But Liu Jianxin only felt that all this was very slow.
A terrifying Inner Strength enveloped everyone, so profound that it left people in despair.
Within the range covered by this Inner Strength, everyone's movements seemed slow-motion.
Even though Liu Jianxin was about to be struck, he managed to dodge with incredible speed.
His Inconstant Sword was unsheathed, a simple straight thrust stabbing towards the throat of the Shaolin Abbot.
Xuan Yong immediately withdrew his palm, trying to evade.
But the sword was too fast, so fast it filled him with despair.
All this happened in an instant.
In that instant, some felt the oppression of being shrouded in vast Inner Strength, some saw the flash of the Shaolin Abbot's red silhouette.
Others saw a near-invisible gleam of a sword.
The winner was decided.
At the moment when the Shaolin Abbot fell, the entire martial world fell silent.
It was only after a while that someone finally reacted.
A rookie who had just entered the martial world defeated the Shaolin Abbot, one of the titans of martial arts? A kill with one sword?
Such Martial Arts, it would likely take someone like the Ye Jianxin of the past or the current Martial Alliance Hierarch to achieve.
It is unimaginable that a newcomer accomplished all this.
In the distance, Wen Xishu felt somewhat fatigued.
Defeating anyone in the martial world wasn't difficult, but doing so unnoticed by using Liu Jianxin to defeat a top expert, that was somewhat challenging.
Nonetheless, he ultimately succeeded.
With the Shaolin Abbot's defeat, although Liu Jianxin had bloodstains at the corners of his mouth, his sword heart became increasingly bright.
This world never had heroes; people merely imagined the way heroes lived, and thus imitated them. Over time, they became heroes themselves.
Even those whose heads are full of betrayal and ambition, once awakened to a hero's heart, once they receive the correct feedback from doing good deeds...
They too yearn to become heroes.
The Original Heart Sword Technique, at this moment, reached the ninth level!
Wen Xishu and Liu Jianxin both sensed it...
This Swordsmanship was about to undergo a qualitative change.
...
...
Next up was the Piano Demon, feared across the martial world, capable of using piano notes to create illusions, disrupting one's inner energy, and causing explosive death.
Facing the Piano Demon's music, the hallucinations in Liu Jianxin's mind grew increasingly grotesque and twisted.
He saw more images.
In his mind, countless typos appeared. And beneath these typos, all kinds of illusions.
"Liu Jianxin, who asked you to meddle? The female colleague and the boss are both consenting, why are you trying to uphold useless justice? Do you really think you're some great Hero?"
"What do you mean I hijacked your shipment? Have you gone crazy reading martial arts novels? When on business trips making deals, it's all about individual skill. If you have the skill, you can steal my clients too."
"Liu Jianxin, yes, you helped me once, and I should thank you, but each matter should be treated separately. Now that you've made a mistake, it's only right that I report you. We're all working for the company's good, aren't we? I also want to be a team leader; you can't hold back my progress, can you? What betrayal? This is called having principles!"
"Oh! This wine isn't poisoned, is it? Drink it! Do you want to sign the deal or achieve results? If I offer you a drink, it's a sign of respect! I won't listen to your industry advantages—if you want to cooperate, drink! What drug have you taken, are you drunk senseless?"
Numerous scenes accompanied by mocking voices, like sinister moves from the martial underworld, hit Liu Jianxin painfully.
When standing up for justice brings the victim's indifference and complaints, when one's environment is filled with intrigue and betrayal.
When every business deal follows the ridiculous table culture, with the client only relishing in pressuring the contractor, ignoring mutual benefit...
This world, has already become twisted.
The martial hero is dead, or rather, it never existed.
The Piano Demon's music showed Liu Jianxin even more images.
These scenes, he could not understand.
At this moment, he was incredibly confused.
Moreover, the young man in the hallucination, when delivering good news while hiding bad, couldn't help asking:
"Dad... don't I seem like a fool? They say I'm like Don Quixote. One who has gone mad reading knight novels."
The voice on the other end of the line was very soft.
But Liu Jianxin heard it.
A tone exactly like his father's.
"Silly child, Don Quixote is indeed laughable, he sees windmills as enemies and charges at them comically."
"But isn't he also courageous? In such a time, he always finds joy in life and faces numerous difficulties head-on... He never backs down."
"This, in fact, is quite admirable."
"Ignore others' ridicule, bravely become a great Hero."
His father's voice carried encouragement.
Yet the young man on the phone, as if standing opposite the world:
"But... being a Hero, is really exhausting."
This statement, Liu Jianxin profoundly agreed with.
Being a Hero is truly exhausting.
Yet he still raised his sword.
Facing the Piano Demon's Devil Piano, facing the chaos of inner energy, he didn't know how to respond...
But at this moment, he no longer saw the Piano Demon.
He seemed to see people in business suits, looking proper but insincere, from another world.
"These... are the enemies I face in that world?"
All these people in suits, with indifferent eyes and mocking expressions, reached out their hands:
"Abandon your chivalrous path, join us, see the real world."
Their voices seemed to possess a kind of bewitching power.