Chapter 117: The Gap

At that critical moment, a withered figure suddenly appeared before him, waving a hand to shatter the bolt of lightning. The residual electric arcs splashed onto the ground, leaving behind deep pits of varying sizes.

"Are you alright?" Old Qi asked.

Black Feather, clearly not yet recovered from the shock, stared blankly at the scene before him, only nodding after a long while.

In the distance, the battle had reached a fever pitch. Amidst the flashing blades and shifting shadows, Xuan Mo’s expression grew increasingly grave, while Shen Sanqian’s face remained etched with a smile—a smile identical to the one he wore when he first arrived at the Nether Alliance, unchanged in the slightest.

From the sidelines, Old Qi could see that if Xuan Mo continued to clash with Shen Sanqian, his fate would likely be grim. In terms of cultivation realm, the two appeared evenly matched, but it was clear that Shen Sanqian was still holding back, whereas Xuan Mo had already exhausted his full strength.

On the field, Xuan Mo realized that if this continued, he would surely lose. However, the balance of offense and defense had quietly shifted. Shen Sanqian’s flying sword was so fast that Xuan Mo had spent all his energy merely defending against it. He realized, too late, that even retreating was no longer an option. Under the torrent of sword light, he had nowhere to hide.

To the onlookers, a thunderous roar erupted from the dark clouds in the sky, and the dazzling white light intensified. With a final, deafening boom, the clouds collapsed, and a figure was sent flying backward—it was Xuan Mo. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his face filled with disbelief.

"Are you wondering why you were defeated?"

As the clouds dispersed, Shen Sanqian appeared before them once more, standing tall in his black-and-gold robes, which fluttered in the wind. He looked at Xuan Mo and chuckled. "Your pupils are dilating, your breathing is growing heavy. Are you wavering? Are you doubting my strength, or are you doubting yourself?"

"Do not doubt. The strength I displayed just now is exactly as you saw—the same fifth-tier Transcendent Mortal realm as yours. But that does not mean your combat power is equal."

Shen Sanqian smiled, then continued, "Did you think I left the Jia family alone all these years because I feared the strength of that old ghost?"

"And yet you used that to judge my strength. How foolish."

"Compared to Old Man Qi, you are ultimately too young. You are indeed a genius; it has been only a few decades since you manifested as an anomaly and gained sentience, and you have already reached this realm."

"The pity is that I have seen too many talented prodigies wither on the path to greatness. Once a human dies, there is nothing left. For you anomalies, it is even worse—not even a sliver of a soul remains."

Shen Sanqian moved like a phantom. Even as his voice echoed in the air, he had already transformed into a series of afterimages, closing in on Xuan Mo. Xuan Mo retreated again and again, until eventually, even his dark blade was struck from his hand. He had thought the gap between them existed, but not that it was vast. Now, facing him, he realized it was not a mere gap—it was an impassable chasm.

Witnessing this, the members of the Nether Alliance were filled with deep despair. The most hopeless thing in this world is not knowing there is no hope, but believing there is, only to be pushed toward despair time and again. After annihilating the Jia family, they thought that as anomalies, they could finally reign above all living beings. It was bitterly ironic that they were now being defeated by Shen Sanqian, who had once been human.

The blinding silver light made it hard for Xuan Mo to keep his eyes open. His true form had already been severely damaged by Shen Sanqian’s relentless assault and could no longer withstand further injury. He gritted his teeth, preparing for a final, desperate struggle, when a familiar back appeared before him—a hunched figure that, at this moment, stood tall and straight.

"Commander Shen, do you take this old man for non-existent?"

With a sharp shout, the silver light suddenly dissipated. Old Qi stood before Xuan Mo, the dark curved blade that had fallen to the ground now in his hand.

Shen Sanqian looked at Old Qi, his smile slowly fading. This was the first time since arriving in this town that his expression turned truly serious.

"Is it time to fight for your life?" Shen Sanqian asked, looking at Old Qi. "But before you do, I have a few questions."

...

Lingnan Prefecture, the Six Fan School.

Night quietly descended, shrouding the earth. Ning Xiu stayed alone in his room. There were no lamps, no candles, no fire—only darkness, endless darkness. In the shadows, Ning Xiu opened his eyes. Tomorrow was the day the Xie-Zhi Divine Temple would truly open. He had prepared for the worst and made the best arrangements.

...

Due to the prolonged siege, the city was far from peaceful. It was late, yet an old man appeared alone on a silent, deserted street. It seemed as if an invisible, heavy stone pressed upon his back, making every step an arduous struggle. As he walked, he suddenly stopped; a thick fog had gathered before him. Within the mist, a residence was vaguely visible. On the gilded sandalwood plaque above the gate, the characters for "Wang Estate" could be faintly seen.

...

Old Qi looked up at Shen Sanqian, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. He could not understand what questions Shen Sanqian could possibly have at a time like this. Was he stalling for time?

Old Qi shook his head. Even if all the ghost-creatures of the Nether Alliance at or above the Transcendent Mortal realm attacked together tonight, they might not be able to defeat him. Shen Sanqian had no need to stall, and as a man of such pride, he would never do so.

"If Commander Shen has questions, ask them," Old Qi said. "Though I cannot guarantee I will answer."

"Even if Xuan Mo and the others were muddled, with your wisdom, how could you choose to launch this irrational war at this moment?" Shen Sanqian asked.

The timing of this war made no sense to him. If the Nether Alliance truly wanted to strike at the imperial court, why not do it when they had just taken down the Jia family, when their momentum was at its peak? Why not wait for their strength to grow further? Why choose now?

He did not believe it was simply because their ambitions had swelled alongside the display of Xuan Mo’s hidden power. If that were the case, the Nether Alliance could never have survived until now.