Deep in the Star Ruins, broken star fragments floated in the void, resembling a forgotten ancient battlefield. Tang Xiaoqi and Mu Xue walked side by side, following the faint resonance of the jade talisman left by Tianjizi, advancing toward the possible direction of the Heavenly Palace. The surroundings were terrifyingly quiet, except for occasional soft hissing from distant spatial rifts passing by, reminding of the endless hidden dangers in this place.
Just as the two passed through a ring-shaped mountain composed of enormous meteorites, a sharp and unmatched aura suddenly appeared ahead, like a sword light suddenly shining in the darkness, instantly piercing the surrounding deathly silence. Xiao Qi paused, raised his hand to signal Mu Xue to stop, and gazed gravely toward the direction from which the aura came.
On an especially large and flat meteorite, agreen-robed man stood with hands clasped behind his back. His posture was upright, like a solitary peak standing proud. He did not deliberately release spiritual pressure, but his intangible sword intent had already spread out, causing the tiny star fragments around him to tremble slightly and emit clear ringing sounds, as if worshipping their monarch. The man slowly turned around, revealing a well-defined face with eyes as sharp as eagle's. His gaze passed over Mu Xue and directly fell on Xiao Qi.
"Wan Jian Sect, Ling Jueyi." The man's voice was calm but carried the texture of metal and stone colliding, each word like a refined sword qi. "I sensed that your sword intent is pure, hidden but not released, yet out of place in this star ruins death silence. I specially waited here, desiring a battle to verify the sword dao."
The Wan Jian Sect was the sword dao leader renowned for its attack power in the Central Plains cultivation world. All disciples were ascetics devoted solely to the sword, their heirs traveling the world, often nurturing their sword hearts through life-and-death combat. Ling Jueyi, as the world traveler of this generation, was a name Xiao Qi had heard of. He was a top sword cultivator ranking in the top thirty on the Potential Dragon List, said to draw blood every time he struck, never having a defeat.
Mu Xue slightly furrowed her brow, her cold voice sounding. "Cultivator Ling, the Star Ruins are dangerous and the Heavenly Palace is about to open. Fighting now may not be wise." Her body chill was slightly condensing, ready to strike.
Xiao Qi gently stopped her, cupped his hands to Ling Jueyi. "Qingxu Temple, Tang Xiaoqi. Your sword heart is clear and bright, and with spiritual energy locked on me, if I do not accept battle, I fear my dao heart will leave a flaw. Since you desire it, I shall with my sword, appreciate the superb skills of Wan Jian Sect."
He knew that at their level, some challenges were not for pride disputes but for the greater dao, an indispensable link in sharpening oneself. Ling Jueyi sensed the unique sword intent within Xiao Qi that had been tempered through countless life-and-death moments, integrating the will to protect and the source of cleansing. For a pure sword cultivator, this was fatally attractive.
A gleam of appreciation flashed in Ling Jueyi's eyes. "Good! Please!"
He pointed like a sword, a slight gesture forward. The two figures simultaneously moved, like two meteors, landing on that most enormous flat meteorite. The meteorite surface was uneven and covered with cosmic dust, hundreds of zhang in diameter, perfect as a stage for discussing the sword. Mu Xue floated backward, landing on a slightly smaller meteorite. She raised her fair hand lightly, deploying an ice crystal barrier, both to isolate the two from possible spatial turbulence interference and to prevent sword aura remnants from destroying too many star fragments and causing unpredictable consequences.
Without superfluous pleasantries, Ling Jueyi pointed forward. A refined and extreme, nearly transparent sword qi immediately pierced through the air. That sword qi was initially fine as a silk thread, instantly swelling to the size of a dragon, carrying the intent to tear everything apart, striking straight toward Xiao Qi's brow. It was precisely the Wan Jian Sect basic sword technique "Rending Space Sword Finger," but in his hands, it transformed the vulgar into the miraculous, its power comparable to a full-force strike by an ordinary Core Formation cultivator.
Xiao Qi's expression was unchanged. He did even not use the Nirvana Red Flame Sword on his back. Faced with this probing strike, he put his right hand together, using his palm as a sword, drawing avoid line. A warm, peaceful, yet containing infinite resilience andvitality sword aura appeared, precisely his "Spring Breeze Sword Aura" comprehended by combining the"Everlasting Spring Art"and his own protective sword intent.
"Swoosh!"
The transparent sword qi and the cyan sword aura collided in mid-air. There was no earth-shaking roar, only a slight sound like tearing cloth. The fierce rending space sword qi was actually like an ox entering the sea, beinglayer by layer dissipated and transformed by that seemingly gentle cyan sword aura, eventually dissolving into a wisp of clear wind. Ling Jueyi's eyes flashed sharply, clearly seeing the extraordinary nature of Xiao Qi's sword aura. It was not using force to withstand force but overcoming hardness with softness, containing the principle of endless vitality.
"Interesting!" Ling Jueyi laughed long. His figure swaying, he turned into dozens of afterimages, completely surrounding Xiao Qi. Each afterimage performed a different sword move, some light and agile, some heavy and thick, sometreacherous, some overbearing. In an instant, countless sword lights like a reversed Milky Way poured down on Xiao Qi from all directions. This was the Wan Jian Sect movement technique "Phantom Flowing Light Step" combined with the sword technique "Ten Thousand Swords Flow," combining the real and the illusory, making it hard to defend.
Xiao Qi stood at his original position, like a reef in the midst of a stormy sea. His palms flipped, sometimes pointing, sometimes palming, sometimes slicing, sometimes drawing. Each strike precisely hit the weak point of the real sword move. He integrated the insights from the"Swimming Dragon Nine Turns"movement technique into his defense. His body moved within an inch of space, like a swimming dragon, always avoiding the fatal edge at the last possible moment. His sword intent was no longer limited to a tangible sword. With every gesture, all could be a sword. Although his domain of protection was not fully displayed, it had already formed an intangible barrier around him.
Sword lights and palm shadows constantly collided, emitting dense sounds like heavy rain on banana leaves. Escaped sword qi cut vertically and horizontally, leaving deep gouges on the hard meteorite ground. Occasionally, particularly fierce sword qi broke through the defense and was forcibly shattered by Xiao Qi using his pure Yuan Ying spiritual power.
"With bare hands alone, you can block my seventy percent offensive. Cultivator Tang, you are worth me drawing my sword!" Ling Jueyi withdrew his offensive. The afterimages merged into one, and his face showed a solemn expression for the first time. He slowly gripped the ancient sword hilt on his back. That sword sheath seemed ordinary, but the moment he gripped it, a terrifying aura as if a primordial beast was awakening abruptly exploded forth.
"Clang---!"
The long sword left its sheath with a sound like a dragon's roar! The sword body was not the common bright silver but a deep dark gold, covered with natural cloud patterns. The sword guard was inlaid with an unremarkable gray gem, yet emitting a chilling devouring force. This sword was named "Shi Huang" (Devouring Radiance), one of the top spiritual swords passed down through generations by Wan Jian Sect, having alreadybred a powerful sword spirit.
"This sword 'Shi Huang,' please appreciate!" Before Ling Jueyi's voice faded, his person followed the sword, turning into a dark gold streak of brilliance, piercing straight over. This sword strike was not fast, but carried an awful intent that locked onto the divine soul and devoured light, as if all light on the meteorite platform dimmed. Only that one point of dark gold sword tip became the center of the universe.
Xiao Qi finally moved. His heart intent stirred, and the Nirvana Red Flame Sword in the sword case on his back emitted a joyful tremor, automatically leaping into his hand. On the crimson sword body, dragon patterns and phoenix shadows flowed. The Southern Ming Departure Fire and Nirvana intent intertwined, its hot and sacred aura instantly dispelling the dark devouring sensation brought by the Shi Huang Sword.
"Nirvana Red Flame, please advise!"
Xiao Qi stepped forward and swung his sword. No fancy moves, just a simple direct hack. But this sword strike contained his inheritance of his father Xu Zhan's protective will, his responsibility to the fellow disciples of Qingxu Temple, his attachment to all beautiful things in the world, and integrated a trace of the true intent from the Green Lotus cleansing source. The crimson sword light was no longer pure flame but transformed into warm, firm light sufficient to cleanse all evil and protect a pure land, the light of hope!
The dark gold devouring sword rainbow and the crimson protective sword light, like two meteors, collided thunderously in this dead star ruins!
"BOOM---!!!"
An indescribable explosion erupted, far surpassing thunder! At the center of the collision, space visibly twisted and collapsed, forming a brief small black hole that frantically devoured everything around it. Light, dust, even sound was drawn in. The ice crystal barrier Mu Xue had deployed shook violently, its surface instantly covered with cracks.
The violent energy shockwave rapidly spread outward in a ring, directly pulverizing dozens of smaller meteorites nearby! Even more distant star fragments were pushed to change their trajectories, colliding with each other and triggering a chain of explosions.
On the meteorite platform, Xiao Qi and Ling Jueyi simultaneously slid backward dozens of zhang, their feet plowing two deep furrows on the hard meteorite surface.
The two stood with swords, their breaths somewhat disordered. Xiao Qi's right handtiger's mouth holding the sword was slightly numb, his heart secretly shocked by Ling Jueyi's sword force's intensity and the Shi Huang Sword's devouring force's strangeness. Ling Jueyi felt as if his sword intent had slashed against a monument of eternity full of vitality that had existed since ancient times. That firm protective will actually made his unmatched sword heart produce a trace of wavering.
He lowered his head to look at his Shi Huang Sword. The sword body trembled slightly, its dark gold glow seeming dimmer as if burned by the opponent's crimson flame sword intent. Meanwhile, the Nirvana Red Flame Sword in Xiao Qi's hand glowed more and more brilliantly, the sword spirit conveying an excited and delighted emotion.
Ling Jueyi sheathed his sword. That terrifying devouring aura vanished instantly. He deeply looked at Xiao Qi, his sharp gaze showing for the first time an emotion besides battle intent---respect.
"A sword of protection... can reach such a state." Ling Jueyi slowly spoke, his voice carrying a trace of complexity. "My sword dao lies in extreme dedication to the sword, sincerity to the sword, slashing through all falsehood, reaching the source directly. But your sword, Cultivator, the sword is not the sword. It is the extension of 'intent' and the vessel of 'dao.' Today's battle, I lost by half a move."
He admitted defeat magnanimously. It was not that his cultivation or swordsmanship was inferior, but in the clash of sword dao concepts, his pure sword existing solely to "destroy" failed to cut through Xiao Qi's "intent" existing to "protect." For Ling Jueyi, who devoted himself entirely to the sword, this was an ideological impact.
Xiao Qi also retracted the Nirvana Red Flame Sword, cupping his hands. "Your swordsmanship is superb, the might of Shi Huang isbreathtaking. I merely relied on a stubborn attachment in my heart, fortunate not to have lost. There are countless sword daos, with none higher or lower, only fitting or not. Your 'Slashing Void' sword also greatly benefited me."
He was not being modest. Ling Jueyi's pure and extreme attack gave him new thinking on how to use his own protective sword intent. Rigid cannot last long, soft cannot stand alone. Perhaps true protection also needs thunderous methods.
Hearing this, a gleam of enlightenment flashed in Ling Jueyi's eyes. The overbearing edge around him seemed to haverestrainedsomewhat. He nodded. "I have benefited from your instruction. We shall meet again at the Heavenly Palace. I hope then to appreciate your further advanced sword dao."
Saying this, he no longer spoke more. He slightly nodded to Xiao Qi and Mu Xue in the distance. His figure transformed into sword light and vanished in an instant into the vast star ruins, decisive and neat.
Mu Xue flew to Xiao Qi's side, asking with concern. "Are you alright?"
Xiao Qi shook his head. Looking toward where Ling Jueyi had disappeared, he sighed. "The Wan Jian Sect heir lives up to his reputation. This person's sword heart is pure, and his future achievements are limitless." This exchange, though brief, was dangerous. It not only verified his Yuan Ying late-stage cultivation and sword dao but also gave him direct understanding of the strength of the top talents in the Central Plains. The road ahead would surely not be peaceful. He gripped his fist, his gaze firmer, and together with Mu Xue, continued deeper into the Star Ruins.