Chapter 74: Swordsmanship

"Release my master!" Ling Qingshu, startled, quickly drew her sword.

Xu Yang smiled, turned his head, and told Ling Qingshu, "Calm down."

After speaking, Xu Yang took out a few red fruits and casually began chewing them, completely ignoring the sword at his neck.

"I also want to ask you, who are you, and why do you use my Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art?"

"Your Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art?" Xu Mengyao seemed to have heard something amusing. She chuckled softly and said, "The Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art is a secret of my Sea Soul Sect, never to be passed down. To cultivate it, one must possess the Soul-Devouring Sea Soul Physique!"

At this point, a sudden murderous glint appeared in Xu Mengyao's eyes, and she fiercely demanded, "Tell me, where did you learn that this is the Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art? If you confess honestly, I might be merciful and leave you a whole body!"

As she spoke, Xu Mengyao tightened her grip on the sword against Xu Yang's neck.

Ling Qingshu watched Xu Yang with a tense expression. She wondered what had gotten into the Patriarch today, allowing someone to place a sword at his neck.

But recalling Xu Yang's invincible demeanor in the past, Ling Qingshu felt that he would be fine. Yes, it must be so. Patriarch Xu must be too powerful; even with a sword at his neck, he remained completely unfazed.

Despite this thought, Ling Qingshu did not dare to relax her vigilance. She held her breath, intently watching the spirit sword at Xu Yang's neck.

Xu Yang shrugged lightly and said, "I already told you, this sword art is mine. Why don't you believe me? And who told you that this sword art requires some Sea Soul Physique to cultivate?"

As he spoke, Xu Yang surprisingly pulled out an ordinary sword. With a flick of the blade, a blue light flashed.

Xu Yang's aura instantly changed, transforming from its previous harmless state to one filled with chilling killing intent.

"Furthermore, your Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword just now was merely a half-finished product. Allow me to demonstrate the true Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword!"

As his voice fell, the spirit sword shot out at high speed, its overwhelming and almost tangible sword intent following it.

A pair of blue wings, condensed from spiritual energy, flapped up and down like real wings, encircled by a golden halo.

The blinding light made everything appear white.

Whoosh...

With a sharp cry from the wings, the blue wings shot towards the sky, then plunged abruptly into the sea.

Boom...

A violent explosion erupted, sending thousands of waves surging from the ocean. It was as if a tsunami had arrived.

Some spray and water droplets flew thousands of meters, landing coldly on Xu Yang.

"See? This is the complete Great Expansion Blue Wing. What you used earlier was just a half-finished product. Moreover, the Great Expansion Blue Wing doesn't require any Sea Soul Physique."

Xu Yang turned and said to Xu Mengyao with a smile.

Xu Mengyao was utterly dumbfounded. The sword art Xu Yang demonstrated was indeed the Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art.

Furthermore, what Xu Yang used was undeniably more complete than the Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art she had learned.

During her cultivation, she had long felt that while the Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art was powerful, some parts of it seemed off. However, she hadn't known what exactly was wrong.

Now, having witnessed Xu Yang's demonstration of the Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art, everything suddenly became clear to her.

But... this made even less sense. The Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art had been passed down since the very founding of the Sea Soul Sect. And the Sea Soul Sect was founded approximately twenty thousand years ago.

"Senior, you..." Xu Mengyao's words trailed off, becoming incoherent.

Xu Yang calmly sheathed his sword and said, "Are you the sect master of this sect? If so, let's have a proper talk. If not, summon your sect master; I wish to speak with them."

Xu Yang guessed that this sect might have some connection to his disciple from long ago.

Hearing this, Xu Mengyao dared not delay. Although she didn't know Xu Yang's true identity, she knew that based on the Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art he had just displayed, she absolutely had to summon the sect master.

Regardless, she would call the sect master first.

"I am not the sect master. I will go summon her." Xu Mengyao said.

Xu Yang nodded, then added, "Also, tell your sect master that I find this tree outside quite impressive. I've taken a liking to it, and I'll have it!"

As he spoke, Xu Yang struck with his sword. With a *crack*, the Netherfrost Ancient Tree immediately broke into two pieces.

Xu Mengyao's heart skipped a beat. This was the Sea Soul Sect's protective divine tree, said to have existed since the sect's very founding. Yet today, an unknown individual had chopped it down with a single sword stroke.

Although Xu Mengyao wanted to curse, she dared not say more. She rushed frantically towards the central hall of the Sea Soul Sect.

The central hall of the Sea Soul Sect was situated on a cliffside, with numerous grand and imposing halls that appeared solemn and magnificent.

Xu Mengyao hurriedly entered the hall, knelt, and called out, "Xu Mengyao has an urgent matter to report to the sect master."

Boom...

A door suddenly opened, and a chilling wind swept through. Faint figures flickered within.

"What is the cause of such panic?" In a blink of an eye, a person appeared before Xu Mengyao.

The speaker was an elderly woman with frost-white hair. Her eyes were half-closed, and her body was so thin that her skin seemed stretched over bone, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

However, the aura emanating from her was like that of a greedy, bloodthirsty beast, radiating an intense and chilling killing intent that made one's hair stand on end.

She was Yu Baian, a powerful cultivator at the Cavern Heaven realm!

"A Qi Refining realm cultivator chopped down our protective divine tree." Xu Mengyao stammered fearfully.

"Pfft..."

Yu Baian spat out a mouthful of old blood.

"Then what are you waiting for? Go kill him!" Yu Baian's words were like the frost of hell, her killing intent bone-chilling.

"Well... that person, though seemingly in the Qi Refining realm, is definitely not... your disciple cannot defeat him..." Xu Mengyao wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

"Moreover, that person also knows our Great Expansion Blue Wing Sword Art, and what he demonstrated was more complete than what we have mastered."

Xu Mengyao cautiously recounted everything that had just transpired to Yu Baian.

After listening, Yu Baian's expression shifted unpredictably. After a moment, she spoke expressionlessly, "Take me to him."

Outside the Sea Soul Sect's mountain gate, Xu Yang was busy segmenting the roots of the Netherfrost Ancient Tree when he suddenly felt a surge of spiritual energy from behind him.

Xu Yang abruptly turned, seeing an ancient old woman reaching out with a skeletal hand, so emaciated that one could see the bones beneath the skin.