"Junior Brother Ling Tian..." Ye Xun'er's jade hands were tightly clenched, her gaze filled with worry as she watched that stubborn figure.
Ever since the day she mentioned the Ancient God-Slaying Sword, this junior brother had shown intense interest.
However, Ye Xun'er had believed that with Ling Tian's talent, he simply wouldn't have the chance to covet the God-Slaying Sword.
But she was wrong!
Terribly wrong.
She never expected that this gentle and refined Second Young Master of the Ling Clan could be so stubborn and unyielding deep down.
Perhaps this was the so-called flawless Dao Heart.
For a moment, Ye Xun'er felt a peculiar emotion stir within her.
It was a type of emotion she had always resisted and disliked, especially in recent years, as Yu Yuntian's behavior had thoroughly wearied her.
But inexplicably, when directed at Ling Tian, it made her feel breathless, her heart fluttering uncontrollably.
Peerless sword talent, a powerful background.
And most importantly... he was handsome!
Compared to Ling Tian, Yu Yuntian was practically a crude country bumpkin, rough and ill-mannered, consumed by jealousy and competition all day long. Why had he never thought to properly refine his own character and cultivation?
A jade-like young master, a young master like jade.
That phrase surely described someone like Junior Brother Ling Tian, didn't it?
A smile unconsciously curled at the corner of Ye Xun'er's lips, a smile of peerless elegance, one that could stun time itself.
Beside her, Yu Yuntian, watching his junior sister's captivated expression, had long since balled his hands into fists.
His eyes held an indescribable, complex gloom.
Junior Sister Xun'er, you are mine. No one can take you away!
Ling Tian, so what if you reach the peak of the Immortal Path? Here in the Ten Thousand Swords Immortal Sect, I am the Sect Leader's personal disciple! I have ten thousand ways to get rid of you!
BOOM!
A world-shaking power descended from the heavens, like the Milky Way pouring down from the Ninth Heaven, flowing unceasingly for a thousand miles.
And Ling Tian's figure finally stood steadily upon the final step.
One step forward lay the Ten Thousand Swords Holy Land's inherited Dao Artifact, the Ancient God-Slaying Sword.
One step back... was life itself!
The wind wasn't calm, the waves weren't still, and his heart remained unsettled; an island locked away a single man!
Ling Xiao, I will use this sword to avenge my seven years of suffering!!
Ling Tian lifted his head and let out a long roar. The foot that had just landed stepped forward once more.
The cyan light of his Dao Principle around him suddenly blazed brilliantly, shooting straight into the clouds, drawing a waterfall of clouds tumbling down from the sky.
White clouds churned, a wind vortex connected heaven and earth.
Dao Principle Manifestation!!
The music of the Great Dao echoed, stretching for ten thousand miles without end!
Within the storm, the young man's figure stood straight as a sword, his white robes flapping violently in the wind. And that pale, slender hand finally grasped the ancient sword.
BUZZ!!
Heaven and earth underwent a sudden, violent change. In an instant, the sky was filled with black clouds.
Countless lightning bolts snaked across the firmament, like divine punishment, seeking to prevent this sword's emergence.
Perhaps Ling Tian's strength was exhausted, or perhaps the Heavenly Dao was unwilling to let him bear this wisp of immortal karma.
His hand gripped tightly, yet he was unable to pull the sword from the ancient altar for a long time.
The Ten Thousand Swords Holy Land fell silent.
Everyone watched the figure standing atop the mountain peak, a faint trace of disappointment deep in their eyes.
Had he ultimately failed after all?
Even with Ling Tian's heaven-defying talent and peerless sword bearing, it seemed the God-Slaying Sword... possessed its own unyielding pride, not something an ordinary person could tame.
"Ah..." Sighs drifted through the air. At this moment, everyone's focus was entirely on Ling Tian alone.
So much so that they failed to notice the figure that had suddenly appeared at the beginning of the Path of Immortals, walking slowly forward.
BUZZ!!
Only when the overwhelming sword cry resounded once more, faintly shredding the dark clouds, did the crowd notice the white-robed figure standing at the Path's entrance, hands behind his back. He was taking ten steps at a time, speeding rapidly towards the peak.
"Gulp!"
"Am I seeing things?"
"Is there... someone there?"
"Who... is that?!"
"That speed... is even more monstrous than Ling Tian's?!"
"How is that possible? Why is this person so unfamiliar? He doesn't seem to be from our Ten Thousand Swords Holy Land?"
"Impossible, right? Our sect's Sword Path cannot be climbed by non-sword cultivators. If he can make ten thousand swords sing in unison, he must be..."
"It's Ling Xiao!!! It's Ling Xiao!!"
"What?! It's that troublemaking devil king! What does he want? Forcibly charging the Sword Path? How audacious!"
For a moment, the entire Ten Thousand Swords Holy Land fell into chaos. Several elders even began gathering spiritual power, intending to capture the youth ascending the mountain.
"Stop!" Just then, the Holy Master of Ten Thousand Swords suddenly shouted coldly, a trace of gloomy astonishment also present between his brows.
Why did this little bastard suddenly appear in our Ten Thousand Swords Holy Land?
And why is he climbing the Path of Ten Thousand Swords?
Could it be... he also wants that Ancient God-Slaying Sword?
However, the Path of Ten Thousand Swords was the Holy Land's inheritance. It wasn't a path that just anyone could tread.
Those above the Divine General realm who entered would only leave behind a sword legacy, awaiting a destined disciple before undergoing sublimation.
In other words, it wasn't that the Holy Master didn't want to stop Ling Xiao; it was that, looking across the entire Holy Land, who could possibly catch up to his pace on this Sword Path?
He walked as if flying, meeting no resistance whatsoever.
This scene, falling into the eyes of many Holy Land disciples, instantly caused some illusions to form in their hearts.
Is this still the Path of Ten Thousand Swords?
Are we not walking the same path?
Quite suddenly, many disciples actually began to look eager to try, clearly thinking they could do it too now.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
The chorus of ten thousand swords continued unabated.
At this moment, the crowd seemed to sense that these ancient swords weren't cheering, but rather... lamenting.
Especially as Ling Xiao's figure passed by, the ancient swords, buried for who knew how many years, actually showed signs of wanting to emerge on their own.
Rumble.
The entire Sword Path began to tremble inexplicably.
Sword after sword trembled and struggled, as if trying to break free from the Path's restraints.
But Ling Xiao paid this no mind.
The Sword Dao Principle he had fused was directly plundered from the white-robed swordsman.
What level of cultivation that swordsman had truly reached, to be honest, Ling Xiao didn't know.
But when he descended upon the Four Wastes, his realm must have been suppressed to the Breakthrough Realm.
Only then would he not be rejected by the Heavenly Dao.
Each world had its own rules.
Above the Breakthrough Realm was the peak of the Four Wastes, allowing one to sublimate and "ascend," stepping into the Sacred Dynasty.
However, regardless of what realm the swordsman had in life, the Sword Dao Principle Ling Xiao fused had already reached the Major Achievement stage.
If he hadn't shared a wisp with Ye Qingchan, it might even be approaching Perfection.
Thus, summoning celestial phenomena wasn't surprising.
But...
Looking at it this way, it seemed he had, without even realizing it, crushed a truly formidable figure.
Of course, Ling Tian was unaware of the events happening behind him.
All his attention was currently focused on the Ancient God-Slaying Sword.
But no matter how hard he tried, the sword seemed to have grown roots in the Sword Path. Despite him exerting his Dao Principle, it remained utterly motionless.
"Could it be... that you and I truly lack fate?!" Ling Tian sighed. The exhaustion washing over him felt like a flooding river.
Just as his vision darkened and he was about to lose his strength, a warm hand suddenly covered his own.
It was a fair, jade-like, slender hand. The warmth emanating from it instantly dispelled all the gloom in Ling Tian's heart.
For a moment, he felt an inexplicable sense of peace and reassurance.
Until he turned his head and saw the familiar face that had haunted his nightmares for seventeen years!!