Chapter 1115: Chapter 114: The Sword Shakes in All Directions_1
From the moment Shi Xiaole broke free to his successful slaying of the five Great Lethal Stars, only a moment had passed when a palm thrust, impregnated with the breath of hell, bore down from the sky.
Emperor Yan’s killing move had arrived.
But at this moment, Shi Xiaole was like a fish returning to the sea, no longer restrained once freed. As if he had anticipated this, he had preemptively moved out of the palm thrust’s range, and with a light flick of his left hand—
Hiss!
A flash of Sword Qi.
The two Protectors of Absolute Orchid Valley were simultaneously pierced through the heart, their positions identical. To the very end, neither understood when they had been hit.
"What?"
"How could it be this fast?"
The sudden deaths of seven emperors from the Emperor List left the remainder stunned, then overwhelmed by boundless fear. The three leaders of the Demon Sentiment Path, who had been preparing to attack Shi Xiaole, now retreated instead of advancing, trying to put as much distance as possible between themselves and him.
The speed of the sword was as swift as the "Lightning Startling Swan," yet far more threatening because it could strike through the air.
Among those present, probably only Master Wisdom with his formidable defense and Emperor Yan were unfazed by the sword, but with just the two of them, they were bound to fail in capturing the Kirin.
No one could have anticipated such a turn of events. In a desperate situation, not only had the Kirin not fallen, but he had pushed further, reversing his fortunes with a counter-slaying breakthrough.
The Cleansing Evil Sword continued to exert its might, this time aiming for Master Huitong, one of the four masters. His mouth gaped open, his eyes filled with the terror of impending death.
"Benefactor, turn back to reach the shore!"
Master Wisdom, standing on the outskirts, swiftly formed hand seals, channeling the combined might of the other three masters into ten rays of light that operated at an extreme pace, unleashing waves of spiritual assaults.
To everyone’s astonishment, the speed of the Cleansing Evil Sword slowed down; a slower speed meant a significant decrease in power. Master Huitong roared, reaching for the Cleansing Evil Sword in midair, attempting to claim it as his own.
With a thought from Shi Xiaole, the Cleansing Evil Sword reversed its direction and hurtled towards him, where he grasped it firmly in his hand.
"Controlling Sword with Qi Skill, merged with my past insights and the essence of the Heart Thunder Sword. Hence, once my spiritual power is affected, its might diminishes substantially."
The recent Gate of Wisdom, infused with the spiritual power of the four masters, exceeded even Shi Xiaole’s in sheer magnitude, no wonder the Sword Controlling Skill was hindered.
"Good, truly worthy of Master Wisdom!"
Seeing the Sword Controlling Skill restrained, those who had been part of the coalition against Shi Xiaole from the Western Region rejoiced on the spot, with Emperor Yan calling out, "I request the four masters to cover us."
Today’s battle had reached this point, and Emperor Yan was on the verge of losing all face, so he was prepared to capture Shi Xiaole at any cost.
Without the need for Emperor Yan’s reminder, the four masters had already started channeling their energy, pushing waves of spiritual power towards Shi Xiaole, thwarting the Sword Controlling Skill.
"Boy, no matter that you have mastered the Sword Controlling Skill, you still won’t escape today!"
Emperor Yan thrust both hands forward, with massive palmprints overlapping, giving the impression that he was tearing the sky in half. The darkness that spread was the opening to Infinite Hell.
Soul Mountain Sword Demon, who was slower to act, was profoundly shocked.
For the power of these two palms clearly surpassed the previous ones. If Emperor Yan had not held back before, it meant that he, too, might have broken through during the fight.
"The master has been perfecting this palm move for many years. I did not expect it to succeed today, hahaha."
Elder Pu, who was most familiar with Emperor Yan, was overjoyed. Beside him, Wudao Xuan’s eyes also sparkled; this move should be able to take down the Kirin.
"Get lost!"
Shi Xiaole had but one word. Facing the two immense, dark-imbued palms, he neither dodged nor used the Sword Controlling Skill; instead, he switched from wielding the sword single-handedly to using both hands, vigorously slashing out before him.
Clang!
Clang clang clang clang clang...
On the endless plains, every single Sword Emperor within the Void Origin Realm found, without exception, that the swords at their waists trembled inexplicably. A lofty, proud, and supremely indifferent sword intent was rapidly spreading at a terrifying speed, affecting their own states of Heart Sword, and leaving a deep impact.
Following that sword intent and looking up, numerous Sword Emperors of the Void Origin Realm gazed at the figure in the sky with faces of shock.
In their line of sight, a diamond-like azure glow enveloped most of the sky, resembling countless thrusting swords, with all the hilts converging at one point, boldly pointing towards Shi Xiaole at the center of the radiance.
At this moment, Shi Xiaole, covered in blood with two strands of white hair floating beside his temples, stood strikingly as a brilliant ray of sunlight slanted from the edge of the sky, rendering his imposing figure half in shadow and half in gold. This fleeting image would become an unforgettable silhouette for many swordsmen present for the rest of their lives.
"Returning Sword!"
The Cleansing Evil Sword was raised high and then slammed down as Shi Xiaole swung his sword.
The uncontainable brilliance of the sword had shed the confines of the mundane, as if it were the Supreme Lord among swords, capable of slicing through thousands of troops and making countless swords submit.
The "Body-Breaking Invisible Sword Qi" comprised five distinct sword techniques, and the "Returning Sword" was the fourth of these. If one did not possess the resolve to look down upon the world, the confidence of being invincible with a single sword, they would never be able to unleash such a sword strike.
In response, the power of this sword was significantly greater than the "Formless Sword," and under the direction of the Wind Sword Way, it was likely only second to the "Sword of the Undead Spirit" erupted through the Demon Martial Way.
Boom boom boom.
The ceaseless sword light that met the palmprints instantly pierced through them, and with unrelenting momentum, it rushed fiercely towards the unprepared, pale-faced Emperor Yan.
"Emperor Yan’s Protecting Body Light!"
Indeed, as a legendary figure of many years, Emperor Yan retreated while deploying his defensive martial arts, but the grey protective barrier had barely formed before it was shattered by the sword light.
Pu!
Emperor Yan was sent flying tens of thousands of meters. When he came to a stop, his entire right arm was twisted into an irregular shape, with bone and flesh laid bare.
Hiss!
A collective sharp intake of breath could be heard from the crowd. Countless onlookers were so taken aback by the scene that their mouths hung open in disbelief.
Swiftly forcing Emperor Yan to a standstill with quick swordplay is one thing, but forcibly repelling him head-on is another concept entirely. Although Shi Xiaole had previously been on par with Emperor Yan, he was outmatched in terms of strength, relying solely on his extraordinary combat power for support.
But now, it was different. That last sword strike signified that Shi Xiaole’s strength had completely surpassed Emperor Yan’s!
How could someone make two breakthroughs in such a desperate situation? If you were to say that Shi Xiaole had been holding back previously, nobody present would believe it to death.
"From today onwards, unless someone truly defeats him, if anyone claims to have the ability to replace Kirin, I would sneer at such a notion."
The man who spoke was pressing down on his long sword. He hailed from the Carefree Unmoving City, the younger brother of City Lord Mu Yizhi, Mu Xuanzhi, who was also Mu Ling’s uncle.
"Kirin truly deserves to be called the number one genius of this era!"
Head of the Divine Strategy Academy, Zhang Rongfu, exclaimed with emotion.
"This child’s talent is unparalleled in three thousand years,"
Abbot of Shaolin Temple, Master Dexing, pressed his hands together and silently chanted a Buddhist mantra.
Not far from Master Dexing stood a medium-built, very young monk. He was Liao Liao, ranked four hundred and twenty-third on the Emperor List, having not made a move for two years.
"Perhaps, in this lifetime, we will witness the legendary Sword Emperor come forth,"
the Grand Elder of the Sword Evaluation Elegant Mountain muttered to himself, the excitement barely concealable on his aged face.
As swordsmen who have not personally witnessed a Sword Emperor, this remains a regret for all swordsmen. Since ancient times, countless brilliant and extraordinary swordsmen have attempted to reach that position, to enter that realm, but to no avail.
From Shi Xiaole, the Grand Elder saw a possibility. In his heart, despite the vast world and the numerous prodigies within, there was likely none who could match Shi Xiaole’s natural gift in swordsmanship.
In the sky, Shi Xiaole advanced with his sword in hand, faced with waves of psychic power pressing towards him. He paid no heed and launched an "Extreme Divine Tribulation" straight ahead.
Bang!
Like a spike traversing a river, the force of Extreme Divine Tribulation parted the psychic deluge, striking Master Wisdom directly. The latter’s face changed slightly as he continuously moved backward to maintain their distance.
While the combined psychic power of the four great masters exceeded Shi Xiaole’s, not one of them could withstand his attack individually. When Shi Xiaole hit Master Wisdom, he also took attacks from the psychic powers of the four masters.
But he barely paused, immediately dodging the killing moves from Emperor Yan, Soul Mountain Sword Demon, and the others.
Extreme Divine Tribulation.
Extreme Divine Tribulation again!
Shi Xiaole unleashed it six times in a row, fully engaged in a brutal exchange of blows with the four masters.
Under such a ruthless assault, Shi Xiaole’s face turned slightly pale, but Master Wisdom was already drenched in cold sweat. If one got closer, one could see his body trembling.
By the seventh time,
Master Wisdom could no longer bear it. His body went limp, his aura collapsed, and he uncontrollably staggered backwards. The ten gates of light shattered on their own.
"You are not human, definitely not!"
"I beseech everyone to take action, to slay this demon and eradicate this evil!"
The other three masters were so frightened that their faces turned ghostly pale; they were at a loss for words to describe Shi Xiaole. With no weaknesses and no limits, he was unbreakable, irresistible, and indestructible. How were they supposed to fight against that?
"You want to leave? Too late."
Shi Xiaole did not pursue the four masters; instead, with a wave of his hand, the Cleansing Evil Sword flew out at extreme speed.
Slice!
The sword light flew out from the chest of the Soul Mountain Sword Demon, making a circuit before returning to Shi Xiaole’s hand. A long white line connected Shi Xiaole and the Soul Mountain Sword Demon, the remnants of the sword’s Qi aura still not dissipated.
The Cleansing Evil Sword was still a bright yellow hue, without a single stain of blood on it.
"I—it kills me that I did not slay you..."
The pupils of the Soul Mountain Sword Demon dilated in his final moments. If he could do it all over again, he wouldn’t have troubled Shi Xiaole, but there are no ifs in life.
Before death, the Soul Mountain Sword Demon seemed to be searching for something. In the crowd, both the Golden Face Great Emperor and Yinhua Sword Emperor looked sinister as they hurriedly exerted their power to blur their forms.
Ignoring the reactions of those around him, Shi Xiaole flew forward. At this point, not even three great envoys, nor the likes of three great dao masters, and even Emperor Yan, dared to block Shi Xiaole.
"Alas!"
Just then, a deep sigh echoed, bearing a tone of frustration and resentment, and it reverberated in everyone’s ears.
"I should not have intervened, I did not wish to, taking advantage of the weaker is not my desire. Alas, alas."
A fingertip appeared, a hundred yards in size. The whorls on the surface of the finger were clearly visible, and as it descended, the sky turned dark in an instant.
