Clang… A light sound accompanied the collision of the blade and the sword once more, yet only a crisp note echoed, devoid of any significant energy fluctuation. It was hard to imagine that this blade and this sword were the weapons of the two supreme masters from three centuries prior.
However, in the distance, the eyes watching this exchange flickered with sharp light. Only he understood; it wasn't that the weapons lacked power, but rather that both men had mastered the control of their internal True Essence to an unparalleled degree. At this crucial moment of life and death, every ounce of power was vital for survival. Neither Ye Jingyu nor Xuanyuan Jing wished to waste their True Essence on mere dazzling displays of technique.
What appeared to be a simple parry contained hundreds of hidden killing intents. Both were indeed figures of astonishing brilliance…
Xuanyuan Jing had already attained the rank of Martial Saint, and the True Essence within him was far more abundant than Ye Jingyu’s, granting him an absolute advantage in this sword strike. Yet, Ye Jingyu’s physical fortitude far surpassed Xuanyuan Jing’s. Even when forced back by the blow, he only felt a numbing sensation in the grip of his hand.
But frustration darkened his eyes. How could the Young Master make his way when his most earnest slash was deflected so effortlessly by this man?
Without giving Xuanyuan Jing a moment to ponder, Ye Jingyu suddenly gripped his blade with both hands, soaring into the air to cleave down upon Xuanyuan Jing once more…
Thunder Split Slash…
Another flash of purple blade-light ignited, manifesting into a massive saber nearly eighty feet long, hacking savagely toward Xuanyuan Jing.
Facing this immensely powerful strike, Xuanyuan Jing rapidly retreated, his longsword trembling continuously, sending streaks of potent sword energy manifesting in the void, desperately trying to repel the colossal blade-light…
Immediately, the giant saber was riddled with holes pierced by the sword energy, finally shattering completely…
But Ye Jingyu raised his Heavenly Sovereign Blade once more. A bolt of lightning descended from the sky, reforming into another immense shaft of electric light, continuing its descent upon Xuanyuan Jing…
Thunder Command, Heaven Rend!
Sensing the dramatically amplified might of the incoming blade-light, Xuanyuan Jing’s expression remained unchanged, though the longsword in his hand now blazed with a blinding sheen. The resulting sword-light was enormous, quickly transforming into a giant sword dozens of feet tall, moving to meet the lightning-infused blade-light…
With a deafening CRASH!, the sword-light manifested by Xuanyuan Jing shattered entirely. Simultaneously, the Thunder Blade transformed by Ye Jingyu also broke apart, yet it did not dissipate. Instead, it coalesced into a sphere of thunderous light the size of a basketball, hurtling toward Xuanyuan Jing.
For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed Xuanyuan Jing’s composed face. He clearly had not anticipated that Ye Jingyu, possessing the True Essence of a Grandmaster, could actually counter the attack he had launched.
However, facing the whistling sphere of lightning, he wielded the Fallen Leaf City-Overturning Sword and brought it down in a direct chop…
A rumbling BOOM followed. With a single sword stroke, the thunder-light sphere was cleaved directly in half. The already violent electrical power exploded outward, scattering into countless lightning tendrils in all directions. Xuanyuan Jing instantly shielded his body with his True Essence, but against this most vicious move of the Shocking Thunder Blade Arts, the layer of True Essence protecting his surface was directly blasted away. The white silk robe he wore was immediately scored with rents and tears, and his body was violently thrown backward, his blood surging within his meridians…
The light of the thunder gradually dispersed, revealing a pit three to four zhang wide in the ground, the surrounding rock pulverized to dust. Yet, Xuanyuan Jing’s body quickly stabilized itself. Aside from appearing slightly disheveled, there was not a single discernible wound upon him.
Seeing this, Ye Jingyu felt a pang of disappointment. With his current martial attainment, he truly was no match for this man…
“It seems Brother Ye’s Shocking Thunder Blade Arts have not yet reached perfection. Had you not slain my Ninth Brother, I would truly have waited until your technique was fully mastered. But for the sake of my Ninth Brother resting in peace, today I must kill you. Today, I will let you witness the three supreme skills of our Xuanyuan family!” At this moment, Xuanyuan Jing’s voice traveled across the air, and the Fallen Leaf City-Overturning Sword in his hand was raised once more…
Great Void Sword! A soft sigh escaped Xuanyuan Jing’s lips…
In an instant, Ye Jingyu saw the Fallen Leaf City-Overturning Sword arrive before him, aimed directly at his heart…
His body shifted, and Ye Jingyu evaded the strike, only to discover with astonishment that he had evaded nothing, because there was no sword at all. The Fallen Leaf City-Overturning Sword remained firmly in Xuanyuan Jing’s grasp, who appeared as if he hadn't moved an inch?
What was happening? Ye Jingyu’s heart seized in alarm. He had clearly felt the sword lunge at him, so why had it not moved now?
Just as he was reeling in shock, a sword suddenly appeared at his chest, its tip puncturing the fabric of his garment…
Ye Jingyu was terrified. The hair on his body instantly stood on end, cold sweat pouring down his back. A crisis unlike any he had ever known surged in his mind.
With no time to consider, he rapidly retreated backward, attempting to escape this fatal thrust. The Heavenly Sovereign Blade in his hand swung out with all his might, slashing toward the sword…
His speed was extreme; he retreated several hundred paces, and the Heavenly Sovereign Blade became a mere blur, already slicing past the tip of the sword…
But instead of the expected sound of metal meeting metal, it was like cutting through air. The sword vanished once more…
Still no sword? How was this possible?
He looked up to see Xuanyuan Jing still standing there, the Fallen Leaf City-Overturning Sword still held in his hand, completely unchanged?
The horror in his heart intensified. He had clearly perceived a powerful threat and a chilling cold, yet how could it be just an illusion?
Could his very perception be flawed?
In that moment of bewilderment, a chill swept over him from above. Ye Jingyu looked up to see another longsword thrusting down at him…
He swiftly dodged aside, avoiding the deadly point, but the sword did not embed itself in the ground, nor did it leave the slightest trace where it passed, as if it had never existed at all…
At this juncture, more and more swords began piercing toward Ye Jingyu. Each one brought an intense coldness, and each one made Ye Jingyu feel that his life was under severe threat…
Yet, every time he dodged, he found these were not swords. Even when he tried to block with his Heavenly Sovereign Blade, he heard no sound of collision…
They were like phantom swords…
And Xuanyuan Jing seemed utterly motionless the entire time?
Great Void, Great Void, Reality and Illusion…
In a moment of sudden clarity, Ye Jingyu seemed to understand something…
As understanding dawned, he ceased evading. Instead, he charged directly toward the stationary Xuanyuan Jing. But as he took his first step, a searing pain shot through his chest. Looking down, the tip of a sword was already protruding from his heart…