<h4>Chapter 118 - Whoever Blocks, Dies!</h4>
"These Sword Rings are formidable!" At first nce, Yun Xiao was captivated. They were far mightier than the five-thousand-year-old Sword Rings on his Sword Soul.
The wind-attribute Heavenly Tempest was like the storm of a Sword Heart, a swirling tempest of azure and ck. It coiled around the Sword Lord, both him and his sword, like an angry storm dragon. Wherever the sword light touched, rocks and stone were torn apart by the storm!
Simr to an enhanced Thousand Waters Lure, the Earthly Ocean Surge coated the surface of the Sword Lord''s Holy Radiance Sword Soul, like a sea dragon coiled around the sword.
The Sword Lord''s sword, which should have been wary of Yun Xiao''s hundredyer Sword Aura, was now suppressing him with the weighty aura of the vast sea,bined with his deep magical power from the Late Sovereign Dragon Realm.
On the other side, the Tower Lord''s Violet Lightning Seal and White Abyssal me were even more ferocious. Thunder and me enveloped his body, with the Sword Soul and Dantian serving as dual catalysts, emitting booming explosions of thunder and me!
Both men, each with their sword, obscured half of the Forbidden Arena, leaving the onlookers terrified.
"These two Sea of Swords overlords may have questionable characters, but theirbat prowess is undeniably formidable!" an onlooker murmured, giving voice to the shared sentiment of the crowd.
The pair''s eyes were piercingly cold and stern. When they struck, they didn''t utter a word. Any taunts would just break their concentration! These two weren''t underestimating their opponent, nor would they challenge Yun Xiao one by one, giving him a chance to defeat them individually.
<i>WHOOSH! </i>Just as the Sword Lord''s sword lunged toward Yun Xiao''s head, the Tower Lord''s Thunder me Sword Soul had already targeted his waist. The two swords united, embodying elements of water, fire, wind, and thunder.
Yun Xiao was all too familiar with the Sword Lord''s Palm Sword technique. It was Sun Moon Divine Light, Gentle Breeze Bright Moon!
Meanwhile, the Tower Lord''s sword transformed into a fire blossom, emitting popping ripples of sword energy! This was the Forbidden Tower''s Star grade sword technique—Forbidden Sword, Extreme Inferno!
Whether it was Gentle Breeze Bright Moon or Extreme Inferno, in Yun Xiao''s eyes, they weren''t overlyplex. However, with the enhancement of those four mighty Sword Rings, thebination of sword techniques and demon magics introduced a slew of unpredictabilities.
The two swords, harmonized with the elements of water, fire, wind, and thunder, saw their killing power skyrocket!
"Not bad!" Yun Xiao remarked, his eyes lighting up in excitement. It finally felt life-threatening!
In that brief instant, the sword techniques of these two overlords yed out in slow motion before Yun Xiao''s eyes. This was a facet of his unparalleled sword talent!
Under siege, Yun Xiao reacted in an instant. Sun Moon Divine Light? He knew it better than the Sword Lord himself!
Yun Xiao abruptly shifted to the side. While his feet stuck to the ground, his body bent like a snake, nimbly avoiding the Sword Lord''s Gentle Breeze Bright Moon, The crescent-shaped sword beam shed forward, hitting the ck wall behind. The wall suddenly exploded, resonating with a deafening roar!
Yet, the most deadly was the Tower Lord''s strike! Yun Xiao''s eyes turned icy. He swiftly retaliated with a sh. Employing the same Gentle Breeze Bright Moon technique, it might not have been as showy in his hands as the Sword Lord''s. Yet, because of the ferocious Sword Aura and the directness of his sword intent, it seemed faster and fiercer!
<i>KLANG! </i>The Gentle Breeze Bright Moon shed with the Extreme Inferno! <i>HUM! </i>Their Sword Auras, magic power, and Sword Rings collided!
In a sh, the Tower Lord unleashed a torrent of overwhelming power onto Yun Xiao. The White Abyssal me Sword Ring from his Thunder me Sword Soul came crashing down, scorching Yun Xiao in its wake.
Yun Xiao had no choice but to hastily retreat. "That demon magic is something else," he muttered, a hint of admiration in his voice. With a single strike, the skin of his hand cracked, and his clothes were in disarray, a testament to the strength of the demon magic.
However, the Tower Lord, as unyielding as a mountain, now bore a deep frown. He nced at his hand, the Thunder me Sword Soul gently vibrating, revealing some tiny yet ominous cracks. Though minor, they foretold impending peril.
"Brother Tian, you don''t have water-attribute demon magic. Don''tpete in swordy!" the Sword Lord warned coldly. Almost in the next breath, he was once again in front of Yun Xiao. His Holy Radiance Sword Soul bore the vastness of the sea, capable of withstanding Yun Xiao''s myriadyers of Sword Aura.
"Mhmm!" The Tower Lord''s eyes zed fiercely, an intense, fiery rage burning within. His face twisted with fury, and in a blink, his Palm Sword transformed into a Flying Sword. Heunched it, aiming directly for Yun Xiao''s eyes, perfectlyplementing the Sword Lord''s assault.
<i>Flying Sword Technique, Thunderbolt sh!</i>
This Flying Sword was the embodiment of lightning, incredibly swift in its assault. As it soared, thunder raged all around. The air exploded where it passed, and countless electric serpents coiled around the sword, a sight that left many in awe.
"Yun Xiao, watch out!" A chorus of gasps erupted from the crowd, leaving one to wonder if they truly stood by Yun Xiao.
"To think two seniors would gang up on a youngd! Don''t you feel ashamed? If you have any honor, face him one-on-one!" Ancestor Ning shouted, his voice filled with concern.
"Indeed!" came the echoing agreement.
"Shameless!"
Many voices echoed that sentiment, but it was clear their cries fell on deaf ears. The Sword Lord and Tower Lord, having tasted Yun Xiao''s prowess, were even more determined tounch an unrelenting joint attack.
Death loomed yet again.
The Sword Lord''s sword, which once summoned the tempestuous seas, now drew upon the might of the heavens, radiating an almost blinding brilliance.
<i>BUZZ! </i>That dazzling light transformed, producing illusions so convincing that one sword seemed to multiply into ten—each one lethal. This move was nothing short of exquisite, a disy of unrivaled skill.
It was the mightiest Palm Sword Technique of Sun Moon Divine Light—Mirage of the Moon''s Reflection!
Among the Sun Moon Divine Light techniques, be it the Flying Sword or the Twin Palm swords, this second technique, Mirage of the Moon''s Reflection, was surely more intricate than Gentle Breeze Bright Moon, a technique specifically designed for deadly one-on-onebat.
A sword became an illusion, one sword became ten!
Coupled with the Thunderbolt sh, they were hurtling toward Yun Xiao!
Two sword techniques, both spelling doom.
"I know this move too!" In the face of such peril, Yun Xiao chuckled, his voice resonating in every direction. With a swift move, he drew his sword, and his technique was eerily simr to the Sword Lord''s.
However, while their swordy might be identical, the intent behind them was worlds apart! The Sword Lord''s sword, which split into ten, was artistic and unpredictable, akin to the fleeting reflection of the moon on water.
Yun Xiao, on the other hand, gave his sword a flick, and as it lunged forward, it astonishingly split into twenty! His version of Mirage of the Moon''s Reflection felt more like a chaotic sword storm.
Stripping away the pretense, he added ten more lethal intentions!
"This Mirage... it''s not like mine!" The Sword Lord''s eyes widened in disbelief, a storm of shock raging within his heart. The sword seemed the same, yet Yun Xiao had subtly altered its essence. Terrifyingly, once changed, its lethality became even more chilling!
In the sh of an eye, those twenty swords, like a furious dragon made of sword energy, bit down on the Sword Lord''s ten derivative strikes from his Holy Radiance Sword Soul. With an unstoppable force, they drove the Sword Lord back!
<i>THUD THUD THUD! </i>The Sword Lord''s body bore several bone-deep gashes, his clothing stained even more with blood. Meanwhile, his Heavenly Tempest and Earthly Ocean Surge inflicted numerous wounds on Yun Xiao, albeit much shallower ones.
"Brother Tian!" With another powerful sword thrust suppressing him, a trembling Sword Lord could only retreat, sword in tow.
Just then, a bolt of lightning in the form of a Flying Sword whizzed past the Sword Lord''s ear, aiming straight for Yun Xiao''s eyes! It looked like a sure headshot!
<i>Flying Sword Technique, Thunderbolt sh!</i>
A collective gasp echoed through the crowd!
Yun Xiao''s vision was engulfed in lightning! Without hesitation, following the rhythm of Mirage of the Moon''s Reflection swordy, he gripped his sword with both hands and shed!
<i>KLANG! </i>His sword moved as fast as light, striking the Thunder me Sword Soul and deflecting it ever so slightly!
<i>PUFF! </i>In the world of sword cultivation, killing happened in a blink. Every sword thrust, potentially lethal in a heartbeat. It wasn''t some epic saga that spanned three hundred rounds!
Although Yun Xiao had managed to deflect the violet-crimson Flying Sword at thest moment, it still grazed his shoulder, tearing a chunk of flesh.
A humming sound rang out! The eerie force of the White Abyssal me and the Violet Lightning Seal instantly enveloped Yun Xiao, scorching half his body to a charred hue. Especially on his shoulder, where dark blood oozed.
Yun Xiao was hurt! This was perhaps the first time he''d been wounded since his ascent to the heavens. Thebined might of the Sword Lord and the Tower Lord was evident!
"Yun Xiao!" The onlookers were beside themselves with fear, their hearts lodged in their throats.
Zhao Xuanran and Ning Yan, mother and daughter, held hands in their shared anxiety, their palms slick with sweat.
That heart-stopping moment, when the sword neared its mark, felt as though time itself had halted. The formidable prowess of these three made everyone''s skin crawl.
"We got him!" The Sword Lord''s eyes gleamed with triumph. But just then, a pained cry from the Tower Lord made him whirl around in rm.
"Brother Tian?" The Sword Lord snapped his gaze back, only to see the Tower Lord gripping his Sword Soul, which quivered and showed even more cracks than before, emitting a peculiar blue smoke.
Simultaneously, there seemed to be cracks forming in the Tower Lord''s very eyes.
It was clear that when the Flying Sword had been struck, the Tower Lord had suffered the grave injury!
"Almost had me there!" A voice, cool as winter, rang out in front of the Sword Lord.
The Sword Lord, burning with anger, looked up to see Yun Xiao barely ncing at the wound on his shoulder. "My turn to take the lead," he dered.
In a sh, the air grew thick with menace. Until now, the adversary had been the aggressor, with Yun Xiao on the defensive. But now, wounded, the roles were reversed.
"No worries! I''ve got a Sword Tempering Pill," the Tower Lord said with a heavy frown. But he clenched his teeth, turned his Flying Sword back into a Palm Sword, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the Sword Lord. "Hey, remember the days of old, when we cast life and death aside?"
The Sword Lord, tears glistening with blood, replied, "To die by your side would be my honor. I''d have no regrets"
At this point, all their past cares seemed insignificant.
"All the same," the Tower Lord said, then continued with a fierce growl, "But it''s not our time to die. That privilege belongs to this scoundrel."
With that, he stepped in front of the Sword Lord.
<i>Forbidden Sword, Nine Heavens Thunderde!</i>
A deafening roar of thunder apanied his move. Seeing this, the Sword Lord swiftly followed up with Mirage of the Moon''s Reflection. The two acted swiftly, unleashing their most potent moves.
But Yun Xiao had already made his move. The young man in white, charging forward, mustered all his strength. He brandished his sword, the hundredyer Sword Aura shining brilliantly..
<i>Sun Moon Divine Light, Rainbow Through the Sun!</i>
It wasn''t just a Flying Sword strike. It was a deration of his unstoppable momentum at that very moment.
Swift! urate! Ruthless! With a single stroke, his sword pierced the sun, its energy shooting towards the heavens!
<i>In my rebirth, I stepped onto the path of immortality with the qualifications of the Creator Immortal. I vowed to grasp the heavens in a thought and y any who dared block my way! </i>Yun Xiao silently dered.
Who else possessed such vast and boundless spirit? His intentions, his courage, that surge of righteous indignation in his chest, growing ever more potent! A man''s life but a single breath!
This breath of rage held resentment, injustice, and a determination not to seek cause and effect but to shatter everything with a single sword stroke, fearless even of gods and spirits!
Under such determination, the Rainbow Through the Sun derived from an iplete sword manual, had ascended to a level even the Sword Lord couldn''t fathom.
"So fast..." The faces of the Sword Lord and the Tower Lord paled!
Xiao Changtian drew his sword once more, intertwining with lightning and fire. Its swift momentum, in that sh of lightning and flicker of fire, stillnded on Yun Xiao''s Flying Sword!
"He hit it again!" A shiver ran through the crowd.
However, on the very next instant, there was a crisp crack from Xiao Changtian''s dual-element Sword Soul, and it shattered abruptly!
"What?" Amidst the stunned gazes of the masses, a sh of azure shot forth, unstoppable as a bamboo spear, and lodged directly into Xiao Changtian''s left eye!