Shrouding the Heavens: The Ultimate Daoist Venerable

Chapter 144 A Deadly Sword

Thump! Thump! Thump!
A heavy, steady heartbeat resounded, like a booming bell or a war drum, echoing in all directions, shaking the wind and clouds, changing the color of the sky and earth, as if the entire battle platform was trembling slightly with this terrifying heartbeat.

A series of terrifying sonic booms resounded, even causing the torrent of ten thousand swords to momentarily halt. Wan Jianyi felt even his heart being affected by this frequency, his blood churning uncontrollably.

He quickly channeled his sword intent to sever these influences. He vanquished external evils and internal inner demons; his sword intent had reached an extremely high level.

Amidst this terrifying heartbeat, it was as if a monstrous beast had awakened within Yuanxiang King's frail body, beginning to observe everything around him as if it wanted to devour anyone it could. Even Wuji and the others, who were outside the great formation, felt a chill run through their bodies, as if they had been seen as prey by a top predator.

Meanwhile, Wan Jianyi, who was opposite him, felt even greater pressure. If it weren't for the sword intent enhancing him, he would probably have been completely overwhelmed by this terrifying aura, and his combat power would have been greatly reduced.

No laws or divine light emerged from Yuanxiang King's body; only an endless, vast, and terrifying surge of blood and qi erupted forth, as if a true dragon had been revived and a celestial phoenix had descended to earth.

His original handsome, youthful appearance remained unchanged, but a primal, wild aura naturally emerged from him.

Wan Jianyi's distracting thoughts were completely cut off by the sword intent, so he remained unshaken and continued to urge the torrent of ten thousand swords to completely envelop Yuan Xiangwang, forming a terrifying vortex of sword energy.

Within this vortex, countless sword energies crisscrossed and combined, capable of annihilating everything they touched into dust.

If it were any other demon king, even the Mad Lion King or the Demon Ape King, Wan Jianyi would have absolute confidence in injuring them. But facing the Yuanxiang King, for some reason, he always felt uncertain.

Amidst the endless sword light, Yuanxiang King's blood and qi surged, eventually contracting and condensing into a thick protective layer covering his skin. The endless sword light slashed at his body from all directions, but it was all blocked by this protective layer formed by his blood and qi.

Occasionally, sword light would break through his blood and qi defenses, but it was always at its last gasp. When it landed on Yuanxiang King's skin, it could only produce a metallic clang, leaving behind streaks of white marks.

Yuan Xiangwang took a step forward, stretched out his hand, and grabbed the impenetrable net of endless sword light in front of him. He tore it open, and countless sword energies frantically cut through it, but none of them could break through his defense.

Yuanxiang King stepped out of the torrent of ten thousand swords and slapped down with his palm. The terrifying power surged out like a tidal wave, obliterating countless remaining sword lights and making them vanish without a trace.

How is this possible? Has King Yuanxiang already achieved physical sainthood?

Wan Jianyi took a deep breath. Faced with such terrifying power, he could hardly maintain his composure with his sword intent. Countless distracting thoughts surged in his mind, and he was in a state of utter confusion.

Are we going to lose? He's a monster! I'm going to disgrace the Wuxiang Sword Sect. Will I die? Can Chongxu and the others handle this? If Mount Tai falls into our hands... I don't want to be a sinner...

Amidst the chaos of his thoughts, it seemed as if a string in his mind had suddenly snapped. Then, his previously weakened sword intent suddenly surged, obliterating all his distracting thoughts.

Under this unprecedented pressure, his sword heart suddenly began to condense further, and his formless sword energy reached a new level.

At this moment, he was more focused than ever before, free from any distracting thoughts. Apart from his sword, he saw no other complexities of the world. The sharp, all-encompassing sword energy emanating from him vanished.

However, the slight fluctuations in the void around him revealed that these sword energies had not disappeared; they had simply become invisible and extremely difficult to detect.

He finally overcame the bottleneck that had been difficult to overcome for more than a decade and mastered the true Sword of No Form. From then on, the path to sainthood was no longer difficult for him.

This was a breakthrough in the heat of battle! Although it was the result of years of accumulated experience, it was enough to prove that his talent and temperament were indeed top-notch. Yuanxiang King looked at his changes and smiled slightly: "Very good, I didn't expect you to be able to go even further under these circumstances. Although you haven't made another move yet, I already know that your sword is even sharper."

"I originally thought you were just an insignificant nobody that I could easily dismiss, but now it seems I need to take you a little more seriously."

"But don't worry, I won't kill you. I'll spare your life so you can keep chasing me until you can no longer see my back."

Wan Jianyi remained expressionless, replying calmly, "Do all you demons talk so much nonsense?"

King Yuanxiang laughed and said, "I stayed in the Ten Thousand Demon Cave for fifteen years without saying a word, and I was constantly worried about dying in the formation. It really made me feel suffocated. So, I'm bound to talk a lot. But you should cherish this time, because you won't have the chance to hear me speak for a long time."

Wan Jianyi said, "I don't want to waste my breath. If you can withstand this sword strike, then I'll have to admit defeat."

King Yuanxiang did not speak again, but simply beckoned with his finger.

A three-foot-long green sword appeared in Wan Jianyi's hand, named Shouyi. This was his natal sword, which he had used since the beginning of his cultivation. Although the material was not of the highest quality, it was the one he was most satisfied with and that suited him perfectly.

As countless invisible sword energies intertwined, his entire being began to disintegrate, gradually transforming into countless formless and shapeless sword energies, ultimately merging with the Guardian Sword.

This is the unity of man and sword!
In a daze, Wan Jianyi recalled his master's teachings.

"Do you know why I made you change your name to Wan Jianyi? It's to match the name 'Guardian of One Sword'."

"People say that life is unpredictable and people's hearts are fickle. The sword techniques of my Wuxiang Sword Sect are also infinitely varied."

"But these are all just appearances. Only by adhering to one's true self, not being misled by the outside world, and focusing wholeheartedly on one's own sword, remaining steadfast amidst changing winds and unpredictable world, can one advance further. The true essence of my Great Formless Sword Qi lies in using an unchanging sword heart to control the formless, shapeless, and elusive sword energy."

Wan Jianyi's figure and the Shouyi Sword in his hand both vanished, leaving only Yuanxiang King standing alone on the battle stage.

As Yuanxiang King's eyes moved, runes faintly appeared. This was actually the legendary Martial Arts Heavenly Eye, which could capture flaws and see through illusions!
Under this all-seeing eye, all supernatural powers and techniques are exposed. In fact, in his eyes, other people's movements will become slower and slower. The more he sees through the other person's supernatural powers, the more he can make the other person appear almost still in his eyes.

Under the Martial Arts Heavenly Eye, Wan Jianyi's invisible sword energy was actually seen through, revealing its traces.

At this moment, a sword light appeared. It was not particularly dazzling, nor did it have a grand momentum. It simply appeared silently, as if it had always existed, merging into the void and the world.

This was Wan Jianyi's final sword strike, the highest achievement of his life in swordsmanship, and an unprecedented display of his extraordinary skill.

Yuanxiang King looked at the sword light coming towards him and laughed, "This sword is very interesting. If you were fighting someone else now, even the Mad Lion King might not be able to withstand it. But unfortunately, you have met me."

As he spoke, his blood and qi surged, and a terrifying force burst forth from his body. Without dodging or avoiding, he actually reached out and grabbed the sword light that was piercing his chest!
The sword light stopped, and Yuanxiang King grasped it in his hand.

(End of this chapter)