As soon as Quinn finished speaking, everyone in the building sneered coldly.
Quinn remained unfazed and smiled. "If the Western Lands weren't separated from Everpeace by the Great Ruins, you would've been conquered ages ago. Frankly, your divine arts and techniques are already outdated compared to Everpeace, and even Everpeace and the Great Ruins' arts are starting to look old-fashioned to me. That's why I'm seeking change. All of you Western brothers and sisters standing this close to me—it's far too dangerous. Not just those in the Six Directions realm, but even you Seven Stars experts—you, you, and you—standing so near, in my eyes..."
He pointed at the Seven Stars realm experts present and shook his head. "You're all just walking, talking corpses. The only difference is when you'll become corpses."
The murderous intent in the hall intensified. Gavin Yue suddenly stood up and sneered, "Cult Master Quinn, you're unbelievably arrogant! Garrick, you're the host here—I'd very much like to face this Cult Master. May I?"
Garrick laughed heartily. "You're all guests here for the Flower-Mountain Festival in Fairgrace City—why draw swords at the drop of a hat? Everyone should be looking for their favorite lover and enjoying themselves, shouldn't they? Of course, if you insist on fighting, I can't really stop you, can I?"
He was clearly just here to watch the show.
Gavin Yue headed downstairs, sneering, "Cult Master Quinn, come down here. I want to win a prize for True Heaven Palace."
Quinn smiled and took out a two-chi-wide metal sphere from his Glutton Dragon Pouch, shaking his head. "No need to go down—it's fine right here."
He balanced the round metal ball on his hand. Instantly, the building began to tremble and slowly sank into the ground under its weight. The tall structure creaked as the first floor was pressed into the earth, then the second, and it only stopped sinking after reaching the third floor.
Everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Garrick exclaimed, "What a heavy sphere!"
"Everyone, please watch."
Quinn gently flicked the metal sphere with his left hand. "This is my Sword Pill."
Click—
The Sword Pill split open, revealing eight thousand swords as fine as silk, their tips all aimed at the center of the sphere. To forge such a marvel required not only masterful craftsmanship but also awe-inspiring precision and calculation.
The eight thousand swords cast cold light everywhere, making beams shimmer across the building's walls and flicker over everyone's faces.
Each sword was a flawless work of art.
Quinn held the Sword Pill in his palm. It floated up and slowly rotated, letting everyone see its inner structure. "Divine arts and techniques—if you don't advance for even a hundred years, you'll fall behind. Your Western Lands are still using the ancient arts handed down from ancestors one or two millennia ago, awakening the spirits or gods of all things to fight for you. But your methods are too slow. Even Heaven-Man experts need time to activate the 'all things have spirits' arts. In real combat, no one gives you that time. I'll show you a sword move—please, don't move."
Tina Ting of True Heaven Palace sneered, "Not moving is just waiting to be butchered, isn't it?"
Quinn smiled. "If you want to move, bear the consequences. One Sword Opens the Pioneer Era..."
Suddenly, the Sword Pill in his hand split apart, and in an instant, swords filled the entire hall!
Eight thousand swords swept through the air. Nearly everyone could barely restrain themselves from leaping up to defend, but at that moment, all sword-light abruptly vanished. Not only did the sword-light disappear—even the building itself seemed to fade away, replaced by a boundless, sky-filling ocean of blood!
This was the second move of the Sword Diagram: One Sword Opens the Pioneer Era, Blood Like an Ocean.
As the move unfolded, a vast, tragic feeling swept over them. In a daze, they saw countless gods and demons struggling and howling within the blood ocean, then being cut down by sword-light and sinking as corpses into the crimson waves.
One Sword Opens the Pioneer Era, Blood Like an Ocean—mountains and rivers endure, hearts lost in vastness; looking all around, the old homeland and its people are gone, their ancient garb left behind.
During this, they heard people slam the table and rise, others shout in anger, and the sounds of divine arts clashing—brief exchanges of power.
Suddenly, the blood ocean faded away like time slipping by. They vaguely saw a lonely figure, sword on his back, turning with sorrow—an image of desolate solitude that struck their hearts.
The figure vanished, the building reappeared, and Quinn still held his palm aloft, the Sword Pill spinning above it.
The dishes and plates before them were exactly as before, not a bit out of place.
Everyone broke into a cold sweat, glancing around in shock. To their horror, Yvette Yu lay dead on the floor; Tina Ting had collapsed in her seat, a red mark between her brows, and two others were sprawled lifeless over the table.
Moments ago, those who had slammed the table and risen to fight Quinn were all slain by that move, while everyone who remained seated and still was completely unharmed.
Gavin Yue's face was pale. He hadn't moved a muscle—not because he didn't sense the terrifying sword intent in Quinn's move, but precisely because he did. He didn't dare to move.
Garrick waved his hand, and attendants immediately stepped forward to drag away the corpses.
Among the guests, some faces were ghostly pale, others dark with anger.
Quinn's move had shaken everyone to the core. His sword arts were so fast that they couldn't even react—they could only sit there, feeling like lambs awaiting slaughter. It was a terrible feeling.
Especially for those Seven Stars realm experts—even though their primordial spirits could leave their bodies and were incredibly powerful, the building was too cramped and Quinn's swords too fast. They couldn't even form a thought before the sword-light overwhelmed them.
Quinn's move was devastating—every sword was forged from the finest materials, each capable of taking their lives.
Meanwhile, their 'all things have spirits' divine arts were indeed much slower to activate than Quinn's sword arts. If they fought, they'd have to first open distance or act before him.
But in this building, they had no chance at all.
Quinn put away the Sword Pill and said apologetically, "Garrick, my friend, I've dirtied your hall. Please forgive me."
Garrick quickly replied, "Cult Master Quinn, your sword arts are exquisite—I've never seen anything like it. You unleashed countless swords, yet not a single scratch on my hall. That's true mastery. May I ask, was this move created after the Everpeace Empire's reforms?"