217: A sword pierces the blazing sun

The sword was simple and ancient, but at this moment, it seemed to come alive; a throb of Bloodline connection came from the hilt.

He did not perform any world-shaking sword moves, but merely gave his wrist an extremely slight flick.

Buzz!

The Thousand Tribulations Sword emitted an extremely low-pitched vibration.

A gray, inconspicuous Sword Qi left the sword. Its speed did not seem fast, but it seemed to ignore the distance of space, instantly sinking into the area ahead.

Chii!

An imperceptible gray light point suddenly lit up!

Immediately after, this point of gray light was like a pebble thrown into a calm water surface, breaking the deathly equilibrium!

Countless fine gray Sword Qi, carrying a thick Aura of death and termination, burst out from that point of gray light without warning!

Like living beings, they spread and cut frantically along the most bizarre, tricky, and difficult-to-guard-against trajectories!

Every strand of gray Sword Qi carried the Aura of annihilating all things, intertwining with each other, instantly turning that area into a thorn forest composed of deathly Sword Qi!

This "thorn forest" was constantly twisting, growing, and devouring each other in annihilation, while also continuously regenerating sharper and more deathly Sword Qi from the annihilation!

Endless and cyclical, it interpreted "deathly silence" into another kind of terrifying "vitality"!

This was exactly "Jisheng"! After the annihilation of "nothingness," it was a "vitality" full of death and termination born from the annihilation itself!

It was the despairing "life" trap within the Reincarnation of tribulations!

Di Qianjie sheathed his sword and stood still, his entire Aura withdrawn, looking like ordinary iron.

But deep within those void-like eyes, there danced a sword Dao sharpness sufficient to make even those in the Law Realm feel palpitation.

He gently stroked the cold spine of the Thousand Tribulations Sword, whispering with a trace of hard-to-detect excitement: "The fourth form 'Guixu', the fifth form 'Jisheng'... three months of bitter cultivation, and finally, success! Thousand Tribulations Sword, our path has only just begun!"

Meanwhile, in the distant Eastern Region's Tianxiao Prefecture.

Above the sea of clouds that lingered all year round, huge mountain peaks as sharp as swords were suspended.

This was where the Taixu Sword Sect's gate was located. Sword Qi pierced the sky, cutting through the sea of clouds, and the air was filled with an omnipresent sharp edge.

At this moment, on the Taixu Sword Sect's largest martial arts field, the crowd was boisterous, and Sword Qi crisscrossed.

The Sect Minor Competition had entered its climax. Countless Disciples were looking forward with anticipation, their gazes focused on the highest arena in the center.

On the arena, a figure stood tall and aloof.

Dressed in the green Taixu Sword Sect Core Disciple uniform, his right sleeve hung empty, swaying gently with the wind.

His face was handsome and clear, yet it revealed a sword's will. Most heart-stopping were his eyes; deep within his pupils, it seemed as if countless stars were being annihilated, burning with a pure will to destroy everything.

He held a simple-styled long sword in his left hand alone. The sword blade had no luster, yet it emitted a destruction Aura that could freeze even the Soul.

He was none other than Yu Qingchen.

"Next." Yu Qingchen's voice had no ripples, like ice beads falling on the ground, clearly spreading throughout the entire martial arts field.

With just one sword, only one sword, he had blasted a Senior Brother from the Sect, known for his defense and at the Heaven-Reaching Realm Second Level, along with his proud Black Tortoise Spirit Armor Shield, off the arena.

That Heaven-Grade Low Grade shield, claimed to be able to withstand a full-strength strike from the Heaven-Reaching Realm Third Layer, was like glass hit by an invisible giant hammer the moment it touched his Sword Qi, covered in spiderweb-like cracks, and finally shattered!

That Senior Brother even spat out blood, his Aura withering, his eyes filled with unbelievable terror.

A brief deathly silence fell below the stage.

The title of one of the Taixu Sword Sect's seven swords was already famous, and after Yu Qingchen returned with a severed arm from the Netherworld Secret Realm, he defeated the other six Sword Seeds in one go.

"Senior Brother Yu... his... his Sword Intent... is so terrifying!" some Disciples' voices trembled.

"What kind of Sword Intent is that? I've never felt such a pure sense of destruction... it's as if just getting close would tear the Divine Soul to pieces!"

"Left-handed sword... to think it's strong to this extent? During this period, Senior Brother Yu's strength has progressed even further!"

"The position of the head of the seven swords... Senior Brother Yu deserves it..."

After a short silence, a fiery red figure carrying a scorching and violent Sword Intent soared into the sky, landing heavily opposite Yu Qingchen.

"Yu Qingchen! Don't be so arrogant! I, Lieyang, have come to meet you!"

The newcomer was burly, holding a broadsword burning with raging flames. His Aura was like a volcanic eruption, clearly at the Heaven-Reaching Realm Second Level, and he was the famously fierce and violent Lieyang!

Years ago, Lieyang and Yu Qingchen competed for the position of the seventh Sword Seed. Unexpectedly, he was defeated by a narrow margin, and since then, he had always been at odds with Yu Qingchen.

Battle Intent burned in Lieyang's eyes, along with a trace of anger at being looked down upon.

Yu Qingchen's indifferent "Next" seemed as if he didn't care about them at all.

"Senior Brother Lieyang has stepped up!"

"Senior Brother Lieyang's 'Heaven-Burning Blazing Sun Sword Art' has reached the Transcendent level, and not long ago, Senior Brother Lieyang also awakened a spirit body, the Lihuo Battle Physique. Combined with the Heaven-Burning Blazing Sun Sword Art, its power is matchless!"

The Disciples below the stage were invigorated and began to shout and cheer.

Yu Qingchen's eyelids lifted slightly, his gaze sweeping over Lieyang and the flame-billowing broadsword in his hand, only uttering two words: "Make your move."

"Arrogant!" Lieyang was furious. The flame Sword Qi around him exploded, and he seemed to turn into a falling blazing sun. He held the broadsword high, and the violent flame Sword Gang tore through the air, making a piercing explosion, carrying the terrifying power to burn mountains and boil seas as it slashed down!

"Heaven-Burning — Blazing Sun Slash!"

Before the sword even arrived, the scorching and violent pressure had already burned the Restriction runes on the arena floor until they flickered, and the air twisted and deformed!

Facing this sword strike that was enough to heavily injure an ordinary Heaven-Reaching Realm Third Layer, Yu Qingchen's figure didn't move. He only lifted the ancient sword in his left hand, seemingly very slowly, in an upward diagonal slash.

A deep, pitch-black sword arc that seemed able to swallow all light, like night silently falling, noiselessly met that violently falling "blazing sun."

Taixu Seven Absolute Swords — Shadowless Stance!

This form was originally known for its speed and craftiness, but in Yu Qingchen's hands, infused with Destruction Sword Intent, it had already been completely transformed!

Chii—!

A soft sound.

That flame-blazing sun with its towering power, the moment it touched the pitch-black sword arc, seemed to have met its absolute natural enemy!

The violent and scorching flame Sword Gang actually disintegrated noiselessly from the point of contact, like fragile glass!

"What?!" The fury on Lieyang's face instantly turned into extreme shock!

He felt that the Sword Gang he had slashed out with all his strength, enough to melt gold and iron, was as fragile as if it couldn't withstand a single blow before that strange black arc!

A cold, deathly, and terrifying will that wanted to drag all things into eternal destruction was transmitted along the Sword Gang, frantically eroding his Divine Soul and sword heart!

He wanted to pull back, wanted to change his move, but it was already too late!

That pitch-black sword arc, after annihilating his Heaven-Burning Blazing Sun Slash, continued its momentum unabated, like a maggot on a bone, flowing back along the trajectory of his broadsword!

Crack!

A crisp cracking sound.

On the broadsword that had accompanied Lieyang for many years, with a quality close to Heaven-Grade Medium Grade, a pitch-black crack rapidly spread across the blade!

Then, under the gaze of countless terrified eyes, this spiritual weapon that could make countless Sword Cultivators green with envy actually shattered inch by inch like weathered rock, turning into a cloud of dark red metal powder and rustling down!

Pfft!

Lieyang was struck as if by lightning, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body flew back uncontrollably, slamming hard into the protective light screen at the edge of the arena. The light screen fluctuated violently, letting out an overburdened groan.

His face was as pale as gold paper, his eyes vacant, and the web between the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, which held only the hilt, was torn and bloody.

The look he gave Yu Qingchen was filled with incomprehensible fear.

He thought that by Awakening a spirit body, he could compete with Yu Qingchen, but he didn't expect to still be so unable to withstand a single blow!

Silence!

Absolute silence enveloped the martial arts field!

Everyone was so intimidated by this terrifying scene that they couldn't speak.

One sword! Just one sword!

It broke Senior Brother Lieyang's famous ultimate technique!