"Buzz..."
As Bai Zihe's words fell, a brilliant sword light erupted into existence, slicing through the air with unstoppable force towards that wisp of eerie black energy.
Neither hasty nor slow, it was...
Steady yet advancing, an unyielding, life-or-death strike!
"Crack!"
"Crack, crack..."
A powerful pressure followed.
Within the cave, both the walls and the ground instantly developed countless fissures, spiderweb-like cracks spreading in all directions.
"Swish..."
At the same time, the wisp of eerie black energy, which had been continuously steaming and retreating, abruptly halted.
As if...
Immobilized by a supreme divine ability, utterly incapable of moving even an inch further.
"Swish!"
"Swish, swish..."
Even more so, the eerie black energy began to boil and churn. It looked...
Like the emotional turbulence of a human experiencing fear. It was terrified by Bai Zihe's sword light!
As for Bai Zihe, after unleashing that sword light, he staggered, almost falling to the ground. In the end, he could only prop himself up with the Zhu Tian Sword, momentarily holding on to avoid collapsing.
"No!"
"I cannot fall!"
An immense will sustained Bai Zihe. His cold gaze remained fixed on the wisp of eerie black energy. He could not rest easy until he saw it perish here, as if an ominous premonition would spread out from this cave.
High above the clouds, "This..."
"How is this possible?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Qi Tianhe had already finished reporting to Ji Xian Yuan, the Palace Master of Xuanyuan Palace. But when he gathered his divine sense to perceive the eerie black energy below, he was so shocked by Bai Zihe that he was rendered speechless.
Feeling the destructive power contained within that sword qi, and the divine charm upon it that even he could not touch...
Qi Tianhe, one of the Guardian Dharma Kings of Xuanyuan Palace, was utterly dumbfounded. This sword... had already surpassed his imagination and his understanding!
"Bai Zihe..."
"He is merely a cultivator in the Integration Realm, how can he unleash such a powerful move?"
"Could it be because of the treasure sword in his hand?"
"But..."
Under Qi Tianhe's divine sense, he found that the sword in Bai Zihe's hand was merely an ordinary magical artifact, not of high grade at all. At most... it was a low-grade Earth-tier magical artifact, at its peak.
But besides this, Qi Tianhe could not fathom what else allowed Bai Zihe to unleash such a powerful sword move.
Could it be...
Bai Zihe's comprehension of the laws of heaven and earth, of the Great Dao?
What a joke!
He had seen Bai Zihe wobbling as he took flight himself just last night. He clearly had been practicing sword control flight! Even if he had practiced for two and a half years, he wouldn't have such strength!
At this moment, Qi Tianhe felt his worldview shatter.
"Swish—"
Just then, a figure appeared out of thin air. The person wore a white dress, exuding an ethereal aura, and stood in the clouds like a celestial maiden from the heavens. Her breathtaking beauty was tinged with an aloofness that made one feel ashamed. It was as if... looking at her for too long would be a desecration.
It was none other than the Palace Master of Xuanyuan Palace, Ji Xian Yuan. Having just received Qi Tianhe's communication and knowing the terrifying nature of the eerie black energy, she had arrived at the scene immediately to assess the situation.
"Swish..."
A scan of divine sense swept across the heavens and earth. For the first time, a ripple appeared on Ji Xian Yuan's usually tranquil face.
"This is..."
Her willow-like brows furrowed, her bright eyes filled with confusion. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět She too had sensed it. In the cave below, a world-ending sword light was raging. This sword light... though not appearing fast, possessed an overwhelming force, a power that could sweep away everything. Even she, who had been a Tribulation Crossing Realm expert five hundred years ago, felt a tremor from the depths of her soul at this moment. It was as if... even facing it, she had a chance of perishing.
"Did Bai Zihe unleash this?"
Ji Xue Yun lightly parted her vermillion lips, her voice like pearls falling on a jade plate, clear and pleasant.
"Yes."
Qi Tianhe swallowed hard, finding his throat incredibly dry. After a gulp, he managed to utter it with difficulty.
"Perhaps..."
Ji Xian Yuan raised her head, gazing in the direction of Great Xia. "This is why the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect is offering a bounty on this kid."
Qi Tianhe looked up abruptly.
That's right. The news of the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect's Seventh Elder, Qin Chang Sheng, being killed was now known throughout the entire Chang Sheng Realm. Initially, everyone had been speculating... which esteemed master from outside the city was Bai Zihe, to warrant such importance from the Heavenly Mountain Sword Sect. Now it seemed... Bai Zihe was this very person, a seemingly mediocre cultivator, possessing power that made even Ji Xian Yuan marvel.
Inside the cave, what seemed like a long story had actually transpired in mere seconds. The black, eerie energy was completely restrained by the sword qi released by Bai Zihe, unable to move, merely awaiting the descent of the sword light.
"Whoosh—"
A few more seconds passed. The brilliant sword light slammed into the black energy.
"Hoo, hoo..."
In an instant, the black energy vanished into thin air. It was as if... a basin of water had been poured onto snowflakes, dissolving them in the blink of an eye, leaving not a trace.
"Hoo—"
Bai Zihe let out a long sigh, finally having eliminated this thing. Immediately, extreme exhaustion washed over him. Bai Zihe could no longer hold on. Leaning on the Zhu Tian Sword for support, he slumped against the cave wall. But that was not the end. The sword light continued to advance slowly. Moments later... it blasted into the end of the cave, carving out a vacuum tens of zhang deep! Only then did the sword light, having exhausted its power, slowly dissipate.
High above the clouds, both Qi Tianhe and Ji Xian Yuan witnessed this scene. In an instant, the pupils of both contracted slightly, shocked by the formidable power of Bai Zihe's move.
"Palace Master..."
Qi Tianhe asked in a deep voice, "What should we do now?" Bai Zihe's change in strength naturally led to a change in their attitude towards him; this was the art of judging the situation, and even Xuanyuan Palace was not immune.
"Tell me first..."
Ji Xian Yuan spoke calmly, "During the time you were monitoring Bai Zihe, what did you discover? What were the anomalies?"
"Yes."
At once, Qi Tianhe recounted everything he had seen and heard. From... Bai Zihe being targeted by the Limitless Heat Weapon, to leading numerous experts to abandon the ship and flee, to realizing the Limitless Heat Weapon was locking onto him, he resolutely decided to lure it away. Then... the eventual explosion of the Limitless Heat Weapon, and their subsequent reunion. And, Bai Zihe's chance encounter entering the Penglai Immortal Island; during this time, Qi Tianhe didn't know where Bai Zihe had gone, but knew he had gone somewhere. Followed by Bai Zihe beginning to practice sword control flight, practicing the Tai Xuan Thirteen Swords... and finally, how he had detected this eerie black energy. He recounted everything, leaving no detail omitted.
Ji Xian Yuan fell into deep thought. Qi Tianhe dared not speak further, fearing he might disturb her.
"You mean..."
Ji Xian Yuan's eyes shifted, falling on Qi Tianhe's face. "Bai Zihe discovered that eerie black energy while practicing his sword moves?"
"And then..."
"He used the sword in his hand to unleash this strike?"
Qi Tianhe nodded and said, "Yes."
"Palace Master!"
He couldn't help but ask, "Has this sword... reached that level?"
"No."
Ji Xian Yuan glanced at him and said gravely, "It has surpassed that level."