Embers of Sword

Chapter 707 Chase
"He has achieved Dao Condensation!"

"Thank you, Xuanyi, for your understanding!"

Exclamations of horror echoed throughout the Sword Palace's mountain gates. All the Sword Palace disciples looked up at the sky, shrouded in a black veil. The sun was obliterated, and tens of millions of strands of annihilating intent swept across like swimming fish, completely obscuring the entire rooftop of the Great Hammer Sword Palace. This pitch-black aura, like a vast net, sent chills down the spines of those within its domain.

"This Dao Domain... isn't it a bit too vast?!"

The elders at the Yin God Realm within the Sword Palace looked grim and were utterly shocked.

The Dao Domain of the Yin God Realm, covering a hundred feet, is already a very large area.

Advancing to the Yang God realm will certainly bring about a qualitative change.

But they had never heard of anyone who had ascended to the Yang God realm and whose Dao domain could cover an area of ​​ten miles!

Anyone can come and see.

The outcome of the battle between Zhao Tongtian, who had been cultivating his Dao for a long time, and Xie Xuanyi was a foregone conclusion.

Zhao Tongtian was, after all, the law master of the Sword Palace. He had cultivated for many years, experienced the Battle of Drinking Poison, and was also blessed by the "Golden Turtle Peak"... Although he hadn't made a move for many years, he was still at least at the fifth level of the Yang God realm!
No matter how talented Xie Xuanyi is, he has just been promoted and cannot possibly compete with someone at the fifth level of the Yang God realm!

But the moment the "Domain of Annihilation" cascaded down.

These elders all changed their minds.

"..."

Zhao Tongtian stood deep within the Dao Domain, feeling the countless strands of the Dao of Annihilation entwining him. He did not interfere with Xie Xuanyi's advancement, nor did Xie Xuanyi manipulate the Dao of Annihilation to launch an attack.

The Sword Palace Master's expression was complex.

The Great Eagle Sword Palace has been recuperating and preparing for so many years, eagerly awaiting Xie Xuanyi's advancement!

This day...

This should have been a day of universal celebration!

Why does this happen?
"Uncle-Master, if you trust me, please make way."

At the very center of the overlapping Dharma image, shrouded by countless Dao intents, Xie Xuanyi silently felt the baptism of the Dao Condensation. This divine journey was only one step away from "perfection," which was to advance to the Yang God.

Five years of travel were both a pilgrimage to the way of life and a tempering of the mind.

now.

With a mere thought, Xie Xuanyi crossed the "chasm" that countless people could only dream of.

The embryo of the Dao is hatched, and the Great Dao is formed!
At this moment, Xie Xuanyi is truly worthy of being one of the "Ten Heroes of the World," standing at the pinnacle of Yang God. Although he cannot step into the sixth heaven in one step like Xuanzhi Zhenren, with the blessing of the complete "Way of Annihilation," Xie Xuanyi's combat power is far beyond that of ordinary Yang Gods.

"Xuan Yi..."

Zhao Tongtian looked at the young sword immortal before him, his eyes filled with both anger and regret.

He pondered for a few moments, then shook his head and did not choose to step aside.

"Let this old man examine how well you have cultivated over the past five years!"

The words fell.

Zhang Lu raised his long sleeve and grabbed at the young man not far in front of him.

Suddenly, a golden, blazing light burst forth from the dark, shrouded sky. The light was dazzling and brilliant, like a shooting star.

It was a giant sword.

It is also a mountain peak.

The "Golden Turtle Peak" suddenly contracted, its sharp edges collapsing and shrinking, condensing into a sword aura several feet long.

This sword slashed across the sky, cut through the Dao of Annihilation, and arrived directly in front of Xie Xuanyi.

"珰!"

Xie Xuanyi didn't hesitate and threw a punch directly.

Although he lacked the blessing of the Dao of Life in this life, he had still cultivated a second sword path, making his physical body incredibly sturdy. With the Dao of Annihilation enveloping his Martial Divine Embryo, Xie Xuanyi delivered a powerful punch directly to Golden Turtle Peak!
A sickeningly loud crashing sound erupted from the ceiling.

Jin'ao Peak was like a bronze bell being struck, its resounding echo spreading for miles. Not only the Sword Palace, but even half a province away, could hear this magnificent and awe-inspiring impact!

Catching a sword with bare hands?!

Even though Zhao Tongtian had prepared himself mentally, he never expected such a scene to unfold.

His own Golden Turtle Peak was caught by Xie Xuanyi with his bare hands and punched back!
Zhang Lu momentarily lost his focus.

This wasn't the first time he'd seen something like this... The last person to accomplish such a miracle was his senior brother.

Rumble.

A surge of turbulent currents erupted from the zenith, causing Jin'ao Peak to lose control, fly out, and crash heavily towards its master.

After a moment of distraction, Zhao Tongtian quickly regained his composure and resumed wielding his sword. However, in a duel of this level, even the slightest mistake could lead to an irreversible defeat.

Swish.

The sound of wind reached my ears.

A figure in black robes had already arrived before him, sword in hand.

Before Jin'ao Peak could stabilize his sword, Xie Xuanyi rushed to Zhao Tongtian's side, extended a palm, and gently placed it on the latter's chest.

"Uncle-Master, I'm sorry."

Xie Xuanyi's eyes were gentle as he whispered, "I know your moves all too well."

With a snap, the energy burst forth.

Xie Xuanyi did not use the "Way of Annihilation" to damage the meridians and internal organs of the Master Lawyer. Instead, he used his Dao intent to disperse the protective sword energy, ensuring that his own energy could penetrate the opponent's bones.

This strike was quite powerful, and the control was extremely precise—

There was only a muffled thud.

Zhao Tongtian then lost consciousness and fell from the top of the sky.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi watched this scene without any change in expression. He withdrew his palm and felt the residual energy in his palm.

The duel with the Master of Laws turned out to be simpler than he had imagined.

It's not just because of "understanding".

More importantly... it's because Zhao Tongtian in this timeline is far less powerful than in the original world.

The reason for this scene is actually quite simple.

There was no "Great Calamity of the North Sea" in this world. Although the Great Sui Sword Palace was recuperating, it was not under any pressure.

Thirty years ago, when Lotus Peak's fortunes were waning, Xie Xuanyi appeared, and with a power even greater than that of the "Lotus Venerable," directly shouldered the responsibility for the future. In this world, Emperor Chu did not perish, and the Holy Empress did not appear... All of this led to the final outcome—

Zhao Tongtian is no longer burdened by pressure.

For cultivators at the peak of the Yangshen realm, how far they can cultivate depends not only on their comprehension but also on their external environment.

In the original world, Zhao Tongtian carried an extremely heavy burden on his shoulders—

Lotus Peak's fortunes have declined.

The headmaster has gone into seclusion.

The Sword Palace and the Imperial City are at odds.

The sect's top prodigy, on whom they had placed their hopes, perished in the great calamity of the North Sea.

Under this pressure, Zhao Tongtian worked day and night to cultivate during the Sword Palace's closure, and when he finally fought Lu Yuzhen, he unleashed the strength of the sixth level of the Heavenly Realm.

And the battle just now.

Xie Xuanyi vaguely sensed that the Master of Laws might only be at the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm.

……

……

"I never expected... Xie Xuanyi's Dao Condensation would turn out like this..."

"Is this a plan to use the Dao-condensing technique to hunt down Jiang Miaoyin?"

"Can the law master stop him?"

The pressure from the pitch-black Dao Domain did not fall onto the ground of the Sword Palace.

After the dazzling golden light appeared in the sky, the pressure on the Dao Domain of Annihilation suddenly eased. Just as everyone was holding their breath and waiting for the outcome of the battle, the sword light in the sky suddenly dissipated.

"Boom!"

The golden sword light swirled and expanded in the air, growing larger and larger in the wind, eventually reaching hundreds and thousands of feet in length before crashing to the earth.

Jin'ao Peak has returned to its original state.

At the same time, a figure draped in a wide robe plummeted straight to the ground.

"This is... the Law Master!!"

"The Law Master has been defeated?!"

"We've lost!!"

The disciples watching were all stunned.

The most incredulous was Qi Lie, who simply couldn't believe his eyes... For so many years, the sect leader had been in seclusion, and the world universally acknowledged that his master was the "highest combat power" of the Great Sui Sword Palace!
Senior Brother Xuan Yi had just condensed his Dao, and the exchange of blows lasted no more than ten breaths.

Master was defeated?!

Although Zhao Tongtian was falling very fast, he did not crash heavily to the ground. Xie Xuanyi, who was standing on the top of the sky, gently flicked his sleeve, and dozens of black and slender "Dao Fish" of Annihilation drew long arcs, caught up with Zhao Tongtian's falling figure, and enveloped and protected him.

Finally, these fish circled around the palm, causing it to land on the ground in a very gentle manner.

"very good."

Xie Xuanyi exhaled a breath of stale air.

From the moment the Dao was formed to the end of the duel, only a dozen or so breaths had passed.

His divine sense suddenly expanded by more than ten times, and in just an instant he caught sight of the wisp of rainbow light that had fled into the distance.

Chi Wu was still within his sensing range.

He withdrew his Dao Domain and took a step forward.

With just one step, they traversed several miles and arrived outside the gates of the Sword Palace.

After these strange phenomena appeared, many cultivators appeared around the Sword Palace... including spies from the Imperial City Guard of the Great Chu Imperial City, secret agents from the Book Pavilion, intelligence envoys from Fangyuanfang, and idle cultivators who happened to be located in Zhongzhou.

At this moment, several figures were hanging near the gate of the Great Eagle Sword Palace.

"Are you going to stop me too?!"

Xie Xuanyi frowned, looking at the dark mass of figures in front of him.

He spoke coldly, but his voice was like thunder.

The sound echoed out.

The Venerables of the Yin Spirit Realm were struck dumb, their faces turning pale as they hurriedly moved aside!

As for those cultivators below the Yin Spirit Realm, they were completely unable to maintain "Qi Control" and fell directly to the ground.

……

……

"escape!"

"We must escape...we must escape to the portal left by the 'Dao Master' and send a message to him!"

After Chi Wu escaped from the Great Sui Sword Palace, he had only one thought in his mind.

She was not actually afraid of death.

The Daoist Master enlightened her and gave her life...

To live to this age is an immense blessing.

She had long ago prepared to dedicate her life to the Paper Doll Path.

However, if he were to die at Xie Xuanyi's hands, the Dao Lord would lose his "anchor point." This divine travel world was the cause and effect that the Dao Lord was most satisfied with, and he was only a few steps away from fulfilling his "great ambition." If he were to die like this, the Dao Lord's "great ambition" would likely suffer a huge blow.

She has to live!

Those practitioners with unwavering willpower often unleash incredible power even in dire circumstances.

At this moment, Chi Wu's "escape light" was already at its limit. She forgot her injuries and pain, and her speed was so fast that she almost shattered the void.

All the way north.

In just a few dozen breaths, they covered nearly a hundred miles!
Unfortunately.

Chi Wu's "extreme speed" is nothing special to Yang Shen.

Rumble, rumble——

A deafening roar of shattering void echoed within Chi Wuxin Lake. She turned around in shock and saw a black-clad figure enveloped in a dark aura. Xie Xuanyi didn't even wield his sword; he simply strode forward calmly. With each step he took, the void shattered and tore apart on its own... Before advancing to the Yang God Realm, he could ignore the "void barrier" by relying on his unparalleled swordsmanship.

At this moment, Ningdao's travel speed increased several times over.

It is likely that only the great demons "Vermilion Bird" and "Phoenix" of the Demon Kingdom, known for their agility and speed, could escape Xie Xuanyi's pursuit at this moment.

"So fast! They've arrived already?!"

Chi Wu glanced at it once, and his heart was shaken.

In her expectations, things shouldn't be like this now... That "bitter trick" just now successfully lured Zhao Tongtian to come out and stop her. Even if Xie Xuanyi had advanced to the Dao Condensation stage, he shouldn't have been able to escape so quickly!

"Miss Chi, you're moving too slowly. Where are you headed? Could it be the 'North Sea'?"

After catching up with Chi Wu, Xie Xuanyi spoke softly and slowed down slightly.

In a chase that lasted only a few dozen breaths, the two had left Zhongzhou and arrived in Qingzhou.

Xie Xuanyi could tell that Chi Wu had a "purpose".

If I'm not mistaken, this woman isn't afraid of death, but rather worried that Lu Yuzhen will lose her anchor point and thus lose the "cause and effect" of this world. She's a "death warrior" wholeheartedly devoted to Lu Yuzhen, and likely has the means to contact Lu Yuzhen to descend into this divine travel world.

Coincidentally.

The route Chi Wu is taking to escape is almost exactly the same as the route he took to go north back then.

Beyond Qingzhou lies Beijun.

Beyond that lies Beihai.

"..."

Chi Wu's face was grim. She knew very well that with Xie Xuanyi's strength, killing her would be an easy task at this moment.

Now that I've caught up with them but haven't made a move, I must seize this opportunity.

"Father, save me!!"

Chi Wu took a deep breath and suddenly spoke.

She traveled north, leaving the Sword Palace, and headed towards Qingyang City. Now, several miles away, she transmitted her voice directly, calling out under the identity of "Jiang Miaoyin".

In fact.

There is absolutely no need for this sound transmission.

The farce that occurred at the Great Eagle Sword Palace was immediately reported to all the major holy lands and sects via a communication order.

The situation in Qingyang City has already turned upside down.

Xie Xuanyi wanted to kill Jiang Miaoyin? This was outrageous! The Jiang family was in complete uproar; no one could believe it.

Especially Old Master Jiang Lie, who couldn't believe the information in the message at all.

Although he had been bedridden for years, he would receive a "top-secret box" sent by Xie Xuanyi every now and then, containing a wisp of perfectly preserved immortal spring water vapor. If it weren't for this vapor keeping him alive, he would have been buried five years ago. Although Xie Xuanyi had disappeared for five years, Jiang Lie knew that Xie Xuanyi had been thinking of him constantly during that time.

How could someone like that possibly treat Miaoyin badly?

Upon learning the news, Jiang Lie immediately used his accumulated connections to invite Ye Zu of Hundred Flowers Valley.

"Boom, boom, boom."

Above Qingyang City, countless red leaves flew up and swirled in mid-air, condensing into a withered figure.

It was Ye Zu, whom Jiang Lie had invited.

"Fellow Daoist Xie, is there some misunderstanding?"

Ye Zu stepped forward and blocked Xie Xuanyi's path. He spoke gently, wanting to mediate the situation.

But the next moment, Ye Zu's expression changed.

Xie Xuanyi didn't explain anything upon meeting him. Without saying a word, he raised his hand and unleashed a sword aura!
The sword energy multiplied, creating two, then three, and countless red leaves emerged...

This is precisely the secret of Hundred Flowers Valley.

Burning flowers!

(End of this chapter)