The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

Not long ago, facing Xue Wangxu who blocked the way and intercepted the army, Liang Lian held his sword across his chest, and then, without any hesitation, drew his sword.

A strange hissing sound came from high in the distance.

This was a massive flow of primordial energy from heaven and earth, yet it didn't resemble an invisible mountain, but rather an invisible beam flying through the air. It was highly concentrated and quickly surged into his body.

At the same time, the light around Liang Lian's body seemed to be strangely distorted, and an invisible "riverbank" that was difficult to see with the naked eye but was real appeared out of thin air!
The massive amount of primordial energy of heaven and earth was forcibly constrained and gathered by this "riverbank," firmly bound and compressed within his body and natal sword. The power continued to rise, but it was always locked within the riverbank, held back, brewing a momentous event.

This is precisely the killing move of the "Dike Sword Manual"—the Dike Breaking Sword! Its essence lies in "accumulating power." Like a flood-control dam, the more powerful the accumulated force, the more terrifying the burst of power at the moment of the dam breaking!
In fact, Liang Lian knew very well why Xue Wangxu had challenged him and why he had stood in front of the army: this old Taoist priest wanted to buy time, disrupt the framing, and buy his disciples a chance to survive.

But Liang Lian didn't care at all! Because this suited him perfectly!

The attempt to frame someone was merely a pretext! It was bait to force Baiyang Cave into a perilous situation and compel Xue Wangxu to step forward!

His true purpose, from beginning to end, has only been one thing: to kill Xue Wangxu!

When the soul of the sect, who had supported it for decades, fell, the backbone of White Sheep Cave broke. With its spirit scattered, the tree falls and the monkeys scatter; it disintegrates on its own without the need for a massive army to crush it. This principle has proven true time and again on the battlefield, known as "slaying generals and seizing flags"!
Otherwise, even though they are both at the lower level of the seventh realm, Liang Lian's "Limitless Sword Body" and "Encirclement Sword Scripture" are known for their powerful defensive techniques, not offensive ones. Even with Zheng Bainiao's secret support and the army's secret "Soul-Shaking Drum" to weaken them, they might not be able to keep this old white sheep alive.

If it escapes, the consequences will be dire!
Only by forcing them to fight to the death and not retreat can we achieve victory in one battle!
Similarly, although he may seem to be making a big fuss and seeking revenge because of the old grudge over the "two-story building," this is just a facade!
The true purpose was to boost the morale and confidence of his subordinates, which had been shaken by his demotion, and to demonstrate his unparalleled sharpness and decisiveness to the Zheng family of Jiaodong County, thus showcasing his personal value.

If Xue Wangxu were to escape unscathed today, and Liang Lian were to lose his ruthless facade, he would be seen as less shrewd by the powerful figures of Changling.

……

Recognizing the impending attack of the dam-breaking sword and discerning its dangerous shift from defense to offense, Xue Wangxu's white eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Although the weather is cold today, there is not enough moisture to fully unleash the power of the thousands of ice and snow swords in the "White Sheep Ice River Sword Talisman Scripture". However, it is just right to use it for probing and interference.

Then, the white jade sword was lightly shaken and swung out!
Countless fine, crystal-clear ice lines shot out from the tip of the sword and flew up, then intertwined and formed countless spinning ice blades and snow swords. As if they were alive, they transformed into a wheel with a diameter of several tens of feet, layer upon layer, continuously cutting and grinding the invisible dam of primordial energy!
"Imitating the Sharpening Stone Sword Technique? Ridiculous!"

Liang Lian's eyes narrowed slightly, but he neither dodged nor avoided the attack. He merely adjusted the direction of his broadsword slightly, altering the curvature of the riverbank.

His entire body was as solid as a rock. Although his clothes were torn in countless places by the sharp energy, his exposed skin shimmered with a strange metallic luster, without leaving even a trace of white marks.

The formidable physique of the "Limitless Sword Body" is on full display!

"It's not for grinding air with a whetstone, but for measuring the 'water level'."

Xue Wangxu thought to himself, and suddenly raised his empty right hand, his five fingers loosely clenched!

In his palm, points of blazing white light suddenly lit up, quickly condensing and stretching into a small sword about a foot long! It was neither gold nor jade, rough like an unpolished stone, grayish-white all over, and inconspicuous.

However, the moment it took shape, it emitted a light as bright as the moon, yet even brighter and more dazzling than the midday sun!
Xue Wangxu's right hand, which was holding the sword, and even half of his body, seemed to burn and melt in this extreme light, becoming blurred!

This is the Corona Sword that he has successfully mastered recently, thanks to Zhao Qing's guidance, which has greatly improved his cultivation and swordsmanship. He combined the Radiant Sword he won at the Sword Tournament with his own understanding of the true meaning of light.

The light of the corona is not scorching and burning, but rather uses pure and flawless light as a medium to establish an unstoppable channel of vital energy, transmitting a lasting, stable, and incomparably penetrating sword intent!

"Break!" With a clear shout, following Xue Wangxu's will, the vast true essence filling his dantian transformed into countless crystal-clear rays of light containing profound power, surging out along his meridians and pouring into the stone sword in his right hand!

The ice crystals and runes that had previously scattered in the environment were instantly activated, transforming into millions of rotating lenses that constrained, focused, and guided the surging light flow!
With the small sword in hand, I thrust straight forward!
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a pure, all-encompassing light that suddenly erupted! Like a miniature sun rising from the earth!

The dazzling and pure light, regardless of distance or obstacles, instantly filled every corner of the mountains and fields!
Whether it was the cold iron armor of the Qimen Army, the withered yellow weeds by the roadside, or even the horrified faces of everyone, everything seemed to become transparent under this all-pervasive light!

One sword shines brightly over nineteen cities!
Liang Lian's pupils suddenly contracted! The invisible "riverbank" around him, constructed by the "Enclosure Sword Scripture" and capable of withstanding a massive torrent, had now become his biggest weakness!

A dam can hold back tangible water, but how can it stop light, which is ubiquitous and can even flow against the current?
The dazzling light easily penetrated deep into the "riverbank"!
Even more terrifying is that these lights, imbued with Xue Wangxu's sword intent, were subtly transformed by the ice rune power contained within them the moment they penetrated! Wherever the light reached, it naturally brought out countless tiny ice crystal particles, which frantically multiplied, spread, and condensed inside the dam, expanding in "volume".

The once-stable dam structure seems to be on the verge of collapse due to the erosion from the inside out by the ice! If the pressure continues to build up, there is a risk of the dam breaking and people dying!
"Not good!" A warning screamed in Liang Lian's heart! This strange combination of light and ice was actually trying to dismantle his overwhelming sword momentum from within!

No hesitation!

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and he made the most decisive choice—rather than be detonated from within by the opponent, causing the power to spiral out of control and backfire on himself, he would rather proactively breach the dam and direct this destructive torrent towards the enemy!
"Roar--!"

A roar like thunder exploded! Liang Lian's left fist was crimson, his muscles bulging like iron, carrying a terrifying force capable of shattering mountains and splitting rocks, and he slammed it hard onto the black broadsword in front of him!

"clang--!"

A deafening roar, like the clash of metal, echoed through the valley! The solid stone path beneath his feet shattered, sending debris flying! The immense recoil tore his feet open, blood splattering everywhere! Yet Liang Lian's eyes remained icy cold, as if he felt no pain whatsoever!

"Open it!"

Another punch! Even more ferocious! Even more resolute! Hot blood spurted out from the point where the fist struck the sword!

With the second punch landing, the invisible dam could no longer hold! It exploded and breached!
A destructive torrent, mixed with dark light and turbid waves, carrying an overbearing will to crush everything, poured out wildly towards Xue Wangxu with overwhelming force!

Wherever it passed, the air was compressed into visible crystal patterns, the ground was plowed with deep trenches, and the rocks and vegetation on both sides were instantly shredded and destroyed as if made of paper!
"Buzz!"

Xue Wangxu's expression was solemn, but instead of retreating, he advanced, as if using his own body as a sword!
With a deep, resonant sound emanating from his mouth and internal organs, the fluttering Ice River Sword Talisman was instantly drawn back to the sides of the twin swords, entwining and swirling around them, and once again exuding countless crystalline rays of light, spreading in the air and forming countless twilight-like runes.

It's as if they've created their own little world.

Suddenly, countless tiny, transparent swords, their numbers doubled, appeared in mid-air, crashing into the torrent with a dreamlike impact!
This is the manifestation of words, which means using unique musical scales in combination with one's own true energy and mental power to quietly leave countless invisible imprints in the environment, just like engraving an invisible magic array.

Baiyangdong did not have such a rare heritage in the past, but it naturally came about after Zhao Qing arrived.

As early as when he was charging into the enemy formation and blocking their path, Xue Wangxu had secretly arranged this kind of offensive and defensive tactic while issuing a challenge. He used the action of throwing soldiers away with his sword and the resulting turbulence of vital energy to cover it up, thus deceiving Liang Lian's seemingly calm but actually impatient mind and perception!

The two opposing energies collided!
The torrent that broke through the dam collapsed continuously in mid-air, eventually turning into countless fine boiling water mists under the sweeping of the sword light. The violently expanding turbid air masses scraped away a layer of ground within a radius of hundreds of feet!
Smoke, dust, and rubble, mixed with ice shards and dark light, shot into the sky! The shields at the front of the army twisted, and soldiers were thrown back and fell to the ground!
At the eye of the raging storm, both Xue Wangxu and Liang Lian were violently shaken and let out a muffled groan.

The light and ice domain surrounding the former flickered violently, its light and shadow shifting erratically; the latter, as if struck by a heavy hammer, staggered back three steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard stone ground, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth.

"What a brilliant move by Xue Wangxu! What a clever hidden sword technique!"

Liang Lian harbored resentment, but this only fueled his ferocity. The dam had been destroyed and would be difficult to rebuild in a short time. However, having fought on the battlefield for many years and nearly been ennobled, how could he only possess the skill of "dike breaching"?
"Driving the piles!"

With a low growl, Liang Lian plunged his black broadsword into the ground beneath his feet!

The sword vibrated and hummed, and a thick, deep brown light burst forth from the hilt, like countless invisible ironwood stakes, which were driven deep into the earth!

The ground within a radius of ten feet suddenly sank, as if it had been suddenly compacted and reinforced by the sword's force. Even the aftershocks of the impact nearby were forcibly suppressed and smoothed out by this powerful force!
His own aura also stabilized, though it was no longer at its peak before the dam broke, but it had gained a sense of solidity and unshakability rooted in the earth!
This is precisely the defensive technique in the "Siege Sword Manual" that stabilizes oneself, neutralizes impacts, and adjusts one's true energy!

Don’t ask for merit, but ask for no faults!
A glint flashed in Xue Wangxu's eyes. His opponent changed his moves extremely quickly and defended flawlessly, but he had a backup plan!

The light on the stone sword, which was even brighter than the sunlight, did not dissipate. Instead, it naturally curved in a strange way as the sword moved!
It wasn't that the light was dim, but rather that the light itself seemed to be drawn and manipulated by the intertwined forces of yin and yang, forming a dazzling and blinding arc of light!

Like the fiery prominences bursting forth from the edge of the sun, beautiful yet deadly!
Sunburst Sword!
As soon as the sword was drawn, the pure light that had been scattered between heaven and earth and had not yet completely dissipated, as well as part of the sword intent that had collapsed after the collision, inexplicably and rapidly rolled back!

Besides forming a sword aura that pulls the flow of primordial energy, contains the power of true magnetic attraction, and can also accumulate power like a bowstring, because the light is pure and unpolluted, it also has the wonderful effect of nourishing oneself and restoring one's state!

The consumed true energy can be incorporated into the energy field cycle and reused!

The Sun Crown Sword is a secret sword manual from the Qingyang Sword Tower, the "strongest" training ground of the Zhao Dynasty in the past. However, when the Qin army attacked Zhao and captured Changping, a master had already pointed out a way to deal with it, and Liang Lian also had some understanding of it.
However, the "Sunburst Sword" that Zhao Qing used was entirely his own creation, something that had never been heard of before, and it was making its first appearance in the world today!

When Xue Wangxu wielded this sword, aided by the medicinal power of the "fungus brew" cultivated by Ding Ning, the shock to his qi dissipated instantly. He not only returned to his peak condition but, judging from the accumulation of his sword momentum, even surpassed his previous peak! With this ebb and flow, the difference in their strength was immediately apparent!
A look of horror finally flashed across Liang Lian's eyes! He never expected that his opponent would have such miraculous healing and combat prowess!

"Raise the dam! Cut off the flow!" Quickly change tactics! We must first interrupt the charging state of this arc of light sword!
Everything is just as the two sides previously switched roles!

As Liang Lian drew his sword and swung it upwards and left and right, the foundations that had been pressed into the ground by the "sinking piles" leaped out one after another, merging with the roaring stream of energy in the sky behind them, like dikes dividing the water, and accelerated towards the solar prominence arc!

The intention is to cut it into several pieces to reduce its power first!
Perhaps because he could no longer suppress it, or perhaps this was some kind of signal he intended to convey, Liang Lian shouted fiercely, but halfway through, blood gushed out again, staining his chest and the eyes of his officers and soldiers red!
"General!"

"Protect the General!"

Zhou Jianlin, watching from afar, was furious! Although he was ordered not to interfere in the duel between grandmasters, Liang Lian was clearly at a disadvantage and in imminent danger!

Military discipline and laws are strict; how can we sit idly by and watch our commander be killed? If something truly goes wrong, we will be held accountable even with ten thousand deaths!

"Fire arrows! Ballistae! Fire all the talismans! Save the general!" he roared hoarsely, no longer caring about rules!
Boo hoo hoo-!
Twelve streams of dark light shot into the sky from the military formation!

Those were twelve standard-issue cold iron flying swords, controlled by the fifth-realm swordsmen in the team. They were incredibly fast, with a piercing whistle, and transformed into a sharp sword net, wrapping around and attacking Xue Wangxu's side!
Immediately following, a dozen bronze chariots close to the battle line roared into action, their bodies adorned with blazing Taotie runes, and the massive crossbows mounted on them emitted a chilling sound as their mechanisms tightened!
The condensed, almost tangible phantoms of dragons and tigers roared and pounced out, tearing through the air in sync with rows of "Breaking Qi Arrows" wreathed in azure light!
...(End of chapter)