Undying Life

Chapter 740: Chapter 740: Returning the Favor

Daoist Hong Jian couldn't believe it. It was impossible. How could someone who had only seen his sword technique once wield it with greater mastery than its creator? Unthinkable, absolutely unthinkable.

In the way of the sword, only the Realm Lord Ye Qingcheng could surpass him. No one else could possibly do so.

While doubting, Daoist Hong Jian felt a tremor of fear deep within. The pressure from the man in white before him was overwhelming, shattering his perception of reality. How could this be? Absolutely impossible.

He was the genius, the one who had created this unparalleled sword technique. How could there be a greater genius who could remember it perfectly after a single glance and even optimize it?

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

Their colossal sword energies clashed, resulting in a thunderous explosion. The space at the point of impact shattered as their powerful strikes neutralized each other.

Though it seemed like a draw, the fractured space extended slightly more towards Daoist Hong Jian's side. This meant that the earlier strike had actually put Di Xuan Sha at an advantage.

The same sword technique, created by Daoist Hong Jian, yet he was slightly outmatched?

How could this be? Everyone who could discern what had happened closed their eyes tightly in disbelief. How could this be? Was the man in white also a sword master? An unparalleled expert far beyond Daoist Hong Jian?

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!" Daoist Hong Jian cried out in disbelief.

From afar, Ye Qingcheng frowned slightly. He could see that Daoist Hong Jian was becoming somewhat unhinged but did not call him back.

"Nothing is impossible. Your realm is insufficient, and your sword technique is crude and unfinished. Let me teach you what the 'Great Hong Sword Technique' truly is!" Di Xuan Sha taunted with a mocking smile.

As he spoke, Di Xuan Sha's sword thrust towards Daoist Hong Jian again.

It was still the Great Hong Sword Technique.

"Clang~~~~~ Clang~~~~~ Clang~~~~~ Clang~~~~~~~~!"

One thrust followed another, and at that moment, Daoist Hong Jian seemed unable to retaliate, only able to defend with all his might. Di Xuan Sha was not using his full strength, striking at just the right intensity.

"This strike should angle westward!"

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"This strike should be faster!"

"This strike should be slower!"

"This strike should start slow then quicken!"

... Di Xuan Sha's thrusts continued, each time demonstrating the Great Hong Sword Technique but with modifications. Each adjustment seemed like a stroke of genius, transforming the technique into something incomparably perfect.

From a distance, the spectators were stunned.

"Is this?"

"Does the man in white know Daoist Hong Jian's Great Hong Sword Technique?" a dumbfounded cultivator murmured.

"No, look at the sequence. The man in white is using the same sequence of sword moves as Daoist Hong Jian did earlier. Exactly the same sequence!" another person suddenly exclaimed.

Many quickly took out their memory crystals and played back the recorded footage.

"Hiss~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The sound of sharp intakes of breath filled the air. Was there really such a genius? To remember three thousand moves after seeing them once? And even to optimize them all?

Who was this man in white? Why had no one heard of him before? Genius? This was beyond genius, this was a monster!

The onlookers were all in awe, many showing expressions of reverence towards Di Xuan Sha.

Ye Qingcheng squinted his eyes, seeing that Daoist Hong Jian had been led into a trap. Observing closely, Ye Qingcheng realized that Di Xuansha hadn't optimized every move; he had only improved a small portion of them. The rest were slightly altered, not necessarily more powerful than the originals, but enough to make Daoist Hong Jian believe they were enhanced.

Each strike Di Xuansha made didn't physically harm Daoist Hong Jian but deeply pierced his psyche, leaving him spiritually and mentally scarred. Each successive blow shattered Hong Jian's will and confidence bit by bit.

Many onlookers couldn't understand what was happening, but Tian Xiaozhi, standing at the edge of the Black Sea, felt a chill in his heart, recognizing Di Xuansha's terrifying power. Although Di Xuansha hadn't physically harmed Daoist Hong Jian, he had struck at his pride, confidence, spirit, and soul. If Daoist Hong Jian couldn't overcome this ordeal, he would be ruined.

To destroy a Tianji realm expert so thoroughly? Tian Xiaozhi marked Di Xuansha as an extreme threat in his heart.

Indeed, by the end of the day, Daoist Hong Jian, tormented by Di Xuansha, had become extremely deranged, his hair disheveled, eyes bloodshot, staring in horror at Di Xuansha.

"You are no match for me," Di Xuansha said, shaking his head.

"No~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!" Daoist Hong Jian let out a desperate roar. He was acutely aware of the fear that this day had instilled in him. If he couldn't defeat Di Xuansha, if he couldn't overcome this hurdle, his path in the way of the sword would come to a standstill, or even regress, never progressing again. He would never be able to break through and would only await death. He had to defeat the man in white before him, he must.

"Great Hong Sword Technique, Final Form, Celestial River Torrent~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

Daoist Hong Jian unleashed his ultimate move, one that was still incomplete. This move consumed enormous energy, and using it in its current, unfinished state would cause his blood to flow in reverse, leading to severe injuries, possibly even self-destruction.

But Daoist Hong Jian could no longer bear it. Perhaps he wanted to make one last desperate effort. He had to defeat him, he had to!

With a swing of his sword, boundless sword energy gathered towards the Great Hong Sword, rushing at Di Xuansha. The powerful impact forced everyone to retreat repeatedly. It was a magnificent scene as the endless sword energy coalesced into a long river, slicing through space.

A celestial river of swords, descending from the heavens, roaring towards Di Xuansha with immense power and boundless might, seemingly intent on overwhelming him.

Numerous strong cultivators felt a sense of dread, their eyes wide with fear.

In the distance, Di Xuansha showed no fear, only a cold smile at the corner of his mouth. Almost simultaneously, he thrust his sword towards Daoist Hong Jian.

The final form? Celestial River Torrent?

Everyone's eyes widened. How could this be? The man in white had never seen this move before; it was Daoist Hong Jian's first time using it. How could he possibly replicate it simultaneously? Moreover, the overwhelming aura he exuded surpassed that of Daoist Hong Jian.

Naturally, Daoist Hong Jian was the most shocked.

With a swing of his sword, blood surged in reverse through his body, causing immense pain, but no physical pain could compare to the heartache. The man in white had also unleashed the same sword technique, and even more powerfully than he had. How could this be? How could this be?

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The two celestial rivers of swords collided fiercely, creating a massive black hole that rapidly expanded.

"Pu~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

Daoist Hong Jian spat out a mouthful of blood, not from being injured by Di Xuansha but from sheer anxiety. The turmoil in his heart caused him to cough up blood, and he immediately collapsed, weakened.

The enormous black hole engulfed both Di Xuansha and Daoist Hong Jian, rendering them invisible to the onlookers.

As the black hole gradually filled with space again, everyone could finally see what had happened inside.

Di Xuan Sha stood serenely, his white robe immaculate, untouched by any damage. Across from him, another Daoist from Ye Qingcheng's entourage was supporting Daoist Hong Jian.

Daoist Hong Jian looked utterly spent, his hair disheveled, appearing years older in an instant. Blood dripped from his mouth as he appeared on the verge of collapse.

"Why? Why do you know even this move? I never demonstrated it. Why?" Despite his grievous injuries, Daoist Hong Jian kept asking.

"The preceding 3,600 forms were already there. Deriving the final move from them wasn't difficult," Di Xuan Sha responded with a hint of disdain.

"Pu!" Daoist Hong Jian spat out another mouthful of blood before collapsing into unconsciousness. Genius? He had always been hailed as a genius, but how laughable that seemed now. If he was a genius, what did that make the man in white before him?

The spectators were stunned by the outcome, but more than that, they were in awe of Di Xuan Sha. Who was this man? Such a prodigy that he could so easily turn the once-vaunted genius, Daoist Hong Jian, into a broken man.

Had Di Xuan Sha even tried his best? Certainly not!

"Ye Qingcheng, I don't need to state the result of the first match, do I?" a voice suddenly rang out from afar—Zhong Shan's voice.

Only now did everyone turn their attention to Zhong Shan. The man in white appeared to be Zhong Shan's subordinate? A subordinate? Such an extraordinary prodigy, a mere subordinate?

"The first match is yours," Ye Qingcheng said, showing remarkable composure.

Tian Xiaozhi, the official judge, was completely ignored by both sides. There was no need for his ruling.

Another Daoist from Ye Qingcheng's side carried Hong Jian away, glaring at Di Xuan Sha with intense hatred.

"For the second match, we'll still use him," Zhong Shan said, pointing to Di Xuan Sha.

At this moment, everyone understood why Zhong Shan had only brought two people for the three matches. The man in white was enough to handle two matches on his own.

Ye Qingcheng glanced at another Daoist beside him. This Daoist set down Hong Jian and flew out, nodding in acknowledgment.

"I am Dao Kuang," the Daoist said in a deep voice. With a flick of his wrist, he produced a blood-red longsword.

"A sword?" Di Xuan Sha smiled faintly.

Suddenly, flames emerged in his hand, and the Great Hong Sword he had just used was thrown into the fire. Under Di Xuan Sha's control, it began to transform.

"What is he doing?" a startled expert among the spectators exclaimed.

"Refining a sword?" another onlooker responded, equally shocked.

"A sword identical to Dao Kuang's?"

Everyone suddenly realized something. Could this man in white be not just a master of swordsmanship but also an unparalleled expert in the way of the sword? Was he planning to 'teach' Dao Kuang by using Dao Kuang's own sword techniques?

As this possibility dawned on them, nearly all the experts trembled with excitement. This battle was turning out to be even more thrilling and spectacular than they had imagined. After this fight, this man's fame would undoubtedly spread across the entire underworld.

Ye Qingcheng raised an eyebrow, seeming to gradually understand something. Tian Xiaozhi watched coldly from the sidelines, while in the distance, Zhong Shan smiled faintly. Sword techniques? Di Xuan Sha's mastery wasn't confined to swords or sabers alone. His level was far beyond what these second-rate Daoists could ever hope to comprehend.