Chapter 313: Perfection of the Heart Sword Realm, the Might of a Divine Artifact

Chapter 313: Perfection of the Heart Sword Realm, the Might of a Divine Artifact

The spectators were stunned, and the combatants themselves were even more shocked, unable to utter a word.

The five proud geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace stood there with their eyes wide open, their faces filled with disbelief as they stared at the four additional Xu Yan that had suddenly appeared.

The four figures stood at the four cardinal directions, seemingly forming a mysterious pattern and harmony.

They had originally been five against one, with the advantage on their side. But in the blink of an eye, it had become a series of one-on-one battles?

Moreover, it was now five Xu Yan against five opponents!

"Y-You..." The youth with the knife was so shocked that he couldn't speak.

"It's just a minor trick, no need to make such a fuss," the five Xu Yan said in unison.

A minor trick?!

Xu Yan paused slightly before speaking, as this was his first time manifesting the Divine Avatar, and he was still a bit unfamiliar with it. Thus, when his main body spoke, the avatars spoke simultaneously.

With a slight movement of his heart, he said, "There's no need to be so surprised. This is the mystery of martial arts. Although there seem to be five of me, I am still one. The other four are merely manifestations of my power."

Xu Yan spoke with indifference.

It was time to open the eyes of these frogs in a well!

This time, when he spoke, the original body spoke, and the other four avatars remained silent.

"Today, I, Xu Yan, have come to show the Thousand Martial Arts Palace, this self-proclaimed transcendent sect, the wonders of martial arts. So they won't remain narrow-minded and think that their geniuses are so noble. In my eyes, they are nothing but worthless fools."

One of the avatars spoke calmly.

"It's time for you to make your move. Today, I shall let you witness the true power of a sword formation!" Another avatar continued.

Everyone was left dumbfounded.

The five youths with the knife took a few deep breaths, calming their shocked minds. Gritting their teeth, they roared, "Kill!"

This battle was inevitable!

Even with Xu Yan's display of such a mysterious technique, they had no reason to back down!

"This is just an illusion, a trick to deceive others! A mere illusion technique can't fool us!" The youth with the spear shouted angrily as he thrust his spear forward.

"That's right! Trying to deceive us with an illusion technique is simply laughable!" The youth with the brass knuckles chimed in.

Although they knew that this was not an illusion technique, they could only try to convince themselves, boost their confidence, and dispel the hint of fear lurking in their hearts.

"So it's an illusion technique, but it's incredibly powerful."

"It startled me for a moment, making me think that there really is such a wondrous technique."

Hearing this, the other martial artists heaved a sigh of relief.

Perhaps due to the distance, they couldn't tell that it was an illusion technique.

Although many of them felt that this was probably not an illusion technique, they didn't voice their thoughts, merely furrowing their brows in silence.

The head of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace and the others frowned. Could it be an illusion technique?

Even if it was, to be able to create such a lifelike illusion was extremely remarkable.

"It should be an illusion technique, right? I've never heard of such a wondrous technique before." One of the elders spoke, seemingly trying to reassure himself.

The rest remained silent.

Boom!

"An illusion technique?" Xu Yan let out a soft laugh. Did they think that self-deception would be enough?

"It's your turn to make a move, or you won't have another chance!" Xu Yan said indifferently.

"Kill!"

The five youths launched their attacks.

Their qi merged, their martial arts harmonized, and five powerful attacks were unleashed. As they moved, they coordinated with each other, and a second wave of attacks followed closely behind.

This combination attack technique indeed had its unique aspects.

Boom!

"This combination attack is nothing but mediocre!" Xu Yan chuckled. One of his avatars slashed with its sword, and the sound of a dragon's roar echoed.

Another avatar's sword glowed like thunder as it slashed downward.

The avatars exchanged positions, and the fierce sword light crisscrossed the battlefield.

"This is a sword formation. Watch closely!"

The five sword lights intersected in a way that was difficult for the martial artists to comprehend. In an instant, they felt the sharpness of the sword light intensify.

All escape routes were blocked, and all space was sealed. Only the crisscrossing sword light remained, each strike unique in its lethality.

It seemed as if five people were demonstrating five different sword styles.

With a sharp sound, the sword lights intersected, and the figures changed positions, tearing through the combined attack of the five proud disciples of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace. In that moment, their merged qi was instantly severed.

With this, the situation had reversed, and it was now Xu Yan who surrounded the five youths, instead of the other way around.

"How is this possible?!" The spectators were astonished.

At this moment, it didn't seem like the five proud disciples of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace were besieging Xu Yan. Instead, each of them seemed to be facing the attacks of five Xu Yan.

Although there were five people on each side, the proud disciples of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace seemed to be facing the onslaught of five Xu Yan each. What was this? This sword formation was truly incredible and mysterious.

"The combination attack of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace is utterly powerless against this sword formation. No, all the combination attacks of the various sects are powerless!"

"This is a sword formation created by Xu Yan, using a mysterious technique to divide himself into five.

"What if five different people formed a sword formation? How powerful would that be?"

Cui Huayu was shocked to the core.

This sword formation completely overshadowed the combination attacks of the various sects.

Ya Rong also furrowed her brows, and at this moment, she became even more curious about Xu Yan's mysterious master.

"Could it be that Xu Yan's master is the legendary Heavenly Venerable? No, even the legendary Heavenly Venerable doesn't seem to possess such a wondrous technique." Ya Rong thought to herself.

The battle continued, and the mysteries of the sword formation were continuously unveiled. The five proud disciples of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace could no longer coordinate their attacks.

Moreover, they were exhausted from defending, and their lives were constantly in danger.

Obviously, Xu Yan was not using his full strength. Instead of instantly killing the five youths, he was using this opportunity to showcase the might of the sword formation to the outside world!

The head of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace and the others had grim expressions on their faces.

Their combination attack was so easily broken by this sword formation.

"It's time for Wu Yuan to make his move." The head of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace spoke in a low voice.

The outcome of this battle was now clear.

Those five would definitely lose.

At this moment, even he felt a sense of wavering. Could Wu Yuan, even with the power of the divine artifact, the Cold Solitude Blade, truly inflict heavy damage or even kill Xu Yan? After all, Wu Yuan was not an invincible powerhouse.

Taking a deep breath, the head of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace gave another instruction: "Have the elders find an opportunity to kill Xu Yan."

"Master, do you mean that even Wu Yuan may not be able to heavily injure or kill Xu Yan?" Elder Palm Sword and the others were stunned.

"Has Xu Yan used his full strength?" The head of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace asked in a low voice.

Elder Palm Sword was taken aback. That was true. Had Xu Yan ever used his full strength?

He had always appeared to be handling the situation with ease.

"I understand!" Elder Palm Sword nodded solemnly.

On the battlefield, Xu Yan had used the Divine Avatar to demonstrate the sword formation, and at this moment, he had gained some new insights.

He was using the proud disciples of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace to verify his own realizations.

In a fleeting moment, the sword formation changed quietly.

One of the avatars manifested the sword intent of mountains and rivers.

Another avatar manifested the sword intent of the gentle wind.

And the third avatar alternated between the sword intents of mountains and rivers and the gentle wind.

The aftermath of the battle swept towards him, turning into swords as well.

Xu Yan even wanted to turn the incoming attacks into his own swords! However, the difficulty was too great.

It was impossible to achieve.

"Heart Sword Realm, my heart has a sword, turning all things in heaven and earth into swords. My heart has sword intent, and in an instant, can it also transform into the sword intent I desire?

"Whether it is the Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers or the Gentle Wind Sword Intent, they are all my enlightenment.

"Since it is the sword intent in my heart, why can't it be transformed into other sword intents? The wind blows through the mountains and rivers, rippling the waves, and the water flows gently..."

At a certain moment, the fourth avatar thrust out its sword, and the sword intent was gentle, without any killing intent, and there was even a gentleness like water.

However, in an instant, the youth holding the knife felt as if he had fallen into the water and was submerged in the surging waves. It was terrifying and invisible, seemingly gentle yet containing a terrifying killing force.

"Ah!"

He roared, infusing all his power into his knife, cutting through layers of gentle killing intent.

Xu Yan revealed a smile. Although he was far from being able to change his sword intent at will, his sword cultivation had improved, and his Heart Sword Realm was now complete!

He was just a step away from perfecting the Heart Sword Realm.

"Wisdom Sword Realm, it's too profound, and I still don't have a clue."

Xu Yan sighed. He hadn't even fully understood the Heart Sword Realm yet, nor had he comprehended more profound mysteries, so the Wisdom Sword Realm was even more out of reach.

"Kill!"

The five geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace knew that if they continued fighting, they would undoubtedly lose.

They could only gamble with all their might.

In an instant, killing intent emerged.

A crimson killing intent surged from the five of them, merging into a single, even more terrifying killing intent.

This burning killing intent seemed to contain five types of martial arts power, five types of killing intent, and five layers of terrifying killing intent! Xu Yan's eyebrows furrowed as this killing intent was much stronger than the previous five, and the combination of the five killing intents made it even more powerful.

He dared not be careless.

Swish!

The Divine Avatar returned to the main body, and his strength returned to its peak state.

Xu Yan raised his hand and gripped the longsword, merging the Sword Intent of Mountains and Rivers with that of the Gentle Wind. The mountains and rivers overlapped, as if countless beings were wielding swords, slashing downward.

Boom!

The crimson killing intent clashed with the sword light, causing the sword light to reverberate in all directions. The crimson killing intent also reverberated continuously, holding its ground.

The powerful aftermath had already reduced the five proud geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace to ashes, scattering them to the wind.

The martial artists stared wide-eyed at the scene on the battlefield, where the sword light rippled like a tidal wave, constantly reverberating and spreading as if unable to withstand the crimson killing intent.

However, the crimson killing intent also began to dim.

Buzz!

Suddenly, the sword light became gentle, like a gentle stream, weak and frail. Yet, this seemingly weak stream prevented the crimson killing intent from advancing any further.

It continued to melt away until it eventually vanished completely.

Xu Yan emerged victorious once more. What would the Thousand Martial Arts Palace do now?

Would their geniuses continue to hide?

All the martial artists, including the strong experts from the Three Kingdoms, Seven Sects, and Eight Families, looked towards the mountain gate of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace.

Would the esteemed Superlative Spirit Sect really be unable to produce a genius to compete with Xu Yan?

This was no longer just about the Thousand Martial Arts Palace, but also the honor of the Superlative Spirit Sect in the Spirit Domain. If they were suppressed by a lone cultivator, how could the Superlative Spirit Sect continue to hold themselves above the lone cultivators, looking down on them?

Xu Yan stood with his sword in hand, the sword light a hundred feet long, arrogantly pointing towards the mountain gate of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace.

"Does the Thousand Martial Arts Palace have any geniuses brave enough to fight me?"

The hundred-foot-long sword light pointed directly at the mountain gate, a blatant act of provocation. Would the geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace continue to hide?

If so, they truly were cowards, just as Xu Yan had said.

"Xu Yan, how dare a mere lone cultivator be so arrogant? If not for our senior brothers being in seclusion, they would have suppressed you long ago!"

A voice rang out, and a figure stepped forward from the mountain gate of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace.

A terrifying knife light soared into the sky from his body.

The martial artists watching were stunned and turned pale.

One of the geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace had made a move, and he was even using a divine artifact!

Furthermore, from his words, they learned that the reason the geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace hadn't appeared was that they were in seclusion and couldn't come out to fight.

"Is that... Wu Yuan of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace?"

Someone whispered.

"Shameless!"

Tian Ji scoffed.

The Thousand Martial Arts Palace actually allowed Wu Yuan to use a divine artifact. Although it wasn't taking advantage of their numerical superiority, it was still somewhat shameful.

However, there were no restrictions on what weapons geniuses could use in the Genius Competition, so the Thousand Martial Arts Palace hadn't broken any rules.

"Is Wu Yuan trying to get himself killed?"

Cui Huayu was shocked.

As the true disciple of the Superlative Spirit Sect, he naturally understood what kind of price Wu Yuan would have to pay to use a divine artifact and unleash its full power, given his current cultivation.

Ya Rong frowned and looked at Xu Yan. The young man still showed no signs of panic, but his expression had turned solemn.

Xu Yan's expression became solemn as he recognized the person who had just appeared. It was Wu Yuan, one of the geniuses of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace mentioned in the booklet given to him by the Mu family elder.

Wu Yuan had appeared and was using a divine artifact of the Superlative Spirit Sect.

The knife light soared into the sky, and the might of the divine artifact was not to be underestimated!

"Xu Yan, take my knife. If you don't die, I'll consider it your victory. In ten years, when my senior brothers come out of seclusion, we will have another match!"

Wu Yuan said coldly.

He had to find a reason for his possible defeat to save face for the Thousand Martial Arts Palace.

He was telling everyone present that the Thousand Martial Arts Palace did have geniuses capable of suppressing Xu Yan, but they were currently in seclusion and couldn't come out to fight.

The outcome of the Genius Competition could only be determined at the very end!

"Kill!"

Wu Yuan exuded a terrifying killing intent, but it wasn't crimson. It didn't seem to be the Burning Life Killing Intent, but a cold killing intent that flowed into his knife.

The icy blade glow reflected in front of the mountain gate of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace.

Even from a distance, the martial artists felt a chill running down their spines, as if a cold knife were pressed against their necks.

"Retreat!"

The martial artists who were closer to the battlefield changed their expressions and quickly backed away.

"Cold Solitude Blade!"

Cui Huayu's expression turned solemn.

It was one of the divine artifacts of the Thousand Martial Arts Palace, renowned for its powerful killing force. It was usually in the hands of the Elder Knife.

Wu Yuan must have received Elder Knife's support to be able to use this divine artifact. This knife strike, even if faced by a pinnacle expert who had refined a wisp of Heaven's Mandate, would be difficult to block.

"Does Xu Yan have a divine artifact?"

Cui Huayu looked at Xu Yan, feeling less confident. Even if Xu Yan had a divine artifact, with his current realm, he wouldn't be able to unleash its full power. How could he withstand Wu Yuan's knife strike?

"I hope it's just a severe injury. As long as he doesn't die, he'll have a chance to recover."

Cui Huayu muttered to himself.

Although he was a true disciple of the Superlative Spirit Sect and not on the same side as Xu Yan, he had developed a sense of admiration for the young genius. He didn't want to see such a talented person die under this knife strike.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end