Chapter 1201: Chapter 1199: The Struggle for the Title of Number One Swordsman (Part 3)
The arena within the Fate Platform.
Two supreme swordsmen stood a kilometer apart.
It was said that a worthy opponent makes for an exciting match, and the very moment these two stepped onto the field, the swords at their waists began to tremble for no apparent reason, making resounding clangs that echoed in every direction, shaking heaven and earth.
Subsequently, their swords drew out their Sword Qi, leaving an imprint on the onlookers around them, especially in the eyes of other swordsmen. It seemed as though millions of divine swords were dueling in the void, with an unparalleled swordsman behind each, ready to strike the other with the most astonishing techniques.
Hisss Hisss Hisss...
The sound of clashing blades drowned out the sword cries, and where their Sword Qi overlapped, an ocean of Sword Qi had already formed. The void no longer twisted but split into layers, with each layer pulsing with turbulent forces.
Fan Shengnan took a deep breath.
The scene before her reminded her of the "God Severing Slash." The region of Sword Qi created by the two great swordsmen might not be as perilous as a spatial prison, but it possessed half its power, enough to obliterate anyone below the level of a Forbidden Martial Emperor.
And this was merely their Sword Qi!
Liu Ruofei was more focused than anyone.
Both Thousand Swords Emperor and Shi Xiaole were swordsmen far stronger than himself, likely the only two in the South Sea capable of defeating him. Their battle would certainly provide him with significant insights.
Even Xuanyuan Di, Qi Muchu, and Heavenly Martial Emperor, who had been half-watching the fight and half-cultivating, turned their attention to the Fate Platform for the first time, putting their cultivation aside.
The opponents that mattered to them were few, and among them were the two about to duel.
If Shi Xiaole’s battle with Liu Ruofei was a peak duel among swordsmen, then this fight was the pinnacle of all such duels!
Time rewinded five thousand years, when Thousand Swords Emperor was recognized as the number one swordsman in the South Sea. He might have had the chance to compete for the title of the strongest, but he chose to give up that opportunity.
Five thousand years had passed, and Thousand Swords Emperor’s strength had grown even further. Even the imposing Startling Thunder Emperor had fallen to him, showing a glimpse of his power.
Shi Xiaole, a young swordsman from overseas, had sent shockwaves through the Martial World upon his debut, advancing triumphantly and defeating all challengers without fail.
To this day, no one dares to be certain whether Shi Xiaole has revealed his true capabilities, his strength described only as unfathomable.
This battle, destined to be etched into the annals of South Sea and perhaps even the whole world, was about to commence before everyone’s eyes.
"This sword is named Cold Rain, a top-tier superior-grade weapon, three feet and six inches long. It has been with me for five thousand one hundred and twenty-six years. Today, it will add another name to the list of those it has defeated."
Yuan Sword Emperor held the hilt in his right hand, speaking while slowly drawing the Cold Rain Sword. With each inch the sword left its sheath, his Sword Qi surged higher, as if there was no limit.
"The sword’s name is Cleansing Evil, top-tier superior-grade, three feet and five inches long. It has accompanied me throughout my journey, and to this day, it remains undefeated."
Shi Xiaole’s tone was calm, as if he were stating something inevitable. However, everyone could feel the surging will to fight emanating from him, a conviction of victory. This mixture of auras evoked a sense of familiarity among the proud warriors there.
An invincible aura!
Only those with an invincible heart and an undefeated record in actual combat could possess such an aura!
The clash of their peak Sword Qi left countless mottled traces on the surface of the Array System of the Fate Platform. The Sword Qi, reflected by the traces, grazed the platform’s surface, creating a resonant metallic scraping sound.
The mist ceased to drift, and the air stopped flowing. As the oppressive atmosphere left everyone almost breathless,
There came two clanging sounds!
Two streaks of sword light appeared simultaneously, as if splitting their respective worlds in two, rushing toward each other. From a distance, it looked like an enormous cross, with its intersecting point at the center. The initially concentrated streams of Sword Qi seemed to find an outlet, exploding and colliding in a frenzy.
Boom!!
The entire inner ring of the Fate Platform was filled with Sword Qi, and in just a moment, the already ravaged surface of the Fate Platform was further scarred beyond recognition.
"Returning Sword!"
With four-tenths of his Divine Sword Control unleashed, Shi Xiaole swung his right arm, a dazzling sword light suppressing everything before him.
"Circling Tragedy!"
Without dodging or retreating, Thousands Swords Emperor’s sword, starting from the hilt, swiftly drew a circle. Countless sword shadows formed a ring in front of him, with the sword points creating a curved arc. A ring of swords peeled off and spun towards Shi Xiaole, unpredictable and unstoppable.
Amidst the sizzling sounds, the blue sword beams were chopped into sections, each break overlaid with a sword ring. All the rings suddenly converged at the forefront, stopping just ten feet from Shi Xiaole.
The crowd hadn’t expected Thrones Swords Emperor to have such a sophisticated technique up his sleeve, a technique not even the Startling Thunder Emperor managed to force out of him.
Unperturbed, and before the sword rings could erupt, Shi Xiaole launched his second and third strikes in advance, wielding moves unexpected by all. The dual sword lights overlapped, instantly shattering the sword rings.
Displaying swift movements, Shi Xiaole, like a gale, had already launched the "Extreme Breaking Sword" mid-stride.
In that brief instant, he executed four deadly moves with ease, his Vigorous Air, as robust and unmatched as ever, once more startling the heroes of the South Sea.
"Hmph!"
With a cold snort, Thousand Swords Emperor’s eyes flashed fiercely. His sword move remained unchanged, but his wrist twisted even more rapidly, creating denser sword shadows. Numerous sword tips formed a circle, and another ring peeled off.
It was clear that this new sword ring was smoother and sharper. As it spun, it cut through the void, creating countless severe cracks that spread like a spider’s web.
"What, the Divine Sword Control has surpassed minor accomplishment!"
Startling Thunder Emperor was taken aback.
In their battle, Thousand Swords Emperor had revealed his minor accomplishment in the Divine Sword Control, which he thought was the limit. Unexpectedly, the opponent also had a trick up his sleeve in this aspect, not just minor accomplishment, but beyond that, probably reaching four stages accomplished.
There might be only one stage difference, but when it comes to power, there is no comparison.
Previously, Shi Xiaole, relying on four stages of Divine Sword Control, barely managed a draw with Thousand Swords Emperor; any increase in the sword momentum by Thousand Swords Emperor, and the situation would be reversed instantly.
Now, with Shi Xiaole and Thousand Swords Emperor in close proximity to each other, both unleashing their killing moves, with their terrifying power, it was certainly impossible to allow the opponent any chance to dodge.
Those who could see this scene were all shocked by the cunning of Thousand Swords Emperor. He clearly had calculated all of this, deliberately waiting for Shi Xiaole to get close before striking like a hidden dagger revealed!
Would the victor be decided at this moment?
It was not that Shi Xiaole was weak, but that Thousand Swords Emperor had hidden too deep. Who would have thought that not even Startling Thunder Emperor could force out all of his trump cards?
But—
More astonishing than Thousand Swords Emperor reaching four stages of Divine Sword Control, a more unbelievable event occurred!
The very Shi Xiaole, who was expected to unleash his killing move, suddenly retracted his arm, forcefully suppressing the Sword Qi, and almost simultaneously thrust forward rapidly, his sword light suddenly flaring up, piercing through everything.
Five stages.
Five stages of Divine Sword Control!
The world lost its voice due to this collision, and the entire Fate Platform shook violently, causing many experts to close their eyes; otherwise, they feared they would be blinded by the sword light.
Though they couldn’t see, their ears were filled with the continuous sounds of swords clashing, each sound like a sharp arrow, causing heart-wrenching pain to anyone who listened.
When the sword light dispersed, the first thing to enter everyone’s sight was a vast sea of swords. Amidst the sword sea, countless sword paths intertwined, and a casual glance would make them seem like unique, world-defying killing moves, almost driving many swordsmen to madness.
Liu Ruofei, however, was enchanted.
This scene had far surpassed his battle with Shi Xiaole, but instead of feeling sad, he was thrilled. From the swordplay of both, he saw so much, some of which even rekindled his inspiration, hinting at an improvement in his sword realm.
A great part of the sword sea condensed back to one, and Thousand Swords Emperor’s expression was icy, his body covered with wounds of varying depths. It was hard for people to believe that one day, even Thousand Swords Emperor would be at a disadvantage in a contest of sword skills.
"A hundred swords unleashed!"
With a shout, the Cold Rain Sword in Thousand Swords Emperor’s hand flew out automatically, transforming from one to a hundred, shooting towards Shi Xiaole with a rainbow-like momentum.
Under the push of four stages of Divine Sword Control, the killing power of the hundred sword shadows jumped to a much higher level, such that even Startling Thunder Emperor couldn’t defend against them despite unleashing all his moves.
"Heart Thunder One Sword!"
Against everyone’s expectations, in this critical moment, Shi Xiaole did not use "Extreme Breaking Sword" but also displayed the Controlling Sword with Qi Skill.
Green sword patterns swirled around the Cleansing Evil Sword, turning it into a swath of green aurora, shooting forward at a terrifying speed.
Only then did people realize that not only did Shi Xiaole know the Controlling Sword with Qi Skill, but his expertise was comparable to Thousand Swords Emperor!
Clang...
Facing a hundred, but it was the solitary sword that had the upper hand. Propelled by the formidable power of the Cleansing Evil Sword, the hundred Cold Rain sword shadows shattered successively, exploding in all directions. With eighty percent of its power consumed, the Cleansing Evil Sword continued unrelentingly toward Thousand Swords Emperor.
The "Heart Thunder One Sword," a technique of the Wind Sword Way combined with mental power, wielded by the current Shi Xiaole, had an impact that far surpassed any of its previous incarnations.
"Scram!"
Using his arm as a sword, Thousand Swords Emperor slashed the Cleansing Evil Sword away, his face as ugly as could be. From the beginning until now, the reality he couldn’t accept was that he had continuously been at a disadvantage, being dominated by Shi Xiaole from start to finish.
He detested this feeling.
Recalling the Cold Rain Sword, Thousand Swords Emperor said coldly, "Shi Xiaole, let’s decide the outcome, Storm of Sword Threads!"
A surge of oppressive sword momentum, as vast as an ocean, suddenly rose from within Thousand Swords Emperor, making the space around become hazy.
As Thousand Swords Emperor swung with all his might, a deluge of fierce sword threads, like a waterfall in reverse, assaulted Shi Xiaole, making the Fate Platform seem as if it was about to fall from the clouds.
Finally, it had come to this step, where the killing move would determine victory or defeat.
This sword’s ferocity and brutality surpassed Shi Xiaole’s strongest killing move. In the eyes of the onlookers, if Shi Xiaole didn’t have a more powerful trump card, then despite his superior sword skills, he would still be defeated.
"Bring it on."
Without resorting to a trump card, the power of Shi Xiaole’s Heart Sword grew before the widely staring eyes, from five hundred and forty threads to five hundred and fifty.
Sizzle!
An invisible and terrifying sword intent forcefully tore a long, deep gap in the torrential downpour of Sword Qi.
Within that gap, Shi Xiaole advanced with his sword, unstoppable, like a sword god walking among mortals, heading straight for Thousand Swords Emperor, who had run out of moves and was nearly exhausted of his Vigorous Air.
