18: How did that good-for-nothing Xiao Chen manage to split a mountain in two with a single sword strike?

Hidden God Sect, Back Mountain.

This was a desolate, rocky ridge.

Usually, besides Big Yellow occasionally coming here to urinate and mark territory, not even a bird was willing to fly over this place.

But today, there was an extra figure here.

Xiao Chen.

Having just experienced a "Breakthrough by watching the show," he was currently sitting cross-legged on a large bluestone.

Across his knees lay that rusty iron sword he regarded as his life.

In his hands, he held a thin booklet.

On the cover of the booklet, five large characters were written crookedly—"Supreme Induction Chapter."

This was something his Revered Master had casually tossed to him earlier.

According to Revered Master, this was a "dirt cheap" basic introductory read; one could buy three copies for two Spirit Stones at a street stall outside. It was specifically for Mortals without any foundation to sense Qi.

"Revered Master said this book is very ordinary."

Xiao Chen opened the first page, his brow furrowed as he muttered to himself.

"But why do I feel... this book is a bit excessively profound?"

He looked at the few lines of unremarkable text on the page:

【The Dao that can be told is not the eternal Dao. The name that can be named is not the eternal name.】

【The nameless is the beginning of Heaven and Earth; the named is the mother of all things.】

Every single word was glowing.

Truly glowing.

In Xiao Chen's vision, how was this mere text?

These were clearly jumping Great Dao Runes!

They seemed to have a life of their own, following his gaze to drill into his Sea of Consciousness before exploding with a bang.

Turning into a sky full of stars.

Turning into the primordial Universe.

"Rumble—"

Inside Xiao Chen's body, his spiritual power began to circulate involuntarily according to an extremely mysterious trajectory.

That was an Emperor Scripture!

It was the supreme scripture Li Daoxuan had obtained for free from the System, something enough to make even the Immortals of the Upper Realm green with envy!

But under Li Daoxuan's deception, Xiao Chen firmly believed this was just the "basics."

"It seems my Comprehension Ability is still too poor."

Xiao Chen sighed and closed the book, his face full of shame.

"Revered Master said this is for Mortals to read, yet I find it so difficult to read, and I even have hallucinations of seeing the stars and the sea."

"As expected, the gap between my Realm and Revered Master's is a hundred and eight thousand miles."

If any great power from the outside world heard this, they would likely be so angry they'd spit out three liters of blood on the spot.

You find reading an Emperor Scripture difficult?

Nonsense!

That damn thing is the truth that points directly to the Great Dao! It's already impressive that you can understand it, yet you think your Comprehension Ability is poor?

Xiao Chen shook his head, no longer dwelling on the scripture.

He stood up and picked up that rusty iron sword.

"Although my practice of the Mind-Cultivation Technique is mediocre, I must practice this sword technique well."

"Revered Master said we must keep a low profile and hide our brilliance."

"Therefore, when I swing this sword, there absolutely cannot be too much of a commotion."

Xiao Chen took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

He was reminiscing.

Recalling the feeling when Revered Master had him cut that divorce letter in the main hall that day.

That mysterious Concept of unity between man and sword, where all things could be severed.

"Control."

"I must control it."

"My current cultivation is already at the Middle Stage of Foundation Establishment; my strength is several times greater than before."

"Revered Master taught us to hide three major Realms when going out."

"In other words, for this strike, I can only use... the first level of Qi Refining, no, even just a Mortal's strength."

Xiao Chen frantically built himself up mentally.

Must not use too much force!

Must not cause a big commotion!

If I damage the flowers and grass on this back mountain, Revered Master will surely blame me for not being steady enough!

"Whew..."

A breath of turbid air was exhaled.

Xiao Chen opened his eyes, his gaze becoming clear and focused.

He gripped the sword hilt, his movements as gentle as if he were caressing a lover's hand.

Then.

Facing that bare, desolate mountain in front of him.

Lightly, casually, and cautiously... he swung his sword.

"Just like cutting fruit."

"Gently."

"Swish."

The iron sword sliced through the air.

No sound of wind.

No light or shadow.

Not even many pieces of rust fell off the sword body.

A satisfied smile appeared at the corner of Xiao Chen's mouth.

"It seems I controlled it well."

"Such a light strike shouldn't even swat a mosquito to dea—"

Before the word "death" could leave his mouth.

A sudden change occurred!

"Buzz—!!!"

An extremely low-pitched hum, yet one that made the Soul tremble, suddenly erupted from that rusty sword.

Immediately following.

Xiao Chen felt the sword in his hand go out of control.

It was like a Taotie that had been hungry for thirty thousand years and suddenly smelled meat, frantically draining the spiritual power within Xiao Chen's body!

Not just spiritual power.

But also the Dao Rhyme cultivated from the "Supreme Induction Chapter"!

"Holy crap?!"

Xiao Chen's face changed drastically. He wanted to let go, but found the sword was as if glued to his hand.

The next second.

A terrifying Sword Qi, black as ink yet brilliant as a galaxy, gushed out from the nicked tip of the sword!

At first, it was only three feet.

In the blink of an eye, it surged to thirty feet!

Three hundred feet!

Three thousand feet!

Thirty thousand feet!

A massive black curtain of light connecting Heaven and Earth stood across the sky above the Hidden God Sect's back mountain!

That Sword Qi was too terrifying.

It tore through the clouds, sliced the air, and even carved a faint black line into space itself!

"It's over! I used too much strength!"

Xiao Chen was so scared his face turned green.

He watched helplessly as that world-destroying Sword Qi, carrying an unrivaled momentum, sliced straight toward the thousand-foot-high desolate mountain opposite him.

There was no sound of explosion.

Because the Sword Qi was too fast, too sharp.

Like cutting through a block of tofu, it sliced from the mountain peak to the base without any resistance.

In that instant.

The world seemed to stand still.

Only that black line remained on the mountain for a long time without dissipating.

"Rumble, rumble—!!!"

The delayed roar finally erupted.

The earth shook violently, as if a magnitude ten earthquake had occurred.

In Xiao Chen's stunned gaze.

That desolate mountain, which had stood for unknown years, split neatly down the middle.

The two massive halves of the mountain slowly collapsed to the sides.

Dust soared into the sky, obscuring half the heavens!

Debris flew everywhere, smashing into the surroundings like a meteor shower.

One sword strike.

Splitting a mountain!

And it was a thousand-foot-high mountain split in two!

"My goodness..."

Xiao Chen swallowed hard, his hand loosened, and the iron sword fell to the ground with a "clang."

He looked at the miracle-like scene before him, completely dumbfounded.

"This... I did this?"

"I clearly only used... less than ten percent of my strength?"

"Could this be what Revered Master meant by... unremarkable?"

Xiao Chen felt his worldview being shaken once again.

He looked at his hand, then at the rusty iron sword on the ground.

Is this the power of an extreme dao imperial weapon?

Even if it's sealed, even if it's just a casual swing, it has such terrifying destructive power?

"Oh no!"

Xiao Chen suddenly reacted, slapping his thigh hard.

"The commotion is too big!"

"Such a huge disturbance will definitely attract attention!"

"Revered Master said we must stay low! Be low-key! Pretend to be a weakling!"

"If Revered Master finds out I split a mountain with one sword, he'll definitely punish me by making me carry water for ten thousand years!"

Xiao Chen panicked.

He quickly picked up the iron sword and looked around.

"Nobody saw, right?"

"Surely nobody saw?"

"This is the back mountain; usually there's not even a ghost here, definitely nobody saw!"

After some self-consolation, Xiao Chen guiltily tucked the sword into his robes and, hunched over, scurried back to the Sect.

As he ran, he prayed in his heart:

"Don't see me, don't see me..."

However.

What he didn't know was.

Just less than five hundred meters from where he had been practicing, in a patch of grass.

A pair of eyes was staring fixedly at that split mountain.

It was a middle-aged man wearing blood-red robes.

He was covered in Stealth Talismans, lying in the grass and blending in with his surroundings.

He was the ace scout of the Blood Fiend Sect, code-named "Blood Shadow."

The Blood Fiend Sect was a notorious Evil Path Sect within a thousand-mile radius, known for burning, killing, and looting. That Xuesha Ancestor who had been wiped out by Li Daoxuan's finger was their... former Sect Master.

Since the Ancestor went missing (actually died) at the Hidden God Sect, the Blood Fiend Sect had fallen into chaos.

To establish authority and find out the Ancestor's whereabouts, the newly appointed Sect Master had specifically sent out "Blood Shadow," who was best at stealth, to investigate the Hidden God Sect.

Blood Shadow had already been lurking in the back mountain for three days and three nights.

He ate grass roots and drank dew, not even daring to pass gas.

According to the intelligence he had gathered earlier:

The Hidden God Sect was a dilapidated place.

Sect Master Li Daoxuan was just a Mortal who only knew how to act tough.

The eldest Disciple, Xiao Chen, was a Trash whose engagement had been called off.

The entire Sect's combat power combined was not even as good as a goose.

"Hmph, what hidden Sect? It's just a nest of frauds, I see."

Earlier, when Blood Shadow saw Xiao Chen coming out with a broken iron sword, he was sneering in his heart.

"Daring to practice swordplay with a fire poker? Truly laughable."

"Wait until I go back and report to the Sect Master; we'll bring people to level this place tonight!"

He was just about to retreat.

Then.

He saw that scene.

The youth he regarded as Trash lightly swung that fire poker.

Then... the sky went dark.

That was the black Sword Qi blocking out the sun.

And then.

The mountain collapsed.

It was split open by a single sword strike.

At this very moment.

Blood Shadow lay in the grass, his entire body trembling violently.

His pupils were dilated to the extreme, filled with indescribable fear and absurdity.

He rubbed his eyes hard.

And again.

He even pinched his thigh fiercely.

"Ow!"

"It's not a dream..."

Blood Shadow looked at the split mountain, then at the back of the youth who had already run out of sight.

His teeth were chattering, making a "clatter clatter" sound.

"This... is a Trash?!"

"Whose Trash can split a mountain with one sword strike?!"

"That's a thousand-foot-high granite mountain! Even a full-power strike from a Golden Core Stage ancestor would at most blast a crater in it, right?"

"Sliced open? Sliced open like tofu?!"

Blood Shadow felt his brain was insufficient.

The intelligence was wrong!

A massive error!

How was this a dilapidated place? This was clearly a dragon's pool and a tiger's den!

That youth was not some Qi Refining weakling at all; he was absolutely a peerless Sword Cultivator hiding his cultivation! At least at the Nascent Soul Stage! No, even the Soul Transformation Stage!

"Too insidious!"

"Too terrifying!"

"The people of this Hidden God Sect are all schemers!"

"Clearly so strong, yet they pretend to be so weak!"

Blood Shadow felt his crotch was a bit damp.

But he couldn't care about that.

A strong survival instinct drove him to leave this terrifying place immediately.

"Must... must report to the Sect Master immediately!"

"Don't come! Absolutely do not come!"

"Whoever comes will die!"

Blood Shadow tremblingly pulled a transmission Jade Slip from his robes.

His hand shook as if he had Parkinson's; several times he almost dropped the Jade Slip on the ground.

"He... Hello? Sect Master?"

"It's Blood Shadow..."

"Don't come... run away... move... move the Sect overnight..."

"Here... a bunch of monsters live here!!"

"That Trash... he split the mountain with one sword strike!!"

After saying these words.

Blood Shadow didn't dare stay for another second.

He directly burned his essence blood, performing a Blood Escape secret art, turning into a streak of bloody light and fleeing frantically in the direction away from the Hidden God Sect.

That speed was ten times faster than the fastest he had ever run in his life.

As if Death himself were chasing him.

In the wind.

Only his tearful screams remained, echoing in the valley for a long time.

"Too scary..."

"I want to go home to my mother..."