Black sail

Chapter 677 LVII. The Essence of Swordsmanship
The shadow vanished without a trace, yet the air tightened around him. His malevolent eyes were colder than the tip of a sword, and his unparalleled pressure made Valentina gasp for breath.

Valentina could only trust the Sword King's guidance, and could only believe that her teacher was the strongest. Her sweaty palms stopped trembling, and her breathing became deep and still as a lake.

Just like the training on the sword platform, we were blindfolded, listened to the wind to locate the target, and quickly chopped down the stones that bounced off the teacher's fingers.

I'm going to turn you into a human pig!

Their shadows vanished, raising clouds of dust; their energy surged, and a fierce wind howled.

The sword's momentum came with a fierce and sharp cry!

A sword flashed, its blades piercing the heart, slashing vertically above the head, and aimed directly at the face. The sword light clashed and danced, the robes fluttering wildly. Under the brilliant stars of the night sky on the Star Gazing Festival, the reflected sword light was swift, dazzling, and eye-catching.

In the night, the sword lights were like silver threads that were instantly exploded, bursting into one after another, like a silver kaleidoscope spinning in hell.

Humanity……

No.

It can only be described as an idea.

I always gravitate towards the strong.

Judging solely from its current performance, even the Divine Sword Dragon is far inferior to this.

The performance was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Some people couldn't even stay seated; those in the front row stood up to ensure their view wasn't obstructed.

You can feel it—every shadow dies!

This woman made an extraordinary leap forward in an instant, a leap so profound that, in the eyes of Jianyingjiewang, it was like a newly minted adventurer suddenly jumping to the Hall of Fame level—a world of difference! This was completely impossible! The one fighting against him now was someone else! The Sword King had cheated in some way to prevent his chief disciple from being tortured to death.

With a step back, she parried the force of the attack, unleashed a powerful counterattack with a horizontal slash, followed by a quick thrust. Valentina's movements were as swift as training, as if she were simply cutting down a pebble. In an instant, all the powerful blockades that had been disrupting her were broken, revealing the qualities she was meant to display.

It actually blocked the legendary assassin's frenzied attack, which seemed to kill at the mere sight of him.

Instead of being angry at the sight of his shadow dying, he laughed and did not find the behavior shameful.

He felt a surge of murderous intent.

He came to slaughter the masters of the Western Continent.

The top sixteen... are all players who sold their top spots.

This trip also includes retrieving... the Sword King's dog head.

He remained calm and composed, standing as steady as a pillar, even as shadows vanished.

The Sword King was forcibly pushing Valentina to perform extreme movements that overloaded her body; subcutaneous bleeding was already occurring around her joints, and she was sweating profusely.

In an instant.

The terror, so brutal it reached its extreme, spread.

His mere presence is awe-inspiring, his killing intent chilling to the bone!

Even some spectators with low mental fortitude who were not directly involved were frozen in place and their jaws were trembling, let alone Valentina who was facing him directly.
He was dead in a flash. His bare arms, exposed by his half-open plain robe, were muscular and taut like steel. His blood and qi surged like thunder. His palms were clenched into a ball. His qi surged throughout his body. His shoulders and back were taut like a bow. His aura was deep and abyss-like.

"die!"

sword!
flash!
Before the sword wind arrived, in the height of summer in September, a bone-chilling cold had already seeped into one's collar.

The heat in the air caused the tips of her sideburns to curl slightly.

A sword strike that returned to its original simplicity, a single slash that created a slight ripple of air around his feet.

The expressions on Xiaolong's face in the contestant's special seat turned solemn. The Sword King's disciple... was going to die.

Gold and iron echo.

A strange, loud bang was heard.

but……

Valentina blocked it.

However, he was pushed several meters away by this hidden, extreme force, and his legs moved sideways on the ground, carving two furrows.

Valentina felt a sweet taste rise in her throat and vomited blood. A line of blood the thickness of a finger appeared on her upper body clothes, which spread within a few seconds, soaking through most of her white clothes and becoming extremely conspicuous.

No matter how much guidance the Sword King gave, she wasn't the Sword King himself. All the extreme movements caused subcutaneous bleeding in her joints, resulting in bruises; her muscles and ligaments were severely strained; and her chest and abdominal wounds caused massive blood loss.

The Sword King ceased his guidance, only demanding Valentina's surrender, in whatever manner.

The bare arm, which seemed to vanish in an instant, was casually rested on by a sword.

I really admire this woman. Just now, she did seem to be guided by something, as if someone was telling her how to fight. But now she has opened her eyes, and the blood on her forehead is flowing into her eyes, but her fighting spirit is still undiminished. Her eyes are terrifying, little sister.

Unlike other nobles and dignitaries who flocked to her door with gifts of great wealth, Valentina was adopted by the Sword King.

"If you think I won't kill you... you're sorely mistaken. The Sword King is nothing but a fame-seeker. If I were him, I would have already joined the fray. What does breaking the rules of the martial arts tournament matter? Just a little bit of fleeting fame. He would have torn me to pieces, my limbs flying everywhere. Hmm... that sounds a bit strange. Continue your blind loyalty in the underworld."

He showed no mercy, killing all who saw him; the secret power of the Qi Sect surged, and he clenched his fist.

Blind loyalty, huh... Living like this also shows that you've truly lived.

Valentina remained unmoved.

Bang...bang...bang...

The shadow vanishes upon seeing him, his fists clenched and he unleashed a barrage of blows, his Heavenly Qi bursting forth. Anything that even grazed him was instantly crushed into a bloody pulp.

Valentina, however, advanced instead of retreating. Even without the Sword King's guidance, she saw through the Qi Sect's secret technique. Before those terrifying energies could take shape, she charged forward with incredible speed, almost touching the ground. She moved left and right, her sword flashing like lightning.

It was another extreme stunt. His already battered body was bleeding profusely, bones cracked and splintered, and bloodstains left a brutal trail on the ground.

Several terrifying explosions rang out in succession.

The protective barrier around the arena began to tremble, leaving a terrifying, massive fist-shaped imprint on the walls and splintering away rocks, but Valentina dodged it completely.

She lightly touched the ground with her feet, flew over, and flipped in mid-air to slash downwards.

With a swift and deadly strike, Valentina unleashed a powerful and fierce sword strike, the whistling sword shadows seemingly enveloping her entire body.

But his idea was completely wrong.

Valentina's sword tip paused slightly in mid-air, then suddenly shifted its sharpness, the spine of the sword sliding along his blade. With a flick of her wrist, she made the sword tremble and create an afterimage. Following the extremely powerful and fierce sword force of "Death at the First Sight," she spun around and thrust back, ultimately delivering a fatal blow that also pushed her to the brink of death.

May we live as long as heaven and earth! May we perish together with all who see our shadows!
"Is it really necessary to take it so seriously..."

Seeing the shadow disappear was somewhat surprising; wasn't the master-disciple relationship outdated? Such blind loyalty was truly a level of stupidity.

But forget it.

They were never a match for each other. With a flick of his fingers, he instantly killed Valentina, his invisible force striking her vital points and meridians.

Before she sent herself to the guillotine, all her strength gave out, and she collapsed to her knees, bleeding profusely, the sword in her hand falling to the ground.

"Um……"

All Shadows Die with a mission. The main purpose of Suspended Sword is to undermine the influence of these Far Eastern rebels. His cultivation level is definitely higher than that of Sword King.

Do you even know what a master is?

"Unlike the Sword King, I dare not step in to save you, for I am bound by circumstances. I will spare your life, so that the world may know what the true essence of swordsmanship is."

You are no match for me.

Seeing his shadow vanish, he turned and left, casually tossing his sword into the air. It finally nestled steadily in the weapon rack where he had come from, the blade humming and trembling a few times before falling silent.

The outcome is already clear.

Valentina choked back tears, not because she felt ashamed of the defeat, but because she was ashamed of the growing wavering in her resolve.

The female host announced the results of the competition.

Valentina was also rushed backstage by the organizers. The temporary medical room set up by the organizers was staffed by experts, but if her injuries were not treated quickly, she would really die.

The expressions of the people in the contestants' special seating area varied.

Only Gerdrey remained with his eyes closed, resting.

Next up is the final battle of the first round: Kyo Kusanagi vs. Lady Golden Village.

(End of this chapter)