"Senior Sister Qingping?"
"Wait—why are there two of her?!"
"That one's fake! The one outside must be an impostor! How dare they take Senior Sister Qingping's form—utterly despicable!"
The Faceless Holy Son, taking on Li Qingping's appearance, instantly caused shock and fury among the Shushan Sword Sect disciples.
It was bad enough being trapped in this dream world—but now their enemy had the audacity to mimic the appearance of one of their own?
It was a blatant insult, as if mocking their helplessness.
To them, the Li Qingping inside the formation was undoubtedly real.Which meant—this outer version could only be a fraud.
"You foul demon! You dare to take Senior Sister's form?Then allow me, her junior, to test your strength. And maybe—just maybe—I'll test whether death can truly free us from this dream."
A hot-blooded male cultivator stepped forward, expression resolute.
He was Li Lu, a powerful cultivator who had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm, and as a sword cultivator, he could even challenge Yang God Realm experts.
He cultivated the Shushan Sword Sect's "Wind and Thunder Sword Canon"—His personality aligned with the scripture: decisive and tempestuous.
He made his decision in a flash—and acted just as quickly.
"If I die, my soul tablet will shatter.But if the soul tablet remains intact, it means I escaped.My life is worth the risk."
He flung a glowing jade soul tablet toward Jiang Ming—just in case.
Then—
With a flick of his thoughts, a flying sword shot from his body—Radiating azure-golden light, its surface etched with stellar sword runes, and inscribed with ancient wind and thunder markings.
This was his life-bound flying sword, infused with his will and essence.
There are several schools of sword cultivation:
Flying Sword Path: Commanding blades with one's will, slaying from afar.
Sword Intent Path: Overwhelming force through sheer sword will, shattering all with a single strike.
Both were valid paths of the sword.
Shushan mainly walked the Flying Sword Path.
"Kill!"
Li Lu wasted no time.
He stepped out of the protective sword formation.His flying sword, Wind Thunder Sword, soared into the sky.
And then—he merged into the blade.
—
Sword Cultivation Technique – Man and Sword as One (人剑合一)
A devastating secret technique where the sword cultivator's body and soul become one with their blade.
When activated:
Battle power surges tenfold, not just doubled.
The price: severe physical and spiritual damage afterward—possibly even losing an entire cultivation realm.
Most sword cultivators avoid it unless absolutely necessary.
But Li Lu had made his choice.
As he fused with the sword, its aura exploded, intensifying tenfold.
The sword's light churned into a swirling thundercloud, engulfing the surroundings in a storm of wind and lightning.
Lightning flashed. Hurricanes roared.
The sword's energy was enhanced by both heavenly elements and refined sword intent.
Sword Cultivation Technique – Simulated Sword Transformation (拟剑化形)
This is the second realm of flying sword mastery:
Sword Light Division – Splitting the blade's light into countless copies.
Simulated Sword Transformation – Reshaping the sword into forms imbued with corresponding power (e.g., thunderclouds).
Refined Sword into Threads – The third, rarer stage where the blade becomes countless sword threads that can shred anything, each thread infused with devastating sword intent and elemental force.
Li Lu had reached the second level.
His sword now formed a stormcloud, imbued with pure wind, thunder, and sword intent.It surged toward the Faceless Holy Son like a natural disaster.
"A rare sword cultivator, and one capable of Simulated Sword Transformation, no less," said the Faceless Holy Son grimly."Impressive. But since you seek death—allow me to oblige you."
He didn't underestimate the threat. A sword cultivator in Man-Sword Unity state was extremely dangerous—one misstep could mean disaster.
Suddenly—
A celestial river descended from the sky like a blade of water.
It slammed into the thunderstorm sword cloud, sparking a cataclysmic clash:
Lightning crackled.
Winds howled.
The sword cloud tried to shred the celestial river apart.
But—That river was endless.
When one wave was dispersed, another instantly replaced it.
Water does not contend, yet it overcomes all things.
No matter how violent the thunderstorm—The celestial river absorbed it, wave after wave, dissolving and suppressing the sword's fury.
"Senior Sister Qingping! That's your sword technique—Heavenly River Sword Scripture!Why is that demon using your sect's technique?! And so powerfully!"
The disciples within the formation were dumbfounded.
The Faceless Holy Son had just demonstrated Li Qingping's exclusive sword technique—and with immense power.
"It's him," Jiang Ming said gravely."This devil once mimicked Lü Bu, copying his unique martial arts.Now, he's not only taken Qingping's form—but her skills and cultivation as well."
A look of unease passed through his eyes.
"Senior Brother Li is losing!"Chen Xuerou shouted, alarmed.
The sword storm had begun to fade—The celestial river surged forward like an ocean, swallowing the stormcloud, burying the lightning and tearing apart the winds.
No sword light remained.
Then—
Crack!
A brittle snap echoed.
The soul tablet Jiang Ming held cracked—then shattered completely.
"He's dead," Li Qingping said grimly."Li Shidi has perished.Death… is not the way to escape the dream."
Suddenly—
A black hook-chain burst from the void without warning.
It moved like lightning, tearing through space toward the heart of the sword formation.
"Xuerou! Look out!"
Jiang Ming cried out in shock.
He tried to defend her—Sword stars flared from the array, slashing at the chain to cut it apart.
But—The chain passed right through, as if illusory, untouched by the starlight.
In the blink of an eye—
The hook was already before Chen Xuerou.
And this time—
She had no way to dodge.