Killing Intent Too Heavy

(When will my weekly recommendations pass 10,000? They haven't even reached 10,000 since I started uploading. Please brothers, make it happen!)

"Alright, as you wish. Let's call it Great Freedom Sword Qi."

Zhong Yue couldn't argue with Xin Huo, so he let Xin Huo rename "Geng Jin Sword Qi." He thought to himself, This Dragon Steed Sword Qi I've cultivated can be made even smaller. The smaller it is, the more stable its power, the easier it is to control, and the harder it is to defend against. Pursuing size leads to empty power, slow reactions, and difficulty in control, lacking the inherent versatility of sword qi.

On this point, he and Xin Huo had different views. When facing swarms of low-level opponents, a large sword qi might be fierce and domineering, crushing enemies like a destructive force, but against powerful opponents, a finer sword qi would be more potent!

Of course, for Xin Huo, who could easily replenish the Beast God Seal, a mountain-sized sword qi chopping down would undoubtedly feel more satisfying.

As for Zhong Yue, he was still far from that realm. He needed meticulous refinement and polishing to achieve a mountain-sized sword qi in the future.

"Dragon Steed Sword Qi, formless yet substantial, capable of shattering any hardness, yet also as gentle as a silken thread. The year-end is approaching, and before the Unrestricted Duel, I must refine this Dragon Steed Sword Qi to be smaller, much smaller!"

Zhong Yue sacrificed his soul to the high heavens, using the lightning to temper his soul and, at the same time, refine his Dragon Steed Sword Qi. He whispered, "Because in this Unrestricted Duel, I might encounter her... 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 poured more effort into the "Great Freedom Sword Qi," gaining deeper insights into the technique. The year-end drew ever closer.

Chii.

A clear sound echoed as a strand of sword qi rose from Zhong Yue's fingertip. The sword light was crimson, only five or six inches long, dancing erratically at his fingertip.

The sword light moved like a swimming fish, weaving between his five fingers. It transformed into a five- or six-inch-long dragon, frolicking around him with immense joy.

After a moment, the dragon transformed back into a thin strand of sword qi, hiding within his black hair, indistinguishable from the myriad strands of black hair, like a single red thread.

Unlike others, if someone else cultivated sword qi, it would surely become thicker and more brilliant with their practice. He, however, cultivated it to be finer and smaller.

Originally, this sword qi was five to six feet long, but now it was only five to six inches. Tempering the sword with lightning, refining away impurities, this Dragon Steed Sword Qi became increasingly obedient, like an extension of his arm.

Ding.

The Dragon Steed Sword Qi lightly collided with the Dragon Scale Sword, producing a crisp sound. The blade of the Dragon Scale Sword, personally polished by Elder Pu for twenty days, actually showed a small, bean-sized nick!

The Dragon Scale Sword was a top-tier Soul Weapon. A single light collision with the Dragon Steed Sword Qi left a small nick, demonstrating the terrifying sharpness of the Dragon Steed Sword Qi!

Elder Pu, an old Qi Refiner, spent twenty days forging the sword, combining Mysterious Gold and Mysterious Iron with Flood Dragon Totems and Thunder Totems to create the Dragon Scale Sword. Zhong Yue, however, spent over a month cultivating the "Great Freedom Sword Qi" to forge the Dragon Steed Sword Qi, surpassing the Dragon Scale Sword. This showed just how profound and unfathomable the "Great Freedom Sword Qi" truly was!

Zhong Yue retracted the Dragon Steed Sword Qi, his soul returning to his body. The Dragon Steed Sword Qi settled into the sword box. He thought, In this Unrestricted Duel, all Upper Court disciples can participate, and Heavenly Phenomenon Mother will also be there. This Dragon Steed Sword Qi will be my trump card! With her strength, she will undoubtedly reach the finals easily, and I will face her in the finals and slay her!

The annual Unrestricted Duel was finally about to begin.

The Upper Court was in an uproar, with all Upper Court disciples sharpening their skills and eager to compete.

This duel was to select those who would enter the Spirit Void Hall. Only by obtaining the qualification to enter the Spirit Void Hall would one have the chance to sense Spirits and become a Qi Refiner!

The importance of this duel was self-evident!

"Kid Yue, this Unrestricted Duel is also an opportunity to test if you've met my requirements."

Xin Huo chuckled, "If you can achieve 'crisp,' 'fierce,' and 'hard,' I promise to take you to the edges of the moon and sun, allowing you to obtain the purest Moon Spirit and Sun Spirit! Now is the time to test the results of your cultivation during this period. Sweep through everyone in the Upper Court for me!"

"Sweep through everyone in the Upper Court?"

Zhong Yue's expression remained as placid as an ancient well, possessing a composure unbefitting his age, yet it exuded an extremely dangerous aura, like contained thunder or a dormant volcano. He thought, My goal isn't this, but you... Heavenly Phenomenon Mother! However, to face Heavenly Phenomenon Mother in the final, what's the harm in sweeping through everyone in the Upper Court?

On this day, the year-end Unrestricted Duel finally arrived. Sword Gate Mountain's golden peak shone brightly, streams of golden light illuminating the land like dazzling sword beams, descending obliquely from the peak to shine upon the mountains.

Sword Gate Elders descended from the golden peak, arriving at the Sword Gate Upper Court to preside over this Unrestricted Duel, summoning the Upper Court disciples to Five Pine Peak for the competition.

The Upper Court disciples who had been cultivating in the inner court also returned to the Upper Court. Many unfamiliar faces appeared, mostly disciples heavily nurtured by the Ten Great Clans, who were personally instructed by Qi Refiners.

On Five Pine Peak, Zhong Yue looked around. He saw numerous towering platforms, and above them, the Elders sat in the air, using large umbrellas, awnings, and other items to shield themselves from the sun. Below the platforms, more and more Upper Court disciples of the Sword Gate gathered.

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

Yu Feiyan approached, her demeanor heroic and spirited. She said softly, "You've repeatedly dodged me, but now, during the Unrestricted Duel, you can't dodge anymore, can you?"

Zhong Yue smiled slightly and replied, "Senior Sister, there are thousands of disciples in the Upper Court. It's hard to say if we'll even meet."

Yu Feiyan, radiating confidence, declared, "I am destined to reach the end. As for whether you can last until the end, that depends on your cultivation during this period!"

"Junior Sister Yu's cultivation has improved significantly during this period, no wonder you're so confident,"

Li Xiuniang walked over, smiling sweetly. "However, despite your considerable progress, you're still a tiny bit behind me. Of course, you were already a hair's breadth behind me, so the gap has widened. Fortunately, my opponent isn't you, but the core disciple nurtured by your Youyu Clan, Yu Zhenglong."

Yu Feiyan snorted coldly, and behind her, the Fish-Goose Twin Flight appeared, with the Fish Dragon and the Wild Goose dancing together.

Zhong Yue let out a soft sound of surprise. Yu Feiyan's Fish-Goose Twin Flight had become even more lifelike. The Fish Dragon and the Wild Goose's muscles and bones were no longer visible; their feathers and scales obscured the view, indicating that her Spiritual Power had indeed reached the level of transforming the virtual into the real!

Senior Sister Yu's progress is indeed remarkable. It seems she has been diligently cultivating. I wonder if she has reached the Non-Thinking State. If not, she might not be Senior Sister Li's opponent, Zhong Yue mused inwardly.

The two young women were like fire and water, seemingly intending to eliminate their opponents before the Unrestricted Duel even began. Fortunately, the arrival of girls like Tao Daier and Ting Lanyue prevented them from fighting.

Zhong Yue observed closely. The young women had new Totem God Pillars and had brought their Soul Weapons. They were dressed neatly, but all of them appeared somewhat nervous.

Ting Lanyue whispered, "As long as we make it into the top one hundred, we'll qualify to enter the Spirit Void Hall. Let's work hard to get into the top one hundred!"

Tao Daier had a pained expression and whispered, "My Taolin Clan's Cloud Spirit Visualization combat power isn't strong. This time, I can only rely on my movement techniques and Soul Weapon to win."

"Senior Sister Li, who are the top experts in this Unrestricted Duel?" a young woman asked.

"Among the Ten Great Clans participating in this Unrestricted Duel, I am the strongest from the Lishan Clan. Leihu Clan's Lei Gun is dead. While there are many other experts, few can compare to Lei Gun."

Li Xiuniang pointed with her slender fingers, "The second strongest clan, the Youyu Clan, has Yu Zhenglong. He is that person, Junior Sister Yu's elder brother."

Zhong Yue, Ting Lanyue, and the others looked over. They saw a rather refined-looking young man standing with the disciples of the Youyu Clan. The young man sensed their gazes and turned his head. His eyes swept past Li Xiuniang before settling on Zhong Yue's face. He gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Zhong Yue nodded, returning the gesture from afar, and Yu Zhenglong withdrew his gaze.

"The third Great Clan is the Taolin Clan. Their core disciple is Tao Yanran, that woman. The Taolin Clan's cultivation technique is extremely weak in the early stages, but its power grows stronger with cultivation. That Tao Yanran is the most formidable female disciple in the Upper Court, a very troublesome individual!"

Li Xiuniang pointed towards the disciples of the Taolin Clan. A maiden, as radiant as a peach blossom, stood in the center of the Taolin Clan disciples. Sensing their gazes, the maiden turned her head and waved at Tao Daier, smiling, "Taotao, come over here!"

"The fourth Great Clan is the Nanlu Clan, represented by Nan Zhen. The fifth is the Tian Feng Clan, Tian Yanfeng. The Leihu Clan is the sixth Great Clan. The seventh is the Junshan Clan, Jun Qingyue, also a woman. The eighth is the Shuitu Clan, Shui Qinghe. The ninth Great Clan is our Lishan Clan, and the tenth is the Qiu Clan. Originally, it was a female disciple, but I heard she was discovered to be a natural Spiritual Body and is now a Qi Refiner."

Li Xiuniang introduced them one by one. When she mentioned the Qiu Clan, Zhong Yue's heart stirred, "Could the person Senior Sister Li is talking about be Junior Sister Jin'er? She's a natural Spiritual Body and also a Qi Refiner..."

"Junior Brother Zhong, your little sweetheart has arrived," Ting Lanyue suddenly said with a giggle.

At that moment, Xin Huo suddenly spoke in Zhong Yue's Sea of Consciousness, "Heavenly Phenomenon Mother has arrived!"

Zhong Yue's heart stirred. His gaze fell upon the group of girls walking towards them. Shui Qingyan had become even more beautiful, her delicate body seemingly unable to withstand the slightest breeze, as she walked with the female disciples of the Shuitu Clan.

"Junior Brother Zhong is staring..." the maidens laughed carelessly.

Zhong Yue ignored them, looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar woman.

"Don't reveal your killing intent!"

Xin Huo whispered, "Heavenly Phenomenon Mother can sense your killing intent. Yours is too heavy!"

Shui Qingyan turned her head and looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion.

Zhong Yue withdrew his gaze, silently thinking, "As fast as my heart beats, so too will my sword. I wonder if my heart can be fast enough to sever her head before the Elders can stop me..."