Killing Intent Too Heavy

"All right, I'll defer to you and call it Great Freedom Sword Qi."

Zhong Yue could not win an argument with Xinhuo, so he could only let Xinhuo rename Geng Jin Sword Qi. He thought, I can still refine this Dragon Steed Sword Qi to make it smaller. The smaller it is, the more stable its power, the easier it is to control, and the harder it is to defend against. If I pursue size, its power will become hollow, its reactions slower, and it will be harder to control, lacking the myriad transformations sword qi ought to possess.

On this point, he and Xinhuo held different opinions. Against low-level opponents spread across the mountains and plains, Great Sword Qi was naturally sharp and overbearing, slaughtering them like dead wood under a withered blade. But against powerful opponents, the finer sword qi was actually more formidable!

Of course, for an existence like Xinhuo, which could effortlessly complete the Beast God Seal, bringing down sword qi as huge as a mountain was naturally more satisfying.

As for Zhong Yue, he was still far from that realm. He needed painstaking refinement and polishing before he could one day produce sword qi as huge as a mountain.

"Dragon Steed Sword Qi has form but no substance. It can cut through anything, yet it can also turn as soft as a finger-circling ribbon. The year is nearly over. Before the Unrestricted Duel, I must refine this Dragon Steed Sword Qi until it is smaller, finer, and more delicate!"

Zhong Yue performed Soul Sacrifice high in the air, tempering his soul with thunder while tempering his Dragon Steed Sword Qi as well. He murmured, "Because during this Unrestricted Duel, I may encounter her... the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother!"

"Junior Sister Shui, rest assured. In the Unrestricted Duel, I will slay this demon god and avenge you!"

As time passed, he devoted more and more thought to Great Freedom Sword Qi. His comprehension of this technique deepened by the day, while the year-end drew ever closer.

Sss!

A clear ringing sound came from his fingers. A streak of sword qi rose into the air, its sword light scarlet-red and only five or six inches long, leaping restlessly at his fingertip.

The sword light was like a swimming fish. Suddenly, it darted through his five fingers, then transformed into a Dragon Steed five or six inches long, running and leaping around him with boundless joy.

After a moment, the Dragon Steed transformed once more into a slender streak of sword qi and hid among his black hair. It looked like a single red strand amid thousands of black hairs, utterly inconspicuous.

Unlike other people, who would certainly refine their sword qi until it grew thicker, more splendid, and grander, he refined his until it grew finer and smaller.

This sword qi had originally been five or six feet long, but now it was only five or six inches. Thunder tempered the sword, refining away its impurities, and the Dragon Steed Sword Qi became increasingly compliant, as easy to command as his own arm.

Ding!

The Dragon Steed Sword Qi lightly struck the Dragon Scale Sword, producing a crisp ring. The Dragon Scale Sword, which Elder Pu had personally polished for twenty days, actually had a hole the size of a bean appear in its blade!

The Dragon Scale Sword was a high-grade soul weapon. A single light collision with the Dragon Steed Sword Qi had cut a tiny notch into it. This showed just how terrifyingly sharp the Dragon Steed Sword Qi was!

Elder Pu, an old alchemist, had spent twenty days forging the Dragon Scale Sword from Mysterious Gold and Mysterious Iron, using the Flood Dragon Totem and Thunder Totem. Zhong Yue, meanwhile, had spent more than a month cultivating Great Freedom Sword Qi and refining the Dragon Steed Sword Qi, yet had surpassed the Dragon Scale Sword. Clearly, Great Freedom Sword Qi was indeed unfathomably profound!

Zhong Yue withdrew the Dragon Steed Sword Qi, and his soul returned to his body. The Dragon Steed Sword Qi fell into the sword case. He thought, Everyone in the Upper House can participate in this Unrestricted Duel, and the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother will participate as well. This Dragon Steed Sword Qi is my trump card! With her strength, she will surely enter the final competition with ease. I will face her there and slay her!

The once-a-year Unrestricted Duel was finally about to begin.

The Upper House was in an uproar. All the disciples rubbed their fists and palms, eager to test themselves.

This duel would select those who could enter Spirit Void Hall. Only by obtaining the qualification to enter Spirit Void Hall would one have a chance to sense the spirit and become an alchemist!

The importance of this duel was self-evident!

"Boy Yue, this Unrestricted Duel is also a chance to test whether you have reached the level I require."

Xinhuo smiled. "If you can fulfill the three words 'crisp, fierce, and firm,' I will agree to take you to the edges of the moon and the sun, allowing you to obtain the purest Moon Spirit and Sun Spirit! Now is the time to test the fruits of your cultivation. Sweep aside every figure in the Upper House!"

"Every figure in the Upper House?"

Zhong Yue's expression was as still as an ancient well, possessing a composure far beyond his years, yet he gave off an extremely dangerous feeling, like thunder held back, like a volcano brewing an eruption. He thought, That isn't my goal. You are... the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother! But if I want to face the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother in the final round, what harm is there in sweeping aside every figure in the Upper House?

On this day, the year-end Unrestricted Duel finally arrived. Sword Gate Mountain's Golden Summit shone brilliantly. Streaks of golden light illuminated the land, like gleaming sword lights slanting down from the summit and shining across the mountains.

One Sword Gate elder after another descended from the Golden Summit and came to the Sword Gate Upper House to preside over the Unrestricted Duel, summoning the Upper House disciples to Five Pine Peak to participate.

The Upper House disciples cultivating in the inner court also returned one after another. The Upper House gained many unfamiliar faces, most of them disciples specially nurtured by the Ten Clans and personally instructed by alchemists.

At Five Pine Peak, Zhong Yue looked around. He saw platform after platform rising high into the air. Above them, the elders sat in midair, raising great umbrellas, reed shelters, and other objects to block the sunlight, while more and more Upper House disciples gathered beneath the platforms.

"Junior Brother Zhong, I can finally have a proper contest with you this time!"

Yu Feiyan approached, brimming with heroic spirit. She said softly, "You dodged me again and again, but now that the Unrestricted Duel has arrived, you can't dodge me anymore, can you?"

Zhong Yue smiled faintly. "Senior Sister, there are several thousand Upper House disciples. It's hard to say whether we'll even meet."

Yu Feiyan's heroic bearing was imposing, and she said proudly, "I am destined to make it to the end. As for whether you can hold out until then, that will depend on your cultivation during this period!"

"Junior Sister Yu has improved quite a bit during this time. No wonder she is so confident."

Li Xiuniang walked over with a smile. "Your progress has indeed been substantial, but you're still a tiny bit behind me. Of course, you were already a thread behind me before, and now the gap is even wider. Fortunately, my opponent isn't you, but Yu Zhenglong, the core disciple cultivated by your Youyu Clan."

Yu Feiyan snorted coldly. Behind her appeared Fish-Goose Twin Flight, with the Fish Dragon and a great goose dancing together.

Zhong Yue let out a soft exclamation. Fish-Goose Twin Flight had become even more real. The muscles and bones of the Fish Dragon and great goose could no longer be seen; feathers and Fish Dragon hide now blocked the view. This showed that her spiritual power had also reached the level of turning the unreal into reality!

Senior Sister Yu has indeed improved considerably. It seems she has worked hard these days. I wonder whether she has reached the realm of non-thought. If she hasn't, she probably isn't Senior Sister Li's match, Zhong Yue thought inwardly.

The two girls faced each other like needle against wheat, seemingly intent on eliminating their opponent before the Unrestricted Duel had even begun. Fortunately, Tao Daier, Ting Lanyue, and the other girls arrived, preventing them from fighting.

Zhong Yue carefully examined them. The girls had exchanged for new Totem God Pillars and each brought a soul weapon. They were dressed neatly from head to toe, though all of them seemed somewhat nervous.

Ting Lanyue said softly, "As long as we enter the top one hundred, we'll qualify to enter Spirit Void Hall. Do your best to make the top one hundred!"

Tao Daier wore a bitter expression as she whispered, "The Cloud Spirit Visualization of my Taolin Clan isn't strong in battle. This time, I'll have to rely on movement techniques and soul weapons to win."

"Senior Sister Li, which experts are participating in this Unrestricted Duel?" a girl asked.

"Among the Ten Clans in this Unrestricted Duel, the strongest from the Lishan Clan is me. Lei Gun of the Leihu Clan is dead. Although there are still many experts left, few can compare with Lei Gun."

Li Xiuniang raised a slender jade finger and pointed into the distance. "The second-ranked clan, the Youyu Clan, has Yu Zhenglong. That is him—the elder brother of Junior Sister Yu."

Zhong Yue, Ting Lanyue, and the others looked over. A rather handsome youth stood among the disciples of the Youyu Clan. Sensing everyone's gazes, he turned his head. His eyes passed over Li Xiuniang's face before falling on Zhong Yue's. He gave a slight nod in greeting.

Zhong Yue nodded and returned the greeting from afar. Yu Zhenglong withdrew his gaze.

"The third clan is the Taolin Clan. Its core disciple is Tao Yanran—that girl there. The Taolin Clan's techniques have very weak combat power in the early stages, but as cultivation deepens, their might grows stronger and stronger. That Tao Yanran is the strongest among the female disciples in the Upper House. She is a very troublesome opponent!"

Li Xiuniang pointed toward the Taolin Clan's disciples. A girl as radiant as a peach blossom stood among them. Sensing everyone's gazes, she turned her head as well, waved to Tao Daier, and called with a smile, "Daier, come over here!"

"The fourth clan is the Nanlu Clan, with Nan Zhen. The fifth is the Tian Feng Clan, with Tian Yanfeng. The Leihu Clan is the sixth clan. The seventh is the Junshan Clan, with Jun Qingyue, who is also a woman. The eighth is the Shuitu Clan, with Shui Qinghe. The ninth is my Lishan Clan. The tenth is the Qiu Clan. Its core disciple was originally a female disciple, but I heard she was discovered to possess a naturally formed Spiritual Body and has now become an alchemist."

Li Xiuniang introduced them one by one. When she mentioned the Qiu Clan, Zhong Yue's heart stirred slightly. Could the person Senior Sister Li mentioned be Junior Sister Yin'er? She possesses a naturally formed Spiritual Body and is also an alchemist...

"Junior Brother Zhong, your little lover has arrived." Ting Lanyue suddenly giggled.

At that moment, Xinhuo suddenly said in Zhong Yue's sea of consciousness, "The Heavenly Phenomenon Mother has arrived!"

Zhong Yue's heart stirred slightly. His gaze fell on the group of girls walking toward them. Shui Qingyan had grown even more beautiful, her delicate body seeming too frail to withstand the wind, as she approached with the female disciples of the Shuitu Clan.

"Junior Brother Zhong is staring himself blind..." the girls laughed heedlessly.

Zhong Yue ignored them completely, looking at that familiar yet strange woman.

"Don't reveal any killing intent!"

Xinhuo lowered his voice. "The Heavenly Phenomenon Mother can sense your killing intent. Your killing intent is too heavy!"

Shui Qingyan turned her head and looked toward him, puzzlement showing in her eyes.

Zhong Yue withdrew his gaze and silently thought, As fast as my heart is, so fast is my sword. I wonder whether my heart can move quickly enough for me to sever her head before the elders can stop me...