The Kougouken Saikou and the Ankokuken Kurayami were the two primordial holy swords of the world.
Forged not by human hands, but by forces beyond humanity—a matched pair born together.
Their strength needed no explanation.
Wielded simultaneously, even someone who knew only half of the omniscient book could briefly seal it away.
Most importantly—their first Swordsmaster had been the same man:
Yuri.
A thousand years ago, to prevent the mighty Kougouken from being used for evil, Yuri sacrificed himself and merged with the blade.
He hid within Avalon, watching silently—until he encountered Teacher Touma, leading to one event after another, to Daishinji exposing the "Great Sage," and everything that followed.
So when Yuri entrusted his power to Sora, he entrusted both holy swords.
But back then, Sora had only a spiritual body—so he could wield Saikou, nothing more.
Now, with his physical body reclaimed and adjusted to—
He could wield both Light and Darkness with no side effects at all.
And the instant he did, everyone present felt the impact.
Because the Xi who'd previously been able to at least resist Sora… was now reduced to something like a child.
Before, even outmatched, she could still exchange blows.
But now...
Xi was nothing more than a sandbag.
Every clash sent her flying—and before she could stop her fall, the next strike was already there.
Sora moved like pure radiance; his motions surpassed the limits of sight.
He left no afterimage at all—the only way to track him was by watching Xi's body whip across the sky like a ragdoll.
She was hurled again and again, completely unable to withstand the force that battered her.
Was she refusing to fight back?
Of course not.
As the leader of the Heliobi, how could she possibly accept being beaten around like this?
The truth was—she couldn't fight back.
All she could do was endure as she felt the terrifying precision of Sora's footwork and swordplay.
To the Xianzhou watching below, this was beyond belief.
"Am I dreaming? Or is the world broken?"
"Is that… still the majestic Lord Xi from before?"
"Is my big bro just too strong…?!"
Their shock had no words.
Xi was the strongest being who had crushed all other races for centuries.
Her reputation wasn't fabricated—it was carved through blood and battle.
She'd once clashed with the Vidyadhara's leader for three days and three nights in the Fangyuan Realm.
They said the sky dimmed, the oceans evaporated, and a tenth of the Fangyuan Realm's seas boiled away.
Rain fell for months across all four realms because of that battle's aftermath.
She'd won, and the Vidyadhara leader went into voluntary hibernation soon after.
One could say she directly caused the previous Vidyadhara leader's reincarnation.
As for the Xianzhou side—tens of thousands of li away, she'd pierced and incinerated the last Xianzhou leader, leaving behind a forbidden zone still burning centuries later.
Every achievement proved her terrifying might.
And now—the figure being knocked around like a broken sack… was that Xi.
How could they accept this?
They couldn't.
But reality didn't care.
All their awe condensed into two words:
"Niubi."
Fucking awesome.
No flowery speech needed—just those two characters.
While the Xianzhou praised Sora, the Xi being pummeled could only feel endless humiliation.
What IS this freak made of?! she raged inwardly.
She never imagined such a nightmare scenario in the Cangyan.
She was a child of the Sui Emperor, far stronger than most Heliobi, and she'd inherited General Futian's power after forging their contract.
With those combined, she should have been able to crush any opponent under the heavens.
Wasn't the normal situation supposed to be:
She draws her weapon → the enemy dies instantly?
So why was she being used as stepping stones now—beaten repeatedly as someone else rose to fame?!
Impossible.
This wasn't right.
This man wasn't right.
How did he even get here?!
Then suddenly—Xi froze.
Because she remembered.
Sora had been pulled into the Cangyan… by her.
First his body, then the sword carrying his consciousness—
All of it had been her doing.
Which meant...
She had personally brought in someone who now completely overwhelmed her.
In other words—she had… found herself a dad.
What kind of absurdity was this?!
So the true cause of her miserable situation—was herself??
Realizing this, Xi's mind wavered.
And in a battle like this, that one moment of distraction was fatal.
Opportunity.
Sora sensed it instantly.
Even a tiny flaw was decisive on this level.
Light flashed—he rushed in.
Saikou and Kurayami unleashed sword-energy at once.
By the time Xi returned to her senses, it was too late.
She managed to swing her spear to deflect both attacks, but the force sent her weapon spinning from her hands, embedding deep into the ground far below.
Before she could breathe—a strange pulling force snapped tight around her limbs.
It was the sword-energy she had just deflected.
The two strikes of golden and shadowy light hadn't vanished—
they had formed two swirling portals at her sides.
A crushing gravitational force burst out, locking her arms and legs in place.
"Damn it!"
Xi struggled with all her strength, but the portals didn't budge.
"Now…" Sora lowered both swords, gaze steady.
"Can we talk properly?"
He landed lightly before her, tone calm. "If you're willing to set aside your hostility, I'll release you."
At this point, the battle was essentially decided—continuing was pointless.
Though Sora had temporarily sealed the collapsing sky, it was no long-term fix.
Actually repairing the Cangyan was the critical task.
And Sora insisted on handling it immediately for one simple reason:
He had no idea when that bastard TERMINUS might teleport him somewhere else.
So he had to fix this crisis—right here, right now.
Unfortunately…
His expectations were destined to fail.
Even restrained—
Even standing at the very edge of defeat—
Xi showed no hint of yielding.
"I didn't lose to them," she growled through clenched teeth, locking her gaze with Sora's. "I lost only to you. You are strong—fine. But how long do you think you can protect them?"
Apart from using the Heaven-Mending Creation, there was virtually no method to halt the collapsing sky.
And at the center of the ritual was Xi herself. Without her, it couldn't proceed.
Yet at the same time—
"If I'm sealed away and my power exploited by these people again, the sky will never be mended. Remember that well."
Unless that coward dares to step forward.
But if the coward steps forward—would they still be a coward?
Xi's words pulled Sora into heavy silence. Exhaustion pooled in his chest.
Why did Heliobi never listen to reason?
But her words also triggered another realization.
"In other words… you can still be safely sealed, right?"
Xi had said it clearly:
If she was sealed and exploited, the sky would collapse.
But if she was sealed alone—without being drained—that didn't seem to be a problem.
"You—! You bastard, you still intend to imprison m—"
The words barely left her mouth before the twin portals of light and darkness merged.
Xi's body twisted violently, as though being drawn into a black hole, and in seconds compressed into a small platinum orb.
Without the omniscience she once possessed, she couldn't break free from the combined sealing of the two holy swords.
Sora caught the orb gently in his palm. It trembled violently—he didn't need to imagine what Xi was shouting inside.
The moment she was sealed, the collapsing sky halted instantly, with no further deterioration.
Meaning his deduction was right:
Simply sealing Xi caused no harm.
It was only the forced extraction of her power that triggered disasters.
But the fundamental issue remained:
Xi refused to cooperate—and that was the true headache.
"Agh… what a pain."
Sora exhaled deeply, worry flickering in his eyes.
Who knew when that bastard TERMINUS might yank him away again?
He had no choice but to deal with the immediate threats.
...
Meanwhile, turmoil in the city had gradually subsided under the efforts of its leaders.
No one had imagined the Heaven-Mending Ceremony would spiral into such chaos.
All the faction leaders had gathered in the General's Office—now commonly called the Upper Gods' Manor—awaiting the final outcome.
Nothing inside the manor had changed. One glance at the main seat made it clear who usually occupied it.
The Vidyadhara and Foxian leaders sat on either side, waiting quietly.
The Xianzhou and Heliobi had been hostile for centuries; seeing the Xianzhou exploit chaos was hardly surprising.
What everyone cared about was the final result.
"I don't think we need to overthink it," the Vidyadhara leader said casually to the old Foxian elder. "The Xianzhou may have rebuilt, but they're nowhere near Xi's level. Want a bet? Three servings of delicacies says they return fully defeated."
She radiated confidence.
Having reincarnated, she retained all her memories and experiences.
She knew exactly how powerful Xi truly was.
The Xianzhou were capable—but far from Xi's match.
"Hohoho," the old Foxian chuckled softly, stroking his beard. "This old man is far too aged for betting."
He, too, understood certain truths—which was why he politely refused.
"Come on, grandpa!" the Vidyadhara leader insisted, leaning closer. "Just one bet! I'll wager my snack allowance!"
But the old Foxian merely smiled and continued to decline.
The manor filled briefly with laughter.
Then someone whispered something into the old Foxian's ear.
His expression froze for a heartbeat—
then softened into a gentle smile.
"Come on, grandpa. Three Muscle-and-Bone Strengthening Pills! Bet me just once!" the Vidyadhara leader begged.
"…Very well," the Foxian elder said pleasantly. "I'll take your wager."
The Vidyadhara leader stiffened—then lit up in pure joy.
"Old fox—you actually agreed?!"
"Of course. A little friendly wager."
"Hahaha! Great! It's settled—three Strengthening Pills!"
She was already envisioning victory.
"With Xi's strength, she'll crush them—flatten them all without mercy!"
She could practically see Xi returning in triumph, dragging the new Xianzhou leader back as proof.
She couldn't wait.
Eyes sparkling, she stared eagerly toward the entrance.
The Foxian elder remained calm, stroking his beard in quiet composure.
Then—movement at the door.
The Vidyadhara leader shot to her feet.
"They're here! Old fox, get ready to lose!"
The doors swung open—
Xi, let your glory shine across their faces—!
…
Eh?
Who are you people?!
The Vidyadhara leader froze mid-smile.
Because entering the manor was not Xi, nor any victorious Heliobi—
But the absolute last group she expected:
The Xianzhou delegation—walking in almost completely unscathed.
How…
How could this be?!
"W-where's Xi?!" she blurted, utterly stunned.
Where was her guaranteed victory?!
"She lost," came the calm reply.
The Vidyadhara leader staggered back two full steps, eyes wide.
I lost again?!
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T/N: heh u know how some of ur dads beat you cuz their the strongest and leading authority thats what Xi means, she basically picked a fight with dad