy of Xuanming rapidly condensed behind him into a ring of Moon Sea Sword Wheel, forming the image of Moonrise in the Sea.

Killing Life shattered, turning into electric arcs that dissipated. There was no blood from the wound, yet in its depths, one could vaguely see the tumultuous landscape of chaos.

Xie Gusu slowly lifted his head to look towards the far-off An Jing, who was slowly climbing out of the pit.

"The Sects sent the wrong person..."

He muttered, "I thought you were the Jiuli Commanding General, so I was dispatched, one who could suppress the military might, to use the Moonrise in the Sea, to repress with the dark; who knew you were actually of Heavenly Mandate? Moreover, possessing such strong Body Refinement and such tenacious life... of Heavenly Mandate..."

"Heh heh, Heavenly Mandate, Heavenly Mandate... I’m fortunate to have crossed swords with Heavenly Mandate... It should have been that group of Body Refinement folks who were dispatched. They are the real counters to someone like you..."

Xie Gusu’s voice gradually lightened and faded away.

Many thoughts surfaced in his heart, and a myriad of memories flashed by.

The Swordsman did not feel regret, nor did he find this assault despicable. If he had succeeded, he could have dealt with the Sects’ greatest trouble; if he had failed, it was but a defeat. A Martial Artist should have the courage to acknowledge their own defeat and welcome death.

It was just a bit regrettable – his reputation... Xie Gusu thought. If everyone knew that his defeat was at the hands of Heavenly Mandate, perhaps they would not look down on him?

Haha, it’s funny when one thinks about it. That He Wuchang was just as unlucky; at least I knew this guy was of the Emperor’s Divine Mandate and prepared before coming here, but that guy didn’t even know what Divine Mandate An Jing was of – he’s even more unlucky than me.

So what about next time? Will anyone guess that An Jing is of Heavenly Mandate next time? Probably not... Damn, this kid might be able to deceive others for a while longer.

To be honest, Xie Gusu really wanted to see if the Sects knew they were provoking someone of Heavenly Mandate – what expressions those old fellows in the hall would show.

No no no... that’s not interesting enough, that...

Not surprising enough.

"Hey, kid."

Lifting his head, Xie Gusu smiled at An Jing, "I’m about to die. I originally could have had the chance to pass on the message that you are of Heavenly Mandate – but now I suddenly don’t want to."

"How are you going to thank me?"

"Thank me? Thank me for beating me into this state? Don’t make me thank you just because you’re bullying the weak!"

Picking up his severed hand and barely pressing it against his wrist, An Jing truly had no strength left to complain, "Honestly, if you bring up Sword Qi again right now, I really have no way out."

"Moreover, you could have run away at any time if you wanted, and it wouldn’t be too late even now."

"It’s too late."

At this moment, the sound of a bell rang out from beyond the fragments of the Dark Realm, accompanied by the thunderous rumbling of the Golden Sun, the power of the Kanming Bell sweeping through ten thousand things, shaking the Netherworld.

Xie Gusu turned his head to look in the direction of the Kanming Bell, as thunder surged from within him, bursting forth. Even his body was continuously cracking open, with pitch-black electric arcs flashing, Destructive True Thunder entering his body, and with the turbid evil and demonic energy assaulting his Divine Sea, he no longer had the strength to adjust the balance within his Formation Realm, gradually stepping towards obliteration.

And An Jing, listening to the bell, did not know whether the Kanming Bell was too early or too late. But now, he truly had no ability to resist. With the protection of the Kanming Bell, he no longer feared the envoy from Da Chen or the You Patrol Envoy killing their way back – and the Swordsman of the Taiming Sect before him couldn’t possibly escape.

"Let it be."

While listening to the bell, the Moon Sea Sword Wheel behind Xie Gusu shattered and dissipated.

He closed his eyes, unsure if it was a sigh or a laugh, "Not reaching the falling moon over the Desert Sea, one does not believe there’s death without end in the human world... What a pity, what a pity I am of Divine Repository, truly hoped to battle you on equal ground, spirited and fierce, defeat would not have mattered..."

He closed his eyes, his body disintegrated, turning into scattered moonlight fragments.

For the first time, Xie Gusu met his true defeat.

He embraced death.