Chapter 534: The One Who Stood at the Pinnacle of the Dao of the Sword

Though it was summer, snow began to fall suddenly over the capital of Yu.

The snowflakes fluttered down, growing denser by the moment, almost obscuring the view of the onlookers witnessing the ceremony. Each snowflake that landed on people's skin caused a slight sting, imbued with the profound intent of a sword.

This snowfall was caused by the two sword masters hovering in mid-air. Though their duel had yet to begin, the cold aura they exuded had already pierced the heavens, creating a deadly tension that spread in every direction.

The Sword Emperor of the West Sea stood among them. He appeared as a sturdy, unassuming middle-aged man, with a broad, square face, dark, weathered skin, and a few wrinkles. His height was average and he looked like a plain and simple man.

His entire demeanor suited his humble name perfectly.

Even though he appeared plain and even slightly old-fashioned, the moment he ascended into the air under the gaze of countless onlookers, the awe-inspiring presence of a grandmaster radiated from.

"Esteemed senior, it has been fifty years since our last battle. I have not dared to slack for even a single day and have finally comprehended the true essence of your sword," the Sword Emperor of the West Sea said, his voice low enough for only the two of them to hear as he braved the fierce wind. "I seek your guidance once more."

Opposite him hovered Old Li Ba, a short and chubby elder. His white robes only accentuated the flaws in his physique. When he smiled and squinted his eyes, there was something unsettling about him, almost perverted, like one of those old rascals who spent their days lounging by the door, leering at passing women.

In the minds of the people, sword cultivators were always seen as figures in white robes, carrying swords and moving swiftly like the wind—sharp and dashing. But with these two standing at the pinnacle of the Dao of the Sword, that image of sword cultivators in the immortal realm hit rock bottom. Not even the similarly aged Imperial Supervisory Commissioner, who stood nearby, could do anything to salvage the situation.

"Heheh, no need for pleasantries," Old Li Ba said with a grin. "After our last fight, I gained some insights too. Even though I've spent most of these years raising flowers, playing with birds, fishing, spanking my grandsons, and doting on my great-granddaughter... I've still made some progress. Just don't cry when you lose this time."

"You needn't worry about that, esteemed senior. I have been practicing the art of sword my entire life and lost countless times. Even so, I've never once lost motivation," replied the Sword Emperor of the West Sea.

"Then draw your sword and show me how far you've come in these past fifty years," Old Li Ba said, gesturing with his hand.

The Sword Emperor of the West Sea remained silent, but he didn't reach for his sword. As a matter of fact, he had no sword at all. Instead, he raised his hand and gently plucked a snowflake from the air.

That tiny, crystalline snowflake solidified in his palm, and with a flick of his finger, he sent it flying.

Whoosh—

With just a light flick, the snowflake, barely visible to the naked eye, sliced through the air and instantly swept away all the surrounding snow. The clouds above parted, and the skies of the four domains emerged once more. The world suddenly became bright and clear.

It was the Great Dao of the Cloud of Determination!

At that moment, every cultivator in the audience—Jiang Yuebai, Chu Liang, and all those who had mastered or even glimpsed the Great Dao of the Cloud of Determination—felt a jolt in their hearts. For some reason, their blood suddenly boiled within their veins, surging with an inexplicable force.

This was the power of those who had attained the Heavenly Origin. He was the absolute Dao Master of this Great Dao. He was the one in absolute control. Just a simple display stirred the hearts of those who had merely glimpsed this path.

Anyone who tried to oppose him using the same Great Dao would only suffer a powerful backlash.

In a flash, the snowflake had reached Old Li Ba. His expression turned slightly more serious as he swept his right sleeve, forming his hands into the shape of a sword and slashing through the void.

Whoosh—

The sound of wind echoed, yet it seemed as though nothing had happened.

The crystalline snowflake quivered in mid-air, as if another force was trying to redirect its path. After a few flips, it shattered with a sharp bang.

The Sword Emperor of the West Sea's pupils dilated slightly, and he let out a slow breath, clearly uncomfortable.

This was the Great Dao of the Severing Void.

Unlike the grand and overwhelming sword qi of the Great Dao of the Cloud of Determination, the Severing Void focused on refining sword intent to such precision that it could cut through anything unnoticed.

The Sword Emperor of the West Sea had suffered from this technique fifty years ago, and though he was still at a disadvantage right now, at least he managed to hold his ground.

As he opened his hand and grasped the void, a nearly transparent swordlight appeared in his palm. After a brief probe, he finally drew his sword.

The Sword-Hanging Kingdom was a small nation in the West Sea. Though It was an island rich with sword culture, there was a lack of resources. Their finest swordsmith, Baili Tong, only became famous after coming to the capital of Yu.

In the Sword Emperor's hand was the finest sword of the Sword-Hanging Kingdom, ranked seventy-first in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures—the ancient sword, Shadow-Bearer.

It was said that this sword was nearly invisible, revealing only a trace of its form at dawn and dusk. The sword qi it emitted was also transparent, making it impossible to guard against.

"If I used the Chunyang Ancient Sword, that would be truly bullying," Old Li Ba said as he laughed heartily. "Little Shiyi, lend Great-Grandpa your sword!"

With a wave of his hand, a swordlight flew up from below and into his grip.

In the audience, Li Shiyi from the Endless Sword Sect let out a surprised "Ah!"

Her sword had already flown off from her back and into the sky. Her Taoshan Spirit Sword, ranked one hundred sixty-second in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures, was a famous sword, though still a tier below the ancient sword Shadow-Bearer.

However, at this level of a duel, such a difference in swords wouldn't be enough to alter the outcome.

With swords in hand, the auras of the two masters of the Heavenly Origin

immediately changed.

They unleashed a fierceness that pierced the heavens, creating two dark holes in the once-azure sky, as if the sky itself couldn't bear the overwhelming pressure.

In fact, they had deliberately directed the overflow of their qi upward. Had they allowed it to spread in all directions, countless commoners and low-level cultivators below would have been crushed to death.

The Sword Emperor of the West Sea raised the Shadow-Bearer to the sky. The ancient sword floated before him, transforming into a massive swordlight!

He performed the Heaven-Raising Sword!

This was an immortal art that Chu Liang was familiar with, but it didn't look like the version he knew.

The way the Sword Emperor of the West Sea executed the technique seemed far too simple. There was no massive swordlight tearing through the sky, nor a trace of overwhelming sword qi. It was merely a slightly enlarged swordlight that was slowly pressing forward.

It looked weak—lacking power, and moving at a sluggish pace.

But for the first time, Old Li Ba's expression turned serious.

The slow-moving sword appeared as if it could be easily dodged with a simple sidestep, yet Old Li Ba found himself unable to escape its path. He had no choice but to clash head-on, swinging the Taoshan Spirit Sword in his hand to meet the attack head-on.

Whoosh—

When Old Li Ba struck with his sword, there was no change in light or shadow, yet it felt as if a portion of the sky had suddenly disappeared.

The audience below suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over them, and countless people collapsed to the ground. Even after regaining their senses, they were left confused, unable to grasp what had just happened.

When they looked up again, they saw that the swordlight emitted by the Sword Emperor of the West Sea had been cleanly severed in half.

Yet, the remaining half of the swordlight continued to advance toward Old Li Ba, undeterred by the earlier strike.

With a sweep of his large sleeve, Old Li Ba absorbed the remaining swordlight into his sleeve. However, a sharp ripping sound followed, and half of his sleeve was torn apart, exposing his chubby arm.

"Not bad," Old Li Ba said with a smile. "Your sword strike has improved greatly since the last time we fought."

"I still lost," replied the Sword Emperor of the West Sea, though his eyes shone brightly, as if he were pleased. "Your sword intent can now slice heaven and earth... it resembles the momentum of Tai'a."

"All Great Dao are without limits, especially among the Three Great Dao of the Sword," Old Li Ba chuckled.

"Esteemed Senior, you are right," the Sword Emperor of the West Sea nodded, as though a new understanding had dawned on him.

With that, he turned and descended onto the platform, declaring, "I have lost."

It was only then that the bewildered audience below grasped the outcome of the duel.

The Sword Saint's sleeve was torn, but he was the one who won?

They were not to be blamed for the confusion. In a duel between sword cultivators, victory or defeat could be decided in an instant. Not only could ordinary people fail to grasp what had happened, but even some Eminent Ones at the seventh realm might struggle to comprehend the deeper mysteries behind such battles.

Sitting beside the Emperor of the Yu Dynasty, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner grasped the situation clearly. He said leisurely to the emperor, "Old Li Ba has made progress in his cultivation since his last duel with the Sword Emperor. His improvement is just as impressive as the Sword Emperor's."

Old Li Ba's attack and defense had just demonstrated two key points. On one hand, the Sword Emperor could not intercept Old Li Ba's sword strike. On the other hand, Old Li Ba could handle the Sword Emperor's sword strike.

If Old Li Ba's sword strike hadn't been aimed at severing the swordlight but instead directed at the Sword Emperor himself, the Sword Emperor would have been injured at the very least. The fact that Old Li Ba could still absorb the remaining swordlight afterward showed that the Sword Emperor's attack posed no threat to him at all.

With this exchange, the Sword Emperor wisely chose to concede. After all, the Sword Emperor of the West Sea was the junior. Fifty years ago, Old Li Ba had already surpassed him in the cultivation of the Sword Dao. Even though both had made progress since then, the Sword Emperor was still outmatched. However, there was no shame in his defeat.

Most of the audience below were citizens of the capital of Yu, and they naturally feel more supportive of the Endless Sword Sect of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. When the Sword Emperor of the West Sea lost, the crowd burst into cheers.

Though most didn't understand what had happened, they knew it had been something amazing. If they didn't cheer now, it would be like admitting they didn't get it, which would be embarrassing.

The younger spectators were filled with excitement, watching these figures who stood at the pinnacle of the mortal world. Though they knew they couldn't reach such heights themselves, their hearts still yearned for it.

...

The long-anticipated sword duel ended rather quickly, but such was the nature of battles between sword cultivators. The winner was often determined by that one decisive strike. If these two Eminent Ones of the Heavenly Origin Realm had wanted to make the fight flashy and spectacular, it wouldn't have been difficult, but they had risen beyond the need to for such displays.

Next, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner announced that the immortal sects would have three days of rest. The Competition of the Hundred Sects would begin at noon in three days. By then, everyone would be able to witness the entire event from the base of Emperor's Mound.

The following day, the family and friends of the Mount Shu Sect arrived.

The imperial court had arranged accommodations for the disciples participating in the Assembly of Immortal Sects, but not for those attending as spectators, so friends and family had to find their own lodgings. Since there hadn't been any competitions involving the Mount Shu Sect in the previous days, their fellow sect members hadn't arrived yet.

With the Competition of the Hundred Sects about to begin, disciples from the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten sects also began arriving in the capital of Yu.

Among them was Wen Yulong.

Chu Liang hadn't seen him in several months. Before the special training at Mount Shu had begun, Wen Yulong had gone into closed-door cultivation to work on modifying the airship.

Now, as he emerged from his seclusion, he appeared noticeably thinner, but his eyes shone with a startling brightness.

The moment he saw Chu Liang, he exclaimed excitedly, "Senior Brother Chu, your airship modifications are done!"