Starting with a blind date with a female constable, you acquire the Nine Swords of Dugu.

Chapter 71: The Great War, Martial Arts Without End

"You're crazy, but I'm not."

Mu Jianjia's voice was as calm as still water, without the slightest ripple, yet her right hand had already slipped into her sleeve.

When he drew it again, he held a soft sword as thin as a cicada's wing. The blade was entirely silver-white, gleaming coldly in the firelight, and the tip trembled slightly, like a snake flicking its tongue.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qingyuan burst into loud, shrill laughter, saying, "Since you don't know what's good for you—"

The smile on his face vanished abruptly.

"Then today I will unify the Miao region with absolute force."

His gaze slowly swept over everyone present, from Mu Jianjia to Gu Guanqi, from Gou Liu to the village chiefs and priests.

"Those who obey me prosper, those who defy me perish."

The moment the words fell—

A powerful aura erupted from Wu Qingyuan.

In an instant, the air around him twisted and solidified, as if space itself trembled slightly under his will.

He took a step forward.

Just one step.

From the spot where he landed, countless cracks spread outwards in all directions. These cracks penetrated deep into the bluestone slabs, extending for several meters, and wherever they passed, even gravel turned to dust silently.

Everyone present felt their inner energy being suppressed by an invisible force.

Some people gasped in surprise, while others staggered backward.

this moment,

Everyone felt as if they were ants facing a mountain, or a stream facing a vast ocean, when they faced Wu Qingyuan.

Powerful martial artists all possess a grand martial arts style.

But at this moment,

The aura emanating from Wu Qingyuan had materialized, like water mist transforming into a vast ocean wave.

Faced with this situation,

Everyone will be suppressed.

but,

At this moment,

"Buzz—"

At the top of the tower, the Gu Mother suddenly opened her back armor and emitted a strange sound.

The sound was not the chirping of ordinary insects, but rather a kind of resonance, resonating with the frequency of the entire sacred mountain's veins at the same moment, and instantly amplified and spread.

The next moment—

Endless Gu worms emerged from all directions.

In the sky, swarms of black flying insects rose from the top of the tower, the mountain peak, and the dense forest, like a moving dark cloud that obscured the moonlight and starlight.

Beneath the ground, countless reptiles surged out from the cracks in the rocks, the gaps in the soil, and the moss, like a black tide converging towards the center of the square.

It covered everything, obscuring the sky and the sun.

The swarm of insects gathered and surged around the Holy Tower, like a black tornado composed of countless venomous insects, accompanied by a chilling buzzing sound, covering all directions in layers.

Mu Jianjia stood in the center of the insect swarm, her soft sword held horizontally in front of her, her long hair and robes billowing in the air currents.

"So it was the Heavenly Abyss Gu Formation. No wonder they dared to turn the tables on us!"

Wu Qingyuan chuckled, his voice tinged with disdain. "However, that's not enough to deal with me."

As soon as he finished speaking—

A terrifying black mist suddenly appeared behind them.

The fog was as thick as ink, like the ghostly energy surging from the depths of the earth, spreading and churning in the night. Wherever the fog passed, the air became viscous and heavy, even swallowing up the firelight, as if even the light itself paled in comparison.

He took a step forward, and his figure merged into the black mist.

next moment--

"boom--"

The black fog surged like a huge wave, crashing directly onto the reeds.

Wu Qingyuan was hidden among them, without any weapons in his hands.

But the moment he spread his five fingers and struck out with his palm, the air in front of his palm suddenly twisted and collapsed, as if space itself was crushed by his will and condensed into a huge palm print.

The palm print, carrying an immense pressure, crushed towards the reeds.

Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart with a shrill whistle, and the ground was plowed with a deep trench.

At the entrance of the Holy Tower,

Gu Guanqi's pupils contracted slightly.

He could clearly sense the power contained in that palm strike, which had transcended the realms of "true qi" and "martial will," and was a power inherent in the very nature of heaven and earth.

"Master!"

"Stop him!"

Several priests shouted simultaneously, activating their respective Gu techniques in an attempt to intercept him. However, the moment the Gu worms touched the black mist surrounding Wu Qingyuan, they all fell down as if encountering a natural enemy, unable to even get close.

Mu Jianjia snorted coldly, and the swarm of insects behind her suddenly erupted, like a black river bursting its banks, surging and surging with an overwhelming momentum, heading towards Wu Qingyuan's palm strike.

Ten thousand insects surged like a torrent.

The palm print is like divine punishment.

The two forces collided suddenly in mid-air.

"boom--"

A deafening roar, as if the sky had collapsed and the earth had cracked open.

The shockwave swept outwards from the point of impact, lifting entire slabs of bluestone into countless fragments in mid-air, which were then crushed into dust by the aftershocks.

The flames were mostly extinguished by the blast wave, leaving only a few scattered lights flickering in the wind.

Several nearby chieftains were thrown into the air by the shockwave, rolling several meters before finally regaining their footing.

Smoke and dust filled the air, and pebbles flew everywhere.

In the center of the plowed-out square, Mu Jianjia still stood in the same spot. The swarm of insects around her had thinned out considerably, but the soft sword in her hand was still held horizontally in front of her, its blade shimmering with a dark blue luster, like a solidified curtain of light.

Wu Qingyuan landed back on the ground and took a half step back.

He glanced down at his right palm, where a shallow scorch mark was rising from the center, wisps of smoke.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

"What a formidable Heavenly Abyss Gu Formation! It certainly has some merit, but—"

He raised his head and his gaze fell on Mu Jianjia.

"The Gu formation's enhancement is ultimately just borrowing power; I'll see how long you can use it!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

He suddenly clasped his hands together, interlacing his fingers and palms facing each other. In an instant, the black mist around him contracted sharply, like a compressed ball of air condensing and collapsing between his palms.

Then, he flipped his hands down.

Black mist poured out from his palm, transforming into a roaring black dragon that, carrying the power of heaven and earth, crashed down on Mu Jianjia.

Wherever the dragon passed, the air hissed as if it were shattering, the pebbles on the ground were swirled up and crushed, and even the moonlight was swallowed up by the thick blackness.

The reeds and rushes neither retreat nor avoid.

She pointed her soft sword to the sky, and the swarm of insects behind her surged and swirled like a storm awakened by a command, converging into a huge black sword shadow.

The sword shadow was formed from countless Gu worms, its edges glowing with a dark blue light. It resonated with the Gu Mother's cry at the top of the tower, emitting a deep hum like the breath of the earth.

The sword's shadow met the dragon.

"boom--"

The two forces collided violently in mid-air, and the shockwave exploded in all directions like a tsunami. The ground of the entire square cracked at that moment, and the cracks spread like a spider web to dozens of feet away.

The dragon and the sword shadow were locked in a stalemate for a moment at the point of collision, then shattered simultaneously, turning into countless fragments that dissipated into the night wind.

Wu Qingyuan's figure appeared amidst the fragments. He had already soared into the air, clapping his hands repeatedly. Each strike left a dark palm print, which rapidly enlarged in the air, like black boulders falling from the sky and crashing down on Mu Jianjia.

Mu Jianjia remained standing, her soft sword drawing perfect arcs around her body. The sword shadows unfolded before her like layers of ripples, dispelling the palm prints one by one.

Each time the palm print and the sword shadow collided, a blinding streak of light exploded across the plaza, leaving a deep trench in the ground. Pebbles flew everywhere, dust filled the air, and the moonlight was obscured, with only a few slivers of light filtering through the gaps in the clouds.

The two clashed from a distance, one descending from the sky with palms like thunder, the other standing on the ground with sword shadows like a tide.

The palm prints and sword shadows collided, shattered, regenerated, and shattered again. Within a radius of several dozen feet, the area was a complete mess. The bluestone slabs were overturned and crushed, revealing the damp soil underneath. Trees were cut in half and lay scattered on the ground.

Three moves... five moves... ten moves...

Wu Qingyuan's palm strikes grew faster and heavier, each strike carrying an overwhelming pressure. By the time the eleventh strike was unleashed, his entire body had merged with the palm print, like a black meteorite falling from the sky, crashing straight down on Mu Jianjia's head.

He was no longer holding back with this strike.

Mu Jianjia raised her head, her face beneath the silver crown still as cold and aloof as frost.

She quickly put down the soft sword, opened her arms to the sides, palms facing upwards.

At the top of the tower, the Gu Mother let out a long cry. The sound was not loud, but it pierced through the entire sacred mountain.

Around the plaza, the previously dispersed Gu worms froze at this moment, hovering in mid-air as if their wings were being held down by an invisible hand.

Then, all the Gu worms converged on the reed.

The black swarm of insects, like a great river rushing in from all directions, poured into her surroundings, transforming into a massive dark blue light curtain.

The light screen resembled an inverted dome, its surface swirling with countless fine golden patterns, identical to those on the Gu Mother's carapace.

Within the light screen, Mu Jianjia's figure became somewhat hazy, yet a powerful force rose from within her.

Wu Qingyuan's hand has arrived.

The palm strike, falling from the heavens, collided head-on with the light curtain, which seemed to condense from a sacred mountain, in mid-air.

in an instant,

A loud "boom" resounded.

Firelight, moonlight, wind, and insect chirps—everything vanished in that instant, erupting with a light that seemed to shatter even space itself, exploding at the point of impact.

Then, Wu Qingyuan's body was struck from below as if by an invisible giant hammer, and his whole body shot straight into the night sky dozens of feet high like a black meteor.

In that very instant—

Suddenly, a sharp and high-pitched eagle cry rang out in the night sky.

The sound was clear and piercing, cutting through the sky.

The crowd looked in the direction of the sound and saw a huge golden eagle swooping down from behind the night clouds. Its wingspan was a full ten feet, and the feathers at the tips of its wings gleamed with a cold, metallic light under the moonlight.

It swooped down with incredible speed, like a golden lightning bolt, and in the blink of an eye it was beneath Wu Qingyuan.

Wu Qingyuan stepped onto the eagle's back with his toes, his body slightly sinking, and then he stood firmly on the eagle's back.

"Reeds and rushes."

He looked down at the crowd in the square below, his voice carrying a hint of composure.

"Mu Jianjia, today you've used the power of the Tianyuan Gu Formation, so I won't entangle with you. But I hope you can stay within the Tianyuan Gu Formation every day?"

Before he could finish speaking, his figure had already flown into the depths of the night sky with the golden eagle.

"Trying to leave? Not so easy." Mu Jianjia scoffed.

She shook her hands violently, the bells on her bracelets rang, and the Gu Mother also chirped at the same time.

The next moment, countless flying insects appeared in the sky, like a black torrent surging upwards, blotting out the sky and the moon, and engulfing the golden eagle and Wu Qingyuan.

The golden eagle let out a cry, its large wings flapping wildly to drive away the Gu worms. At that moment, Wu Qingyuan also unleashed a protective aura that enveloped him and the golden eagle. However, there were too many Gu worms, and their weight was terrifying, causing the golden eagle to lose its balance and sway violently in the night sky.

At the same time—

Mu Jianjia turned and darted into the Holy Tower.

In no time, she was like a wisp of wind, reaching the top of the tower in the blink of an eye.

A huge iron bow appeared in her hand. The bow was entirely black, and the bowstring was made of the tendons of some kind of strange beast, gleaming with a dark golden luster.

There was also a long, silver-white arrow, its shaft covered with intricate runes.

This bow,

Gu Guanqi did have a vague recollection of it; he had seen this large bow inside the Holy Tower when he visited it before, and he had previously thought it was just a decoration.

And at this moment,

The reeds and rushes did not stop at all.

She drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and pulled back the string.

Completed in one go.

In that instant, a surge of powerful true energy flowed into the bow and arrow.

A blinding silver light suddenly shone from the arrow shaft, and the runes lit up one by one, like flowing starlight.

"go."

She loosened the string.

The moment the arrow left the bowstring, a silvery-white light streaked across the sky at an incredible speed, as if it had ripped through space itself.

It traversed a distance of over a hundred feet and caught up with the already disheveled golden eagle with pinpoint accuracy.

"puff--"

A muffled thud.

The arrow pierced the golden eagle's abdomen and exited through its back, raising a cloud of blood mist.

The golden eagle let out a piercing scream, its wings drooped limply, and its massive body lost its balance in the air, spinning as it plummeted downwards.

The golden eagle fell faster and faster, like a golden meteor crashing to the ground.

"boom--"

A loud bang.

The golden eagle crashed into the center of the square halfway up the sacred mountain, sending up a cloud of gravel and dust several meters high.

Its body was smashed to pieces, golden feathers scattered all over the ground, and dark red blood gushed out from its shattered body, quickly spreading into a large area.

Not far from the golden eagle,

Wu Qingyuan also crashed heavily to the ground, his flesh mangled and bloody.

Immediately,

Mu Jianjia and the other village chiefs used their lightness skills to quickly fly down the mountain.

Then they saw Wu Qingyuan, who had been smashed to pieces and was covered in blood, slowly struggling to get up.

But strangely enough...

The face that had been smashed beyond recognition suddenly began to twist and fade away as if melting, quickly revealing an old and withered face.

It was a face covered with wrinkles and age spots, with loose, sagging skin, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a gloomy, cold light still shining in its cloudy eyes.

He slowly stood up.

His robes were tattered and stained with blood, several ribs were broken, and his left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle. Blood oozed from his mouth and nose, dripping from his chin onto the ground.

Even more bizarrely—

A layer of dark red true energy flowed around his body, and his broken ribs and twisted arms were visibly resetting and healing under the flow of that true energy, but his body became extremely hunched.

"Old Miao King?!"

"It's...it's Wu Tongtian?!"

"You...you're not dead?!"

Exclamations of surprise rose and fell from the crowd.

The village chief, priests, and members of the Gu God Cult all stared in disbelief at the hunched old man who slowly rose from the ground.

They knew that face all too well.

That was Wu Tongtian, the old Miao king who had ruled the Miao region for decades.

He was someone who had passed away and been buried half a month ago.

"To live towards death, to regain youth." Mu Jianjia looked at Wu Tongtian, her voice cold and clear, and said, "You actually managed to cultivate the Zen of life and death."

Wu Tongtian slowly straightened up, stretched his neck which had just recovered, and made a series of crisp "crack" sounds. He raised his head, his cloudy eyes looking at Mu Jianjia, and said:

"Very good. Excellent."

His voice was hoarse, yet carried a chilling calmness.

"Mu Jianjia, you've angered me. I was originally going to give you a chance to be my woman..."

He grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

"Now it seems you truly deserve to die. Without the Heavenly Abyss Gu Formation, what do you have left to fight me!"

He took a step forward.

In that instant, the crimson mist around him surged once more.

"Attack together!"

"Stop him!"

Several village chiefs shouted in unison, and dozens of figures rushed out at the same time, activating their strongest Gu techniques, surrounding Wu Tongtian from all directions.

Gu worms rained down, poisonous fog surged like a tide, and hidden weapons flew like shooting stars.

however--

Wu Tongtian didn't even glance at them.

He simply waved his hand casually.

"roll."

A low, deep breath.

In that instant, a crimson wave of energy emanated from him and spread outwards in all directions. The wave was not violent, but it carried an irresistible majesty.

Dozens of figures rushing towards him were forced back as if they had hit an invisible wall.

Mu Jianjia's pupils contracted slightly.

She could clearly sense that Wu Tongtian's aura had risen even higher than before, indicating that he was unleashing his full power without any restraint.

"Stop!"

Just as everyone was preparing to charge again, Mu Jianjia raised her hand to stop them, saying, "Don't make pointless sacrifices. Now that he has mastered the Zen of Life and Death, he is not someone you can kill."

She stepped forward and said, "I will use forbidden magic to kill this villain. After my death, High Priest Gou Liu will temporarily assume the position of sect leader. I will appoint Lan Lan as the Holy Maiden, and she can succeed as sect leader when she has cultivated her holy skills."

While speaking,

She walked forward step by step, her body emanating wisps of deathly aura. At the same time, the blood and qi within her body began to surge and churn.

She began to use a forbidden technique that would result in mutual destruction.

Just then—

A hand reached out from behind her and gently pressed on her shoulder.

The hand was warm and strong, its palm resting on her shoulder. A warm and mellow aura flowed through her palm into her meridians, like spring water melting ice, instantly calming the burning death energy.

Mu Jianjia's steps suddenly stopped.

She turned her head away.

I saw Gu Guanqi.

The night breeze made Gu Guanqi's hair flutter slightly, and the moonlight fell on his shoulders, coating them with a layer of cool silver-white. He was completely untouched by worldly affairs, like an immortal who had descended from the clouds to the mortal world, stepping silently through the night and mountain mist.

The moonlight drifted in with the night breeze.

For a moment, Mu Jianjia was lost in thought, feeling somewhat dazed. She felt that Gu Guanqi was so close yet so handsome and beautiful, but also vague and unattainable.

"It hasn't come to that."

Gu Guanqi's voice was very calm.

"Now--"

He withdrew his hand, stepped over the reeds, and took a step forward.

"Leave the battlefield to me."

……

The night wind swept across the sacred mountain, and the dust on the mountainside had not yet settled. Dark red bloodstains and broken silver ornaments were scattered among the broken walls.

The followers of the Gu God Sect and the leaders of various villages retreated, clearing the messy open space in the center.

Mu Jianjia stood at the front of the crowd, watching Gu Guanqi's back.

Gu Guanqi walked at a leisurely pace, his Autumn Water Sword still hanging at his waist, not yet drawn, but the surrounding air had already changed.

At that moment, everyone felt that the sky was filled with sword light, but when they looked closely, there was nothing there.

Wu Tongtian's hunched body slowly straightened, and the loose, old skin on his face twitched slightly. He raised his head, his cloudy eyes staring at Gu Guanqi for a couple of breaths, before suddenly speaking in a hoarse voice:

"Gu Guanqi, I'm giving you one last chance. Submit to me, and when I change the dynasty and ascend the throne, you will be the prime minister, second only to the emperor. Don't you Central Plains people value 'meritorious service in supporting the emperor' the most? I'll give you whatever rewards you want."

His voice was hoarse, yet it exuded a powerful confidence, as if he were not discussing the matter, but bestowing a favor.

Gu Guanqi slowed his pace, smiled gently upon hearing this, and shook his head slightly.

Wu Tongtian's face darkened: "You don't believe me?"

Gu Guanqi said, "I believe you are serious at this moment."

Wu Tongtian said loudly, "Then why are you shaking your head? My cultivation is now the best in the world, and this beautiful land is within my grasp!"

Gu Guanqi said, "Your cultivation level should have been a great fortune for Miao Jiang, but you insist on using it to dream of becoming emperor."

Wu Tongtian's eyelids twitched.

Gu Guanqi continued, "There's no limit to martial arts; there's no such thing as being the best in the world. You're just blinded by your own eyes and can't see that."

"Nonsense!" Wu Tongtian roared in a low voice, "Ungrateful wretch!"

The moment the last word fell, a powerful aura suddenly erupted from his body. Within a radius of ten feet, the rubble on the ground was shaken and bounced up an inch. Black mist, like ink into water, surged wildly from his body and spread rapidly, enveloping the entire area.

The black mist carried a viscous, oppressive feeling, blocking not only sight but also perception. A low growl, like the roars of a thousand beasts, emanated from within the mist; the air became stagnant and heavy, even breathing carried a needle-like chill.

Everyone involuntarily took several steps back.

Wu Tongtian stood in the center of the black mist, his hunched body seemingly growing taller at that moment. He took a step forward, and the ground cracked, black gas seeping from the cracks, rolling in and pressing down on Gu Guanqi.

however--

"Zheng—"

A sword rang out.

The moment the Autumn Water Sword was drawn, an extremely clear and melodious sword cry pierced the night sky, like a morning bell or an evening drum, like a mountain spring striking a rock.

The voice was not loud, yet it pierced through all darkness and oppression, carrying a sense of ethereal and inviolable holiness, tearing a rift in the pervasive black mist from the center.

Before the sword light arrived, the sword energy arrived first.

Wu Tongtian's pupils contracted slightly, black mist surged beneath his feet, and his figure pounced out like a ghost.

He threw out his right fist, which was covered with thick, blood-red energy. The air shattered as the fist passed by, as if an invisible dragon was baring its fangs and claws and lunging at Gu Guanqi.

Gu Guanqi casually unleashed a sword strike, its momentum vast and powerful, like a surging, endless river.

The dragon formed from the force of the fist collided with the sword's power the instant it touched it, as if it had hit an insurmountable dam. The energy dissipated, the black mist crumbled, and the dragon turned into countless fragments that vanished into the night wind.

Wu Tongtian's pupils suddenly contracted.

But he didn't stop. His left palm followed immediately, the palm wind carrying a blood-red wall of energy, as heavy as a mountain, sweeping across. At the same instant, the black mist around him suddenly contracted, condensing into dozens of pitch-black arrows, which shot towards Gu Guanqi from all directions.

Arrows pierced the sky, dense as a sudden rain.

Gu Guanqi's sword stance remained unabated; with a slight turn of his wrist, the Autumn Water Sword drew a perfect arc around his body. The sword strike was not fast, but carried a calm and unhurried rhythm.

Where the sword light passed, dozens of black arrows melted away silently, like ice and snow meeting the sun.

The crimson wall of energy was already in sight.

Gu Guanqi neither dodged nor evaded, but instead swung his sword diagonally upwards with a backhand motion.

The sword light sliced ​​into the bottom of the qi wall, as precise and light as water seeping into a crack in the stone. In the next instant, the thick qi wall cracked open from the middle, then collapsed to both sides, turning into countless fragments of light.

Wu Tongtian took a half step back, a look of surprise and doubt on his face.

"you……"

He didn't finish his sentence because Gu Guanqi's sword had already arrived.

This sword strike had no fancy opening moves, just a simple, straightforward thrust.

But it was this one thrust that made Wu Tongtian feel as if the entire world was being pulled and locked by that sword. The point of the sword tip was where his heart was. No matter if he dodged to the left, avoided to the right, jumped up, or sank down, that sharp point always pointed directly at his heart.

He immediately clasped his hands together, condensing a jet-black protective aura in front of his chest. Countless fine runes surged on the surface of the aura, writhing like living things.

The tip of the sword struck the very center of the protective aura.

A very soft and delicate "ding" sounded, like the tip of a needle falling on the porcelain surface.

then,

The jet-black aura rapidly developed cracks centered on the sword tip. The cracks spread like a spiderweb, gradually thinning out and expanding outwards from the center.

Wu Tongtian's expression changed drastically. He frantically tried to fill the crack with his power, but Gu Guanqi's sword momentum surged in continuously, one sword after another, each faster than the last, like the tide crashing against the shore, wave after wave.

The first sword strike pierced through the surface of the protective aura.

The second sword strike shattered the surging runes.

The third sword...

The sword light had pierced through the shattered protective energy, leaving a deep bloodstain on his right shoulder.

Wu Tongtian grunted and took several steps back to create distance.

He glanced down at the sword wound on his shoulder. The wound was deep, and the ethereal and holy sword energy, like a bone-deep infection, was seeping into his meridians and disrupting his true energy.

"Excellent swordsmanship." His voice was a little hoarse. He raised his head, a hint of ferocity flashing in his cloudy eyes. "You are arguably the second best swordsman in the world!"

The moment he finished speaking, a change began to occur in him.

The skin, covered with age spots, bulged and swollen, as if something was wriggling wildly beneath it.

immediately,

"Pfft—pfft—pfft—"

A series of dull cracking sounds followed as his flesh split open from the inside out, and countless black Gu worms surged out from the cracks like a black tide bursting its banks. These Gu worms were extremely small, yet numbered in the tens of thousands, densely covering his body surface before quickly seeping into his flesh and blood.

His body began to swell.

First the shoulders, then the back, chest, abdomen, and limbs. The clothes were torn and ripped, revealing the body covered by Gu worms underneath.

The Gu worms merged together, transforming into a writhing black carapace that enveloped his entire body.

In the blink of an eye, Wu Tongtian had transformed into a monster over ten feet tall.

Its entire body was jet black, its skin like rough rock, with a damp, dark sheen, covered in fine scales. The shape of its head was twisted and deformed, its features almost swallowed up by the insect armor, leaving only a pair of eyes that churned like lava.

He let out a low roar, a muffled sound like a rumble coming from inside the mountain.

"Gu Guanqi!"

The sound was no longer a human voice, but a jumble of noises from countless Gu insects flapping their wings and resonating together, so muffled it made one's scalp tingle.

The monster raised its right arm and slammed down with a punch.

That punch, thick as a pillar and enveloped in dense black energy, hurtled towards Gu Guanqi's head like a meteorite falling from the sky, with overwhelming force.

Gu Guanqi, like a cloud blown by the wind, drifted away about ten feet.

The punch missed its mark, striking the spot where he had just stood. With a deafening roar, a crater several feet wide shattered in the ground, and debris rained down in all directions.

The monster didn't stop, its arms slamming down in succession, punch after punch, fast as a rainstorm, heavy as a collapsing mountain. Each punch created a large crater, the ground trembled violently, and cracks spread wildly.

Gu Guanqi took several steps back, as if strolling leisurely in a garden.

"Do you think you can hide?"

Wu Tongtian let out a roar, a sound like the simultaneous hissing of hundreds of Gu worms, sharp and piercing, echoing in the night sky and causing the surrounding rocks to tremble and shake.

In an instant, a vast expanse of black energy erupted from his body, thick as ink, enveloping his entire being. The black energy surged violently, like boiling magma, and in the blink of an eye, it swallowed up the entire area within a radius of several dozen feet.

The black energy suddenly exploded, transforming into several pitch-black figures that flew out from different directions at the same time.

Each figure was exactly the same as Wu Tongtian, with the same body length of over ten feet, the same black insect armor, the same lava eyes, and the same terrifying pressure.

Like a pack of enraged beasts, they rushed towards Gu Guanqi from several directions—east, west, south, and north—with a sharp whooshing sound.

The clones moved incredibly fast, as if they ignored space itself.

A monster on the left charged forward first, its right fist, enveloped in thick black energy, hurtling straight at Gu Guanqi's head like a dark meteor. The monster on the right followed closely behind, its claws like hooks tearing through the air, aiming for Gu Guanqi's ribs.

The monster in front opened its huge mouth, spewing out thick black mist. The mist carried a pungent, fishy stench, and wherever it passed, the ground was corroded, emitting hissing white smoke.

The monster behind him moved silently, like a ghost, skimming along the ground, its sharp claws aimed straight for Gu Guanqi's ankle.

Four directions, four deadly moves, perfectly coordinated, sealing off all of Gu Guanqi's escape routes.

Gu Guanqi stood in the center, his clothes fluttering in the strong wind brought by the black mist, and his long hair swaying in the night wind.

His gaze was as calm as a deep pool, without the slightest panic, and he didn't even move his feet.

He merely raised his right hand slightly, his Autumn Water Sword pointing diagonally at the monster charging at the forefront on his left.

His movements were light and casual, as if he were just pointing casually.

In that instant, an ethereal sword intent emanated from him, like moonlight pouring down, like spring water overflowing, silent and still, yet completely enveloping the space within a radius of several feet.

The sword intent was so pure that it was untouched by any dust, carrying a sense of transcendent holiness.

In that instant, he felt as if he had become one with the sword.

The surrounding air suddenly became crisp and clear, like a clear morning after a snowfall, like a solitary moon atop a mountain. A vast, ethereal, and sacred sword intent emanated from him, merging and resonating with the atmosphere of heaven and earth.

this moment,

The death trap of the Cihang Sword Manual is fused into this one sword strike.

The sword light that filled the sky no longer merely "exists" around him, but has become one with him—the sword is the man, and the man is the sword.

He controlled the sword with his mind, and the Yin-Yang Boundless Realm was completely harmonized at this moment, transforming into a flowing white light that enveloped him and the Autumn Water Sword.

He moved.

Yet it seemed as if it hadn't moved at all.

Only four sword lights flashed, pure and otherworldly.

The first sword light, like rays of moonlight, leaked through gaps in the clouds and landed on the brow of a monster.

The monster didn't even have time to let out a scream before its massive body began to disintegrate from between its eyebrows.

Like sand dunes meeting water, like snowmen meeting spring, they turned to ashes and vanished in the night wind in an instant, leaving not a trace.

The second sword light descended, elegant and composed, yet carrying an overwhelming and unstoppable sword force, like a surging tide, like an inverted galaxy.

The black mist spewed from the monster's mouth as it charged forward was instantly swept away upon contact with the sword light. The sword's momentum remained undiminished, piercing through the mist and grazing its neck.

"laugh!"

With a soft sound, the monster shattered into a cloud of black dust, which dissipated into the night wind.

The monster's claws on the right were already within three feet of Gu Guanqi's waist and ribs, with black energy clinging to the tips of the claws, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound.

The third sword light swept across the sky, arriving first despite being the last to strike.

The monster split in two, exuding thick black mist. Its body, like an icicle scorched by the blazing sun, let out a short hiss before its entire body began to melt away from its head, turning into nothingness.

Everything happened in an instant.

Then, the three sword lights quickly merged with the fourth sword light, flashed by, and surged towards the fourth monster.

that moment,

Gu Guanqi seemed to have disappeared, or perhaps he had merged into that sword light.

Is it a person, a sword, or an immortal?

It is a wisp of wind.

It pierced through the monster's body.

The ray of sword light fell.

Gu Guanqi landed back on the ground.

The Autumn Water Sword hung at his side, a drop of jet-black blood dripping from its tip.

The night breeze blows, and the white clothes are whiter than snow.

He stood atop the ruins, yet remained untouched by a speck of dust, his posture ethereal, like a celestial being descended to earth.

The last monster stood frozen in place.

That was Wu Tongtian's true form.

Those dark red eyes were still open, but the light in their pupils was rapidly dissipating.

Its neck, chest, waist, abdomen, limbs...

Simultaneously, countless sword lights illuminated his entire body. These sword lights were as fine as hair, shining outwards from within, like moonlight leaking through gaps in the clouds.

Then--

"Pfft—pfft—pfft—"

Countless fine jets of blood gushed out from its body at the same time.

The monster's body, over ten feet tall, began to shrink at that moment. Its insect armor peeled off and disintegrated, turning into black fragments that scattered across the ground. Gu worms surged out from the cracks, but instantly froze and curled up upon touching the ground.

Wu Tongtian's figure reappeared within the disintegrating insect shell.

He knelt on the ground, his hunched body swaying precariously, covered in bloody holes, his tattered robes soaked with blood. His cloudy eyes were still open, staring at the ground ahead, his lips moving slightly.

"Is it really... that there's no limit to martial arts?"

His voice was so faint it was almost inaudible.

Gu Guanqi sheathed his sword, turned around, and said, "Indeed, there is no end."

Wu Tongtian said, "But I have already surpassed Xuan Xin back then, so why shouldn't I be the number one in the world?"

"Even Xuanxin isn't the best in the world," Gu Guanqi said. "He created the Life and Death Zen Divine Skill when he was thirty. There should be people in the world who are more talented than Xuanxin and live longer."

Wu Tongtian opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but when he looked up and saw Gu Guanqi standing in front of him, he suddenly realized that Gu Guanqi was only twenty-one years old, much younger than Xuanxin was back then.

For a moment, the words that were on the tip of his tongue wouldn't come out.

"Where is your heart?" Gu Guanqi asked.

Wu Tongtian paused, his cloudy eyes filled with doubt: "Who is Fang Cunxin?"

Gu Guanqi took the hairband from her bosom and handed it to him: "Where did you get this?"

Wu Tongtian's gaze lingered on the hairband for a moment before he said, "The Heavenly Demon Sect... they gave it to me. They only said that using this thing... could lure you into their trap."

His voice grew softer and softer, and by the time he uttered the last word, his breath had completely stopped.

He knelt there, head bowed, and didn't move.

The night wind blew down from the heights of the sacred mountain, swirling up ashes and debris, making his hunched figure look like a withered tree.