Chapter 243

Chapter 243: Master It

In Xu Ming and Xuenuo’s divine senses, the elder stood with his sword horizontally before him, as sword qi continuously gathered onto the elder’s longsword.

The air around the elder seemed to be completely filled with sword qi.

It was as if anyone who dared to approach the elder would instantly be shredded into pieces.

The elder then made a forward slash with his sword.

This slash appeared to be a simple motion, looking so effortless.

But in the next moment, the heavens began to split apart bit by bit.

Xu Ming felt as if the expanse of sky above him was a piece of fabric, and the elder’s sword had torn open a seam in it! Through this seam, Xu Ming saw beyond the white fabric—a realm of chaos and nothingness.

Yet within that chaos and void, Xu Ming seemed to glimpse a palace.

” Palace?”

Xu Ming blinked.

What was this palace doing here?

Could it be that I’m mistaken?” Probably something like that one strike.”

The elder turned around, facing Xu Ming.

And just at that moment, the heavens behind the elder swiftly closed up. The earth shook violently, and all the red clouds on the crimson sky shattered like cotton, breaking into clumps.

Even though that single strike had ended and the heavens had healed, the hundred-mile stretch of the heavens had been entirely cleared, leaving no trace behind.

Xu Ming had never seen such a strike.

That strike had fully unleashed both sword qi and sword intent.

It was clean and sharp, akin to a stroke from the heavens themselves.

This strike even brought an immense impact to Xu Ming’s Daoist heart.

Xu Ming couldn’t help but start doubting himself.

He questioned whether he was unsuitable for studying the sword.

What was the point of continuing to learn sword techniques? Could he ever surpass the elder’s strike?

“Master it.”

Just when Xu Ming was somewhat dazed, the elder spoke to him.

“Only by mastering it will you survive and have the chance to rescue us all. Otherwise, you two children will end up buried here with us old folks.”

Xu Ming: “…”

“How about it? Seeing my strike has dampened your spirit, hasn’t it?” The elder chuckled.

“A little.” Xu Ming honestly replied.

“Hmph.” The elder snorted coldly, “Feeling disheartened is normal, but if you start doubting your own Sword Dao because of this, then you might as well die here.”

After saying that, the elder paid no more attention to Xu Ming and simply turned around to sit on a rock.

Looking at the elder sitting on the stone, reminiscing about that previous strike, Xu Ming gave a self-deprecating laugh.

“Indeed, since I’ve already grasped the sword, why should I question the sword in my hand…”

Xu Ming gripped the longsword in his hand and took a deep breath.

He didn’t rush to swing the sword.

The elder inwardly nodded at Xu Ming’s method.

If Xu Ming had immediately tried to swing the sword after seeing his demonstration, it would mean he had misjudged the youth.

Although Xu Ming now had the “sword technique” of that strike in his mind,

Remembering it in your mind and being able to use it with your body are entirely different matters.

There’s only one chance for this strike.

The stronger the technique, the greater the risk.

When you feel you’ve comprehended the essence of this strike, unleash it.

If it succeeds, then it succeeds.

If not, then it doesn’t.

Most likely, Xu Ming’s divine consciousness could be directly counterattacked by this strike, utterly destroyed!

The elder placed his hands behind his head and slowly fell asleep. Whether or not this young man could pull off this strike, and when he could, was unknown.

In Xuenuo’s divine sense, the elder also casually lay down on the ground and started sleeping, waiting until the girl comprehended it.

But they really didn’t have much time left.

“BOOM!”

A massive magical seal descended upon the elder formed by the sword qi.

The elder held his longsword, using it to counter the seal with minimal effort, effortlessly deflecting it.

In the next instant, the elder appeared before Xia He, thrusting his sword.

Xia He dared not resist directly and sidestepped, causing the rock wall behind him to be blasted into a large hole by the elder’s sword qi.

Xia He raised his head and spat out.

A green dragon flew out from Xia He’s mouth, charging straight towards the elder’s head.

“Your breath stinks.”

The elder cursed and slashed again, splitting the green dragon made of spiritual energy in half.

But this green dragon wasn’t a killing move; at most, it was considered a prelude to the real attack.

As the green dragon’s spiritual energy hit the ground, the Heavenly Profound Star Array was fully activated.

Stars hung above the elder’s head, and the Four Divine Beasts were clearly visible in their respective positions.

The Heavenly Profound Gate was originally a sect dedicated to cultivation, deeply knowledgeable in the study of Tiandao and star comprehension.

This Heavenly Profound Star Array was their masterpiece, improved over generations by each sect leader.

However, in Xia He’s generation, there weren’t many modifications made.

Because Xia He didn’t have the qualification.

“FALL!”

Xia He inside the array seemed like a sage of this place. With a wave of his hand, a meteor directly crashed down towards the elder.

The elder broke through the fiery meteor with a single slash of his sword. Immediately after, a star shot out a beam of light, aiming straight for the elder’s heart.

The elder swung his sword, dispersing the beam of starlight, but soon another followed—second, third, fourth, fifth—the beams of light from those stars interwove into a massive net, spreading directly towards the elder.

“Balance of Odd and Even.”

The elder recited the sword incantation.

Behind the elder, countless swords made of sword qi continuously appeared, resembling halos behind the Buddha.

“GO!”

With the elder pointing his sword, all the swords stabbed towards those starlights.

The clash of sword qi and starlight caused thunderous sounds to echo throughout the mountain cave.

All the elder needed to do was buy time.

But Xia He wasn’t stupid.

Sensing it was about right,

Xia He took out a crystal bottle from his storage bag. Inside the bottle was black viscous liquid.

Xia He opened the bottle and dripped a drop of the black viscous liquid onto the ground.

This drop of viscous liquid moved as if alive, flowing ceaselessly towards the Heavenly Profound Star Array.

The moment this viscous liquid merged with the Heavenly Profound Star Array, the elder furrowed his brows, sensing an uncomfortable aura.

And just at that moment, the entire Heavenly Profound Star Array was covered by a black swampy marsh.

The earth trembled incessantly.

A pair of eyes opened within the marsh.