The Shadowless Stance: A Sword Without Logic

The white-haired, crimson-eyed Fiendgod’s head flew through the air.

His headless body instantly collapsed and dissolved, revealing the countless True Gods and True Immortals who had formed this ‘Limitless Fiendgod Formation’. These True Gods and True Immortals were utterly broken, their will to fight completely shattered. Each of them frantically fled in every direction, desperate to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the terrifying Fiendgod Ji Ning.

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.

The sword-light became a vortex, transforming into six enormous black holes that devoured all the fleeing True Gods and True Immortals.

The Soleheart Stance of the Brightmoon Sword-Art!

This was a stance meant for defense. Yet when Ji Ning’s power so utterly eclipsed his opponents, when the gap in strength was so absurdly vast, this defensive technique—which used formless, devouring, twisting, and grinding forces to endlessly nullify incoming attacks—became the most terrifying killing move of all. These ordinary True Gods and True Immortals were far too weak compared to the Fiendgod Ji Ning. One by one, they were swept into those black holes, where the grinding, twisting forces that were meant to deflect attacks instead casually shredded them into nothingness.

“No.”

“How can this be?”

“How is he so strong?”

These True Gods and True Immortals were in complete despair. They struggled with all their might, but they could not break free from the terrifying black holes. Trapped within them, they were ground to death.

In a single instant, all five hundred-plus True Gods and True Immortals were dead. Not a single one remained.

…

From atop the Seamless City’s walls, Daofather Demonhand watched this scene unfold, his face turning utterly ashen. The Blackclad Godking was trembling, his entire body quaking slightly. One had to remember that even the great victory of the recent battle, when the Emissary of All Things had suddenly appeared, had only resulted in the deaths of a little over five hundred True Gods and True Immortals from Nuwa’s camp. But today, Ji Ning’s explosive eruption had first shattered the Seamless Limitless Formation, then killed the Limitless Fiendgod, accounting for a total of over seven hundred True Gods and True Immortals slain.

“How can his sword be so bizarre… so terrifying?” The Blackclad Godking shook his head, unable to accept what he was seeing.

The Shadowless Stance was, by its very nature, the most bizarre and inscrutable sword-stance.

After spending years studying the countless terrifying sword-techniques left behind by World God Northrest, Ji Ning had absorbed their essence and integrated it into his own Brightmoon Sword-Art, making the ‘Shadowless Stance’ even more unfathomably strange. A bizarre sword… if it was also absurdly fast… became something truly horrifying. Bizarre attacks were already difficult to defend against; once speed was added, they might become utterly impossible to block.

That was precisely what had happened to the Limitless Fiendgod. It simply could not block the blow, and its head was severed in a single stroke.

“Even I… have no confidence whatsoever in being able to block that sword-stance.” The Blackclad Godking’s heart trembled. Earlier, Ji Ning’s other stance—the ‘Blood Drop Stance’, the fastest, most ferocious, and most penetrating—was at least not bizarre. It was an open, straightforward thrust, and the Godking felt he had a chance of blocking it. But this Shadowless Stance… even he had no confidence at all.

This Ji Ning… he was actually causing the nominal leader of the Seamless Gate to feel a trace of fear?

He didn’t want to believe it.

“How can he be this strong? There’s no logic to it. It’s utterly impossible.” The Blackclad Godking shook his head. He had never taken Ji Ning seriously before. A mere minor Empyrean God and True Immortal… what effect could he possibly have on the grand scheme of things? But now, this Empyrean God had erupted with power on the level of a top-tier Daofather. “Ji Ning’s sword-art is formidable, to be sure, but looking at the light radiating from his sword techniques, it’s only at the fourth layer of Sword Force. In the past, what made Houyi so terrifying was that he broke through to the fifth layer of Heartforce while still an Empyrean God, granting him that incredible level of power.”

“Ji Ning’s Sword Force is only at the fourth layer. There is no reason for him to be this powerful.”

“There’s no reason…”

The Blackclad Godking was both furious and anxious.

Regardless of how the rest of this battle played out, the grievous losses they had already suffered at the very beginning were enough to make the Godking’s heart burn with desperation.

…

The Blackclad Godking couldn’t accept any of it, but countless immortals and fiends on Nuwa’s side watched with blood boiling. Some of the Seven Radiance Empyrean Gods even let out excited howls! The previous battle had been too stifling. But this time… Ji Ning was utterly, monstrously powerful! In the past, Ji Ning had forced the Seamless Gate to yield by relying on the Rahu Formation, but even then, he could only barely be considered to have Daofather-level power. He was probably still a bit weaker than the Seamless Limitless Formation. But now, with a single sword-stroke, he had slain the Limitless Fiendgod, which had nearly reached the level of a top-tier Daofather.

“Incredible,” Xuanyuan exclaimed in awe. “Compared to that terrifyingly fast sword-stance from before, the sword-stance that just now slew the Limitless Fiendgod was even more breathtaking.”

“Unfathomably bizarre. The profundity of his sword-art has already reached the pinnacle. The number one sword-art in the Three Realms. There is no debate,” Fuxi said, smiling in admiration.

“Truly remarkable,” the Buddha, Tathagata, also revealed a smile.

“This battle… we can win,” Lord Sanqing said, likewise smiling.

Only now did these seven supreme powers all show relaxed, joyful expressions. From the fact that he could slay the Limitless Fiendgod—a being on the verge of reaching top-tier Daofather power—with a single sword-stroke, it was clear that Ji Ning definitely possessed the strength to contend with the Emissary of All Things. And with all the True Gods and True Immortals he had already slain, their own side now had a decisive advantage.

“Bodhi, it seems you have underestimated your own disciple,” Suiren said, looking at Patriarch Bodhi.

Bodhi was also smiling.

In truth, he was the happiest of them all at this moment.

“Good, good. He hasn’t been blinded by hatred. Though his fury and killing intent are boundless, at least he remains calm,” Bodhi said, offering a few casual words of praise.

“Stop putting on that calm act. Look at your beard; it’s practically twisting itself off your face from joy,” Shennong teased with a laugh.

“Oh? And is that not allowed?” Bodhi stroked his beard and chuckled. “If you have the skill, train a disciple as formidable as this yourselves.”

“Enough idle chatter. Look, the Emissary of All Things has charged out. Ji Ning is charging to meet him,” Suiren said.

The seven supreme powers all turned their attention back to the battlefield.

…

After dealing with the Limitless Fiendgod, Ji Ning immediately set his sights on the main army of the Seamless Gate.

Whoosh.

The Fiendgod Ji Ning’s speed was incredible as he bounded forward. This caused Daofather Demonhand, standing atop the Seamless City walls, to grow nervous. No matter how skilled she was at commanding her troops, when faced with absolute power and absolute speed, there was nothing she could do. Even if they tried to flee right now, they couldn’t outrun Ji Ning’s speed.

As for trying to block him? Even the Limitless Fiendgod, who was close to a top-tier Daofather in power, had been killed in a single sword-stroke. Even the incredibly tough Seamless Limitless Formation had been pierced through with a single thrust. Sending any more troops against him would be nothing more than sending them to their deaths. If Ji Ning charged into the Seamless Gate’s army now, it would be like a tiger descending upon a flock of sheep.

“Emissary of All Things, hold back Ji Ning!” Daofather Demonhand immediately gave the order.

“The entire army is to begin a strategic retreat!” Daofather Demonhand issued another command.

Though the battle wasn’t fully lost yet, the situation on the field was already clear. This Ji Ning probably had the power to hold his own against the Emissary of All Things. Regardless, the first priority was to retreat. There was no way she would just send the army in to be slaughtered.

Unfortunately…

By the time Ji Ning had made his two attacks, so much time had passed that the two armies were already quite close to each other.

“Darknorth!” the Emissary of All Things roared, bounding forward to attack Ji Ning as well.

Ji Ning charged to meet him.

One was an ape-like creature wreathed in flames, the Emissary of All Things, created by the Chaos Outsider known as the ‘Lord of All Demons’ and personally refined by Master Wuxiao.

The other was a Fiendgod with the Chaos Outsider known as ‘Rahu’ as its template.

Both emanated a similarly overwhelming aura, evenly matched.

Boom!

A streak of sword-light flashed, bizarre and unfathomable. The Bloodwave Empyrean God, who was controlling the Emissary of All Things, felt his heart tremble. It was too bizarre, too fast! He desperately tried to block it, but this ‘Emissary of All Things’ possessed an astonishing amount of raw power. If a Daofather were piloting it, they could unleash even more of its potential. In the distant past, a formation of three or five Emissaries of All Things working together could match leaders on the level of the Buddhist or Daoist Patriarchs. But in the end, the pilot was merely the Bloodwave Empyrean God. An Empyrean God’s abilities were limited.

With a thunderous crash, the Emissary of All Things staggered back two steps before catching its balance. Then, a smile curled across the Emissary’s lips.

“I’ve been a fool. I let that terrifying sword-stance scare me,” the Bloodwave Empyrean God thought, regaining his composure. “His sword-art is the most terrifying I have ever seen. But so what? Even the leaders of the Buddhist and Daoist sects can’t scratch this Emissary of All Things. This Ji Ning can’t hurt me at all. I don’t need to defend against his sword-art at all. I just need to attack! One claw… one claw from me will tear apart his Rahu Fiendgod body!”

Whoosh!

The Emissary of All Things pounced forward viciously, its twin claws striking out like lightning towards Ji Ning.

Clang-clang-clang!

Boom-boom-boom!

Sword-light danced through the air.

Ji Ning’s sword-art was completely superior to his opponent’s. A sword-art that had surpassed the limits of the Heavenly Dao was simply impossible for the enemy to defend against. In the span of a single instant, he struck the Emissary over a hundred times with his ‘Shadowless Stance’, but the blows didn’t even leave a scratch on its body. Instead, Ji Ning had to be constantly on guard, as his own Fiendgod body was formed from condensed natural energy.

If it were damaged, the body would collapse. Fortunately, Ji Ning’s sword-art was superb, and he was able to completely block every single attack from the Emissary of All Things.

“No wonder the Emissaries of All Things had such a terrifying reputation during the Primordial Dawn War. If a Daofather were piloting this one, I probably wouldn’t be able to withstand it. Thank goodness my opponent right now is just an Empyrean God or True Immortal piloting it,” Ji Ning mused to himself.