In the heat of the gathering, tensions are palpable as the Sword Pavilion faces off against the first Jianfeng. With Elder Zheng and Elder Zhou fuming over the blatant aggression displayed by Ye Tiance, tempers flare. "Pleasant words for you, but had Zhao not blocked it, death was certain!" Elder Zhou seethes, while Elder Zheng glares at Ye Tiance, unwilling to overlook the lives lost by the Pavilion over the years to his cruelty.
Meanwhile, Senior Sister Zhao tries to steady herself, though blood seeps through her fingers from her earlier injury. She knows her strength is no match for Ye Tiance's. Sensing her frustration, Grandpa Qin mutters bitterly, "Just an arrogant display of authority." But Zhao, resilient as ever, refuses to yield, urging her peers to find Yun Xiao.
In the midst of this, murmurs break out among the crowd. Ye Tiance stands beside Yao Manxue, casting his calculating gaze across the arena. He smirks, foreseeing the impending fall of the Sword Pavilion. "So long as Jiang Yue claims victory, the Pavilion will bend its knee in time. One decisive win, and the Blue Soul Sect will have no choice but to unify."
Before the discussion can continue, the stage erupts in motion as Yao Manxue, embodying a commanding presence, announces, "The battle to Aspire begins now!" Though early, the decision is final. She gestures toward the stage as the first Jianfeng's disciples prepare to enter, all 120 of them, proud and imposing.
In contrast, the Sword Pavilion, lacking in numbers and morale, faces a daunting task. Despite the jeers from Jianfeng's crowd, who mock their dwindling numbers, a lone figure descends from the sky, enveloped in azure light. A wave of energy sweeps across the field as Yun Xiao lands, his white robes billowing, face resolute, radiating strength.
The crowd gasps, awe-struck at his appearance and fearless stance before the 120 Jianfeng disciples. "Sword Pavilion enters the battle! One man—solid, one man!" His voice resounds across Dingshan, bold and unwavering, and a hush falls over the crowd.
From among the Jianfeng disciples, a voice rings out, breaking the silence, "Good show!" Though cut short by uneasy glances from her peers, even Jiang Yue is struck by Yun Xiao's fierce determination.
Yun Xiao's entrance shocks the crowd; his display of confidence and courage alone feels like an act of defiance against the entire first Jianfeng force. Even those usually skeptical of Sword Pavilion's strength find themselves stirred by his bravery. Yao Manxue watches in slight disbelief, murmuring to herself, "Daring, yet doomed." But Ye Tiance, amused, laughs darkly. "This one brings a fight indeed, but it ends here," he remarks, tightening his grip on his Sword Soul.
Though Yun Xiao stands alone, his unyielding spirit sends a ripple of inspiration through the Sword Pavilion and its few remaining allies. As Ye Tiance takes his place near the central stone column, the battle is about to begin, and Yun Xiao braces himself, determined to defend the Pavilion's honor, no matter the odds.
Ye Tiance's hand slams against the stone column, activating the Sword Seal Array, and a humming vibration reverberates through the battlefield. Ancient sword marks shimmer across the ground, interlocking to create a shimmering barrier enclosing the battleground in a half-sphere, cutting off the elders from intervening. Gasps erupt among the crowd.
"The Sword Seal Array!" they exclaim, astonished.
An intense silence follows, broken only by Grandpa Qin's enraged shout. "Ye Tiance! Did you do this?"
Feigning innocence, Ye Tiance smirks. "Wasn't it you who requested the array?"
The crowd murmurs, some eager to fuel the narrative. Yao Manxue, her voice laced with mockery, chimes in. "I clearly heard the Sword Pavilion ask for this." Voices from the first, third, and sixth Jianfeng echo in agreement, spreading the false claim.
Grandpa Qin, chest heaving in anger, turns pale. Blood trickles from his mouth, a testament to his helpless fury. "This is… madness…"
Inside the array, Yun Xiao finds himself face-to-face with 120 hostile Jianfeng disciples, all of them smirking with malicious glee. Tianyuan, a fierce disciple at the head of Jianfeng, sneers with a twisted grin. "Yun Xiao, last year your Senior Sister Zhao dared to face us alone—she left battered and bleeding, her sword shattered. But you? You're not even the palm teacher's child, so don't expect mercy."
Yun Xiao's smile remains calm, deceptively gentle—a warmth belying the storm that rages within him.
The disciples around him laugh and taunt. "Your little 'heroic' act will leave you without even a sword robe to your name!" some jeer. Jiang Yue, however, remains silent, her expression one of cold indifference. She draws her Ice Moon Sword Soul, her gaze focused intently on Yun Xiao, her eyes holding a deadly resolve. She refuses to let him live long enough to challenge her again.
Her voice, cold and steely, pierces the chaos. "Whoever kills him will receive 100 Divine Sea Pills from me."
A hungry glint appears in the eyes of Jianfeng's disciples as they encircle Yun Xiao, eager for the prize. Yun Xiao, however, is undeterred. For the first time, he fully takes in the scene, every sword, every adversary before him.
With a calm yet unwavering voice, he mutters to himself, "One against 120. Sword Pavilion's honor rests on this fight. So be it."