Chapter 260: The Divine Dragon’s Marvelous Sword

Yang Hao had already deployed the Longyou Legion to replace the Imperial Guards in the assault.

In a short time, the Imperial Guards had left behind over a thousand corpses, their armored warriors nearly blocking the path up the mountain.

Though the elders were cornered, the power they unleashed was still unimaginable. If not suppressed quickly, the final outcome remained uncertain.

Yang Hao’s greatest challenge now lay in the elders’ stubborn defense of the cliffside cave dwelling, leveraging its natural geographical advantage. His forces could not directly fly up to the cave entrance—rising even slightly higher already brought them to the threshold of the Mysterious Thunder, and ascending just a bit further could tear them apart.

The Longyou Legion led by Qing Li was indeed the strongest known swordsman regiment in the empire. Unlike the Imperial Guards, who had undergone special training under Qin Feng, these warriors had long fought on the battlefield, constantly hunted by various factions.

As the guardian regiment of the Qianlong Pavilion, they were warriors tested by blood and death. On their bodies resided a ferocity and courage unknown to the imperial nobles.

Especially the Dragon Scale Sword Regiment led by Qing Li, which possessed extraordinary defensive capabilities. These sword masters wore golden scale-armor, helmets adorned with dragon patterns, and carried heavy shields weighing dozens of kilograms. These shields had interlocking teeth, allowing them to form a unified shield wall.

Moreover, the force cultivated by the Dragon Scale Sword Regiment was quite peculiar. When their energy was infused into the shields, the protective power of each shield could increase several times over.

No wonder the Senate had once deployed all its forces but still been blocked by the Longyou Legion for days. This unit indeed had its strengths.

Now, the Dragon Scale Sword Regiment was at the forefront, using the shield wall to firmly contain the Senate’s attacks, pressing the engagement point tightly.

Behind them, providing long-range attacks, were surprisingly the Ten Sword Streams.

This greatly impressed Emperor Yinglie and Hede. Standing beside Yang Hao, Yinglie pointed his sword toward the mountaintop and roared, “Kid, you really know how to play this game.

You actually got the Ten Sword Streams to fight so hard.”

Yang Hao remained expressionless. “With so many benefits given to them, it’s only fair they bleed a little now.”

“Using the Ten Sword Streams against the Senate—genius idea,” Hede chuckled. “The Ten Sword Streams learned many flying sword techniques from the Senate. It’s a perfect counter.”

Yang Hao had considered many backup plans for the siege on Elder Mountain, and deploying the Ten Sword Streams was naturally one of them. Now, with the Longyou Legion holding the front line, the Ten Sword Streams launched their long-range flying swords to ambush the elders. Especially the Mise group—masters of stealth attacks, their skills were already refined, and with techniques passed down by the attendants, they were even more proficient.

Within just a few exchanges, the elders were already wounded repeatedly.

The Ten Sword Streams turned against the Senate, severely injuring many elders.

This scene alone was enough to make the elders furious, their blood boiling, teeth clenched.

Though the battle was in their favor, Yang Hao remained cautious. He kept looking up at the dark clouds above the cave dwelling. Unbeknownst to others, those clouds had silently expanded, now several times wider.

“It’s coming,” Yang Hao said calmly. “What must come will come.”

“What’s coming?” Emperor Yinglie still didn’t understand.

“Look!” Yang Hao pointed to the sky.

Yinglie looked up just in time to see the first streak of lightning tear through the sky, piercing through one of Feng Feng’s Saint Domain experts, splitting him in two.

The sky darkened again. The gray-blue dawn sky was now completely covered by black clouds, giving a sense of the heavens closing in. From within the clouds came a deep rumble of thunder, like countless armored warriors marching in unison, deafening.

“What is that?” Yinglie finally sensed something was wrong.

Feng Feng quickly moved forward and formed a black protective sphere around Yinglie, but he was slower than Yang Hao, who had already activated his Dan Ding barrier technique, covering a radius of fifty meters around him.

But then came the next dark thunderbolt.

Yang Hao’s barrier shattered instantly, killing at least three sword masters from the Ten Sword Streams below.

“The Xuan Lei Barrier!” Yang Hao suppressed the surging blood in his chest. “Truly powerful, truly powerful.”

“Of course it’s powerful! My master called it the ‘Pillar-Sundering Barrier,’ claiming it was peerless in the world. With this barrier, the Dan Ding Sect’s cave dwelling would never fall.”

Hunyuanzi sounded uncertain, whether in worry or admiration.

The Xuan Lei barrier, activated by eight elder attendants, was now gradually reaching its peak. The first two strikes were merely warm-ups.

As people’s attention focused, the first wave of Xuan Lei descended—”The first wave, called the ‘Four Directions Heaven-Shaking Thunder,’ rains divine lightning from the sky, obliterating gods and Buddhas alike.”

As Hunyuanzi spoke, over a dozen divine lightning bolts fell among the Sword Master Corps of the Merchant Guild near Yang Hao.

Each lightning strike flashed with fire, leaving a crater several meters wide. Those standing there were instantly reduced to nothingness.

The attacking forces fell into chaos, unsure where the lightning would strike next, scattering in panic.

“The second wave is called the ‘Nine Heavens Piercing Heart Lightning.’ Lightning from the heavens snakes downward, striking amidst crowds with no escape. The more you flee, the more you attract the lightning.”

The Xuanlei Barrier, as if sentient, unleashed streaks of lightning as precise as dragons. These bolts of lightning twisted and turned, yet unfailingly intercepted fleeing figures, as though they could sense fear and deliberately target it.

In contrast, Yang Hao’s group remained completely still and unharmed.

Yang Hao observed the hellish scene. Under the frenzied onslaught of the Xuan Lei barrier, the attacking forces’ formation had long since collapsed. The Dan Ding and Long You sword sects fared relatively better, but the Merchant Guild’s forces suffered the heaviest losses. Although trained, these sword masters lacked battlefield experience and were easily thrown into panic, making them ideal targets for the Xuan Lei.

In an instant, hundreds of winding lightning bolts lit the sky, each striking down a Merchant Guild sword master screaming in agony.

Though unmoving, Yang Hao’s eyes betrayed anxiety.

“What now?” Emperor Yinglie stomped his foot, ready to charge the barrier head-on.

But Yang Hao held him back.

Staying still did not mean doing nothing. As the master of this mountain, Hunyuanzi naturally knew that the elders would activate the Xuanlei Barrier; they could not afford to be unprepared.

However, the barrier’s power was immense, and it hadn’t yet displayed its full might. It wasn’t the time to counterattack yet.

As Yinglie hesitated, the Xuanlei barrier’s most devastating wave finally emerged.

“The Pillar-Sundering Thunder Array,” Hunyuanzi almost reverently declared. “The greatest barrier in history, an unsurpassable force.”

Even without Hunyuanzi’s words, Yang Hao could already sense the final wave’s might. Frankly, though Hunyuanzi had warned him repeatedly, Yang Hao was still stunned by this unimaginable power.

From the massive dark clouds in the sky, streaks of multicolored light descended—not auspicious clouds or divine rays, but true Dark Lightning. These bolts were hundreds of times stronger than the previous ones, each capable of instantly killing a Saint Domain expert without hope.

Even more terrifying was their sheer number—over ten per square meter, blanketing every inch of Elder Mountain.

Yang Hao, Yinglie, and Hede, as experts at the peak of the圣域 realm, could still dodge with their incredible speed. However, their subordinates, despite also being圣域 experts, could not avoid being hit.

Being hit meant death—complete annihilation, body and soul, no chance of survival.

The attackers, once numerous, now found themselves at a disadvantage. Yang Hao’s sword masters scattered in vain, unable to escape the divine punishment from the heavens. Thousands were slain by the Xuan Lei.

“Yang Hao!!!” Hede roared, his Golden Severing Blade frequently unleashed, yet only saving a few.

Yang Hao dodged with Lanling, breathless, until Hede shouted, snapping him back to focus. His Shadow Moon emerged, and Yang Hao flew upward, reaching the peak of Elder Mountain.

“Now is the time!” Yang Hao’s face gleamed with divine light. He raised his right hand, and the black ring on his finger emitted a strange glow. “The sword is still in my hand!”

“The sword is still in my hand!!”

With Yang Hao’s increasingly powerful shouts, an eerie phenomenon appeared in the sky.

Golden sunlight emerged on the dawn horizon. These rays didn’t shine directly but swiftly danced in the air, transforming into golden dragons, flames and boundless power trailing behind them.

As Yang Hao completed the Qianlong Pavilion hand gesture, the golden dragons arrived. They did not reveal themselves but instead surged forward, piercing through the dark clouds atop Elder Mountain, directly targeting the Xuan Lei barrier.

Five hundred golden dragons struck the Xuanlei barrier.

This ultimate defensive barrier, containing the universe’s greatest energy, had already expended much of its power after three waves. Now pierced by five hundred golden dragons.

These golden dragons were transformed from five hundred Holy Domain experts.

This was Yang Hao’s most valuable card, his final ace.

The core group of Qianlong Pavilion—five hundred Holy Land experts, five hundred Hidden Dragons. These warriors had assembled from all directions under Yang Hao’s command, waiting for this very moment to strike a decisive blow against the Senate.

The Xuán Léi barrier burst like a balloon, vanishing into nothingness.

Even the greatest force has its limits. As the至尊 once said, at least five hundred圣域 experts were required to counter the玄雷 barrier. Now, with Yang Hao leading five hundred圣域 experts, the Senate’s final defeat was inevitable.

When the multicolored Xuan Lei suddenly vanished from the sky, people noticed that the heavens brightened. The clouds over Elder Mountain dispersed, and sunlight bathed the area in golden light.

Seeing Yang Hao floating high above, Hede and Emperor Yinglie cautiously ascended as well. Indeed, with the clouds dispersed by the golden dragons, the Xuanlei barrier’s power had ended, and no more lightning struck.

The elders’ doom had finally arrived.

With all restrictions lifted, Yang Hao’s side saw tens of thousands of sword masters ascend, bypassing the natural barrier and landing on the platform before the Dan Ding cave dwelling, mixing with the elders.

A massive melee began.

Leading the charge were the Ten Sword Streams. Yang Hao had deployed the Wang, Yan, and Mise families. With the Yan family’s seemingly immortal swordsmen as shields, the Wang family’s sword masters could attack freely. The Mise family used their Three Killings Theory, suddenly unleashing assassination techniques, achieving even greater results.

Caught off guard, the elders were thrown into chaos. Even worse, Yang Hao’s forces seemed endless. Even if the Ten Sword Streams were repelled, behind them came forty sword master battalions from the Merchant Guild. Though their skills were inferior, they were fiercely brave, surging forward like a tide. Many elders couldn’t even unleash their full power before being overwhelmed.

This was brute force overpowering strength. Knowing the elders’ individual power was formidable, Yang Hao and Emperor Yinglie simply outnumbered them.

After several waves of fighting, the five hundred elders were reduced by more than half, with only around three hundred wounded elders desperately defending the cave entrance.

The eight elder attendants were in even graver danger.

Elder Wu Yi watched the golden dragons soar past, shattering the Xuan Lei barrier. Even after the five hundred Saint Domain Qianlong emerged, he remained motionless.

Wu Yi couldn’t figure out where these five hundred Saint Domain experts had come from. The Supreme Sovereign had unified the cultivation sects and replaced them with the Senate. Given the Senate’s extensive intelligence network, no Saint Domain expert could possibly escape their notice.

Except for the Old Sword Saint in the imperial city and Hede in the outer territories, who could conceal a few individuals, any expert displaying Saint Domain potential in any star system would be claimed by the elders.

They might become new elders, but more likely, they would be tortured to death.

Nevertheless, Wu Yi was confident that fewer than fifty圣域 experts had managed to escape the Senate’s detection.

Yet today, he had already been disappointed twice. Feng Feng’s Holy Domain experts, combined with Yang Hao’s forces, numbered nearly a hundred.

Even more terrifying were these five hundred from Qianlong Pavilion.

All were experts of the Holy Domain, yet none left their names in the universe. Many had never revealed their true strength to those outside.

Floating high above the Dan Ding cave dwelling, Yang Hao addressed Wu Yi:

“Master, no need to guess. I’ll tell you—these are Qianlong Pavilion’s true strength, the secret to its five-thousand-year survival.”

“True strength!!” Elder Xu Yi’s eyes widened.

“When the Qianlong Pavilion system collapsed, Situ Hai sacrificed himself to protect these individuals—the core force of Qianlong Pavilion. They have only one name: Hidden Dragons.” Yang Hao’s eyes sparkled with a distant light. “Hidden Dragons remain concealed in every corner of the universe. They seek no interaction, nor do they reveal their strength. Many willingly live in obscurity, despite being top-tier experts and peak Saint Domain warriors. Yet, they do not wield power recklessly, for they are the Hidden Dragons.”

“Then why? Why appear now, why??” Wu Yi’s face twisted in rage.

“Because I issued the Qianlong Decree, because of that oath.” Yang Hao flipped his wrist. “The sword is still in my hand!”

“The sword is still in my hand!!” Five hundred Qianlong roared in unison.

“Haaa!!” The Longyou Corps and Imperial Guards responded.

“Haa!!”

Wu Yi took a step back, the cold stone wall of the cave supporting him, yet the chill had already seeped into his heart. He had never felt such fear—like the coldest tide, drowning him completely.

For the first time in the world, a force had surpassed the Senate.

Since the Supreme One had established the Senate, this had never occurred. Yet now, it was unfolding right before Wu Yi’s eyes.

The seven attendants looked at Wu Yi.

Wu Yi let out a loud cry, his ambition reigniting: “Die in loyalty!!”

The elders hesitated, but quickly understood Wu Yi’s meaning.

This was the end of the Senate. Of the six hundred elders, only half remained. Their defenses were broken, the Xuan Lei barrier shattered, and the Ten Sword Streams had turned against them.

Almost all their forces had been torn apart by Yang Hao.

Now, they were cornered, with only one path left—the only path—to fight to the death, loyal to the Supreme One.

As Wu Yi’s voice faded, he let out a roar and led the seven attendants into the Qianlong ranks.

The eight of them fought fiercely against hundreds of Holy Domain experts.

The sky cracked, the sun and moon darkened.

Later generations would only say that the morning glow dyed the sky red, and the blood of Qianlong and elders rained down on Elder Mountain like a storm.

Though cornered, the eight attendants fought like wild beasts, charging through the qianlong masters’ ranks. Hundreds could not stop them.

Emperor Yinglie, sword in hand, was eager to join, but Yang Hao was faster, already appearing beside Elder Wu Yi.

Wu Yi had long wanted to kill Yang Hao. Seeing him approach, he seized the chance, abandoning his current opponent and launching a pale white small sword toward Yang Hao.

An ice wall instantly appeared, blocking Wu Yi’s flying sword. Before the sword could break through the wall, Yang Hao launched his Thousand Li Flowing Kill.

Shadow Moon surged forward like an iron tide.

Though Wu Yi was confident in his strength, he dared not face it head-on and dodged sideways.

But this was exactly what Yang Hao had planned. A sea of blinding sword light awaited Wu Yi. Yang Hao’s sword technique was an endless force of encirclement and slaughter. As Wu Yi entered, he realized—everything around him was sword, the most powerful sword force in the world.

This was the power passed down by Situ Hai, destined to be inherited forever.

But Wu Yi was still an expert at the peak of the Holy Domain. His centuries of cultivation had not been in vain. Seeing the emergency, he spun in place, emitting streams of pale white light from his body, melting away the surrounding sword light.

This was Wu Yi’s long-cultivated “Spirit Yuan Qi,” his life-saving true energy. When the至尊appointed Wu Yi as the chief summoner of the attendants, fearing he couldn’t control the more senior elders, the至尊bestowed this “Spirit Yuan Qi” upon him.

Spirit Yuan Qi was also the至尊’s personal protective true energy. It had saved the至尊’s life during the battle at the Dan Ding Sect.

Now, to evade the sword technique, Wu Yi completely exhausted this Spirit Yuan Qi.

But his end was near.

The sky filled with sword light, dissolving in the pale white ocean of Spirit Yuan Qi. Yet as Wu Yi slightly lifted his head, he saw an arrow flying toward him.

Thus, Wu Yi felt an unprecedented emotion—despair!

The arrow was black, composed entirely of Ominous Flame. Far away, Yang Hao chanted an ancient song, with the Fire Essence swirling around him.

This fierce arrow had gathered the full power of Yang Hao and Zhurong.

Wu Yi had already exhausted all his defenses. He no longer had the strength to resist. Even as he contemplated how to block it, the black ominous flame arrow pierced through his chest.

Wu Yi’s despair turned into pain—agonizing, heart-wrenching pain.

“Finally, I’ll meet the Supreme One,” Wu Yi murmured, clutching his chest as he watched the black flame slowly burn inward. This pain was not physical—it originated from the depths of his soul.

The至尊’s final moments remained vivid in Wu Yi’s mind. The至尊 had repeatedly entrusted him with the protection of the Senate and the至尊’s physical body. But today, Elder Mountain lay in ruins, and the至尊’s body was on the verge of being lost. Yet all he could do was die in apology.

With a resolve to die, Wu Yi heard a crack from his chest. The pain from his heart to his skin vanished completely.

He looked down in shock.

The flame of the凶焰 arrow was being absorbed by the 玄光 (Mystic Light) emanating from his chest.

The Xuan Guang originated from the Ning Yuxi (Jade Seal of Condensation), which had been implanted into Wu Yi by Elder Tian Ce. Now, the once-intact Ning Yuxi had been split into two by the Xiuyan arrow. Its spiritual energy was wildly leaking out, steadily consuming the Xiuyan.

But… Wu Yi’s heart ached. He immediately looked down.

He saw Elder Tian Ce’s corpse falling like a leaf.

The凝玉玺 was the culmination of Tian Ce’s lifelong cultivation. Such treasures represented the essence of the elders’ tireless efforts, imbued with their spiritual consciousness and very souls. After centuries of cultivation, their power could rival that of divine artifacts.

Yet with great power came great danger. Such life-cultivated treasures, once destroyed, would cause backlash to their creators.

Now, a large hole pierced Tian Ce’s chest. The power of Yang Hao’s Xiong Yan arrow had been fully transferred to Tian Ce, piercing through his heart.

Blood poured like a waterfall. For centuries, Tian Ce was the first attendant elder to die on the battlefield, quietly vanishing into the crowd.

Tian Ce was dead, sacrificing his life to save Wu Yi.

This was the vision Tian Ce had foreseen. With his exquisite foresight, he had already seen Wu Yi dying by Yang Hao’s arrow and the inevitable defeat of this battle.

Yet the tragedy of life was that even peak elders like Tian Ce were powerless. He could see it but couldn’t stop it. All he could do was place his life-cultivated treasure on Wu Yi’s chest, sacrificing himself to save Wu Yi.

“Tian Ce!!” Wu Yi was heartbroken, falling to the ground. “Tian Ce!!!!”

The other six attendants rushed down, landing at the entrance of the Dan Ding cave dwelling. Over two hundred surviving elders formed their final defense line.

Tian Ce lay in Wu Yi’s arms, the six attendants surrounding him. These eight old friends, who had known each other for centuries, now faced parting.

Tian Ce’s gaze was calm. He looked at Wu Yi, then Black Wind, then Rong Li.

He sighed, raising his finger, delivering his final prophecy: “Our era… has passed…”

As Tian Ce closed his eyes, a cold wind howled across Elder Mountain. The entire forest instantly turned yellow, and in the sky, crimson clouds appeared, as if mourning the prophet.

The elders wept. They knew what this meant.

For centuries, the attendants had never known defeat. Yet in one night, two had fallen. Even with seven remaining and over two hundred elders, what could they change?

As Tian Ce had said before his death, this was no longer their era. The universe had changed, history had abandoned them.

No one could do anything.

But truly nothing?

Wu Yi felt Tian Ce’s cooling body, even his spiritual consciousness fading. His white hair withered.

“Our era…” Wu Yi laughed bitterly, almost as if crying. “Even if our time has passed, we must still guard the至尊’s physical body. Ghost Elder, Tian Ce—you must not have died in vain.”

Though he said this, the surroundings were silent. Even the Dan Ding Sect paused their attacks. The situation was clear—this was the Senate’s end. Even with a final gamble, there was no chance of reversal. At best, they could take a few more lives.

The fall of Elder Mountain was almost certain. Both sides had revealed their final cards. The last round of slaughter had no suspense.

The six attendants and over two hundred elders focused on Wu Yi. As the chief summoner of the elders, his every move determined the Senate’s life or death.

“Have we… lost?” Black Wind’s trembling voice broke the silence. Though his words were low, the other attendants heard them. They turned their eyes toward the cave entrance.

Before that entrance lay the Supreme One’s eternal physical body. If the elders were to lose, the concept of eternal immortality would become a mere joke.

But wasn’t this already a lost cause?

Wu Yi remained solemn, shaking his head. “We haven’t lost yet. Fellow elders, the Supreme One encompasses the universe, all-knowing. He foresaw this day long ago. Have you forgotten? The Supreme One left us one final trick?”

Black Wind and the others almost fell to their knees. They looked at Wu Yi in disbelief. “You…

…you mean to use…”

“When the Supreme One ascended, he summoned us nine and declared that within a hundred years, a prodigy would emerge, swiftly attaining divine power and dominating half the universe.” Wu Yi recalled, his eyes shining with excitement. “If the day comes when this person pushes us to the brink, we can resort to that ultimate trick.”

“But…” Rong Li looked hesitant. “That technique comes at the cost of lives. The Supreme said it should never be used unless absolutely necessary.”

“Isn’t this absolutely necessary?” Wu Yi laughed bitterly, holding Tian Ce’s cold hand.

All were silent. They understood now—this was the moment the Supreme One had foreseen.

That genius who emerged from nowhere was naturally Yang Hao. In a short time, he had transformed from an ordinary student to a Holy Domain peak expert, commanding forces across half the universe. In today’s battle, the Dan Ding Sect had deployed all its elites, yet their strength had surpassed that of the Senate.

The moment of life and death had arrived. It was time to unleash the至尊’s final strike.

The question was—who would use it.

The attendants knew full well that employing this tactic, and using it exactly as the Supreme One had instructed, would cost them their lives. It was a maneuver that required sacrificing oneself.

“I’ll do it,” Black Wind suddenly said after a silence. “Let me do it.”

“No,” Wu Yi stopped him. “If we must use it, we must unleash the strongest force. Among the seven of us, Ghost Elder is gone. Only I remain as the strongest, and I am the chief summoner personally appointed by the至尊. This duty of loyalty naturally falls to me.”

“But you must still oversee the big picture,” Black Wind frowned.

“Big picture?” Wu Yi laughed bitterly. Around them was chaos, pushed to this desperate situation. What big picture remained? Wu Yi whispered, “Once this move is unleashed, the overall situation will be decided. With you all remaining, you can clean up the aftermath.”

Only the heavy breathing of the attendants remained. Though the elders didn’t know their exact discussion, they roughly understood—the attendants were making one final counterattack, which would cost even more attendants their lives.

The six attendants beside Wu Yi had grim expressions. Two had already died, causing them deep sorrow. Wu Yi had been their leader for nearly a century. Watching him go to his death was unbearable.

Still, Wu Yi suddenly smiled brightly: “Though we’ve known each other for centuries, death and parting are inevitable. Especially since we die in loyalty to the Supreme. I’m just going ahead a little.”

Ghost and Tian Ce will keep me company on the other side. Fellow elders…” Wu Yi stood up, straightened his robe, and bowed solemnly. “When the master returns from his immortal journey, please tell him, disciple Wu Yi has done my utmost.”

As his words ended, a white aura appeared on Wu Yi’s face. He raised his arms to the sky.

A strange force began to swirl around him.

“Divine artifact!!” Wu Yi’s voice was bleak and sharp.

With his words, Ghost Elder’s Dragon-Slaying Nails, along with the Mantra Light Staff and Holy Light Shield from the Senate, appeared above Wu Yi.

Wu Yi slowly ascended, the three divine artifacts circling around him. A power surpassing the Holy Domain radiated from the artifacts, enveloping Wu Yi entirely.

“Immortal artifact!!” Wu Yi roared in that strange voice.

His own pale white small sword flew out, joining the divine artifacts. Though its light was dim, it still enhanced the power.

The attending elders below dared not delay. Each shot their lifelong-cultivated artifacts toward the space above.

At least three hundred artifacts followed the divine artifacts’ rotation, tightly surrounding Wu Yi. A golden-white divine glow emanated from Wu Yi’s body, like a divine mist covering the heavens.

Suddenly!

Wu Yi’s body exploded into a golden dragon. The blinding light made the sun pale, as if all the world’s light was concentrated on him.

This golden dragon soared through the air, sucking away all the surrounding air.

As it appeared, Elder Mountain trembled, the planet trembled, even the entire universe trembled.

“Divine Dragon Sword!!” Hunyuanzi shouted with indescribable emotion. “He still left this sword technique. He still left it.”