Sword intent was like thunder. When it came down upon him, it truly struck like thunderfire and lightning, its sword howl shaking the soul.
Under normal circumstances, faced with this kind of sword pressure that had seized the initiative, Yu Ci would certainly have avoided its edge, waited for an opening to use a dangerous move and reclaim the initiative, then sought a chance at victory. In truth, this was the defining trait of all mist-transforming sword intent: Striking the Void. It demanded that the sword turn with the heart, entering the minute and transforming into subtlety. Yu Ci merely carried it to a greater extreme.
But now, the secret Qi-guiding method taught by Xuan Huang had channeled the vast primordial Qi mobilized by the first-layer sigil into his body. His strength had increased, yet beneath pressure as majestic as a mountain, there was no longer any talk of the sword turning with the heart or entering the minute and transforming into subtlety.
Yu Ci had no right to speak of "choice." He had only one way!
"Cut!"
Amid Xuan Huang's fierce mental urging, Yu Ci held two fingers together and slashed through the air. A chilling edge tore through space. The lightning and fire descending from overhead visibly stalled, then split down the middle, revealing a figure entirely shrouded in shadow behind it. Yu Ci focused his gaze, and he seemed even able to make out the contours of its features.
With a thunderous bang, the divided lightning and fire burst apart in every direction. A fissure also split open across the shadowy figure's chest, causing the shadows there to twist violently before ultimately forming a vortex that swallowed the entire humanoid shape.
Yu Ci spat out a mouthful of blood. Though there had been only one target, the