Chapter 264: Do you think you are worthy of being my enemy?
“Sword Intent Backlash!” Many people exclaimed at this moment.
Normally, unleashing a Martial Path Intent wouldn’t pose any problems, as it is a power engraved within the Divine Soul.
But there are exceptions.
For instance, this situation, where extraordinary means were used to unleash a power far beyond one’s limits, causing immense damage to both the body and the Divine Soul!
Moreover, facing Shen Xing’s Second Stage Dragon Transformation, this immense sword intent couldn’t even be fully unleashed before it was completely shattered.
This was why Shen Xing didn’t draw his blade but chose to face the sword intent directly.
As long as he dealt with this move, he wouldn’t even need to do anything else, as this person had already lost half their life!
At this moment, Sword Maiden had completely turned into a bloodied figure, all of her sword intent utterly collapsed. Shen Xing, transformed into a divine dragon, had only suffered a few wounds.
The outcome of the spar was clear as day.
The onlookers could only lament for Sword Maiden’s misfortune and marvel at Shen Xing’s power.
“A dragon indeed! Only a legendary true dragon could possess such strength!”
“The lord of all beasts!”
“Only after the decline of the true dragons did the era of humanity begin!”
“I never thought I’d live to see a trace of the dragon race again!”
“It’s a pity for Sword Maiden. To be able to unleash such power at the Mid Fourth Realm, if she hadn’t died, she might have had a chance to become a Sage, or at the very least, a Sun and Moon Realm expert.”
“That’s a future Sun and Moon Realm expert!”
“That’s just the style of Ancient Sword Sect. Who knows how many prodigies have been ruined by them.”
“Succeed or die trying, this sect is too extreme.”
“…”
Amidst the clamor of discussions, the elder from Ancient Sword Sect showed no reaction to his prodigy’s defeat, even near-death. He remained expressionless, merely flying towards Sword Maiden, who was now barely breathing.
It seemed he intended to take her away.
This was the usual practice of Ancient Sword Sect. If a disciple died in a formal challenge, they would only retrieve the body and do nothing else.
No revenge, not even a display of grief.
Such was Ancient Sword Sect.
However, this seemingly normal behavior appeared strange to Shen Xing.
Especially since Sword Maiden had come with the intention of a near-suicidal attack.
What kind of sect would make such a prodigy challenge someone without any prior grudge using such a move?
This was beyond the scope of “cultivation,” even “Gu-style” （raising venomous insects to fight each other） cultivation wouldn’t be this extreme.
“Wait a minute.” Shen Xing reverted to his human form and landed beside Sword Maiden, narrowing his eyes at the elder. “Shouldn’t your Ancient Sword Sect give Young Master Shen an explanation?”
His voice resonated through the air, clear to everyone present.
The Ancient Sword Sect’s Mountain and Sea Realm elder paused.
The sword intent deep within his eyes seemed to burn a little brighter.
However, his expression remained unchanged.
“What explanation?” he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
“What explanation?” Shen Xing scoffed. “Young Master Shen agreed to a spar, but Young Master Shen didn’t agree to this life-for-an-injury tactic. This is not a spar, only mortal enemies would do this. Young Master Shen wants to know, what grudge do I have with your Ancient Sword Sect!”
As his voice fell, the murmurs around the area grew louder.
Some people also realized.
It was true.
Although Ancient Sword Sect members were known to be lunatics, their madness was for the sake of becoming stronger. But this self-destructive move, how could it lead to strength?
Even if you won, you’d be half-crippled!
“There is no grudge. This is the way of my Ancient Sword Sect.” The Mountain and Sea Realm expert said, “Step aside. Even in defeat, a disciple of my sect shall be buried within the sect.”
“Hehe.” Shen Xing chuckled. “Whether there’s a grudge isn’t for you to decide. If Young Master Shen says there is, then there is!”
“…”
The Ancient Sword Sect expert didn’t say anything, but his hand gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist.
Although he made no move, this action startled Tianyuan Sect’s Mountain and Sea Realm experts.
“Calm, please calm down.” Bai Yu quickly intervened, already on high alert.
He knew that Ancient Sword Sect members were lunatics. They would draw their swords at the slightest provocation, and once they did, they would unleash extraordinary power!
Even if several Mountain and Sea Realm experts besieged an Ancient Sword Sect expert, they had to worry about being taken down with them.
◈◈◈
It was this kind of madness and terrifying combat power that forged Ancient Sword Sect’s reputation.
However, Shen Xing naturally wasn’t afraid.
He could simply return to the Human Federation after the sword was drawn, and when he came back, the enemy would be half-crippled.
This kind of one-move tactic was completely countered by him!
Moreover, where were they? This was the exit of the secret realm, his territory!
“No need for words!”
Shen Xing raised his hand, and instantly, a dragon’s roar echoed through the heavens. An aura surpassing the Sun and Moon Realm soared, a power from the Mysterious Dragon Secret Realm!
This time, even the Ancient Sword Sect elder’s expression changed.
“You wish to make an enemy of my Ancient Sword Sect?” The aura around him reached its peak.
“What a joke!” Shen Xing sounded as if he had heard something ridiculous, his tone full of mockery. “Do you think you are worthy of being my enemy?”
Clang——!
The Ancient Sword Sect’s Mountain and Sea Realm expert actually drew his sword!
In that instant, the sky changed color. The condensed sword intent was far beyond what Sword Maiden could muster. Everyone felt as if the world was filled with a piercing white light, and their entire bodies, including their vision, hearing, Divine Sense, every pore, and every inch of skin, felt a sharp, cutting pain!
Some people even screamed, their bodies starting to show fine cuts!
This was the outburst of an Ancient Sword Sect Mountain and Sea Realm expert!
Even Bai Yu’s expression drastically changed.
“Madman! He’s truly a madman!” He felt a real sense of mortal danger. Even if he blocked this attack, he would pay a heavy price, and the entire sect could suffer severe damage!
But at this moment, a deafening dragon’s roar easily overwhelmed the boundless sword intent!
“Scram!”
Shen Xing simply roared, and the dragon’s roar shook the heavens. All the Mountain and Sea Realm sword intent completely collapsed!
The Ancient Sword Sect Mountain and Sea Realm expert instantly shattered, the backlash far exceeding Sword Maiden’s!
His Divine Soul shattered, layer by layer, revealing a sword soul at its core, but even this sword soul shattered again!
He was utterly annihilated by Shen Xing’s roar!
After all, this move wasn’t Shen Xing’s own power, but borrowed from the Mysterious Dragon Secret Realm. By consuming Dragon Crystals, it could even unleash a strike comparable to the Sun and Moon Realm!
No matter how hard this Ancient Sword Sect expert struggled, he was like an ant before this power!
The weaker individuals present didn’t know what had happened. Even Spirit Realm experts were disoriented, their surroundings shaking. But the Mountain and Sea Realm experts had barely managed to see what had transpired.
Their faces turned pale.
“Using Sun and Moon Realm power to kill a Mountain and Sea Realm expert of Ancient Sword Sect is a taboo! They won’t let this go, they might even mobilize their entire sect!” Bai Yu’s expression was filled with terror.
Clearly, such an event had happened before.
A Mountain and Sea Realm expert had attacked a Spirit Realm disciple of Ancient Sword Sect. After that, Ancient Sword Sect mobilized their entire force, all their Sun and Moon Realm experts attacked simultaneously, launching an all-out war. In that battle, two Sun and Moon Realm experts perished!
In fact, the unspoken rule of not attacking those of a lower realm was truly established after that incident!
And now, Shen Xing, using the secret realm’s Sun and Moon Realm power to kill a Mountain and Sea Realm expert, had broken that taboo!
Ancient Sword Sect’s four Sun and Moon Realm experts might be on their way, and their target was Tianyuan Sect! How could Bai Yu not be terrified?
Even some Mountain and Sea Realm experts not from Tianyuan Sect paled.
Clearly, they also remembered that terrifying scene.
“Young Master Shen.” Bai Yu opened his mouth, but held back. However, his heart was filled with resentment.
Shen Xing naturally didn’t fear Ancient Sword Sect’s threat. He could hide in the secret realm or even leave at will. But Tianyuan Sect couldn’t escape or resist. They would bear the brunt of Ancient Sword Sect’s wrath in Shen Xing’s place. Even their Sun and Moon Realm Ancestor wouldn’t be able to do anything, and might even be in grave danger.
Ancient Sword Sect, with nearly eight thousand years of history, was on the verge of extinction, and all because of this man’s careless actions!
However, Shen Xing paid no heed to Tianyuan Sect’s emotions. He simply narrowed his eyes and said, “Did you notice it? The core of this person’s Divine Soul?”
“What?” Bai Yu was taken aback.
“It’s a sword,” Shen Xing said, the corners of his mouth curling up as if he had seen something very interesting. “This person refined their Divine Soul into a sword, a sword with nothing but sword intent. Everything else, including emotions, memories, and self, were just a sheath, a cracked sheath that could shatter at any moment!”
That’s right, Shen Xing saw it clearly.
He now understood why Ancient Sword Sect members were the way they were.
It should be understood that the Divine Soul wasn’t some ethereal spirit, but the manifestation of a person’s will, emotions, self, personality, and all their essence, a power made tangible by transcendent rules.
This was also why martial artists emphasized will, and why Martial Path Intents emphasized compatibility.
This so-called compatibility was less about “talent” and more about personality.
And for most martial artists, as long as they chose a Martial Path Intent that matched them, their personality wouldn’t change much.
Take Shen Xing for example.
His Divine Soul was already in the shape of a dragon, but this “dragon” incorporated all of his self, including his memories and personality.
So he was still him.
But these people from Ancient Sword Sect were different.
