Daqin Zhentiansi

The stream of light precisely pierced the forehead of a tiger shark that had just leaped out of the water and was pouncing on another group of fighters!

"Pfft!"

With a soft sound, an incomparably sharp sword aura exploded from behind his head!

The ferocious saber-toothed tiger shark didn't even have time to let out a wail before its massive body crashed into the water, staining the blue waves red with blood, its dorsal fin remaining intact and embedded in its corpse.

The light faded, revealing a tall and upright figure in wide robes and sleeves, with a refined and elegant face, exuding an air of otherworldly grace. It was none other than Xuan Chengzi, the Daoist disciple of Qingxu Temple!

"It's Brother Xuanchengzi!" The leader of the Liuyun Sect disciples exclaimed in surprise, his face full of awe.

"My God, the top of the Blood Sea Trial rankings is also on the second floor!" another person exclaimed, looking at Xuan Chengzi with eyes full of reverence.

What surprised them even more was that Xuan Chengzi didn't look at the tiger shark he had killed; his clear, deep eyes, like a cold pool, went straight across the chaotic battlefield and landed on Zhang Yuan.

A slight smile played on his lips, revealing a gentle yet sword-like expression, as he spoke in a clear voice:

"Fellow Daoist Zhang, it has been many years since we last met, and your charm is even greater than before."

"We fought side by side in the sea of ​​blood, but that wasn't enough. Today, we've met by chance in this icy pool, where ferocious demons serve as targets everywhere. I wonder if you, my friend, would be interested in competing with me to see who can slay more of these malevolent creatures?"

This sound not only made Cheng Yue, who was engaged in a fierce battle, feel a chill, but also made the few cultivators in the distance who were still overjoyed by the dorsal fins so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths!
"Hiss—Brother Xuanchengzi actually took the initiative to challenge that person?"

"Who is that person? Why does Brother Xuanchengzi address him as a fellow Daoist?"

"Wait... black robe, heavy sword... I remember now! He's Zhang Qingyang! The fiend who slew the half-saint demon with his blood sea!"

"It's him! These two are about to clash?! Look!"

Shocked, excited, and expectant gazes instantly focused on Zhang Yuan.

Zhang Yuan withdrew his gaze from Cheng Yue's battlefield, his eyes deep and calm, like the boundless, icy pool.

Without saying a word, he took a step forward, and the ice beneath his feet, frozen into a hard shell, shattered silently!
"it is good."

A single, seemingly uneventful syllable was uttered, yet it instantly ignited the atmosphere!
Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Yuan had already made his move!
Facing a saber-toothed tiger shark lunging at him from the side with its gaping maw, Zhang Yuan didn't even draw his sword.

He simply clenched his right fist and threw a simple, unadorned punch!
"boom--!!!"

Without light or sound, pure power pierced through space!

The tiger shark's massive head exploded the instant the fist made contact, like a watermelon struck by a hundred-foot-tall hammer!

Red and white mixed with hard bone fragments, scattering everywhere with a bone-chilling cold!

The headless corpse, still in a forward-moving posture, crashed into the water, splashing up a huge wave!

Crush them!

Just as this shocking scene stunned everyone, the "Yuanyue" heavy sword on Zhang Yuan's back was suddenly drawn from its sheath with a low, dragon-like roar!
Zhang Yuan gripped the ancient and heavy sword hilt tightly with both hands, his arm muscles bulging, and a powerful sense of overwhelming force that could suppress heaven and earth suddenly erupted!
He had no fancy sword moves whatsoever; his sword strikes were as heavy as a collapsing mountain!

"Open it!"

With a deep shout, Zhang Yuan swung the Yuanyue Heavy Sword horizontally with the force of a thousand-pound blow!

It was as if he wasn't using a sword, but rather wielding a colossal, world-shaking axe!

“Buzz——!!!”

A heavy wave of air, visible to the naked eye and distorting space, accompanied by an extremely condensed, dark sword aura tens of feet wide, plowed wildly towards the fan-shaped water area in front of it with overwhelming force!
Where the sword energy passed, all was silent!

The ice layer in the frigid pool, as solid as steel, silently tore apart and vaporized!
The water surface was forcibly pushed open by a terrifying force, revealing its depths!
The saber-toothed tiger sharks that block this destructive torrent, whether they collide head-on or are swept by the edge, all have only one fate—to be crushed!
Scales flew off!

Flesh and blood turned to mush!
His spine was broken!

The sharp dorsal fins that were once a source of pride and could be used as top-grade spiritual materials shattered and vanished inch by inch the moment they touched the dark sword energy, just like fragile glass!
Within sight, more than ten frantically attacking saber-toothed tiger sharks were completely torn apart and wiped out like rag dolls by this one sword strike!
Crimson blood mist instantly filled the vast body of water, and the heavy smell of blood even overpowered the coldness of the pool!

The immense impact even sent several tiger sharks that were fighting in front of Cheng Yue flying, leaving them dizzy and disoriented.

Just one punch!
Just one sword strike!
A fan-shaped area was completely cleared!

This was more than ten or even a hundred times more domineering than Xuan Chengzi's previous leisurely sword strikes!
This is an absolute, overwhelming, and devastating force!
In an instant, the core area of ​​the entire Azure Pool fell into a deathly silence.

The cultivators who were besieging the tiger shark in the distance were stunned, forgetting even to maintain their spells.

Cheng Yue gripped the ancient sword tightly, his eyes filled with shock.

Even Xuan Chengzi, who always wore a gentle smile with an air of otherworldly grace, froze on his calm face, turning into undisguised astonishment and solemnity, his fingers gripping the whisk tightening slightly.

Blood mist filled the air, and the water ripples slowly closed in. Zhang Yuan stood alone atop the floating ice blocks and shattered corpses, the tip of his heavy, mountain-like Yuanyue sword pointing diagonally at the water's surface, untouched by blood.

His black robes were soaked even deeper by the moisture, yet his aura was like that of an ancient demon god awakening, deep and imposing.

He slightly raised his eyes to look at Xuan Chengzi, his voice remaining calm:

"Fellow Daoist Xuancheng, you flatter me."

Xuan Chengzi opened his mouth, a bitter smile appearing on his face.

Zhang Yuan slowly turned around, his gaze falling on the bloody waters he had cleaved open with his sword. Amidst the surging blood waves, a strange light, different from that of beast blood, flowed faintly in the depths of the water.

A pure, icy, and subtly resonant aquatic spiritual energy was rapidly gathering and purifying the filth.

Zhang Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, and the Yuanyue sword in his hand trembled slightly. A subtle yet pure and domineering sword aura shot into the deepest part of the blood.

"Om..."

A long, clear sword cry echoed from underwater!
It was as if a spirit that had been asleep for countless years had been awakened.

From the deep water, a soft, azure halo slowly rose, dispelling the surrounding bloodstains.

The water rippled automatically, and an ancient longsword, over three feet long, floated into the air.

The blade is not smooth, but covered with naturally formed, mysterious ripples that seem to flow like living water.

The azure sword light seemed to condense the essence of the entire icy pool, containing a warm yet vast power of cold water. A point of cold light at the tip of the sword seemed capable of freezing the soul.

It is the extraordinary treasure nurtured on the second level of the Sword Tomb, the Azure Water Sword!
As soon as the sword was drawn, the water in the cold pool within a three-zhang radius seemed to be summoned by its will, no longer raging and ferocious, but gently swirling around the sword and rippling with the flow of the sword's ripples.

It hovered in front of Zhang Yuan, emitting a submissive hum, like an elf awaiting a new master.

Zhang Yuan reached out and grasped the sword hilt. A clear, icy aura, yet subtly harmonizing with his own powerful strength, surged into his mind. The water ripples on the sword seemed to come alive, flowing rhythmically in his palm.

This sword is of a grade no less than that of ordinary treasures, and its innate ability to control water is even more rare.

Looking at the radiant Azure Water Sword in Zhang Yuan's hand from afar, and then at the silver dorsal fin they cherished in their arms, the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect felt their faces burning with shame, and their previous elation turned into bitterness.

The difference is like night and day!
What surprised them, Xuan Chengzi, and Cheng Yue even more was yet to come.

After obtaining the Azure Water Sword, Zhang Yuan did not immediately put it away. Instead, he gently tapped it on the water's surface beside him.

"bass!"

The deep pool and clear water responded instantly, like the most loyal soldiers!
Centered on the Azure Water Sword, a clear ring of water suddenly rose upwards from the surface of the water.

Among the remains of the saber-toothed tiger sharks that Zhang Yuan had just killed and sent flying with a punch and a sword, the dorsal fins, though severed, were still sharp and shimmering with a silvery-gray metallic luster. As if summoned by some more powerful force, they broke free from the broken corpses and from the cold pool water!

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

The sound of water breaking was incessant! One, two, three…

In the end, the number of roots gathered together reached several thousand!

The dense, silver bony fins transformed into dazzling meteors, like rivers flowing into the sea, leaving behind shimmering trails of cold water, and shot with unparalleled precision towards the ring of water formed by the Azure Water Sword, instantly covering it!

The Azure Water Sword trembled slightly, and water ripples flowed along its blade.

The enormous water ring that had absorbed thousands of tiger shark dorsal fins began to rotate on its own, following some mysterious and unpredictable trajectory, to everyone's astonishment!

The water flow and sharp, sword-like fins are perfectly combined.

With the blessing of Zhang Yuan's will, the sword slowly rotated around him, forming the prototype of a terrifying sword formation that was enormous, with sharp blades, and possessed both the solidity of ice and the softness of flowing water!
The water in the cold pool is both a vessel and a shackle, but also an amplifying force!

A world-shaking sword formation, poised to be unleashed, had already revealed its tip the moment Zhang Yuan took up the Azure Water Sword!
Xuan Chengzi recovered from his initial shock.

Looking at Zhang Yuan, who controlled thousands of sword fins as if they were his own arms and was surrounded by a giant array of icy water, his gentle smile remained on his face, but deep in his eyes, there was an extreme solemnity, and even a very faint tremor.

He took a deep breath of the icy pool air, suppressing his turbulent emotions. His voice remained clear and melodious, but now carried a more solemn and profound invitation:
"Zhang Daoyou is skilled in many ways. He can gather thousands of soldiers with one weapon and turn a fierce formation into his own."

"This path leads directly to the profound mysteries of the Sword Tomb. This icy pool, though dangerous, is only the beginning. I've heard that the third level of the 'Flaming Fiend Heart-Melting Prison' has undergone changes, concerning ancient secrets, and perhaps even..."

"Having touched upon the legendary 'Thirteen Ferocious Swords,' comparing ourselves to them here would be presumptuous. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Zhang... would you be willing to join hands and explore deeper secrets together?"

Zhang Yuan nodded slightly, which was a response to Xuan Chengzi's invitation.

Both were exceptional talents of their time, and they understood each other without saying a word.

They met by chance at the cold pool, their rivalry over, each displaying their talents. Now, the allure of the deeper secrets they hold far outweighs any pointless squabbles.

Xuan Chengzi smiled nonchalantly, transformed into a beam of clear light, and plunged into the distorted spatial vortex, heading straight for the third level of the Fiery Heart-Melting Prison.

Watching Xuan Chengzi leave, Zhang Yuan suppressed his aura, becoming calm and composed.

He glanced at Cheng Yue and Yin Xiaozi, who stood with his hands at his sides: "Let's go and explore the depths of this cold, clear pool again."

The three of them did not linger, but walked on the water, heading towards the even colder and more desolate interior of the cold pool.

In the deepest part of the icy pool, the light grew dimmer, and the water seemed to be frozen with millennia of cold, so much so that even one's breath would instantly turn to frost.

Broken ice layers and massive reefs frozen with skeletons create a bizarre landscape.

Upon reaching a vast underwater ice valley, the bloody, rusty smell that had been permeating the air was suddenly replaced by a rich, sweet, rotten odor that was almost overwhelming.

"Be careful! There's a strange poison!" Cheng Yue shouted in a low voice, a layer of steady protective sword energy rising from his body to isolate him from the air.

Yin Xiaozi's withered face also showed a trace of solemnity. His demonic energy was restrained, and dark green light flowed around his body. He had obviously used the poison-repelling secret technique of the Dark Palace.

Even Zhang Yuan frowned slightly, the sweet and fishy smell assaulting his soul, bringing a strange sense of numbness.

The entrance to the Ice Valley was narrow. As soon as the group stepped inside, the sight before them made even a sword cultivator as resolute as Cheng Yue gasp in shock!
The Ice Valley is not an empty body of water.

Countless thick, blood-red vines, as thick as the roots of ancient trees, densely covered the towering ice cliffs on both sides and covered every inch of frozen soil at the bottom of the valley!
These vines have a sickly dark red color all over.

It seemed to have absorbed a lot of blood, its surface covered with a thick, scarlet liquid, and secreted a nauseatingly sweet and toxic mist.

What's even more chilling is that the ends of countless vines are tightly wrapped around and encasing ancient swords of various shapes!

The ancient swords were covered in rust, yet they still emitted a faint spiritual light, sometimes sharp, sometimes serene, as if they had become the "nourishment" and "extension" of the blood vine.

Where the sword blade meets the vine, thinner yet sharper, dark red tentacles sprout.

The tip was coated with bluish-purple venom, which shimmered with a deadly glow in the dim light of the water.

The icy valley was not uninhabited.

Not far from Zhang Yuan and the others, seven or eight cultivators in various attire were trapped in a desperate situation!

They were clearly treasure hunters, but at this moment they were tightly bound by at least dozens of blood-red vines as thick as arms!

"Ah—! Help me!!"

"No! What the hell is this! True essence... True essence is dissipating!"

"I can't feel my hands! Quickly cut these vines!"

A desperate howl echoed through the icy valley, utterly desolate.

Those vines were incredibly strong, and the protective aura of the cultivators they entangled was crushed like paper!
Dark red, fine suction cups adhered to the cultivator's skin, greedily sucking up his essence and true energy!
Even more terrifying were the fine, bluish-purple poison needles, which easily pierced through the remaining defenses, frantically injecting toxins that paralyzed the nerves and even eroded the soul.

A cultivator at the Cave Profound Realm attempted to sever the vines with his spiritual sword, but the blade was repelled by the vines' astonishing resilience the moment it touched them.

At the same time, several poisoned needles pierced his sword-wielding arm like lightning, instantly turning his arm black and swollen.

After letting out a scream, its consciousness dissipated, and it was completely wrapped in a human-shaped cocoon by more vines, leaving only the terrifying muffled sound of bones shattering.

The Bloodvine Parasitic Sword not only devours energy to fuel its growth, but also uses the sharpness of its blade to catalyze the development of even more lethal killing organs!
This Blood Vine in the Frozen Pool is clearly the master of the Ice Valley Trap, feeding on the essence and blood of cultivators!

"Hehehe..." Yin Xiaozi let out a tooth-grinding laugh, raised his withered claws, and suddenly unleashed the "Ten Thousand Fiends Gathering Soul Banner" covered in cracks!
"What a potent poison! Perfect, let my old toy test the waters! Go!"

Banners fluttered in the wind, their dark green gleaming brilliantly! (End of Chapter)