This was the original purpose for which all weapons were created.
Over time, they evolved to serve many functions, giving rise to countless martial techniques capable of fully unleashing the power of divine weapons. A sword was a weapon meant to kill—a blade that, in the hands of a sword cultivator, could sever ten thousand techniques with a single strike. To a noble, it might be no more than a symbol of authority. But in the hands of this woman right now, it radiated a brilliance that was nothing short of mesmerizing—not just sharpness, but also a unique rhythmic grace.
It was intoxicating.
This was the Sword Dance!
A flawless fusion of swordsmanship and dance—the grace of movement, the deadly edge of the blade—blending into a transformation: the breathtaking spectacle of the sword dance. In the blink of an eye, everything else vanished. The entire Crystal Palace faded from sight.
Yi Tianxing felt his consciousness pulled into another world.
He, too, was drawn in completely.
"Since ancient times, any technique that draws near the Dao can unleash earth-shattering power. The Way of the Zither can simulate the sounds of nature and alter reality with sound. The Way of Painting can give life to dragons on paper, making them leap into existence. The Way of Fiction—when cultivated to the extreme—can summon characters from books to serve the writer, even sharing his bed. This Way of the Sword Dance has clearly approached the Dao, forming an independent Sword Dance Domain as it unfolds. This is... a Dao Rhythm Space."
A thought flashed through Yi Tianxing's mind.
There was no doubt—this was a Dao Fruit.
The woman's flexibility was beyond human, executing impossible movements with effortless grace. Each motion exuded an astonishing charm. As she danced, sword light and sword qi filled the void. Every arc of sword energy dazzled, radiating beauty and deadly might—enough to pale the heavens and earth, to steal the light of the sun and moon.
One could almost see a vision of ten suns rising in the sky, and then a single streak of sword light shooting forth like a meteor, piercing through nine of them. The woman became as a bow, her blade the arrow, shooting through the heavens.
The sun and moon lost their light.
And amidst all this, her movements remained beautiful—beyond words.
You could even hear ethereal melodies emanating from the sword itself as she danced.
It made hearts race. It made souls tremble. If this were a dream, many would rather never wake.
As the sword dance continued, Yi Tianxing couldn't help but recite:
"Long ago lived Gongsun, a beauty divine, One dance of her blade moved heaven and time. The watchers like mountains, in awe and in loss, Heaven and earth bowed to each gliding cross. Like Yi who shot down the nine suns so high, Like gods in their chariots streaking the sky. She came like thunder to silence the storm, She left like still waters, in grace and in form. Red lips and sleeves now fall still and lone, But disciples remain where her fragrance was sown. A fair one once danced by the White Emperor's throne, This song she performed, her soul brightly shone. I asked her, we spoke, and my heart ached anew, For time had passed, and the emperor's due. Eight thousand court ladies once vied to shine bright, Gongsun's sword dance alone was first light. In a blink, fifty years have gone past, Dynasties crumble, nothing can last. The pear garden's children scattered to dust, Her beauty remains like sunlight in dusk. Before gold-grain mounds, the trees now bend, Qutang's stone city choked with wind. The music has ended, the moon's rising chill—The old man walks on, heart aching still."
—From Sword Dance Ode by Du Fu
Yi Tianxing mused, "Du Fu's Sword Dance Ode truly captures the soul of it. Not an exaggeration at all. This must be the legendary Gongsun the Elder. The myth was captivating enough, but to see it with my own eyes... even the poem can't convey the full majesty of her sword dance. Truly, one dance to move all under heaven, leaving sun and moon dim in her wake."
From the moment he had been drawn into this Sword Dance Domain, Yi Tianxing had suspected her identity. There could be no doubt—she was none other than Gongsun the Elder, the first and greatest practitioner of the Sword Dance.
Her performance could silence a royal court. To witness it firsthand was beyond imagination. No wonder her legend endured for generations.
But what was Gongsun the Elder doing here?
"This power… she's already stepped into the Nascent Soul Realm (元神境)," Yi Tianxing thought. "Clearly, I'm not the only one in this world to encounter fortune. Establishing a dynasty and gaining the blessing of fate isn't the only path to power. The protagonists of the old world—those remembered through the ages—so long as they didn't perish, would eventually rise again. Especially those whose skill itself contains inherent Dao. Their techniques are their Dao Fruits."
He drew in a deep breath.
To devote one's life to a craft is not meaningless. That lifetime of pursuit becomes the Dao they follow. In cultivation, that is the Dao Fruit, the culmination of their path. Upon reaching a certain level—say, Nascent Soul Realm—those skills become fuel for explosive growth.
At that stage, they could even fight across realms. With the right foundation, realms like Yang Spirit, True Spirit, Dao Platform, or Path Actualization could become mere steps on an uninterrupted climb. The benefits were immeasurable.
Even in the Dragon Palace, such a person would be honored by the Hanhai Dragon King. For one like her to offer a sword dance performance—that was a rare privilege indeed.
No one knew how long had passed before the dance finally ended. Gongsun the Elder stood gracefully in the grand hall.
"Fellow Daoist Gongsun, thank you. Please, take your seat," said the Hanhai Dragon King, smiling as he gestured with respect.
"I came without a birthday gift. Let this sword dance serve as my tribute," she replied softly, then walked naturally to the upper seats. Spotting an empty spot beside Yi Tianxing, she sat down with elegant ease.
Her expression was calm and composed, unaffected by the Dragon King's aura or status.
Her mental fortitude alone could put many to shame.
"That sword dance... nothing else will ever compare."
"Gongsun's sword dance is unmatched. I could feel it—if I were caught in any of those sword auras, I'd be shredded in an instant. The harmony between blade and dance… I've never seen anything like it."
"So powerful… She's human? And yet, even among humans, such strength! Truly awe-inspiring."
The guests in the Crystal Palace slowly returned to their senses. Some gasped aloud, still dazed from the dream-like performance.
It had been otherworldly. They could still see it—sword lights slashing bulls and stars alike.
"Fellow Daoists, please enjoy yourselves freely. No need to hold back," the Dragon King said again with a hearty laugh.
Music and dance resumed—not Gongsun this time, but the palace dancers of the Dragon Clan.
Food and drink were abundant, conversations flowing as cups were raised across the tables.
Then Yi Tianxing glanced down and frowned.
"Huh? Where did that Green Emperor fellow go?"
Looking around, he spotted something strange. The Green Emperor had somehow joined up with Sikong Zhaixing, Liu Qu, and even that Invincible General wrapped in a black robe.
They had somehow... clicked. Like kindred spirits drawn together by shared chaos.
Sikong Zhaixing's face had turned dark the moment he saw the Green Emperor. He'd nearly turned and fled. That mutt was notorious—not just for his awful personality but also for his terrifying jinx aura. Many had nightmares from just hearing his name.
But for once, the Green Emperor didn't mess with him. Instead, he started chatting.
And surprisingly… they hit it off.
In just a few words, they were laughing together like old friends. They were even using secret voice transmission to plot in whispers.
"Fellow Daoists," said Liu Qu, eyes flashing, "I've studied the Feng Shui of this Dragon Palace. It's truly magnificent—noble in its placement, resting atop not one, but nine dragon veins. It's destined to be a blessed land. But I noticed something odd—a Dragon-Draining Water formation."
"Dragon-Draining Water," he continued, "is a terrifying geomantic trap. Once formed, nothing returns from it. There's only one explanation for it to exist in dragon territory—it must mark the Dragon Tomb. Legend says that when true dragons near the end of life, they journey there to return to the void."
As Liu Qu spoke, his wrist twitched. His Luoyang Shovel was already itching for action.
A Dragon Tomb.
The dragon race had an obsessive love for hoarding treasures. Many took their entire life's wealth with them into the tomb. For Liu Qu, it was a priceless trove—a dream come true. The tomb of a true dragon. If he could get in, he'd be the greatest grave robber in history.
"I'm in need of a Bone Dragon mount," said the Invincible General coolly. A Dragon Tomb? Perfect.
"But this is the Dragon Palace," Sikong Zhaixing warned, "Maybe plotting to raid a tomb here isn't the smartest move. But hey—check this out." He pulled out a fragment of a map.
"This piece points to the tomb of Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor. Just a fragment, but with enough pieces, it'll form the full map. When that happens, we'll head to the First Emperor's Mausoleum for excavation. That'll be the real treasure."