The cultivators nearby gradually rushed over, but none dared get too close. They watched from at least several hundred meters away. Otherwise, getting killed by a casual strike from a Grandmaster would be a terrible bargain.
"Where are they?" a Cultivator who had just arrived asked, panting.
"Can't you see? Right there, three Grandmasters. This trip to North Spring Mountain certainly wasn't wasted."
"Why haven't they started fighting yet? What are they talking about?"
"What do you know? A battle between Grandmasters isn't a street brawl, nor is it like a fight between ordinary Cultivators such as us. Their Vital Essence, qi, and spirit are fused into a single, seamless whole. They must first use words to seize the advantage and seek out flaws in their opponent's mind," rebuked a middle-aged man in fine robes, a Flying Sword at his waist.
"What insight, brother! May I ask your honorable name?" someone beside him asked.
"I am Sun Jingui, known as the Hundred Knowledgeable Person of the Jianghu."
"May I ask what your cultivation level is, brother? Of course, if you would rather not say, please forgive my impertinence."
"By good fortune, I broke through to the third True Martial level last month." Sun Jingui gently stroked the dark beard beneath his chin, looking every inch an accomplished expert.
The martial artists standing at the very front had heard him discussing battles between Grandmasters with such authority that they were about to turn and see which expert he was. But upon hearing his cultivation level, they curled their lips and turned their attention back to the three Grandmasters in the distance.
Atop Hongyan Mountain, a figure swept up to the top of the waterfall. He wore Hemp Robe, with a gourd at his waist. His gaze swept over the Six Heroes of Dragon Gallbladder Mountain lying on the ground, and he crouched down, extending a wisp of true qi from his hand. The moment it entered a corpse, however, a strand of lingering sword qi followed it back to lash at him. He rubbed his fingers together and extinguished it.
"These six fellows truly had a deadly star hanging over their fates. Of all places, they had to choose this one. A single strike severed their heart meridians with sword aura and killing intent, yet left not a scratch on their bodies. Such transcendent mastery of the sword must be the work of Sword Demon Chu Wusheng."
The old man in Hemp Robe stood on a slab of green Stone and looked down, just in time to hear Old Man Tianzhu Jiang Hongguang's words.
His gaze rose to the young man in the Scenery Pavilion, and he muttered, "Just what is on North Spring Mountain? Jiang Hongguang doesn't dare enter, and Sword Saint Qin Wuya came twice without going up the mountain. Is it truly someone beyond Grandmaster? That little brat Void Form must know something..."
Gu Yuanqing was somewhat taken aback. Just moments earlier, he had made his preparations. As soon as the hunchbacked old man entered North Spring Mountain, he would use the mountain's power to seal off his strength, testing how a Grandmaster fared within North Spring Mountain so he could formulate his next strategy.
He had never expected the old man to stop just one step short of crossing the threshold.
Listening to the words from below the mountain, Gu Yuanqing considered, In my previous life, I heard that the cicada senses the autumn wind before it stirs. Perhaps Grandmasters possess just such a state of mind. Truly miraculous. But judging by that, if a Grandmaster senses that entering North Spring Mountain is dangerous, it means I can use the mountain's power to suppress him.
At that thought, Gu Yuanqing felt somewhat reassured and gained a little confidence.
Looking down, he could make out the two men confronting each other with Flying Swords in hand, and eagerly awaited the battle about to begin.
These were Grandmasters! He had understood the weight of that title since childhood. In all his years, this was his first time seeing one.
At the foot of the mountain.
Old Man Tianzhu Jiang Hongguang kept his head raised, motionless for a long while.
Sword Demon Chu Wusheng could no longer resist shouting again, "Jiang the Hunchback, what exactly are you planning? Tell us whether you're staying or leaving. If you're frightened and afraid of dying, we'll retreat right now. I'm not about to offend the Imperial Court for no good reason."
Qin Wuya remained standing in the distance. He, too, wanted to see what Jiang Hongguang would choose, and what would happen if he entered North Spring Mountain. Although he had volunteered to come here, that did not mean he had to do everything. Keeping Chu Wusheng occupied would be enough to give the emperor an accounting.
Jiang Hongguang did not answer. His stooped body suddenly straightened.
"I have cultivated for more than two hundred years. My allotted time is drawing to an end, and I am merely clinging to my last breaths."
As he spoke, the wrinkles on his face slowly vanished, and he seemed to grow decades younger.
Sword Demon Chu Wusheng's expression changed. "Jiang the Hunchback, you..."
Only upon seeing this did he become completely certain that Jiang the Hunchback's earlier words had not been an exaggeration. The person on that mountain was even more terrifying than Mu Shengxue.
Jiang Hongguang turned his head, his eyes blazing with light and his fighting spirit surging. He continued slowly, "If I can glimpse someone beyond Grandmaster before I die, I can close my eyes in peace!"
Qin Wuya's pupils contracted slightly. A Grandmaster's Vital Essence, qi, and spirit were refined into one and gathered within the dao embryo. When their allotted time approached its end, their bodies gradually decayed, becoming unable to maintain that seamless unity, and their energy began to dissipate. All the more reason to conceal it within the dao embryo to prolong their lives.
Yet now, Jiang Hongguang had released the Vital Essence, qi, and spirit stored within his dao embryo into his body, returning to his peak in an instant. Unless faced with a matter of life and death, a Grandmaster nearing the end of his life would never do this, for it also meant consuming his already scant remaining lifespan with every passing moment.
Atop the waterfall, the old man in Hemp Robe took out his Wine Gourd and drank a mouthful, then gently shook it before hanging it back at his waist. He chuckled. "That old fellow Jiang Hongguang is staking his life. Fair enough, he doesn't have many years left anyway. If he can see someone beyond Grandmaster and glimpse a shred of opportunity, perhaps he can find a thread of life in the jaws of death! Then let me see just what is hidden within North Spring Mountain."
Jiang Hongguang drew a deep breath. Once he felt every aspect of his condition return to its peak, he bent his knees slightly and shot upward. In the blink of an eye, he had risen thirty zhang. He lightly tapped the sheer cliff face and continued upward.
Qin Wuya, Chu Wusheng, the old man in Hemp Robe atop the mountain, and the surrounding martial artists watching the spectacle all fixed their eyes on him.
Abruptly, Chu Wusheng's expression changed. He saw Jiang Hongguang, who should have continued ascending, suddenly stiffen. The rock beneath his foot shattered, and his body actually began to fall.
Such a basic mistake was utterly impossible for a Grandmaster. Even a high-rank True Martial Cultivator would never crush the Stone beneath his footing!
Jiang Hongguang swung his Bamboo Staff and drove it into the cliff, arresting his fall. As he raised his head, he saw a streak of Sword Light descend through the air, its churning currents sending countless fragments of Stone flying.
Chu Wusheng turned and sprinted toward North Spring Mountain's cliff. Something was clearly wrong with Jiang Hongguang.
Qin Wuya was equally astonished. When he saw that streak of Sword Light, he could not even conceal his expression.
He, too, wanted to know what Jiang Hongguang had experienced that left him unable to control even his footing. But as an Attendant of the Imperial Court who had personally requested the Imperial Decree, he naturally would not let Chu Wusheng pass.
"You said it yourself just now. Your opponent is me!"
Qin Wuya took a step forward, his sword striking straight at Chu Wusheng's back like an immortal flying down from beyond the heavens.
"Get out of my way!"
With a furious roar, Chu Wusheng turned and struck with his sword. Through the Heavenly-Human Contest, vital energy gathered, instantly forming an enormous sword wreathed in black vapor that swept across his path.
Boom!
Sword qi collided, force blasting in every direction. Wherever it reached, rocks and trees alike crumbled into powder.
But in the next instant, Qin Wuya had already passed through the center of the colliding sword qi, closing the distance.
His blue robes snapped in the wind, his expression indifferent and his voice calm.
"Sixty years ago, the favor of that sword strike, today... hm?"
Qin Wuya suddenly stopped and looked toward the cliff.
Chu Wusheng also turned to look, his expression stunned.
In the very instant the two exchanged blows, the Flying Sword pierced Jiang Hongguang's skull, then traced an arc back to the mountaintop.
Jiang Hongguang's right hand weakly released the Bamboo Staff, and he fell faceup.
Dead?
A mighty Grandmaster was gone after a single encounter?
They had not even seen who attacked. Only a Flying Sword had cut through the air!
Below in the valley, atop the waterfall, and everywhere else, everyone who could see this scene fell utterly silent.
Before you continue