At this moment, True Man Diancang was vastly different from before. Not only had his Daoist robe become riddled with holes, but numerous wounds now marred his body, appearing as if he had been simultaneously stabbed by countless sharp blades. This sight greatly astonished everyone, who couldn't fathom how the woman's palm technique could yield such results.

Only Ye Wen knew that although Ning Ruxue used palm techniques, the energy expelled from her palms was undoubtedly the purest form of sword qi. If True Man Diancang had also practiced martial arts and used his protective spiritual energy to defend, the external injuries might still appear as palm strikes, only revealing the truth upon examining his meridians.

However, True Man Diancang had deployed a spiritual energy shield. When Ning Ruxue's palm struck the shield, the embedded sword qi pierced through, resulting in True Man Diancang’s current state.

Ning Ruxue’s earlier display of the Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap Stance was executed with extreme swiftness; ordinary observers hadn't even grasped what happened. They merely saw a sky full of palm shadows flash into existence and instantly retract, followed by True Man Diancang retreating in injury. Only Liu Tao, Xuan Ningzi, and Layman Beihe, near Ye Wen, managed to discern the rough outline, yet even they felt a sense of disbelief, acknowledging the formidable strength of this female senior who concealed sword qi within her palms—a fighting style truly unexpected.

More importantly, direct, close-quarters combat like this was rare among cultivators. They generally preferred to keep their distance, attacking with magic treasures or flying swords. If one could break through the opponent's protective barrier, victory was virtually assured. In contrast, close-range fighting was often their weakness. Cultivators spent long years in meditation and cultivation, lacking the almost reflexive adaptability of ordinary martial artists. This wasn't to say their reactions were slow—if that were the case, they wouldn't win even in long-range duels with magic items. Rather, while they could react, their bodies might not execute the correct counter-moves instantly.

Thus, cultivators generally avoided being cornered in close combat. Ning Ruxue’s style of fighting resembled that of the Martial Cultivators whose lineage had been severed centuries ago.

Among the crowd, only Layman Beihe vaguely sensed this distinction, but he dismissed his thought as too implausible; the martial cultivation lineage had been extinct for ages, so how could a new branch suddenly appear?

Yet, upon deeper reflection, this Senior Ye had never appeared before. Perhaps this lineage had been in deep seclusion for centuries, which is why everyone was unaware that a branch of Martial Cultivation still existed. If so, that would explain things.

Despite his long years of cultivation, he had never encountered a true Martial Cultivator. This sudden appearance left him unable to definitively judge whether this senior couple was truly a remnant of the Martial Cultivation lineage as he suspected. However, Ning Ruxue's preceding flurry of palm shadows had left a profound impression on him, making him contemplate finding an opportunity to speak with this senior at length.

"If I could gain even a little guidance from her, I imagine my own strength could improve further!"

Although Layman Beihe was renowned as one of the top combatants among contemporary cultivators, when it came to raw fighting prowess, the Martial Cultivation lineage, specializing in killing and grappling techniques, was the strongest. Even the Sword Cultivators, who claimed the path of slaughter, were slightly inferior—although Sword Cultivators preached the way of slaughter, their essence was no different from other cultivators specializing in attacking with magical artifacts. They simply chose the sword as their pure weapon, naturally granting immense power.

Martial Cultivators, however, were more diverse. Some specialized in specific weapons, and some even tempered their own bodies into the strongest weapons, capable of resisting damage from ordinary magic treasures without a scratch! If the entry barrier for Martial Cultivation hadn't been so steep, requiring the crossing of several difficult thresholds to achieve longevity, how could this lineage have vanished?

While his mind raced through myriad possibilities, another sudden turn of events unfolded.

True Man Diancang had centuries of experience, which allowed him to evade vital points at the critical moment. Simultaneously, he channeled all his power to protect his entire body, ultimately surviving Ning Ruxue's attack without being instantly killed. However, his current state was utterly wretched, and he finally realized that this woman possessed immense power, further aided by a formidable flying sword—he had clearly provoked someone he shouldn't have today.

As he rapidly retreated, he began plotting how to escape the situation. Yet, he failed to notice that his retreat path led directly toward the location of the Green Lotus Sword. Or perhaps he did notice, but relying on the fact that the Green Lotus Sword was confined within his Innate Wood Lightning Prison, he deliberately chose that direction.

That wasn't all. True Man Diancang even reached out and pressed down on the Lightning Prison. It then seemed to adhere to his hand, allowing him to lift it up. The Green Lotus Sword inside was enveloped by the lightning, appearing unable to move.

Seeing this, True Man Diancang ignored his own bleeding body, even as several wounds appeared on his cheek. He laughed wildly, "Little girl, you are formidable! I shall let you off this time, but the next time we meet, I will surely make you pay! Consider this flying sword compensation for injuring this True Man!"

Before he could finish speaking, he realized the woman had tracked him like a shadow, arriving right before him. Before he could react, both her palms struck towards his forehead and chest.

These two palms differed from the previous flurry of palm shadows; their mere aura suggested extraordinary skill, even carrying a faint, chilling edge. Ning Ruxue was employing the Drifting Snow Piercing Cloud Palm, a technique that Zhou Zhiruo had mastered best.

This palm technique was originally taught by Ye Wen to Zhou Zhiruo. However, after Zhou Zhiruo began practicing the Minor Formless Skill, she frequently sought instruction from Ning Ruxue, so Ning Ruxue was also familiar with it. This palm style did not rely on speed but surpassed the Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap Stance in subtle variations.

Startled, True Man Diancang immediately crossed his arms to block, channeling his Wood Divine Lightning through his hands. In his haste, he couldn't fully manifest the Innate Wood Divine Lightning, intending only to use the basic form for temporary defense. Yet, as soon as his hands moved up, Ning Ruxue’s palms shifted in a rapid succession of changes. True Man Diancang felt a blur before his eyes; those pale, slender palms moved like swirling snow, impossible to trace. A moment later, pain struck his chest and abdomen, followed by an intensely powerful surge of energy within his body, making his insides feel as if they were being twisted by a knife.

The Drifting Snow Piercing Cloud Palm then relaxed its change, its movements resembling snowflakes drifting with the wind, elusive and hard to grasp. With one layer of force, Ning Ruxue's entire cultivation was sword qi; thus, many inherent force variations of palm techniques could not be utilized when employing this style. But when she used this palm technique, she executed the character of "piercing" () to its utmost potential.

Ning Ruxue’s sword qi was sharp and excelled at penetration. Even if True Man Diancang had been a martial cultivator skilled in true energy body protection, it was doubtful he could withstand the two extremely potent palm strikes from Ning Ruxue.

Therefore, True Man Diancang could not fend off these two blows. His entire body was violently shoved back. However, he still clutched the Lightning Prison in his hand, refusing to let go. It was unclear if he was utterly determined to steal Ning Ruxue's flying sword, or if he felt that allowing her to reclaim it would make his current predicament even worse!

Seeing his actions, Ning Ruxue merely sneered, "You are courting death yourself!"

Hearing this, True Man Diancang tensed again, his eyes locked fiercely on Ning Ruxue, fearful that the woman would unleash some other bizarre technique. He had initially believed his superior cultivation would allow him to bully this young woman in close combat, but he was utterly defeated the moment they engaged. Furthermore, she pursued him relentlessly even after he retreated. This behavior filled him with both shock and rage, leading him to consider a terrifying possibility: "This woman is not a Sword Cultivator, but a Martial Cultivator!"

The thought instantly planted a seed of retreat in his heart. Seeing Ning Ruxue utter harsh words further terrified him. However, he reasoned that he was now prepared, and he could likely withstand whatever miraculous methods she possessed—the previous palms, though injurious, had allowed him to gauge that this woman's cultivation was not as deep as his own. He had merely misjudged the situation from the start, causing him to be on the defensive in every move.

He stared at Ning Ruxue but failed to notice the subtle change occurring in the Green Lotus Sword within the Lightning Prison he held. Ning Ruxue ceased her pursuit, instead standing back with a slight frown. The green lotus pattern on her brow suddenly flashed with brilliant light, not blinding, but surprisingly beautiful.

However, True Man Diancang had no mind for appreciation. He recalled texts stating that those with the Innate Lotus Physique often possessed special divine abilities. With the lotus light on Ning Ruxue’s brow shining so brightly, was she about to manifest some sort of power?

Just as he was bracing himself, the Lightning Prison in his hand suddenly trembled violently. Then, an endless stream of cyan-green sword qi burst forth. After escaping the Lightning Prison, the energy abruptly changed direction in mid-air and assaulted him directly.

True Man Diancang took a quick look. The sword qi released from the Lightning Prison was boundless, enveloping his entire body. The cyan sword qi nearly dyed the entire sky a shade of green. True Man Diancang’s face turned a ghastly pale green, completely devoid of blood.

"...What is happening?"

But no one answered him. Once enveloped by the overwhelming cyan-green sword qi, it instantly erupted and stabbed towards him. The surrounding crowd saw only a flash of green light, then the boundless sword qi exploded from True Man Diancang's hands, submerging him. A moment later, the roar of whistling sword qi vanished. When everyone recovered their senses, True Man Diancang was gone from the scene, leaving only a three-foot-long sword suspended in the air, faintly glowing with cyan-green light.

"Not even bones remaining?"

Seeing this scene, coupled with the pools of blood staining the ground, the onlookers concluded that True Man Diancang had been killed by this unidentified woman to the extent that not even his corpse remained. A chill ran down their spines as they regarded the circulating green longsword as truly overwhelmingly powerful.

Most present had keen insight. While True Man Diancang hadn't understood what was happening earlier, the bystanders had largely pieced it together. True Man Diancang's refusal to release the cyan longsword was his greatest mistake. Judging by the momentum, that cyan longsword was likely a divine artifact, exceptionally powerful and possessing other mysterious uses, allowing it to break free from the Lightning Prison at its master's thought—the Lightning Prison itself was intact, flashing beside the green sword and crackling. None of the onlookers could fathom how the green sword escaped without causing any damage to the Lightning Prison.

Only Layman Beihe and a few others saw clearly: as the light flashed from Ning Ruxue’s brow, the cyan longsword gradually became indistinct, ceasing to look like a real object. Then it suddenly exploded, transforming into countless beams of cyan light that shot out through the gaps in the Lightning Prison, subsequently shredding True Man Diancang.

"I wonder what this cyan sword is named; it has such a marvelous function. Its rarity is probably not less than my Heavenly River Divine Sand!"

However, Ning Ruxue was currently frowning, silent, staring at the pool of blood without uttering a word.

Ye Wen intended to speak and call out, but upon seeing Ning Ruxue’s demeanor, he immediately sensed something amiss. He released his spiritual sense, and the few people with slightly higher cultivation nearby instantly noticed it, but none commented, merely looking toward Ye Wen with curiosity.

They only perceived that the senior’s divine sense shot out and retracted quickly. Then, Ye Wen’s eyes glowed purple, and he looked toward the sky, shouting, "Still trying to flee?"

Before the words faded, a soaring sword qi erupted above his head—a purple sword qi vastly more immense than the Green Lotus Sword, shooting straight into the heavens, accompanied by the sound of a dragon’s roar. Hearing this, everyone's spirits were roused, and they looked up to the sky.

The sky seemed affected by the pervasive sword qi; what was otherwise unremarkable suddenly distorted, and a figure materialized—it was none other than True Man Diancang. This old specter had clearly used some unknown technique to escape a great distance before death. If Ning Ruxue’s divine sense, connected to the Green Lotus Sword, hadn't sensed something amiss, and if Ye Wen's master-sister hadn't been perceptive enough to react promptly, everyone might have believed the old ghost was utterly annihilated.

As the Zixiao Sword released boundless sword qi soaring upward, even those standing far away felt the torrential qi scrape painfully against their cheeks. Looking upon the identity-unknown young man now, they were filled with fear and reverence, realizing they had misjudged him completely before.

"Such strength; no wonder Layman Beihe treated him with such courtesy!"

The cultivation world was, in fact, quite pragmatic. If you possess strength, you naturally command respect. Once Ye Wen revealed his might, everyone was inwardly shocked. Even Layman Beihe and the relatively prepared Xuan Ningzi and Liu Tao looked on with wide-eyed horror, gazing up at the formidable sword light.

Under the radiance of such a powerful sword light, how could the severely wounded True Man Diancang possibly survive?

Yet, at that precise moment, a streak of blood-red sword light flew from an unknown location. This beam faintly revealed wisps of black energy as it abruptly emerged from the void, aiming directly for Ye Wen’s Zixiao Sword. The posture suggested an intent to intercept Ye Wen's Zixiao Sword and save True Man Diancang.

Ye Wen hadn't expected anyone to come to the old ghost’s rescue, so he was slightly surprised. But in his eyes, anyone who engaged him was an enemy, and he showed no mercy to enemies. He cared nothing for whether this beam of light originated from a righteous faction. Since True Man Diancang had already attacked him, he had to die; letting him escape would surely invite endless future trouble.

He had already discerned that True Man Diancang was not a good person, and wicked people usually held grudges and resorted to any means necessary. The Shu Mountain Sect was in its nascent stages; if someone was constantly plotting against him, how could he cultivate in peace?

"Not only must he die, but the one attempting the rescue must also suffer!"

With this decision made, he exerted even more force! Previously, his connection with the Zixiao Sword relied purely on the atmospheric resonance; the power of the Zixiao Sword depended on how much spiritual energy was used during its condensation—the power exerted then was fixed and could not be increased later.

Now, having achieved Divine Sense, things were vastly different. A wondrous connection had formed between him and the Zixiao Sword. Not only was his control far more fluid, but his own spiritual power could now be channeled through this Divine Sense directly into the Zixiao Sword. This not only amplified the Zixiao Sword's power significantly but also endowed it with many new variations.

As the thought arose, a faint purple light flickered in Ye Wen’s eyes. The Zixiao Sword not only burst forth with even stronger sword qi but also increased its speed slightly.

What shocked True Man Diancang even more was that the Zixiao Sword subtly shifted its trajectory, tracing a bizarre path in the air to evade the red sword light slashing horizontally towards him, before continuing at full speed to engulf True Man Diancang!

"...Ah!"

Everyone below saw it clearly: the time elapsed from Ye Wen urging his longsword forward to slaying True Man Diancang was almost instantaneous. Many variables had unfolded during that short span. They knew that if they had been in the same situation, their attack might have been intercepted by that red sword light, allowing True Man Diancang to escape.

They never expected the senior’s sword light could maneuver so flexibly in the air to evade the red light’s interception, and more importantly, without reducing its speed, directly executing and killing True Man Diancang.

What astonished them further was that after slaying True Man Diancang, the purple sword light made another turn in the air, heading back towards the red sword light, apparently intending to deal with the interloper who struck halfway through.

The expressions of the crowd flickered. They thought this senior was perhaps too audacious; before even seeing who had attacked, he dared to punish that person, unafraid of making an enemy?

After all, True Man Diancang had cultivated for centuries, and given the current state of the cultivation world, it wasn't impossible that an expert from some major sect might have deliberately intervened to block the attack. If True Man Diancang lived, he could be recruited into a sect or even kept as a pawn outside—a worthwhile prospect for those major orthodox leaders. Thus, the leaders of the righteous sects might not necessarily refrain from intervening.

A cautious person might be content with killing True Man Diancang, but regarding the individual who hadn't even shown their true form—since they couldn't kill them right now anyway, it might be better to let them leave, avoiding future awkwardness if they met again.

However, Ye Wen’s thinking differed from theirs. He only believed that since this person had intervened, and he had managed to kill True Man Diancang despite the interference, enmity had already been established. Therefore, showing restraint was unnecessary; it was better to let the intervener understand his might and become wary of him.

With his mind set, the Zixiao Sword turned directly and collided with the red sword light, resulting in a world-shaking clang!

At that moment, the red sword light, upon being struck, suddenly transformed, releasing a torrent of black mist. Faint, terrifying howls emanated from the black mist, making listeners feel nauseous, dizzy, and mentally sluggish. Layman Beihe’s face changed drastically upon seeing this. He quickly shouted, "Senior, beware! That is the Nine Heavens Demonic Blood God Sword!"