"One strike... Only one strike?!!"
The Clear Wind Sect Master's body was trembling.
The Grand Elder had said his array was the Clear Wind Sect's final line of defense, that even if a Peak Stage Divinity Transformation expert trespassed on Clear Wind Mountain, he could still be slain!
And yet, today.
A man came, and with a single strike, slew the Grand Elder!
The explosion in the sky had already vanished, and the Grand Elder's remains had also been taken away. Everything in the sky was as if it had never happened.
A clear ring echoed from the blade!
The ring of that longsword was still echoing in his mind, and the image of the man in the bearskin greatcoat walking towards him step by step still lingered, impossible to shake.
By the time the Clear Wind Sect Master snapped out of his daze, that man had long since departed with the Heavenly Star Sword Saint.
"Gulp."
The Clear Wind Sect Master swallowed hard. He rigidly turned his body around and, gazing in the direction where Li Yaozu and the Heavenly Star Sword Saint had departed, let out a sigh of relief, as if he had just survived a catastrophe.
His eyes vacant, he murmured, "The Sword King, Li Yaozu? No. From this day forward, in all the world, he can be called the Supreme of the Sword Dao."
...
[Special Event—Kill Daoist Clear Wind]
[Your descendant, Li Yaozu, has returned and, with a single strike, has slain the Daoist, avenging the grudge of being brought to the brink of death by a single blow all those years ago.]
[Family Will +20]
[Obtained a large amount of spoils of war and a large amount of resources from the Clear Wind Sect's treasury.]
[Obtained Low-Grade Dharma Treasure: Spirit-Gathering Cauldron]
[Description: Gathers the spiritual energy of the world for one's own use.
Effects:
Can be used for refining pills and concocting medicines, increasing the success rate of refinement by 20%.
Can nurture spirit artifacts, talismans, puppets, and other items of the unorthodox paths.
Special Effect: Gathers the life force of the world to nurture and strengthen the divine soul. By using the Spirit-Gathering Cauldron to smelt worldly items that contain Rules, there is a certain chance to refine a "Primordial Spirit Dao Technique," bestowing a Primordial Spirit Dao Technique.]
Currently on Qilin Mountain, protecting Li Dalong at all times and just waiting for Lin Wudao to emerge from the mountain's array to kill him, Li Wei noticed the changes on the panel before his eyes.
"Yaozu killed Daoist Clear Wind?"
Li Wei couldn't help but be startled, and in the next instant, he appeared at Li Yaozu's side.
At this moment, Li Yaozu and the Heavenly Star Sword Saint were currently rushing from Clear Wind Mountain towards Qilin Mountain.
...
"!@%#!!¥..."
The voice inside the sword box was still cursing!
After Li Yaozu finished killing the man and collected the corpse, he headed straight towards Qilin Mountain to provide support.
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint, following beside him, rode his sword alongside him while staring at Li Yaozu in utter disbelief, as if trying to figure something out.
He recalled how back in the day, when he and Li Yaozu would spar, he would chase Li Yaozu all over the world, beating him.
Li Yaozu had even relied on his Heavenly Star Sword to venture through the world with him, and was once beaten so badly by a single move that he couldn't get out of bed.
Over a hundred years had passed, and the Sword Saint was still thinking that he and Li Yaozu would break through to the Divinity Transformation realm together, which would have been a fine tale to tell.
But who could have expected that just as he was secretly delighted about becoming third on the Nascent Divinity List, ready to share the joy with his good brother and then go look for trouble with that old Daoist Clear Wind together...
Well, so much for that.
Returning from the Snowy Region, Li Yaozu slew Daoist Clear Wind with a single strike.
"What are you staring at me for?"
Sensing the gaze from beside him, Li Yaozu furrowed his brow, his expression holding a hint of displeasure.
After over a hundred years in the Snowy Region, he had grown accustomed to being watched by a pair of clear, large eyes. Now, being stared at like this by the Heavenly Star Sword Saint, he was somewhat unaccustomed to it.
It was as if he had always been drinking a sweet beverage, and suddenly a cup of bitter water entered his mouth.
"Ah? It's nothing."
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint snapped out of his daze. He finally pushed the memory of that stunning strike on Clear Wind Mountain to the back of his mind and glanced at the sword box on Li Yaozu's back.
He asked doubtfully, "Brother, on this journey, why does it seem like your attention is entirely on your sword box? Are you hiding something inside it?"
As the Heavenly Star Sword Saint's eyes stared at the sword box, Li Yaozu hurriedly shook his head. "There's nothing."
No sooner had he spoken.
An irascible voice came from within the sword box, still brooding over Li Yaozu's recklessness on Clear Wind Mountain.
"Did you just have to seek out thrills? Or did your cultivation in the Snowy Region make you really think you're invincible? What would have happened if your judgment had been wrong and you were struck by that piece of trash's phantom of light and shadow? Do you think you can see through another's Rules every single time? You really..."
"Enough! I get it!"
Li Yaozu's impatient shout startled the Heavenly Star Sword Saint.
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint stared suspiciously at the sword box. "Brother, you definitely have something hidden in there. Well, well... We haven't seen each other in over a hundred years, and you're already keeping secrets from me."
"..."
Seeing the "you've got a guilty conscience" look on the Heavenly Star Sword Saint's face, Li Yaozu, in the end, did not reveal the secret of the sword box.
He changed the subject. "Brother Heavenly Star, how did you end up at the Clear Wind Sect? And you were with their Sect Master, and got their Dharma Treasure?"
"This matter?"
Hearing this, the Heavenly Star Sword Saint instantly broke into a carefree smile.
He recounted the story of how he joined the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion and how he abused his power to bully Clear Wind Mountain for thirty years.
He then said proudly, "Although I am a Guest Elder of the Sacred Hall Sword Pavilion, the Sword Master of the Pavilion greatly appreciates my Sword Dao. I have studied all the sword techniques within the Pavilion, but I have disdain for their techniques. Once I have achieved complete mastery, I will create a path of my own."
"The Sword Master said," he continued, "that if the day truly comes when I can comprehend an Earth-rank sword technique on my own, then I can enter the Sword Pavilion with my own Sword Dao, challenge its eight Sword Mountains, and I will be the next Sword Master."
"No one in the world knows of this agreement between me and the Sword Master, but my current status is more than enough to suppress a mere Clear Wind Mountain."
Hearing this, Li Yaozu was also endlessly surprised.
He never expected that in over a hundred years, Brother Heavenly Star would have had such a fortuitous encounter.
"Congratulations, Brother Heavenly Star. You have devoted your heart to the Sword Dao, and you have already created a Profound-rank sword technique before. It is natural that an Earth-rank one is also within your reach."
"That's only natural. I already have some ideas. I had originally planned to wait and use it to kill that old Daoist Clear Wind, and was even going to call it the 'Fallen Wind Sword Technique,' but I never expected you to kill him yourself."
The Heavenly Star Sword Saint's tone was calm, but it still caused a trace of gratitude to flash in Li Yaozu's eyes.
He hadn't expected that in all the years he was gone, the Heavenly Star Sword Saint had been constantly looking for an opportunity to help him take revenge.
But the Heavenly Star Sword Saint suddenly said in surprise, "Brother, your swordsmanship was never like this in the past. Back then, your presence was extraordinary. I heard you were in the Snowy Region these past years.
What on earth did you cultivate? You've reached Divinity Transformation, and your sword techniques are also completely different. That strike was truly impressive. Does it have a name?"
"It is nameless."
Li Yaozu gave an awkward smile. Naturally, he couldn't very well say that Fang Linglong had once disparaged the Heavenly Star Sword Saint's swordsmanship as being completely worthless.
He said, "In the Snowy Region, apart from the endless white snow, there was little else. At that time, my grievous injuries had not yet healed. As I journeyed, I received the aid of a noble benefactor. She said that my sword should be for killing, and that only by returning to simplicity could I draw the Heaven and Earth Spirit Qi into my body to suppress my injuries."
"Later, I was reminded of that one strike back in the Azure Cloud region, when my clan's Old Ancestor likewise slew the Moon God with a single blow."
Hearing this, the Heavenly Star Sword Saint nodded slightly.
He had also been present for that battle. The Li family's mysterious Old Ancestor had struck with a single sword, and it had left him stunned with its brilliance to this very day.
Li Yaozu was heard to continue, "A sword is fundamentally an instrument for killing living beings. During my cultivation in the Snowy Region, I also took the Old Ancestor's strike as my goal.
For over a hundred years, I used the method of returning to simplicity to suppress my injuries and also practiced the sword momentum of 'one strike to break ten thousand techniques'.
By seeing through the Rules of the world, one can slay an enemy with a single strike.
Fortunately, the Snowy Region had snowflakes. I discovered that every single snowflake is different, just like the spiritual technique patterns of every cultivator..."
---
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