The Fatal Fifteenth Sword

Jing Wuming's Right-Hand Sword struck fast, accurate, and ruthless, aiming straight for Yan Shisan's throat.
He was on the verge of success.
However, in that split second, everything came to a complete standstill.
His entire body remained frozen in the middle of his sword strike, unable to advance even half a step.

Shangguan Jinhong had already set down his chopsticks and was lifting his bowl as if to drink the clear water. But at this very moment, his movements also froze entirely, his face filled with sheer terror. Xiao Duanduan, standing beside Shangguan Jinhong, also had a frozen expression.

Near the curtain leading to the backyard, Bai Zhantang, Li Dachui, Lu Xiucai, Guo Furong, Manager Tong... everyone was completely motionless. Even the ant on the ground had ceased all movement.

A few snowflakes drifting in from outside the inn were suspended in mid-air, unmoving. Absolute stillness!

No change, no vitality.

No words could describe this situation, except for one simple word—death! Death is the finality of all things.

The flowing water dries up, change reaches its end, life concludes, and all things wither. The Fatal Fifteenth Sword!

Once the sword is drawn, heaven and earth fall silent!

"What... what's going on? Why did everyone stop moving?"
"Is the image frozen?"
"Is it lagging?"
"Did the game crash? A bug?"
"Even 'Great Jianghu' can lag? That's a first!"
"It's still in Open Beta, after all. Bugs are normal!"
"Maybe it's because too many players logged in at once for this update!"

In Xiao Duanduan's livestream room, the netizens were already in an uproar. A crash? Lag?
Since the servers of "Great Jianghu" opened, such a thing had never happened! For "Great Jianghu" to lag was earth-shattering news!

Jianghu Producer: "There is no lag, and there are no bugs. Please rest assured."

Others might not see it, but how could Gu Lin not recognize it!
This wasn't a bug; this was the effect created by Yan Shisan's Fatal Fifteenth Sword!

Inside the inn, there was actually one person who could still move: the one who had unleashed this strike, Yan Shisan. Yet at this moment, Yan Shisan's eyes were also filled with profound dread! The Fatal Fifteenth Sword had become an uncontrollable Poisonous Dragon!

The pitch-black sword pierced through Jing Wuming's body.
But this was far from the end of the Fatal Fifteenth Sword. The long sword withdrew and, completely out of control, stabbed toward Shangguan Jinhong.

Yan Shisan's eyes were full of fear.
The Fatal Fifteenth Sword was a strike representing death and destruction, a Demonic Sword that no mortal could ever hope to master! Even Yan Shisan, the one who had comprehended this technique, could not control the Poisonous Dragon once he had unleashed it.

On the contrary, Yan Shisan was now being controlled by the Fatal Fifteenth Sword!

Shangguan Jinhong, who had used clear water to calm his mind and maintained his composure from beginning to end, was no longer calm. His features were slightly distorted, and his eyes were similarly filled with horror! Yan Shisan's face was no less terrified.

This sword technique, thrust out at the boundary between life and death, may have come from Yan Shisan's hand, but he could not control it. No human could have created this strike, and no one could resolve its variations.

Just like death itself, no one can understand it, and no one can predict it. This kind of transformative power was beyond anyone's control.

The pitch-black sword continued its straight path toward Shangguan Jinhong.
Shangguan Jinhong had reached the realm of "no rings in hand, but rings in the heart." Yet now, only horror remained in his eyes.
Because, whether in his hand or in his heart, his Dragon-Phoenix Twin Rings were already dead.

The pitch-black Sword of Death stabbed directly into Shangguan Jinhong's throat.
The Fatal Fifteenth Sword—this was a strike of death and destruction! This was a sword that did not belong to the mortal realm; it represented the silence of the grave!

Like a mirror suddenly shattered, the silence was finally broken.
Shangguan Jinhong's pupils constricted as his body collapsed. Even in death, the terror remained etched in his eyes.

Xiao Duanduan stumbled; Bai Zhantang, Guo Furong, and the others trembled in fear. The ant on the ground resumed its house-moving, and the snowflakes in the air drifted down once more.
However, Yan Shisan remained standing there motionless, the deep fear still in his eyes. Despite the bone-chilling wind and the heavy snow, Yan Shisan was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked through.

Taking a sip of the clear water Shangguan Jinhong had left behind, Yan Shisan tried to steady himself. But as soon as it touched his lips, he frowned.
Tossing the bowl aside, he grabbed the black wine jar from the table and poured it directly into his mouth, letting the wine splash everywhere. The fear in Yan Shisan's eyes finally began to fade.

"Whether the heart can be still or not, what does it have to do with drinking water or wine!"

Carrying the wine jar, Yan Shisan finally walked away with quick strides.
Whether it was Jing Wuming, Shangguan Jinhong, or the others in the inn, Yan Shisan did not spare them another glance. It was only then that Xiao Duanduan seemed to wake from a dream.

"So, that was... martial arts?"

In the livestream room, countless viewers were stunned, only now reacting.
"Holy crap, you're telling me that was martial arts?"
"I really thought 'Great Jianghu' was lagging!"
"When that sword was thrust out, I felt like I couldn't breathe. This damn immersion!"
"I don't know why, but I felt like I saw death just now!"
"Exactly, that strike gave me the sensation of pure death!"
"So Yan Shisan's martial arts can freeze space? Freeze time?"
"Either way, it's too terrifying!"
"Isn't Yan Shisan supposed to be on the same level as Ximen Chuixue and Xie Xiaofeng? This is even more monstrous than Zhang Zhenren and the Demon Magician!"
"Everyone completely immobilized, time and space seemingly frozen—who could possibly block such martial arts?"
"Actually, it was normal before that. It's just that last strike... it's a bit too unreasonable!"

This sudden turn of events truly left the netizens in the livestream room dazed. Earlier, Yan Shisan had been fighting Jing Wuming on equal terms.
Suddenly, he had unleashed such a horrific sword!
Shangguan Jinhong was already incredibly powerful; the way he had casually created a water vortex earlier showed a glimpse of his strength. Yet, against this sword, he couldn't even put up a resistance.
The martial arts in "Great Jianghu" were truly becoming more and more monstrous!