Realm-Hopping Martial Master

"I've heard, Great Grandmaster Ikenotani Seishun, that you possess three sword techniques unrivaled in this era. Wind Howling, Waterfall Severing... I have witnessed them," Jiang Shu stated. "Now, only Falling Star remains."

The Azure Dragon True Strength roamed over his skin; the already faint sword marks faded to invisibility.

Though he had been slightly outmatched in that one exchange, Jiang Shu's momentum remained unbroken. He had, after all, just entered the Blood Exchange Realm. His grasp of True Strength and control over his physical body were still in the process of being honed through practice. Moreover, he had only sustained minor injuries.

Ikenotani Seishun was not much better off. The Sword Dao garments he wore had been completely melted away by the force of Jiang Shu's saber. His long, flowing hair had been sliced in half by a single slash! Strands of hair still drifted in mid-air.

"You are not at the level of True Qi; your spirit has not yet become one with your body. But you have indeed taken another step forward," Ikenotani Seishun said. "You have earned the right to die by my Falling Star."

Ikenotani Seishun leaped up, ascending the iron tower.

The Tokyo Tower. It was the tallest landmark in Tokyo.

He climbed step by step, positioning himself at the very apex of the tower, three hundred meters high. The wind howled fiercely around him, so high he felt he could touch the clouds.

Compared to Wind Howling and Waterfall Severing, Falling Star was his true trump card. It was an all-or-nothing sword strike, achieved after attaining unity with his sword, requiring the complete concentration of all his power and spirit. This single strike was the zenith of his abilities. Even if a True Qi Great Grandmaster were to confront him, he was confident he could slay them with this one blow!

Down on the plaza, which now resembled the aftermath of an earthquake, Jiang Shu stood firm. He gazed at the distant point atop the Tokyo Tower, the Four Symbols True Strength coiling and unifying within him. Ikenotani Seishun wanted to cut him down to prove the supremacy of Fusang's Martial Arts in the world. And he, Jiang Shu, wished to use this very confrontation to truly refine his own spirit to its absolute limit!

All the Fusang Grandmasters present held their breath. None of them had expected this battle, which had seemed a certain victory for their Sword God, to drag on to this point. Jiang Shu's power had been deeply seared into their minds. Even the revered Sword God, who had taken that monumental step in his cultivation, was now forced to use his ultimate, life-risking technique.

Sunlight bathed Ikenotani Seishun as he slowly raised his longsword, his gaze fixed intently on its tip. At this moment, the power and spirit within his body were intensely focused, ready to erupt from the point of his blade. Amidst a rising chorus of sword hums, the very steel of the entire Tokyo Tower began to resonate in sympathy!

"Falling Star!" Ikenotani Seishun let out an unprecedented, explosive roar.

The sound assaulted the ears of every Martial Artist below.

Under their awestruck gazes, Ikenotani Seishun leaped from the three-hundred-meter-high tower! His body, arm, and longsword merged into a single, deadly line, like a celestial body plummeting to earth!

In Ikenotani Seishun's eyes, it was as if Jiang Shu was the only person beneath the tower! He descended with terrifying speed, the air cracking around him, his passage shaking the heavens and the earth.

Jiang Shu could clearly feel the immense danger emanating from this strike. This was the true ultimate technique of Fusang Sword Dao—a sacrificial blow, a dance with death to find life! This attack was almost certain to kill him!

An overwhelming sense of dread threatened to engulf him. Yet, it was in the crucible of such killing intent that he tempered his mind and refined his spirit.

Jiang Shu tilted his head upwards. Beneath his feet, palm-sized pieces of rubble began to float, lifted from the ground by his True Strength!

He leaped.

Ten meters.

Thirty meters.

Sixty meters!

Four Seasons Blade Technique. Great Success!

Spring Rain.

Summer Thunder.

Autumn Wind.

Winter Snow.

Four slashes merged into one.

Slash!

Saber and sword clashed. The impact was like a miniature sun, blindingly brilliant, too overwhelming to look at directly.

An explosion of unprecedented scale thundered sixty meters up the side of the Tokyo Tower, its force comparable to dynamite, sweeping outwards in all directions. The very Void in that spot seemed to have been utterly pierced through. Everyone's eardrums felt shattered, leaving only a persistent ringing.

Ikenotani Seishun's Falling Star was terrifyingly powerful! Especially with the added momentum from his three-hundred-meter leap from the Tokyo Tower, the technique had reached its absolute peak.

If not for the experience gained in the battle at West Lake, even if Jiang Shu had reached the Blood Exchange Realm and cultivated the Four Seasons Blade Technique to Great Success, he would have been absolutely unable to withstand this blow. But now, Jiang Shu had not only refined his spirit but had also integrated his true self into the Four Seasons Blade Technique!

He was not at the level of True Qi, but his essence, energy, and spirit had been honed to their utmost limits! The fusion of his four saber techniques was his own ultimate strike!

BOOM!

Under the horrified gazes of all the Fusang Grandmasters, dust and debris filled the sky. The incredibly sturdy steel frame of the Tokyo Tower was, unbelievably, being torn apart inch by inch by the force of the explosion!

The Tokyo landmark, the Tokyo Tower, teetered on the brink of collapse!

"Is this still human strength? Can those beyond the Grandmaster realm truly be this powerful?" a Fusang Grandmaster couldn't help but mutter in disbelief.

"Who won?"

On the high platform, the bulletproof glass in front of the Minister of State was riddled with cracks. He evacuated under the protection of his bodyguards. Turning back with a look of horror, he exclaimed, "Is this the power of Martial Arts?"

I hope Sword God Ikenotani emerged victorious. If Jiang Shu won, the Martial Arts of Fusang would truly be unable to recover.

At that moment, he began to regret his earlier inaction. Back in the hall, I should have insisted on a vote, proposing to use tanks and fighter jets to annihilate Jiang Shu! What were a few doubts? Hasn't Fusang faced countless doubts to get where it is today?

The dust began to settle.

On the precarious edge of the wobbling Tokyo Tower, Ikenotani Seishun had reverted to his aged appearance. Leaning against a metal support, he spat out a mouthful of blood. Inside him, four extremely strange energies were wreaking havoc on his vital organs.

"The Sword God has won!"

Seeing only Sword God Ikenotani standing atop the Tokyo Tower, the Fusang Grandmasters below erupted in heartfelt, joyous cheers. The sound echoed for miles. Countless Fusang Martial Artists celebrated with jubilation. This was not just the Sword God's victory; it was a triumph for the Martial Arts of Fusang! After this battle, Fusang's Martial Arts would be recognized as number one in East Asia!

However, amidst the cacophony of cheers, under Ikenotani Seishun's extremely grave gaze, a bloody hand suddenly gripped the mangled steel frame.

Jiang Shu's figure, climbing from somewhere below, pulled itself up. His body, already chiseled from muscle as if by a blade or axe, was now covered in gruesome sword wounds. The penetrating sword energy had destroyed his skin and membranes, which were tougher than steel. His skin was split and flesh torn, making him look like a man drenched in blood.

"You're old," Jiang Shu said, basking in the sunlight.

For cultivators of their realm, physical injuries are, paradoxically, the lightest and easiest to recover from. Only injuries to the spirit are truly fatal. Ikenotani Seishun's Falling Star technique was undoubtedly powerful, but it was a sacrificial strike that exhausted his spirit! Ikenotani Seishun might not appear to have serious injuries now, but in reality, his body's blood qi, energy, and spirit have diminished to the level of an ordinary Grandmaster! Meanwhile, I still retain the combat power of the Blood Exchange Realm!

If you were several decades younger, your spirit would undoubtedly be more condensed. After executing Falling Star, you would still have the strength to fight again...

Jiang Shu shook his head and sighed. His hand now held only the hilt of his alloy combat blade. What a pity. No matter how tough this combat blade is, it cannot compare to the treasured famous swords of Fusang Sword Dao. Fortunately, I no longer need it.

His palm opened slightly, and the hilt clattered down from the Tokyo Tower.

He stepped forward, the White Tiger True Strength circulating within him. The steel beneath his feet seemed as thin as crisp paper. With a powerful stomp, he charged, and the steel underfoot shattered!

His unrivaled punch landed squarely on Ikenotani Seishun's chest! The Sword God, once deemed invincible and ever-victorious among Fusang Grandmasters, was sent flying by his punch into an iron pillar of the tower, his entire body embedded within it!

"That's Jiang Shu! Didn't they say he was dead?"

"He's not human; he's a demon from hell!"

"Sword God..."

"Snipers, you must kill this demon!"

"Snipers aren't enough! Fighter jets! Tanks! We absolutely cannot let this demon return to Xia Country!"

Below the Tokyo Tower, chaos reigned. Jiang Shu could clearly hear the countless curses and shouts rising from the crowd. Not far away, behemoths of steel—tanks—were roaring towards the plaza. In the sky, several black dots—fighter jets—streaked rapidly past.

This was the Fusang government: unscrupulous in achieving its objectives. If the Sword God wins, everyone rejoices. But if the Sword God loses, I, Jiang Shu, will not be able to leave this place!

Ikenotani Seishun coughed up clots of blood. "You... are doomed too..."

Jiang Shu's punch had broken his bones and shattered his internal organs.

Not necessarily. Jiang Shu's lips moved slightly, but he didn't utter the words aloud.

He grabbed Ikenotani Seishun and, starting from below, ascended the Tokyo Tower with mighty leaps! The Tokyo Tower, built with an immeasurable amount of steel, saw its steel supports shatter inch by inch under his relentless, powerful stomps.

Finally, the moment Jiang Shu reached the summit, the over three-hundred-meter-tall Tokyo Tower seemed to reach its breaking point. With a deafening crash, it collapsed!

Countless tons of steel plummeted from the sky.

In the eyes of the pilots, and in the eyes of the countless Fusang Martial Artists below, the Sword God's body flew out from the dust cloud, shriveled and lifeless.

At that very moment, unseen by anyone, Jiang Shu's figure fell along with the steel debris. Concealed by the dust and smoke, he channeled his True Strength to break through the earth, burrowing deep underground. Tunneling away!

「Da Jing Dynasty. Yongning County!」