Chapter 557: Having Four Swords, Releasing Them

“So handsome!” Xu Xiaoshou, looking up from the underground pit, couldn’t help but exclaim. He finally understood why everyone was so eager to get their hands on this sinister sword. The Four Swords was simply too powerful!

Any Grandmaster could wield it to such an extent. If he got his hands on it, couldn't he cut down a King with just one hand?

“No, I have to wait!”“Still, I have to wait!”Although his heart was stirring, Xu Xiaoshou understood that He Yuxing was merely a pawn pushed forward by the Storyteller. The brilliance this guy was currently displaying was probably the peak of his life. Even though he didn't yet understand the Storyteller's plan, given the habits of the Holy Slaves, if the famous sword Tombstone City Snow could be used to attack the Heavenly Sang Spiritual Palace twice and eventually take it, would they let this sinister sword go?

“I’ll do it!” Above the Sword-Leaving Grassland, amidst the absolute silence, a figure suddenly shot forth. Xu Xiaoshou narrowed his eyes to see. It was his defeated opponent, Gu Qingsan.

“This guy…” He Yuxing also reacted to the sound, turning his gaze towards the unarmed young man. Gu Qingsan, however, didn't look at him immediately; instead, he turned his head towards the location of the red-robed figure. “Senior Red Robe, I am a genuine trialist. If I obtain The Four Swords, will you protect me out of the White Cave as promised?”

Lan Ling replied, “Not obtain, but be recognized.”“Alright, recognized then.” Gu Qingsan smiled, “Don't worry, if it's just recognition, I can still do it. I just hope that when I gain the recognition of The Four Swords, you won't break your word again.” Lan Ling nodded slightly. She didn't say much but turned her head to look behind her. Without needing to speak, the red-robed figure who had been waiting in the back stepped forward.

“Gu Qingsan, Sword Sect, third disciple under Sword Immortal Wenting of the Buried Sword Tomb, and an Ultimate Sword Physique!” Compared to the previous introduction of He Yuxing, Gu Qingsan’s information was remarkably concise. But when the words "Ultimate Sword Physique" were uttered, Lan Ling was astonished. Even Yu Zhiwen, who was still comprehending the Thirty-Six Heavenly Seal Array on the side, couldn't help but glance over. The Ultimate Sword Physique was a holy physique for swordsmanship!

This was arguably the strongest innate talent in swordsmanship. If the holy physique reached full mastery, no spiritual sword in the world could resist its command, even famous and sinister swords. When the Eighth Sword Immortal first rose to prominence, he was lauded by all, but the final obstacle preventing him from becoming a Saint was his mortal body. Even with powerful spiritual aptitude in swordsmanship, allowing the Eighth Sword Immortal to achieve innate mastery in three breaths and become a Sword Immortal in three years, becoming a Saint… required both spirit and body to be holy; neither could be lacking. The Eighth Sword Immortal himself had lamented that if he had possessed an Ultimate Sword Physique, or even a spirit body of a lower tier, he could have bypassed the Half-Saint stage and directly entered the Saint Emperor realm. Unfortunately, an innate deficiency was truly a deficiency. Even though he later expended great effort on physical cultivation, how could a post-natal holy physique be easily cultivated? This delayed final step, by a twist of fate, ultimately led to the Eighth Sword Immortal’s demise at the hands of Hua Changdeng. It wasn't the sole reason, but it was equally crucial.

“Buzz—” In mid-air, He Yuxing, who had been completely ignored, could no longer wait. He sensed something was off about the person in front of him. But what did it matter if he was unarmed, even with a Grandmaster’s sword intent? A sword cultivator was only able to look down upon the world because they held a sword. How could an unarmed person contend for a sword? “Die!” The Four Swords was raised with a backhand swing and slashed through the air. At that instant, within the Fiendish Demon World covering a small part of the Sword-Leaving Grassland, black sword qi once again shot out from various points in space, instantly shattering the space around Gu Qingsan’s location.

“Boom, boom, boom…” Violent explosions echoed from the void. However, the expected splash of blood did not occur. He Yuxing sensed something was wrong. When the demonic energy in mid-air dissipated, the indistinct figure at the center of the attack finally revealed itself to everyone. He was completely unharmed! Gu Qingsan was completely unharmed!

He Yuxing’s eyes immediately narrowed. Everyone present was shocked. The fiendish demonic sword qi, powerful enough to instantly obliterate dozens of Grandmasters and other contenders, seemed to have passed directly through Gu Qingsan’s body. Not even a corner of his clothes was grazed?

“My apologies, brother.” Gu Qingsan’s body solidified as he spoke, “You are one of the few geniuses I’ve seen who, as a Spirit Refiner, can cultivate Grandmaster-level sword intent.”“However, there’s still a vast difference between an ancient sword cultivator of the Sword Sect and a Spirit Refiner’s Sword Sect.”“This insurmountable chasm isn’t your fault, but rather a matter of origin.”“But…” He shook his head and sighed, “From the very beginning, everything determined by heaven and earth cannot be changed by human effort.”

He Yuxing’s anger surged, his eyes instantly turning blood red. He could feel the fiendish demonic energy within him affecting his emotions. But Gu Qingsan’s words had truly inflamed his rage. “A sword cultivator is a sword cultivator, and sword intent is sword intent. What makes one superior to another?” “Go to hell!” Spiritual energy surged within him, intertwining with the fiendish demonic energy. In an instant, a colossal beam of light, pure white interspersed with demonic patterns, condensed on the blade of The Four Swords. “Avalanche Heavenfall Slash!” The sinister sword struck down from its highest point. Suddenly, a snow mountain, towering into the clouds, materialized at Gu Qingsan’s location. As the sword fell, a great avalanche erupted. “Boom!” The void instantly shattered. Spatial fragments, shooting out from the swirling currents of fractured space, transformed into crystalline snowflakes of alternating black and white, hurtling towards Gu Qingsan.

“My goodness…” Everyone still lurking on the Sword-Leaving Grassland, too scared to move, was astonished. Everyone could see that He Yuxing’s current sword strike didn’t consume much spiritual energy; at most, it was a Grandmaster-level spiritual technique. But with the augmentation of The Four Swords, the power unleashed by this Grandmaster spiritual technique could potentially cleave even a King in two!

Amidst the scene of the massive avalanche, a magnificent black sword qi, powerful enough to tear the sky, surged directly towards Gu Qingsan, carrying billions of flying snowflakes. However, Gu Qingsan stood unmoving. “A rudimentary application of Illusionary Sword Art and Myriad Sword Art?” He scoffed softly, his eyes burning with fervor, and declared loudly, “Brother, you are right. There is no distinction of superiority or inferiority between sword intents.” “But between you and me… there is!”

He formed a hand seal, pressing it to his chest. Gu Qingsan inwardly roared, “Ultimate Sword Physique, activate!” “Boom—” At that instant, the sword intent erupting from his body was so sharp that it even pierced through the entire Fiendish Demon World. Surging sword qi emanated from his entire being, soaring straight into the sky. “The Four Swords isn't meant to be used like that by you!” He scoffed, clasping his hands above his head, then, like a fish leaping over the dragon gate, he astonishingly leaped directly towards the magnificent black sword qi in front of him. “Heaven's Will · No Self!” A low incantation rang out. The moment the sword qi clashed with Gu Qingsan, the latter’s figure suddenly flickered. Immediately, the sword qi seemed to cut through empty air, passing directly through his body and tearing straight towards what was behind him.

“How is this possible?” He Yuxing was instantly stunned. What kind of spiritual technique was this? It could even directly ignore the attacks of The Four Swords? However, what was even more terrifying was yet to come. The billions of snowflakes, rushing towards Gu Qingsan like an avalanche, also passed through him as if entering an empty space, then crashed into the pockmarked ground of the Sword-Leaving Grassland.

“Boom, boom, boom—” The ground shattered. Those hidden there could no longer conceal themselves and scrambled to flee. But where could one hide from an avalanche? For a moment, wails filled the area. Countless individuals were driven mad, their bodies torn by spatial fragments and then invaded by The Four Swords’ demonic energy. The spatial fragments dissipated upon hitting the ground. However, the sword qi of The Four Swords continued to push forward, unabated, striking towards the area behind Gu Qingsan. It was imaginable that this magnificent black sword qi, if unopposed, could probably cleave the entire Sword-Leaving Grassland in two!

“Junior brother, you’re being too reckless.” Gu Qing’er frowned and admonished, “You have the ability to break the sword qi, yet you let it come all the way over here?”

Indeed. The black sword qi was heading towards the remaining two sword masters. “I’ll take care of it.” Gu Qing’er sighed and was about to rise to dispel the black sword qi. The sword qi, soaring into the clouds, formed a stark contrast with the two individuals seated like ants.

“Stay put.” Gu Qingyi, however, spoke calmly, “Your mission is the red-robed figure who broke their promise, not this. Continue to build up your momentum.”

Gu Qing’er’s movement to rise instantly froze. At this moment, as he looked at the black sword qi bearing down on them, his mouth began to twitch. “But this is The Four Swords’ sword qi after all. We don’t have junior brother’s Ultimate Sword Physique, nor do we cultivate Swordless Art…” Although he spoke lightly, Gu Qing’er’s inner apprehension was very deep.

Gu Qingyi did not reply. “Click.” With his left hand, he picked up the Evil Sword Yuelian, which lay across his knees. He pushed the famous sword’s hilt guard with his thumb, revealing two fingers’ width of the blade. After only half a breath, he retracted his thumb. “Clack.” The famous sword returned to its sheath.

“I said, just build up your momentum,” Gu Qingyi said calmly. Gu Qing’er’s expression froze; he seemed to realize something and abruptly turned his head. “Boom—” As expected, the towering black sword qi, which was about to strike them, was horizontally cleaved in half in mid-flight as if by a sword from nowhere, then crumbled. Subsequently, a faint, elongated gash appeared subtly across the void. A gust of wind blew. “Rumble, rumble, rumble—” The void split into two halves. The suction of a black hole directly absorbed the remaining fiendish demonic energy, fully entrusting it to the spatial currents for disposal.

“Hiss!” Xu Xiaoshou, hiding in the shadows, shivered, completely startled. His Perception had been scanning the entire scene. Naturally, he saw Gu Qingyi’s subtle movement. Indeed, when The Four Swords’ sword qi approached their direction, Xu Xiaoshou thought they would have to break their current unknown ritual and face it head-on. He had witnessed Gu Qing’er’s abilities before; they weren’t Swordless Art, but rather time-related. And what could time do against The Four Swords’ sword qi? Xu Xiaoshou was very curious. But he never expected that such a magnificent sword qi would simply disintegrate with Gu Qingyi’s slight lift of his famous sword, without Gu Qing’er even needing to move. The sword qi collapsed!

“What the hell…” Xu Xiaoshou was truly stunned. Was this the same Gu Qingyi who had always kept a low profile, only telling him, “I’ll be waiting for you at the peak of the Eastern Domain, at the Buried Sword Tomb”? Good heavens! At this moment, Xu Xiaoshou finally understood why the leader of the Three Sword Masters always seemed so arrogant. It turned out he truly possessed that level of power.

“So strong…” Mu Zixi’s and Luo Leilei’s voices overlapped in the transmission channel. Clearly, Gu Qingyi’s single sword lift had completely drawn everyone’s attention away from the center of the battlefield. “Tears family boy, can you do that with one sword?” The Storyteller’s teasing voice also chimed in. “Hmph.” It was a disdainful snort.

Xu Xiaoshou: “…” I don’t believe it! Why can all of you do it, but I, Xu Xiaoshou, can’t? No, the next stance of White Clouds Drifting must be of this type. I must learn it, I must comprehend it… Xu Xiaoshou was going crazy.

Every time the true combat strength of ancient sword cultivators was displayed, it filled him with nothing but shock and dread. It was simply terrifying!

“Here it comes.” Lei Shuangxing’s voice remained calm. He suddenly spoke, clearly having refocused on the two figures at the center of the battle. While He Yuxing was also startled by the fiendish demonic sword qi being severed out of thin air, Gu Qingsan, who had already passed through his attack, had seemingly transformed into a massive sword hundreds of feet long in mid-air.

“What, what is this thing now?” He Yuxing was astonished once again. He could probably anticipate the high-level enemies he might face after acquiring The Four Swords. But these consecutively appearing, indescribable sword techniques were utterly unheard of and unseen by him!

“Hanging Heaven Sword, Strike.” The Hanging Heaven Sword, which had been raging with sword qi in the sky, suddenly stabilized its hilt in mid-air, and its tip plunged downwards. In just one breath, it swung a crescent arc that connected heaven and earth. Its momentum was astonishing, shattering countless spaces.

“Damn it!” He Yuxing could no longer conceal the shock in his heart. He could only hold The Four Swords horizontally before him, frantically channeling spiritual energy, attempting to withstand the blow from the massive Hanging Heaven Sword. “Boom!” The two swords clashed, and air currents surged. The ground was suddenly ripped apart from above, blasting a massive crater hundreds of feet wide. And the precarious space, which had barely recovered, utterly collapsed once more under this sword strike. “Rumble, rumble, rumble…” It was still an ant resisting a giant sword. However, He Yuxing clearly did not possess Gu Qingyi’s capabilities. Even with The Four Swords in hand, as the Hanging Heaven Sword struck, his body was directly shattered by the impact. Responding to the scattered spraying blood, he flew backward. The Four Swords flew out of his grasp, spiraling upward. “Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…” Round after round, the scene seemed to slow down. Everyone watched as the sinister sword flew backward, then at its highest point in the air, it reversed its descent and plunged with a clang into the large crater on the ground.