Before Chunyang Hall, golden light dazzled brilliantly.
More than ten cultivators formed a large circle, trapping Chunyang Ancestor in the center. Duan Changjian, Xuantie, Liekong, and Canglong's four sword lights wove like fabric, the Heaven Sword Nine Forms continuous. Yuehua Xianzi held a heavy sword, sword momentum steady and thick. Shaying wielded her sword with both hands, the Frost Blade Sword Art fast as lightning. Shuangtong deployed the Thunder Sky Sword Art, the sound of breaking through the air resounding through the clouds.
However, after a quarter hour passed, only a few shallow cracks remained on Chunyang Ancestor's protective true essence.
Chunyang Ancestor stood with hands behind his back, his golden protective true essence circulating ceaselessly. He lightly raised his right index finger, and a golden finger energy shot out like an arrow, straight toward Duan Changjian's chest. Duan Changjian crossed his sword to block, the blade trembling violently, his entire body pushed back three steps.
"Everyone, your sword techniques are not bad, but wanting to break my protective true essence, you're still far from it." Chunyang Ancestor's voice was peaceful, but each word struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.
Yuehua Xianzi frowned and transmitted: "This won't work. Our spiritual power consumption is too great, while his protective true essence has almost no loss."
"No!" Duan Changjian flatly refused. "If we retreat today, there will never be another chance! Chunyang Ancestor is a Deity Transformation Grandmaster. If we let him recover his vitality, even all of us joining hands won't be his match."
Another golden finger energy shot over, this time targeting Shaying. Shaying's figure flashed, barely avoiding it, but the finger energy's remaining force brushed past her left shoulder. Her sleeve instantly turned to powder, leaving a bloody mark on her skin.
"Shaying!" Lingxiao watched clearly from afar, his heart tightening, but he couldn't step forward to help.
Yuyi circled around Chunyang Ancestor, his movement like a ghost, true essence appearing golden. He had been searching for Chunyang Ancestor's weakness, but the opponent's protective true essence was watertight, impossible to find an opening.
After another moment, Shuangtong was struck in the abdomen by a finger energy, blood spraying wildly as he flew backward. He struggled to stand, but his injuries were too severe. He could only barely sit cross-legged.
Yuyi's heart was anxious. Continuing like this, everyone would fall here. His gaze swept across the battlefield, finally laning on Bingxin. Bingxin had been standing at the periphery, the Azure Dragon Spirit Sword in her hand with sword light circulating, yet she never struck.
Yuyi's heart moved, and he transmitted: "Everyone, hear me out! Fighting separately like this, we can't break his protective true essence at all. We must concentrate our power to create an opportunity for him. Everyone deploy your sect's supreme techniques, fully attack to attract his attention. Bingxin, you deploy the Asking Heaven Sword Art. You must deploy it to the fourteenth move!"
"The fourteenth move?" Bingxin frowned slightly. "That needs time to gather momentum."
"We'll buy you time!" Duan Changjian shouted, charging first. The Longyuan Sword's light greatly intensified, the Heaven Sword Nine Forms' ninth move 'Heaven-Breaking Form' fully deployed.
Xuantie, Liekong, and Canglong followed closely. The three's sword techniques were different, but at this moment, all deployed their strongest moves. Yuehua Xianzi's heavy sword swept across, each sword carrying the weight of a thousand jun. Shaying's Frost Blade Sword Art speed increased again, wielding with both hands, sword light like frost and snow wildly dancing.
Yuyi's figure flashed, appearing on Chunyang Ancestor's left side, his longsword thrusting straight at the ancestor's ribs. Chunyang Ancestor flicked a finger energy, and Yuyi's figure paused, but then immediately disappeared from the spot, appearing on another side, continuing to harass.
Chunyang Ancestor frowned slightly. These cultivators' coordination was becoming more and more seamless. More importantly, he sensed a sharp sword intent brewing—that was Bingxin's sword intent.
"Want to use a delaying tactic?" Chunyang Ancestor sneered. "Then let's see how long you can hold out!"
His figure suddenly accelerated, golden finger energy shooting out like rain. Duan Changjian, Xuantie, and Canglong bore the brunt, struck by finger energy, blood wildly spurting, their figures staggering backward. Liekong couldn't dodge in time, his left shoulder pierced through by finger energy. Shaying was also grazed by a finger energy on her right arm, blood flowing directly.
"Bingxin, not yet?" Yuyi transmitted urgently.
"Almost!" Bingxin's voice was calm, but sweat appeared on her forehead. The fourteenth move of the Asking Heaven Sword Art, named 'Asking Heaven One Sword,' required completely fusing the sword intent of the first thirteen moves before it could be deployed.
Chunyang Ancestor seemed to sense something. His figure flashed, about to charge toward Bingxin. But Yuyi, Yuehua Xianzi, and Shuanghua Xianzi simultaneously blocked his path, firmly holding back his steps.
"Courting death!" Chunyang Ancestor roared, both hands striking out, golden finger energy like a violent storm.
Yuyi's movement, no matter how fast, couldn't completely avoid it. He was struck in the chest by a finger energy, his entire body flying backward, blood wildly spraying from his mouth. Yuehua Xianzi and Shuanghua Xianzi were also forced back, their meridians damaged.
But in that instant, Bingxin's sword moved.
The Azure Dragon Spirit Sword's light greatly intensified, sword intent rushing to the heavens. Bingxin's figure was like lightning, sword light like a dragon—the thirteenth move 'Gateless Form'—this move already had no openings, sword intent perfect and complete.
Chunyang Ancestor's pupils contracted. This move's power far exceeded his imagination. His protective true essence circulated fully, golden light intensifying, preparing to hard-block this sword.
But Bingxin's sword didn't stop.
The fourteenth move—'Asking Heaven One Sword.'
This sword, as if asking heaven and asking the dao, the sword intent transcended the sword technique itself. The sword light was like a azure rainbow, piercing through Chunyang Ancestor's protective true essence, straight into his heart.
Chunyang Ancestor's figure stiffened. He lowered his head to look at the longsword in his chest, his eyes showing no fear, instead revealing a relieved smile.
"Good sword technique..." His voice was weak. "Asking Heaven Sword Art, truly lives up to its reputation. The thirteenth move already has no openings, the fourteenth move... cannot be broken. I, Chunyang Ancestor, die a worthy death."
His words fell, and Chunyang Ancestor's body went soft, slowly falling. A generation's grandmaster, thus fell.
On the battlefield, silence reigned.
Duan Changjian and others supported each other, looking at Chunyang Ancestor's remains, their hearts filled with mixed emotions. These people joining hands, paying such a heavy price, barely defeated one Deity Transformation Grandmaster.
"Is this the strength of top experts?" Xuantie smiled bitterly. "The gap between us and him is simply like a chasm."
"But he's still dead." Liekong gritted his teeth. "We won."
Yuehua Xianzi put away her heavy sword and walked to Bingxin's side, saying softly: "Your Asking Heaven Sword Art, its power far exceeds my imagination. The fourteenth move, what exactly is it?"
Bingxin was silent for a moment, then said calmly: "Asking Heaven One Sword, asking heaven and asking the dao, sword intent infinite. Specifically how, I can't explain clearly myself."
Yuehua Xianzi didn't ask further, turning to walk toward Shaying. Shaying was healing Lingxiao. Though Lingxiao hadn't participated in the battle, he had been injured by the residual waves of Chunyang Ancestor's finger energy earlier, his injuries not light.
"Shaying, time is running out." Yuehua Xianzi said. "The cultivation of the Netherworld True Scripture needs Youming Sect's special environment. We should go."
Shaying's movement paused. She raised her head to look at Lingxiao. Lingxiao was also looking at her, his eyes full of complex emotions—reluctance, pain, helplessness.
"Lingxiao..." Shaying said softly. "I..."
"Go." Lingxiao forced a smile. "I'll wait for you to return."
Shaying's heart ached. She knew this departure meant an uncertain return. She stood up, taking one last look at Lingxiao, then turned to follow Yuehua Xianzi away.
Lingxiao watched Shaying's retreating figure, his expression dejected, vaguely revealing pain.
Yuyi stood to the side, watching this scene, his heart filled with mixed emotions. After healing Shaying, he urged her to leave, but at this moment, he suddenly felt some regret.
"Yuyi, your injuries..." Bingxin walked to Yuyi's side, looking at his pale face, frowning slightly.
"It's nothing." Yuyi forced a smile. "Just meridians damaged. A few days of regulating breath will restore me."
"Meridians damaged?" Bingxin reached out to press on Yuyi's wrist, true essence probing in. Her face instantly changed. "Your meridians are already severely damaged. Within two days, you can't take action at all! If not treated in time, I'm afraid it will leave hidden dangers."
"Then treat it." Yuyi said calmly. "Anyway, Shaying has already left. I have nothing to do either."
Bingxin didn't speak, supporting Yuyi toward Chunyang Hall's side hall. Inside the side hall, Bingxin channeled energy to heal Yuyi. True essence like a trickling stream, slowly repairing Yuyi's damaged meridians. Yuyi closed his eyes to regulate breath, but in his mind, Shaying's last glane before leaving kept appearing.
"Yuyi, your heart is in chaos." Bingxin suddenly spoke, her voice calm as water.
"Is it?" Yuyi didn't open his eyes. "Perhaps."
"The emotion between Shaying and Lingxiao isn't something you can control." Bingxin continued. "The more you act like this, the more painful you'll make yourself."
"I know." Yuyi sighed lightly. "But some things, knowing doesn't mean being able to do."
Bingxin fell silent. She knew the pain in Yuyi's heart, but she couldn't comfort him. Because she herself had experienced similar emotional entanglements. She just chose to seal her heart, cold as ice and frost, no longer letting anyone approach.
"Rest." Bingxin finally said. "Your meridians need time to repair."
Yuyi nodded, speaking no more. The side hall fell silent, only the occasional sound of wind from outside the window.
Before Chunyang Hall, Duan Changjian and others were also healing. This battle, though victorious, came at a heavy price. These people were all top experts in the Nine Provinces cultivation world, yet before a Deity Transformation Grandmaster, they were still so fragile.
"This is the cruelty of the cultivation world." Xuantie gazed at the sky, mumbling to himself. "Only by constantly becoming stronger can one survive in this world."
"We will become stronger." Liekong clenched his fist. "One day, we can also reach that realm."
Canglong didn't speak, just silently looking at Chunyang Ancestor's remains. A generation's grandmaster, thus fell, leaving behind only endless loneliness.
Long years, experts lonely.
This was not only Chunyang Ancestor's loneliness, but also all cultivators' loneliness. On this path of pursuing immortality, everyone was a solitary traveler, only able to face wind and rain alone, bear loneliness alone.
And Yuyi, at this moment, was lying on the bed in the side hall, his meridians damaged, his heart even more filled with unspeakable pain. He knew the emotion between Shaying and Lingxiao wasn't something he could control. But he still couldn't let go, couldn't put down that obsession in his heart.
"Perhaps, this is my loneliness." Yuyi closed his eyes, falling into deep sleep.
Outside the window, the noon sun gradually slaned westward, golden light scattering on Chunyang Hall's ruins, as if putting a period to this tragic battle.
But Yuyi knew this was only the beginning. The path of the cultivation world was still very, very long. And he still had to continue walking, even if this path was destined to be lonely.