221: exchange

Ye Qingtian turned slightly, his gaze sweeping toward Ye Gucheng behind him, his voice suddenly turning cold: "Gucheng, get over here!"

Ye Gucheng's body stiffened. Under the pressure of his elder brother's sword-sharp gaze, he moved forward step by step.

He lowered his head, not daring to look at Di Qianjie, his hands clenched into fists with nails almost sinking into his flesh. A massive sense of humiliation nearly overwhelmed him.

He took a deep breath and suddenly raised his head to look directly at Di Qianjie, his voice carrying a forcefully suppressed tremble:

"Brother... Brother Di! In the Netherworld Secret Realm, it was I, Ye Gucheng... who was possessed by greed and coveted the Opportunity your Family obtained. My actions were despicable and violated the way of a Sword Cultivator! Today... I have come specifically to plead for forgiveness! Whether you wish to kill me or cut me down, I am at your disposal!" He finished in one breath, his face flushed red and the veins on his temples throbbing, as if he had exhausted all his strength.

Di Qianjie looked at him quietly with deep eyes, not responding immediately.

Ye Qingtian's brow furrowed slightly, clearly dissatisfied with his younger brother's attitude, but now was not the time for a lecture.

He looked at Di Qianjie and said solemnly, "Brother Qianjie, my younger brother is unruly and has a volatile Heart-Nature; he almost committed a grave mistake."

"Even three months of solitary confinement failed to completely grind away his hostility. I brought him here today specifically to apologize."

"Haha, Brother Ye, what are you saying? It was just a small matter, not worth taking to heart."

Ye Qingtian was the First Seat of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion and a top Prodigy of Yuxu Prefecture. Now that he had come in person to apologize, how could Di Qianjie hold onto the matter?

"Brother Ye has come from afar, so I must certainly fulfill my duties as a host. Please..."

The two talked pleasantly. Ye Qingtian truly lived up to his title as the First Seat of the Heavenly Sword Pavilion; his cultivation was terrifying, and his understanding of the Dao of the sword was peerless.

Suddenly, Ye Qingtian changed the subject. His eyes burst forth with a sword light as hot as substance, and an invisible, sharp Sword Intent instantly locked onto Di Qianjie!

"As fellow Sword Cultivators, I have heard that Brother Di's sword Dao is divine. Seeing you today, you far exceed the rumors!"

"Today is a rare Opportunity; I wish to spar with Brother Qianjie!" Ye Qingtian's voice suddenly rose, clear and resonant like a dragon's roar, carrying an undeniable sharpness and desire.

The Aura around him changed abruptly. The nine Sword Intent sources that were like deep pools seemed to be ignited, and a boundless, ever-flowing, and shifting sword momentum soared into the sky!

He no longer concealed his Law Realm Third Level cultivation. Like a peerless divine blade being unsheathed, he shone with ten thousand beams of light!

Boom!

Ye Gucheng was forced back repeatedly by this sudden, terrifying sword momentum. His face was pale, and his eyes were filled with shock and awe. This was his elder brother's true strength!

Facing this sword momentum that pressed down like crashing waves and a Battle Intent aimed directly at the heart, Di Qianjie's black robes fluttered and snapped without any wind.

Deep within his calm eyes, a long-absent, burning battle fire belonging to a Sword Cultivator finally ignited!

"Since Brother Ye invites me with the sword, how could I... dare to refuse?" Di Qianjie's voice remained calm, yet it was like lava surging beneath a layer of ice.

The Eternal Night Divine Capital's Martial Arts Arena.

The two stood suspended in the air.

A powerful Aura radiated outward.

It caused the Di Clan disciples watching from afar and other Cultivators of the Eternal Night Divine Capital to feel their breathing hitch and their skin sting!

"Brother Qianjie, I am older than you and my cultivation is a level higher. I will suppress my cultivation to the same Realm as yours. Today is our sword Dao sparring match!"

"That would be excellent!"

"Good!" A bright light exploded in Ye Qingtian's eyes as he suppressed his cultivation to the Tongtian Realm First Level.

He said no more, bringing his right fingers together like a sword and pointing into the air!

"First Revolution: Green Blade Breaking Dawn!"

Chii—!

A green Sword Qi, faster than lightning, tore through the air. Carrying a piercing sharpness that could penetrate anything, it shot straight for the space between Di Qianjie's brows!

Wherever the Sword Qi passed, it left behind a shallow sword scar radiating a scorching Aura!

This sword strike was swift, pure, and sharp, a perfect manifestation of the First Revolution's Profound Truth of the Nine Revolutions Sword Body!

Ye Qingtian did not hold back. Through his conversation and observations of Di Qianjie, he knew the other's sword Dao cultivation was not inferior to his own, and perhaps even stronger!

Di Qianjie's eyes narrowed slightly.

The speed and penetration of this sword strike far exceeded those of the same level!

With a flick of his wrist, the Thousand Tribulations Sword turned into a dark stream of light. The tip of the sword pointed with absolute precision at the weak side of that green Sword Qi.

"Third Form of Nine Heavens: Silent Annihilation!"

An extreme sharpness that brought silence to all things and severed all life!

The dark sword light struck second but arrived first!

Ding!

A crisp, ear-piercing sound of clashing metal rang out!

The green Sword Qi and the dark sword tip collided violently!

That incredibly condensed green Sword Qi was actually like fragile glass; at the point where the dark sword tip struck, countless fine black cracks instantly spread!

In the next moment, the entire green Sword Qi collapsed!

"Hiss!" Ye Gucheng sucked in a breath of cold air, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

His brother's sword strike seemed simple, but it actually contained the Law Realm's exquisite control over power, enough to easily pierce the defense of a Heaven-Reaching Realm Peak!

To think it was extinguished by Di Qianjie with such a casual sword strike?

The brilliance in Ye Qingtian's eyes grew even stronger. Instead of being annoyed, his Battle Intent burned even hotter! "What a 'Silent Annihilation'! Now, take my Second Revolution!"

"Red Flame Burning the Sky!"

He pointed his sword finger again!

This time, a crimson Sword Qi as blazing as lava roared forth!

Before the Sword Qi even arrived, the terrifyingly high temperature made the Martial Arts Arena feel like it was inside a furnace, twisting the air!

This Sword Qi not only contained extreme heat but also carried a violent Sword Intent that sought to incinerate the eight directions!

Feeling the oncoming heatwave and the intent of incineration, Di Qianjie's eyes remained calm.

His footsteps shifted in a profound pattern as his figure pulled out several afterimages like a ghost. Simultaneously, the Thousand Tribulations Sword in his hand traced profound trajectories, sword shadows overlapping as if laying down a light-swallowing sword curtain in front of him.

The Red Flame Sword Qi slammed violently into that sword curtain! It was like throwing intense fire into a deep pool!

That violent Red Flame Sword Qi actually seemed to fall into an invisible quagmire, its speed dropping sharply, and the flames dancing on its surface dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye!

Within the sword curtain, countless minute strands of Sword Qi were like greedy piranhas, crazily tearing at the energy of the Red Flame Sword Qi!

In just a single breath, that impressively powerful Red Flame Sword Qi was forcefully "ground away" within the sword curtain, leaving behind only a few wisps of blue smoke!

"Overcoming hardness with softness? No! It's devouring!" Ye Qingtian saw it clearly, and his heart was shaken.

Di Qianjie's sword was too eerie!

He stopped testing and the Battle Intent in his eyes boiled like a sea!

"How satisfying! Brother Qianjie, watch out!"

Ye Qingtian's figure suddenly vanished!

In the next moment, he appeared in the air beside Di Qianjie, his entire being seemingly transformed into a giant sword that could split the heavens!

"Mystic Yellow Mountain Suppressing! Blue Sea Raging Waves! Gengjin Heaven Rendering!"

Three distinctly different yet equally terrifying Sword Qis erupted simultaneously!

One was as heavy as the earth, carrying a majestic gravity that suppressed all things, pressing down from above!

One was as vast as a raging sea, whipping up layers of continuous Sword Qi waves that swept in all directions!

One was peerlessly sharp, flashing with a blinding white-gold light and carrying an extreme sharpness that tore through everything, stabbing straight for Di Qianjie's back!

Three swords released together! Gravitational restraint, raging wave encirclement, and heaven-rendering finishing blow!

In an instant, they sealed off all space for Di Qianjie to dodge, and they further contained the Law Realm's exquisite channeling of the power of heaven and earth!

The people of the Di Clan watching from afar, including Di Lingxiao, Di Wushang, and Di Qingge who had rushed over upon hearing the news, all looked grave.

This Ye Qingtian is truly formidable!