Xiao Ruofeng raised his hand, and Haoque Sword responded instantly. He swung forward, clashing against Su Changhe's dagger. Su Changhe was forced back three steps, while Xiao Ruofeng's robes fluttered lightly before settling again. He exhaled deeply. "It's been a long time since I last fought in Heaven Revelation City."
Mu Qingyang took the Peach Wood Sword from his back, holding it upright before him as he murmured something under his breath. A streak of light flickered across the blade.
Suddenly, three Su Changhes appeared before Xiao Ruofeng.
"Dark River People know Daoist techniques too?" Xiao Ruofeng's tone remained unperturbed.
"As long as it kills, it doesn't matter if it's Buddhist, Daoist, or Confucian—yours, mine, or theirs—it's all good technique." Su Changhe's dagger danced, weaving intricate patterns that shattered the wine table in front of Xiao Ruofeng in an instant. The blade then turned toward Xiao Ruofeng, each strike aimed at his vitals.
Xiao Ruofeng kept retreating, his figure nearly circling the entire pavilion, yet he never drew his sword again.
"Your Highness refuses to draw his sword—are you stalling for time?" Su Changhe sneered.
Xiao Ruofeng shook his head. "I’ve simply forgotten how to wield it."
"Forgotten?" Su Changhe frowned slightly as his dagger sliced through Xiao Ruofeng's sleeve.
Xiao Ruofeng continued stepping back. "Once, I had a sword technique called 'Third Under Heaven.' My master, Li Changsheng, had one called 'Second Under Heaven,' signifying that I was second to none—who would dare claim first?"
"Then your 'Third Under Heaven' meant that after Teacher Li, the path of swordsmanship belonged to you," Su Changhe chuckled. "I should have swapped with that guy—let him be the one to kill you."
"But I can no longer wield that sword. I remember the joy of creating it, the boldness in using it. Yet now, when I raise my blade, I feel nothing but indifference, and Haoque Sword no longer answers me." Xiao Ruofeng's voice remained calm, as if he wasn't overly concerned about his perilous situation.
"Haoque is just a sword." Su Changhe, now dominating the fight with the aid of Mu Qingyang's secret technique, split into three shadows, slowly cutting off Xiao Ruofeng's lifeline.
"Famed swords have spirits." Xiao Ruofeng sighed softly before leaping into the air and closing his eyes.
Su Changhe stiffened. In that instant, Xiao Ruofeng's aura shifted abruptly—an overwhelming pressure descended, and Mu Qingyang's Peach Wood Sword trembled violently in his grip.
Not good! Su Changhe cursed inwardly and lunged at Xiao Ruofeng.
But Xiao Ruofeng had already raised his sword.
"My heart no longer holds something as trivial as 'Third Under Heaven,'" Xiao Ruofeng declared as his blade descended. "Only 'Under Heaven' remains."
A flash of Sword Light blazed like a rainbow piercing the sun.
Mu Qingyang coughed up blood, his Peach Wood Sword falling to the ground and shattering into dust, scattered by the sword's wind like smoke.
Yet Su Changhe did not retreat. His three illusions merged back into one as he met Xiao Ruofeng's "Under Heaven" strike.
The sword was magnificent, radiant with unparalleled brilliance.
But to Su Changhe, it was hollow, pale—grand in its all-encompassing vision, yet its Sword Intent brimmed with too much benevolence and too little of the killing intent that could truly end a life. Such a sword did not frighten him.
Because the "Under Heaven" in the eyes of the world had never had a place for him.With a "ding," Xiao Ruofeng opened his eyes. His figure crossed paths with Su Changhe's.
Both landed on the ground.
Su Changhe was unharmed, but a glance behind him revealed that Mu Qingyang had completely lost consciousness, no longer capable of fighting.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ruofeng's sleeves had been shredded to pieces, and the Haoque Sword in his hand trembled incessantly, as if warning him of the peril in that last strike.
"Your sword strikes at the heart, capable of dispelling the wielder's killing intent," Su Changhe sneered. "But I'm different."
Xiao Ruofeng looked at the Haoque Sword in his hand. "Indeed. After all, no single sword can truly encompass the entire world."
With a "crack," the doors of the Diaolou Pavilion were shattered to splinters.
A woman dressed in plain robes, holding a longsword, strode in from outside. Her posture was ramrod straight—like a sword. Her sharp brows and eyes—like a sword. Her cold, stern voice—even more like a sword. "Sneaking out alone to drink? Do you still think you're that willful prince?"
Xiao Ruofeng lifted his head slightly and smiled. "Sister Xinyue."
Su Changhe tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand. "One of the Four Guardians of Heavenly Revelation, the Azure Dragon Envoy."
"I knew the Dark River's arrival in Heaven Revelation City meant no good. You're not like Su Muyu. Han Yi told me—if I ever see you, don't hesitate. Kill you outright!" Without another word, Li Xinyue thrust her sword at Su Changhe.
A chill ran down Su Changhe's spine. In that instant, he felt as if every inch of the Diaolou Pavilion was filled with swords—swords in front of him, swords behind him, swords hanging above, swords beneath his feet. Even the scent of wine carried the Sword Intent. It was as if he had stepped into a world of nothing but swords, and every one of them was bared with a single purpose.
To kill him.
A killing intent even more extreme than his own.
This was the "Myriad Heart Swords" of the Sword Heart Tomb.
Su Changhe roared, "Break!" Under his furious shout, the Sword Intent was momentarily repelled. Seizing the brief respite, he hurled a dagger at Li Xinyue. With a flick of her sword, she pinned it to the ground. But a thin thread was still attached to the dagger. Su Changhe swung his left hand, and the dagger suddenly spun up from the ground, entangling Li Xinyue's Heart Sword. With a tug, he pulled himself right in front of her.
"Die." Su Changhe raised another dagger and stabbed toward Li Xinyue's chest.
"Arrogant." Li Xinyue released her Heart Sword and raised both hands.
Dozens of sword shadows materialized around the two, encircling them completely.
"What?" Su Changhe recoiled in shock, trying to retreat. He had thought he had set a trap for Li Xinyue, only to realize he had walked right into her killing formation.
"Fall!" Li Xinyue smiled faintly, and the sword shadows surged into their bodies. Those that struck Li Xinyue only amplified her aura, but for Su Changhe, it felt as if ten thousand ants were gnawing at his heart.
He let out a bloodcurdling scream as his robes were instantly dyed red. Desperately, he leaped back, but the sword shadows pursued him relentlessly.
"Retreat!" A Buddhist staff landed before him, shattering the sword shadows into nothingness.
Li Xinyue frowned slightly. "It's you."Su Zhe landed and grasped the Buddhist staff: "That's right, it's me."
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