The battle had ended.
On one side stood Jian Fanchen, a veteran king of the Five Elements Hall, the strongest殿子 (diànzǐ) in the Tai Xu Realm, who needed only one sword to defeat his enemies.
On the other was Wan Lei, a legendary figure who had risen like a dazzling comet, never defeated since his debut.
This clash between the Five Elements Hall's strongest prodigies concluded with Jian Fanchen's pyrrhic victory and Wan Lei's supposed demise.
Outside the Creation Pagoda, an eerie silence reigned.
The usually boisterous crowd was now as quiet as the dead.
The battle they had just witnessed had been too impactful, making them realize just how strong one could be within the Tai Xu Realm.
As disciples of the Five Elements Hall, they held themselves in high regard as prodigies wherever they went. But now, they understood that they were nothing more than mere pretenders.
Those two were the true prodigies.
It was just... a pity.
Wan Lei was dead.
Jian Fanchen sat powerlessly on his sword, covering his face with his hand, his shoulders trembling slightly.
He felt no joy of victory, only sorrow.
Finally, he had found a young prodigy who could match him, only for that prodigy to die due to his uncontrolled strength.
If Wan Lei had lived, he would have been a formidable rival in the future. But more importantly, Jian Fanchen would have had a companion, a goal, and a direction to strive for, no longer feeling so alone.
"I'm sorry..."
Jian Fanchen stared blankly into the void, murmuring to himself.
He had killed a fellow disciple and would now face the sect's punishment. Yet, he cared not. He only wished for his opponent's forgiveness.
"It's alright, you lost anyway."
A voice suddenly echoed from behind him, and a hand rested on Jian Fanchen's shoulder.
Jian Fanchen whirled around abruptly, only to see Wan Lei, his clothes also tattered and his body covered in wounds, looking at him with a smile.
The outside world erupted in astonishment. No one knew how Wan Lei had come back from the dead.
"You're not dead?!"
Jian Fanchen looked at Wan Lei in disbelief, his shock reaching an extreme.
"How could I die so easily?"
Wan Lei chuckled.
The moment their final two divine abilities collided, Wan Lei had sensed his impending death. Without hesitation, he had deployed a doppelganger, while his true body used the Thousand Faces technique to transform into a piece of shattered cloth behind Jian Fanchen.
Jian Fanchen had inadvertently shielded him from the final explosive attack.
"You have clones?"
Jian Fanchen, being exceptionally intelligent, immediately understood what had happened.
"Heh, how could I possibly tell you?"
His lack of denial was an admission.
"If you're not dead, then let's fight again!"
Jian Fanchen struggled to rise but was easily pressed back onto his sword by Wan Lei.
"Look at your current state, do you think you can be my opponent? If we continue, I might accidentally kill you, as you don't have a clone."
Jian Fanchen let out a wry laugh and admitted defeat with resignation.
"Alright, a loss is a loss. I concede.
I know you weren't using your full strength, and you likely had other trump cards you didn't reveal. But I have poured out all my strength and skill, and yet I still lost."
Wan Lei raised an eyebrow, wondering how Jian Fanchen knew about his unused Wind Blade Evasion technique.
"After I return and go into secluded cultivation, the next time we meet, I will definitely defeat you."
Jian Fanchen looked up at the sky and said calmly,
"Jian Fanchen concedes."
Two beams of light descended, teleporting both Wan Lei and Jian Fanchen to the outside.
Thus, the Creation Pagoda mission concluded.
The former strongest殿子, Jian Fanchen, stepped down from his top position. Wan Lei, with his record-breaking achievement of clearing one hundred levels in a hundred days, ascended to the pinnacle of the Five Elements Hall's Tai Xu Realm rankings.
Many recalled the moment Wan Lei first entered the Five Elements Hall, remembering the targeting and harassment from the disciples of the Water Hall. Back then, no one knew Wan Lei possessed such strength.
Had they known, none of the Water Hall disciples would have bothered to trouble him.
Outside the gates of the Creation Pagoda, Wan Lei emerged, supporting Jian Fanchen.
Jian Fanchen was truly a worthy opponent to be respected.
But as he looked up and saw the crowd that blotted out the sky outside the Creation Pagoda, he was genuinely startled.
Good heavens, he never knew the Five Elements Hall had so many people!
Wait, I'm this awesome, where's the cheers? The adoration? The flowers and love letters from my fangirls?
Why is it so quiet?
At this moment, Jian Fanchen suddenly broke free from Wan Lei's support, took two steps forward, clasped his hands in a bow, and said,
"Disciple has failed Master's expectations and is ashamed before Master. I request Master's punishment."
Wan Lei, upon hearing this, looked up to see a remarkably handsome young man smiling at him.
Jian Fanchen's Master?
The Hall Master of the Sword Hall?
The Sword Saint?
Holy cow, no wonder no one cheered for me. I defeated the Sword Saint's disciple, and the Sword Saint himself was watching.
"Disciple pays respects to the Sword Saint."
Wan Lei also clasped his hands in a bow.
At the same time, his scalp tingled. He wasn't sure about the Sword Saint's temperament, and what if he held a grudge against him for defeating his disciple?
Damn it, am I going to offend another Saint?
It's fine, it's fine. The more debts you have, the less you worry...
The Sword Saint waved his hand, and several Sword Hall disciples immediately went to support Jian Fanchen.
As for Xiao Jin, he had already melted into the crowd when Jian Fanchen and the Sword Saint arrived.
After all, he had been the loudest supporter of Wan Lei, and he was a Sword Hall disciple...
"It's alright, victory and defeat are common in warfare. After this experience, it is good that you can see that there are people stronger than you in this world, which will also help your state of mind. You must cultivate diligently from now on and do not slacken."
After comforting Jian Fanchen, the Sword Saint then turned his gaze to Wan Lei, his eyes filled with admiration.
The Sword Saint's gaze made siblings Lei Xin and Lei Ting feel a sense of crisis.
The two rushed to Wan Lei's side, one on each side, ostensibly supporting him, but in reality, protecting him.
They were afraid the Sword Saint would poach him...
The Sword Saint examined Wan Lei from head to toe and then nodded with a smile.
"Hmm, a good young man. Our Wan family has produced another outstanding prodigy like you, and I am very happy. It's a pity you don't practice swordsmanship, otherwise, I would definitely recruit you to my side.
However, the Lei Hall is also good. Don't shame our Wan family in the future."
Wan Lei looked up in surprise. The Sword Saint was also surnamed Wan?
"Junior understands and will remember the Sword Saint's teachings."
"No, no, no, you don't understand. Don't forget our Five Elements Hall's Wan family ancestral teachings. You must carry them forward."
"Ancestral teachings?"
Wan Lei was bewildered. The Five Elements Hall had a Wan family?
"That's right, no one surnamed Wan is a good person. You must remember this, absolutely do not be a good person. It is our old Wan family tradition to trick whoever you meet. Go for it, you child are too upright."
The Sword Saint patted Wan Lei's shoulder with a smile, and then, taking Su Shan and a group of Sword Hall disciples, flew away.
After the Sword Saint left, the corners of many disciples' mouths twitched in unison.
As expected, the Sword Saint was still the same Sword Saint, his teachings to his descendants were always so unique.
What the heck do you mean, no one surnamed Wan is a good person? Is your Wan family's ancestral teaching to deceive people?