Cultivation Begins from Infancy - Chapter 451

Volume 3 - Chapter 133: Sword Intent Mastery, Confrontation with Bian Ruxue - Part 2

The sword in his hand seemed to transform into an autumn breeze. As it swung, the sword qi abruptly disappeared, yet the void itself was sliced open.

"The sun and moon leave their marks wherever they shine. Your sword? It’s nothing but a trifling trick!"

Haoyue Holy Son hovered mid-air, his gaze icy as he looked down at Qiu Wuhen. The moment Qiu Wuhen swung his sword, Haoyue Holy Son’s Dao Domain unfolded, layering forty-nine times over. Within it, the cycles of yin and yang, sun and moon, seemed to rotate. The sword qi that had vanished without a trace now manifested within the Dao Domain, frozen and locked in place.

"Forty-nine layers of Dao Domain!!"

"My heavens, did I see that wrong?"

The outer disciples below the platform erupted in shock and excitement.

On the sacred platform, many other Holy Sons slightly narrowed their eyes.

Amid the crowd, Jiang Yingyue, who had already been defeated and lost her chance to enter the top sixteen, glanced toward one of the floating seats. She saw a certain youth sitting there calmly, his demeanor tranquil, and her eyes flickered with a strange light.

Not knowing the youth's age, she found the number of layers in his Dao Domain incomparable.

Some Dao Law cultivators within the Holy Land, known to have lived for thousands of years, were said to have condensed dozens or even close to a hundred Dao Domains. These were former Holy Sons who had failed to achieve sainthood and had turned to horizontal cultivation, delving into the mysteries of Dao Domains.

Such old Holy Sons, having cultivated for millennia, wielded terrifying power.

With a loud bang, the suppressive power of Haoyue Holy Son's Dao Domain not only revealed the hidden sword qi but shattered it completely.

Haoyue Holy Son’s expression remained indifferent as he unsheathed his own sword and abruptly unleashed a slash like a crescent moon.

The sword light, silver and radiant like a crescent moon, was the same technique he had used the previous day to defeat another Holy Son in a single strike.

Qiu Wuhen’s expression grew grave as he attempted to dodge, only to discover that the sword light had locked onto him.

"Return to the Void!"

He teleported instantaneously, but the sword light pursued him relentlessly, unaffected by the Return to the Void technique.

Qiu Wuhen immediately realized that this sword light moved according to Haoyue Holy Son’s intent. Moreover, with the Sun and Moon Divine Eyes, Haoyue Holy Son could track his every movement. Unless he could evade those divine eyes, escaping the sword qi was impossible.

No wonder his opponent had defeated a Holy Son in a single strike the previous day!

This was a sword that was destined to hit its mark!

Since it was unavoidable, he had to destroy it!

Battle intent lit up in Qiu Wuhen’s eyes as he abruptly swung his sword. Threads of sword intent layered upon each other, weaving into an all-encompassing net that seemed to imprison the entire space.

With a resounding bang, the crescent moon-like sword light sliced through the net, appearing invincible. The sword net was shredded in an instant.

However, the densely layered sword intent slowed the sword qi's advance. Then, in the next moment, the sword qi vanished abruptly.

Qiu Wuhen’s pupils contracted, and he quickly dodged. Yet, a tearing force still struck his chest. With a loud boom, his body was sent flying backward.

Blood sprayed out as Qiu Wuhen felt the bones in his chest shatter entirely. He hastily activated his Undying Force, allowing him to heal rapidly.

Fortunately, he was in his Godforce state, with incredible regenerative abilities. Otherwise, this single strike might have cost him half his life!

Haoyue Holy Son had used the Return to the Void technique on his sword qi.

Qiu Wuhen looked up, his gaze icy. He understood this technique but knew that with the Sun and Moon Divine Eyes, his opponent had effectively nullified his mastery of the Return to the Void Extreme Realm. Even though he could barely perceive the Void Extreme Realm's movements, he couldn’t keep up if his opponent moved too fast.

Moreover, his sword intent, severed entirely, could no longer detect traces of the Void Extreme Realm.

The audience outside had fallen into an awed silence.

Yesterday, Haoyue Holy Son had obliterated another Holy Son with a single strike. Today, he had critically injured Wuhen Holy Son with just one sword technique.

It was clear to all that if Haoyue Holy Son launched a follow-up attack, Qiu Wuhen would face dire danger.

"A trifling trick remains a trifling trick. How dare it compete with the radiance of the sun and moon?"

Haoyue Holy Son’s gaze was cold as he stated this, his tone factual. As he spoke, his own sword intent reached a state of perfection.

By shattering inferior techniques, he forged an invincible Dao Heart, perfecting his own grand Dao.

Qiu Wuhen used his sword to support himself as he stood, his eyes sharp. The sword in his hand began to radiate dazzling light.

"Sword Without a Shadow!"

In an instant, he struck again. Before his hand even completed the motion, the sword qi had already been unleashed.

Whoosh!

The sword light traversed the void and appeared before Haoyue Holy Son, bypassing all forty-nine layers of his Dao Domain entirely!

The spectators’ eyes were still focused on Qiu Wuhen’s sword, unaware that the sword qi had already been released.

With a faint pfft, Haoyue Holy Son tilted his head slightly, a shallow cut appearing on his cheek. Before blood could flow, the wound had already healed.

His eyes turned frosty. That strike had actually injured him.

"Bright Moon."

Slowly raising his sword, Haoyue Holy Son conjured the image of a luminous moon, as if cradling moonlight in his hand.

Then, suddenly, tens of thousands of sword qi beams shot forth in all directions.

Each beam radiated an incredibly fearsome power, no weaker than the earlier crescent moon slash.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The air was torn apart as the sword lights filled the sky. Qiu Wuhen’s intricate Thousand Threads Sword technique began to break apart, leaving it riddled with holes.

His Dao Domain expanded outward, layering thirty-seven times. The number of layers left the disciples below exclaiming in shock and admiration. Even with just his Dao Domain, Qiu Wuhen could suppress over ninety percent of the inner disciples.

However, compared to Haoyue Holy Son’s forty-nine layers, it was still far inferior.

The sword lights pierced through the overlapping lines of defense in a crisscrossing motion, instantly tearing apart Qiu Wuhen’s Dao Domain.

Several beams of sword qi landed on him, sending him flying and severing one of his arms.

A massive, overwhelming power suddenly enveloped Qiu Wuhen, blocking the remaining hundreds of sword beams.

Haoyue Holy Son frowned slightly and looked toward one of the six elders, an elderly man who nodded calmly.

“This battle is over. You have already won.”

The elder’s voice was steady. Qiu Wuhen’s body vanished from the battlefield, reappearing beside the elder along with his severed arm and sword.

The elder raised his hand, channeling the power of the laws to envelop Qiu Wuhen. His body rapidly regenerated, and his injuries were healed.

Haoyue Holy Son’s expression remained indifferent as he retracted his Dao Domain, the golden light on his body receding inward.

If he had killed his opponent outright, it would have tarnished his reputation and been a great loss to the Holy Land. He had no intention of pursuing further.

Qiu Wuhen rose to his feet, his face grim. He understood that he had been utterly defeated.

His sword pursued the path of being traceless like fine rain, but against the Sun and Moon Divine Eyes, it was entirely exposed. His Void Extreme Realm had been rendered ineffective, and the difference in their strength was undeniable.

“Thank you, Master,” Qiu Wuhen said softly, bowing his head to the elder before turning and retreating.

The elder sighed inwardly. One could never understand the true gap in power without trying. Hopefully, this battle would serve as motivation for Qiu Wuhen rather than a blow to his resolve.

As the first battle ended, cheers erupted among the disciples below. Cries of "Haoyue Holy Son!" echoed in waves.

Here, strength was revered above all. Haoyue Holy Son’s power had driven the outer disciples into a frenzy. His strength was overwhelming—an existence that stood far above the rest of the Holy Sons. One strike to cripple a Holy Son, and another to nearly kill—it was terrifying.

The faces of the other Holy Sons and Holy Daughters grew more serious. Haoyue Holy Son’s return felt like a looming mountain pressing down on them.

Lin Qingying’s eyes flickered slightly as she felt a hint of pressure. Her Supreme Soft Sword Intent had now reached perfection, considered the pinnacle of her cultivation. The next step would be to enter the path itself.

But she wasn’t sure whether her current sword techniques could stand up to his.

Elsewhere, Bian Ruxue also observed Haoyue Holy Son. His sword intent was grand and majestic, illuminating like the sun and moon. Coupled with his innate divine eyes, he was undoubtedly unparalleled among their generation.

Her Sword Saint master had already sent her a transmission yesterday, warning her that Haoyue Holy Son had cultivated for far longer than she had and was not someone she could presently contend with. Her goal in this competition was to secure a place in the top five!

Compared to these Holy Sons and Holy Daughters, her youth made her foundation slightly lacking.

“His sword must be close to the ultimate strike my master spoke of, but it still isn’t the true ultimate strike…”

Bian Ruxue glanced at Haoyue Holy Son before retracting her gaze. She had seen the ultimate strike—a sword technique her Sword Saint master had casually performed. It was a Dao-grade technique.

The elegance of that sword was unforgettable, a vision that had forever solidified her Dao Heart. It reassured her that pursuing the path of the sword was the correct choice. If she could master that one sword, everything would be worth it!

“With Brother Hao’s talent, if he devoted himself to swordsmanship, perhaps in a hundred years, he could approach that level…”

The figure of a young man appeared in Bian Ruxue’s mind, but when she thought of his carefree smile as he lay on a chessboard, her heart filled with a touch of regret.

At this moment, the voice of an elder brought her back to the present, calling her name.

Bian Ruxue snapped out of her thoughts to find herself scheduled for the second battle.

Her opponent was Lin Qingying.

The two women exchanged a glance. Without a word, they both stepped onto the battlefield.

The sight of two Holy Daughters facing off caused the atmosphere among the disciples below to heat up again. Many of the male disciples' eyes lit up. Regardless of swordsmanship, just the presence of these two Holy Daughters was a feast for the eyes.

However, the talented inner disciples cared more about the duel itself and were indifferent to appearances.

“It’s Holy Daughter Xue’er. I heard she’s the youngest among the Holy Daughters—only twenty-seven?”

“Twenty-seven and already at the Dao Law Realm? That’s terrifying!”

“That’s not all. Her master is the Sword Saint. She has top-tier alchemists aiding her cultivation, guidance from the Sword Saint, and teachings from a Saint. Do you understand what that means?”

“This battle will be dangerous for Qingying Holy Daughter.”

“Are you joking? Qingying Holy Daughter has cultivated twice as long as her. There’s no way she’ll lose.”

“Don’t forget that Qingying’s master was imprisoned in the Endless Sword Prison for a crime. She’s been cultivating on her own. Age doesn’t matter when the Sword Saint personally instructs someone!”

“Don’t underestimate her just because she’s young. Holy Daughter Xue’er was born with a sword physique and has exceptional talent. She’s no weaker than the other Holy Daughters.”

The disciples below discussed fervently, well aware of Xue’er Holy Daughter’s background.

On the battlefield, the formation slowly condensed.

Lin Qingying’s expression was calm, though the matter of her master being imprisoned in the Sword Prison was a lingering scar in her heart. However, in battle, her focus wouldn’t waver.

Bian Ruxue’s demeanor turned solemn. This was her first duel with a disciple at the Saint level and also her debut battle in the tournament.

She had watched Lin Qingying’s earlier fight and noted her Supreme Soft Sword Intent, which was somewhat similar to her own path of ice and snow, though hers was sharper and more aggressive.

The two were unfamiliar with each other and said nothing more.

As the battle began, neither held back, unleashing their extreme techniques, Divine Power, and Earth and Heaven Meridians!

Both pushed their states to their peaks immediately.

Lin Qingying’s gaze was as tranquil as a still lake, while Bian Ruxue’s eyes carried the imagery of falling snow, gradually becoming sharper.

Whoosh!

Bian Ruxue swung her sword abruptly. In an instant, the battlefield seemed to freeze, transforming into a domain of ice.

Her sword intent countered Lin Qingying’s. Lin’s Supreme Soft Sword Intent, fluid like water, was restrained by the freezing ice.

To shatter the ice, one needed a sword intent of absolute rigidity and blazing ferocity. Against Lin Qingying’s flexible and unyielding style, this was a significant advantage for Bian Ruxue.

This was a battle she believed she was certain to win!

As the icy domain expanded, even through the protective formation, the disciples outside felt the cold seeping through. The temperature around them dropped noticeably.

Lin Qingying’s expression grew solemn. She knew the difficulty of this battle. If it were earlier, she would have had no confidence, but now, with her Supreme Soft Sword Intent perfected, she had comprehended the essence of absolute softness.

The frost-filled domain created by Bian Ruxue was also within the trajectory of her sword intent!

Clang!

A streak of azure sword light suddenly slashed through the icy domain, tearing open a rift. The seemingly gentle power of water now rent the ice apart, surging straight toward Bian Ruxue.

Bian Ruxue froze momentarily, her pupils contracting. She swung her sword sharply, extending her Dao Domain. The area around her instantly froze, and her Dao Domain layered twenty-two times.

Within the Dao Domain, countless sword qi filled the air, each representing different sword techniques condensed into a unified sword domain.

Snowflakes danced around her, their sharpness cutting through the air. They swiftly shattered the oncoming azure sword light, sending it scattering back toward Lin Qingying.

But Lin Qingying, at that precise moment, used Return to the Void.

She reappeared behind Bian Ruxue, her azure light slicing out as the frosty mist exhaled by Bian Ruxue twisted into strands of sword qi, enveloping Lin Qingying’s body like a snare...

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