Upon hearing this, Li Taiqing laughed heartily, a surge of heroism rising within him:
"That suits me perfectly! Brother Nangong, please!"
The match between two Returning to Void Realm Sword Cultivators instantly piqued everyone's interest.
One was a seasoned Prodigy renowned far and wide, while the other was a Personal Disciple of a newly advanced Sword Immortal. This clash promised to be full of highlights.
Even Han Xuanji, who was Cultivating inside the hall, subtly extended a wisp of his Divine Thought, watching the contest with great interest.
Nangong Wenjian had a deep Foundation and had Cultivated for a considerably longer time than Li Taiqing, while Li Taiqing possessed extraordinary talent and the supreme Legacy of the Qinglian Sword Sutra. It was hard to say who was stronger.
The two swept to an open clearing.
They agreed to suppress their Qi to below the Golden Core Realm, not use their Natal Swords, and compete purely on their swordsmanship!
Clang!
With a clear sword cry piercing the sky,
the two figures intertwined like streaks of lightning. There were no earth-shattering Qi explosions; instead, exquisitely precise sword moves were exchanged within a small area.
Nangong Wenjian's swordplay was grand and expansive, his sword wind howling, stirring up dust from the ground.
Li Taiqing's movements were ethereal, and his sword Aura was like a blooming green lotus, containing endless sharpness.
The clang of metal on metal was incessant, sparks flew where the sword edges collided, and the two moved so fast that only afterimages remained, their sword light weaving into an impenetrable silver net.
"So strong!"
Lu Fan couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice. As a fellow Sword Cultivator, he could feel the brilliance of their exchange.
Lin Potian, beside him, pondered whether he could withstand the attacks of these two.
His Overlord Body had extremely strong regenerative abilities; as long as it wasn't a fatal blow, it would be very difficult to kill him.
As the Aura of the two climbed to their peak,
Boom!
Invisible Sword Intent collided.
A few breaths later, the brilliance receded, and the Sword Intent dissipated.
In the arena, the two figures stood still.
Crack!
With a soft sound, the Spiritual Artifact longsword in Nangong Wenjian's hand developed a fine crack from the middle of the blade, which then spread. With a "snap," it broke into two pieces.
He looked at the broken sword in his hand, shook his head with a bitter smile, and frankly said, "Sword broken, I lose. My skill is inferior."
Li Taiqing was about to speak, but his own longsword also let out a low groan of unbearable strain, similarly breaking in the middle.
He paused slightly, then also shook his head and laughed, "This battle is a draw!"
Their gazes met, and both saw admiration in the other's eyes.
The fierce contention from before had now turned into a knowing smile, exceptionally bright under the sunlight.
Han Xuanji nodded silently.
The strength of the two was evenly matched; it would be very difficult to determine a winner without a life-or-death battle.
However, as a Reincarnation of a Sword Immortal, Li Taiqing's talent was even more terrifying, and with his guidance, he would likely surpass the other party very soon.
...
Ten days later.
"Absolute Sword Immortal has specifically come to seek guidance on the sword of the Demon-Slaying Sword Master of the Shenxuan Sect!"
As the words fell, a majestic Sword Intent enveloped the heavens and earth, rising from the Taicang Mountain Range.
The Absolute Sword Immortal has arrived!
Immediately, the entire Taicang Mountain Range boiled over. More and more Cultivators gathered, trying to find the figure of this contemporary Sword Immortal.
Soon, everyone saw a tall figure on the peak of a mountain. This was an old man with a youthful complexion and white hair. He wore a white robe, his hands clasped behind his back, truly an Immortal-like figure. Anyone who saw him would feel that this was an peerless expert.
The Absolute Sword Immortal closed his eyes and began to wait.
This news quickly spread, and many Disciples of the Shenxuan Sect began to rush over.
Lu Fan, Nangong Wenjian, Lin Potian, Li Taiqing, and others also came out, a hint of curiosity flashing in their eyes.
However, these few did not think Han Xuanji would lose. They wanted to see the Absolute Sword Immortal run away in a panic.
This battle not only gathered many powerhouses from Great Xia, but even some powerhouses from Zhongzhou came to observe.
Northern Dipper Sword Revered of Cangming Sword Palace stroked his long beard, his eyes filled with complexity and emotion:
"What terrifying Sword Intent! After several hundred years, his demeanor is even greater than in the past..."
When he first began to Cultivate, the Absolute Sword Immortal was already a peerless Prodigy famous throughout the world. In his youth, he had once distantly felt his sharp edge, and it remained fresh in his memory to this day.
Seeing him again now, he couldn't help but feel a pang of worry for Han Xuanji.
At the same time, a strong sense of unreality surged in his heart.
Once upon a time, he had even thought of protecting the "Demon-Slaying Sword Master"; who would have thought that in such a short time, the other party had become an existence he needed to look up to, becoming a peerless Sword Immortal.
At this moment,
the Absolute Sword Immortal's Aura was earth-shattering, clearly intending to give Han Xuanji a show of force.
When people saw him, it was as if they were facing an Immortal; this was far beyond the pressure of the previous few Late Stage Undergoing Tribulation powerhouses.
"This old fellow is not simple."
Li Taiqing sighed.
"Although this person's character is extremely poor, he is indeed a master."
Nangong Wenjian's tone was indignant, but he also admitted the other party's strength.
At this moment, a slightly harsh voice sounded.
Yang Peng, the Disciple of the Absolute Sword Immortal, had appeared in the crowd at some point, a smirk on his face as he loudly addressed the Shenxuan Sect Disciples:
"Everyone, open your eyes and watch closely.
Today, I shall let you witness what it means to be a peerless Sword Immortal of Zhongzhou, what it means to be the true number one sword under heaven!"
His words drew angry glares from a group of Shenxuan Sect Disciples, but feeling the terrifying, almost tangible pressure from the peak, everyone merely snorted coldly, suppressing their anger, disinclined to argue with him, their gazes fixed on the peak, awaiting the appearance of the Demon-Slaying Sword Master.
At the same time,
Han Xuanji also sensed the other party's flamboyant Aura and shook his head slightly.
The other party's Cultivation was only at the second layer of the Ascension Realm; he wondered where he got such confidence.
However, it was good; he could use him as a test after his Breakthrough.
After reaching the Ascension Realm, his Dao of the Sword had gained new insights, and his comprehension of Sword Intent Manifestation had deepened.
Moreover,
he continued to refine the Divine Ability he had created, the Nine Tribulations Immortal-Slaying Sword Array.
Not only did he integrate the Seven Star Sword Canon and the Qinglian Sword Sutra into it, but he could also perfectly wield numerous Immortal Swords, making its power unimaginable.