Chapter 449: Chapter 448: A Sword’s Elegance, Bone Transformation Array
Under the combination of Quick and Slow True Intent and the lower-level first-class swordsmanship, even Shi Xiaole’s spiritual power could not avoid being influenced. Of course, the effect was only transient.
The next moment, Shi Xiaole struck down from above like a clear sky and white clouds, bringing up a slanting Sword Qi, as cold as bone marrow, like the wrath of the God of Thunder.
This sword strike, like it came from beyond the heavens, mercilessly severed the Quick and Slow True Intent wherever it grazed.
The sword moves did not change, there weren’t even any follow-up tactics, just because Shi Xiaole had poured his lifelong skill into this one sword. No changes, that was the best change.
No one could describe the splendor and radiance of this sword. How could you describe a sword that came from beyond the heavens?
One sword came from the west, the Outer Heaven Flying Immortal.
"Pfft!"
Shen Wumei’s last killer move, which he thought was invincible, was directly cut open like a bean curd dregs and crushed. The two swords crossed, and a burst of blood exploded in the air.
"You’ve studied first-class swordsmanship too?"
Half-kneeling on the ground, Shen Wumei’s face was distorted with ferocity and he screamed.
His Capturing Sky Great Sword Skill was just a mediocre sword technique among the lower-quality first-class ones while Shi Xiaole’s sword clearly attained top-level standards.
But something wasn’t right. Even a top-tier lower class sword technique shouldn’t have such power. After all, his Capturing Sky Great Sword Skill was imbued with 10 percent Quick and Slow True Intent.
Seemingly aware of what the other person was thinking, Shi Xiaole said: "You haven’t understood the intricacy of swordsmanship. It’s superfluous to rashly incorporate True Intent."
The sophistication of first-class martial arts is far beyond ordinary imagination. Unless True Intent integrates perfectly, hasty incorporation would weaken the power of the martial skill itself.
In Shi Xiaole’s view, the Quick and Slow True Intent didn’t meld well with the Capturing Sky Great Sword Skill. More importantly, Shen Wumei had merely gotten to the level of proficiency with the skill.
"That sword?"
Seeing Shi Xiaole as the victor, everyone in the surroundings was stunned. In particular, the swordsmen present couldn’t forget the dazzling sword light from a moment ago.
"Shi friend, what is that move called?"
The Crown Sword Marquis asked with trembling lips.
"Outer Heaven Flying Immortal."
Shi Xiaole replied.
"Outer Heaven Flying Immortal?"
Many people muttered at the same time. Recalling Shi Xiaole’s elegance when executing that sword technique, they were all taken aback.
Compared to the complex and diverse Capturing Sky Great Sword Skill, in terms of both its magnificence and sharpness, the Outer Heaven Flying Immortal undoubtedly better matched the swordsman’s aesthetic sense.
Looking at Shi Xiaole, who was as clean as an emerald green robe and floating like an immortal, everyone couldn’t help thinking of the four words "Man and Sword Reflect Each Other."
"Haha, what a remarkable Outer Heaven Flying Immortal, I am now enlightened."
A burst of laughter suddenly rang out. Outside the lawn, a seemingly ordinary old man had appeared out of nowhere. His woolly eyes were staring ominously at Shi Xiaole.
The faces of everyone turned pale, recognizing this old man as one of the two supreme masters who had brutally slaughtered in the Jade Sword Hall earlier, whose cultivation had reached the ninth level of the Dragon Gate Realm.
"Master, you’re finally back."
Seeing the old man, Shen Wumei was overjoyed.
The old man nodded and then smiled at Shi Xiaole: "Young man, how about this? I swear by the will of Heaven and Earth that if you hand over the Outer Heaven Flying Immortal sword manual to me, I’ll spare your life today."
It seemed that to prove he was not just bluffing, the old man’s words were accompanied by an aura erupting from his body, as heavy as a mountain, making everyone feel suffocated as if they would stop breathing at any time.
Shi Xiaole sneered secretly.
There could be many ways to spare his life, leaving him intact was one way, but so was leaving him disabled. He didn’t believe that once he handed over the secret manual, the other side would be polite to him.
"Sorry, I can’t do that."
Shi Xiaole shook his head.
"Absolutely seeking death!"
In addition to the trembling, the Silver Spear Marquis was also a bit excited.
Everyone could see through the old man’s treacherous intentions. If Shi Xiaole had complied nicely, at worst he could save his life. But outright refusal like now meant that he was leaving no way out for himself.
"Alas..."
The old man sighed to the sky: "People, why don’t they cherish their own lives? Or do you think that once I suppress you to the same realm, I would be powerless against you?"
As the old man stepped onto the lawn, his aura grew heavier, causing many people to even kneel on the ground, unable to straighten their waists.
His True Intent of Earth had already reached the realm of 60 percent perfection. Killing anyone present would be no different from squashing an ant.
"Master, we’ve waited two months. It’s time to open the Jade Sword Pool. I want to drain the essence of these people to attain the Sword Bone. As for this kid, if he hasn’t died by then, I’ll have ways to pry open his mouth," said Shen Wumei expectantly and urgently.
Jade Sword Pool? Sword Bone?
Everyone was puzzled. Considering all that had happened, was this all a conspiracy of this master and his disciple?
"Boy, I’ll give you one last chance, will you hand it over or not?"
With hands behind his back, the old man looked down on Shi Xiaole, who was bent over but refused to kneel. The oppressive aura solidified and intensified as if intending to slowly torture him.
Everyone could even hear the cracking sound coming from Shi Xiaole’s body.
Upon observing the situation, Shen Wumei felt a surge of satisfaction as he remarked disdainfully, "He who understands the times is a hero. Why do you insist on being so pathetic?"
The elderly man’s aura continued to intensify, as if there were no end to it.
Just when everyone thought that Shi Xiaole would suffer a painful ordeal, Shi Xiaole suddenly raised his head and sneered, "Old man, in your next life, beware of arrogance."
What?
The old man’s eyebrows twitched, and a murderous gaze flashed across his eyes. His left hand, brimming with immense power, suddenly reached out to grab Shi Xiaole’s shoulder, intending to crush it.
It seemed that his approach had been too gentle, prompting some people to think that they could get away without experiencing brutality.
The old man’s movements were incredibly swift.
But too bad Shi Xiaole was faster. He clenched his right fist and punched out forcefully.
Crack!
At the point where their fists met, something startling happened.
The old man’s entire arm erupted into a mist of blood, with the force of the punch not stopping there but drilling into the old man’s body.
Bang bang bang.
Like being hammered unmercifully, the old man bled from all his orifices before collapsing onto the ground, his old eyes stunned widened like copper bells.
Whoosh!
Without giving the old man a chance to speak, Shi Xiaole lopped off his head with one sword, remarking, "You talk too much."
After achieving the Outer Heaven Flying Immortal, Shi Xiaole risked it once by sacrificing the Spiritual Rhinoceros Finger and two thousand reward points to draw a lethal technique from the system.
Luckily, he didn’t draw a blank but instead wound up with the unique skill of the renowned swordsman Yan Nantian, the Southern Sky Divine Fist.
As the god among swords and the hero among gods, Yan Nantian’s unparalleled martial arts could only be described as invincible. Even if the Southern Sky Divine Fist was not as powerful as his Divine Sword Technique, but for Yan Nantian, killing the old man was an easy task.
All around was silence.
If everyone was deeply impressed by Shi Xiaole’s display of the Outer Heaven Flying Immortal, then his killing the old man with one punch had them reeling in shock, doubting if everything they had seen was real.
Shen Wumei was stunned beyond belief. His face twitched incessantly before finally settling into a deep shock and bewilderment. However, strangely enough, there was no fear on his face.
"The stronger you are, the more excited I am, hahaha..."
Shen Wumei suddenly exerted all his strength and started pounding the grass lawn.
Boom Boom Boom!
In the violent tremors, everyone suddenly realized that the grass had turned from green to red, and then to a thick, bloody red.
Voom!
Meanwhile, the blood river surrounding Jade Sword Palace began to rotate slowly.
If looked at from above, one would see the grass lawn and the river forming a set of concentric circles, with countless blood filaments gushing from the narrow channels at the bottom of the river toward the bottom of the lawn.
"Has it begun?"
Outside the Hidden Sword Hall, an old man draped in a black cloak cracked a smile as he sensed a faint aura of sharpness.
...
On the grass lawn.
Everyone’s feet were stuck to the ground as if being sucked by a force, unable to move. Inside their bodies, something was being pulled downward as if it wanted to leave their bodies.
"What the hell is going on here?"
The Putrid Scholar couldn’t hide his fluctuating expressions.
While standing leisurely on the spot, Shen Wumei chuckled, "I suppose you do not know that this place is the forbidden area of the Jade Sword Palace - the Jade Sword Pool."
The Jade Sword Palace had been lost for millennia, resulting in many secrets being obscured.
The Jade Sword Pool was one of the most mysterious of them all.
The reason for this was that the Jade Sword Pool served a singular purpose: it gathered numerous exceptional talents, extracted their essence through nefarious means, and fused them all into one person to create an unprecedented genius!
The Heaven and Earth Harmony Formation, Gravity Formation, labyrinth battles, and mental illusion tests conducted by the Hidden Sword Pavilion were all screening methods for the ultimate purpose of serving the Jade Sword Pool!
Ten illusory long swords solidified and hovered over the heads of the ten people present. Interestingly, the sword shadow over Shi Xiaole’s head was the largest.
"Ten Jade Sword Seals?"
According to his master, the Jade Sword Seal of a swordsman was the most effective way to condense the Sword Bone, with that of a knife wielder being the second. Among the ten people, there were only six swordsmen, two knife-wielders, and the remaining two were martial arts experts, making the odds of success very low.
But as Shen Wumei looked at Shi Xiaole, his eyes turned red-hot. Shi Xiaole’s Jade Sword Seal was so powerful and pure that it was equivalent to ten others combined.
Glancing at his master’s body, Shen Wumei felt a surge of gratitude. If it weren’t for him asking for more time, Shi Xiaole might not have arrived and the Jade Sword Bone Transformation Array might have been activated sooner.
"Ah, no..."
"Leave, leave me!"
Feeling as if something essential was being drawn out from within them, everyone was panic-stricken and immobilized. The only thing they could do was to use the vigorous air inside them to resist that force, hoping to disperse it.
Unfortunately, the mysterious force was completely oblivious to their vigorous air. Instead, like a blood-sucking leech, it was growing stronger with time.
Inside Shi Xiaole’s body, the grey Demon Bone emitted brilliant demonic light, remaining still regardless of how much the force was absorbing.
