Volume 1, Chapter 7: The Immortal Flight of a Single Sword

"First Sword Technique! Over the Azure Phoenix Peak, the clouds break and the heavens open!"

Xu Changsheng let out a low shout. The purple halo on his immortal sword ignited abruptly, transforming into a streak of azure sword radiance that surged toward Ye Wuchen. The sword intent was like a rainbow, stirring the heavens and the earth; wherever the light passed, the air was sliced asunder. With a piercing cry, the phantom of an azure phoenix soared upward, truly evoking the feeling of clouds parting to reveal the sky.

The Azure Phoenix Sword! It was Xu Changsheng’s life-bound immortal blade, prized for its ability to instantly boost his speed, granting him a sword momentum that could strike unexpectedly and catch his opponent off guard. The Breaking Army Sword possessed three stances: Forward Momentum, Clouds Break and Heaven Opens, and Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light.

"It’s over! He actually used Clouds Break and Heaven Opens!"
"Legend has it that Xu Changsheng’s Clouds Break and Heaven Opens is immensely powerful, comparable even to the peak of the Great Swordmaster realm. How could Yao Xi, who has only just awakened her sword spirit, possibly block it?"
"She brought this upon herself!"
"Senior Brother Changsheng is truly enraged; he intends to take Yao Xi’s life!"

As Xu Changsheng made his move, the entire sky fell into chaos, and the onlookers ruthlessly passed a death sentence upon Ye Wuchen.

"Senior, dodge!" Yao Xi’s expression turned solemn. Though she did not fear the duels of Great Swordmasters, this current body of hers was simply not enough to withstand such an attack.

"No matter," Ye Wuchen said with a faint smile. "You were once an Empress of your generation; where has that imperial dignity gone? What is a mere Great Swordmaster? Before this Emperor, he is nothing but a clown jumping on a beam."

"Watch closely and perceive it with your heart."

As his words faded, the next second, something that stunned everyone occurred.

"Kill me? I fear you lack the capability..."

Facing Xu Changsheng’s onslaught, Ye Wuchen merely smiled faintly. As his purple sword shone, his aura shifted instantly, drawing the gazes of countless shocked onlookers.

Calm the mind, focus the spirit.

That faint, god-level sword intent permeated the entire Forbidden Sword Sea. Ten thousand swords trembled as if being reborn; every blade resonated with a unique intent, their ringing choruses echoing in harmony. In this moment, Ye Wuchen stood like a mountain, his sword hum shaking the heavens, countless sword shadows trailing in his wake.

"Look clearly, all of you, to see if I have the capability to slay a three-thousand-year spirit beast! One Sword! Flying Immortal!"

With those words, a purple sword beam slashed across the void. The sword energy surged, using intent in place of a blade, meeting Xu Changsheng with unstoppable force. The purple radiance expanded against the wind, growing over ten zhang in a heartbeat.

The sword beam was incredibly fast. Too fast to be captured by the eye.

BOOM!

A thunderous roar erupted. The azure light of Xu Changsheng’s previously unstoppable attack shattered instantly. His entire body was sent flying like a cannonball, leaving only a mist of blood in the air.

Silence. A terrifying, absolute silence!

What is the state of silence among hundreds, perhaps thousands of people? It can only be described as horrifying.

A practitioner who had just stepped onto the path of cultivation had crippled a Great Swordmaster with a single strike! If this wasn't an illusion, what was it?

"A single sword, Flying Immortal," truly lived up to its name—Xu Changsheng had indeed "flown," sent airborne by the sheer force! This seemed less like mere swordplay and more like invincible sword intent.

Elder Ji was equally shocked. He could vividly feel the power behind the strike Ye Wuchen had just unleashed; for a brief moment, even his own heart had trembled. Sword intent? That was merely sword intent!

Yao Xi, sharing the same body as Ye Wuchen, felt it most profoundly. Was that not her own sword intent, the Flying Immortal? How did he manage to execute an attack as powerful as spiritual energy using only sword intent? This scene not only stunned her but seemed to shatter the shackles that had long confined her inner heart.

"Impossible! I am a Great Swordmaster! How could I be defeated by a piece of trash who just awakened a sword spirit!"

Before anyone could recover from their shock, Xu Changsheng suddenly roared from mid-air. He was bleeding from his nose and mouth, a wretched sight, yet he could not hide the murderous intent in his eyes as he swung his Azure Phoenix Sword into the sky.

The next second, Xu Changsheng’s expression tightened. He braced his waist and drew a breath, as if he intended to drain the very spiritual energy of the entire Mountain of Ten Thousand Swords. "Second Sword Technique! Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light!"

With a thunderous cry, the radiance of the Azure Phoenix Sword flared, as if ten thousand beams of divine light had descended. Xu Changsheng’s body seemed to erupt with boundless, terrifying power. "Die!"

Xu Changsheng pointed his sword at Ye Wuchen, and ten thousand rays of light descended from the heavens.

"Changsheng! Stop!" Elder Ji shouted, but it was too late. He could feel the sword intent radiating from Ye Wuchen shifting once more.

Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light. The sky was filled with a brilliant, dazzling display of flowing sword shadows. The surrounding disciples of the Mountain of Ten Thousand Swords scrambled to dodge.

"Xu Changsheng has gone mad! He actually used Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light!"
"I heard this technique long ago surpassed his current realm. At full power, it can rival the elders of the Sword Sect. Even Elder Ji wouldn't dare take it head-on!"
"Too strong! Simply too strong!"
"Once, twice, but not a third time. Xu Changsheng gave Yao Xi a chance, but she failed to seize it!"
"She’s finished. No matter how strange her swordplay is, it cannot best the current state of Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light!"

Once again, the onlookers passed a death sentence upon Ye Wuchen.

But in the next second, the unthinkable happened.

Facing the Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light descending from the sky, Ye Wuchen remained motionless, letting his azure immortal robes and three thousand strands of hair dance in the wind.

He smiled. He was actually smiling.

"Today, I shall grant you defeat!"

As his voice fell, Ye Wuchen slowly closed his eyes. Every gaze present was locked upon him.

The corners of Ye Wuchen’s mouth curled upward. Countless purple currents condensed around him, his sword intent manifesting as sword marks. These thousands of marks whirled like a tornado, sweeping across the sky as if to pierce the very heavens.

With two fingers shaped into a blade, a massive golden sword beam slashed through the void, descending upon Xu Changsheng with crushing weight.

Since they chose to disregard him, this battle would serve to establish his prestige; he would teach them a lesson they would never forget. Otherwise, they would never realize their own status, nor who stood at the pinnacle of the sword path!

"What kind of sword technique is this!"

Watching the sword beam, which stretched fully thirty zhang in length, it felt as if a Saint had descended, carrying a trace of Saintly sword intent. Ten thousand laws vanished, all paths shattered. When this sword path appeared, it looked down upon all others with peerless arrogance.

Before it even arrived, everyone felt a marvelous realm of intent, accompanied by an aura that dominated the heavens and earth, capable of grinding all things to dust.

It rode the waves and broke the wind, extinguishing the Ten Thousand Miles of Flowing Light in the air with overwhelming force.

BOOM!

Above the firmament, ten thousand streams of light exploded, raining down beams of blue spiritual energy. The brilliant display painted the entire Spirit Hunting Mountain Range.

"G... god..."

Everyone was struck into silence by the sight. A Great Swordmaster’s ultimate technique—was it just treated like fireworks? It was... too strong. The ten thousand swords could not even get close to him; and that was the full-force strike of a Great Swordmaster.

It wasn't just the onlookers whose hearts were convulsing; even Xu Changsheng’s eyes were wide with terror, for that terrifying sword beam continued its charge, its momentum entirely undiminished.