Chapter 2033: Sword Farewell

"Old Man Yu, can you win?"

To be honest, few in the Five Domains truly believed in this battle. However, ancient sword cultivators were said to have no upper limit. Among the current Seven Sword Immortals, none except Lord Shou had fully matured. Yet, the previous generation of Seven Sword Immortals had produced a grand-ancestor-level fighter, and the Eighth Sword Immortal had directly returned to nothingness in a single step. It was rumored that Old Man Yu Tu had even guided Bajun'an in swordsmanship. Whether true or not, the mere existence of this rumor indicated that his combat prowess was not to be underestimated. Furthermore, Old Man Yu's swordsmanship surpassed that of Mister Si Ren. Mister Si Ren was only half a step away from reaching the Ancestor God level, so whether Old Man Yu could fight the Demon Ancestor was indeed something to look forward to.

"Win!""You must win, Old Man Yu!""The three Ancestors of the Demonic Medicine Path are not to be trifled with. If another ancient sword cultivator returns to nothingness, we will absolutely support you!"The Five Domains erupted in a fervent uproar. Gazing eyes and silent hopes, in an intangible yet substantively empowering way, converged upon Yu Tu.

"Name..."A flicker of surprise crossed Sheng Xin's eyes. Another cultivator of 'name' power. However, compared to Bajun'an, this borrowing of 'name' power seemed rather rudimentary. Even so, Yu Tu's sword aura intensified, and silver-white sword intent flowed across the blade of his Profound Sword, Taicheng."It's sword intent!""We are saved!"This power, uniquely belonging to Bajun'an, now also blessed Old Man Yu, further boosting morale and making people more optimistic about the battle.

Sheng Xin's gaze grew more serious. Yu Tu's momentum continued to climb. Every flower, blade of grass, tree, and stone, along with the ripples and waves of the North Sea, began to resonate with the Taicheng Sword, lending their power to him.Mountain and Sea Reliance...With just a glance, Sheng Xin understood this sword technique that borrowed external power, but...It wasn't enough! Far from enough!Sheng Xin shook his head, making no attempt to hide the disdain in his eyes: "This Ancestor has also heard that Yu Tu, the Seven Sword Immortal, was the first to inherit the Way of Solitary Wood in the Spirit Refining Era, capable of being a leader of swords. Yet, even the Sword Ancestor once fell to this Ancestor. If you don't achieve 'return to nothingness' in a single step like Bajun'an, but merely follow the path of your predecessors in a conventional manner..."He paused, then Sheng Xin smiled, "Considering your commendable courage, turn back now, and this Ancestor will spare your life."Sheng Xin valued talent. Unable to discern Bajun'an's rapid path to enlightenment, he saw that Yu Tu might be capable of a slower enlightenment. Under such circumstances, he had an opportunity to observe Bajun'an through Yu Tu, discerning some truths and flaws.But... how could an ancient sword cultivator ever turn back?

Yu Tu laughed loudly, raising the Taicheng Sword vertically into the air. Killing intent erupted from his eyes as he shouted: "How dare the Demon Ancestor insult me? This sword, borrowing the Way of Bajun'an and transforming into my own, please accept it, Demon Ancestor!"With a press of his hands, Taicheng descended with commanding force. The void hummed and trembled, as if waves surged, drawing upon the power of countless spirit swords from the Five Domains."Taicheng: Heavenly Severance!"In an instant, Yu Tu and the Taicheng Sword in his hand shattered like blossoms and vanished. In their place, seven ethereal black longswords hovered in the air, aligned like the Big Dipper, their sharp points aimed directly at Sheng Xin before the temporal passage."Seven Swords of Heavenly Passage?"The Five Domains watched in eager anticipation. Old Man Yu's famous sword was renowned throughout the Five Domains. In truth, few had ever directly witnessed the specific execution of the Seven Swords of Heavenly Passage. What they saw now was that once this sword was unleashed, the primary condition was "Heavenly Severance.""The intensity is high!"But what seemed highly intense in the eyes of the Five Domains' people was, to Sheng Xin, truly negligible.

"Bajun'an, Bajun'an..."Sheng Xin murmured silently, killing intent finally filling his eyes: "But do you truly believe that every ordinary sword cultivator who wields a sword can achieve enlightenment like Bajun'an? It's mere delusion!"With a cold snort, Sheng Xin made no apparent movement. Behind him, thunder roared, and the sky shattered as a magnificent, cloud-piercing Ancestor God image rose from his back. The Holy Ancestor's true face was obscured by mists, and auspicious signs emanated from his body, accompanied by streams of light and colorful radiance. He stood upon a primal mother-coffin, held the Profound Ruler of Dao Extinction, and had a shimmering ethereal cloud-silk suspended behind his back.Compared to the Seven Swords of Heavenly Passage's image formed by Taicheng: Heavenly Severance, the Holy Ancestor's image was not just one level higher; it was a dimensionality reduction strike."Boom!"As the Holy Ancestor's image appeared, the Seven Swords of Heavenly Passage trembled, poised to yield. With mere oppressive might, the Heavenly Severance image was on the verge of collapse. Below, people like Bayue, Mei Siren, and Cao Erzhu all looked troubled, almost seeing the inevitable end.Nevertheless, the Seven Swords remained unyielding, pressing on directly.

"Shatter!"A single-word sword chant was heard. The seven swords soared, cleaving straight towards the Holy Ancestor's head, leaving seven streaks of black and red cloud traces in the sky. The Holy Ancestor's form suddenly solidified, and within the minds of the people of the Five Domains, his chilling eyes abruptly opened, revealing both divinity and devilry. The convergence of divine and demonic paths transformed into a resounding Daoist hum, crushing down directly: "A mere grain of rice, attempting to shine?"The Profound Ruler of Dao Extinction suddenly glowed with an icy blue light, transforming into a colossal ruler thousands of feet long. It met the first of the Seven Swords of Heavenly Passage with a single strike. The void exploded with a loud bang. The Profound Ruler of Dao Extinction, which had once been sent flying by Shen Yi's staff, now landed on Old Man Yu's sword without any delay—the first of the Seven Swords shattered in mid-air."Ugh!"A painful groan was clearly heard throughout the Five Domains. The Demon Ancestor who fought Shen Yi then was merely a remnant body, but the Demon Ancestor fighting Old Man Yu now had integrated with the Dao and achieved 'return to nothingness.' How could they be compared?

Bayue watched, her heart clenched. Mei Siren clenched his fists so tightly his paper fan nearly crumbled. Outside the Southern Li Realm, Cao Erzhu looked up from afar, finally realizing in that moment that the old immortal beneath the waterfall on Mount Qingyuan also had moments of helplessness. With the younger generation's talents depleted, it was truly lamentable that this old sword cultivator, who should have retired to the mountains, had to re-emerge and endure such humiliation before the world."Hold on, old man..."

One of the Seven Swords was instantly obliterated. Yet, Old Man Yu Tu's ancient sword cultivator's momentum grew stronger with each setback. The second sword immediately followed, twisting around the Profound Ruler of Dao Extinction, leading the other swords behind it. It tore through the cloud traces, striking at the Holy Ancestor's image from an ingenious angle."An ant trying to shake a tree, a praying mantis trying to stop a chariot!"The Holy Ancestor's form sneered aloud. The ethereal cloud-silk behind him shattered in the wind, transforming into a thousand-zhang rainbow bridge that blocked their path.Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom!The six swords struck, but could not move the rainbow bridge even slightly. Just as their momentum was halted, the Profound Ruler of Dao Extinction had returned, sweeping lightly across the six swords outside the rainbow bridge.Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!Taicheng: Heavenly Passage, which had once beheaded the former, former, former head of the Sacred Temple with its Seven Swords, was a legendary tale. Yet now, in the eyes of the people of the Five Domains, it was so easily shattered. After a single sweep of the Profound Ruler of Dao Extinction, all of them exploded.

They didn't just explode. Yu Tu's Heavenly Severance was directly pierced through. Crimson blood splattered across the void, and the old man, like a kite with a broken string, fell without even a wail. He and the Taicheng Sword split into two paths, each transforming into a streak of light and falling to a different side."Lost... lost?"It was too fast! So fast that no one had time to react! Even after just one move, everyone had thought Old Man Yu could produce some surprising effect, never expecting that against the absolute power of an 'return to nothingness' Ancestor God, his struggles were but a drop in the bucket.The opportunity had been given. With the divine decree before him, the Holy Ancestor would show no quarter. Nor would he give any leniency to the so-called Bajun'an just because this person used sword intent, defeating him but not killing him. Since he had the resolve to step forward, his courage was commendable. But he would die as he should. Without this, there would be no deterrent.

"Coiled Dragon Seal!"The Holy Ancestor's form made a hand seal. The Ancestral Thought Divine Net vibrated with a rumbling sound, drawing immense power from the Dao, which converged into a golden Imperial Seal. The seal was hundreds of feet wide, as tall as a mountain, inscribed with Daoist principles on all four sides, and bore the character 'Suppress' at its base. It drew upon the Five Domains' destiny and transformed into a golden dragon. The golden dragon coiled on the seal, then pressed down forcefully. The Coiled Dragon Seal immediately gained immense power, locking onto the spot where Yu Tu had fallen, and ruthlessly descended.

"No!!!"Mei Siren's eyes suddenly turned bloodshot with rage. At that moment, emotion overcame reason, and without thinking, he leaped into the air."Old Man Mei, no! You mustn't!"Xiao Kongtong's pupils contracted violently. He reached out to grab him, but it was already too late. He also took half a step forward.But... Sheng Xin! That was the Demon Ancestor Sheng Xin! How could I possibly defeat him?While he hesitated, Mei Siren had already darted out, directly using spatial-temporal leap to intervene in the battle, reaching out to embrace his foolish old friend who wouldn't shed a tear until he saw the coffin.

"Hmph!"The Holy Ancestor's form let out a heavy snort. Mei Siren stopped mid-air as if struck by lightning, blood spurting from his seven orifices. He was clearly only half a step away from saving Yu Tu, but alas, it was a chasm of separation. Sheng Xin's gaze fell upon him, too lazy to utter even half a word of nonsense, and with a raised hand, he pointed."Golden Profound Finger!"A beam of golden light pierced through clouds and mist. Mei Siren's hair stood on end. As he turned his head to look, he instinctively used his paper fan as a sword, forming a sword art: "Three Red Plums..."A soft sound pierced the air. The golden light shot down from the heavens, pierced through Mei Siren's glabella, and struck the earth, like a straight arrow, nailing him directly into mid-air.Elegant red plum blossoms drifted down with the wind. His body crippled, spirit shattered, and will dissipated, he became lifeless in an instant. Poor Mei Siren, with the will to save others but no power to save himself, could not even display a shred of his sword nature under absolute power, and his 'Red Plums' had completely withered away.

"Si... Ren..."Beneath the Coiled Dragon Seal, Yu Tu was already struggling to protect himself. However, all the Daoist techniques around him had been suppressed and severed. He had been banished to the space beneath the seal, facing only death. As he finally turned his head, he saw Mei Siren had gone before him. Grief surged in his eyes, and Taicheng wailed again.

"A thousand rules and ten thousand regulations cannot suppress my heart's wanton desires!"Yu Tu's eyes turned blood red. He opened his mouth and spat out essence blood, tearing his own body apart to unleash boundless silver-white sword light. The light, as brilliant as a scorching sun, burst forth in all directions, instantly ripping through the banished space and forcibly holding the immense Coiled Dragon Seal above his head."Old Man Yu..."Xiao Kongtong's expression was moved, his sword-heart almost awakened, yet he hesitated to take that step.Can't win! Simply can't win! Everyone is just dying in vain. Only if Master comes can we win. Don't sacrifice yourselves anymore!Buzz—Taicheng remained silent, simply drawing itself from afar, summoned to its master. As it tore through the air, it transformed into an ominous crimson light. Combined with Yu Tu's "Unrestrained Desires" sword, an internal and external fusion, it directly ripped open the Coiled Dragon Seal's blockade.

"Boom!"The colossal golden Imperial Seal exploded. This sudden burst of power surprised even Sheng Xin somewhat. A dying man, relying on a sacrificial technique akin to self-immolation, had shattered his Coiled Dragon Seal. But could he block it for a moment and stop the next attack?Sheng Xin had not yet moved, but he saw that Yu Tu had no intention of striking at him again. Instead, with his spiritual will possessing Taicheng, he abruptly shot towards Mei Siren, who was still nailed in mid-air.

"There are nine sword sequences, setting the formation of time and space.""Following the flow leads to death, reversing it leads to rebirth."As Taicheng streaked through the air, its blade vibrated, manifesting into nine forms and commanding a formation. Amidst the rotating sword shadows, it seemed to grasp the essence of the Grand Dao of Time and Space, accompanied by a long cry:"Time Sequence: Reversal!"From afar, Gou Wuyue, who had fallen behind a small hill, saw this sword and his face twitched violently. He then glanced at Sheng Xin before the temporal passage, finally closing his eyes deeply, making no further movement."He's alive!""Mister Si Ren is alive!"The winds and clouds twisted, and the shattered sky became new again. A single sword reversed time and space, actually forcing the Golden Profound Finger's arrow to slowly withdraw from Mei Siren's forehead right before the Ancestor God. Finally, Mei Siren's crippled body and shattered spiritual will were pieced back together bit by bit—it was a sword art that brought the dead back to life!

"I..."Mei Siren slowly regained consciousness, still disoriented. Taicheng plunged directly into his chest, making his eyeballs bulge and nearly biting off his tongue, but he was swiftly carried away from the battlefield."Heh."A low chuckle echoed from afar. Sheng Xin was genuinely amused. The bond between these two old men was truly admirable and tear-jerking."Since you wish to die together, then I shall grant your wish!" The Holy Ancestor's form twisted a finger. "Myriad Binding Art, commanded!"Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!Above the North Sea, countless towering ancient trees surged into the sky. Their branches transformed into myriad tentacles, directly binding the space where Old Man Mei and Old Man Yu were located into a massive wooden sphere, giving the Taicheng Sword no chance to cut through, then violently collapsing and compressing inwards. The two old men and one sword were directly bound in mid-air, cutting off all sounds of resistance.

"Peaceful Sword Wave."The Holy Ancestor's form chanted softly, and the North Sea trembled again. Tides rose from all directions, and waves curled into the sky, transforming into thousands of water swords imbued with destructive power, stabbing directly towards the two old men."Old Man!""Mister Si Ren!"Bayue and Cao Erzhu were about to leap into the air almost simultaneously. But at that moment, someone else, preceding them both, directly unleashed a Kongtong Formless Sword that howled through the void. It cut the sword wave in half, shattering thousands of water swords."The Ninth Initial Line of Kongtong...""Noisy!"The Holy Ancestor's form was thoroughly enraged. Especially hearing this rather rhythmic verse, it inevitably reminded him of a certain sword path prodigy whose sword strikes were always accompanied by chanting.What if... What if something unexpected happened? That would be a huge joke!As Sheng Xin glanced over, a large hand directly reached out for Xiao Kongtong, who had just begun to gather momentum.

"Great Laugh... ahhh!"Xiao Kongtong's chanting was cut short, and he turned and ran. He had no desire to fight Sheng Xin whatsoever. Are you kidding? He was merely his master's disciple, only impersonating his master, not the real Bajun'an. How could he possibly fight an 'return to nothingness' Ancestor God?A true sword cultivator knows when to yield and when to assert. Sheathing and unsheathing are both marks of character. How could a new-era ancient sword cultivator merely charge forward relentlessly?The Kongtong Formless Sword swept and intercepted in mid-air, directly initiating a tactical transfer, a spatial-temporal leap of "thirty years in Hexi, thirty years in Hedong" (a Chinese idiom for rapid, drastic changes in fortune or location), carrying Old Man Yu, Old Man Mei, and Xiao Kongtong himself."Teleport, teleport, teleport!""Faster, faster, faster!"Fleeing again and again, flashing repeatedly, he pushed spatial-temporal leaps to their extreme. One sword carried three people, running from the Central Domain to the Western Domain, then turning towards the Southern Domain, and finally breaking through the shattered temporal currents. It astonishingly kept the Holy Ancestor's form engaged for about ten breaths of time, before finally, using a spatial anchor point from memory, directly escaping into the Void Island.

"Absurd!"Sheng Xin was furious. Though physically in the Central Domain, the Holy Ancestor's form's eyes glowed with divine and demonic power. He finally stopped merely using the attribute powers of various Spirit Refining Daos and instead activated the power of Ancestral Origin, employing the Dao Sea of Gods and Devils."Buzz!"At that moment, the Dao Sea of Gods and Devils shone brilliantly, directly dyed a sacred white. The Holy Ancestor's form lowered his gaze, anchoring onto the inner and outer planes of the Void Island. From a distance, he unleashed a mental assault that covered two entire realms, regardless of where they were hiding."Divine Fall!"Spirit Refiners of all Daos in the Five Domains felt their spirits shake and their vision blur in that instant. It was as if their vital energy, spirit, and essence had been instantly drained. When they recovered, they saw that the Holy Ancestor's form's eyes were filled with obscure, faint light, which then transformed into two waves of eerie blue mental fluctuations, about to shoot directly towards the Void Island.

But at this moment..."Clack-clack!"Accompanied by an unusual sound. The Dao of Heaven and Earth trembled, and everyone felt a chill down their spine. Turning to look, a path of icy frost spread from the east, freezing the void of Daoist techniques on one side and the tides of the East Sea on the other. It caused myriad swords to hum, arraying themselves in the sky as if paying homage to an emperor of swords.How familiar was this scene? Those two magnificent paths of frost, extending both above and below, connected the Central and Eastern Domains, bringing forth the thunderous roar of the Ancestor God's Dao Extinction tribulation from the other side of the battlefield.This made even Sheng Xin feel a hint of threat. He stopped his actions and turned his head to look."What is that?""Tribulation? Someone is undergoing the Ancestor God's Dao Extinction Tribulation?""Who could this be? Why has no one from those in charge passed down the Dao from that side? The East..."The East. A mysterious term. There was always the legend of "A sword coming from the East, a Sword Immortal." This made any sword intent originating from the east, once it reached the level of a Sword Dao Throne, tainted with an unspeakable strangeness and terror.

Sheng Xin's halt was not without reason. Because as the people of the Five Domains collectively turned their heads to look, unlike Xiao Kongtong's "ahhh," from the direction of the Eastern Domain, a sword chant truly resonated—a clear, melodious voice, carrying a bleak chill:"Journeying west, a peak suddenly appeared, yet this peak is so hard to quell.""Await the chilling wind and blossoms, let frost invite the sword's advance!"