Clouds churned across the sea, all in the blink of an eye.
The clouds, which had only just been gently unfurling, abruptly froze, then shattered with a thunderous crash, transforming into hundreds of razor-sharp black Sword Qi.
Like ghosts, the Sword Qi traced eerie arcs through the air, slashing toward the Old Daoist at the center of the sea of clouds from every direction!
Before the swords arrived, their intent was already there.
The Old Daoist stood atop the sea of clouds, his robes snapping in the Sword Qi's turbulence, yet he did not move an inch. His murky old eyes reflected the black gleam filling the sky, calm as an ancient well without a ripple.
"Well, now."
He murmured softly. The seemingly ordinary peachwood sword in his hand slowly rose, then swept lightly through the air.
The motion was casual and effortless, as if he were merely brushing away dust in front of him.
Yet at that very instant, a gentle radiance suddenly shone above the sea of clouds.
It was not dazzling. Instead, it was as soft as the warm spring sun, yet it still tore a gap through the encircling black Sword Qi.
What came next was even more astonishing.
Where the radiance passed, peach blossoms drifted down.
At first, there were only a few scattered petals. In the blink of an eye, they became a shower of flowers filling the sky. Pink petals spun lightly through the air, seemingly delicate and powerless, yet each met a black strand of Sword Qi with pinpoint precision.
There was no clang of metal against metal.
There was no violent collision, no surging shockwave.
There was only the soundless dissolving of the petals and Sword Qi at the instant they met.
The black Sword Qi filling the sky vanished without