I Have a Sword Heart That Illuminates Ten Thousand Miles of Mountains and Rivers!

Chen Fan sprinted all the way, heading straight toward Black Mountain.

About half an hour later, he arrived at the foot of Black Mountain.

That speed was undeniably fast, but the path up the mountain was exceptionally difficult.

Chen Fan looked up at Black Mountain. At its summit, a Black Willow Tree blotted out the sky and covered the earth, holding up heaven and earth.

The Black Willow Tree had taken root throughout the entire mountain, changing its terrain and the distribution of its plants. No matter which direction Chen Fan took to climb the mountain, he found only dense vegetation and undulating ridges!

"You damn Tree Demon, are you afraid of me?"

"Why not clear a path and fight me fair and square?"

Chen Fan let out a thunderous shout, then hacked through the brambles and charged straight toward the summit of Black Mountain.

"You may call this seat Lord Willow."

"The battle has already begun, yet you remain unaware!"

A rumbling voice came from the summit of Black Mountain. It was deafening, like rolling thunder charging down from the heavens!

The moment Lord Willow finished speaking, Chen Fan felt the earth tremble and the mountains sway. One thick trunk after another, as stout as horned dragons, drilled out of the ground and coiled toward his legs.

The Blood Sha Qi within Chen Fan's body burst out through his skin. Its terrifying corrosive power directly dissolved the willow roots winding toward him into a puddle of black water!

The whole of Black Mountain was deathly silent. There were no Demonic Creatures, no beasts, and not even a trace of birds.

Chen Fan spotted some dried animal corpses on the ground and realized that every living creature on Black Mountain had become nourishment for Lord Willow!

Even the vegetation was under its control. If it wished to destroy those plants, it would take no more than a thought.

Chen Fan swung the Meteorite Iron Blade in his hand. Terrifying blade qi carried overwhelming Killing Intent, and everything in its path was cleaved apart by the blade.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Countless black roots drilled out of the ground. Above the sky, countless Black Willow Branches descended in a world-shrouding wave. Roots and branches together enveloped Chen Fan, forming layer upon layer of airtight nets, trying to trap him to death within!

Chen Fan circulated the Blood Sha Skill, and terrifying Blood Sha Qi burst from his body, directly shattering the inescapable net closing around him!

"Don't bring out such petty tricks to embarrass yourself."

"I originally thought your true form would be terrifying, and that your strength would far surpass that of a Human Race Martial Artist like me, who has only just entered the Spirit Aperture Realm."

"But ever since I entered Black Mountain, you've exhausted every method to trap me at the foot of the mountain and stop me from climbing. From that, I can see that you're nothing special."

"You're afraid that I'll climb the mountain and tear you out by the roots. You're afraid of me!"

"Hahaha!"

Chen Fan threw his head back and laughed wildly. He swung the Meteorite Iron Blade, cleaving apart every obstacle before him, then charged toward the summit of Black Mountain!

When he reached halfway up the mountain, countless humanoid Tree Demons and all kinds of Demonic Creatures formed from black branches and black roots appeared before him, pouncing to kill him!

"Get out of my way!"

Chen Fan imbued the Meteorite Iron Blade with Blood Sha Qi and unleashed Heaven and Earth One-Blade Cut. Blade Intent gathered as he hacked out one slash after another. Terrifying blade qi swept across the ten directions. Wherever it passed, mountains and rivers shattered, and the countless woven Demonic Creatures were all laid low!

Chen Fan carried his blade and walked step by step toward the summit. He did not know how long he had fought, nor how many monsters and ghosts woven from Lord Willow's intertwined roots and branches he had slain.

His eyes had already reddened with slaughter. He felt as though the number of monsters and ghosts would never diminish. Moreover, the closer he came to the summit, the stronger they became.

By now, Chen Fan felt as though countless monsters and ghosts at the peak of the Spirit Concealment Realm were attacking him. Even as a Spirit Aperture Realm Martial Artist who had opened Thirty-six Spirit Apertures, he was gradually reaching his limit.

He understood. Lord Willow intended to keep wearing down his strength, then kill him in one stroke once he was utterly exhausted!

"The time is about right. Once I've completely turned the tens of thousands of people in Ping'an County into my nourishment, my strength will soar. When that happens, killing you will be as easy as blowing away dust!"

Lord Willow looked down from on high. Its aged face emerged from the trunk as it gazed at Chen Fan fighting endlessly beneath its feet, a cold smile appearing on its face.

"There isn't much time left!"

"There isn't much time left for me!"

"Damn it!"

Lord Willow knew that time was running short, and Chen Fan knew it as well—Lord Willow had not left him much time.

His purpose in coming here, killing Lord Willow, was actually the secondary task. The primary task was rescuing the tens of thousands of civilians in Ping'an County.

If all the people of Ping'an County died, then what meaning would there be even if he killed Lord Willow in the end?

Ping'an County City.

Black Willow Branches continued to spread, drawing ever closer to the people. Huang Chengyue and the Jinyiwei, the yamen runners and constables from the county yamen, and even the leaders of the County Soldiers organized every available force to take up weapons and hack apart all the Black Willow Branches extending toward them.

By the time the Black Willow Branches spread here, their power had already weakened considerably. Although being entangled by them still posed a lethal danger, an ordinary adult holding a weapon could completely chop through these tough and flexible willow branches!

Meanwhile, Lu Xuenning remained seated cross-legged atop the roof of the Ping'an County yamen. Her Longsword, which she carried at her side, lay horizontally before her.

Strands of Sword Qi drifted around her. Every Black Willow Branch that tried to approach was chopped into pieces by the Sword Qi!

Huang Chengyue was also protecting her. The moment Black Willow Branches coiled around her, Huang Chengyue would immediately act and rouse her from her closed-door cultivation.

"Those Black Willow Branches are spreading over here. What should we do?"

"Could Lord Chen Fan have failed?"

"Mother, I don't want to die. Boo-hoo-hoo."

"I'm so scared!"

"..."

The Black Willow Branches continued pressing toward the crowd. Although everyone was **working together to hack apart the Black Willow Branches extending toward them, they could not cut them down as quickly as the branches spread.

For a time, panic and grief spread through the crowd.

"What does it mean for the Sword Heart to Illuminate?"

"Master said that when swordsmanship reaches a certain realm, the heart becomes clear and transparent. One can clearly sense the mysteries and essence of swordsmanship. It is a profound realm of the sword dao."

"To have the Sword Heart Illuminate means not to be deceived by anything, to understand all things, and to know safety, danger, fortune, and calamity. As the saying goes: prove the dao with the sword, let the heart illuminate all, and walk beneath blue robes while singing a long song!"

"I possess a sword heart, long sealed beneath dust. When will the dust be swept away and light be born, illuminating ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers?"

"Today, I shall attain the Sword Heart Illuminates!"

Lu Xuenning shouted sharply. Sword-shaped marks burst forth from her eyes. The Sword Qi around her surged, and the apertures within her body opened with a crackling sound, like beans popping in a hot pan!

She circulated the Cultivation Method taught to her by her master, guiding the qi of heaven and earth into her apertures. From the apertures, it traveled through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians before converging in her dantian!

Her dantian trembled slightly. A wisp of pure qi was born within it, then rapidly grew stronger!

Lu Xuenning sat cross-legged atop the county yamen roof. At this moment, vast stretches of Black Willow Branches had already spread before her.

With a thought, the Thirty-six Spirit Apertures around her shone like thirty-six stars.

Strands of terrifying true qi burst from her body, transforming into peerless Sword Qi that completely shattered the Black Willow Branches!

Immediately afterward, she rose to her feet. Using her apertures to communicate with the qi of heaven and earth, she unleashed boundless Sword Qi and cut down every Black Willow Branch within several square miles!

"Success!"

"Xuenning has comprehended the Sword Heart Illuminates and stepped into the Spirit Aperture Realm!"

"Brother Lu Fang, Old Huang has not failed your entrustment. I've raised our girl into someone capable!"

Huang Chengyue gazed at Lu Xuenning, radiant with light, and could not help shedding tears of joy!