You Strike Me with One Sword, I Return with Ten Zhang of Frost (Seeking Follow-up Reads, Seeking Monthly Votes)

"Divine Intent Diagram!"

Zhou Qing pondered inwardly.

To say he had no designs on the Divine Intent Diagram would certainly be a lie.

After breaking through to the Xiantian Realm, if one wanted to quickly grasp Artistic Conception power and comprehend the mysteries of Artistic Conception, a Divine Intent Diagram was undoubtedly the best choice.

However, both the Blazing Fire Sect and the Canghai Sect had Grandmasters present. Though Zhou Qing believed his strength was no weaker than that of a Grandmaster who had just entered the Xiantian Realm, there was no need for him to take such a risk. What he could contend for was the Divine Intent Diagram of the Sword Dao in Hidden Sword Manor's possession.

Zhou Qing swiftly darted in the direction the Hidden Sword Manor's master had departed.

Yet he soon discovered that quite a few people were secretly eyeing Hidden Sword Manor.

Sword Maniac Mo Tianlin, as well as Skybreaker Sword Fang Qinghua, a true disciple of the Myriad Sword Sect. Besides those two, there were quite a few First-rate Martial Artists.

In terms of strength, these people were certainly inferior to Mo Tianlin and Fang Qinghua. Yet they harbored hopes of fishing in troubled waters, dreaming of snatching a sliver of opportunity amid the chaos. What if their luck exploded?

Before long.

The group had traveled far from Yuanzhou City.

"Some small fry think they can pick up a bargain too." At that moment, Ye Tianxing, the master of Hidden Sword Manor ahead, suddenly stopped. He said to Mo Tianlin and Fang Qinghua, "You two, I know you wish to contend for the Divine Intent Diagram of the Sword Dao, but I, Ye Tianxing, am no soft persimmon to be kneaded at will.

"When three fierce tigers fight, one will die or both will be wounded. Why not join forces first and clear out these petty rats, so they do not pick up the prize in the end?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Tianlin curled his lips into a cold smile. "Manor Master Ye's words are exactly to my liking. These jumping clowns truly have no right to lay hands on the Divine Intent Diagram of the Sword Dao."

Fang Qinghua nodded in agreement as well. "Indeed. These ants wish to take a share before us? They are simply daydreaming. Let us clear out all this small fry first, then discuss who the Divine Intent Diagram of the Sword Dao belongs to."

"Good, then it is settled. We will first deal with all this small fry trying to fish in troubled waters and pick up bargains. Then we shall compete fairly and see who the Divine Intent Diagram of the Sword Dao ultimately falls to."

As his words fell, three terrifying sword momentums soared into the heavens.

Or rather, sword intent was the more accurate term.

Whether it was Ye Tianxing, the master of Hidden Sword Manor, Sword Maniac Mo Tianlin, or Skybreaker Sword Fang Qinghua, all had already grasped the Sword Intent Embryo.

However, their Sword Intent Embryos had yet to stabilize. If they rashly assaulted the Gate of Heaven and Earth, their chance of success would be only around forty to fifty percent.

Only after stabilizing the Sword Intent Embryo would the success rate rise above seventy percent.

"This is bad, run!"

"Go, hurry! The power of the Sword Intent Embryo is not something we can withstand."

"Spare us!"

"..."

The dozen or so First-rate Martial Artists who had followed them all revealed terrified expressions.

With Ye Tianxing, Mo Tianlin, and Fang Qinghua—three First-rate Martial Artists who had grasped the Sword Intent Embryo—joining hands to clear the field, who beneath the Innate Grandmaster level could stand against them?

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ignoring their pleas for mercy, Ye Tianxing and the other two sent the terrifying power of their Sword Intent Embryos stabbing into the ancestral apertures between these First-rate Martial Artists' brows.

"Ah..."

Every one of those First-rate Martial Artists let out a scream.

Then, as if their bodies had lost all support, they toppled to the ground one after another, eyes wide open, their spiritual consciousness annihilated.

This was the power of an Embryo of Artistic Conception.

First-rate Martial Artists could be considered powerful figures even within an entire prefecture, yet before First-rate Martial Artists who had grasped an Embryo of Artistic Conception, they possessed not even the ability to resist and were directly slain.

The gap between the two was as vast as that between Second-rate Martial Artists and First-rate Martial Artists.

All the First-rate Martial Artists hoping to pick up a bargain were slain in an instant.

Yet aside from Mo Tianlin, Fang Qinghua, and Ye Tianxing, there was still one person standing there, seemingly unaffected by the Sword Intent Embryos.

That person was naturally Zhou Qing.

"Hmm!"

"Someone actually blocked our Sword Intent Embryo attacks."

"Who are you?"

Ye Tianxing and the other two turned their gazes toward Zhou Qing. Surprise flickered in their eyes, and their expressions became grave.

Against the power of a Sword Intent Embryo, only a First-rate Martial Artist who had likewise grasped an Embryo of Artistic Conception could emerge completely unscathed.

Since there could be no victor on the spiritual level, they could only settle it with their hands.

"Who might you be, sir?" Ye Tianxing asked gravely.

It was already exceedingly troublesome for him alone to deal with Mo Tianlin and Fang Qinghua. Though the two were also enemies, he had not expected another First-rate Martial Artist who had likewise grasped an Embryo of Artistic Conception to appear.

With another formidable foe suddenly emerging, his expression grew incomparably solemn.

"Who I am is not important." Zhou Qing said calmly, "You struck one sword at me, so I shall strike one sword at each of you. A gift deserves a return!"

Before his words had faded, the longsword in Zhou Qing's hand instantly left its sheath.

Boom~~~

With one thrust, three terrifying sword rays erupted.

Each sword ray was as dazzling as the Milky Way, carrying incomparably terrifying power as it pierced toward Ye Tianxing and the other two.

At the same time he thrust out this sword, Zhou Qing also activated the Primordial Chaos Sword Momentum, unleashing an attack on the spiritual level.

The five Powers of Momentum—frost, mountain, storm, flame, and undying—merged into the sword momentum under the command of the Primordial Chaos Momentum, forming the terrifying Primordial Chaos Sword Momentum.

"Power of Momentum. The opponent has not grasped an Embryo of Artistic Conception."

Ye Tianxing and the other two were inwardly astonished.

Ordinary First-rate Martial Artists could not distinguish between Zhou Qing's Primordial Chaos Sword Momentum and an Embryo of Artistic Conception. But all three of them had grasped an Embryo of Artistic Conception, so they could easily tell that what Zhou Qing had displayed was merely sword momentum, not sword intent.

Yet the power unleashed by this sword momentum was sufficient to rival an Embryo of Artistic Conception, and even seemed faintly stronger by a degree.

"Break for me!"

Though astonished, Ye Tianxing and the other two also activated their Sword Intent Embryos to block the incoming Primordial Chaos Sword Momentum.

Clang!

In the void, three Sword Intent Embryos collided with the Primordial Chaos Sword Momentum, actually erupting with the sound of clashing gold and iron as the surrounding air was instantly torn apart.

Whether it was a Sword Intent Embryo or the Primordial Chaos Sword Momentum, both could affect reality to a certain extent. They were not something ordinary Powers of Momentum could compare to.

"What terrifying sword momentum!"

Ye Tianxing, Mo Tianlin, and Fang Qinghua wore unsightly expressions. They had not expected the sword momentum Zhou Qing wielded to be so powerful that it could even block the Sword Intent Embryos unleashed by all three of them together.

This had utterly surpassed their expectations.

Artistic Conception power crushing the Power of Momentum was common knowledge in the cultivation world today.

Yet Zhou Qing's sword momentum could block their Sword Intent Embryos. It was simply inconceivable.

"Could it be... he cultivates an ancient technique?"

Fang Qinghua thought of a possibility.

Mo Tianlin was a Rogue Cultivator who had merely encountered some fortuitous opportunity, allowing him to condense a Sword Intent Embryo. Though Hidden Sword Manor was a top-tier force, it had risen only a little over a hundred years ago, and its influence extended only throughout Yuanzhou. But the Myriad Sword Sect he belonged to had a heritage of more than a thousand years and had once produced a Grand Grandmaster.

The Myriad Sword Sect's library contained records regarding ancient techniques.

However, Fang Qinghua had no time to think further.

Because the sword rays Zhou Qing had thrust forth had already arrived before them.