Lu Yang could not hear Tower Master Guan's murmurs, so he did not know that what he was currently displaying was an embryonic Sword Dao domain. He had merely seen the Invincible Nascent Soul use it like this and thought he could pull it off as well.
After trying it, he found he truly could.
Moreover, he could now manifest the embryonic Sword Dao domain on both the ground and in the sky simultaneously.
Green Blade Swords sprouted from the ground one after another. Lu Yang's sword qi filled the entire space, sharpening his senses to the point where he could faintly perceive the position of the Hanguang Sword.
Even the Sword Tower higher-ups were this stunned upon witnessing Lu Yang's embryonic Sword Dao domain, to say nothing of the sword cultivators below the stage.
The big black dog's jaw dropped in shock, not even noticing when the drool-covered sword slipped from its mouth and hit the ground.
Kun Qiu stared blankly at the scene. Her true cultivation was at the late Soul Formation stage, yet she had only barely touched the threshold of a Sword Dao domain and could not even manifest an embryonic form.
To think Lu Yang had beaten her to it, manifesting an embryonic Sword Dao domain before her.
"Lu Yang, I will definitely catch up to you!" Kun Qiu was not disheartened by the vast gap; her gaze grew all the more resolute.
As a sword cultivator, one had to remain indomitable and forge ahead with unyielding determination.
"Here!"
Lu Yang's right hand suddenly jerked upward. With a sharp clang, something seemed to be knocked away.
Mingtai caught the Hanguang Sword, equally astonished that Lu Yang had comprehended an embryonic Sword Dao domain.
He had once accompanied the Sword Tower Supreme through the Immortal Ascension Tribulation, suffering severe damage during the ordeal and losing most of his memories. He had awakened only twenty years ago, forced to start everything from scratch.
Were it not for that, he too would be able to deploy an embryonic Sword Dao domain.
The Hanguang Sword remained invisible, but Lu Yang could anticipate the sword moves through the movements of Mingtai's wrist. In the eyes of a true master of the Sword Dao, the Hanguang Sword was practically in plain sight.
This puzzled Lu Yang: Mingtai definitely knew that Lu Yang could read his sword moves, so why did he still insist on gripping the Hanguang Sword?
Lu Yang diverted a portion of his focus, sending most of the Green Blade Swords to clash with the sword qi fiends while confronting Mingtai head-on himself.
Mingtai once again unleashed the Canglan Sword Art. Sword qi surged forward like an ocean, rolling toward Lu Yang to crush this stubborn boulder.
Having captured some of the essence of Xue Shilou's Pillar-Stance Sword Art, Lu Yang remained steadfast and unmoved, no matter how waves battered him from all directions.
Below the stage, Xue Shilou looked as though he had seen a ghost. Hadn't he only shown a few moves of the Pillar-Stance Sword Art? How could Lu Yang already imitate it?
Mingtai's figure was hidden within the sea of sword qi, but against Lu Yang standing his ground, ambushes from any direction proved useless; he had no choice but to reveal himself and fight.
The two had exchanged fewer than ten clashes when Lu Yang's cheek was suddenly nicked.
Had his prediction been off?
No.
"What happened? Didn't Lu Yang block the Hanguang Sword? How did he still get cut?"
"Is there another Hanguang Sword lurking in secret that ambushed Lu Yang?"
"Didn't the Sword Tower Supreme only ever use a single-handed sword?"
The sword cultivators below buzzed with discussion, unable to understand how Lu Yang had been wounded.
Lu Yang temporarily pulled back. A moment of thought revealed the answer: "I see. The Hanguang Sword can not only turn invisible, but it can also alter its length."
He could predict the position of the Hanguang Sword, but he could not predict its length!
"As expected of Senior Brother Lu Yang," Mingtai said, surprised that Lu Yang had uncovered another function of the Hanguang Sword so quickly.
Realizing that the blade's length could not be predicted, Lu Yang knew that continuing in close-quarters combat against Mingtai would only put him at a disadvantage.
Lu Yang's arm jerked violently, and an overwhelming surge of sword qi erupted instantly. The sword qi formed a torrential waterfall of blinding white, rumbling like a collapsing mountain flood.
If close combat wouldn't work, then create distance and fight with sword qi!
Mingtai had anticipated this. Wielding the Hanguang Sword, no one at the same cultivation realm could best him in melee.
The Hanguang Sword hummed as its sword qi soared to the heavens, as if standing at the center of the world, with great stars and blazing suns orbiting its aura.
The two distinct torrents of sword qi collided, erupting with terrifying power.
The sword qi shattered upon contact, stray splinters lacerating their bodies. Neither paid it any mind; as though numb to the pain, they swung their swords anew, tearing through everything with absolute dominance.
The sword cultivators below grew pensive. They could see that both combatants harbored a spirit within them, a conviction—the conviction to be the absolute strongest among their peers. Only by possessing such momentum could a sword cultivator cut through all thorns, charge fearlessly forward, and break through bottleneck after bottleneck!
This was the true meaning of the Inquiry of the Intent!
Neither held back. Every strand of sword qi carried all their strength, striving to overwhelm the opponent, yet each clash resulted in mutual destruction.
Their sword qi was evenly matched in power, making it impossible to determine a victor!
"Man and Sword as One!" Mingtai roared. Merging with the Hanguang Sword to return to his true form, the might of his sword qi surged dramatically once more.
"In that case..." An idea seemed to strike Lu Yang, and he decided to make an attempt.
He gave up using his embryonic Sword Dao domain to battle the sword qi fiends, letting them charge and tear into him until he was riddled with wounds.
The Green Blade Swords in the sky and beneath his feet trembled and shot forward, transforming into sword lights that resonated and coalesced into the sword qi Lu Yang was gathering.
The sword qi, which had already reached its limit, actually swelled several times stronger!
"This is... the Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin!" Tower Master Guan vaguely recognized the move Lu Yang was deploying.
With his experience, he should have recognized it at a single glance. The problem was that Lu Yang's execution was far too crude, looking nothing like something acquired through proper instruction!
Tower Master Guan had guessed correctly. Lu Yang had never formally learned Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin. He had merely seen Daoist Buyu unleash it once during a battle with the Emotionless Cult, and had now improvised an imitation based on those memories combined with his own comprehension of the Sword Dao!
Naturally, it differed drastically from the genuine Return of Ten Thousand Swords to the Origin!
Lu Yang had no alternative. Sword Qi Morphing into a Tiger, Sword Qi Morphing into a Phoenix, Sword Qi Morphing into a Dragon, and the Immortal Exterminating Sword Formation could not be displayed in public.
That left him no choice but to try something new.
As the sword qi of both fighters swelled relentlessly, the sword cultivators below could not tell whose was stronger. Swallowing nervously, they stared fixedly at the arena without daring to blink, afraid to miss a single detail.
The answer came swiftly.
BOOM!
Like the collapse of the heavens, two great dragons of sword qi collided, erupting into a dazzling rain of swords that rang deafeningly!
Both combatants were blasted backward by the tremendous force unleashed by the collision.
Mingtai tumbled like a kite with a snapped string, plunging straight off the arena stage!
Lu Yang's body also flew backward out of control. Deflecting the force of the shockwaves as he retreated, he mustered a violent burst of strength in his right arm, shouted aloud, and plunged the Green Blade Sword into the ground, finally anchoring himself firmly to the arena stage!
Tower Master Guan flew into the air above the arena. Looking around at the crowd with a solemn expression, he finally turned his gaze upon Lu Yang with eyes full of praise, announcing in a resonant voice:
"Lu Yang's sword heart can be witnessed by heaven and earth, unmatched since antiquity.
"Lu Yang's sword intent is clear and pure, soaring into the clouds and piercing the heavens.
"In the Sword Inquiry event, Lu Yang takes first place!"
The sword cultivators below erupted in cheers. Having witnessed his overwhelming power from start to finish, they all roared, "Lu Yang, number one!" The earth-shattering cries echoed around the Sword Tower.
Lu Yang's eyes were dazed as he swayed from side to side; the battle just now had drained every ounce of his energy.
"You people... have time to shout that I'm number one... how about someone come over and hold me up..."
Thud. He collapsed headfirst to the ground.
Chapter 988