With a sharp report, the black sword light, carrying an endless tide of darkness, suddenly plunged from the sky. The long spear in Yuan Fei's hand instantly dissolved into countless fragments of powder, and his entire body burst forth with countless bloody gashes.

When the black tide completely receded, Yuan Fei could no longer maintain his stance. He staggered back over a dozen paces, both hands stained crimson with blood, trembling slightly. He forced a breath to stay upright, swallowing a mouthful of bitter blood back down.

Then, his eyes bloodshot, he stared fixedly at his opponent, as if in disbelief that the world-shattering sword strike had been dealt by the person opposite him.

Jueyu, however, remained utterly composed, summoning the black greatsword back before him.

"Brother Yuan, I yield!"

The entire spatial rift fell into a profound silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Every disciple of the Cangsheng Dao looked utterly crestfallen. Yuan Fei, at the peak of the Seventh Tier, wielding a spear that was nearly unrivaled within the sect—many had personally experienced its might—was defeated by Jueyu in a single exchange.

Chu Xue’s breath hitched. She had been cursing Yuan Fei, wishing him a crushing defeat, but she hadn't expected him to be beaten so miserably! Though annoyed by Yuan Fei's rudeness, she knew the Cangsheng Dao had just suffered a massive humiliation.

Fang Wen's gaze turned sharply cold as he scrutinized Jueyu once more. He seemed surprised by the unexpected strength of the Sword Prince’s technique, and perhaps also by his ruthlessness. After a moment of thought, Fang Wen waved his sleeve toward the rear. Han Jian, standing behind him, immediately understood. He rose into the air, descending onto the stage. Unlike Yuan Fei’s arrogance, he stood holding his sword, offering a slight bow. "Han Jian of the Cangsheng Dao greets Young Master Jue—"

Before the words were finished, Jueyu cut him off directly. "If you are not Tan Qiu, what benefit is there in me fighting you?"

Han Jian paused, a flicker of displeasure crossing his eyes, but it vanished in half a breath, replaced by a calm smile. "Young Master Jue. Within the Cangsheng Dao, Tan Qiu is not the only one skilled in the sword. Whether I am your match can only be known through a test!"

Jueyu raised an eyebrow, then gave a cold laugh. "Then be warned!"

As the words fell, the black greatsword suddenly erupted with countless black threads. As the sword shadows sprang forth, the entire spatial rift shuddered momentarily.

Han Jian’s brow twitched as he surveyed the scene. Then, his entire demeanor shifted, becoming vast and empty like the void itself, accommodating all things, humble and profound.

The sword light soared a hundred zhang high, then subtly retracted, becoming more substantial. It then transformed into layers of dense, overlapping sword shadows before him, seemingly slicing and twisting the very space in front of him!

Disciples from the Lingyun Sect who recognized the technique let out sounds of delight. They identified it as the sect's secret inheritance, the Grand Sumeru Sword Style, personally created by the Cangsheng Dao Ancestor, heralded as the sect's number one defensive sword art—a Heaven-Shaking level martial art of the Ninth Tier!

Nearby spectators also murmured in surprise, many faces taking on a serious, concentrated look.

Jueyu’s expression did not change. But the moment the black sword light sliced into the layers of sword tide, the entangling fine threads suddenly transformed into countless black lightning bolts, erupting outward and spreading madly, shattering all the hundreds of sword shadows. All the warped space instantly pulverized!

The greatsword itself morphed into a ten-zhang-long beam of sword light, cleaving through the heavens, annihilating everything! It advanced almost effortlessly; no matter how the sword shadows attempted to resist, they were annihilated and shredded! Finally, it brushed past Han Jian’s neck as lightly as air, leaving a thin red line.

All color drained from Han Jian’s face. The sword in his hand trembled along with him. Although the Eighth Tier spiritual weapon hadn't shattered, its blade was now riddled with countless nicks. He knew that in a true fight to the death, his head would have already been severed!

The entire assembly of spectators gasped again. Many Cangsheng Dao disciples stared at the scene in disbelief. Yuan Fei's defeat could perhaps be attributed to surprise. But Han Jian, having been fully prepared, was still felled by a single strike from Jueyu. Their faces turned pale and ashen; it felt as if they had been slapped across the face. They were left feeling lost and uncertain. These two were already outstanding figures within their sect. Xie Anxuan and the others following them were likely not much stronger. If they couldn't even withstand Jueyu’s single sword strike, what face did the Cangsheng Dao have left?

Jueyu paid them no mind, summoning the black greatsword back with a thought. He stated calmly, "Your swordsmanship is good, and the Grand Sumeru Sword of the Cangsheng Dao is indeed exquisite. However, your cultivation of the Sword Intent is rather unsatisfactory! You have flaws everywhere but insist on pushing forward—you brought this humiliation upon yourself. If you wish to be my opponent, wait until you have cultivated the Sumeru Sword Intent to its peak!"

Han Jian’s face first turned deathly pale, then flushed bright red. Although the Grand Sumeru Sword was a Ninth Tier martial art, a secret inheritance of the sect, his mastery of its Intent was indeed insufficient. In Buddhism, Sumeru is the abode of the 'Heavenly Emperor,' a colossal mountain eighty-four thousand yojanas high. However, Xi Zi named this sword style using these characters to evoke the meaning of 'a mustard seed containing Sumeru.' The Sumeru Sword Intent was, in essence, the Void Sword Intent, one of the most difficult concepts to grasp in all martial philosophies. Thus, although the sect possessed this Ninth Tier, Heaven-Shaking sword art, touted as the supreme defensive technique, very few practiced it. Jueyu’s words were entirely accurate. Had it been another sword technique he favored, he might have held out for a moment longer. Feeling he had no face left to remain, Han Jian bowed slightly and retreated.

Chu Xue gasped in sharp intake of breath. When Han Jian unleashed that sword strike, she had almost believed that nothing in the world could break through those dense layers of sword shadows. Yet, he still lost, so cleanly and decisively! Her scalp tingled, and the thought of facing such an opponent herself soon made her heart pound with dread. She suspected that if she stepped onto the stage, the opponent would only need to flick a finger to send her tumbling.

While lost in these anxious thoughts, she suddenly felt a hand clap her shoulder.

"Xue'er, don't tell me you’re scared?"

Chu Xue jumped, turning around to see Zong Shou standing beside her with a faint smile. She first let out a sigh of relief, then frowned in confusion. "Young Master, weren't you in seclusion attempting to break through to the Day Roaming Realm? Why are you out?" Zong Shou’s aura currently registered well below the Seventh Tier.

"Just the final step away. I happened to hear Jueyu arrived, and since I had something to tell you anyway, I came out for some fresh air!" Zong Shou replied casually, his gaze fixed on Jueyu's direction. He clicked his tongue in admiration. "This Jueyu is truly formidable! Truly worthy of being the Sword Peer who will sweep through the three thousand worlds in the future—" The latter part was a soft mumble that Chu Xue didn't catch, leaving her utterly bewildered. "What about sweeping through three thousand worlds?"

"Nothing!" Zong Shou shook his head, then extended his hand. "Give me all the Earth Sinking Talismans, Spirit Sealing Talismans, and everything else you have!"

Chu Xue looked slightly surprised, but then, without much hesitation, she tore off all the talismans on her body and handed them to Zong Shou. In an instant, she felt a distinct change in her body. All the burdens were lifted, and she felt incredibly light. With the Spirit Sealing Talisman removed, the barrier between her soul energy and the spiritual energy of the world dissolved. Previously, to maintain her body, she had to constantly exert every ounce of effort to touch and control the world's spiritual energy while hovering just above the ground. Now, without any conscious effort, the surrounding celestial energies surged toward her, cheering within her body.

Zong Shou crushed the dozen-plus talismans with a casual squeeze. He then asked with renewed effect, "Don't you feel like you can fly now?"

Chu Xue looked blank for a moment, then nodded with certainty. She felt incomparably buoyant, and without the constraints, she had a sensation of almost floating away. She had the illusion that she could ascend without even using her inner breath or relying on soul power.

"Then do you still remember the single sword strike I used when I met your maternal grandfather?"

Chu Xue’s pupils contracted. How could she forget? That one strike Zong Shou had made her commit to memory—she had never forgotten it, still recalling every detail of that night.

"The adept attacker moves from the Nine Heavens above!"

—Immensely agile, leaving no trace, light and ethereal! It was that very strike that allowed Zong Shou, with less than Pre-Celestial combat power, to slice off half of Hu Qianqiu's sleeve.

"Now, Xue'er, do you have the confidence to unleash a strike like that?"

Chu Xue’s fists clenched tightly, her right hand instinctively reaching for the sword hilt at her waist. Her heart surged. This sword style, whenever she recalled it before, only brought frustration and a sense of impossibility. The deeper her martial arts progressed, the more she felt that strike’s profundity shouldn't exist in the world. Yet, now, she suddenly felt confident, as if she finally possessed the capacity to execute that move!

"Let me lend you another hand!"

Zong Shou chuckled softly and then lightly touched a golden talisman onto Chu Xue's forehead. Chu Xue’s sharp eyes recognized the character on the talisman as "Fortune" ($\text{}$), and the character above it seemed to be 'Prayer' ($\text{}$). Her almond eyes widened, staring intently at Zong Shou.

Zong Shou slightly turned his head, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Don't worry! It’s the improved version. The bad luck won't strike for another three hours. That's better than going up there and being humiliated—"

Just then, Xie An was seen stepping onto the stage. This challenger, his expression grave, first summoned several guards one by one, then brought forth a silver shield before standing before Jueyu.