Chapter 401: Thousand Peak Sword Contest

Towering peaks pierced the sky. Above the frigid, spiritually-charged pool, a veil of mist shimmered. Within it, streaks of pure white sword light danced ceaselessly, like countless tiny figures, creating an ethereal play of light and shadow.

A golden arrow was already nocked on the bowstring.

The bowstring grew taut, its limbs bending under immense tension, all power coiled within.

The arrowhead was precisely aimed at the figure of the Second Master of the Cold Mist Sword Pavilion.

There was no particular reason for the delay; the time simply wasn't right.

He waited patiently, biding his time for what he believed would be the perfect moment.

Separated by a vast distance and shielded by a thousand peaks, Liu Junzhuo remained unaware of the hidden murderous intent. Though she appeared to be bathing, she was actually tempering her body. Her sword intent boiled the frigid pool water around her, sending up vast plumes of white steam. Droplets of water trickled down her cheeks, making her resemble a delicate orchid adorned with morning dew.

Time ticked by.

A soft splash broke the silence.

Thousands of sword lights converged and flowed back into Liu Junzhuo's body. The mist, previously swirling with light, was cut apart by the sword energy, clearing to reveal her. Her slender, graceful silhouette, bathed in the natural light, glowed with a faint, luminous jade.

At that very instant, Ning Changjiu's finger, taut on the bowstring, released. A condensed golden light, like molten iron, shot forth abruptly, transforming into a line barely visible to the naked eye. It streaked directly over the peaks, hurtling towards Liu Junzhuo's elegant back.

Liu Junzhuo stood by the pool's edge as her robes billowed up and settled onto her body. Her previously serene eyes snapped open instantly. She whirled around, her pupils contracting sharply, and countless beams of sword light refracted from their depths.

In an instant, the pool water morphed into an indigo bowl shape. The next moment, the surface tension of the spiritual water was instantly shattered, and the entire lake of spiritual energy evaporated in a single breath. A towering golden light engulfed the valley, sweeping over the surrounding cliff faces, which, unable to withstand the immense force, crumbled and disintegrated.

This was a truly earth-shattering arrow, nearly twice as fast as the golden arrow from several months prior.

Amidst the golden light, her sword domain shattered. Liu Junzhuo appeared unable to dodge the arrow; her figure was violently propelled backward, crashing into a massive rocky peak.

The peak, as if sliced diagonally by a blade, slowly began to collapse like a grand hall.

Ning Changjiu's second arrow was already nocked.

But the light was too blinding; even with his Eye of Taiyin, he couldn't quickly pinpoint Liu Junzhuo's exact location.

He had entered the Dao through the Hehuan Sect's cultivation method, his spirit soaring. The power of his Taiyin Eye rose high, like a kite, granting him a panoramic view. From this vantage, he could see everything; the Taiyin Eye locked onto the Second Master of the Sword Pavilion, whose figure was embedded amidst the rubble of the peak.

The second arrow was unleashed.

The golden arrow flew at high speed, striking the peak with immense force, causing a colossal mountain to collapse. The divine arrow, its momentum still formidable, relentlessly pressed against Liu Junzhuo, driving her into yet another mountain.

Dense clouds of dust and smoke billowed up from the mountain ravines, resembling surging mud dragons.

These were two arrows fired with peak power.

Ning Changjiu stared intently at the swirling dust, holding his breath, uncertain of the true extent of the damage inflicted by the two arrows.

Amidst the dense dust, a pair of eyes suddenly gleamed.

They were a woman's clear, piercing sword-eyes, their beams of light slicing through the dust, imbued with boundless fury.

Then, countless pure white points of light ignited from within the dust, resembling a starry sky carved out of chaos—each individual star a sword.

White light surged backward, ten thousand swords tearing through the air!

The heavy clouds of dust were shredded by the sword energy.

A thunderous roar of swords echoed from deep within the layered rock. A figure extracted herself from the debris and landed on another still-intact peak—it was Liu Junzhuo.

Liu Junzhuo stood on her tiptoes, balanced atop a solitary rock at the peak of the mountain.

Her white robe was stained with blood, her black skirt torn. A strand of dark hair was clenched between her teeth, and her exquisite features held an indescribable sharpness.

The clothing on her back was torn, blood blooming like a grim flower, her shoulder blades partially revealed, a sight of tragic beauty.

Liu Junzhuo coughed lightly twice, tightened the sash around her waist, then wiped the vibrant red blood from the corner of her lips with the back of her hand.

This was the second time such an event had occurred.

First, she was ambushed by an arrow while bathing in a river at Tianhu Peak, amidst its isolated, towering mountains. Now, while cultivating quietly in a spiritual pool, she had again been struck from behind by a golden arrow. This time, she was far more disheveled.

Fragments of her torn skirt fluttered away in the wind.

Liu Junzhuo's lips parted, and her hair danced in the wind.

Before she could even catch her breath, another golden light, sweeping across the sky, bore down upon her.

This time, she was prepared. Her five peak cultivation realms were instantly activated. Tens of thousands of clear sounds of swords being drawn rang out in unison. Behind Liu Junzhuo's flowing dark hair, it was as if a massive wave had suddenly risen, and colossal ships had formed a battle line.

Liu Junzhuo held her left hand with fingers together, angled before her as if casting a spell, while her right hand rested firmly behind her back against her waist. She stood rigidly upright, and with a single thought, she imbued herself with vast sword intent and charged directly towards the golden arrow.

The mountaintop was instantly leveled. After the forests were flattened, they couldn't withstand the immense force and were largely decimated.

Liu Junzhuo extended her joined fingers, using them as a sword, and precisely struck the point of most intense killing intent within the immense light.

She seized the golden arrow with her hand. Before she could shatter it with sword energy, another arrow plunged from above. Liu Junzhuo's suspended figure froze for a split second, then was violently driven downwards by the incoming golden arrow, plummeting towards the ground.

Ning Changjiu had fired four arrows in quick succession, a significant drain on his energy. He was confident he could defeat Liu Junzhuo by firing all nine arrows in one swift assault.

But he did not nock another arrow.

This was because the sword vessel, propelled by the full force of Liu Junzhuo's arm, was now hurtling towards the mountain where he stood.

His Taiyin Eye retracted, his spirit plummeting from its high vantage back into his sea of consciousness.

Before the massive peak was utterly destroyed, his figure vanished into the depths of a cave.

Meanwhile, Liu Junzhuo's figure surged once more from the now-dry pool. The tie holding her high ponytail had snapped, leaving her long hair disheveled over her shoulders. Her cherry lips were drained of color, and her starkly contrasting black-and-white features appeared veiled by a thin layer of frost.

She gasped for breath, the oppressive power of the golden arrow still making her heart pound even months later.

In a duel between peerless masters, those four arrows were enough to put her at a disadvantage, signaling certain defeat.

Yet, fortunately, the spiritual energy in the heart of the Southern Wilderness was extraordinarily abundant. The massive amount of spiritual energy she had expended was rapidly replenished. However, her physical injuries could not be instantly healed.

Liu Junzhuo let out a sharp cry. Her fragmented sword intent coalesced around her once more. Just as she was about to seek out the culprit behind the sneak attack, she lifted her head, and her pupils slightly constricted.

On the ravaged mountaintop, a figure in pristine white robes stood starkly.

The young man stood aloft, a sword in hand, appearing both divine and ethereal, his white robes unblemished.

They exchanged a glance.

Ning Changjiu's figure vanished once more.

Above Liu Junzhuo, a pure white beam of light coalesced into a sharp edge, piercing the air as it descended.

The white light slashed downwards.

Liu Junzhuo spread her five fingers, and a strong wind gathered, condensing into a sword in her hand.

This technique bore a striking resemblance to the one used by Siming in his battle against the Golden-Winged Great Peng.

The white blade and the wind sword clashed, sending countless sparks of iron and fire scattering under the immense friction. The blinding light illuminated their faces. The two swords recoiled after contact, then the ceaselessly swirling sword shadows collided again, producing a continuous clamor of shattering metal.

This marked their first direct sword clash.

Although Liu Junzhuo's cultivation realm far surpassed Ning Changjiu's, the four golden arrows had severely suppressed her momentum. Now that the dust had dispersed, the sudden appearance of the white-robed figure perfectly seized her attention. She found herself constrained at every turn, and with her opponent's relentless sword attacks, she, one of the purest sword cultivators in the human realm, was momentarily at a disadvantage.

White blades crisscrossed in the air, carving through the clouds. The clashing sword energy of the two combatants resembled two twisted iron chain whips. As they moved swiftly among the peaks, these whips swept everything in their path, tearing through rocky ridges and mountains, swirling and smashing all obstacles.

And the unimaginably abundant spiritual energy of this Southern Wilderness was their true weapon.

This was an endless supply of swords.

Ning Changjiu and Liu Junzhuo were like two colossal whirlpools, drawing the surrounding boundless spiritual energy into their vast qi seas as if by unseen hands.

In a duel between sword wielders, momentum is paramount.

Ning Changjiu had gained the upper hand from the outset, consistently pressing his attack against Liu Junzhuo and confining her originally expansive sword techniques to a narrow range.

The two exchanged blows.

The swords clanged, sometimes roaring, sometimes wailing. Finally, as Liu Junzhuo attempted to break through with a flying sword, a golden light unexpectedly erupted from Ning Changjiu's body. His Asura form tore free from his physical shell, and a mountain-sized fist collided with Liu Junzhuo's wind sword.

The strong wind was ripped apart as Ning Changjiu's fist slammed into Liu Junzhuo's chest, sending her diagonally crashing into the next flattened cliff face.

A thunderous crash echoed once more, and the cliff instantly shattered.

From the fissures, sword light erupted once more, slicing through the shattered rocks. Liu Junzhuo's graceful figure emerged, her long legs bracing against the rock face. The sleeve of her right arm was completely shredded, yet she still clutched her wind sword tightly. Her left hand was splayed open, fingers curled, pressing against the cliff; beneath her seemingly delicate jade fingers, the hard cliff rock was pulverized.

She lowered her head, her expression grim.

Ning Changjiu briefly caught his breath. While his cultivation realm defied conventional understanding, a significant gap still existed between him and Liu Junzhuo. To bridge this divide, he had to inflict severe damage on her in a short amount of time.

As he caught his breath, the Golden Crow flew out, and the immensely heavy divine bow appeared in his hand in an instant.

Ning Changjiu drew the thousand-pound bowstring.

Liu Junzhuo's head snapped up instantly.

Though injured, the fury in her heart momentarily overshadowed all other emotions.

Her hair flew wildly. With a single clench and twist of her left hand, not only the rocks beneath her fingers, but the entire mountain peak was effortlessly torn to shreds as if it were paper.

As Ning Changjiu released his arrow, Liu Junzhuo flicked her left arm. From within her torn sleeve, her jade-white arm, like the head of a myriad of dragons, guided the shattered mountain. It transformed into a massive, writhing rock dragon.

It was as if an ancient myth had come to life: the rock dragon burst from the earth, coiling like a gigantic python, enveloping Liu Junzhuo with its immense weight. The low rumble that emanated was indistinguishable—a dragon's roar or a sword's hum.

The golden arrow shot forth with a thunderous roar.

Ning Changjiu's body recoiled slightly from the force.

Taking advantage of this slight recoil, he struck, condensing two more streaks of pristine white sharp energy in his palms.

The golden arrow collided with the rock dragon, while the sword-wielding woman and the young man lunged at each other, commencing their second furious struggle.

If Liu Junzhuo was a flood dragon, then Ning Changjiu was the one destined to slay dragons with his sword.

Neither of them held back on spiritual energy, striking without restraint. Within three breaths, three thousand swords made the already bright daytime sky even more brilliant.

The golden arrow dimmed, the rock dragon shattered, and fragments of rock rained down from the sky like a flock of a hundred thousand dead crows.

Ning Changjiu and Liu Junzhuo continued their relentless exchange, treading upon shattered rocks without pause.

In terms of pure strength, Liu Junzhuo still yielded slightly to the Asura. Her once cohesive protective sword intent was violently shattered by Ning Changjiu's brute force, transforming into countless silken threads. Ning Changjiu, wielding the renowned sword of the Yujian Heavenly Sect, cleaved down directly, ripping Liu Junzhuo's protective sword energy completely apart with a tearing sound.

This woman, now second only to the Sword Saint in the Sword Pavilion, was once again forced back by a junior's single sword strike.

Liu Junzhuo's body slid backward, protected by her sword domain. She only managed to stop after crashing through a vast expanse of forest.

The two stood in distant confrontation, separated by thousands of paces.

Liu Junzhuo's hair was disheveled, and she was half-covered in wounds, appearing utterly ravaged. Ning Changjiu, apart from a slightly pale complexion, bore no obvious injuries.

But he did not press his attack.

Because beside him, thirty-six invisible sword energies surged up, forming a cage that trapped him.

Liu Junzhuo had cultivated the sword for over three centuries. Even in the most desperate situations, she always sought to retaliate.

“Why are you here?” Liu Junzhuo wiped blood from the corner of her lips, her voice a little hoarse.

Ning Changjiu replied, “I didn’t expect to find you here either.”

Liu Junzhuo straightened her back. Staring at Ning Changjiu, she asked, “Have you been watching me this whole time?”

“Yes,” Ning Changjiu stated bluntly.

“For how long?”

“Three days.”

The realization that her every action over the past three days had been observed by him filled Liu Junzhuo with shame and fury. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “You're seeking death! At your level of cultivation, how can you stoop to such contemptible behavior?”

Ning Changjiu's gaze was equally sharp as a sword. “When you dueled with Jiajia back then, wasn’t it a hypocritical display, essentially using your power to bully her?”

He stared coldly at Liu Junzhuo, continuing, “Furthermore, where in this world is there an ‘honorable’ sneak attack? I was hidden. Your inability to perceive me is simply your own failing.”

Liu Junzhuo took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling as her dragon-like sword intent reconvened.

“Master was right,” Liu Junzhuo stated, her breathing now steady, “people like you truly shouldn't be allowed to exist. I had intended to spare your life for Xiwuan's sake, but now it seems a menace like you is better eliminated sooner rather than later.” She shook her head gently. “How could someone like Lu Jiajia possibly be attracted to you?”

Ning Changjiu replied calmly, “Do you want to know?”

Liu Junzhuo's eyes narrowed, but she remained silent.

Ning Changjiu surveyed the sword domain surrounding him and said, “Kneel and acknowledge me as your master, and you will understand.”

Hearing these words, the anger Liu Junzhuo had barely suppressed flared anew. “Today, these thousand peaks shall be your tomb, your final resting place!”

Ning Changjiu said softly, “I am merely offering you a chance to abandon darkness and embrace the light.”

“Delusional!” Liu Junzhuo retorted coldly.

The world abruptly darkened, as if lightning and thunder were poised to tear through the clouds at any moment.

This was Liu Junzhuo's technique, 'Sun and Moon in a Pot'.

The sword energy cage meant to trap and kill Ning Changjiu tightened simultaneously.

Liu Junzhuo's figure, like a sharp arrow loosed from a taut bow, lunged directly at Ning Changjiu.

The 'Sun and Moon in a Pot' was a technique poised between a barrier and a divine realm.

It was a pure and powerful cage.

Darkness enveloped everything, save for a cave-like white sun suspended high above.

Liu Junzhuo seemed the sovereign of this space.

Ning Changjiu felt a twinge of regret. Had the spiritual energy here not been so incredibly dense, he would have long since overwhelmed Liu Junzhuo. He wouldn't have given her the chance to recover and launch a counterattack.

Yet, simultaneously, his heart rate quickened.

In a sense, this was likely his first truly evenly matched battle in all these years.

As Liu Junzhuo lunged, sword light illuminated his white robes, and the blood in his veins began to boil.

His Asura Golden Body was like a lion hidden within him; previously, he had kept it somewhat restrained. Now, he unleashed all suppression on his body. Golden streams of light surged like a wild river, straining the surrounding sword energy shackles until they were riddled with cracks.

Liu Junzhuo knew her sword lock couldn't truly trap him.

But she didn't care.

As she cleaved with her sword, the 'Sun and Moon in a Pot' inverted, and she appeared behind Ning Changjiu without warning.

A sword thrust toward his heart.

However, such a strange transformation couldn't deceive Ning Changjiu's Taiyin Eye.

He employed 'Self-Illumination' and activated 'Moon in the Mirror', causing her sword to stab empty air. Liu Junzhuo paused, startled, and tried to withdraw her sword, but Ning Changjiu seized her wrist.

The immense power of the Asura Golden Body surged into his body.

Ning Changjiu, holding Liu Junzhuo's hand, spun her around like a whirlwind.

Liu Junzhuo was spun rapidly, unable to mobilize her spiritual energy for a moment.

“Sever!” Liu Junzhuo intoned gravely.

A warning flared in Ning Changjiu’s mind, and he released his grip.

Liu Junzhuo was flung away, and as she struggled to maintain her balance, she swept her finger downwards.

Sever.

No sooner had the word fallen than one arm of Ning Changjiu's Asura Golden Body was severed.

“An Authority?” Ning Changjiu immediately realized this was the Authority Liu Junzhuo had kept hidden for so long.

She was a born sword-wielder, destined to sever all!

Liu Junzhuo swept her finger again.

Ning Changjiu immediately calmed himself. Sensing the flow of the Authority in the air, he met it with his iron sword.

The iron sword split into two.

Liu Junzhuo, half-covered in blood, swept her fingers to sever. In this moment, she truly seemed the authentic Asura.

Liu Junzhuo severed three times in quick succession, completely destroying Ning Changjiu's protective Asura Golden Body.

Within the 'Sun and Moon in a Pot', beneath the dark veil, Ning Changjiu floated, a solitary figure in white robes.

However, Liu Junzhuo's limit was also to sever only three times consecutively.

Her proud and beautiful face had also turned the color of frost.

“Heaven collapses, the sun perishes; earth breaks, the moon is destroyed…”

Liu Junzhuo chanted softly.

In this realm, a murderous intent surged, as if the entire world sought to strangle Ning Changjiu in utter despair.

Ning Changjiu gently shook his head.

He summoned the Golden Crow.

Within the Golden Crow, there was an even larger Divine Realm.

It opened its maw, intending to swallow the 'Sun and Moon in a Pot' into its belly.

Liu Junzhuo could not allow him to succeed.

With Ning Changjiu's Asura form gone, she could very likely defeat him by simply overwhelming him with her pure cultivation realm.

Liu Junzhuo pressed in close.

Her movements, however, suddenly slowed.

The Authority of Time!

Ning Changjiu also held a hidden Authority, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his decisive move.

Liu Junzhuo’s pupils contracted sharply.

Though his Authority of Time was neither complete nor powerful enough, it momentarily immobilized her. Her ordinarily fluid movements slowed to a crawl, and once slowed, they became riddled with openings.

Ning Changjiu abandoned his broken sword, sinking low and pressing forward, striking her body with his elbow.

Liu Junzhuo let out a pained groan. Her body was instantly locked by her opponent, who pressed her down and slammed her into the ground.

The 'Sun and Moon in a Pot' collapsed under the immense forces of the Golden Crow and their combined struggle.

At this moment, if Ning Changjiu were to force her into the Golden Crow, victory would be almost assured. However, the embryonic Spirit Well of the Golden Crow's Divine Realm was only newly formed, and he dared not allow any foreign entity to enter and cause an unforeseen accident.

Another earth-shattering crash echoed.

The massive peak trembled.

In the center of the peaks, a massive, sunken crater appeared on the ground.

Ning Changjiu locked Liu Junzhuo's body, pinning her down. The Authority of Time suppressed her entire being, yet within Liu Junzhuo, her abundant sword intent autonomously struggled, feeling like countless piercing needles.

He appeared to be pinning down a graceful female body, but in reality, it was like pressing his hands onto a wooden board covered in iron nails.

Ning Changjiu gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain, and casually condensed a white blade, slashing it down at Liu Junzhuo.

The white blade could not pierce Liu Junzhuo's sword-imbued body; instead, it was shattered by the protective sword intent she unleashed.

The Second Master of the Sword Pavilion struggled within the temporal cage. Her gaze grew increasingly bright, as if sword energy might burst forth from her at any moment.

Ning Changjiu had gained the upper hand with a surprise attack, firing four divine arrows to gravely injure her. Yet, even now, the outcome remained uncertain.

The tenacity of Second Master Liu’s sword intent far exceeded his initial expectations.

And Liu Junzhuo could never have imagined that the talented young man she had encountered on the Heaven Ranking over half a year ago, whom she had then dismissed, could now so ruthlessly suppress her.

Over half a year ago, he had defeated her disciple. Now, was she, both her master and senior sister, to be defeated by him as well?

Though his sneak attack was shameless, victory and defeat in life-or-death battles pay no heed to morality!

Liu Junzhuo let out a low growl, finally shattering the cage. As she lifted her head, Ning Changjiu's fist perfectly descended, striking her forehead and slamming her head back into the muddy rock.

Ning Changjiu, wasting no more thought, directly channeled spiritual energy into his fists and feet, striking Liu Junzhuo with a barrage of blows.

Liu Junzhuo's unleashed sword energy was as vast as the sea, and he was the one who beat back its surging tide from the shore.

In the valley amidst the colossal peaks, the two engaged in a close-quarters struggle in the mud.

Their combat style was utterly primal, yet the spiritual energy unleashed with each punch was enough to shatter mountains and seas.

Around them, vast, magnificent explosions erupted, annihilating everything in their wake. They no longer held swords, yet as their fists and palms clashed incessantly, thousands of sword lights still ignited with every movement, shattering upon impact and bursting forth with an unstoppable, snowy brilliance from their fragmentation.

If these thousand peaks were a lake, then countless colossal boulders were now plummeting into its heart, churning up immense white tidal whirlpools.

The spiritual energy that had earlier evaporated now descended once more, transforming into rain.

Heavy rain poured down.

Ning Changjiu and Liu Junzhuo moved through the downpour, neither expending spiritual energy to deflect the rain. Their clothes were soaked through, leaving them looking utterly disheveled.

Ning Changjiu's white robes were torn, revealing his muscular chest. The sleeves of both his arms were shredded, exposing bleeding wounds, and white bone was visible at his knuckles.

Liu Junzhuo's condition was even worse. Her clothes were also shredded, hanging in tattered strips, and her flesh beneath was a bloody mess. She dragged her tattered, battle-scarred remnants of a skirt and body, her slightly unfocused gaze nevertheless resolute.

Before a massive peak, the two finally halted.

“You are very strong,” Liu Junzhuo admitted, coughing blood. “I have cultivated the Dao for three centuries, yet I nearly lost to you… I am indeed very disheartened.”

Ning Changjiu replied, “This is due to my Heavenly Mandate. It precisely demonstrates how ridiculous Ke Wenzhou’s claims of being a ‘fate rebel’ truly are.”

“No! You merely stole the fortune of the heavens,” Liu Junzhuo retorted coldly.

Ning Changjiu said seriously, “You have been deceived by the Sword Saint.”

Liu Junzhuo, naturally, was not convinced.

“Today, with no one else here, if you have pushed me this far and still cannot defeat me, then it proves the Heavenly Mandate lies with me,” Liu Junzhuo asserted, struggling to straighten her posture. Her gaze, fixed on Ning Changjiu, burned fiercely.

Ning Changjiu frowned and asked, “What makes you so certain you can defeat me?”

Liu Junzhuo stated, “Your methods are exhausted, but I still have one hidden sword.”

Ning Changjiu's eyes narrowed. What surprised him was the absence of any warning in his heart.

“Is this another gamble?” Ning Changjiu inquired.

“Believe what you wish,” Liu Junzhuo said leisurely. “In any case… even the unluckiest gambler can’t lose forever.”

As she spoke, she pressed her fingertips to her brow.

Within her brow resided her finest sword.

It was a sword gifted to her by Liu Xiwuan.

This was her true, decisive technique.

As the divine sword prepared to claim its first life, heaven and earth seemed to respond. The spiritual energy rain ceased abruptly, the clouds in the sky suddenly dispersed, and the peaks stood silent as tombs.

This was the most formidable sword of her entire life.

A silver sword thrust towards Ning Changjiu.

The scene that followed, however, left Liu Junzhuo speechless with astonishment.

The silver sword halted directly before Ning Changjiu.

Ning Changjiu extended his hand, and the sword, as if responding to a call, spiraled and coiled around his arm, as though it were a blade he had nurtured for centuries.

Ning Changjiu himself had never anticipated such a turn of events.

He let out an amused, dry laugh, gazing at Liu Junzhuo. He chuckled softly, “Miss Liu, to gift me a sword from a thousand li away, with such profound sentiment and devotion… I, Ning, truly cannot express my gratitude enough.”