Chapter 140: You Can't Catch My Sword, the Grand Master Arrives

Chapter 140: You Can't Catch My Sword, the Grand Master Arrives

Xu Yan glanced at the elderly man and nodded, "It's good that you understand. You know I have high talent and strength, and I don't need to follow the rules!"

After speaking, he continued to walk upwards, with no intention of sparring with the old man.

The old man was dumbfounded, "Young friend, you haven't defeated me yet."

Xu Yan paused and said disappointedly, "I thought you understood. You say I don't need to follow the rules, but you still want me to defeat you according to the rules."

"If you truly believe that I can break the rules, you shouldn't have asked me to make a move. I could have bypassed you and sought stronger opponents above."

The old man was exasperated. He was just paying a compliment, and this young man was blatantly looking down on his weakness!

Taking a deep breath, the old man's longsword quivered in his hand as he said in a low voice, "I see that you also cultivate the Sword Dao. I, your senior, would like to exchange pointers with you and witness your Sword Dao techniques!"

Xu Yan shook his head, "Your Sword Dao is too inferior. For me to use my sword against you would be bullying. Let's stick to the old rules, and you can receive my palm strike."

Damn it!

The old man's face turned green. Where did this arrogant young man come from?

The surrounding warriors and students from the Seven Stars Academy all gasped in shock. This guy was truly arrogant, bluntly stating that the Grand Instructor's Sword Dao was inferior?

While the Sword Dao of the Seven Stars Academy was slightly inferior to that of Sword Sovereign Cliff, it was still considered the second best in the Inner Realm.

The old man before them had dedicated his life to cultivating the Sword Dao and had always refined his skills. He had even defeated a Great Accomplishment Sword Dao Master from Sword Sovereign Cliff.

Such strength was considered unworthy in this young man's eyes?

"Arrogant boy, take my sword!"

The old man's face turned red with anger, and with a horizontal swing of his longsword, a loud rumble echoed as sword qi burst forth, emitting a chilling light. Layer upon layer of sword light surged forth, seemingly connecting heaven and earth.

"Is that the Heaven and Earth Frigid Light? It seems the Grand Instructor is truly enraged. He defeated the Great Accomplishment Master from Sword Sovereign Cliff using this Sword Dao technique."

"How amazing! I also cultivate the Sword Dao, but facing this sword, I don't know how to counter it. There seems to be no flaw in it at all!"

The students from the Seven Stars Academy were filled with awe.

As expected of the Grand Instructor, a Great Accomplishment Sword Dao Master. His first move was extraordinary.

Among the surrounding warriors, there were also those who cultivated the Sword Dao, and they were equally astonished. "As expected of the Seven Stars Academy's Grand Instructor. This move, Heaven and Earth Frigid Light, is incredibly fierce, as if connecting heaven and earth, leaving no room for evasion or flaw."

It also seemed to contain hidden variations.

Among the onlookers, there was a young man in his twenties. He had a serious expression, and his eyes were fixed on the old man's sword, not blinking for a moment.

"So this is the Heaven and Earth Frigid Light that defeated my Sword Sovereign Cliff's Great Accomplishment Master? It's indeed exceptionally fierce. I wonder how Senior Brother Xie would break this move if he faced it."

Cold Autumn thought to himself.

He was a disciple of Sword Sovereign Cliff, known as the heaven-defying genius second only to Xie Lingfeng. He had come to the Seven Stars Academy to exchange pointers in Sword Dao, paving the way for his breakthrough to the Master Realm.

"All show and no substance!"

Xu Yan shook his head, lifted his hand, and struck out with a palm.

A golden dragon roared and pierced through the layers of sword light. In an instant, the heaven-and-earth-connecting sword light shattered.

"Rotate!"

The old man's expression turned solemn, and the shattered sword light suddenly spun. This was one of the killing techniques of the Heaven and Earth Frigid Light.

However, the fierce and unstoppable golden dragon directly slammed into the rotating sword light, striking before the sword momentum could build up its full power.

Bang!

The sword light exploded and collapsed, and the golden dragon's tail swept out, sending the old man flying.

Silence!

The entire place fell silent once more.

Such a powerful move was still unable to withstand the young man's palm strike? What kind of technique was that golden dragon, and how incredibly powerful it was!

The old man fell to the ground, dazed and confused.

For a moment, he felt lost. The Sword Dao he had relied on to make a name for himself was so fragile?

Xu Yan lifted his foot to continue upward but glanced at the old man and paused. He said, "Sword Dao is not about grandiose auras or fancy sword techniques. It is about condensing the essence into a single sword strike, the true killing technique. Everything else is just embellishment.

"You have not entered the door of Sword Dao and do not understand sword intent. For you, speed, fierceness, and sharpness are the right path.

"It is not about spreading out meaningless sword momentum, making it weak and insubstantial. Even if there are variations, they are too slow.

"I have a friend who has cultivated his sword technique to the peak, far surpassing you. He is the one who has come closest to entering the Sword Dao."

The old man's Sword Dao appeared powerful, with a majestic sword momentum that looked intimidating. However, it was all show and no substance.

It would naturally be invincible against ordinary warriors.

In Xu Yan's eyes, the old man's move was not as good as Xie Lingfeng's Ten Thousand Rivers Sword Technique, let alone the Rainbow Sword Technique.

If he were to encounter Xie Lingfeng, this Heaven and Earth Frigid Light would be broken by a single move of the Rainbow Sword Technique.

Up to this point, among the Sword Dao warriors Xu Yan had seen, only Xie Lingfeng had truly touched the threshold of Sword Dao, cultivating his sword technique to the peak.

Moreover, he had almost broken free from the constraints of sword techniques.

However, he was still slightly short of entering the Sword Dao.

"I wonder if Brother Xie has achieved clarity of the sword heart," Xu Yan thought.

He figured he probably hadn't, as achieving clarity of the sword heart was not an easy task.

The old man was stunned, his head buzzing. After cultivating for most of his life, he had not even entered the door of Sword Dao?

He opened his mouth to refute, but as a loser, he had no right to argue.

In the end, he sighed, "I have been taught a lesson!"

Cold Autumn stood in his spot, shocked by Xu Yan. He had gained some new insights from Xu Yan's words.

"Who is he? His talent surpasses even Senior Brother's?"

Xu Yan nodded. The Seven Stars Academy's Master was quite admirable, as he did not fly into a rage or feel humiliated by his defeat. He simply acknowledged it.

Upwards he went.

Eighth Level.

The guardian here was a peak Master.

Xu Yan had consecutively defeated the Seven Stars Academy's Master guardians, all with a single palm strike. This had put immense pressure on the academy.

The guardian of the eighth level was one of the top peak Masters in the Seven Stars Academy.

"It's Senior Ding Yan, the Grand Instructor!"

The students of the Seven Stars Academy exclaimed in shock.

"What? It's Master Ding Yan?"

The surrounding warriors were also stunned.

A young man had actually attracted the attention of the famous Master Ding Yan, causing him to come forth as a guardian. This showed the pressure the Seven Stars Academy was feeling.

Grand Instructor Ding Yan was renowned throughout the Inner Realm, and among peak Masters, he ranked within the top thirty.

On the martial arts stage stood a man with a wide robe and long sleeves, a three-foot-long beard, and a refined demeanor. In his hand, he held a three-foot-long brush, a precious artifact.

"Young friend, do I have the qualifications to invite you to spar on this stage?"

Ding Yan asked with a smile.

Xu Yan nodded, "Yes, you are the first one with the strength to invite me to spar."

Ding Yan was very strong, only slightly weaker than the half-step Grand Master Yin Hong.

And he was merely a peak Master.

However, in Xu Yan's eyes, the so-called half-step Grand Master was just a term for those who lacked the strength to break through to the Grand Master realm in one go, hence only achieving half the progress.

Xu Yan stepped onto the martial stage.

The onlookers were all stirred with excitement, as a great battle was about to unfold.

"Young friend, do I have the qualifications for you to draw your sword against me?" Ding Yan asked, glancing at the treasure sword at Xu Yan's waist.

Xu Yan pondered for a moment and replied honestly, "If I were to draw my sword, you might not be able to withstand a single strike. Are you sure you want me to draw my sword?"

Hiss!

Although the crowd was almost used to the young man's arrogance, they still couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

This was Ding Yan, a Grand Master!

And yet, the young man boldly claimed that he might not be able to withstand a single strike from him? In the Inner Realm, there was probably not a single person at the Grand Master level who had the qualifications to say such a thing.

Only a Grand Master himself could make such a claim.

Even the Sword Sovereign of Sword Sovereign Cliff, Xie Tianheng, in his peak Grand Master state, would not dare to make such a bold statement!

What an arrogant young man! Even Ding Yan was stunned for a moment, then he laughed, "If you are so confident, I am even more eager to witness your sword techniques. I want to see what kind of sword techniques you possess that I can't even withstand a single strike!"

Xu Yan thought for a moment and looked up at the ninth-level martial stage, which was the highest level. After passing this level, he would be able to access almost all the martial arts collections of the Seven Stars Academy.

"Is the guardian of the ninth level a Grand Master?" Xu Yan asked.

Ding Yan nodded, "Yes!"

Xu Yan felt a bit disappointed. With his current strength, he knew he couldn't pass that level yet.

However, there might still be a chance.

As long as it's not a Grand Master, then it should be fine, right? Rules were always meant to be broken by the strong.

So, Xu Yan spoke up, "If you want me to draw my sword, then it's fine. If you can't withstand a single strike from me, then for the ninth level, instead of a Grand Master, how about you send out ten peak Grand Masters? If I defeat them, it will still count as passing the level."

Everyone was dumbfounded by Xu Yan's words. Calling the young man arrogant was an understatement, but he did have self-awareness and knew that he couldn't defeat a Grand Master.

Yet, he boldly claimed that he could take on ten peak Grand Masters!

The onlookers had become numb to Xu Yan's arrogance; his arrogance seemed to increase with each challenge.

"For the ninth level, the rule is to have a Grand Master as the guardian. Young friend, your suggestion..." Ding Yan didn't know how to respond.

He couldn't change this rule.

That privilege belonged solely to a Grand Master.

"Although I can't defeat a Grand Master now, it won't be long before I can. It's just a matter of time.

"If you can't withstand a single strike from me, I want to challenge the ninth level. It's only reasonable for you to send out ten peak Grand Masters in place of the Grand Master, isn't it?" Xu Yan argued.

Xu Yan didn't want to wait until after his breakthrough to challenge the level again.

He wanted to pass all the levels in one go and gain access to the martial arts collections of the Seven Stars Academy.

Ding Yan shook his head and smiled bitterly, about to refuse.

Just then, a figure floated over. He was also wearing a wide robe and holding a yellowing book, as if he had been studying its contents.

"If you can defeat Ding Yan with a single sword strike, I will have ten peak Grand Masters spar with you!" the figure said.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Ding Yan immediately bowed respectfully and said, "Greetings, Grand Supervisor Fu!"

The students of the Seven Stars Academy were astonished. Was this the legendary Grand Supervisor Fu Yun Tian?

One of the five grand supervisors of the Seven Stars Academy!

"Greetings, Grand Supervisor Fu!" the students chorused.

Fu Yun Tian nodded and glanced at Xu Yan before returning to his book.

Xu Yan's heart skipped a beat. A Grand Master! This Grand Master was very strong, even stronger than the one his master had defeated with a single palm strike.

He was a powerful Grand Master!

"With his strength, even if I reach the Great Perfection of the Innate Realm, I might not be able to defeat him with a single palm strike. It might take a dozen palm strikes or a few sword strikes," Xu Yan thought to himself.

Then, Xu Yan's eyes lit up, and he said, "No problem! If he can't take a single strike from me, and if I defeat the ten peak Grand Masters on the ninth level, can I then access all the collections?"

Fu Yun Tian looked up and smiled, "The collections of the Seven Stars Academy, especially those on the ninth level, are not open to just anyone.

"Even if you pass all the levels, you will still need to meet certain conditions to access them.

"For example, your identity may or may not be suitable for viewing those collections, as the ninth level contains a vast amount of knowledge. Only those who are wholeheartedly devoted to martial arts may access them.

"Young man, let's talk about accessing the ninth-level collections after you pass all the levels."

Xu Yan nodded, satisfied with the response. What Fu Yun Tian said made sense.

The ninth level contained a lot of knowledge, and not just anyone could access it.

"I wonder if Brother Xie's identity will be good enough," Xu Yan thought to himself.

"Alright!" Xu Yan looked at Ding Yan and said solemnly, "Are you ready? I'm about to draw my sword!"

Ding Yan also turned serious. Although the young man seemed arrogant, his strength was indeed formidable, and he couldn't afford to be careless.

Holding the precious artifact, a three-foot-long brush, in his hand, Ding Yan exuded the aura of a peak Grand Master.

"Please, young friend!"

Clang!

The sword left its sheath, and in that instant, the onlookers felt as if they had entered a trance, witnessing the appearance of mountains and rivers and the coiling of a giant dragon on the martial stage.

Roar!

A dragon's roar resounded, and in that moment, everyone seemed to see a world of mountains and rivers in the young man's eyes.

Fu Yun Tian looked up from his book as Xu Yan drew his sword. He was stunned by the sight and wondered what kind of sword technique this was, as it seemed to contain the profound principles of heaven and earth.

Were those mountains and rivers? How could a sword technique contain the essence of mountains and rivers? As soon as Xu Yan drew his sword, it was as if the mountains and rivers roared and dragons sang.

Ding Yan felt as if he had entered a trance, hearing the dragon's roar and finding himself in a world of mountains and rivers. The mountains and rivers were desolate, and the killing intent was sharp.

The vast mountains and rivers suddenly overturned, as if they were about to bury all life.

"Not good!"

Ding Yan's heart sank as he felt the might of the sword technique. Was it an illusion? An apparition?

Boom!

His aura burst forth, and the brush in his hand shot out. His body retreated crazily as if trying to escape the vision of mountains and rivers.

With this retreat, it seemed as if the mountains and rivers were moving further away.

Before he could catch his breath, the vision of mountains and rivers disappeared, and his mind returned to reality. When his vision cleared, he felt a chill at his throat, and he realized that the sword tip was just an inch away.

In that moment of retreat, it felt as if he had retreated a great distance, and yet his body seemed to have not moved at all; he had merely stepped out of the vision of mountains and rivers.

"I lost!"

At that moment, Ding Yan smiled bitterly.

He couldn't even withstand a single sword strike!

Silence befell the surroundings. Everyone was shocked beyond words.

What kind of sword was that?

Could there truly be such a sword technique in this world? Even the so-called number one sword sect, Sword Sovereign Cliff, didn't seem to possess such an inconceivable sword technique!

Cold Autumn's eyes widened, and his heart raced with excitement. What kind of sword technique was this? Even his senior brother might not be able to withstand this strike!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end