Chapter 33: The Skies Are About to Change
Swoosh!
A bewitching crimson sword light shot forth directly, and in an instant, a towering killing intent surged into the heavens…
“The Killing Sword Art!” Bai Chong immediately rose to his feet, staring at that bewitching crimson sword light in shock. “It's the second form of the Void Sword Art, the Killing Sword Art. He can actually unleash the Killing Sword Art?”
“The Killing Sword Art?” Shui Hanxin was inwardly startled as well—she had clearly heard of the illustrious reputation of the Void Sword Art's second form, the Killing Sword Art.
“Shui Hanxin, why aren't you stepping in to save your disciple?” Bai Chong shouted.
Shui Hanxin's gaze darkened slightly as she stared fixedly at the two sword lights on the arena, about to collide. Then she let out a helpless sigh, and her figure immediately shot out.
Chi!
On the arena, the two terrifying sword lights finally collided head-on, yet the collision lasted only an instant before the winner was decided.
“What?”
Ye Mo's eyes went wide as he watched in disbelief—his strongest sword strike had, at this very moment, been crushed without even the slightest chance to struggle. And what's more, that bewitching crimson sword light had lost barely any of its power, still slashing horizontally toward him.
An unprecedented crisis of death immediately enveloped him.
At the critical moment, Shui Hanxin's figure suddenly appeared before him. With a casual wave of her hand, that bewitching crimson sword light was instantly scattered, and the arena finally fell silent.
Ye Mo gritted his teeth, glaring fixedly at Jian Wushuang, his heart full of unwillingness.
But no matter how unwilling he was, there was nothing he could do. After all, he had already lost. He knew very well that had it not been for his master stepping in to save him, he would already be dead. That terrifying strike just now could have easily torn his body to shreds.
Meanwhile, Jian Wushuang, the target of his glare, was in extreme agony. His face had twisted to the absolute extreme. The damage that the Soul-Seizing Secret Art inflicted on the body was far more terrifying than he had imagined. In just this brief span of time, he had already reached his limit.
Buzz~~~ The Soul-Seizing Secret Art came to an involuntary halt, and the surging aura on Jian Wushuang's body rapidly receded at this moment, dropping directly to a level so weak it was almost negligible. His body was even trembling slightly. At this moment, he had grown weak to the extreme.
But the unyielding spirit in his heart kept him from collapsing to the ground. At the same time, he raised his eyes, and the Triple Killing Sword in his hand, at this very moment, pointed directly toward Shui Hanxin standing before him.
“If you're not convinced, we can fight again anytime!”
His heaven-piercing sword intent erupted at this moment as well.
At this moment, everyone on the training grounds couldn't help but be moved. They could all see that Jian Wushuang's aura had weakened to the extreme, yet even so, the fighting spirit within him had not been extinguished in the slightest, and the sword intent bursting forth from his body had not diminished at all.
Shui Hanxin's face was utterly cold, but her heart at this moment was full of helplessness.
Fight again?
How could that be possible? Fight with what?
Today's matter was originally a grudge between Jian Wushuang and Jian Meng'er. After Jian Meng'er's defeat, Ye Mo stepping in was already rather excessive. To fight again? That wouldn't just be excessive—that would be shameless.
She, Shui Hanxin, was after all an elder of the Tianyuan Sword Sect, a peak Golden Core expert. Naturally, she could not throw away every last shred of dignity.
“Meng'er.” Shui Hanxin glanced down at Jian Meng'er, whose face was deathly pale, her expression even somewhat wooden, and said in a low voice, “From today onward, you will come with me to cultivate at the Tianyuan Sword Sect. For three years, you are not to step outside the Tianyuan Sword Sect even once. And during these three years, I will devote my full effort to teaching you.”
Jian Meng'er was taken aback, her expression rather complicated, but she still respectfully nodded and answered, “Yes.”
“Jian Wushuang.” Shui Hanxin turned to look at Jian Wushuang once more, her eyes icy. “In today's battle, you have indeed won. But this only shows that my ability to teach disciples is limited—it does not mean that my Tianyuan Sword Sect has no disciple more monstrous than you. There is still plenty of time ahead. Over the next three years, I will do everything in my power to teach Meng'er. Three years from now, I will send her to find you, and at that time, she will contend with you for supremacy once more!”
“Three years from now, contend with me for supremacy?” The corner of Jian Wushuang's mouth curled up slightly as he glanced at Jian Meng'er, but he couldn't help shaking his head inwardly.
Only Jian Wushuang himself knew that since Jian Meng'er had already been defeated by his hand today, she would never again have the qualifications to be his opponent. After all, what he cultivated was the Great Fortune Scripture, which defied the heavens with every step. As he continued to cultivate, the gap between Jian Meng'er and him would only grow wider and wider.
Without a word—not even sparing Jian Meng'er another glance—he turned around directly and slowly walked off the arena.
“I'll be waiting anytime!”
Those four cold, clear words left Jian Wushuang's mouth, echoing across the training grounds. Under the gaze of everyone present, Jian Wushuang walked off the arena step by step. His pace was slow and heavy, as if every single step were immensely difficult, yet with each step he took, everyone present could clearly sense that the already heaven-piercing sword intent on his body was growing stronger and stronger at this very moment.
In fact, in the eyes of everyone present, it seemed as though something peculiar had suddenly appeared around Jian Wushuang's body.
What exactly this thing was, no one could say.
Watching Jian Wushuang walk off the arena step by step, then disappear step by step from everyone's sight, the entire training grounds remained utterly silent throughout the whole process. No one said a single word, as if everyone had been awed by that heaven-piercing sword intent.
And atop the roof of a pavilion at the edge of the training grounds, four figures stood.
All four of them looked incredibly aged, and the one leading them was a grey-robed old man with silver-white hair.
The Four Great Elders of the Sword Pavilion!
The grey-robed old man leading them was none other than Elder Hong.
Today was the day that would determine the fate of the Sword Pavilion, and Jian Wushuang had not disappointed these four elders—he could even be said to have created a miracle. In just two months' time, he had surpassed and defeated Jian Meng'er. This result should have been enough to fill every disciple of the Sword Pavilion with joy and pride, and these four elders would be no exception. Yet at this moment, as the four elders stood there, the atmosphere was unbearably oppressive.
On their aged faces, there was not the slightest hint of joy. Instead, there was only deep, deep worry.
“Big Brother, you've seen it too, haven't you?” one of the elders asked in a low voice.
“Mm.” Elder Hong slowly nodded, his gaze fixed on Jian Wushuang's retreating figure from beginning to end.
“Body and mind utterly exhausted, yet his will remains unbroken, his sword intent soaring to the heavens, eternal and undispersing!”
“It's the awakening of the Sword Soul—just like the Pavilion Master back in the day. There's no mistake about it!”
Hearing the words “Sword Soul awakening,” the expressions of the several Sword Pavilion elders grew exceptionally solemn and grave.
But Elder Hong raised his head, gazing up at the vast expanse of sky. The originally clear sky had, for some unknown reason, suddenly dimmed slightly. Elder Hong stretched out his palm, covering the firmament above, and cold, clear words slowly left his mouth.
“These skies are about to change.”
……
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