Chapter 586: Ling Ao of the Mount Shu Sect

"That is the Endless Sword Sect's Great Dao of Severing the Void. I can't believe he has comprehended this much? He didn't show any signs of knowing this during the Competition of a Hundred Sects. Was he saving it for the Battle at the Imperial City to catch opponents off guard?" High above the Imperial City, Old Li Ba, the Supreme Elder of the Endless Sword Sect, seated with the other onlookers, gave a genuine evaluation of Chu Liang's strike. "This boy is truly terrifying."

"Oh?" Immortal Jiuyi, seated nearby, smiled. "Old Sword Saint, your evaluation of Chu Liang is quite high. Has his mastery of the Dao of Sword reached a level that even you find remarkable?"

"If he were a swordmaster with sixty years of cultivation, it wouldn't be surprising to have attained such insight. But to grasp the Great Dao of Severing the Void to this level at such a young age is truly remarkable. Even in my youth, I was far from achieving this level of understanding," said Old Li Ba. "It is truly something to marvel at."

"But based on what I know, Chu Liang had never once performed any techniques related to the Great Dao of Severing the Void. He only came to understand this Dao a few days ago," Immortal Jiuyi added.

"That's impossible," Old Li Ba said as he shook his head firmly.

Immortal Jiuyi was an eighth-realm cultivator who had attained the Heavenly Origin and stood at the pinnacle of the world, but in terms of swordsmanship, Sword Saint Old Li Ba was the undisputed authority. And so, he spoke with complete confidence.

"Impossible?" Immortal Jiuyi questioned again.

"Our forefather, Hallowed Li, left sword marks on the walls of the mountain behind our sect. Even our most talented disciples had to meditate on these sword marks for three years to fully comprehend the Great Dao of Severing the Void," Old Li Ba said gravely. "And such genius is seen only once in centuries. For ordinary sword talents, it could take a decade.

"Even if you claim Chu Liang's talent surpasses every disciple in our sect's history, could he have found a source of insight more powerful than Hallowed Li's Dao essence?"

Upon hearing Old Li Ba's words, Immortal Jiuyi suddenly became silent for a moment.

He hadn't understood how Chu Liang attained enlightenment in the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams, but after hearing Old Li Ba's words, everything started making sense.

According to legends, the origin of the Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams was linked to Hallowed Li.

It was said that Hallowed Li once battled celestial beings and struck down numerous legendary artifacts from the sky. Among those was the Eight Trigram Compass, which eventually became the current Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams.

Could it be that Chu Liang saw an echo of Hallowed Li within the Divine Mirror and achieved enlightenment as a result?

The Divine Mirror of the Eight Trigrams was said to connect the real world and the illusory realm, reflecting both ancient and present eras, perhaps even preserving the silhouette of Hallowed Li. However, these ancient projections could not be triggered at will; something specific was required to activate them.

Could it be that Chu Liang possesses some kind of ancient artifact?

Immortal Jiuyi wondered.

As he pondered, Old Li Ba sighed again, "It's a pity that Chu Liang isn't a disciple of our Sword Sect. Such unparalleled talent is going to waste."

"Mount Shu Sect's swordsmanship has also been renowned throughout the world; it would hardly be wasted, don't you think?" Immortal Jiuyi replied with a light laugh.

"The swordmasters of Mount Shu Sect have traditionally cultivated the Cloud of Determination Great Dao. Both the Cloud of Determination and the Great Dao of Tai'a are enriched with countless exceptional swordmasters. It has always been said that talented figures are shaped by great teachers, and this is not dependent on the sect," Old Li Ba explained.

He then continued, "However, with the Great Dao of Severing the Void, only those who are part of our sect can attain the Heavenly Origin. Do you know why?"

"Why?" Immortal Jiuyi asked, intrigued and playing along.

Old Li Ba explained, "Because a cultivator of the Great Dao of Severing the Void had ascended to the ninth realm. The most powerful essence of the Severing the Void Great Dao is on the Chunyang Ancient Sword that used to belong to Hallowed Li.

"No matter how much one gains from observing sword marks, it cannot compare to the experience of observing the Chunyang Ancient Sword and meditating in the presence of the Chunyang Ancient Sword. That's why the Dao Master of the Severing the Void Great Dao will always be a member of the Endless Sword Sect."

"I see!" Immortal Jiuyi remarked with a hint of emotion in his tone.

"So, even though Chu Liang has fully comprehended the Great Dao of Severing the Void, if he chooses to continue pursuing this Dao when he reaches the seventh realm, he'll be at the end of his path," Old Li Ba explained. "Unless he chooses another Dao or..." He smirked, "switches allegiances."

"I may ask him one day," he mused aloud. "If he is willing to leave the Mount Shu Sect after the Assembly of Immortal Sects and join the Endless Sword Sect. If so, I would gladly let him observe the Chunyang Ancient Sword... perhaps I would even train him to be a successor to the sect leader. Considering how unreliable his teacher might be, I think he will surely be tempted."

Immortal Jiuyi merely chuckled, "Heh."

...

Inside the Corridor City, the fights raged fiercely, and while Chu Liang was the fastest to secure victory, he wasn't entirely alone in achieving swift wins.

Although it was widely acknowledged that there were no weak contestants in the Battle at the Imperial City, everyone was aware that there were still a few "easy targets" among the contestants.

For example, the teams from the Valley of the Three Absolutes and the Celestial King Sect. Aside from the leading disciples, Luo Yao and Feng Chaoyang, the others were somewhat weaker. When facing such opponents, the stronger ones would often opt for quick victories to save time for the upcoming battles.

The fact that Chu Liang defeated an opponent like Xu Bao in record time showed that his speed was on an entirely different level compared to those who were merely cutting down weaker opponents.

However, this wasn't because Chu Liang had overpowered Xu Bao. In matches between sword cultivators, victories were always decisive, with no room for hesitation.

It would always be either the east wind overpowering the west wind or the west wind overpowering the east[1].

Had Xu Bao's swordsmanship been even slightly stronger, the result would have been a swift victory for him instead.

While Chu Liang was fighting Xu Bao, Ling Ao was engaged in a fierce battle with a formidable opponent not far away.

His opponent appeared to be no more than a child of about ten, yet he carried himself with a haughty air, his gaze condescending and his lips curled into a sinister grin.

"A disciple of the Mount Shu Sect..." Qi Lin'er sneered. "Before I get my revenge on Chu Liang, I'll take my anger out on you."

"Do you really think you'll get to challenge Chu Liang?" Ling Ao retorted coldly. "He swatted you away with one strike, like brushing aside a fly."

"Hmph!" Qi Lin'er scoffed. "They told me later on that Chu Liang must have used some pill that burns through his Sea of Qi and lifespan. I doubt he'd dare use something like that here. In a fair fight, I'll make him beg for mercy."

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!"

Upon hearing the announcement, Qi Lin'er fell silent for a moment.

Ling Ao shrugged. "See the difference?"

Qi Lin'er was so furious that his brows furrowed. He stomped his right foot hard, launching himself forward like an arrow released from a bow!

He aimed to end the battle swiftly!

Boom—

Ling Ao was ready. Golden flames erupted around him, taking the form of a dragon behind him, with blazing eyes of fire!

As Chu Liang, Jiang Yuebai, and Xu Ziyang rapidly advanced in strength, Ling Ao continued his steady progress. Though he may have lagged slightly behind, he never faltered.

According to Heavenly Law, the diligent ones would be rewarded. Hard work would never be in vain.

Boom!

Qi Lin'er started looking blurry as he launched a punch with blinding speed, but Ling Ao countered with a punch of his own. The impact of their clash echoed through the long corridor.

Thud—

The difference was that Qi Lin'er staggered back a few steps upon landing, while Ling Ao was hurled back a dozen meters, crashing to the ground. Yet, they both rebounded simultaneously and clashed fists once more!

Boom—

In terms of speed and power, Ling Ao, whose power was enhanced by the burning blood, was on par with Qi Lin'er. The only difference was that Qi Lin'er had a weaker physique.

This wasn't something that could be improved through cultivation of arts alone; it required actual replenishment and physical training to strengthen his body. While his current physique was strong enough to compete with others, it fell short against cultivators with particularly powerful bodies.

Once again, Qi Lin'er was pushed back a few steps.

Meanwhile, Ling Ao was sent flying, crashing into the ground with such force that it left a large crater.

"Hah..." Ling Ao sprang up again, exhaling deeply. "I really can't fight you head-on."

Qi Lin'er was born with bronze skin and iron bones, while Chu Liang and Yang Shenlong benefitted from the power of their draconic bloodlines. Achieving such monstrous physical strength required extraordinary fortuitous circumstances.

But Ling Ao was an ordinary cultivator. The greatest fortuitous encounter he had was a drop of dragon blood he had begged for from the dragon in the Dragon-Fishing Pool. Apart from that, everything he had achieved was the result of his relentless hard work.

But who said hard work couldn't lead to success?

Whoosh—

When Qi Lin'er's fist came crashing down again, Ling Ao decided to dodge.

With a swift pivot of his foot, he sidestepped the punch, clamping down on Qi Lin'er's wrist with his left hand. At the same time, he formed a saber-like strike with his right index finger and his middle finger, aiming straight for his opponent.

Bang!

Due to Qi Lin'er's small stature, Ling Ao's strike landed squarely on the back of his neck, sending him hurtling face-first toward the ground. But before he could hit the floor, he was met with Ling Ao's rising knee, which stopped his momentum abruptly.

Smack—

The knee strike, delivered with precise power, bent Qi Lin'er's neck at an almost right angle, leaving him momentarily stunned and dazed.

Reeling from the heavy blow, Qi Lin'er instinctively shoved Ling Ao away, sending him flying several zhang. He then leapt backward, and when he landed, his vision spun for a moment.

If Qi Lin'er hadn't possessed such a resilient physique, he wouldn't have survived. Any ordinary cultivator struck with such force would have had their skull shattered multiple times over.

Even so, Qi Lin'er was left dazed for a while before he could barely make out Ling Ao's figure.

These moves were martial arts techniques. The grip and strike seemed simple, but they were clearly the result of immense hard work. However, a disciple of the Mount Shu Sect shouldn't be good at these techniques.

Qi Lin'er wanted to say something but paused for a moment. After a brief struggle to remember, he finally gritted his teeth and asked, "I don't think I know your name?"

The young man with a buzz cut across from him gave a faint smile, extending one arm and taking a fighting stance as he answered, "Ling Ao of the Mount Shu Sect!"

1. This means that one side will always end up having the upper hand. It's a way of saying that in any rivalry or fight, one will eventually win. ☜