Sword and Fire Clash, a Slight Edge

The Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood descended with the might to burn heaven and boil seas!

Nine phantom fire dragons threw back their heads and roared, spewing blazing white Samadhi True Fire that transformed a hundred-yard radius into a purgatory of raging flames!

Space warped under the searing heat. The rocks below melted into lava in an instant, the air crackled with explosive pops, and the temperature was high enough to vaporize refined iron in the blink of an eye!

Taiyi was truly enraged. This strike was meant not only to kill Shiji, but to refine Xuan Chuan as well—the one who had repeatedly ruined his plans!

How could the wrathful strike of a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal be ordinary?

Yet Xuan Chuan remained exceptionally calm before this devastating assault.

He did not even look at the Divine Fire Hood descending over his head or the roaring fire dragons. He merely slowly raised the Fate-Cutting Sword in his hand.

The purple-gold Fate-Cutting Dao patterns and the silver-white lightning patterns on the blade lit up together. An unfathomable aura spread outward, as though it stood beyond the river of fate itself.

"Junior Sister Shiji, fall back and protect yourself," Xuan Chuan transmitted calmly.

Though Shiji was shocked by the might of the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood, she held an inexplicable trust in Xuan Chuan. At his words, she immediately flew backward.

At the same time, she brought out her own treasures, the Eight-Trigram Cloudlight Sash and the Eight-Treasure Dragon-Whisker Sash. They turned into two layers of light barriers around her, blocking the heat and shockwaves spilling out from the edges.

The next instant, Xuan Chuan moved.

He did not choose to clash head-on with the vast sea of flames and draconic might. Instead, he aimed the Fate-Cutting Sword at the center of the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood.

At the "core node" where the powers of the nine fire dragons intertwined and their laws linked most tightly, he delivered a light thrust!

This sword strike carried no earth-shaking momentum, no sword aura that tore through space, and not even much magic power.

At its tip was only a point of purple-gold light condensed to the utmost extreme. It was the fusion of the Dao essence of The One That Escaped and the Fate-Cutting Sword Intent, containing the supreme true meaning of "severance," "breaking order," and "introducing variables"!

Sst—

A sound so faint it was nearly inaudible.

The sword tip entered the violent vortex of flames and laws.

A strange scene unfolded!

The Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood, which had originally been seamless, smoothly operating, and peerlessly powerful, abruptly stalled the instant the sword tip touched it!

The nine roaring phantom fire dragons seemed to jam, their movements showing minute delays and disharmony. Even the Samadhi True Fire they breathed out fell into momentary disorder!

It was as though the intricate yet fragile "web of laws" that sustained the terrifying power of this Acquired Spirit Treasure—

had been struck by the sword at a crucial "loose thread." Though it was not torn apart in one stroke, it became briefly "knotted" and chaotic!

This was the terror of the Fate-Cutting Sword Intent!

It did not confront power directly. Instead, it targeted the core logic, causal certainties, and fixed outcomes behind the operation of divine abilities and magical treasures, interfering with them, disrupting them, even "severing" them!

"What?!" Taiyi's expression changed drastically, and stormy waves surged through his heart.

He felt an exceedingly slight "sluggishness" arise in his control over the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood, though it recovered in an instant.

But for such a trace of "sluggishness" to appear in a spirit treasure controlled by a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal was simply inconceivable! Could this brat's sword intent truly be so bizarre?

Yet this was only the beginning!

As Xuan Chuan thrust his sword out and disrupted the operation of the Divine Fire Hood, warm, sacred, unyielding purple-gold radiance suddenly erupted around him!

The glow was not blazing, yet it carried a supreme aura that no law could touch and before which all evil retreated!

The trait of the Acquired Merit Spirit Treasure—the Fate-Cutting Sword—was actively invoked by Xuan Chuan!

Vast power of Merit spread from him as its center, forming an incomparably resilient purple-gold barrier that enveloped both him and Shiji, who stood not far behind him!

The Samadhi True Fire, capable of melting gold and iron and burning mountains and boiling seas, struck that thin purple-gold barrier like ocean waves crashing against an ancient reef. It exploded outward and could not penetrate even an inch!

The power of Merit was acknowledged by the Heavenly Dao. Righteous and pure to the utmost, it was the greatest restraint upon such slaughterous, destructive divine abilities and spells!

The blazing tidal wave of the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood was forcibly blocked by the Merit barrier!

"Merit?! Such pure and immense Merit!" Taiyi finally cried out in shock, his eyes filled with disbelief.

A Jiejiao disciple, the foremost disciple of Jiejiao whom he regarded as "heretical" and "entangled in Karmic Force," actually possessed such profound Heavenly Dao Merit protecting him? This utterly overturned his understanding!

But Xuan Chuan would not give him time to be astonished.

Taking advantage of the instant when the Divine Fire Hood was disrupted by the sword intent and the Merit barrier resisted the flames, purple light flashed explosively in his eyes as he pushed The One That Escaped to its limit!

Found it! Amid the sweeping flames of the Divine Fire Hood, there was an exceedingly tiny "gap in power" created by the momentary imbalance in the circulation of the nine fire dragons' strength!

"Break!"

With a low shout from Xuan Chuan, the Fate-Cutting Sword abruptly transformed into a bolt of purple-gold lightning. It no longer "thrust"—it "drilled"!

Following that imperceptible gap, it charged fiercely forward against the violent power of the fire dragons, its tip aimed directly at the Divine Fire Hood itself!

Clang—!!!

A thunderous boom like a great bell reverberated through the heavens, shaking all of Qianyuan Mountain!

The tip of the Fate-Cutting Sword struck with unmatched precision upon a crucial rune node on the inner wall of the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood, where the powers of the nine fire dragons circulated!

Sword light containing the true meaning of Fate-Cutting, the power of Merit, and the Dao essence of The One That Escaped slammed fiercely into the Divine Fire Hood's restrictions!

The Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood shuddered violently, its radiance flickering in and out. The nine phantom fire dragons let out pained shrieks, and even the flames they spewed weakened!

At that point, an exceedingly tiny, nearly invisible dent was pierced into the hood's body!

Though he had failed to break the Divine Fire Hood, it was already astonishing enough! Taiyi let out a muffled groan. His soul was connected to the treasure, and the recoil threw his aura slightly into disorder.

He hurriedly circulated his magic power to stabilize the Divine Fire Hood. The way he looked at Xuan Chuan had changed from furious shock to deep wariness and a trace of... dread!

This brat was merely at the early stage of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm, yet with a bizarre Acquired Merit sword—

he had interfered with the Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood, protected himself with Merit to withstand Samadhi True Fire head-on, and even nearly damaged the treasure itself?! What kind of combat strength was this? What kind of foundation?

Under the protection of the Merit barrier, Shiji stared in stunned silence, the shock in her heart beyond all measure.

Senior Brother Xuan Chuan... was actually this powerful? Even Taiyi, who had been renowned for countless years, had suffered a small loss at his hands?

Within the distant clouds, Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao, who had been concealing themselves as they watched the battle, were likewise stirred to the depths of their hearts, both shocked and delighted.

"Senior Brother... is truly formidable," Zhao Gongming murmured.

Yunxiao's beautiful eyes gleamed with wonder as she said softly, "It is more than mere strength... That sword intent and that use of Merit have both touched upon the origin of the Great Dao. They are far from ordinary. Uncle-Master Taiyi... seems to have kicked an iron plate."

In the field, Xuan Chuan did not pursue after succeeding with his strike. He stood with sword in hand, the golden Merit light around him slowly withdrawing. Yet purple-gold radiance continued to flicker from the Fate-Cutting Sword, locking onto Taiyi.

His face was slightly pale. That seemingly effortless sword strike had in truth consumed a great deal of his focus and magic power, and he had pushed The One That Escaped to its limit. Yet his momentum soared like a rainbow, without the slightest sign of fatigue.

Taiyi's face was so dark it seemed ready to drip water. He stared fixedly at Xuan Chuan, especially at the ancient purple-gold longsword in his hand.

He knew that today's affair would likely not go as he wished.

With Xuan Chuan here, and with his bizarre sword intent and profound Merit, it was no longer possible for him to refine Shiji in a short time. And if this dragged on...

His gaze swept unobtrusively across the distant void. He then looked at Shiji beside Xuan Chuan, injured yet no less determined to fight, as well as the faintly discernible—

two other not-weak auras behind Xuan Chuan's back. Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao had not concealed themselves completely. He quickly weighed the matter in his heart.

If he forced the issue, even if he could win, he would likely have to pay a considerable price. He would also completely tear relations with Jiejiao apart, blow this matter up, and perhaps even draw the attention of Master Tongtian... The loss would outweigh the gain.

More importantly, Xuan Chuan was far too uncanny! He had to report this to his master as soon as possible!

At that thought, Taiyi drew a deep breath and suppressed the fury and killing intent churning in his heart. His face resumed its compassionate, indifferent expression, though his eyes remained cold.

"What a Xuan Chuan of Jiejiao! It seems this poor Daoist underestimated you."

He slowly spoke and recalled the somewhat dimmed Nine-Dragon Divine Fire Hood. "For the sake that we both belong to Xuanmen, and because you bear Merit, this poor Daoist will not pursue the matter with you today.

"Fellow Daoist Shiji, since the matter of your boy has already happened, it is the decree of fate. I hope you will conduct yourself well and cease clinging blindly to hatred, lest you add further slaughter and sin."

He was actually preparing to stop here, while also finding himself a step down.

Xuan Chuan sneered inwardly. He knew that the other party had seen that his aims could not be achieved and had begun to think of retreating. He did not expose him, merely saying blandly, "It is naturally for the best if Uncle-Master can distinguish right from wrong.

"The death of Junior Sister Shiji's boy—Heaven and Earth can bear witness to the truth of it. I only hope that after Uncle-Master returns, he will properly discipline his disciples and not indulge them in further violence, lest they tarnish the pure reputation of Yuxu Palace."

Taiyi's eye twitched. Forcing down his anger, he spoke no further and swept his great sleeve, wrapping up Nezha, who was still somewhat unwilling to accept this.

He turned into a streak of clear light and shot directly into Golden Light Cave. The cave gate slammed shut with a boom, its restrictions fully activated. Clearly, he was unwilling to negotiate further.

A crisis was thus resolved.

Shiji looked at the tightly closed cave gate, then at Xuan Chuan standing before her with his sword sheathed. Tears filled her eyes as she bent to bow:

"Shiji thanks Senior Brother Xuan Chuan for saving her life! Had Senior Brother not arrived in time, Shiji might already have fallen victim today, with her soul entered upon the Investiture!"

Xuan Chuan hurriedly helped her up. "Junior Sister, there is no need for such courtesy. Helping a fellow disciple is only right. This is not a place to remain long. Let us quickly return to Golden Turtle Island and speak there."

Shiji nodded. The two rode their escape lights and joined Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao, who revealed themselves in the distance, swiftly leaving the territory of Qianyuan Mountain.

Not long after they departed, deep within Golden Light Cave, Taiyi sat cross-legged upon a cloud bed, his expression dark.

An ancient jade talisman floated before him, glowing faintly as it recorded everything that had just happened—

including Xuan Chuan's bizarre sword intent, his profound Merit, and every detail of his exchange with Taiyi.

"A variable... a great variable..." Taiyi muttered, cold light flashing in his eyes. "If this brat is not removed, he will surely become a grave threat to my Chanjiao!"

He raised a finger, and the jade talisman became a streak of light. It pierced through the void and sped toward Yuxu Palace in the Kunlun Mountains.