Chapter 888: Chapter 887: Little Kylin, Sky Heart Sword_1
As one of the three most famous figures in the Martial World lately, the name of ’Sky Heart Sword’ Hua Yiyun was known to virtually everyone. Even the major super-first-class forces in Tian State, as well as the top-tier forces were collecting information on him.
Not yet thirty years old, he had become a Terrestrial Immortal, a status claimed by no one since the Five Great Demons and Yao Mie Sheng—no one doubted his unparalleled talent. Given time, he was bound to become a major power in the Martial World.
Some busybodies, because of Hua Yiyun’s relationship with Shi Xiaole, had even conferred upon him the title of ’Little Kylin.’ For a time, the number of Martial World visitors eager to witness Hua Yiyun’s elegance was beyond counting.
Hearing that he had arranged a duel with ’Endless Blood Sea’ Xiao Wuchang, the number one genius of Hell Gate, many experts had rushed to the scene early, waiting in eager anticipation.
Half a 2-hour period before the duel was set to begin, the surroundings of Surging Wave Island were packed to the brim, and all one could see were dense crowds of people.
These were no ordinary individuals—each and every one of them was at least a Dragon Gate Realm Lord. There were even Earth Immortals from the Divine Barrier Realm present; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to withstand the aftershocks of the two young masters’ battle.
Among these Terrestrial Immortals, some were high-level experts from Hell Gate, and others were Righteous Path experts who came to support Hua Yiyun.
In recent times, the strife between the Righteous and Devil Paths had become increasingly fierce. It was clear that Hell Gate wanted to use this battle to suppress the Righteous Path, but how could the latter remain indifferent?
At the junction of two islands, there was a wide river about ten zhang across, and at the southern tip lay a heap of pit stones.
The river’s impact created a sky full of mist, making the area within several hundred meters hazy. The sunlight shining down cast rainbows across the sky, creating an indescribably poetic and picturesque scene.
"What do you think, who will win this battle?"
"In terms of talent, Hua Yiyun obviously has the edge. But Xiao Wuchang has deeper accumulation and more experience, and he might be stronger. Honestly, Hua Yiyun is too impulsive this time," someone commented.
"Don’t forget Hua Yiyun’s nickname—it takes an extraordinary person to do extraordinary things. The outcome of such geniuses clashing is beyond our ability to predict," another chimed in.
A few thousand meters away from the joint of the two islands, two distinct groups stood clearly apart: one shrouded in an eerie devilish aura, and the other exuding various powerful presences. The discussion originated from these two camps.
"Brother Qian, has Young Master Hua not arrived yet?"
In the forefront of the Righteous Path crowd were two particularly eye-catching elders.
The one on the left was of average build, wearing a cloud-patterned brocade robe tailored to fit, with a three-foot black pine cloud ancient sword hanging at his waist. He had a refined appearance and an extraordinary demeanor. Standing there as if hidden within the clouds, although he was close at hand, he seemed untouchable.
The elder on the right was much taller, with thick white eyebrows and eyes that sparkled constantly. His tight-fitting clothes stretched as if they would burst from his muscular build. His right hand, holding a knife handle and larger than the average man’s by more than half, displayed a terrifying, understated strength.
The two people were none other than ’Cloud Sword King’ Qian Yuanchen, ranked ninth on the Earth Immortal list, and ’Thunder Blade King’ Nie Guanting, ranked tenth.
Hearing Nie Guanting’s comment, Qian Yuanchen said, "This battle concerns not only his personal reputation but the momentum between the Righteous and Devil Paths too. Young Master Hua will definitely not miss it."
Nie Guanting spoke softly, "There’s bad news. I only found out today that Xiao Wuchang’s cultivation is at the third tier of the Divine Barrier Realm, not the second."
Qian Yuanchen was visibly shaken, his face changing in an instant.
Indeed, Xiao Wuchang’s talent wasn’t as exceptional as Hua Yiyun’s. But if he were two small realms higher, then his chances of winning were undoubtedly much greater, especially since Xiao Wuchang himself was an extraordinary genius.
This gap would be difficult to bridge for anyone.
As the two kings were worrying, a hubbub suddenly erupted from the crowd. Just then, a man and a woman arrived through the void from the distance, their fingers interlocked, looking exceedingly intimate.
The woman had her hair done up in a celestial bun, her skin as smooth as jade, and a face like a perfect painting. She was a peerless beauty, causing the hearts of many young disciples who came with their masters to race. But the woman only had eyes for the man beside her, gazing upward at him with affection.
The man was wearing a sky-blue long robe and was close to eight feet tall, with long arms and a waspish waist, and a face that could rival the handsomest of men. As he walked, his every glance was imposing, each step seeming to tread on the hearts of those around him.
It wasn’t that his power surpassed everyone else’s; rather, it was a kind of supreme self-confidence that set him apart from the ordinary geniuses. This air of confidence separated him from the crowd.
Everyone’s eyes lit up, captivated by the man’s peerless grace.
"Young Master Hua has arrived!"
"Truly worthy of being one of the Nine Heaven Kings, the Sky Heart Sword!"
A chorus of admiration arose from the crowd, and even among the Devil Path’s mighty ones, many were squinting their eyes.
Ignoring the reactions around him, Hua Yiyun, together with Yuan Yuying, gracefully landed on the ground. He bowed to the Righteous Path experts who had come to cheer him on: "Many thanks to everyone, Hua is deeply grateful!"
Such poised, modest deportment immediately drew more silent praise from the crowd.
Qian Yuanchen laughed heartily.
"Enjoy your pride, Hua, for after today, you will be erased from the ranks of the Heaven Kings!"
Just then, a thunderous roar erupted in the sky, and the air on the opposite side swiftly turned blood-red as if an agitated sea of blood was churning, filled with countless wails that echoed continually like evil spirits beckoning for souls, sending shivers down everyone’s spine.
The sea of blood quickly coalesced into a beam and shot towards the edge of the joining of the two islands, where a figure appeared, with blood-red hair, clothing, and even eyes. His presence added a thick stench of blood to the air.
"Xiao Wuchang!"
Some among the Devil Path’s ranks laughed, others looked proud, and some remained silent.
"Are you ready to die, Hua?"
Xiao Wuchang said coldly, having eyes for Hua Yiyun only, as if the rest were mere air since he appeared.
"The one to die may not be me,"
Hua Yiyun said.
Whoosh!
A flicker of a blood shadow, and the next moment, an intense explosion erupted over the two islands. The figures of the combatants separated and then clashed again quickly.
"Blood Soul Buddha Palm!"
Xiao Wuchang’s red hair flew wildly as he ferociously struck out with both hands, creating successive blood-red palm imprints that enveloped Hua Yiyun.
"Sky Heart Guidepost!"
With his sword unsheathed, Hua Yiyun did not retreat or dodge; he struck with his sword, and all the red palm imprints abruptly converged into one that the sword’s tip precisely pierced.
Bang!
A surge of air rolled out.
No one could have expected the great battle that the Martial World had been anticipating for so long to start so quickly, so suddenly. Everyone watched intently, their gazes following the two figures in the sky.
Yuan Yuying was clutching her delicate hands even tighter, watching her beloved without blinking an eye.
"Endless Blood Sea Hell Gate!"
A blood-red gate emerged from nowhere, and as its doors flung open, countless specks of shattered light poured out from the blood-colored pillars, as if the void was a blank canvas etched with numerous red streaks.
"Top-tier Third Tier combat power!"
On the Righteous Path’s side, someone took a deep breath.
With a cultivation of the second level of the Divine Barrier Realm and possessing the combat power of a top-tier Third Tier, Xiao Wuchang was truly a genius noticed by the Martial World. With such attacking power, how would Hua Yiyun block it?
"Sky Heart Intent!"
Twisting his body, Hua Yiyun’s figure radiated a circle of white light. It immediately rippled as it was bombarded by countless shards of light, creating tiny cracks. Just as it was about to break but hadn’t yet, Hua Yiyun integrated with his sword, transforming into a rainbow shooting towards the sun, too fast for anyone to track.
This strike bore the traces of Body-Sword Integration.
In fact, the Sky Heart Sword technique was precisely derived from integrating various sword techniques such as the Wind Extreme Sword Technique, Yi Sword Skill, Body-Sword Integration, and others with Hua Yiyun’s own unique characteristics.
Clang!
After dodging, just as Xiao Wuchang was about to make his move, he realized the sword light was already blocking his path, preventing him from executing his technique, forcing him to retreat again and again.
But Hua Yiyun was like a possessing spirit, always sealing Xiao Wuchang’s moves half a step early, inescapably so. Gradually, Xiao Wuchang fell into a disadvantage.
"The reputation of the Sky Heart Sword is well-deserved! Sky Heart, Sky Heart, as long as there is intention, how could it ever escape the heavens?"
"Predicting the enemy’s tactics, striking first to gain the upper hand, this young man indeed possesses the grace of the Kirin from years past!"
The heroes of the Righteous Path did not stint their lavish praise.
Among the crowd were some who had personally witnessed the great battles at Endless Risky Peak and could not forget the supreme grace of that young man in green to this day.
Now, those battles had long become classics in the swordsman world, inspiring countless rookies in awe. They saw the shadow of Kirin in Hua Yiyun.
Regrettably, since being acclaimed as the peerless swordsman at Sword Evaluation Elegant Mountain, Kirin had vanished from sight. Some say he was in seclusion, practicing his cultivation; others say he went to the Western Region, and still others conjecture he was secretly killed. Various rumors abound.
Among the nine Heaven Kings, Zhang Xiangfeng is firmly ranked first as the Invincible Earth Immortal. There were vague reports that he had also made a name for himself as the Dragon Sword King in the Western Sea, undefeated in combat.
Broken Heart and the Fish Net Youth were close behind him. While Yao Mie Sheng had become an Eighth Tier Earth Immortal a few months ago, Mysterious Sparrow, Heavenly Phoenix, and Jade Lion were frequently seen, their martial prowess advancing alarmingly.
Only Kirin had consistently been out of the spotlight; if he had maintained his pace, he might also be an Eighth Tier Earth Immortal by now. However, the world does not entertain ’ifs’, and even the most brilliant individuals, fading into silence for a long time, can be forgotten.
In these past few years, although the name of the Kirin was often mentioned, its zenith had long since passed. In fact, many doubted the Divine Strategy Academy’s decision to rank Kirin fourth amongst the nine Heaven Kings.
Xiao Wuchang’s mockery had exactly provoked Hua Yiyun’s challenge.
In the crowd, a young man in green stood silently, a smile playing on his lips. Strangely enough, no one seemed to notice him, not even Niu Dali and Qiu Mingyue who stood beside him and were influenced by his aura, as if they had become invisible as well.
"Little Kylin? Hahaha, even the Kirin’s glory has faded; you should discard that title as soon as possible. Endless Blood Sea Soul Destroying Blade, kill!"
Cornered into dangers, a powerful aura erupted from Xiao Wuchang, shattering the sword momentum around him and causing an uproar.
Divine Barrier Realm third level!
A sharp blood-colored blade appeared, charging fiercely towards Hua Yiyun.
"Sky Heart Perfection!"
Hua Yiyun, having learned everything from Qian Yuanchen, was not panicked. He drew circles with his sword in front of him, circles interlocking, constantly weakening the blood-colored blade until it was annihilated successfully.
