With one sword block, Zong Shou was bewildered, looking upward. His eyes were filled with strangeness.

“Hiccup, why are you trying to stab me with your sword? I haven't provoked anyone around you.” Hearing this, those who had just been astonished by Zong Shou’s reaction and sword speed felt a jolt in their hearts, privately thinking that this Young City Lord must have been drunk senseless.

The old man in black, startled for a moment, then laughed in anger. Two streaks of black sword shadow, one after the other, pierced toward him again. Having his Hidden Sword Killing Art seen through, he simply stopped concealing it; the sharp swords moved swiftly, stirring up gusts of sharp whistling sounds. The raw wind and fierce air generated as they pierced the void were enough to lift the paving stones of the green-strip quarry-tiled ground.

Zong Shou blinked, and almost instinctively, the long sword in his hand lightly tapped, exactly hitting the tip of the black sword shadow.

Just as he was about to guide it away with a slight nudge, he felt a clinging force surge toward him. The black flying sword actually began to revolve around his own blade, aiming directly for his wrist.

“Heh heh, this Sword Control Art is rather interesting!”

Zong Shou’s eyes immediately brightened. He wasn't panicked until the fierce sword wind was pressing right against his wrist. The sword in his hand suddenly vibrated and undulated like a nimble snake, using that rebounding force to directly shake the black sword shadow away. Then, with another tap, he struck the second black longsword.

Instantly came another sharp clang! In the moment of collision, the second black sword attempted to coil upwards just like the first one. But before it could even entangle him, a spiraling qi blast erupted, forcibly knocking it away.

In an instant, dust and sand billowed, carving out a hundred-zhang-deep pit in the green stone ground!

Having driven back those two swords almost with a casual wave, Zong Shou’s consciousness vaguely grasped something, suddenly snatching hold of a realization. Then, his eyes flashed with the brilliance of the sun.

“Ah, I understand. You are people of the Demonic Mountain Sect! I’ve killed several of yours; no wonder you tried to ambush me. Right! Right! That Kui Qi from before was probably the same, though I think I cut him down?”

Just as the black-clad elder’s eyes were ready to split with rage, Zong Shou’s entire aura abruptly shifted, becoming peerlessly sharp, as if he had transformed into the sword itself—unrivaled and supreme! An ineffable, violent intent permeated him. And in Zong Shou’s eyes, raging flames similarly surged, his murderous intent fully displayed.

“But it’s fine if you move against me, yet you had to try and scheme against my Yiren. Such are the methods of the Mo Family. However, this anger cannot be quelled. If I can’t defeat you, I must at least beat you up thoroughly to feel satisfied!”

As the word ‘satisfied’ left his lips, the Nine Lin Sword at Zong Shou’s waist already slid from its sheath into the air. The phantom image of a nine-headed Qilin vaguely appeared, instantly blossoming with immeasurable flame splendor. Without any fancy moves, he slashed directly toward the black-clad elder with a single strike.

Wei Xu uttered an 'Mm,' raising his eyebrows slightly. He felt as though a significant portion of his soul power had been 'borrowed' in that instant.

“To borrow at will, and yet control it so fluidly. This ability is truly extraordinary.”

While borrowing momentum in martial arts is already difficult, borrowing 'soul power' is even harder. The only means to achieve it is through the aid of cultivation techniques or spirit arrays.

The Nine Lin Sword was unmistakably wielding the Great Sun Sword Intent. A billion li of heavenly gulf separated them, yet it took only an instant.

Just as Wei Xu was letting out his gasp of surprise and the black-clad elder lifted his head, the Nine Lin Sword had already transformed into light and arrived in a slashing attack.

The elder’s gaze narrowed, and then from his sleeve, another sword shadow shot out like a viper’s tongue. Narrower than two fingers, moving too fast to be perceived, it clashed directly against the edge of the Nine Lin Sword.

Those below only heard a muffled thunderclap explode. Even the sound of their own weapons clashing was entirely drowned out.

For the dozen or so Profound Martial Grandmasters, even standing before the Iron Barrier Hall—immeasurably sturdy and endowed with natural protective energy that suppressed all true qi and spiritual energy—it felt almost unbearable.

And the black-clad elder, though still suspended in the void, caused the ground fifty zhang below him to be violently pressed down, creating an indentation a hundred zhang wide and over twenty zhang deep.

Only then did they realize that the seemingly calm and placid exchange between these two combatants possessed such tremendous power! Because they had condensed all their true qi and spiritual energy to the extreme, leaking none externally, their movements appeared effortless and unremarkable, devoid of any outward imposing presence.

“Demonic Kui Remnant Sword—another lily-livered one. When did your Demonic Mountain Sect become the Demonic Kui Sect?”

Zong Shou laughed loudly, unconsciously mocking in his mind. He held the Thunder Wing Sword, standing on the void.

Below, Lin Shina couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle. As someone from the demonic path, she understood the internal situation of the Demon Sects well. Ten thousand years ago, the Demonic Kui Sect was a supreme great sect, comparable to the Grand Spirit Sect. Later, its influence waned, and its scattered remnants dispersed. A portion of its founding scripture, the Demonic Kui Sword Codex, fell into the hands of the Demonic Mountain Sect. At first, it was fine, but later, those practicing the Demonic Kui Remnant Sword came to constitute seventy percent of the Demonic Mountain Sect’s disciples, causing them to be ridiculed by the cultivation world and numerous practitioners for a long time.

Suddenly, her distaste for her son-in-law lessened considerably. However, in the next moment, the color drained entirely from Lin Shina’s face.

She saw Zong Shou’s speed increasing, rushing toward the black-clad elder without any regard for his own life!

The elder also let out a cold sneer. The two black sword shadows in the void slashed horizontally. The two-fingered soft sword in his hand also struck out. Where it was previously strange and swift, the sword momentum was now sluggish, as if an immense mountain was pressing down upon the blade. With ease, he forcibly batted away the Nine Lin Sword that had once again charged in.

Immediately followed by an exclamation of surprise: Zong Shou’s figure, upon reaching forty zhang, seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving only an afterimage in place.

In his spiritual sense, however, he perceived a sharp, piercing aura passing through the black sword curtain at a speed beyond human thought, aimed straight for him.

Almost without hesitation, the elder withdrew his original sword intent, and the two-fingered sword instantly returned to its strange, rapid state.

He could no longer discern Zong Shou’s figure, so he thrust his full strength into a single sword strike toward the approximate location.

If you wish to kill me, you must first die!

Indeed, before the light image arrived, it was forced into a sharp turn, and the sword qi shifted again, sweeping down from the air.

This time, the black-clad elder reacted without thinking, stabbing back with his sword. This clash happened almost by sheer coincidence.

Then, a deafening burst of energy exploded! Countless scattered sword energies and wind blades swept out in all directions. Wherever they touched solid objects, they were instantly crushed and disintegrated. The previously square and neat mountaintop was instantly covered in sword scars.

Zong Shou was only forced back slightly before the sword wind struck again. His fourth-tier Thunder Wing Sword was nearly pushed to its absolute limit. The beast soul within the sword, the Thunder Wing Yang Serpent, also manifested outside the blade!

The swords of the two were nearly equal in speed and equally fierce. They exchanged blows in the void nearly a hundred times in a flash.

Even the Nine Lin Sword was ceaselessly clashing and colliding with the two black sword shadows. The sounds of blades meeting were continuous, like jade beads striking a plate. However, the sound itself was terribly piercing. It seemed that those with insufficient cultivation, like Xuan Yuan Yiren, had already retreated into the Iron Barrier Hall.

And the figure of Zong Shou, visible to the crowd, surprisingly remained fixed in place. His entire body gradually shone brightly, like a blazing sun suspended in the sky. The sword he thrust out was like an unending stream of light being shot forth.

Vast bolts of lightning poured down from the void, coiling around Zong Shou’s figure and strengthening the Thunder Wing Yang Serpent to its maximum, twisting and surging around the sword blade. It had almost recovered to the peak of its life when it was this fourth-tier spirit beast. Driven by the power of the lightning, the sword speed was pushed another thirty percent!

Others didn't notice much, but the black-clad elder’s pupils had shrunk to pinpricks. He had just managed to adapt to Zong Shou’s speed rhythm, but unexpectedly, his opponent could still push another level higher!

At this moment, despite possessing a lifetime of skill, he couldn't or didn't have the time to use it; he couldn't even recall it. Only the Demonic Kui Remnant Sword could be pushed faster, faster! Wei Xu straightened his tilted Confucian cap and muttered thoughtfully, “Furious Thunder Sword Intent, Great Sun Sword Intent. The two sword intents have actually merged into one. No wonder he had the confidence to create his own sword technique, merging a hundred schools into one. If my Second Senior Brother found out, he would surely be too ashamed to show his face. When did he achieve this? I can’t recall—it must have been after reaching the Celestial Rank. Heh, I wonder if that Sword Sect Master will jump up in anger when he finds out later? The saying goes, ‘a bird in hand is worth two in the bush’; Master, just as you said, you indeed possess discerning vision, being astute and decisive. However, although this person isn't a sword cultivator, his swordsmanship is truly formidable. For Zong Shou’s body to still not collapse now—is it because of that spiraling qi force? It’s a marvel he could devise such a miraculous technique to break through the barrier between Heaven and Man. Well, three breaths left, three breaths at most, and he will reach his limit. Otherwise, this child’s body will collapse…”

The intersecting sword energies, almost in a sweeping motion, completely flattened the summit of Mount Xuan. The residual qi alone shaved ten zhang off the mountain peak spanning ten thousand zhang north to south!

Xuan Yuan Tong could initially suppress and protect, but after only a few dozen breaths, he gradually and helplessly retreated into the Iron Barrier Hall, focusing only on firmly guarding the stone palace. Only when the sword light slashed down, threatening to cleave the entire massive Mount Xuan in two, did he finally act, striking out with one punch to shatter it!

Yet even so, the thousand-zhang Mount Xuan continued to tremble incessantly. Countless dirt and sand rolled down, throwing Xuan Shan City below into chaos.

In the very next instant, the ball of blazing sun that Zong Shou’s body had transformed into finally shattered.

A two-fingered soft sword, spitting out sword qi as if magnified a thousandfold, completely shredded the 'Great Sun.'

And Zong Shou’s figure was sent flying back over two hundred zhang. More than half of his clothing was shredded, and several sword wounds, deep enough to expose bone, had appeared.

The black-clad elder, with a look of disdain, flicked his sleeve, scattering the blood mist before him.

Those behind Xuan Yuan Tong turned pale. They knew Zong Shou had ultimately lost. Wei Xu shook his head, preparing to intervene.

But the next moment, they only heard Zong Shou’s crazed humming sound: “You son of a coward, you’ve truly made me furious this time!” (To be continued)