Though momentarily stunned, Jue Yu quickly recovered. A faint hint of joy actually surfaced in his eyes. More so, there was confusion. He had never encountered this martial intent from Zong Shou before, yet its foundation was even stronger than his Great Destruction Sword!

"Primeval One Formless Sword!"

Zong Shou answered casually, not caring in the slightest. As he spoke the words "Great Formless," a touch of self-satisfaction emerged. If this sword technique had previously only possessed the form, now, wielding it with his Nascent Soul made it truly deserving of its name. Within his divine soul resided the Five Elements, the entirety of Heaven and Earth, lacking nothing—Wind, Thunder, Light, Darkness. It was genuinely capable of mimicking any sword technique, any cultivation method. He eagerly anticipated this technique reaching a new level of sublimation today.

"Great Formless? Did you create it yourself?"

Jue Yu considered it for a moment, realizing this was likely the same sword art Tan Qiu had used to defeat Ji Lingzi in the Black Spirit Valley a year and a half ago. It probably shared some connection with the Buddhist Small Formless Sword, but the switch from 'Small' to 'Great' showed ambitious intent. He then scrutinized Zong Shou’s entire body, frowning deeply.

"You are not a sword cultivator, nor do you follow the path of the Sword Soul. To fight using your divine soul—Tan Qiu, are you trying to insult me?"

"My martial cultivation is only at the sixth rank. Is the Sword Young Master suggesting I fight with my physical body?"

Jue Yu’s expression instantly froze in surprise. Zong Shou, however, was growing impatient; the will to fight within him could no longer be suppressed!

"Enough prattle. I’m moving now—watch out!"

The word 'intent' had barely fallen before the sword light in his hand erupted. It was precisely the first move used against Chu Xue—light, ethereal, like an immortal descending from beyond the heavens! In the space of a hundred zhang, it crossed the distance in less than a thousandth of a single breath!

To those who had witnessed this sword strike before, it felt like something entirely different. Truly descending from the cosmos, not a sword of the mortal realm. Although the path of the blade was direct, the feeling was extraordinarily ethereal, as if it could transform into myriad shapes, leaving no trace to grasp!

Jue Yu’s pupils contracted, and he roared a single word: "Good!" The newly drawn black broadsword simultaneously radiated a thousand zhang of dark light. Immeasurable black tides rose from empty space. If Zong Shou's sword was agile, almost illusory, then Jue Yu’s was tyrannical and profound, its force savage, capable of destroying everything!

Before the sword shadows even clashed, their martial intents collided with a deafening roar. Boundless, uncontrolled intent scattered outward in all directions! It seemed to materialize, darting around like bolts of lightning. Some unfortunate sixth-rank cultivators groaned, spitting blood from their mouths and noses. Even the seventh-rank cultivators turned deathly pale after being struck by this chaotic sword intent.

Subsequently, everyone below the eighth rank instinctively retreated, fleeing as far as possible from the two combatants.

Then, after a moment, a light keng sounded. At the very spot where Zong Shou and Jue Yu stood, the entirety of stable space began to collapse! Centered on the point of sword-light intersection, it shattered piece by piece, like broken glass. Vast swathes of black ripples spread outwards!

The two remained within, utterly unconcerned. Their sword intents, having climbed to the peak, fiercely resisted the spatial fissures! They repelled the approaching black lines! However, the spatial cracks continued to propagate, twisting and fracturing the surrounding space-time.

The several thousand people gathered watched with ashen faces. Those with sect backing or elders present had protective measures and could remain safe. The rogue cultivators, however, were completely stripped of color, their scalps tingling with dread.

Meanwhile, Tan Qiu Jue Yu ignored everything and was already locked in fierce combat. Zong Shou's swords struck out, light and agile, weaving through the black fissures. Jue Yu offered no quarter, his Great Destruction Sword Intent, trailing the vast black tide, constantly seeking to counterattack. Almost every collision made the area more perilous, causing the spatial storm to rage more violently.

Just as the sixth-rank rogue cultivators were nearly in despair, watching themselves about to be shredded by these black rifts, a boundless, magnificent power suddenly swept over, stabilizing all nearby space once more.

Everyone looked around in astonishment, then relaxed. They saw Palace Master Fang Wen of the All-Living Palace emerge from the Heaven Realm, accompanied by numerous elders of the All-Living Dao. Though unsure exactly who had acted, they all bowed thankfully toward the opposite side in salute.

Jue Yu and Zong Shou were entirely oblivious. The two streams of sword light—one white, one dark—continued their ceaseless exchange and collision!

In the blink of an eye, countless clashes had occurred. The gale-force winds and shattered sword energies were entirely swallowed by the spatial fissures. The area occupied by the two was incomparably dangerous; one wrong move meant complete annihilation of the spirit. Yet, when drawing their swords, neither showed the slightest hesitation or doubt. They fought in close quarters, disregarding their own safety. Both sword intents continued to ascend, climbing furiously beyond the peak!

Jue Yu gradually began to laugh wildly. His fighting spirit ignited; he felt this had been the most exhilarating battle in his life!

"Thrilling! Absolutely thrilling! In two years, this fight today is the most satisfying! Nineteen Spirit Prefectures, Ten Holy Lands, over a hundred powerful figures—none compare to you, Tan Qiu! Jue Yu is serious now! I won't be able to hold back the subsequent moves!"

As his voice faded, the black sword shadow suddenly swept sideways. All the black tides violently contracted, following an incredibly profound trajectory as they swept across! Wherever the shadow passed, even the black fissures, thick as giant pythons, were sliced apart by the sword energy, unable to offer any resistance.

Zong Shou’s eyes brightened, his mind wildly surging. This was the Sword Young Master—Jue Yu! The unparalleled swordsman who swept across three thousand worlds! His battle against Chu Xue ten days ago must not have been his full effort. He had never witnessed such a deadly sword technique from him! Yet, instead of alarm, he felt joy. This was the Divine Emperor Era that later generations of genius cultivators yearned for, wishing they could be born thousands of years earlier. Heroes emerging in droves! Stars blazing brightly!

"Exactly what I wanted!"

Zong Shou smiled softly. Though he was merely a spirit body, he felt as though molten rock was surging and crashing within him. He raised the Fire Yin Sword before him, and with a slight ding, sword lights intertwined ten zhang away. Zong Shou's body leaned back slightly before immediately stopping. The black broadsword slashing towards him violently recoiled. The black energy tide seemed to lose control and spread out once more.

"What sword technique is this now?"

Jue Yu’s gaze sharpened. With a sweep and a spin, the black sword shadow descended once more. The mighty black tide gathered again, seemingly transforming into a thousand-zhang-long black giant sword. The Great Destruction Sword destroys everything, and naturally, that includes space!

Boom!

A resounding tremor shook the air. Beneath the black sword shadow, the entire space contracted and expanded like a squeezed ball, before truly shattering like glass, breaking apart piece by piece! Yet, only Zong Shou's sword and body remained standing in place.

"Primeval One Yin Sword!"

Another sword shadow pierced out. As the light arrived, the countless spatial fragments, like a recorded playback from later generations, flew backward one by one, restoring the original state. The sword light struck with peak precision precisely ten zhang away, hitting the spine of the black broadsword. Another sharp ding rang out, and the broadsword was once again repelled backward. Zong Shou also retreated half a step!

The thousands of onlookers had held their breath for the last ten breaths, watching the scene unfold with horror. Lei Dong also remained silent, his heart filled with an indescribable complexity. In just two years, had that once helpless youth grown to this extent? His sworn brother truly was overshadowed by him.

"Superb sword technique! The offense is exquisite, and the defense is even more astonishing! I wish I could trade places!"

A gasp of admiration sounded. Jue Yu didn't need to look to know that this was Dao Monarch Li Wuhui, whose fame stood equal to the Three Peerless Swords! He felt the same way. Jue Yu attacked, Zong Shou defended. In the blink of an eye, there had been seven sword strikes, each one honed to perfection, leaving a profound resonance.

The nearby spectators were variously entranced or buzzing with commentary. "What a Sword Young Master Jue Yu! Worthy of being one of the Two Peerless Swords!" "This Tan Qiu actually keeps pace with him!" "—The full might of the Great Destruction Sword is truly awe-inspiring—" "—Not a wasted trip!" "I am thrice fortunate! Jue Yu versus Tan Qiu, this battle is likely the pinnacle of sword fighting the world has witnessed in a thousand years!"

Among the dazed murmurs was Su Chen beside them, his expression vacant. "Today, I, Su Chen, truly know the difference between genius and mediocrity! I prided myself on my achievements my entire life, yet the gap between me and them is like heaven and earth!"

Finally, with a relieved huff, Su Chen suddenly summoned a golden talisman and shot it outward, piercing the void. Lei Dong’s gaze never left the battle, but he was always aware of what was happening nearby. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "What are you doing?"

"Informing Ruotao, naturally!"

Lei Dong frowned deeply. Ruotao could only mean Lingjian Ruotao, who was currently preparing to face Jue Yu in the Myriad Sword Heaven Realm—Lei Dong's nemesis!

"Why tell him?"

"You are my brother, and he is also my closest friend, Su Chen. If he misses this battle, he will surely regret it for years!" Su Chen smiled faintly, then sighed with a complex expression, "A peak sword battle like this... for sword cultivators like us, who knows how many years it will take to witness another one—"

Lei Dong fell silent, saying no more.

At that moment, within the lecture halls of the All-Living Heaven Realm, dozens of golden talismans flashed rapidly. Suddenly, the white-robed disciples, who had been studying scriptures, slammed their texts shut and surged outwards frantically. Those who could fly soared away; those walking ran like frightened beasts. Yuan Fei watched in astonishment as more than half of the disciples attending the lecture vanished instantly. He was utterly bewildered and quickly grabbed a passing peer.

"What’s happening? You’re skipping class?"

He knew that outside the Heaven Realm, Zong Shou was likely fighting fiercely with Jue Yu, and the outcome of their duel was certainly worth watching. However, this time was different from the last; ten days ago, the Academy Master permitted stopping lessons to observe the battle. Now, during active instruction, leaving midway would surely result in demerits. For them, the direct disciples, it might be manageable, but the inner and outer disciples could very well be expelled from the Heaven Realm.