Among the martial arts of the world, intent stood at the summit.
And above intent lay the state of the heart.
Taking the intent of a peerless art into the heart, making intent and heart one—this was the Sword Heart.
If the intent of the sword was a form of cultivated enlightenment, then the Sword Heart meant cultivating that sword into one's very character, into one's truest heart.
The nation lay shattered, its mountains and rivers bloodied, corpses floating for a million miles—desolation beyond words.
At that moment, a wave of desolation swept through heaven and earth. Everyone caught within it felt their eyes and noses sting, as though they were about to weep.
The manifestation seemed like an entire realm of intent crashing down. Wherever it passed, all things would perish.
Boom!
Zheng Yue struck, her treasured sword in hand. Water and Moon as One Sky.
This was a realm of intent: the moon in the sky, its reflection in the water. Everything seemed inverted, until no one could tell whether the sky was water or the water was sky.
No one could tell whether the moon was a reflection or the reflection was the moon.
As countless streaks of blood-colored sword energy descended, the sword intent of Water and Moon as One Sky was instantly pierced.
Within it, Zheng Yue coughed up mouthfuls of blood and was sent flying backward.
Jiang Li met the attack head-on, swinging the As-You-Will Golden Cudgel again and again to scatter countless streaks of sword energy.
But soon, the entire manifestation came crashing down. Jiang Li roared, unleashed every ounce of strength in his body, and collided with it.
Boom!
It was like being struck by a mountain. Endless streams of sword energy stabbed through flesh and into bone.
Even the Golden Chainmail