Shen Yue, clad in Qingxiao Sect's blue sect robes, walked along the broad stone steps. A group of Qingxiao Sect disciples followed closely behind him, and looking downward, one could see many martial world figures trailing along as well.
These martial artists had come purely to witness the excitement. They had guessed that Qingxiao Sect would not let the matter rest, and sure enough, they had actually waited until the Sword God personally arrived. This filled them with incomparable excitement.
This broad flight of steps numbered more than one hundred, leading straight to the mountain gate of Tianxuan Mountain. The gate stood towering into the sky, with a plaque hanging above it bearing the four characters "Tianxuan Orthodox Lineage." The brushstrokes were bold and imposing, fully displaying the deep foundation of a sacred land.
Below the mountain gate, several dozen Tianxuan Mountain disciples were already waiting.
Tianxuan Mountain was far removed from the secular world, and its disciples were not particularly numerous. Even so, with its long history and heritage, the mountain still housed three to four hundred disciples. Yet compared to the vast and majestic Tianxuan Mountain, this number was still not enough to dispel the pervasive sense of solitude.
The gazes of the Tianxuan Mountain disciples all fell upon Shen Yue, their expressions complicated.
Shen Yue had not drawn his sword, yet as he walked, he resembled a peerless blade with its sharp edge fully revealed. This was a presence that Li Yang, Yang Dong, and the others did not possess.
Because Tianxuan Mountain was isolated from the secular world, its access to martial world news was relatively delayed. Precisely because of this delay, however, the lingering might of the Sword God's name still occupied their hearts.
This man was the person who had come closest to becoming a martial world myth in the past one hundred years, and he had once been the undisputed Number One Under Heaven.
Li Qingqiu was indeed formidable, but to many people, his fame was still too new. Shen Yue was different. He had shaken the martial world for decades, and his title as Number One Under Heaven resonated more deeply with the people. It was precisely because Shen Yue had joined Qingxiao Sect that Qingxiao Sect's claim to being Number One Under Heaven was increasingly acknowledged.
The Tianxuan Mountain disciples all knew why Shen Yue had come. For this battle, they felt both anticipation and unease.
If their sect master were to lose to Shen Yue, then their final shred of faith in Martial Dao would collapse as well.
Yet when they thought of Yan Daozong's strength, their eyes grew fervent.
If he defeated the Sword God, then Yan Daozong would become Number Two Under Heaven—or perhaps even contend for Number One!
And if he were to defeat even Li Qingqiu, then…
The more the Tianxuan Mountain disciples thought about it, the more excited they became, their gazes locked tightly onto Shen Yue and the others.
The Qingxiao Sect disciples, meanwhile, held absolute confidence in Shen Yue. They were eager to witness Yan Daozong's defeat.
Hua Daozang appeared on the steps behind the mountain gate. From afar, he raised his hand in greeting toward Shen Yue and said, "Senior Shen, our sect master is already waiting for you at the Dao-Seeking Cliff. Please follow me."
Shen Yue gave a slight nod. Only then did Hua Daozang turn around.
The Dao-Seeking Cliff was located in the back mountain. The grand procession took about fifteen minutes before finally arriving.
The Qingxiao Sect disciples emerged from the forest. Ahead of them was an upward-sloping path, with a sheer cliff at its peak. Yan Daozong stood on the edge of the cliff, his back facing them.
As if hearing the sound of footsteps, Yan Daozong turned around. The two sides stood separated by nearly 330 meters.
Yan Daozong's gaze immediately fell upon Shen Yue. His instincts told him that this man was Shen Yue. That terrifying sword intent was impossible to conceal.
With just a single glance, Yan Daozong could not help but sigh inwardly. 'Worthy of being the Sword God. His reputation truly lives up to its name.'
Shen Yue raised his hand, signaling for the disciples to halt. Alone, he walked toward Yan Daozong atop the Dao-Seeking Cliff.
The gazes of the two collided across the distance. No words were needed—they could both clearly sense each other's battle intent.
The martial artists who had rushed over from the forest instantly grew excited.
"They're going to fight the moment they meet?"
"This is what absolute experts are like. Just one look is enough to know each other's battle intent. If Li Qingqiu weren't around, this would be the battle for Number One Under Heaven."
"Exactly. Looking across the current martial world, Tianxuan Mountain is the only sect capable of contending with Qingxiao Sect. It's said that this Yan Daozong is a once-in-ages prodigy. If he wins, then within Qingxiao Sect, only Li Qingqiu would be able to stop him from ascending to Number One Under Heaven."
"Don't underestimate the Sword God either. If he hadn't encountered Li Qingqiu, and if he were to pass away, future generations would still call him a martial world myth."
"Shen Yue just hasn't killed enough people. That's why he feels lacking in the domineering aura of a martial world myth. The martial world myths of a century ago carved out their fame through slaughter."
Qingxiao Sect disciples and Tianxuan Mountain disciples alike were discussing fervently. As they watched Shen Yue approach Yan Daozong, they all grew tense.
Hua Daozang stood alone at the edge of the forest, staring at Shen Yue and Yan Daozong with a dark expression.
"Damn it… things still ended up reaching this point…"
No matter who won or lost, this was not an outcome Hua Daozang wished to see.
"Yan Daozong, you are the only martial artist in the present-day martial world who has stepped into Dao-Entry. Your cultivation aptitude and comprehension are unmatched, but if you remain confined to Tianxuan Mountain alone, that would truly be a waste."
Shen Yue's voice suddenly rang out, sonorous and powerful, echoing across the Dao-Seeking Cliff so clearly that everyone could hear it.
"For me, a single leaf can reveal the passing of ages, and one mountain can convey heaven and earth. It makes no difference where I am."
Yan Daozong replied calmly. His tone was not as indifferent as when he faced Hua Daozang—this was respect shown to the Sword God.
From a very young age, he had heard his master speak of Shen Yue, words filled with admiration that he still remembered clearly to this day.
Defeating Shen Yue would not only prove the strength of his Martial Dao, but also fulfill a long-held wish.
Because his master had wanted to see the day he challenged Shen Yue—yet never lived to see it.
"Yan Daozong, why don't you and I make a wager?" Shen Yue spoke again, his footsteps never pausing as he drew ever closer.
"What kind of wager?" Yan Daozong asked.
"If I win, you come down the mountain with me and join Qingxiao Sect. If I lose, I will leave everything I have learned here at Tianxuan Mountain—including my sword intent."
At these words, Qingxiao Sect disciples, Tianxuan Mountain disciples, and the martial artists all erupted in an uproar. None of them had expected Shen Yue to gamble on such a scale.
At the same time, this also represented Shen Yue's absolute confidence.
"Good!"
Yan Daozong agreed without the slightest hesitation. His reply rang out like a hammer strike, allowing everyone to feel his resolve and confidence.
The Tianxuan Mountain disciples grew anxious. They felt the wager was unfair—if Qingxiao Sect lost, they would only lose the Sword God's inheritance, but if Tianxuan Mountain lost, they would lose their sect master.
However, before anyone could speak to stop it, Shen Yue drew the sword at his waist. The sword cry was crisp and clear, resounding between heaven and earth.
Everyone focused their gaze and felt a chill of fear. A wooden sword was actually emitting the ringing cry of an iron blade?
Shen Yue charged toward the cliff with quick strides, his speed increasing rapidly until afterimages appeared.
Yan Daozong also drew his sword and rushed down the slope.
The moment he moved, Shen Yue's speed surged even further.
The two were like twin streaks of startled light colliding, so fast it was almost unbelievable.
Clang—
Their swords struck. Two immense sword energies erupted, causing the cliff to tremble. Even the forest more than 300 meters away was pressed backward by the raging wind.
Their momentum placed tremendous pressure on everyone present.
Li Yang watched the scene, secretly alarmed, nearly frightened out of his wits. The others hurriedly raised their own weapons in front of them to withstand the shockwave.
Under their gaze, Shen Yue and Yan Daozong sprang apart at the same time, transforming into two streaks of sword light that collided repeatedly in midair. The speed was so fast that no one could see everything clearly.
They soared into the air and plunged back down, even tearing open fissures across the mountainside as dust billowed everywhere.
Shen Yue swung his sword rapidly, his sword momentum like a furious storm pressing down on Yan Daozong.
Yan Daozong's movement technique was swift, yet compared to Shen Yue, his sword strikes seemed slow. And yet, that very slowness allowed him to block every single one of Shen Yue's attacks.
After dozens of exchanges, their figures crossed. Shen Yue landed atop the Dao-Seeking Cliff, while Yan Daozong slid down the slope for about 66 meters, kicking up a long trail of dust behind him.
The two stood back-to-back, sword intent already erupting from their bodies.
Though it was said to be dozens of moves, to the onlookers, only a few breaths of time had passed.
"So fast!"
Yang Dong stared at Yan Daozong, cold sweat pouring down his face. No wonder he had been unable to take even a single move from him.
Li Yang thought as well of his own defeat. Even after drawing on the power of the dragon soul, he still had not been able to see Yan Daozong's techniques clearly.
With movement and attack speeds like this, it truly was difficult to defend against.
Zhang Ping glanced around nervously. He constantly felt as though something was watching this place, sending chills down his spine. He could only pray that Shen Yue would not lose—if he did, something unimaginably terrifying might happen.
Shen Yue and Yan Daozong turned around at the same time. They now stood exactly where the other had been before the exchange, merely having switched directions.
Yan Daozong looked up at Shen Yue, a smile appearing on his face. He raised his sword in his right hand, and visible currents of wind coiled around the blade. His temples fluttered as his gaze grew fervent.
Shen Yue stood holding his sword, looking down at him. His eyes were equally excited, even carrying a trace of appreciation.
Almost simultaneously, the two charged at each other again, fast as lightning. Dust erupted from the ground beneath them, and before it could even rise one and a half meters, they collided once more.
This time, they were serious. Sword energy overflowed, ravaging the Dao-Seeking Cliff.
The cliff shook even more violently. Broken stones continuously slid down from the edges, and the Qingxiao Sect disciples, Tianxuan Mountain disciples, and martial artists all felt as though the entire Tianxuan Mountain was trembling.
Boom!
Shen Yue slashed out with his sword, unleashing a vast sword energy that forced Yan Daozong to slide backward for dozens of meters. Just as Yan Daozong stabilized himself, Shen Yue appeared at his side and swept his sword across.
In that instant, Yan Daozong's speed abruptly increased. He bent his body backward, arching faster than Shen Yue's swing to evade the strike, then followed through with a kick. Shen Yue raised his arm to block.
Bang—
Shen Yue was kicked away. He quickly flipped in midair and landed to dissipate the force, yet he still slid backward a considerable distance.
He frowned, not expecting Yan Daozong's physical strength to be so great.
This man was not merely a swordsman!
Before Shen Yue could think further, Yan Daozong had already closed in. Sword in his right hand held forward, he raised his left palm from his waist. Sword energy surged through the air, while palm power gathered, poised to strike.
Shen Yue had no time to evade. In an instant, a sword soul arose from the wooden sword in his hand. The sword soul swung a shadowed blade, blocking Yan Daozong's unstoppable sword energy.
Boom—
Cracks rapidly spread across the ground beneath their feet as shattered stones flew upward. Yet the two figures stood unmoving, as though they were not even touching the ground.
Their eyes met, and both were surprised by the other's strength.
It was Yan Daozong's first time seeing a sword soul, and he was greatly astonished.
Shen Yue, meanwhile, felt that Yan Daozong's palm power carried the might to shake mountains and rivers, actually capable of resisting the sword soul's force.
If this was all Yan Daozong could do, it would not be enough!
Shen Yue's gaze sharpened. He actually separated from the sword soul and slashed toward Yan Daozong himself.
Yan Daozong, pinned by the sword soul, saw his pupils contract. He stomped heavily, shattering the cliff beneath his foot, then leapt upward. The sword shadow in the sword soul's hand followed, crashing down. A single slash severed the mountain body, cutting the entire Dao-Seeking Cliff apart. The terrifying sword energy left the distant cultivators and martial artists stricken with fear.
In midair, Yan Daozong caught sight of his crown being severed. His gaze was drawn to the figure below.
Standing beneath the sword soul, Shen Yue looked unremarkable, yet he exerted immense pressure upon Yan Daozong.
A streak of sword light suddenly pierced through the rolling dust, shattering rocks along its path as it shot toward Yan Daozong.
Yan Daozong raised his sword to block and circulated his heart method. Inner qi flooded his tendons and bones—inner qi guarding his skeleton, sword energy protecting his body.
Slash—
Sword light flashed through the air. Yan Daozong was sent flying, plunging toward an abyss more than 30 kilometers deep.
In that instant, Yan Daozong felt every tendon and bone in his body break, filling him with terror. He was unable to leap upward and could only fall along with chunks of shattered stone.
He had lost!
What awaited him was complete destruction!
Smack!
A hand suddenly grabbed his left wrist. He saw Shen Yue crouched atop a protruding rock above him, holding him with one hand.
Sunlight poured down. Yan Daozong could not clearly see Shen Yue's face, only hearing him say:
"This sword was originally meant to be saved for our sect master. I didn't expect you to force it out of me."