Chapter 780: The Battle of Ancient and Modern Prodigies

An ancient young prodigy and a contemporary young prodigy faced each other, their spirits high and fighting intent soaring. "Young Sect Master Lu, your talent is truly exceptional, unlike anything I've ever witnessed," said Young Sect Master Lu. "Although the Dao Seeking Sect has Daoist Han Hai, a half-immortal, it is ultimately too small a pond to nurture a true dragon."

"My Heavenly Court welcomes all talented individuals. If you are interested, consider joining us; a Saint Son position will certainly be reserved for you."

"Oh, aren't you afraid I'll seize your position as Young Sect Master?"

Young Sect Master Lu chuckled. "Strength commands respect; that's an eternal truth. If you can defeat me and lead the Heavenly Court to restore its ancient glory, what harm is there in giving you the Young Sect Master position?"

Everyone secretly praised him, acknowledging that he was truly worthy of his position as Young Sect Master, possessing a magnanimity far beyond his peers.

Lu Yang simply shook his head. "I appreciate Young Sect Master Lu's kind offer, but the Dao Seeking Sect nurtured and raised me. Abandoning them would make me a contemptible person."

"Ah, that's a pity," Young Sect Master Lu said. He had sincerely hoped Lu Yang would join the Heavenly Court, believing that with Lu Yang, their chances of victory in the coming great era would undoubtedly increase.

What a shame; then, it seems we can only fight.

Even Young Sect Master Lu, whose talent was unparalleled, dared not hold back against Lu Yang. Seven long swords floated vertically around him, their hilts inscribed with characters like 'Tian Shu, Tian Xuan, and Tian Ji,' indicating their extraordinary origin.

"Those are the legendary Seven Star Sword Set!" the Patriarch of the Divine Ao Clan exclaimed, recognizing the swords' origin. "What is the Seven Star Sword Set?" most others wondered, as they had never heard of it.

The Patriarch of the Divine Ao Clan said in a deep voice, "In ancient times, there was a sword cultivator named Liu Ningxuan, who excelled in both the zither and the sword. He was the most powerful sword cultivator of that era, his talent comparable to the Sword Tower Supreme of Great Xia."

"One of our clan's ancestors, who had cultivated to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage, was still cut down by Liu Ningxuan with a single sword stroke!"

Everyone gasped. The Divine Ao Clan was renowned for its defensive capabilities, and the defensive power of a Divine Ao who had cultivated to the peak of the Tribulation Transcending stage was undeniably immense. Could it be true that even such a being was slain by Liu Ningxuan?

"Liu Ningxuan excelled at the complete fusion of man and sword, reaching a state of extreme sublimation. With a single sword strike, anyone below the immortal realm was certain to perish!"

"Everyone believed he would cultivate to the realm of a half-immortal or even a full immortal. However, he vanished after a battle. Some say he became trapped in an immortal realm and couldn't leave, while others claim he died."

"And this Seven Star Sword Set is Liu Ningxuan's very own sword!"

Lu Yang had not expected the Seven Star Sword Set to possess such a profound history.

He knew about Liu Ningxuan, the master of both zither and sword, the one renowned for his perfect fusion of man and sword.

"Fairy, are you aware of this matter?"

This question stumped the Immortal Fairy. She pondered with a troubled expression, then shook her head. "I don't recall much about it. When that boy fought me, he wielded many flashy swords, but I didn't pay much attention to their specific appearances; they all looked quite alike anyway."

Young Sect Master Lu smiled as he gripped the Tian Shu sword. "Speaking of which, our last battle was when we were both at the mid-Golden Core stage. I never imagined that in just over a year, both of us would have advanced to the mid-Nascent Soul stage."

Lu Yang said nothing, quietly drawing his Azure Edge Sword.

A sword light soared skyward, piercing the water and transforming the area into a vacuum.

Two types of true flames adhered to the Azure Edge Sword, and the sword energy transformed into golden divine birds. These birds flapped their crimson wings, completely unaffected by the East Sea water!

The sword energy of the Tian Shu sword was magnificent and awe-inspiring, carrying an ancient arrogance, yet it was also purer and sharper. The other six flying swords, like six flood dragons unleashed from their cages, split the golden divine birds in two.

Remarkably, after being split, the golden divine birds transformed into two smaller golden divine birds, their intense heat undiminished!

"What kind of true flame is this?"

Even with the vast knowledge of the East Sea cultivators, none had ever seen a true flame in such a form.

"It appears to be Golden Crow True Flame, but the issue is, who has ever heard of a two-legged Golden Crow?"

Even uncultivated children had heard of the famous Three-legged Golden Crow.

The two battled from the depths of the water to the heights of the sky, and then from the sky to an island, fighting for hundreds of rounds. Their path left a trail of destruction, and the combat prowess they displayed astonished everyone present.

Could this truly be the extent of what a mid-Nascent Soul stage cultivator could achieve?

These prominent figures from the East Sea had all been young prodigies in their prime, their cultivation and combat power far exceeding their peers. Yet, not a single one among them had ever reached the level displayed by Lu Yang and Young Sect Master Lu.

Even the old ancestors at the Tribulation Transcending stage silently assessed the situation, concluding that they could only barely achieve such a level of combat.

"Didn't they say Lu Yang was a spell cultivator? How is his sword dao so formidable that he can barely contend with Young Sect Master Lu?" an ancestor at the Body Integration stage wondered, perplexed.

Purely in terms of sword dao, Lu Yang was indeed inferior to Young Sect Master Lu; he was only able to contend by supplementing his attacks with spells.

Another Body Integration stage ancestor shook his head. "No, he is more than just a spell cultivator. When I was seeking elixirs in Great Xia, I heard that Lu Yang possesses a sword spirit root, which is why Daoist Buyu accepted him as a disciple!"

"He possesses a sword spirit root?!" The surrounding crowd gasped in astonishment, their eyes widening.

Throughout history, it was unheard of for a sword cultivator to possess peak talent in spell arts.

"Excellent, excellent! You are indeed a worthy opponent, as I suspected!" Young Sect Master Lu laughed heartily. "I never imagined that even at the mid-Nascent Soul stage, you could still fight me to a standstill!" He had not experienced such a satisfying battle in a long time; usually, only cultivators at the late Soul Transformation stage could contend with him so fiercely.

The Tian Shu sword left his hand, rejoining the Seven Star Sword Set. Young Sect Master Lu pointed to the sky, and the Seven Star Sword Set instantly formed a grand formation.

"Lu Yang, test this technique!"

Young Sect Master Lu extended two fingers and gently waved them. The swords hummed incessantly as the Seven Star Sword Set appeared directly above Lu Yang's head, its gleaming tips pointing downwards.

"Lu Yang, be careful! This formation is named 'A Single Sword Strike to Make Immortals Kneel.' Even the Qilin Immortal, who has already ascended, would have to kneel before this sword formation!"

Hearing this ancient secret, the spectators instantly became agitated, unable to control their excited voices.

"'A Single Sword Strike to Make Immortals Kneel' – what a domineering name for a formation!"

"The Qilin Immortal once lost to this sword formation?!"

"Who created this sword formation? I've never heard of an ancient immortal excelling in both sword arts and formations."

Everyone discussed animatedly. They had consulted countless ancient and modern texts, yet not a single one recorded this event.

"Of course, that's right. This would be a scandal for the Qilin Immortal; how could he allow it to be passed down to future generations?"

"Formation Activate!"

As the words 'Formation Activate' were uttered, the sword formation sprang to life, pressing down with immense force, as if to crush everything and obliterate the heavens and the earth.

With a thud, even Lu Yang could not withstand the overwhelming pressure of the sword formation and was forced to his knees.

He looked up, staring intently at the sword formation, showing no sign of submission. He then brought out the Sword Washing Pool.

"One Sword Transforms into Ten Thousand Swords!"

Lu Yang, with his sword intent, manifested thousands of Sword Washing Pools that spread across the sky, a vast, dark expanse resembling storm clouds about to unleash heavy rain, imbued with immense cosmic power.

Just as everyone believed Lu Yang was about to be defeated, they witnessed his action and were utterly stunned.

"What kind of technique is this?!"

"Didn't he say it? 'One Sword Transforms into Ten Thousand Swords.'"

"But there aren't any actual swords."

"Perhaps Lu Yang's sword dao comprehension has reached the realm where he has a sword in his heart, and all things can serve as a sword! I heard that after Lu Yang arrived in the East Sea, he defeated over ten Soul Transformation stage cultivators using this very technique!"

"Yes, yes, yes, and I also heard that this technique can even make swords take human form, and the human form can transform into a three-headed, six-armed being!"

Lu Yang remained undeterred, unconcerned with how others perceived him. He focused intently on the battle before him and let out a soft cry:

"Go!"

The Sword Washing Pools poured down like a deluge, a terrifying sight. The two torrents of sword dao collided, erupting with an unprecedented brilliance that made the heavens and earth tremble, the sea of clouds boil, and light shoot straight to the highest heavens.

"Who won?"

The remnants of the Sword Washing Pools and the Seven Star Sword Set lay scattered. Both Lu Yang and Young Sect Master Lu were half-kneeling, propping themselves up with their swords, staring intently at each other. Though their spiritual energy was completely depleted, fierce fighting intent still burned in their eyes.

"Alright, alright, let's stop, no more fighting," Young Sect Master Lu suddenly chuckled. "If we continue, we'll have to resort to consuming pills, and that wouldn't be fair to you. Let's call this battle a draw."

"Then let's call it a draw," Lu Yang readily agreed. Indeed, as Young Sect Master Lu had said, continuing the fight would be meaningless regardless of the outcome.

The two exchanged smiles, a feeling of mutual respect and admiration evident between formidable opponents.

The veteran Tribulation Transcending cultivators observed this scene and sighed. "Indeed," they said, "as peerless prodigies, they rarely encounter worthy opponents. Meeting an equally matched adversary will greatly benefit their future cultivation."

Tao Tianye felt that Lu Yang's acting was more convincing than an illusion.

Man Gu, who witnessed the entire process, was deeply shaken, feeling that he might never learn such acting skills in his lifetime.

Li Haoran mused that if Qin Haoran had possessed Lu Yang's intelligence back then, he would likely have led the Nine Nether Sect to immense prosperity long ago.

Meng Jingzhou, meanwhile, was considering whether he could suddenly launch an attack, eliminate the exhausted Lu Yang and Young Sect Master Lu in one swift move, and then seize the Young Sect Master position for himself.