Chapter 994: Longsword Mountain's Silence

The second swordsman's cultivation was clearly stronger than the previous female cultivator. He didn't use any dazzling sword techniques, but instead directly controlled his sword while following it with a sword-finger gesture. He elevated his sword intent and sword qi to their peak, engaging Ji Yuan head-on with a single pure strike. All his killing power converged at one point, aimed directly at Ji Yuan.

"Hiss..."

The atmosphere in the sky, which had been somewhat chaotic from the previous duel, was directly torn open by this sword, like a sharp blade slicing through a thin film. It also instantly closed the distance with Ji Yuan, its keen edge reaching him in a flash.

The speed and intensity of this sword strike had surpassed a certain realm of ordinary swordsmen. Even Ji Yuan, committed to not overpowering his opponent with magic, could not have easily parried it, let alone caught it between two fingers—that would be utterly impossible.

As a result, Ji Yuan had to react instantly, moving through the sky by treading on wind as if teleporting, forced back a certain distance.

"Good!""Senior Brother Che's brilliant move!"

When the cultivators from Longsword Mountain saw their esteemed senior force Ji Yuan back, many could not contain their excitement and cheered loudly. However, the swordsman, Master Che, remained utterly unmoved by the outside world, fully concentrating on the duel. The moment Ji Yuan shifted and retreated, he immediately followed the sword, still without any elaborate changes, once again directly controlling his sword at zero distance towards Ji Yuan.

"Abandoning all variations to strike a single point with pure sword edge can, to some extent, indeed compensate for potential gaps in the sword dao realm. A single move determines victory or defeat in swordsmanship; truly worthy of a Longsword Mountain master!"

After his initial evasive maneuver, Ji Yuan now glided backward on the wind as if ice-skating, the wind beneath his feet twisting like nimble serpents. His robes rustled loudly, his long gown and sleeves trailing far in front.

Swordsman Che's blade was extremely fast, supposedly far exceeding Ji Yuan's backward movement on the wind, yet Ji Yuan precisely countered his variations, always passing by him by mere inches, unable to even touch Ji Yuan's flowing robes.

In the eyes of the onlookers, Ji Yuan, in his azure robes, resembled a butterfly dancing in the wind, seemingly having seen through all of his opponent's sword trajectories, gracefully gliding backward. Swordsman Che's blade light was sharp, his form seemingly teleporting continuously, the sword light thrusting straight forward throughout.

Each of Swordsman Che's strikes carried intense sword light, and each beam of light appeared to have hit Ji Yuan, yet the latter would drift to the side in the next instant.

The lightning-fast changes of the attacker and Ji Yuan's flexible yet continuous movement on the wind, seemingly opposite states, now combined to create an unusual beauty. This was a clash of dao realms between magic and sword.

Indeed, even without drawing his sword, every step Ji Yuan took, every "slide" in the wind, conveyed a sense of the sword dao.

Swordsman Che's initially very serious expression grew increasingly grim. The cheers for Swordsman Che from Longsword Mountain gradually faded. Lu Min, standing beside Xiezhi, watched the unfolding events dumbfounded; had he not feared missing a single detail of the spectacle, he would surely have rubbed his eyes more than once.

As a fellow practitioner of the sword dao, Lu Min was already amazed by Swordsman Che's swordsmanship. But witnessing Ji Yuan dodge swords by treading on wind, he felt as if he was seeing an invisible dao, a dao he had never even imagined before. Could this also be the sword dao?

This exchange continued for a full quarter of an hour. Swordsman Che endured immense mental pressure; the opponent hadn't even drawn his sword. For the sake of Longsword Mountain's honor, he repeatedly escalated his sword momentum, pushing himself to use stronger and faster strikes, but ultimately, it had no effect.

After a quarter of an hour, Ji Yuan was the first to stop. Swordsman Che, who had been in relentless pursuit, did not press his attack directly at Ji Yuan's center but slowly hovered in the air, his expression far from pleased.

Ji Yuan gazed at the person before him. Indeed, Longsword Mountain was not to be underestimated. Had he not cultivated a sword array to a point where his swordsmanship had truly reached the dao realm, he would have had to "break his discipline" and draw his sword against this swordsman alone.

Despite their current adversarial state, Ji Yuan held the swordsman before him in respect.

"May I know your esteemed name, Fellow Daoist Che?"

"My name is Che Chi. I am unworthy of my sect's cultivation!"

With that, Che Chi turned and flew back towards the cultivators of Longsword Mountain. The outcome was self-evident.

The swordsmen of Longsword Mountain fell silent. While the initial emotions upon Ji Yuan's arrival and after the duel with the female cultivator had been primarily indignation, after witnessing this second duel, everyone present from Longsword Mountain had personally glimpsed a corner of the dao within Ji Yuan's sword.

Not everyone had the courage to step forward and duel Ji Yuan at this moment. Their personal victory or defeat was trivial; the honor of the sect was paramount.

Outside the various peaks of Longsword Mountain, more and more swordsmen continuously flew out. Among them were not only masters but also many core disciples and even sword pages, subtly forming a powerful sword intent that integrated with the mountain gate itself, making any intruder feel as if a sword hung over their head.

However, many Longsword Mountain cultivators had witnessed the second duel firsthand, and regardless of whether they fully understood it, all were profoundly shaken without exception.

"Master, why couldn't Grandmaster Che win? He was clearly always on the offensive...""Alas, the visitor is truly..."

The swordsman, in response to his disciple, found it difficult to speak words that would praise an outsider, but Ji Yuan's sword gave him an insurmountable feeling. What was most challenging to accept was that the opponent had not even drawn his sword.

Outside Longsword Mountain, Ji Yuan watched Che Chi return, thinking that under different circumstances, he and Che Chi could have become friends. Perhaps there would be an opportunity in the future.

However, Ji Yuan couldn't stop now. The first two hadn't succeeded, and there were still many others. So, with a hint of a smile, he spoke.

"Longsword Mountain's swordsmanship is indeed exquisite, truly unparalleled under heaven. Please, fellow daoists, enlighten me!"

Even though Ji Yuan's tone seemed peaceful and genuinely sincere, to many, it still sounded like sarcasm. *Longsword Mountain's swordsmanship is unparalleled under heaven, but shouldn't it be followed by "but I, Ji Yuan, am still here..." or something similar?*

Seeing no one move, Ji Yuan considered for a moment, then spoke again."Fellow daoists, you need not worry about me. I do not require time to recover my magic."

Adding fuel to the fire!

Xiezhi and Lu Min felt a cold sweat on their backs. Ji Yuan was definitely doing this on purpose!

"Ji Yuan, you push things too far—take this sword!""Die!" "Let me see your sword moves!""Be careful!"

Four shouts, each expressing different emotions, rang out almost simultaneously with three sword-drawn cries. Four swordsmen, who had been standing together, attacked in unison at that moment. Though there were four of them, their sword intent coalesced into a single force, striking directly at Ji Yuan. Before Ji Yuan could even dodge, four beams of sword light had sealed off his front, back, left, and right, and a powerful sword intent compressed the space above and below him, combining into a grinding, destructive force capable of cleaving gold and severing jade.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle, whoosh..."

However, Ji Yuan's azure shadow rapidly spun, holding the Azure Vine Sword, and pierced a point in the sword formation towards the sky. The instant the sword light enclosed him, he leapt a zhang high, then lightly stepped on the sword qi and sword light, creating ripples like water waves, which propelled him a hundred zhang higher.

As the four swordsmen watched the astonishing scene before them, their minds seemed to merge into one. In an instant, they ascended with Ji Yuan, their four sword arts interweaving upwards, two yin and two yang, forming a terrifying vortex of sword light.

"Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh..."

A powerful sword wind swept through the surroundings, causing the sea below to churn. Even the wind itself contained a sharp edge.

"Mister Ji, they are using the Four Symbols Sword Array. It's designed to fight one person or ten thousand in the same way. If you have any objections, speak freely." The sect master of Longsword Mountain looked indifferently at Ji Yuan, who was flying towards the sky. The vortex below grew larger and more indistinct, increasing in speed far beyond Ji Yuan's escape range.

"Thank you for the information. The Way of the Sword Array is indeed exquisite. I, Ji Yuan, will certainly experience it."

In such a perilous situation, Ji Yuan's words remained calm as usual, while many Longsword Mountain cultivators secretly clenched their fists.

The moment the vortex of Four Symbols sword light completely enveloped Ji Yuan.

A clear, resonant sword cry echoed from within the indistinct vortex."He drew his sword! Ji Yuan drew his sword!" "Good!""He drew his sword!"

The Longsword Mountain cultivators couldn't help but cheer with a sense of relief, and even the Sect Master of Longsword Mountain subtly sighed with relief in his heart. But then, they quickly realized something. Since when did forcing Ji Yuan to draw his sword become something that excited them? The moment this thought arose, the previous joy was instantly diluted. Ji Yuan drawing his sword only meant the duel had just begun, and their side had not only deployed the Four Symbols Sword Array but had done so while the opponent was suppressing his magic...

However, this was no time for such thoughts. No matter how arrogant and hateful Ji Yuan seemed in the eyes of the Longsword Mountain cultivators, for any swordsman in the world, the exquisite details of the duel were not to be missed.

In the high sky, the sword light vortex swirled. In Ji Yuan's magical sight, sword shadows were everywhere within the vortex, swordsmen at every point. The four seemed to transform into countless omnipresent figures, constantly striking at him.

But the instant Ji Yuan drew his sword, the Azure Vine Sword, which had long yearned for a battle, unleashed a powerful sword intent, instantly shattering all surrounding sword light. However, because Ji Yuan had vowed not to overpower his opponents with magic, he also suppressed the inherent sharpness of the immortal sword itself, so it merely shattered the surrounding sword light.

"The Four Symbols Sword Array: Greater Yin, Lesser Yang, Lesser Yin, Greater Yang? Perhaps I can use it too."

As Ji Yuan said this, he next swung his sword downwards from the sky, his immortal sword spinning with his body, transforming into a streak of light dancing within the Four Symbols Sword Array.

"Rumble..."

The massive vortex saw yin and yang collide, and dark clouds gathered in the sky as if growing from the vortex's peak, with thunder resounding and lightning flashing continuously within.

"Swoosh..."

Rain fell, seemingly summoned by Ji Yuan's sword, moving with the vortex both inside and out. A new vortex emerged within it, making the infinite sword light of the Four Symbols Sword Array appear even more brilliant and beautiful.

Wind and rain churned, lightning raged, and every drop of rain reflected a kaleidoscopic brilliance...

All the cultivators of Longsword Mountain, some with solemn faces, some clenching their fists, others utterly entranced, stared intently at the changing sky. This was no mere sword duel; it was a dazzling spectacle of sky and water merging into one.

Slowly, the sword light vortex transformed into a water vortex connecting heaven and sea, absorbing various streaks of light into itself.

"Boom..."

Infinite ripples of water burst forth, thousands upon thousands of water droplets imbued with sword intent exploded in all directions. Numerous Longsword Mountain swordsmen, some forming sword-finger gestures, some incanting spells, or drawing their swords, blocked these water droplets amidst a chorus of sword cries.

But everyone's expressions failed to lift as they saw the result of their gaze: high in the heavens, Ji Yuan stood alone, sword in hand, while the four Longsword Mountain cultivators were all sent flying backward and scattered, their four beams of sword light shooting towards the four corners below.

"Clang..." "Clang..." "Clang..." "Splash..."

Three swords stuck into the mountain or reefs, while one plunged directly into the still surging sea.

"Ji Yuan has a slight understanding of the Way of the Sword Array; the Four Symbols Sword Array is indeed extraordinarily exquisite!"

Spoken from high above, in the posture of a victor, such praise brought no joy to the Longsword Mountain cultivators, especially the four who had just been defeated. They clearly felt that Ji Yuan, even under those circumstances, had maintained magic power nearly equivalent to just one of them, and had even suppressed the sharpness of his immortal sword. Yet they were four, and Ji Yuan was but one.

The four stabilized themselves and looked up at Ji Yuan, standing with his sword in the sky. They had been thoroughly outmaneuvered in swordsmanship, thoroughly defeated, with nothing to say. With a gesture, they recalled their swords, then flew back with desolate expressions towards their fellow disciples.

Although they felt downhearted and wanted to return to the mountain immediately, the four of them also didn't want to miss any potential future duels.

"Fellow Daoists, victory and defeat are common occurrences. Although the Four Symbols Sword Array is wonderful, there is still potential for it to advance further. I, Ji Yuan, countered the Four Symbols with Four Symbols; it cannot be considered that the four of you lost. I have benefited greatly from this encounter, and I trust the four of you have as well?"

Even in their current adversarial state, Ji Yuan's words brought considerable comfort to the four, and to many cultivators of Longsword Mountain. Some even found Ji Yuan a little more palatable. The four defeated cultivators, upon reflection, clearly understood some of the subtle nuances of the duel and vaguely felt that they could make breakthroughs. They truly couldn't bring themselves to hate Ji Yuan anymore. If not for the current situation, they would likely have bowed in thanks, but they certainly couldn't glare in anger.

Near the Longsword Mountain gate, many Longsword Mountain cultivators and disciples all stared wide-eyed. "This man is incredibly powerful!" "Is he Ji Yuan?" "He certainly has the right to be arrogant..." "The elders of the sect..."

Ji Yuan, holding the Azure Vine Sword, slowly descended from the sky. Since he had drawn his sword, he did not sheath it again. He returned to his original position, looking at the cultivators, led by the Longsword Mountain Sect Master, with a calm gaze.

"Please, enlighten me!"

A deadly silence ensued. No one from Longsword Mountain responded. The defeat of the Four Symbols Sword Array was fresh in their minds; who had the confidence to step forward and duel Ji Yuan? Some cultivators involuntarily looked towards a few specific areas within the sect, but no one stepped out from those directions. They had already lost three consecutive duels, and though only three, they embodied the essence of Longsword Mountain's swordsmanship and dao. Yet...