Chapter 87: The Sword That Severed Ancient Schemes

My greatest hatred in this life—only the Sword Ancestor! Heart surging, boundless spacetime erupted in violent waves.

It seemed like an echo from primordial times, recounting the myth of heaven and earth’s opening, an ancient rhythm like a sacrificial chant, piercing through the barriers of time.

The river of time surged with colossal waves, endless light and shadow swirling within.

Rings of star-rivers encircled the body, and a majestic, world-shaking figure emerged from the waves.

There were heavens, there were humans, there were demons!

Ancient, vast, cold and deadly, eerie and uncanny.

Hu even saw himself, and several other disciples besides Dao Brother.

These are the Ancient Shadows! The countless majestic figures struck together, light and shadow interweaving.

The Sword Sovereign, clad in moon-white robes, unleashed a killing sword path that extinguished spiritual energy and annihilated gods! The Joyful Ancestor pressed his palm against the myriad worlds, his crimson robe radiating peerless elegance! The Tyrant Sovereign stepped forward and swung his fist, an invincible divine punch sweeping across the cosmos! The Elixir Ancestor flicked his finger, summoning a cauldron that swallowed and exhaled chaos!

…

Too many, too many—heroes from ancient to modern times seemed to manifest at this moment, striking together, trying to block that one sword crossing boundless spacetime.

Zzz~ Yet a single thread of swordlight sliced through, wind ceased, waves stilled; those majestic figures could not even delay it for an instant, effortlessly shattered.

Nothing could block it. Nothing could stop it. As if all things before it held no meaning whatsoever.

“How?”

Hu smiled, returning the very question He had asked Hu moments before.

Then, brilliant swordlight swept across, severing cause and effect, cutting all myriad connections.

Those “Hu” figures emerging from the scenes saw their colorful lights dim, falling back into the images.

Threads of colorful light converged, coalescing into a vast, ancient deity, a brilliant divine halo behind Him, endless light and shadow swirling, revealing the truths of past and present.

The Ancestor of the Cang Clan—Gu!

“The Sword Ancestor’s blade remains as sharp as ever.” Gu’s eyes lowered, gently stroking the space before him.

Before him, a sword wound was glaringly visible.

“Just as sharp as ever?”

A faint voice came.

Gu froze, then suddenly lifted his head.

There, beside Hu, appeared a figure he least wanted to see—indeed, one every Cang clan member least wished to encounter.

“Sword Ancestor!”

His eyes churned with intense hatred—and surprise.

But this state did not last long; his gaze soon returned to calm.

At this moment, any emotion held no meaning whatsoever.

Just as sharp as ever? Gu glanced at Xu Xing’s hand, yet saw no trace of that ferocious, boundless sword.

“So this is it—I underestimated the Sword Ancestor. The Sword Ancestor’s blade is sharper than ever.” Gu looked at Xu Xing. “This time… I have lost.”

“You stole my essence. What is your intent?” Hu asked.

But Gu did not answer. He merely glanced at Hu coolly, then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged.

Even with only the Sword Ancestor present, he was not certain to prevail. His scheme had failed; further words now were useless.

Hu: “...”

“Since you won’t answer, then proceed to your end.”

Xu Xing had no intention of wasting words. He pointed his fingers like a sword and slashed.

The swordlight struck Gu, yet he did not dodge or evade.

Hiss! He was instantly severed into a mass of fine, colorful light and vanished.

But the swordlight did not dissipate—it followed the invisible threads of connection, entangling onward.

He must endure this sword! Indeed, as the Ancestor of the Cang Clan and one of the supreme beings of Tai Xuan Realm, Gu could not perish so easily.

As his name implies, “Past” was his authority, his Dao.

This made him the strongest among Tai Xuan’s supreme beings in terms of survival.

But the pursuing swordlight, and the wounds from this defeat, were enough to keep him subdued for a long while.

And now is precisely the most critical period…

Heh.

“Gu’s endeavor proves true the saying: ‘Trying to steal a chicken but losing your rice.’” Hu smiled. “Or perhaps: ‘Lost the wife and broke the soldiers’?”

Xu Xing glanced at Hu. Just how long had this guy been spying on that transmigrated fellow?

“Let’s go.”

Slightly shaking his head, Xu Xing stepped forward and vanished.

Hu stood still, gazing at the swirling scenes—from the moment he gave the Cang clan’s blood to Xiao Fan, until Xiao Fan entered the secret realm and was possessed by Gu.

All had returned to normal under Dao Brother’s sword.

“Long time no see, Dao Brother’s sword has truly grown even more formidable.”

Not only did Gu find it astonishing—he did too.

Gu’s authority was “Past,” so his alterations to the past were nearly impossible to correct—yet Dao Brother severed them with a single swordstroke…

“Dao Brother seems quite concerned about Yuan’s deeds…” he murmured softly.

In ancient times, there was a rumor—that the Sword Ancestor was not from Tai Xuan Realm.

And Dao Brother had never denied it.

…

…

In the frozen time of Xuan Jian City, it resembled an ink-wash landscape painting, solidified in pools of ink.

Gray buildings, motionless pedestrians, even the wind lost its rhythm—all plunged into deathly, eternal stillness.

Suddenly, a sliver of light pierced dawn, like morning tearing through endless night.

First one building regained color, then a second, then a third…

On the streets, frozen figures began trembling slightly, like fish breaking through ice, struggling to regain movement.

In an instant, color returned, noise resumed—Xuan Jian City broke free from its frozen scroll.

A green leaf drifted down. Li Qingyang, who had just drawn his sword, froze.

What happened? How did it just recover? “Master Li, should we…?” The mayor’s words halted mid-sentence.

Huh? Why is Master Li holding his sword? “You, you’re…”

They had no memory of what just occurred. Li Qingyang’s heart stirred.

“No matter. I’ve been sitting too long. Just stretching my legs.” Huh? Stretching his legs?

Could you make up a more pathetic excuse? Li Qingyang offered no further explanation. For their cultivation levels, knowing too much was not beneficial.

………

Within the combat space, Xiao Fan’s eyes lost their colorful glow, his gaze appearing dazed.

Where… am I?

He remembered continuously harvesting spiritual essence; the stored essence grew ever greater, while Hu’s voice became clearer—but he also felt increasingly exhausted, until he could no longer resist and closed his eyes for a brief rest.

Then he woke up—and…

Hiss! A chill brushed against his neck.

Ah? His vision flipped violently, the world spinning—turning into a canvas splattered with blood.

A buzzing filled his ears, as if countless bees flapped beside his head.

In the gradually dimming world, he saw a familiar headless figure.

Oh.

So I’m already dead.

Huh?!

Why the hell did I die?! Thud! Thud! A ghastly figure, drenched in blood from head to toe, face caked with dried blood.

That terrifying figure seemed… to be Zhang? “Huh… huh…”

Xiao Fan wanted to speak, but since he was only a head, he could only emit “Huh… huh…”

The sword descended again; the last sliver of light vanished, leaving only endless darkness, swallowing all color and sound.

Only one final, furious thought remained.

“Is this really necessary? What did I ever do to you? You cut off my head—and now you’re chopping it to pieces?!”

After smashing Xiao Fan’s head into pulp, Zhang Yunlu finally collapsed, kneeling to one knee.

She was already at her limit; those two strikes had been her absolute maximum.

Zhang Yunlu felt her eyelids weighed a thousand jin, nearly impossible to lift; her vision blurred, the world like a scene seen through mist.

Her bones felt shattered, muscles aching as if about to explode; every breath pulled sharp pain through her lungs.

“Wu Li” could not refresh her state like leveling up in a game.

If that strange Xiao Fan could still revive again, she truly had no recourse.

Fortunately, that eerie scene did not repeat.

Xiao Fan’s headless body collapsed; his pulverized head began dissolving into tiny specks of light.

Won!

Instantly, a surge of potent energy rose within her; wounds across her body began healing, her dried-up spiritual sea rapidly refilled.

The blood-soaked clothing on her body became clean and neat again, and even her mental fatigue vanished entirely.

“The victor will be restored to full strength.”

Zhang Yunlu remembered the rule.

The battle with Teacher Yu had consumed little spiritual power, so the effect hadn’t been obvious.

This time, she felt it clearly.

The scene before her began to fade; Zhang Yunlu gripped her sword, not letting down her guard for a moment—she remembered there were still many Tongxuan Grass Monsters outside.

“But now, I should be able to eliminate them all.”

Soon, the surroundings returned, and she reappeared within the secret realm.

But what met her eyes was not countless Tongxuan Grass Monsters—only… a ground covered in Tongxuan Grass? Huh? How did they all turn into Tongxuan Grass?

…

…

Inside the villa, Chi Jiuyu also returned to normal from her frozen state.

Seeing Xiao Fan defeated cleanly by Zhang Yunlu, she was puzzled.

Wait, you went through the trouble of regrowing your head—I thought you were about to unleash your ultimate move—and all for the sake of getting cut down again? What’s the point?

Did you just find the last death too dull and wanted to die once more? “Senior… ” She wanted to ask the senior again.

But when she turned around, she saw Xu Xing sitting beside her—Huo was gone.

“Uncle? How come it’s you? When did you get back?”

“Just now.”

“Where’s that senior?”

“He’s already left.”

Left?

No wonder he’s on the same level as Uncle—he truly comes and goes without a trace.

“By the way, Uncle, what was that guy like who just fought Xiao Yunlu?” Asking Uncle was just as good.

“As you said, he was a cheater, so I ‘banned’ him.”

Xu Xing’s words weren’t wrong—Gu took over Xiao Fan’s body, which indeed counted as cheating.

Chi Jiuyu nodded.

That makes sense—Qi Refining can regenerate severed limbs; if you reach Foundation Establishment, will you regenerate from a single drop of blood? Why don’t you just fly to heaven!

“So, is Xiao Yunlu now invincible?”

A Qi Refining sword cultivator who has attained ‘Understanding Principle’ can effortlessly dominate all other Qi Refining cultivators!

“If nothing unexpected happens, yes.”

Xu Xing didn’t deny it—the outcome of this trial was essentially settled.

“Will she join our Sword Sect?” Chi Jiuyu asked eagerly.

“Of course.” Xu Xing paused, then looked at her. “What are you scheming now?”

“Nothing, nothing.” Chi Jiuyu chuckled.

Xiao Yunlu is a ‘Understanding Principle’ sword cultivator—she’ll surely become a core force of the Sword Sect! I did give her some guidance, after all.

Once she grows stronger, won’t she naturally join my ‘Future Sect Leader Faction’? “By the way, when the trial ends, we’ll return to the sect—Sister said you should prepare.”

“Huh?”

Happy National Day to everyone!!!

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