One Sword

Qian Daoliu looked at Chen Jianjun in the distance and shook his head.

The Chaos Bell's defensive power was truly absurd.

The Seven Kill Sword's second attack could indeed be called several times stronger than the first.

Yet it had failed to produce even a ripple in the Chaos Bell's phantom. Now he simply waited for Chen Jianjun's remaining sword strikes.

"Kid, you're insulting Lord Bell."

"Since Lord Bell first came into existence, no one has ever broken through my defenses!"

Within Qian Daoliu's Spiritual World, the Chaos Bell swayed incessantly.

Seeing this, Chen Jianjun's Seventh Soul Ring flashed as he unleashed his Martial Soul Avatar!

Seven Killings Avatar!

"Seven Killings Avatar!"

Seeing him finally use his Martial Soul Avatar, Qian Daoliu smiled.

Now that's more like it!

After unleashing his Martial Soul Avatar, Chen Jianjun's imposing aura multiplied severalfold!

He then sent four consecutive arcs of sword light slashing toward Qian Daoliu.

Watching the powerful sword light sweep toward him with boundless killing intent, Qian Daoliu assumed an opening stance within the Chaos Bell's phantom.

There he was, cradling a watermelon!

Wait, that's not right. I learned Nine-Yang. The Nine-Yang Divine Skill doesn't have any moves. All I know how to do is a bit of tai chi.

Then, just as the sword light was about to strike the Chaos Bell's phantom...

Boom!

The four arcs of sword light collided and exploded! The tremendous Soul Power within them erupted in full, yet, as though someone were guiding it, all of it surged toward Qian Daoliu.

But even this mighty eruption of Soul Power failed to raise a single ripple in the Chaos Bell's phantom.

The Soul Power unleashed by the sword light seemed to have been swallowed by the phantom.

"Lord Bell, give him some kind of reaction! You'll break him at this rate!"

Seeing how tightly the other man's brows had knitted, Qian Daoliu hurriedly tried to get the Chaos Bell to go easy on him.

Chen Jianjun watched with his own eyes as the Soul Power unleashed by those four arcs of sword light still failed to breach Qian Daoliu's defenses. Storm-tossed waves were already raging in his heart.

Was the gap between level ninety-seven and level ninety-nine really this enormous?

Wasn't Qian Daoliu a power attack system fighter? These defenses were probably the strongest under heaven! Had he gone down the turtle route?!

True to his standing as one of the age's great experts, Chen Jianjun did not dwell on it. He immediately held the Seven Kill Sword horizontally, his eyes fixed on the blade. Then he ran his sword fingers along it, leaving what looked like a sheath of red light wherever they passed.

The clear blue blade mingled with the red, turning an eerie purplish crimson.

Chen Jianjun's brown eyes left the blade and settled on Qian Daoliu, his gaze gradually growing calm.

"Fifth sword! Self-Slaying!"

"Sixth sword! Fate-Slaying!"

He then unleashed two consecutive sword strikes.

These two strikes were no longer sword light, but had instead become two characters reading "kill"!

After unleashing them, Chen Jianjun's aura still showed faint signs of rising, despite his tremendous expenditure of Soul Power.

Qian Daoliu remained unruffled as he watched the two "kill" characters fly toward him.

Even though the feeling those two characters gave him already surpassed that of the previous six strikes combined.

"Fate-Slaying? Aren't you afraid she'll ask you where you live?"

Hearing Chen Jianjun announce his sixth sword, Qian Daoliu thought of a woman dressed in blue-green. She would ask only where you lived, then casually swing her sword, and your home would be gone.

The very thought thrilled him. Now that was an unparalleled sword cultivator.

Lord Bell, give him some kind of reaction.

Qian Daoliu called out inwardly.

For once, the Chaos Bell obliged him.

As the Chaos Bell responded, the phantom surrounding Qian Daoliu gradually became visible. He was no longer the only one who could see it, and it radiated an ancient, weighty aura.

As the Chaos Bell released its aura, the two "kill" characters were obliterated within it. These two strikes fared even worse than the earlier ones, vanishing without making a showing.

In the distance,

Upon seeing the Chaos Bell's phantom, Chen Jianjun felt his soul tremble. It was suppression exerted directly upon his Martial Soul!

And once he sensed the Chaos Bell's ancient aura, Chen Jianjun lacked even the courage to look at it.

Then Chen Jianjun wondered, Wasn't Qian Daoliu's Martial Soul the Six-Winged Angel? What the hell was this phantom (・◇・)?

Qian Daoliu really did have twin martial souls!

"Very good, Chen Jianjun. You have one sword left. I'll give you time to recover, and we'll settle the outcome with one sword!"

Qian Daoliu then closed his eyes and communicated inwardly with the Chaos Bell. Its phantom disappeared as well.

"Lord Bell, what kind of reaction was that?! You plainly came out to show off. Look how badly you frightened his Martial Soul."

Within his mind, Qian Daoliu quietly grumbled about the Chaos Bell's behavior just now.

"Little Daoist, that's not fair. I was helping you build your presence!"

The Chaos Bell continued swaying within Qian Daoliu's Spiritual World.

"You should know that I transformed myself into your Second Martial Soul. A performance like that doesn't even satisfy me."

"..."

"Not satisfied?"

"Fine. If you're not satisfied, I'll take you along for a truly grand display."

"But I'll need your cooperation next. Let him see what a true sword is!"

That magnificent scene surfaced in Qian Daoliu's mind. With the Chaos Bell's cooperation, if he could truly bring it to life, it would be enough to open this kid Chen Jianjun's eyes.

Chen Jianjun looked at Qian Daoliu with a gaze full of conflicting emotions. By now, he no longer wanted to keep fighting, but he had no other choice. He could only steady his mind and gather strength for his final sword.

His ninth Soul Ring blazed with light.

The pitch-black Soul Ring radiated Soul Power that enveloped Chen Jianjun's body. Then his figure vanished, replaced by an enlarged Seven Kill Sword.

Human-Sword Unity!!!

On Qian Daoliu's side, with the Chaos Bell's help, the space around him began to distort.

Countless images of light seemed to surface in Qian Daoliu's eyes!

Then, with Qian Daoliu at their center, images of light gradually began appearing around him as well!

These images had only vague outlines. Human figures could just barely be seen flickering within them, accompanied by faint voices.

Thought Manifestation!

The mark of someone who truly stood at humanity's pinnacle! Only one step remained before ascending to godhood!

Thoughts emerged in an almost tangible form, though this was merely a manifestation on the spiritual plane.

On the other side, after seeing the scene surrounding Qian Daoliu, the Seven Kill Sword that Chen Jianjun had become immediately released its Human-Sword Unity state. He stood there watching Qian Daoliu.

"Chen Jianjun, watch closely."

Qian Daoliu's voice echoed through the sky.

The moment he thought of what he was about to do, Qian Daoliu could not keep the corners of his mouth from lifting.

"Damn, kid, you're getting fired up!"

As Qian Daoliu's Martial Soul, the Chaos Bell shared his thoughts. Within his Spiritual World, an image appeared before its bell-shaped body. As though it already knew what Qian Daoliu intended, it grew excited within his mind.

Merely looking at the image was enough to reveal the might of that world.

Even Golden Crocodile and the others watching from afar unconsciously drew closer. After all, opportunities to see Qian Daoliu take action were becoming increasingly rare.

"Second Brother, the phantom behind Boss doesn't look like the Angel God's phantom!"

Azure Luan watched the images of light behind Qian Daoliu with a slight frown.

"Let's just watch for now." Golden Crocodile did not know what was happening either. He could only wait until Qian Daoliu finished.

The thoughts behind Qian Daoliu gradually took shape. Then he connected with the Angel God Statue in the Worship Hall and drew upon divine power.

Between heaven and earth,

It seemed there was only a man holding a sword, drawing in the last light of the world.

A woman stood shoulder to shoulder beside him, both brimming with divinity!

Together, they held a single sword.

Between heaven and earth, only the words of the figures of light seemed to remain:

"Should the Heavenly Dao collapse, I have but one sword."

"It can move mountains, sever rivers, overturn seas, subdue fiends, suppress demons, command gods, pluck stars, crush cities, and cleave the heavens!"

The voices of the figures of light and Qian Daoliu echoed between heaven and earth.

With every phrase Qian Daoliu spoke, everyone present felt a different scene unfold before their eyes.

One sword, and mountains and rivers were severed...

One sword, and every fiend and demon was slain...

One sword, and...

But a single cry ringing between heaven and earth jolted them all awake.

"Sword, come!!!"