Chapter 1152: Chapter 1152: Another Confrontation

Everyone was stunned when the Peerless Divine Sword was raised by Ximen Swordsman, radiating a shocking celestial flame.

“What the hell kind of godlike move is this? Just two swings, and it came out like that?”

“This isn’t some fraud; this is truly an Old Immortal!”

Ximen Ailian watched her father lift the Peerless Divine Sword, her little face full of joy and surprise.

As the sword’s light and flame soared into the sky, deep within Sword Saint Palace, Kristin, who had been sitting motionless like a dried stone, suddenly opened his eyes and instantly shot upward.

With merely a flicker of his figure, Kristin arrived at the plaza, glanced at Ximen Swordsman holding the Peerless Divine Sword, and descended the steps.

As Kristin approached, the Peerless Divine Sword in Ximen Swordsman’s hands let out a startling sword cry, struggled free from his grasp, and flew directly toward Kristin.

Kritin didn’t even spare the sword a glance, reaching out to grasp its hilt, holding it in a reverse grip before continuing forward.

However, he did not stop in front of Ximen Swordsman; instead, he walked past the sword testing stone straight to Lin Shen.

While everyone speculated that Ximen Swordsman might be angered at this interference and act against Kristin, they instead saw Ximen Swordsman bow deeply to Lin Shen once he reached him.

The crowd was shocked. Kristin was widely acknowledged as the current supreme cosmic warrior; who could deserve such respect from him?

Ignoring the surrounding gazes, Kristin ordered the doors of the Sword Saint Hall to be opened and gestured toward Lin Shen with an inviting movement.

Lin Shen didn’t hesitate and accompanied Kristin into the Sword Saint Hall.

As Kristin passed Ximen Swordsman, he softly said, “Come along.”

Kritin led the group into the Sword Saint Hall, had the doors shut, and announced that Sword Saint Palace would be closed today, barring all visitors.

The crowd, ushered out of Sword Saint Palace, began speculating about Lin Shen’s origins, astonished by how Kristin had treated him.

“Lin Shen?” Ximen Swordsman had already guessed Lin Shen’s identity and called it outright while looking at Lin Shen inside the hall.

With no outsiders present, Lin Shen stopped concealing himself, emerged from his Base Mutation carapace, revealed his true appearance, and said with a smile to Ximen Swordsman, “It’s been a while.”

“You… you’re Lin God!” Ximen Swordsman hadn’t yet spoken when Ximen Ailian beside him burst into excited exclamations, her big eyes brimming with delight.

“Ailian, your father and I ventured out from the mother planet together. If you don’t mind, you can call me uncle,” Lin Shen said.

Glancing at her father and seeing him nod slightly, Ximen Ailian happily exclaimed, “Nephew pays respects to Uncle Lin.”

“I didn’t expect to see you all here. I haven’t prepared anything, but let this little trinket serve as my gift upon meeting you,” Lin Shen said, handing an item to Ximen Ailian.

Only after her father nodded did Ximen Ailian thank Lin Shen again and accept the gift with joy.

“You’re here for the Peerless Divine Skill, aren’t you?” Kristin asked, seeing Lin Shen’s gaze upon him, as he retrieved a book from his chest–a book written by Lin Shen himself, titled *Lin Shen’s Peerless Divine Skill.*

However, instead of handing it over, Kristin smiled and said, “I was planning to return this book to you, but since you helped Ximen Swordsman draw my sword, I can only let him borrow it for a while to study first.”

“No matter,” Lin Shen replied casually.

“No need, the sword wasn’t drawn by me. Return it to him,” Ximen Swordsman declined to accept, shaking his head.

Kritin glanced at Lin Shen, who took the book without hesitation and then turned to Ximen Ailian, saying, “Let me borrow your communicator for a moment.”

Hearing this, Ximen Ailian removed the device from her wrist and handed it to Lin Shen without questioning his intent.

Lin Shen took Ximen Ailian’s communicator, opened the book, and photographed all its pages before returning the device to her.

Seeing that Ximen Swordsman seemed about to speak, Lin Shen smiled and said, “This book will be made public soon; it’ll save you the trouble of searching for it online.”

With that, Lin Shen tossed the book to Long Yue nearby.

Hearing Lin Shen’s words, Ximen Swordsman said no more.

“I’ve already thanked you with my bow for sharing your techniques. Now, please engage in a duel with me,” Kristin said to Lin Shen after he had finished settling his affairs.

Lin Shen let out a bitter smile, thinking to himself, “This guy’s personality hasn’t changed one bit.”

“Draw your sword then,” Lin Shen said, knowing that Kristin wouldn’t relent unless he accepted the challenge. He decided not to decline and agreed straightforwardly.

Ximen Swordsman took Ailian to one side while Long Yue retreated to another, watching Lin Shen and Kristin face off. They too wanted to know just what realm Lin Shen had reached now.

Kristin held the Peerless Divine Sword, his aura entirely withdrawn to an extreme. There was no trace of power emanating from him–he simply stood there, appearing as an ordinary man.

No Sword Intent, no Sword Qi, no sword light; he stood there so casually, with the Peerless Divine Sword in his hand seeming dim and dull, like an ordinary steel sword.

Ximen Swordsman’s expression grew solemn. He had thought that in terms of Sword Dao, he was already at least on par with Kristin, but witnessing Kristin standing there today, he realized he was still lacking.

Sword as man, man as sword–Kristin’s Sword Dao had already transcended to the truest realm of “seeing mountains as mountains, seeing water as water,” the state of Man and Sword As One.

On the side, Mai Yue’s face showed astonishment. Just by standing there, Kristin inspired an unparalleled sense of invincibility, earning the description “Celestial.”

In the next instant, Kristin struck with his sword.

The strike split heaven and earth, as if the entire world was severed by the blade. It felt as though no force in existence could rival this sword strike; even the vast cosmos seemed on the verge of being cleaved apart.

One Sword to Open the Universe!

Ximen Swordsman’s complexion turned ashen, while Long Yue’s face transformed in horror. Imagining themselves in the fight, they found no way to counter the sword–if they had faced it, only death awaited.

The two stared intently at Lin Shen, desperate to see how he would resolve this unparalleled sword strike.

Out of the countless possibilities they considered, none foresaw Lin Shen calmly extending two fingers, lightly pinching the sword between them.

That sword, capable of splitting heaven and earth, was instantly immobilized, unable to move even an inch.

Regardless of how Kristin exerted force, the Peerless Divine Sword seemed frozen in place, trapped between Lin Shen’s fingers.

With a subtle twitch of Lin Shen’s fingers, Kristin couldn’t maintain his grip and released his hold on the sword.

A silence as profound as death enveloped the scene!

An absolute and flawless domination had occurred–no intricate technique, just sheer overwhelming strength. Kristin, hailed as the supreme cosmic warrior, had been utterly overpowered. A crushing defeat rooted solely in a disparity of attributes.