Great Bamboo Peak.
The bamboo grove behind the mountain.
The wind howled, and the sea of Black Bamboo surged like waves.
Ye Xuan stood still in the depths of the bamboo grove. He held no sword, yet faint blue light flickered at his fingertips.
Sword Leading Azure Dragon True Art.
It was the most obscure and difficult to master of the Qingyun Sect's four great sword arts. It taught the practitioner to transform into a dragon and draw upon the pure qi of the Nine Heavens.
Ye Xuan closed his eyes.
Vital energy surged through his body—not like the trickling streams of an ordinary disciple, but like a river rushing backward, roaring in his veins.
Half a month of painstaking practice.
With the aid of his heaven-defying Innate Dao Body, the obscure incantation seemed to have been carved into his bones from birth.
"Rise."
Ye Xuan gave a soft command.
Blue light flared at his fingertips.
He hadn't used the Dragon Slaying Sword, relying on nothing but sword qi from his fingers.
Boom!
The Black Bamboo within a hundred yards fell utterly still.
Then a terrifying force of suction erupted. Countless bamboo leaves shot skyward against all reason, gathering in midair.
A roar—!
For an instant, the sound of a dragon's cry seemed to ring through the heavens.
The leaves transformed into an azure dragon, coiling above the bamboo grove and radiating a heart-stopping pressure.
Zhang Xiaofan, who was chopping bamboo in the distance, dropped the hatchet in his hand with a clatter.
He stared blankly at the sky, mouth agape—wide enough to fit a steamed bun.
Not far away, Lin Jingyu's eyes were also filled with fervent admiration.
This was the person he wanted to catch up to!
Ye Xuan swept his sleeve.
The azure dragon scattered in an