Chapter 140

In the snap of a finger, years hurried; time like a white colt passing through a gap, gone in an instant.

Ten years later, September 15.

The ridges of Wuhuang Mountain undulate continuously, layers of peaks overlapping; it has long been famed for the ever‑changing scenery formed from seas of clouds and thick mist.

On the mountain there are also various strange rocks, as well as gentle, lovely streams that slowly unfold; the water runs clear to the bottom, winding and twisting, leaping over stones, dripping down as one gazes at the waterfall in the stream, seeing only the white flow like silk ribbons, like a white scarf hung among the mountains.

Above the sea of clouds, at the mountain peak.

Zhuang Buran stood with hands behind his back, facing two sword‑wielding men.

One was none other than Wuming, the other a white‑haired old man; his visage was gaunt and stern, eyebrows like sword blades flying sideways into his temples, nose bridge high, lips thin as blades, jawline sharp as a knife cut—this was Mu Yingxiong, known as the Sword Emperor.

On a distant peak stood Youruo, Qin Shuang, Bu Jingyun, and Nie Feng, four in total.

"Three senior brothers, no matter how worried you are, it's useless; you know my father's temperament—this battle cannot be avoided."

Youruo finished speaking, and Nie Feng then said:

"If Master really wins, he'll surely beat to death Nameless Senior and Mu Senior, and then deal a ruthless blow to the Shenzhou martial world."

Qin Shuang sighed and said:

"Junior Brother Feng, over these ten years you've often come to the Peach Grove; you still don't know whether, in the end, we will deal a ruthless blow—it all depends on whether our master has taken a liking to it."

Bu Jingyun said in a low voice:

"No matter what, we must prevent the worst outcome from happening."

At once, Qin Shuang and her three senior brothers all turned to look at Youruo.

"Three senior brothers, you surely aren't thinking of having me kill my father, are you?"

"That's not the case," Nie Feng said with a wry smile.

"I only want you, at the crucial moment, to move with emotion and explain with reason, urging Master not to open a great slaughter."

"Oh, you guys, don't be so anxious," Youruo said with a bright smile.

"My father said that in this battle, regardless of win or loss, conduct depends on mood; as long as the fight is fought to our heart's content, the things you worry about will not happen."

Bu Jingyun gazed out and said:

"Hopefully."

On the other side, the white‑haired black‑robed man sized up Mu Yingxiong.

"Your lifespan seems short; I, old man, don't want to fight only to have you die of exhaustion midway."

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve, and a red light was caught by Mu Yingxiong.

"My daughter has over the years digested one Dragon Pearl; I will now help her take another without any aftereffects."

"This is the last Dragon Pearl; take it quickly, for I do not wish to fight until one of you drops dead from exhaustion."

Wuming, seeing this, could not help but speak:

"Brother Xiong, if you don't even care about immortality, why must you oppose the world's people?"

"These words need not be said at length; now you bear on your shoulders the safety of the entire Shenzhou's martial world—you must spare no effort to defeat, even kill me." The white-haired black-robed person said calmly:

"The past Sword Saint's lesson serves as a warning; I hope you two keep this in mind, otherwise half of the Shenzhou's martial world may truly die at my hands, for I never joke."

Mu Yingxiong, upon hearing, swallowed the dragon essence; instantly his qi surged, his beard and hair fluttered, his appearance grew ten to twenty years younger, just like Wuming, turning into a middle-aged person.

"Excellent, almost in an instant cutting away the fierce resentment within the dragon essence." Zhuang Buran leapt up, laughing loudly to the heavens:

"Hahaha, since I attained mastery in my cultivation, I have never enjoyed a fierce battle to my heart's content; today I will surely have my fill."

As the words fell, the cloud sea surged forth endless sword qi, sweeping toward Wuming and Mu Yingxiong.

Wuming's qi surged greatly; fierce, peerless sword strength arose from his body, countless sharp blades flew out like a violent storm.

Mu Yingxiong drew the Red Heart Sword; his entire body's qi condensed into a pillar of light, the sword light seemed to condense from nothing into a vortex; with a single swing, wherever the sword light passed, the sky-filling sword qi was ground to powder.

"I have long heard that you two began with the Nameless Sword Technique, treading the path of Heavenly Sword and Peerless Sword—one where all things are swords, the sword intent that all swords revere, as if obeying heaven's decree; the other where all things can be cut, the sword intent that is lawless and heaven-defying, violent and solitary."

Zhuang Buran's loud laughter echoed through the clouds:

"Indeed, upon seeing you today, you are truly extraordinary."

The sky-filling sword qi suddenly gave rise to thunder, instantly transforming into a sea of sword qi and thunder, once again pressing down on the two.

Wuming's qi surged again, stirring up countless flying sword qi; the sword momentum resembled a net, fierce and peerless, a wondrous sight, as it crashed into the sword qi thunder sea.

Mu Yingxiong's eyes turned icy cold; a sword light like a pouring galaxy instantly pierced through the sword qi thunder sea, directly striking the white-haired black-robed person above the cloud sea.

Seeing the sword light about to sink into his neck, Zhuang Buran actually clamped the intangible yet substantial sword light with two fingers.

"This must be the 《Heavenless Peerless Sword》, founded on ruthlessness and arrogance, the extreme opposite of Wuming's Heavenly Sword."

A slight tremor in his fingertip qi caused the sword light to dissolve into specks of starlight.

"The trial exchange is over; it's time to get serious."

Zhuang Buran formed a fist seal; his scorching qi burst forth instantly, crimson light shrouding a radius of a hundred li, centered on the white-haired black-robed person, erupting into a scene of blazing flames consuming the sky.

The four Youruo in the distance instinctively circulated their qi to resist the burning sensation on their bodies.

The white-haired black-robed person said indifferently:

"《Seven Limits of Heaven-devouring and Earth-destroying》'Blazing Flame', let this old man see what the so-called pinnacle of the sword Dao is!"

The blazing, scorching fist pressure, like molten lava in a blazing furnace, burns anything it touches to ash; the condensed fist seal, with the force that cannot block the yielding and is hard to dispel, carries the momentum of burning the heavens and boiling the seas, evaporating everything, as it descends upon Wuming and Mu Yingxiong.

Wuming's spiritual sense warned; he merged with heaven and earth, manifesting a towering sword that held up the heavens; countless semblances of real sword qi surged forth, desperately resisting the violent, peerless fist seal.

Mu Yingxiong drew the heavenly and earthly qi with his sword, with a ten-layer sword formation encircling; from each layer's condensed blades, he began to stack and circulate, crushing down the fist seal.

"Boom—"

The massive Wuhuang Mountain half-collapsed, its residual shock causing the surrounding area of several li to sink four or five cun.

When the cloud smoke and heat waves had fully dissipated, and the unbridled sword qi gradually faded, yet the white-haired black-robed person was seen standing firm in the void, while Wuming and Mu Yingxiong each stood upon a pile of rubble.

Their bodies trembled slightly, their faces turned pale, and fresh blood trickled from the corners of their mouths.

"Excellent, again—this is 'Earth-destroying'!"

Zhuang Buran stepped into the void, a fierce wind rose suddenly, an unknown fist pressure overturned and descended, cracks appeared suddenly on the mountain above and below, the fissures spread like a spiderweb in all directions, the disaster extended seven or eight li, its destructive force like a heavenly catastrophe of mountains collapsing and earth splitting.

A few secluded people in the distance hurriedly rose into the air; fortunately, Qin Shuang had learned the very light and agile Circulating Flow Wind Momentum these past years, otherwise she couldn't have hovered in midair like the three beside her.

Wuming knew that continuing would surely mean defeat, and he first unleashed the Heavenly Origin Sword Qi he had created, which consumed immense mental energy.

He exerted all his strength, manifesting a Heavenly Sword Illusory Form several hundred zhang tall, exhausting the Heaven and Earth Sword Qi, and turned himself into a crimson rainbow that shot toward the white‑haired black‑robed person.

Mu Yingxiong shared the same thought; brilliant Sword Qi shot up to the heavens, his body becoming a sword as he unleashed a sword momentum that overturns heaven and earth, and he swiftly rushed upward.

"Good timing—this is called 'Mountain Collapse'!"

Zhuang Buran's body surged with boundless, fierce vigor, his punches bursting forth with a force that seemed to contain the power to shatter mountains and break prisons, to cleave rock and slice ravines, especially adept at breaking strong defenses.

Boom!

In the void, the astonishing assault had its fist edge and sword qi tearing apart heaven and earth, and fine cracks appeared in the surrounding space.

The three above, however, paid no heed, maintaining a posture of full concentration, continuing this battle where a moment's distraction would lead to an unpredictable fate.

After roughly five or six hundred exchanges, the two sides finally separated, scattering onto the devastated Wuhuang Mountain.

"The Sword Emperor's absolute sword appears to sever emotions and nature, yet the momentum it emits that severs heaven and earth comes not from an emotionless person, but from one deep in feeling."

Zhuang Buran clapped his hands and laughed loudly:

"Interesting—there is a hint of vitality in the absolute sword; after detachment comes a bit of affection, which actually enhances the power of sword intent."

His gaze turned to Wuming, who was still constantly regulating his breath:

"Having reached the Supreme Heavenly Sword Realm, one should advance further."

The white‑haired black‑robed person said this, and the smile on his face gradually faded:

"If you two cannot keep giving this old man surprises, then let this pile of rubble become your burial ground."

(End of chapter)