...Chapter 444: Yuan Yi Yin Sword (Seeking Recommendations and Monthly Votes) "Do you dare to fight me fairly?" When the words fell, the disciples of the Cangsheng Dao present were all momentarily stunned. Then, in the next instant, Luo Shi let out a cold laugh.

"A fair fight? You have no shame!

Chief, ignore him—" If the gap between the Fifth and Sixth Ranks was ten times, then the difference between the Seventh and Eighth Ranks was nearly a hundred times! The three of them, though they had been coveting the position of Chief Disciple of Tan Qiu’s Cangsheng Palace to the point of drooling, had never intended to bully the weak.

Even if they decided to challenge him, they would wait until Tan Qiu had already crossed this threshold. Xuan Shu, Xuan Chi, and Xuan Ye’s Xie An and others also had grim expressions.

Ji Lingzi paid them no mind, his gaze piercing, as if trying to bore a hole through Zong Shou. Zong Shou himself felt a stir of interest, eager to experience the Tai Ling Sect’s secret sword art—the Taiqing Riding the Wind Sword—once more!

Wielded by a core disciple like Ji Lingzi, it would certainly allow him a comprehensive view and offer a completely different kind of experience. But upon closer thought, it wasn't worth it.

To blindly agree just because someone requested a match offered no real benefit. Before that Divine Realm expert, he probably couldn't even kill anyone, rendering many killing moves unusable.

Agreeing would be foolish. Without a fight to the death, the utility for honing his swordsmanship was minimal.

With a cold sneer, a hint of disdainful mockery touched the corners of Zong Shou’s lips. Ji Lingzi’s expression shifted.

Realizing Zong Shou’s intent—how dare the defeated speak so boldly? The group fight was already won, why bother with a single combat?

Still unwilling to concede, he suddenly gritted his teeth. From his Qiankun Pouch, he produced two items and tossed them out.

"I'll wager this Divine Beast Egg as well. I wonder if you dare, Tan Qiu?" Zong Shou’s eyes immediately narrowed slightly.

He looked at the two objects suspended to the side: a fist-sized tortoise egg, pale black, its shell covered in dense, intricate purple-gold runes. "—This is a Xuanming Tortoise Egg?" The entire Black Spirit Valley instantly fell silent.

While this beast egg wasn't a true Divine Beast, it was close enough. Zong Shou’s eyes also brightened.

This was a case of unintentional good fortune. That time, when the transaction for the Xuanyin Tortoise near the Cangsheng Dao Palace market failed, he was now seeing something with a bloodline even closer to that of the Black Tortoise.

Once hatched, the Xuanming Tortoise Egg would truly be at the peak of the Sixth Rank, completely on par with the Crimson Fire Golden Phoenix Egg. This stake was indeed tempting enough to move him.

His decision made, Zong Shou then looked upwards. In the next moment, a cold voice drifted down.

"A sword duel is fine, but no lives are to be taken!" Zong Shou’s brow flickered. The voice was unfamiliar, not like Han Fang’s.

He had actually expected the Tai Ling Sect ancestor to take advantage of the situation and let them fight to the death, leaving fate to decide. He couldn't help but curl his lip; it was somewhat regrettable that he couldn't take this man’s life on this occasion.

Nevertheless, he leaped down from the Silver Scaled Wind-Treading Beast and casually thrust the door-panel-sized crimson greatsword into the ground! That standard-issue Black Dragon Sword was meant to be used in coordination with the Cangsheng Black Dragon Guard formation.

Like the Blood Cloud Armor and Blood Cloud Halberd, it was merely a pseudo-Fifth Rank spirit artifact. That was why it couldn't cut through the Profound Iron Wenshan Armor earlier.

If he truly intended to fight, he needed to change his weapon. Drawing out the Fire Yin Sword, Zong Shou walked towards Ji Lingzi.

Having switched identities within the Cangsheng Dao, this sword had also been disguised. After he had refined the Heavenly Gold Blood Silver for Han Xi that time, Zong Shou had also taken the opportunity to wrap a layer of this spiritual gold around the bone sword, functioning like a scabbard that could be removed when not in use.

When sheathed, it only slightly affected the sword's weight and sharpness. Just as he took his stance, a cold glint flashed in Ji Lingzi’s eyes.

Streaks of sword shadows, as if dissolved into the wind, suddenly shot toward him! In an instant, the incredibly sharp sword energy rushed toward Zong Shou’s neck!

Zong Shou’s brow lifted, and his own sword swept out. A dull clang rang out.

It was a near miss, struck at the very last moment, just managing to deflect the sword light. At this point, the surrounding Cangsheng Dao disciples finally breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Xuan Ye let out a cold snort: "The height of disgrace!" That attack was practically a sneak assault. From the standpoint of mortal enemies, it was unavoidable.

But for a martial artist, it was shameless. Their contempt for Ji Lingzi’s character was absolute.

Among the crowd, even Yong Qin looked worried. She couldn't fathom what Tan Qiu was thinking.

Did this fellow truly believe he could win the Xuanming Tortoise Egg? Even possessing the ultimate Sword Intent, defeating a Seventh Rank opponent while only being Sixth Rank was difficult; why insist on fighting this man?

This was immediately followed by a continuous stream of clinking sounds. Like rain hitting banana leaves, countless sword auras scattered everywhere.

Streaks of sword energy carved numerous deep marks into the stone walls on either side. Even the Cangsheng Dao and Tai Ling Sect members nearby had to retreat dozens of feet.

However, astonishment grew in everyone’s eyes. Ji Lingzi’s sword shadows were so fast they were nearly impossible to follow.

In a single breath, he could unleash twenty or thirty ceaseless strikes. This Taiqing Riding the Wind Sword was indeed terrifyingly powerful; although the sword speed was extreme, the power did not diminish in the slightest.

Instead, each strike was faster than the last, the sword light dancing upon the wind, stirring up a vortex of fierce winds around Tan Qiu. Possessing destructive power entirely comparable to the charging impact of those two cavalry teams not long ago, it ravaged everything around them!

Yet, Tan Qiu, within the storm, remained composed. His speed was naturally far inferior to Ji Lingzi’s, a gap beyond reasonable measure.

But the sword shadows that had turned into raging wind could always be easily blocked. Gradually, a circular sword barrier formed around him.

It was only one zhang wide, yet it was like a pool of lightning, absolutely impassable! No matter how Ji Lingzi charged or struck, it never dissipated or warped.

It was as if an attractive force was slowly drawing in the spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth. The sword auras Ji Lingzi unleashed, upon entering this sword circle, often vanished without a trace, as if naturally capable of devouring everything.

Those watching from the side gradually discerned something. Earlier, they had assumed Zong Shou could hold out due to the astonishing prediction derived from his extremely high level of martial arts.

Now, they realized the sword art Zong Shou displayed was genuinely extraordinary. Those who recognized its quality, like Xuan Ye and Luo Shi, became grave.

This sword art was nearly unparalleled in defense, and it seemed to incorporate several different sword shadows merged into one. Even with its existing flaws, if they were the opponent, they felt they could find no way to break through this one-zhang sword circle.

Overhead, two surprised exclamations sounded in succession. It was unclear whether they came from Han Fang or Qiu Yunzi.

Two vast streams of spiritual consciousness fluctuated again. Moreover, it could faintly be perceived that several other, more hidden and powerful intentions had descended upon the area.

Zong Shou, at this moment, was reveling! He hadn't felt this exhilarating in a long time, letting his swordsmanship flow freely, his sword rising almost on impulse!

This inner armor, combined with the steel pillar exoskeleton, could indeed withstand the true energy impact of a Seventh Rank expert! His muscles, tendons, and even his blood and bones were enduring immense pressure, but it was no longer the near bone-shattering feeling he experienced on Julong Mountain.

He could contend with this Ji Lingzi, and he was adapting better and better. Previously, he had barely kept up; now, he could easily intercept and neutralize Ji Lingzi's sword strikes ahead of time.

In this world, after struggling diligently for nearly two years, today he could finally contend with and vie for supremacy against these Seventh Rank experts! Even more gratifying was that this sword art, which he had deduced in his previous life and continuously refined in this one, could finally be used in actual combat today!

And its effect seemed very good. Immediately afterward, Zong Shou stopped focusing on his own sword.

With no thought, he let instinct take over. He was focusing more on observing the mysteries of the Taiqing Riding the Wind Sword, a look of excited curiosity shining in his eyes.

He had prior experience: to secretly learn a sword art, one must first observe the sword intent, then examine the sword path. Capture the spirit first, then learn the form.

This way, even without knowing the specific core techniques, one could likely steal the majority of it! With every clash, Zong Shou could gauge the circulation of the opponent's true qi within the meridian wheel through the mutual impact of their true energy.

After only two hundred-plus sword exchanges, a rough diagram of the internal breath cycle faintly appeared in his mind. However, just then, a cold snort echoed from the void again.

"Useless thing! Are you planning to let that boy fully learn our Tai Ling Sect’s Taiqing Riding the Wind Sword just to be satisfied?" Ji Lingzi was startled at first, then his form drifted backward, retreating twenty zhang.

By this time, the area surrounding the two was already a ruin, pockmarked with pits. A stretch of ground had been planed smooth for dozens of zhang.

The stone walls on either side were precarious, on the verge of collapse. Only the area immediately around Zong Shou remained perfectly intact, precisely one zhang in radius!

Ji Lingzi took a deep breath again, suppressing the turbulence in his heart. The Eighth Rank spirit sword in his hand grew brighter and more dazzling.

"What sword art is this? Why have I never heard of it?" Zong Shou squinted, knowing the opponent was gathering strength.

The next strike would likely be the deciding blow, but he paid it little mind and answered blandly, "It's normal that you haven't heard of it. This is the Yuan Yi Yin Sword, a sword art I created myself!" The way of Heaven and Earth—from one comes two, from two comes three, from three comes all creation.

His sword, the confluence of myriad streams, could naturally divide into one and two, separating the sword into Yin and Yang. This insight was inspired by the Great Sun Yin Yang Dharma Aspect he had recently been studying.

*JRM