The invincible Sikong Changhen, who was below the Primordial Spirit realm, was defeated - beaten by a cultivator at the Golden Core Stage with a single sword strike.
One strike!
...Actually, it was two strikes.
The disciples of the Boundless Sword Sect couldn't believe it. They were stunned, everyone was dumbfounded.
They... they had just been mocking, their faces still wore smiles, those smiles hadn't even faded when Sikong Changhen was defeated.
Lightning-fast defeat.
They were stunned, the entire venue fell silent, not even a single person demanded a refund.
The greatest sorrow is silence.
And the greatest respect for Li Shiyin was also silence.
She said she would strike them all silent, and she did exactly that.As Lu Junxing and that disciple faced each other in the arena, the vast courtyard of the Boundless Sword Sect fell completely silent.
"Everyone says Lu Junxing is unrivaled among his peers, the foremost sword expert of our generation. I never agreed with this assessment. That's because he never met me."
Breaking the silence, the suddenly appeared Boundless Sword Sect disciple spoke, "I've waited decades for this chance. I want to prove a point. Not to show how extraordinary I am, but to tell everyone in the world that the holy land of sword cultivation is the Boundless Sword Sect! The foremost sword expert can only be a cultivator from the Boundless Sword Sect!"
"Now, this opportunity has come. From today onwards, everyone in the world will know that I am the strongest - that the Boundless Sword Sect is the strongest sect!!!"
His voice echoed through the clouds, moving the Boundless Sword Sect disciples, and finally breaking the deathly silence outside the arena.
Lu Junxing carefully observed him, noting his rugged features, fierce eyes, black robes, and the terrifying killing intent surrounding him.
He was clearly a ruthless, killing-type cultivator.
With a gentle smile, Lu Junxing bowed and said, "Fellow Daoist, I am Lu Junxing of the Dao Sword Sect. May I know your name?"
"?"
This fierce Boundless Sword Sect sword cultivator was momentarily stunned by this question.
He had targeted Lu Junxing as his rival, considering himself the Boundless Sword Sect's number one and Lu Junxing as the Dao Sword Sect's number one, putting them on equal footing. Dismissing the entire Zhican Valley as trash. They should have been the two supreme talents in the Hengduan Mountains region, the two strongest of their generation.
He thought that once he defeated Lu Junxing today, he would be the only strongest one left.
Who knew...
Lu Junxing actually didn't recognize him!?
"How arrogant!" The previously quiet disciples outside the arena couldn't contain their indignation and shouted, "Lu Junxing is so dismissive of others!!"
"He doesn't even know our Senior Brother Bu Tianming?!"
"This is too much."
"Such arrogance, what kind of person is Lu Junxing really? I don't approve."
"Lu Junxing is nothing special. Without moral character, he won't go far!"
Hearing these voices rising from all around, Lu Junxing finally understood and quickly apologized: "So it's Brother Bu Tianming before me. Please forgive my ignorance."
Lu Junxing truly didn't recognize Bu Tianming. He had heard there was a formidable sword cultivator named Bu Tianming in the Boundless Sword Sect, but he had never seen him in person. So when Bu Tianming appeared before him, he couldn't connect the person in front of him with the name Bu Tianming.
Bu Tianming's face remained cold as he raised his sword and announced: "I am Bu Tianming, and this is the Jingming Immortal Sword!"
Lu Junxing took out a sword from his storage bag, quietly glanced at its name, and said: "Lu Junxing, Qingyun Sword."
"Hmm? Qingyun Sword?" Bu Tianming almost lost his composure again and coldly asked, "Where is your Mountain and River Sword?"
Lu Junxing explained: "I left the Mountain and River Sword at the Dao Sword Sect. I left in a hurry and forgot to bring it."
He then reassured Bu Tianming, "Brother Bu, don't worry. My sword dao has reached such a level that whether I use my primary sword or another, there won't be much difference in combat power. You'll still be able to fight to your heart's content."
Bu Tianming's blood surged. He let out a light breath, slowly closed his eyes, took another deep breath, then suddenly opened his eyes. Blood-red and void-like sword energy instantly filled his body. He stared at Lu Junxing and shouted in anger: "Lu Junxing, you're too much!!"
Then he vanished from his spot and charged at Lu Junxing to kill.
Seeing Li Shiyin defeat Sikong Changhen with two strikes, Jian Wuming's expression became quite difficult. According to his plan, this competition should have been undefeated, and won cleanly and decisively.
How could Li Shiyin and Lu Junxing's group be stronger than his disciples?
But now, not only had Sikong Changhen been easily defeated by the sword hero Li Shiyin, but even his favorite disciple Bu Tianming was being looked down upon to such an extent by Lu Junxing.
"Sect Leader, even if Li Shiyin won by luck, it's just one win and one loss. The Primordial Spirit battle is what really matters," Sun Yicheng observed Jian Wuming's expression and said, "I see Lu Junxing is too arrogant, not bringing his primary sword. In this match, Bu Tianming has the advantage. Sect Leader need not worry."
He could see clearly that in these three matches, Qin Ran had come prepared, so it was impossible for Lu Junxing to have "left his primary sword at home." It could only mean that Lu Junxing didn't think anyone in the Boundless Sword Sect was worthy of him using his primary sword.
Some people's arrogance shows on the surface, while others' is buried in their bones and soul.
Jian Wuming gave Sun Yicheng a cold glance, his eyes showing some contempt and disdain. What would an alchemist like you know about matters between sword cultivators?
But since Sun Yicheng was from Zhican Valley, he didn't directly rebuke him, only saying:
"Bu Tianming is my most talented disciple. He practices the Boundless Sword Technique and has also mastered the Void Sword Technique. These two sword manuals are the supreme teachings of our Boundless Sword Sect. Bu Tianming has the highest sword dao talent in our sect, and he may surpass me one day. His strength is not far from Lu Junxing's; this is an evenly matched battle."
Sun Yicheng watched the field where Lu Junxing, concerned about the battle's aftermath harming spectators, gradually drew the fight from the ground into the sky.
Hearing Jian Wuming's words, he only caught two words: stubborn pride.
Bu Tianming had the best talent, Bu Tianming practiced the best techniques, so Bu Tianming's strength wasn't far from Lu Junxing's.
What kind of nonsense logic was this?
Bu Tianming was bound to lose... just like the twin sisters in the first match were bound to lose.
"I never thought..." he sighed inwardly, "Lu Junxing's existence would put such pressure on the Boundless Sword Sect. One person making the entire Boundless Sword Sect unable to breathe."
"It's understandable. The Boundless Sword Sect claims to be the holy land of sword dao from the immortal legacy, yet not one person can defeat Lu Junxing of the Dao Sword Sect."
"No wonder the Boundless Sword Sect is anxious. Lu Junxing has reached the Primordial Spirit realm; if they don't act now, they'll truly have no chance to turn things around."
Watching Lu Junxing trading blows with Bu Tianming in the sky, Sun Yicheng suddenly understood the Boundless Sword Sect's feelings.
If someone surpassed Zhican Valley in the dao of alchemy, he probably wouldn't be able to accept it either.
"However..." he discreetly glanced at Qin Ran, "Now everything is going according to his wishes, so what exactly does he want to do?"
No matter how strong Lu Junxing was, he was just a warrior, not worth worrying about. If one Primordial Spirit cultivator couldn't defeat you, what about ten? If ten Primordial Spirit cultivators couldn't win, they could use poison, set up formations, or bring in a Transformation Stage expert - they would win eventually.
But someone like Qin Ran, an old fox, was different - you never knew what kind of surprise an old fox might give you at any moment. This was what worried him.
If everything was going according to Qin Ran's plan, it was truly terrifying.
As Lu Junxing and Bu Tianming fought their way into the sky, the sisters Jiang Ran and Jiang Qin stood on either side of Li Shiyin. Jiang Qin asked, "Senior Sister Li, can Senior Brother Lu win?"
Li Shiyin's earlier performance of single-handedly dominating the scene and defeating Sikong Changhen with one sword strike had left a tremendous impression on the two sisters. They were already showing signs of idolizing her.
"Senior Brother Lu is very strong..." Li Shiyin watched the battle in the sky, secretly learning from it as she replied, "Senior Brother Lu won't lose."
"Is Senior Brother Lu even stronger than you, Senior Sister Li?" Jiang Ran's eyes widened.
Li Shiyin looked down at her, saw the admiring stars in Jiang Ran's eyes, and couldn't help but smile. She looked toward her master, feeling a strange sense of pride.
"Senior Brother Lu is much stronger than me," she replied with a subtle smile.
"Wow!" Jiang Qin exclaimed, "Senior Sister, you look so beautiful when you smile."
Li Shiyin glanced up at the battle in the sky, though her eyes occasionally darted to Qin Ran with pride and showing off, unable to suppress a smile at the corner of her mouth.
In the air, Bu Tianming wielded ethereal sword energy, continuously attacking Lu Junxing from all directions. Lu Junxing remained unmoved like a mountain, responding to the ever-changing attacks with unwavering defense, deflecting Bu Tianming's strikes from every angle with single sword moves.
On the surface, Bu Tianming appeared to have absolute control of the situation, being the one constantly attacking while Lu Junxing seemed to be forced into retreat, only able to defend.
The disciples in the sect's plaza regained some spirit: "What's the big deal! Lu Junxing isn't all that great, he's being forced into pure defense by Senior Brother Bu."
"Senior Brother Bu has won, which means we're at two wins and one loss. We're still victorious overall. We just let them have one match."
"Right, we took pity on them and let them win one."
"Senior Brother Bu..."
Actually, at the beginning, Bu Tianming did feel he had a slight advantage, but he gradually realized that somehow every defensive sword energy from Lu Junxing was exactly enough to counter his attacking sword energy.
Not a bit less to allow him to break through, not a bit more to turn the defense into a counter-attack.
What did this mean?
It meant that Lu Junxing was completely superior to him. This was the posture of a master teaching a lesser skilled practitioner!
When Bu Tianming realized this, he felt deeply insulted.
He immediately created distance between them, channeled his spiritual power, and swung his Jingming Immortal Sword forward, shouting: "Boundless Sword, Sword of Chaos!"
Instantly, a hazy chaotic energy appeared between heaven and earth, flowing toward Lu Junxing like cotton or mist.
In the blink of an eye, the chaos completely enveloped Lu Junxing. Then, streams of grey, blood-tinged sword energy formed within the chaos, slashing toward Lu Junxing at its center.
Lu Junxing held his sword, deflecting the sword energy one after another. But those energies would reform in the chaos after being deflected, endlessly attacking him again.
He tried to use movement techniques to escape the chaos, only to find that the chaos had completely locked him in, making escape impossible.
"Sword of Chaos?" The Boundless Sword Sect disciples below immediately cheered, "Lu Junxing fell for it so easily?"
"Who can survive after being caught in Senior Brother Bu's Sword of Chaos?"
"Lu Junxing? The number one of this generation?"
"Not so great after all!"
"Senior Sister?" Jiang Qin tugged at Li Shiyin's sleeve, her expression full of worry.
Li Shiyin glanced at her and smiled, shaking her head: "Don't worry."
Just as she finished speaking, Lu Junxing's clear voice rang out in the sky: "Painting of All Mountains and Rivers."
From around Lu Junxing, streams of black and white sword energy suddenly burst forth, interweaving to gradually sketch out a small mountain of black and white colors in the air, like a Chinese ink painting.
The mountain appeared surrounding Lu Junxing, and as it manifested, it carried sword energy expanding outward, blocking Bu Tianming's boundless sword energy and pushing back the chaos from his Sword of Chaos.
Seeing this, Bu Tianming employed more sword techniques, making the chaos expand and press against Lu Junxing's black and white mountain.
However, Lu Junxing was like a master landscape painter working methodically. Though his movements appeared slow, drawing stroke by stroke, nothing could stop him, and Bu Tianming couldn't prevent this painting from taking form.
Streams of sword energy continuously emerged from Lu Junxing's body, unaffected by the chaos and boundless sword energy, parting the chaos to form mountains. As the mountains spread, a river appeared, its waters flowing, leading to another mountain, which spread further...
Mountains after mountains, river after river, like a scroll gradually unfurling in the sky above the Boundless Sword Sect, forming a complete Painting of All Mountains and Rivers!
Bu Tianming's chaos had already been silently pushed apart and dispersed by the mountain and river painting, and his boundless sword energy slowly dissipated as well. This painting of mountains and rivers filled the entire sky above the Boundless Sword Sect, encompassing Bu Tianming within it.
Below, the Boundless Sword Sect disciples were stunned, their mouths agape, unable to speak.
"Brother Bu..." Lu Junxing smiled, "How do you find this landscape painting?"
Bu Tianming snapped back to his senses, glanced at Lu Junxing, and gritted his teeth, unwilling to admit he was overwhelmed. He stepped forward, trying to leave the landscape painting.
But his movement only made things worse - every stroke forming the landscape painting was made of sword energy, and his movement triggered them all to attack him.
He deployed his sword techniques to defend with all his might, but still took several hits, bleeding continuously.
"Senior Brother Bu is trapped!" someone cried out.
"Is Senior Brother Bu going to lose too?" someone began to cry.
"Even our invincible Senior Brother Bu is going to lose?"
"Is this the day of disaster for the Boundless Sword Sect?"
In the sect's plaza, an atmosphere of grief and anger spread among the Boundless Sword Sect disciples.
Bu Tianming ignored the disciples below and stopped moving, standing properly in place.
He looked up at Lu Junxing and snorted coldly: "Lu Junxing, this is far from enough!"
He employed another sword technique: "Boundless Sword, Heaven's Gate Opens!"
A narrow line appeared between heaven and earth, like the brilliant dawn breaking behind mountains at sunrise. The light expanded into a sword energy that seemed to cleave heaven and earth, starting from him and cutting through the landscape painting before him, advancing toward Lu Junxing.
"It's Heaven's Gate Opens!" The Boundless Sword Sect disciples immediately rekindled hope.
"Can it kill Lu Junxing in one strike?"
"Excellent sword technique!" Lu Junxing praised with a smile, stepping forward and saying softly, "Sword Walking Through Mountains and Rivers!"
In an instant, the entire landscape painting came alive, as if real mountains and rivers were welcoming the arrival of their true god. Streams of sword energy emerged from Lu Junxing's body and from within the landscape painting, all gathering on his sword. He met the approaching line that cut through heaven and earth with a horizontal slash, cleaving it apart.
He received an enormous force that pushed him back several steps.
"Not bad!" he praised again.
Bu Tianming hadn't expected his move to only push Lu Junxing back a few steps, and he could no longer bear the blow to his pride.
"Ah!" He threw his head back and shouted, "Boundless Sword Path, Heaven and Earth Blood Massacre!"
Suddenly, a blood flower bloomed on his body, spraying blood filled with sword energy; another blood flower bloomed, spreading outward and staining Lu Junxing's black and white landscape painting.
When Lu Junxing saw Bu Tianming's technique, he immediately understood it was a death move, a blood sacrifice technique. Greatly alarmed, he shouted: "Brother Bu, don't!"
He moved so quickly Bu Tianming couldn't react, appearing before him and thrusting his sword into Bu Tianming's body. Countless streams of black and white sword energy emerged from his sword, enveloping Bu Tianming.
The black and white sword energy locked Bu Tianming tight from inside out, preventing him from executing his Heaven and Earth Blood Massacre.
"Brother Bu, this is just a friendly match, there's no need to risk your life." Having stopped Bu Tianming, Lu Junxing sighed in relief. He withdrew his sword and added, as if remembering something, "This sword move is called Thousand Mountains and Waters."
He looked at Bu Tianming, nodding and smiling encouragingly, "You're actually very strong already. Keep going, the road ahead is still long."
With that, he turned and descended toward the sect's plaza on the mountain.
Bu Tianming watched Lu Junxing's retreating figure, momentarily considering a sneak attack, but he didn't follow through. He looked down at the sect's plaza, seeing all the Boundless Sword Sect disciples in grief and dejection, and noticed the Sect Master was nowhere to be seen.
"Boundless Sword Sect..."
"Sect Master..."
"The Sect Master must be so disappointed!"
"I lost!"
"Lost so miserably!"
He couldn't help but cover his face, falling to his knees in the air.
Blood flowers were still blooming on his body, black and white sword energy still surrounded him, and the black and white landscape painting he was in slowly faded away like an old painting with the passage of time.
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