Zong Shou’s brow flickered, then immediately smoothed back into placidity. “Jian Kuang Yuan Wu Shang?” As the words left his mouth, Zong Shou’s expression turned profoundly grave.

Silently, he produced several spirit pills to restore his soul power. He didn’t swallow them; instead, he crushed them, completely absorbing the essence of their medicinal power with the Tun Tian Yuan Hua Fa, letting it seep into his primordial soul.

The appearance of this youth before him was one he knew intimately. At his waist hung two swords, each a foot wide and curved like a serpent, with an exceedingly bizarre length—over nine feet from hilt to tip.

The tip of each blade was forked like a snake’s tongue. His complexion was slightly pale, and his smile seemed utterly maniacal.

He was identical to that Sword Maniac from the Divine Emperor game in his previous life. A figure spoken of in the same breath as Jue Yu, yet one who caused immeasurable headaches for the world’s powerhouses.

Though reputed as a Sword Idiot, he was deeply bloodthirsty, taking pleasure in slaughter and acting entirely on a whim. This very nature made him so hard to deal with.

Jue Yu was a gentleman; his actions followed a structure, adhering to a code. A gentleman could be maneuvered through strategy.

But Yuan Wu Shang acted solely according to his own desires, perpetually surprising and almost demonic in his unpredictability. When the mood struck him, he dared to challenge even peak Venerables.

Sometimes, when displeased, he would seek trouble with alien races, slaughtering millions indiscriminately. This person demanded his utmost vigilance!

“You know me?” Yuan Wu Shang seemed slightly surprised, then burst into delighted laughter. “It’s good that you know me!

Word has it there are three new Peerless Swords in the Cloud Realm now. One is Tan Qiu of the Myriad Demon Sect, another is Feng Tai Ji of the Myriad Sword Vault, and the third is Zong Shou of Qiantian Mountain.

You can’t be Feng Tai Ji; you’re too young. So, are you Tan Qiu or Zong Shou?” Zong Shou frowned: “This humble one is Zong Shou!” Yet, he knew that at this moment, it hardly mattered which identity he claimed.

Given Yuan Wu Shang’s state, a battle was inevitable. “It is indeed you!” Yuan Wu Shang nodded as if he had already expected this, a strange light flickering in his eyes.

“Truly, your swordsmanship is supreme, worthy of standing beside me. Especially those last two strikes—they were truly exhilarating.

Speaking of which, upon my return this time, the people of Lingyun Sect approached me, asking me to challenge you in a few months! They suggested it would be best if you never lived to see another day.

I hadn’t agreed yet, but I did owe them a favor from long ago. What do you think I should do?” Zong Shou maintained his indifferent expression, seizing every second to restore his sea of consciousness.

“With the temperament of the Sword Maniac Yuan Wu Shang, favors are naturally not something you keep close to heart.” Yuan Wu Shang paused upon hearing this, then roared with laughter. “You guessed wrong there.

If it were a genuine favor, I, Yuan Wu Shang, understand the principle of repaying virtue with virtue and kindness with kindness. However, when it comes to things like the Lingyun Sect using my past obligation to their advantage—I, Yuan Wu Shang, truly don’t care for it!

They presume their favor means something, but in my eyes, it’s simply irritating!” At this, the surrounding figures—Zong Yuan, Ruo Shui—all had ashen faces. They wished to move to Zong Shou’s side to guard him, but they were each suppressed in place by an eerie sword intent, preventing them from daring to move an inch.

It wasn't fear for their own survival, but worry about implicating Zong Shou. Ye Feishuang and Ye Feihan also turned deathly pale.

They were no longer the ignorant youths of two years prior; the name Sword Maniac Yuan Wu Shang was already thunderous in their ears. Only upon hearing Yuan Wu Shang’s next words did they collectively relax their minds.

But in the next instant, Yuan Wu Shang’s lips curled up again, pulling into a grotesque arc. “But to have a swordsman like you fall beneath my blade, Yuan Wu Shang… that seems quite worthwhile too!” Zong Shou remained expressionless.

However, Ye Feishuang’s delicate brows furrowed. Just as she was about to activate her ninth-rank Ice Flood Dragon puppet, Yuan Wu Shang suddenly looked down, casting a sidelong glance.

“That puppet Ice Flood Dragon—is it yours? Quite good!

But believe it or not, if it so much as twitches a finger, I will slay you two sisters with a single sword stroke?” Ye Feishuang’s heart jolted, and she hastily stopped, firmly grasping Ye Feihan, her expression extremely grim. A flicker of sharp intent finally appeared in Zong Shou’s eyes.

He flicked his sleeve, and the ninth-rank paper effigy beside him instantly dissolved back into a talisman, re-entering his sleeve. Seeing this, Yuan Wu Shang’s gaze returned to him, his eyes holding a trace of mockery.

“Perhaps I overestimated you? I was only speaking casually.

Can’t even handle that, yet you aim to be a ruler who can neither bend nor yield! Never mind.

How much have you recovered?” “Seventy percent! Enough for a fight!” Zong Shou took a deep breath, then slowly raised his head, devoid of joy or anger, his eyes holding latent sharp brilliance.

“Zong Shou is first and foremost a swordsman, and only then a sovereign. Since I cultivate the sword, I must be unyielding in spirit, never bowing.

Furthermore, against someone like you, Zong Shou has no need for the character ‘Patience.’” Yuan Wu Shang’s eyes widened slightly, then he erupted into thunderous laughter that shook the heavens. “Well said, ‘No Need to Endure’!

Your character suits mine, so why does Yuan Wu Shang feel an ever-greater urge to kill you?” As the laughter faded, Yuan Wu Shang completely vanished before Zong Shou’s eyes. Both spiritual sense and intuition lost all connection to him; Zong Shou could not find a trace of him anywhere.

Zong Shou’s eyes narrowed slightly. It was indeed this trick.

He knew from his past life that Yuan Wu Shang excelled at the art of Shadow Evasion (Xiao Xing Zhi Shu). He cultivated a secret technique rumored to baffle detection by the Five Elements, Light and Darkness, Wind, Cloud, Thunder, or Lightning.

When dueling, he utterly disregarded rules. Often, before one could even locate him, one would die by his blade.

Truly covetable; if only Ruo Shui could learn it. Thinking this, Zong Shou suddenly slashed his sword horizontally backward.

Just as he was about to sever a slight breeze behind him, a sharp clanging sound rang out. Yuan Wu Shang’s figure reappeared behind him, his twin serpent swords narrowly intercepting Zong Shou’s Duan Qiu Sword.

Far from being annoyed, he was delighted, laughing excitedly. His entire being moved like a gale, unleashing strike after strike around Zong Shou.

Every sword stroke carried the force of a violent hurricane. The sheer destructive power might not match that of the ninth-rank Spirit Martial Venerable from the Primal Beginning Demonic Sect earlier, but the martial intent far surpassed it.

His speed was greater, his attacks wilder, and infinitely more bizarre and elusive! Wielding the peak of Sword Intent for close-quarters entanglement, he seemed able to command every ripple of air, pressing inward.

Every stray breeze, upon approaching, could transform into a deadly sliver of light. However, the figure at the center seemed like a ball made of the world’s toughest material; the more pressure applied, the stronger the rebound.

Zong Shou wove a dense screen of sword shadows, impregnable and watertight, preventing Yuan Wu Shang’s serpent swords from closing in. Just as he executed his two-hundredth strike, the shadow of a dragon reappeared behind Zong Shou.

A dragon’s roar surged toward the heavens. The Duan Qiu Sword in his hand suddenly ceased its defense and slashed out sharply!

The Platinum Dragon Sword, Cut! This strike could shatter metal and cleave blades, and it could certainly shatter this raging wind!

A blinding white light flashed and was gone. Another clash of swords sounded, and Yuan Wu Shang roared with laughter as he was violently forced back, retreating along the source of the hurricane.

The vast cyclone surrounding Zong Shou naturally vanished without a trace. “You are indeed good!” As the voice faded, Yuan Wu Shang disappeared again.

This time, however, he vanished along with the light, becoming even swifter and harder to track. Zong Shou let out a cold sneer, and small black dots began to appear on his sword tip.

All the light around him became utterly distorted. He then unleashed a sharp diagonal slash, causing Yuan Wu Shang to utter an “Oh?” of surprise.

Two beams of serpent-tongue sword light reappeared, meeting with a clang of steel. Yuan Wu Shang was forced back violently a second time, but this retreat looked far more ragged.

His robes were torn, and a thin line of blood seeped from his mouth. “It was that one move!

A pity I couldn't see the whole thing. But I, Yuan Wu Shang, wouldn't dare let you execute that move fully either.” Zong Shou stood silently, regulating his breathing to maintain optimal strength.

He knew the greatest flaw of the Yuan Yi Black Sword and Yuan Yi White Sword techniques was the lengthy charge-up time. While sufficient against ninth-rank spirit beasts and masters, it was slightly lacking against Yuan Wu Shang.

However, using that technique was merely a small deterrent. The strength of this man’s swordsmanship surpassed even Jue Yu’s by half a step!

That first exchange was just a test; the true sword battle lay ahead. Both he and Yuan Wu Shang were bound to fight with everything they had!

As this thought arose, Yuan Wu Shang began to laugh loudly again. “But relying on just this much swordsmanship is a bit disappointing!” The two serpent-shaped sword lights suddenly exploded with swirling sword energy and spun toward him.

Where the two beams passed, all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth detonated. The momentum was immense; everything before Yuan Wu Shang’s blade—wind, clouds, gases, and suspended particles of dust—was utterly annihilated.

In previous sword fights, Zong Shou could often borrow the power of the entire world, or at worst, fight his opponent to a standstill. But at this moment, he was completely suppressed, as if the Yuan Wu Shang before him was the heavens.

Zong Shou’s heart stirred, then cleared in sudden understanding. He finally knew the Great Dao that Yuan Wu Shang cultivated.

Jue Yu’s sword intent was absolute extinction—annihilating everything. The sword intent Yuan Wu Shang chose was the spiritual energy that constitutes all things; he could control all the spirits of heaven and earth!

Indeed, these two great sword powerhouses, famed equally across the world, each chose a path of cultivation that was the most difficult, possessed the greatest might, and approached the very source of the Dao! Countless thoughts flashed through his mind, and Zong Shou’s will suddenly solidified, returning to perfect tranquility.

Behind him, four of the nine illusory dragon shadows coalesced from illusory and real essence onto Zong Shou’s sword, forming a single six-clawed true dragon. It reared its head, gazing upon Yuan Wu Shang opposite him.

The Platinum Dragon Sword, the Thunder Dragon Sword, the Flame Dragon Vast Sword, the Wind Cloud Dragon Sword! Four true dragon swords layered into one.

When the sword light was unleashed, it seemed to transform into a true dragon, roaring as it struck upward. Boom!

With the earth-shattering sound, Ye Feishuang instinctively covered her mouth. “This is the Sword Intent Soul Realm!”