Roused from its slumber, the first instinct of the Star Track Sword Realm was to initiate a sword-lock — a scanning of its surroundings for threats and subsequently locking onto them. Naturally, its primary target was the individual who had launched the direct attack.
"Inside? Outside?"
The situation had shifted dramatically in an instant. Yu Ci, , was momentarily disoriented and failed to clearly see the attacker's move, whether it was executed within or outside the sword realm. Regardless, the outcome was the same. The area was swiftly swept by the sword intent, and all, whether they were the attackers or the "innocents", failed to escape.
The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave let out a furious roar. It had executed its plan perfectly and had indeed managed to deceive the Star Track Sword Realm. However, the "Formless Sky Demon" was, after all, only a description. It couldn't possibly achieve true formlessness or substancelessness. At the very least, it had to retain its fundamental sword intent, the basis of its enlightenment. At this point, this strand of sword intent clashed with the Star Track Sword Realm—although born of the same origin, they were inevitably different.
This was once the proudest achievement of the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, but now, it had led to its downfall.
It was furious and wanted to kill, but the one who had spoiled its plan was close at hand, yet separated by "a wall".
From formless to visible, the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect stood outside the Star Track Sword Realm. Logically, the Star Track Sword Realm should "hate" him more, but after all, this was a defensive seal off. Apart from strengthening the defense against him, what else could it do?
All the consequences were borne by the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave.
Under the impact of the strong sword intent, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave finally revealed its form. It clashed with the sword intent in a state of disarray and fled towards the central region before the seal off could gather into a real killing move. Above its head, on the canopy of the sky, stars gradually lit up, clearly unrelenting.
Outside the sword realm, the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect was calm and composed, waiting for the sword realm's attack focus to shift before reaching out to touch the invisible barrier in front of him.
Yu Ci was momentarily dazed. After a few encounters, seeing this man slaughter the Eastern Orthodox Sect, and easily break through his combined forces with Hua Xifeng and Wang Jiu, he thought that the man excelled in overpowering others. But now it seemed that the man was also not lacking in scheming.
At this moment, the man's armor shook, and the rune patterns on it lit up one after another, forming a chain and appearing to form a new talisman. At this time, the Star Track Sword Realm had already released Sword Energy to resist, hitting the armor with a clanging sound.
"Breaking the sword with a symbol? That's not right!" Yu Ci squinted his eyes for a closer look. He felt that the Sword Energy and Rune Patterns were not merely colliding, but stimulating each other. Strangely, he found this talisman somewhat familiar.
A divine light flashed, and he pulled out a piece of iron. Upon it, intricate patterns were etched, mirroring the rune designs on his armor. This was a relic he had obtained from the bandit, Pang Ji. It could ward off Sword Energy thrice a day, a legacy left by a Sword Cultivation predecessor. Yu Ci had never needed to use it. Now, these patterns reappeared on his armor, continually shifting, seemingly adapting to the realities of the Star Track Sword Realm.
It wasn't far-fetched to suggest that the Sword Cultivation predecessors who had perished in the Sword Garden had some connection with Qu Thunderbolt-Free, or that the sealing of the Sword Garden and the Seal in the Guixu (usually interpreted as a bottomless valley in the sea) were somehow related. However, the connection would be tenuous at best. To say that a breakthrough method for the Star Track Sword Realm could be unearthed from this...
"Draw inferences from one instance, learn of ten by hearing one; this saying must be about him!"
Yu Ci watched in awe and admiration as the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect, under the onslaught of Sword Energy, slowly stepped into the sealed area. He found himself at a loss for words.
"Stop wasting time!"
Xuan Huang, who had been numbed by the continuous attacks, finally roused himself. "They've both gone in, they must be at each other's throats. While they're distracted, let's head to the Heavenly Dome Sword Pool. I'll merge my Primordial Spirit with the sword body, control the Three-Layer Talisman Seal, and with the power of the Star Track Sword Realm, we'll annihilate those two scoundrels!"
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Regardless of the feasibility of his plan, at least his thinking hadn't completely collapsed. Yu Ci breathed a sigh of relief, wisely refraining from voicing any objections. He emerged from his hiding spot, placing his hand on the invisible barrier of the Star Track Sword Realm.
What Yu Ci was doing now was markedly different from the previous two. Whether it was the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave or the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect, their goal was deception. They sought to trick the Star Track Sword Realm's senses and gain entry into the central area. However, they would still be restricted within. If they unleashed their aura and fought, they would surely face dire consequences. With Xuan Huang's assistance, Yu Ci sought to have the Star Track Sword Realm recognize his aura, granting him complete access. The difference in their approaches was as stark as day and night.
Certainly, this also required that Yu Ci's sword intent couldn't deviate too much from the presuppositions of Qu Thunderbolt-Free. Therefore, under the guidance of Xuan Huang, he hastily tried to mimic the so-called "Upper True Nine Heavens" sword intent.
Yu Ci's keen sense of sword intent amazed Xuan Huang. However, what was revealed was this: "It's fortunate that the Upper True Nine Heavens begins with the subtle sword. Your Half Mountain Mirage seems to have a bit of the Flying Immortal Sword Scripture's shadow, it's not too difficult to change... Don't get distracted, this is hard work for me!"
It was gradually regaining its vitality, and Yu Ci let it be. After a few trials, the connection of sword intents between them was established. The Star Track Sword Realm began to familiarize itself with Yu Ci's aura, and spontaneously made minor adjustments. The subtlety of it was unimaginable, a method set up thousands of years ago.
"It's almost there, almost..."
Seeing success was imminent, Xuan Huang's thoughts became increasingly excited, while Yu Ci remained calm. Taking this opportunity, he seized the time to familiarize himself with the principles of the Star Track Sword Realm's operation. Without this aid, he would surely die when dealing with those two monsters.
After a few moments, Yu Ci could already try to extend half an arm into it, but it was a bit stiff. When he flexed his fingers, a sudden jolt came from his tailbone.
Yu Ci's sense of danger was already quite remarkable, but the speed at which the crisis arrived was beyond his imagination. The sword blade was ice-cold, silently sweeping towards him. It was invisible and traceless before it pierced his flesh. If it weren't for Yu Ci's Life Death Talisman naturally reversing his Aura in an instant; if it weren't for Yu Ci just observing the leader of the Heavy Weapon Sect and leaving the iron piece that could resist the Sword Energy on his body, he would already be dead.
His body twisted suddenly, like a spirit snake. An invisible sword from behind cut a long, thin slit in his shoulder, blood gushing forth. At the same time, the Star Track Sword Realm suffered a fierce blow. Although it couldn't break the defense, the rebounding force broke the connection of sword intent between Yu Ci and the Star Track Sword Realm. Not only was Xuan Huang's previous effort destroyed, but Yu Ci's probing arm was also nearly crushed by the "turned face" Star Track Sword Realm.
Only at this moment did a cold, mocking voice enter his ears: "Friend Yu, where are you going?"
"Bu Cuo... Pan Emperor's Three Swords!"
In the Inner Void of the Heart, Xuan Huang roared in fury, while Yu Ci remained silent. At the most critical moment, he forcefully withdrew his arm, which was riddled with wounds. He then swung it back, causing the blood to be catalyzed into a mist. The Half-Mountain Mirage Sword Intent then burst forth through this medium, transforming into a layer of Blood Light in mid-air.
Bu Cuo, who was charging towards him, changed color at the sight. His large body shot up into the air with a whoosh, hovering at a height of about seventy to eighty feet. Xiao Bo and Chen Guang stood on either side, forming a triangle. Their Aura instantly connected into a net. Bu Cuo's squashed features revealed a smile as he looked down from his superior position.
"Indeed, as our ancestor predicted, you must have merged with the Black-Yellow Sword Spirit, otherwise your movements wouldn't be so smooth. Where is Mister Black-Yellow, can he come out to meet us?"
"Kill them, kill them!"
Despite being addressed as "Sir," Xuan Huang showed no self-awareness, only shouting in the Inner Void of the Heart.
Yu Ci's lips twitched slightly. His arm and shoulder injuries were severe, and the internal injuries he had suffered in the Misty Shadow Sky were showing signs of recurrence. Yet, he had nothing to say. Clearly, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had guessed his intention and had ordered the Pan Emperor's Three Swords to lie in wait. He had not noticed, obviously a step behind in this game of chess. He admitted it!
However, if they expected him to submit to execution, they were mistaken.
His gaze swept over the three of them. In terms of cultivation level, after forming the Seed True Talisman, he was only a step behind these three at the initial stage of Golden Elixir. If it came to a one-on-one sword fight, he was confident of victory. Unfortunately, he couldn't hope for such a scenario. The Pan Emperor's Three Swords were famous for their Combined Attack Technique, they always attacked together, even when dealing with the weakest of foes.
Originating from the "Yin Yang Disk" created by Qu Thunderbolt-Free, their Sword Array was powerful enough to suppress an Advanced Golden Elixir Cultivator. Not to mention the other tricks they surely had up their sleeves.
"To win, I must know both myself and my enemy... in other words, I must expose their cards!"
Thinking this, Yu Ci gritted his teeth and smiled. His body abruptly moved backward, colliding with the invisible barrier of the Star Track Sword Realm.
Sword Energy erupted!
...