A single sword strike stirred up a thousand-foot tidal wave. Yan Yu let out a low cry, channeling his life's power into his Dao Sword. He flew into the air, meeting the terrifying sword qi head-on with the Gan Jiang Sword, intercepting the formidable strike.
Chen Changkong was slightly surprised, never imagining Yan Yu possessed such strength.
"It's not what you think. He was likely prepared," the spirit of the Gan Jiang Sword whispered to Chen Changkong, its blade trembling.
"I've been with him for over twenty years. I know his weaknesses, and he naturally knows how to counter me. That last strike, he must have used some incredible technique to weaken my sword intent."
Chen Changkong then noticed Yan Yu's Dao Sword shimmering, inscribed with mysterious runes. The Gan Jiang Sword's intent, scattered nearby, was instantly perceived and dissolved by these runes.
"In that case, I truly must kill him."
As Chen Changkong spoke, his gaze towards Yan Yu transformed completely. Yan Yu was perhaps the only one who could prevent him from becoming the foremost sword master in the world, even reaching the pinnacle of power in the supernatural realm. For Yan Yu knew of the Gan Jiang Sword, and thus, knew Chen Changkong's weaknesses.
—Buzz!
With this thought, Chen Changkong could no longer restrain himself. He tightened his grip on the Gan Jiang Sword and charged forward with a suffocating weight of sword qi, his blade aimed directly at Yan Yu.
Yan Yu, showing no fear, met the Gan Jiang Sword with eyes blazing crimson. He gripped his Dao Sword and charged, the two immediately clashing mid-air. They then fought ferociously, ice shards and heavy sword qi flying, sword lights flashing, and sword intent scattering, turning the entire Heavenly Pond into a chaotic vortex.
Xu Mu, who had been recovering from his injuries behind the rock formations, was jolted awake by the commotion. He was forced to interrupt his healing.
Xu Mu stood up, watching Yan Yu, who was increasingly cornered and in dire straits. A sense of urgency washed over him, and he immediately shouted,
"Chen Changkong, as the young Sword Saint, the pride of the Hundred Clans, for the sake of a mere broken sword, you betray your conscience and resort to such despicable acts. Do you truly not fear the ridicule of the world!"
Xu Mu's words boomed like thunder, echoing throughout the entire Jade Pond Immortal Realm, and could naturally be heard by those outside.
As expected, Chen Changkong's eyes flickered with a hint of hesitation upon hearing Xu Mu's words, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a ruthless resolve.
"My eyes are set only on the Great Dao. I walk a righteous path, and I care not what the world thinks of me!"
Hearing this, Xu Mu shouted again, "Righteous path? Dare you say you had no hand in the deaths of Zhou Jie and Zuo Mingqiu? Dare you deny that you enticed them to kill me after listening to the sword spirit!"
"What if I did? I want this sword! And this sword bears you ill will, so I agreed to kill you. What's wrong with that?" Chen Changkong declared, sending Yan Yu flying with a powerful sword strike that sent him crashing into the cliff face. He then fixed his fierce gaze on Xu Mu. "I want this sword, and this sword is your enemy, so I agreed to kill you. What is wrong with that?"
"Murder for treasure, blatant robbery. All swordsmen in the martial world are like this. Moreover, I only instigated it. In the end, did I not defeat you both fair and square with my own strength!"
Xu Mu let out a sneer upon hearing this and retorted mockingly,
"First, you had Zhou Jie and Zuo Mingqiu fight me to exhaustion, then you moved in for the kill. A truly righteous path you walk!"
Chen Changkong's expression remained calm as he replied, "All of this was merely convenient for me. Furthermore, if your strength were sufficient, like Ji Chang who swept across the land in ancient times, you would not have ended up in this predicament."
"Speaking of which, I still have some regrets. With your strength, you weren't worth such elaborate preparations. I should have simply taken my sword and slain you directly. But it's not too late."
As Chen Changkong spoke, he suddenly attacked. The Gan Jiang Sword drew a tragically beautiful arc through the air, slashing down from the blue sky. A sword aura formed between heaven and earth, exuding terrifying pressure.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu, his face pale, could only draw the Demoness's Bow, his hand reaching for the bowstring, ready to exhaust his recently recovered powers once more.
But at that moment, Yan Yu reappeared. With a thunderous roar, he burst from the cliff face, raising the tip of his Dao Sword to the heavens and slashing down a bolt of lightning, forcing Chen Changkong to halt once again. The two were immediately locked in a fierce battle.
Lightning blazed, and the runes on the Dao Sword shimmered with an ancient, vast golden light. With each clash, the spirit of the Gan Jiang Sword felt its spiritual body subjected to terrifying vibrations. With repeated impacts, it felt a long-forgotten sense of death, stirring a sense of vigilance. It seized every opportunity to observe the carvings on Yan Yu's Dao Sword, and even a mere glance filled its spirit with dread.
"That must be some Daoist sect technique targeting spiritual bodies. That brat probably intends to absorb me into hell, like transcending lost souls!"
The Gan Jiang Sword was terrified. It had not yet reincarnated as a human, how could it be willing to be killed by Yan Yu? It immediately conceived the idea of unleashing its sword's energy to slay Yan Yu.
But the thought had barely arisen before it was dismissed. The spirit of the Gan Jiang Sword hesitated, its mind wavering. It always felt a terrifying presence in this space, and if it rashly used its primordial sword energy, it would attract that terrifying entity's attention.
At that point, it would surely die.
Chen Changkong also noticed the Gan Jiang Sword's abnormality. He retreated a couple of steps and said through gritted teeth, "I know what you're thinking, but this Jade Pond Immortal Realm is a forbidden zone. My father has repeatedly warned me not to unleash abilities above the fourth stage, nor use domain-type abilities here, or it will invite great calamity!"
"I understand," the Gan Jiang Sword said, glaring at Yan Yu and Xu Mu, with a hint of reluctance.
It had a clear opportunity to kill these two right now, but due to the restrictions, it could not act. And although Chen Changkong was powerful, he couldn't defeat Yan Yu quickly because Yan Yu was equally strong.
"Yan Yu's sword is inscribed with too many techniques that counter me. Fighting him with me would put you at a disadvantage," the spirit of the Gan Jiang Sword gradually calmed down and sighed. "Forget it, there's no rush."
"Now that everything is out in the open, our fates are intertwined. I believe your talent is no weaker than theirs. We will support each other in the future, and there will be plenty of opportunities to kill them!"
"But I am not reconciled!"
Chen Changkong's sword strokes became like a storm, intensifying further as if he were about to unleash his full power to destroy Yan Yu. However, Yan Yu countered with equally ferocious sword strikes. After tens of thousands of clashes, both their swords had turned crimson, yet the victor remained undecided.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu seized the opportunity to recover more strength. He knelt on the rock, bow in hand, already aiming at Chen Changkong.
"Hurry and leave! There will be opportunities later. Focus on advancing first!" As the Demoness's Bowstring was drawn, the spirit of the Gan Jiang Sword sensed danger and urgently urged Chen Changkong to retreat.
Looking at Yan Yu, who was at a disadvantage but not defeated, Chen Changkong's eyes flashed with unwillingness. He was confident that with another half an hour, he could defeat Yan Yu, even at a great cost.
However, facing a combined assault from Yan Yu and Xu Mu, he knew he couldn't win. The power of the arrows shot from that bow made him deeply wary.
"Fine, I'll spare you for today. But I, Chen Changkong, will fulfill my promise and kill you both another day!"
As Chen Changkong spoke, he suddenly leaped into the air, landing on a high platform at the edge of the Jade Pond. The sword intent swirling around him dissipated, as if he had abandoned his offensive against Xu Mu and Yan Yu.
"Hoo…"
Below, Xu Mu let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Chen Changkong hadn't attacked with all his might, otherwise, even if they survived, they would likely be half-dead, and their future recovery would depend on luck.
But Yan Yu did not think like Xu Mu.
He looked up at Chen Changkong, who was about to depart in the sky, his eyes filled with killing intent. He shouted in a deep voice, "Stop right there!"
Chen Changkong, about to leave this Jade Pond for the first one, paused. He looked down towards the Jade Pond below, only to see a blue-white, icy sword light.
"—Clang!"
With a dull yet crisp impact, Chen Changkong blocked with his sword, but his body was sent flying into the air by Yan Yu's subsequent sword strike.
Chen Changkong stared at the attacking Yan Yu, stunned and bewildered, shouting, "What are you doing!"
"Of course, I'm killing you!" Yan Yu said, slashing down again. The Dao Sword flickered with mottled runes, like incantations that could guide evil spirits to reincarnation, making the spirit of the Gan Jiang Sword's heart pound. It frantically shrieked, "Don't let me collide with this sword again, I'll die!"
Hearing this, Chen Changkong could only block with his sword, pushing Yan Yu back. He then quickly recalled the Gan Jiang Sword and switched back to his immensely precious but ill-fitting broadsword.
"Hand over the Gan Jiang Sword, and I'll spare your life!" Yan Yu gave Chen Changkong no chance to escape. After being repelled, he immediately brandished his Dao Sword and pursued.
Chen Changkong gritted his teeth. Instead of engaging, he turned and flew towards the first Jade Pond. He knew the time for this round was drawing to a close. If he failed to occupy a Jade Pond by then, he would be eliminated, forfeiting his chance at the top four and the finals!
"Stop the nonsense. I've already let you go. What more do you want!"
"I want you to hand over the Gan Jiang Sword!" Yan Yu ignored Chen Changkong's words, continuing to chase and shouting sternly.
Chen Changkong gritted his teeth and roared furiously, "Shut up! If it weren't for the restrictions of this forbidden zone, you would have died long ago. What right do you have to be so arrogant!"
"Me not killing you today is the greatest mercy I can offer. Yet you threaten me to hand over my sword. Do you think I, Chen Changkong, am inferior to you?!"
As he spoke, Chen Changkong's foot landed on the first Jade Pond. Behind him, Yan Yu was still relentlessly pursuing, almost as his other foot touched the Jade Pond, he unleashed another brilliant sword light.
"If you truly aren't afraid of me, why are you running?"
Chen Changkong parried the strike, his face grim. "That's because of Mu Xu, not because I fear you!"
Yan Yu continued to strike, shouting again, "Now it's just me. Come and fight!"
"Until you hand over the Gan Jiang Sword, I will not let you leave, unless you kill me!"
Chen Changkong's facial muscles twitched violently, his expression grim as he shouted, "You lunatic! If you want to fight, we'll fight later. The match time for this round is almost over, and I need to occupy the Jade Pond first. Get out of here!"
Yan Yu sneered, continuing his attack, his voice cold and authoritative. He took a step forward and said, "You're the one who should get out!"
"And even if you get out, I will pursue you. For every breath you don't hand over the Gan Jiang Sword, I won't let you go for a single breath!"
"Lunatic, you're a lunatic!" Chen Changkong roared in exasperation, channeling all his sword qi to attack Yan Yu, attempting to force him out of the Jade Pond. But without the Gan Jiang Sword's assistance, his combat power immediately plummeted. Furthermore, his Dao heart was damaged, and when he struck again, he was suppressed by Yan Yu!
"Damn it!"
Seeing that he was losing and the match time was rapidly drawing to a close, Chen Changkong was consumed by anxiety. He seized an opportunity, directly abandoned his sword, and created a cage of dense sword qi, attempting to trap Yan Yu within it, while he himself charged towards the second Jade Pond where Xu Mu was.
Clearly, he believed he couldn't win against Yan Yu, so he ran to fight Xu Mu. Even if he couldn't kill him, he could at least drive him out.
Chen Changkong believed that not everyone was a madman like Yan Yu.
But thoughts are always beautiful. Before Chen Changkong could fly a hundred meters, the sword cage he left behind behind him exploded.
"—Boom!"
"—Where do you think you're going!"
Yan Yu, covered in blood, enduring countless sword qi capable of tearing his skin and shattering his bones, once again brandished his sword and charged at Chen Changkong.
Chen Changkong turned his head to look at Yan Yu. Seeing this, his heart trembled violently. The sword cage he had created at the cost of a sword had been broken, and in such a frenzied manner.
He had underestimated Yan Yu's obsession with the Gan Jiang Sword once again. The latter had gone mad, willing to risk his life to kill it!
"Ten seconds remaining until the end of this round."
At this moment, an old voice echoed from the void, reminding everyone that the end was near. Hearing this, Chen Changkong became extremely anxious. He immediately gripped his sword and charged back at Yan Yu, shouting, "Get out of my way!"
"Boom!"
He pulled out the Gan Jiang Sword again, disregarding the spirit's wails, repelled Yan Yu dozens of meters, and then, seizing the moment, recklessly rushed towards the first-ranked Jade Pond, intending to occupy it before time ran out and advance to the top four.
But upon seeing the Gan Jiang Sword, Yan Yu's body erupted with astonishing sword qi once more. He unleashed his speed recklessly, instantly intercepting Chen Changkong. At this moment, the two were less than five meters from the Jade Pond.
"Get out of my way!"
Chen Changkong roared, wielding his sword at Yan Yu without regard, unleashing all his sword intent. The strike was as heavy as the sky collapsing, seemingly capable of shattering anything in its path.
But even so, Yan Yu did not yield.
He continued to grip his Dao Sword, chanting Daoist incantations, and raised a bolt of heavenly lightning to meet the attack.
Boom!
The two swords clashed, generating terrifying power. In that instant, although Yan Yu's sword also unleashed astonishing lightning, it still couldn't withstand the power of the Gan Jiang Sword. The Dao Sword instantly broke, and Yan Yu himself was sent crashing down by the sword strike, creating a massive crater.
Even so, Chen Changkong could not be considered the winner.
Because he had been stopped by Yan Yu outside the Heavenly Pond, and in the final ten seconds, he was blown away by the shockwaves of the explosion and failed to step onto the Jade Pond.
In other words, he was eliminated.
…