Ximen Chuixue

The newcomer was also a distinctive person, very distinctive. If you met him once, you would never forget him.

Dressed in white as snow, unstained by a speck of dust, his fair hand tightly gripped the sword in his grasp. His face was stern, and his pair of starry eyes coldly regarded He Heng and his sword.

A breeze blew, and He Heng felt a sudden surge of immense cold Qi sweep through the surroundings, like the ice of the extreme north, chilling to the soul.

"Ximen Chuixue!" He Heng looked at him coldly, his tone very certain.

The person opposite nodded. He was Ximen Chuixue, and only Ximen Chuixue possessed such extreme coldness, extreme loneliness, and an extreme sword.

There are people who have already approached divinity, simply because they are devoid of emotion.

He Heng and Ximen Chuixue gazed at each other, neither speaking. The night enveloped them, the cold swept through, and the sword light was about to blaze.

At this moment, Lu Xiaofeng's voice suddenly rang out, shattering the calm.

"Ximen, it's fortunate you came quickly today, otherwise I would have become a dead phoenix."

Lu Xiaofeng said, patting his chest repeatedly. He had been truly terrified just now.

"I am also very fortunate that I came today, but now please shut up." Ximen Chuixue glanced coldly at Lu Xiaofeng, as he had another sacred matter to attend to and did not want to be disturbed.

Lu Xiaofeng looked at Ximen Chuixue, then at He Heng, then at the swords in their hands. He wanted to say something but ultimately did not, because he understood Ximen Chuixue, understood his loneliness.

Lu Xiaofeng voluntarily retreated more than ten zhang, watching the two men quietly from there.

He Heng and Ximen Chuixue's gazes met, a piercing coldness swept through them, the same coldness, the same determination.

Ximen Chuixue spoke first, "You use a sword?"

He Heng smiled, "My sword is named Longevity, it often buries people's longevity!"

"Good!" Ximen Chuixue's eyes brightened further, and he said, "Since you use a sword, may I request a battle?"

He Heng asked, "When and where?"

Ximen Chuixue replied, "Right now, right here."

He Heng said, "Good. The bright moon hangs high, the starlight envelops us, the night is deep. It is indeed a good time for a decisive battle."

"Then, please!" Ximen Chuixue said solemnly and respectfully.

"Please!" He Heng's expression was equally solemn.

The night was like water, the moon dim, the starlight faint. A wisp of clear wind blew, bringing a chilling cold. Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but shiver, his eyes fixed on the two men and two swords on the street.

Suddenly, a sword cry resounded, and both swords were swung out simultaneously. The sword shadows blurred, and light burst forth.

He Heng and Ximen Chuixue's figures moved at the same instant, becoming blurry in a flash. Their speed was incredibly fast, so fast that they were locked in a fierce battle. The air was instantly filled with streaks of afterimages and brilliant sword light.

Ching!

A crisp sword cry echoed as the two immortal swords intertwined, locked together.

At this moment, no one could stop them.

Sword Qi crisscrossed, the moonlight was hazy, flowing like water, filled with a chilling artistic conception.

Every sword they thrust was perfected to the peak, exquisitely refined to the extreme. In an instant, there were thousands of variations, reaching the pinnacle of the art of the sword.

He Heng's sword was like the majestic might of heaven, filled with boundless momentum, encompassing everything, containing all, present everywhere.

Ximen Chuixue's sword was like the snow lotus blooming atop Mount Tianshan, blooming its beauty and brilliance in an incredibly perilous environment, standing proudly between heaven and earth!

As their sword intents changed, their sword light and moves also changed. Their sword dao had long since reached the realm of "sword follows heart." Not only did they have a sword in their hands, but they also had a sharp sword in their hearts, capable of cleaving through the sun, moon, and stars, tearing apart everything in the world.

Lu Xiaofeng was already stunned. Although his martial arts were not weak, under the pressure of these two streams of sword Qi, he felt immense pressure, a spiritual oppression.

Sword Qi spans thirty thousand li, one sword chill nineteen states!

Suddenly, two brilliant sword lights flashed, illuminating the pitch-black night. The entire street, shrouded in darkness, now seemed like daylight. Even from several li away, streaks of sword light could be seen.

The wind and clouds in the sky also changed color because of these two swords. Faint thunder rumbled, dark clouds churned, and the vast sky seemed to be changing its hue.

He Heng and Ximen Chuixue were both immersed in the ocean of each other's swords, their hearts only holding each other, seeing nothing else.

The sword Qi was sharp and the brilliance dazzling.

A chop, a sweep, a slash, a point, a hook, a thrust... these were the most basic moves in swordsmanship, but now in their hands, they were exquisitely executed. With fluid movements, the sword followed the heart. Simple moves and stances combined to form the most terrifying sword techniques.

Suddenly, a cloud drifted across the sky. He Heng leaped up, soaring four to five zhang high, reaching the peak of Lingyun, unstained by the mortal world. His eyes were filled with tranquility, as if nothing in this world could shake him anymore.

A gentle breeze blew. He raised the sword in his hand, naturally and harmoniously, and gently thrust it down. From a high vantage point, he was like a banished immortal descending upon the human world!

Ching~~~

A long sword cry resounded. As the two long swords collided, sparks erupted, scattering into the dark night.

Lu Xiaofeng's eyes widened. He looked at He Heng's sword strike descending from the heavens, which was truly otherworldly.

Soon, He Heng and Ximen Chuixue's figures intertwined again, hazy and indistinct. Sword Qi crisscrossed, and Lu Xiaofeng could no longer see what was happening within. He could only silently wish Ximen Chuixue well. He knew he could not interfere in this battle; the only thing he could do was bless his friend.

When He Heng and the other man separated again, Ximen Chuixue's face was extremely pale, and even the hand holding the sword was trembling. For a swordsman like him, this was something that should never have happened.

He Heng's expression was indifferent as he swept his gaze over Ximen Chuixue, then looked at Lu Xiaofeng, and then gazed at the sky. The Longevity Sword was sheathed.

"A good sword. That strike was no longer of this world!" After a long while, Ximen Chuixue suddenly said.

He Heng smiled and said, "Naturally, it's a good sword. This move is called... Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens!"

"But what about White Cloud City Lord Ye Gucheng's Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens?" Ximen Chuixue asked.

He Heng replied, "That's right, it's that move. Years ago, when I dueled Ye Gucheng, I saw him use this sword technique. For people like us, any move we see once can be learned to about seventy to eighty percent. Moreover, I've pondered it for two years and created a movement technique from it—Flying Immortal Wander."

"Then how does your Flying Immortal Beyond the Heavens compare to White Cloud City Lord's?" Ximen Chuixue continued to ask.

He Heng said, "It has about ninety percent of his essence. The remaining ten percent belongs solely to Ye Gucheng, which I cannot replicate. So, I could only add some of my own touches. Its power should be no less than his original."

"Then who won your battle with Ye Gucheng?"

"In terms of swordsmanship, Ye Gucheng and I are evenly matched, with no significant difference," He Heng did not directly answer Ximen Chuixue's question.

"It's a pity I couldn't fight Lord Ye. Otherwise, I would have no regrets," Ximen Chuixue suddenly sighed, closing his eyes. "Make your move."

"Ximen!" Lu Xiaofeng roared, about to rush forward.

Ximen Chuixue coldly rebuked him, "Stop. For me, defeat means death. It is an honor for a swordsman to die at the hands of a stronger swordsman."

Lu Xiaofeng gave a bitter smile and ultimately did not take another step forward, merely looking coldly at He Heng.

At this moment, He Heng smiled and looked at Ximen Chuixue, "Why do you think I want to kill you?"

Ximen Chuixue said expressionlessly, "For a swordsman, losing means death. Today, I lost to you, so I must die."

Unexpectedly, He Heng smiled again, "You may go."

"Why? You're not killing me?" Ximen Chuixue was confused.

"Because the time is not yet right. The flowers have not yet bloomed to their most brilliant and beautiful moment, so how can they be plucked now?" He Heng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at him as if in contemplation.

Ximen Chuixue looked at He Heng, then at himself, as if understanding something. He sheathed his sword.

Then he asked, "When will the time be right?"

He Heng looked at him and said, "When you meet someone who can move your heart, someone who can tie down your sword, and then you break free from her, washing away all superficiality, that will be the time. Come find me then, I won't let you go."

Ximen Chuixue frowned, pondered for a moment, seeming to gain something yet also nothing. He glanced at He Heng again and left indifferently without saying more.

Lu Xiaofeng also glanced at He Heng, his gaze somewhat complex. After a moment of hesitation, he followed Ximen Chuixue away.

He Heng watched their retreating figures and smiled. The current Ximen Chuixue, before meeting Sun Xiuqing and breaking free from her, before reaching the peak of Zijin Peak, his sword was still somewhat immature. He was not his best opponent, and even in terms of swordsmanship, he was inferior. After all, He Heng's greatest strength had never been swordsmanship.

Having been in this world for so long, he had been improving daily. He had spent months reading in the Great Heaven World. With his near-photographic memory, enhanced by his aptitude, He Heng had memorized all the books from the Flying Immortal Academy's library and those provided by the He Family.

Now, he had digested those books. That knowledge had become sustenance, driving the progress of his Martial Dao. He had already reached the Martial Dao Two Hou Realm.

The Great Dao Three Fists had also long since transformed during these years, integrating with his internal and external cultivation, etched into his very bones, reaching a brand new realm. In this world, how many people could withstand a single punch from him now?