The colossal wolf-and-bei beast and Chen Cong spiraled upward into the azure heavens as they fought. Halos of light from the battle's aftershocks burst upward along their path with a succession of booms.
Meanwhile, the five sword controllers had taken their positions hundreds of meters apart, two on the left and three on the right, each waiting with focused attention.
The first man on the left was a powerfully built elder over two meters tall, with white hair and a short beard. An imposing, majestic aura radiated from his entire body.
He turned to the lean elder beside him and said, "Old wanderer, we haven't seen each other in years. Let me see whether your swordsmanship has improved."
The lean elder he called the old wanderer had a head of silver hair that did nothing to diminish his bearing. His posture remained straight, and every gesture conveyed an extraordinary, carefree grace that seemed detached from the mortal world.
He smiled faintly and replied, "As for my strength, it's hard to say how much I've improved. But when it comes to the souls slain beneath my sword, you probably still fall a little short, Little Gao. If you disagree, let's have a contest."
With that, he drew a deep breath. Holding the Jade-Blood Sword, he sent soul power surging through his body, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.
Then he gave a low shout: "Eighth Soul Skill-Ten Thousand Swords Returning to the Origin: Jade-Blood Sword Sea!"
As his words fell, his figure shifted slightly. Countless red sword shadows surged out of empty space like a turbulent sea of blades, vast and magnificent, pressing straight toward the horizon. Even the air filled with a faint scent of blood.
The Jade-Blood Sword's light swept forward, cold as frost. Every blood-red blade