Chapter 585: The Elegance of That One Sword Strike

Outside Corridor City, the disciples of various immortal sects had already arranged their formation.

Boom!

As Chu Liang landed, many people around him turned to look. When the dust settled and his figure was revealed, several disciples furrowed their brows.

Did he really need to make such a flashy entrance?

However, the disciples of the Mount Shu Sect were clearly pleased. Jiang Yuebai, standing at the rear of the formation, looked back and saw Chu Liang. She saw nothing but confidence in his eyes.

At that moment, Chu Liang might not have realized how piercing and intense the divine light in his eyes had become.

He had just experienced this peculiar and remarkable state of enlightenment.

Inside the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, he and Tuntun had arrived in a mystical realm where nine suns shared the sky.

He saw a Daoist temple atop an immortal mountain, with a Daoist inside capable of severing the heaven with a single strike. The Daoist then struck the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, causing it to collapse, and the impact knocked Chu Liang unconscious.

While unconscious, Chu Liang seemed to slip into a dream.

As the image of the Daoist severing the heaven replayed in his mind, Chu Liang felt as though there were wisps of Dao essence swirling around him.

He immersed himself in the wisps of Dao essence and suddenly grasped the meaning of "Severing the Void."

At the Endless Sword Sect, many marks left by the strikes of swordmasters from previous generations still contained lingering Dao essence, allowing disciples to meditate on them for centuries.

If even the marks left by the powerful swordmasters from previous generations could leave such an impact, how much more impactful would it be to witness the strike of a powerful one that could sever the heaven?

That proud figure floating in the sky exuded the aloofness of the ancient primordial wilderness... "Be it gods, ghosts, or demons, all are but illusions in the void—I will sever them with a single strike!"

This was Severing the Void.

Unlike his earlier glimpse of the Cloud of Determination essence, this time he comprehended the entire Great Dao of Severing the Void. Had he been at the peak of the sixth realm, this insight might have allowed him to ascend directly to the Dao Attainment Realm!

The power of that one sword strike was terrifying.

That strike that severed the heavens replayed thousands of times in his dream. When he finally understood the Great Dao, he slowly began to awaken. It was only then that Chu Liang realized he had entered a state of enlightenment.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Wang Xuanling's aged face, filled with anxiety.

"How did it go?" Wang Xuanling asked.

"It's done," Chu Liang replied.

"I have never once heard of a fifth-realm attaining Dao!" Wang Xuanling said excitedly. "In the future, as long as you choose a suitable Great Dao, I know the attainment of the eighth realm will not be a mere dream for you."

Over the past centuries, countless prodigies have emerged among the immortal cultivation sects, but only a few have managed to reach the eighth realm, primarily due to the difficulty of the Heavenly Gate. No matter how outstanding a cultivator's performance is during the cultivation of the Human Gate and Earthly Gate, it would become irrelevant once they reach the peak of the sixth realm. At that point, they had to rely on a different set of skills to continue making progress.

To attain this state of enlightenment, a cultivator needed more than just great comprehension; they needed to have incredible luck or achieve a breakthrough that was so elusive it seemed almost impossible to achieve. The fact that Chu Liang managed to do it meant that if someone were to say he wasn't destined for greatness, no one would believe that to be true.

"Has the Battle at the Imperial City started?" Chu Liang asked.

"According to the schedule, it should have started. But if we hurry, there may still be a chance, " Wang Xuanling said as he gazed far into the distant Imperial City. "Your teacher is there. With how she can make a fuss and act unreasonably, I am sure the Battle at the Imperial City would not start that smoothly."

"Alright!" Chu Liang nodded.

Wang Xuanling immediately summoned his flying sword and took off with Chu Liang.

It had been many years since this old man, who had always carried himself with such seriousness, dignity, and respect, had flown at full speed on his sword, especially above a city under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers. But for Chu Liang’s sake, he couldn’t bother anymore.

Whoosh—

Like a meteor, they shot up from Emperor's Mound and arrived above the Imperial City in an instant.

Sword-flying over the Imperial City was usually forbidden, but no one cared at this moment. As Wang Xuanling dropped Chu Liang into Corridor City, he made a quick loop and casually landed at the back with the Mount Shu Sect members, as if nothing had happened.

His presence was only acknowledged when Di Nufeng stepped back amidst the group of Mount Shu Sect members. She gave Wang Xuanling a nod of approval and said, "You old man, it's rare to see you actually do something useful."

Though it was a compliment, it sounded off. Regardless, it was already very rare to get any kind of compliments from Di Nufeng.

Wang Xuanling merely responded with a cough.

...

"All disciples of the immortal sects, proceed to Corridor City and choose your entrance gate!"

The guards of the Imperial City oversaw the proceedings below, directing the disciples of the immortal sects one by one through the towering walls of Corridor City. Behind the main gate were four separate directions, each with ten gates.

Generally, the disciples of each sect would discuss beforehand, ensuring each of their four representatives chose different directions to avoid facing each other in the early rounds.

Once each disciple entered and selected a gate, that gate would be marked and unavailable to those who came later.

As planned, Chu Liang chose a gate on the northern side.

Boom.

The massive gate then slammed shut.

The tall walls surrounding him were engraved with intricate formations, cutting off all external senses so that they wouldn't be aware of anything happening beyond the walls..

Suddenly, the area fell into complete silence. All that remained was the sliver of blue sky above and the long corridor stretching ahead.

Then, a loud voice from outside announced, "Let the battle begin!"

Only then were the disciples allowed to act.

Chu Liang wasted no time, swiftly advancing forward. In an instant, he reached the midpoint of the corridor and saw his opponent.

It was a young man wearing a conical hat, a sword strapped to his back. He appeared indifferent and seemed as eager to end the fight quickly as Chu Liang.

"A disciple of the Sword Sect?" Chu Liang asked as he drew his sword. "Which one are you?"

It wasn't that he didn't recognize him; among the disciples participating in the Battle at the Imperial City, there were only a few, and they all knew of one another, whether closely or not.

But the three brothers, Xu Hu, Xu Long, and Xu Bao looked very similar and it was hard to identify them.

"Xu Bao," came the curt reply.

It's the younger one.

Chu Liang confirmed inwardly and raised his Dustless Sword.

Xu Bao likewise drew his ancient-looking longsword, adorned with bronze cloud patterns.

The two did the same exact move, raising their swords as they closed the gap of a dozen zhang between them.

Sizzle—

Their swords fell!

A surge of sword qi erupted, reaching its peak in an instant. With a single strike, the world darkened, and the sun and moon seemed to lose their light.

Compared to the sword qi of grandeur generated through the Cloud of Determination Great Dao, the sword qi generated through the Great Dao of Severing the Void was more condensed. It was like a coiled dragon, but with a glint that was much sharper and more terrifying.

In the blink of an eye, the two streams of sword qi, like flood dragons, clashed and twisted together, each carrying an unstoppable, fearless aura.

For a moment, Xu Bao was surprised.

He had initially thought Chu Liang was reckless to dare cross swords with a Sword Sect disciple.

But he soon noticed something was amiss.

He and his brothers had spent ten years studying the sword marks left by generations of masters on the back mountain of the Endless Sword Sect. Even having comprehended only half, their mastery of swordsmanship was unrivaled among the younger generation.

This was his greatest pride.

Yet, how did this Chu Liang possess a sword intent equal to his own?

The Cloud of Determination Great Dao was a cultivation of sword qi, while the Great Dao of Tai'a was a cultivation of sword force and the Great Dao of Severing the Void was a cultivation of sword intent.

This sword intent conveyed the message, "Whatever it is, just cut and be severed from it." It was the principle of the Great Dao of Sword, Severing the Void. Xu Bao knew that there was no way he would be mistaken. This scene was eerily similar to sparring with his brothers.

Where did he learn this? Xu Bao wondered. Moreover, his sword intent was so pure... In fact, it's even stronger than mine!

Boom—

After a brief stalemate, the flood dragon formed by Chu Liang's sword qi devoured the one created by Xu Bao's sword qi. Xu Bao then felt Chu Liang's sword qi surge forward, whistling past him.

A strand of Xu Bao's hair was sliced off, drifting down, and the conical hat on his head was blown into the air.

Bang—

Chu Liang's sword qi struck a nearby wall, leaving countless scratches. However, the wall seemed almost alive, rapidly healing before his eyes.

Xu Bao stood stunned for a moment before sheathing the sword in his palm, returning it to the scabbard on his back.

In a duel between swordmasters, victory or defeat could be decided in the span of a single breath.

If Chu Liang had not redirected his sword qi at the last moment, it would have been Xu Bao, not the wall, engulfed by the Flood Dragon. In that case, serious injury or even death would have been inevitable.

"I've lost," he said softly.

As a disciple of the Endless Sword Sect who had been mastering the art of the sword since childhood, admitting defeat wasn't difficult. However, it was hard to accept that he had been defeated using the very skill he excelled at.

Xu Bao's eyes flickered.

"Well fought," Chu Liang said, cupping his hands in salute before leaping forward.

Creak—

A door on the side of the corridor creaked open as Chu Liang stepped through. Reaching the next level sooner meant more time to recover.

Though the strike seemed simple, both he and Xu Bao had drawn upon their entire Sea of Qi, leaving nothing in reserve. Had either of them held back, defeat would have been inevitable.

Although Chu Liang's recovery speed was extraordinary, it still required time.

At that moment, an announcement echoed from the high walls: "Chu Liang of the Mount Shu Sect has defeated Xu Bao of the Endless Sword Sect!"

The spectators outside had a clear view of all the fights, so the announcement was not for them. It was intended for the disciples of the various immortal sects inside Corridor City, as this was their only way of knowing what was happening beyond the walls.

Hearing the announcement, the disciples within Corridor City were stunned.

It's over?

That fast?

The fight had just begun!