Victory by the Sword of Life

"Who is that? Just a Golden Core, yet acting so brazen? Didn't he see Senior Brother Hua, at late Nascent Soul, get defeated in a single blow just now?" "That's inner sect disciple Ji Zhaoxuan! Usually he's quiet and unremarkable. Who'd have thought he'd step forward at a time like this!" "Well done! Truly a disciple of our Heavenly Sword Sect! Knowing he's outmatched, he still dares to draw his sword! On that alone, he stands out among the inner sect disciples!" ... The watching Heavenly Sword Sect disciples buzzed with discussion—some scornful, some admiring, some filled with respect. Li Fan turned a deaf ear to the surrounding voices, his gaze fixed straight upon Mr. Bai. "Your strength, sir, far exceeds mine. But if we speak only of comprehension of the sword dao, I suspect you may not surpass me." Li Fan spoke with supreme confidence. Mr. Bai merely smiled faintly, offering no contradiction. "Therefore, in today's contest, we shall only compare whose sword dao is superior, not the disparity between our cultivation levels!" At these words, everyone present froze. "Is he asking the visitor to suppress his cultivation to the Golden Core realm before they duel?" "Can he even do that?" "Bah! Shameless!" "I don't think it's inappropriate at all. After all, this guest's cultivation is unfathomable. If he truly went all out, probably only our Eldest Senior Brother could step up and defeat him." Faced with Li Fan's rather presumptuous request, Mr. Bai took no offense. He nodded and said with a smile, "Rest assured. I never use my seniority to bully the weak." With that, the unfathomable aura emanating from him instantly settled, dropping until it matched Ji Zhaoxuan, whom Li Fan was possessing—just late Golden Core realm cultivation. Li Fan cupped his fists, his expression solemn. "In that case..." "Take my sword!" Even before the words left his mouth, Li Fan had already struck. By the time the onlookers heard Li Fan's shout, the phantom of a colossal sword had already descended between heaven and earth. Plunging from the heavens, its tip pointed straight at the crown of Mr. Bai's head. Around the giant sword, countless divine swords of every description seemed embedded. Like an emperor among swords, the colossal blade commanded countless sword qi crisscrossing through the air, brilliance weaving and blazing. At the scene, every watching Heavenly Sword Sect disciple found themselves unable to control their own natal swords the moment the giant sword materialized. One after another, the swords flew from their scabbards and floated in midair, their blades humming softly as if in an audience before their monarch. Not only that, even the entire Heavenly Sword Sect began to tremble faintly. It was as though deep within the Heavenly Sword Sect, something was awakening. This earth-shaking spectacle instantly drew the attention of every cultivator in the Heavenly Sword Sect. Countless figures rushed toward the scene. And when an intoxicated cultivator arrived clutching a wine gourd, the crowd cried out in unison: "It's Eldest Senior Brother?!" "Eldest Senior Brother is here!" At this moment, the Heavenly Sword Sect's Situ Yao lacked his usual cynical nonchalance; his expression was solemn as he stared fixedly at Li Fan and Mr. Bai locked in combat. Yet the stir outside the duel did not seem to affect either combatant in the slightest. The moment the phantom of the giant sword appeared flanked by ten thousand swords, a flash of astonishment crossed Mr. Bai's eyes. For he noticed that the wooden sword in his hand had suddenly grown much lighter. It was as if... The sword dao concentrated within the wooden sword had instantly transferred to his opponent! "Falsifying the Heavenly Dao, combined with my comprehension of the wooden sword wonder of Heaven... Caught off guard, it's enough to instantly seize back control of the Xuanhuang sword dao!" "Still, Mr. Bai is the Avatar of the Xuanhuang Heavenly Dao. This method of Falsifying the Heavenly Dao can work once, but never twice." "So I have only one chance!" Li Fan's heart was calmer than ever before. Under his manipulation, the giant sword condensed from illusion into reality, and the ten thousand surrounding swords manifested one after another. Like a torrential downpour, they erupted without warning. Countless sharp swords tore through space, forming a terrifying storm that swept across the surroundings. Every spectator blanched, retreating in frantic evasion. Yet many Nascent Soul and even Soul Formation cultivators were still buffeted off balance by this sudden storm of ten thousand swords, unable to steady their footing. To say nothing of the disciples with lower cultivation. "Are you kidding me? A Golden Core can unleash something like this?" "Could it be that Ji Zhaoxuan has been hiding his cultivation all along?" "Monsters... We're actually fortunate enough to witness a duel between two monsters today!" The rampant sword qi blinded the vast majority of spectators. Yet experts at and above Dao Integration kept their eyes glued to the center of the storm. With a touch of horror, they watched as Mr. Bai made no move to dodge or evade in the face of this apocalyptic killing strike. He allowed the countless shrieking swords to bombard his body. Yet strangely enough, none of these swords inflicted any harm upon Mr. Bai. Instead, like stones sinking into the sea or snow drifting onto water, they vanished without a whisper. Only the wooden sword in Mr. Bai's hand seemed to come alive once more. The storm of ten thousand swords was boundless, showing no sign of abating anytime soon. Yet Li Fan had quietly vanished within the gale. Mr. Bai showed no intention of retaliating; he simply stood motionless at the heart of the storm. "The Sword of Xuanhuang..." "To think that anyone in this world could master it to such an extent. Truly remarkable!" Mr. Bai offered his heartfelt praise. "Unfortunately, this alone cannot defeat me." Mr. Bai's voice echoed through the storm of ten thousand swords. His gaze swept around, seeking to pinpoint Li Fan's location. By now, however, Li Fan had transformed his body into a sword, merging entirely into the myriad paths of the sword dao. Even with Mr. Bai being the Avatar of the Heavenly Dao, he could not find Li Fan for the moment. As the ten thousand swords roared, the storm reached its most furious pitch just before dying down. In the instant when countless sword lights bloomed in unison, a seemingly unremarkable wooden sword concealed among them flew silently toward Mr. Bai—unstoppable, filled with absolute resolve! At first, it appeared no different from ordinary sword dao. Yet as the wooden sword accelerated, its momentum grew ever more overwhelming. Like raging flames sweeping across the horizon, or a meteor illuminating the darkness. Compared to it, every other blade within the storm was eclipsed into dull obscurity. "This is..." Spectating nearby, Situ Yao and the Heavenly Sword Sect elders all wore looks of shock and lament. For this was the ultimate strike unleashed by fueling it with one's own life. It was also the final strike. The Sword of Life! Mr. Bai naturally recognized the nature of this sword strike. He could not help hesitating. It was merely a duel; there was no need to cost this young man his life over victory or defeat. Moreover... The young man's comprehension of the sword dao was truly a rarity in this world, not inferior to his own. At this critical juncture of peril, every additional talent was a boon to the Xuanhuang Realm. To throw his life away in vain would be a tragedy. In a flash of thought, Mr. Bai made his decision. "I concede." The instant the words left his mouth, he lifted the restrictions on his cultivation. Calling upon the power of the Longevity realm, he forcibly reversed the process of Li Fan burning his own life force. However... Li Fan had no intention of stopping. Even though the momentum of his sword strike had completely dissipated, his speed did not diminish in the least. In the end, the wooden sword in his hand still lightly pierced against Mr. Bai.