"He's ignorant of his own limitations!"

Yan Daoist was taken aback. After a fierce battle, he found himself underestimated by the younger generation. His anger flared, and with a roar, he once again charged forward, wielding his Nine Yang Talisman Sword with a hissing howl.

The void seemed to be sealed off by dozens of crisscrossing red threads. Each thread was formed from the purest and most intense fire, and a slight tremor would cause a burst of flames, instantly engulfing the surrounding jungle, leaving almost no gaps.

However, the roaring flames could not drown out the clanging sound from within. Yan Daoist only felt a slight vibration in his hand, and then a green light shot out from the sea of fire. It seemed to be a straight line, but it was slightly distorted, just avoiding the sharp edge of the Nine Yang Talisman Sword, avoiding fatal damage, with an ingenious touch.

Yu Ci, enveloped by the sword light, broke free from the sea of fire. Although he was on fire in many places and even his hair and eyebrows were not spared, his life was not in danger. With a roll on the ground, he extinguished the flames.

But the crisis was not over. Yan Daoist seized the initiative with his Talisman Sword Power. He immediately changed his sword technique and chased after the retreating Yu Ci. He no longer cared about variations, relying solely on the sharpness of his Sword Technique to strike down.

This sword was simple yet powerful, even more formidable than the previous massive fire net. Yu Ci did not dodge or avoid it but driven by an instinct deep within his body, he counterattacked with a sword. It was a move that would lead to mutual destruction.

"Young fool!" Yan Daoist didn't know what to curse. Of course, he wouldn't die with this mundane youth. He had to change his tactics temporarily and used his sword to deflect Yu Ci's sword light.

Their swords clashed in mid-air, causing a shrill whistle in the void, like someone blowing a bamboo whistle. This made Yan Daoist feel stifled. He could clearly see that this Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman was indeed created by Yu Ci with a talisman and a drop of essence blood. How could it equal his Nine Yang Talisman Sword that he had painstakingly refined for two years?

Damn thing!

Driven by this suffocating anger, Yan Daoist wished he could tear Yu Ci apart in the next moment, and his sword light became increasingly fierce. However, Yu Ci's tenacity was beyond his expectation. Although his swordsmanship was mediocre without any clever moves, it was strange that even though his movements were erratic and his injuries gradually accumulated, he could always aim for the vital points at critical moments, forcing Yan Daoist to defend himself and it worked every time.

This was impossible!

To gamble with one's life was easy to say; it was nothing more than attacking where one must defend and competing for courage. But how could one have so much courage to spare when walking on the edge of life and death time after time? Not to mention that while exhausting courage, one also had to be accurate, quick, and stable each time, posing a real threat to the opponent.

Such acuity, technique, intellect, and courage were perfectly blended within him. He had unleashed dozens of sword strikes without a single misstep. Setting aside all else, if he were placed in the same position, could he accomplish the same?

Perhaps if Daoist Priest's manipulation of Divine Consciousness was more refined, he might... but probably not!

As this thought gnawed at him, Yan Daoist inevitably became distracted. Just then, his blade skimmed past, aiming for Yu Ci's neck. Yu Ci simply tilted his body slightly, allowing blood to splash onto his shoulder. Seizing this momentary gap, he advanced aggressively, the chilly radiance of his Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman gleaming like a star, aimed directly at his opponent's facial vitals.

On the defensive no longer, Yu Ci had finally seized the initiative.

His mind and spirit naturally focused on the tip of his sword, without a trace of hesitation, he thrust forward.

Yu Ci had been taught swordsmanship by Red Yin Immortal when he was twelve. However, he ran away a year later, so his foundational skills were not solid. He wandered around and didn't have a famous teacher to guide him. In terms of pure swordsmanship, he was indeed mediocre. But his courage was extraordinary and his thinking unique. While wandering through all corners of rivers and lakes, often fighting and killing others, he gradually realized:

There are superior and inferior swordsmanship skills; there are strong and weak cultivation levels. But in the face of life and death, I am absolutely equal to my opponent. I don't compare swordsmanship or cultivation level, only who can seize a sliver of survival at the moment of life-and-death transition.

Courage is the key to seizing a glimmer of hope and exchanging death for life.

Risking life for life is not a means; it is the purpose! This is the essence of Yu Ci's swordsmanship. If one could survive after years of such swordplay, how could they not master the technique where eyes, hands, and courage are perfectly blended?

This point Yan Daoist did not understand. But he was indeed in a real predicament. The sword light came so close that the biting cold wind nearly forced him to close his eyes.

"Get lost!"

With a roar, Yan Daoist made a killing move out of humiliation. His Nine Yang Talisman Sword vibrated violently, a spark shot out and rapidly expanded. The unstable firelight inside surged to the extreme.

Seeing this, Yu Ci did not hesitate and immediately retreated. He had just moved back about thirty feet when a red light dazzled his eyes. A wave of intense heat swept over him. The air suddenly expanded with a loud bang. He was thrown far away and crashed into a large tree before stopping. The surging wave of fire followed closely behind. Without caring about his image, he rolled and crawled behind the tree, curling up as much as possible to barely block it.

The battlefield in the forest had turned into a fire field about an acre in size. Thick smoke billowed up and waves of heat assaulted people. And this area was still spreading.

Yan Daoist's breathing was slightly disordered. The hot mountain wind blew over him, and his hair bun suddenly came loose. His hair fell down, making him look extremely disheveled. He stared at the half-charred tree, his eyes bloodshot.

He had been so close...

If it weren't for the timely activation of the Fire Talisman, which deflected the sword's trajectory, the Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman would have likely pierced his forehead. By then, all would have been lost, including the Shrimp Whisker Grass and the Pure Yang Sword. Even though he had narrowly escaped, his topknot had been undone, a profound humiliation. Yan Daoist was nearly consumed by his rage.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Despite his noble origins and his family's decline, he was still a Nature-Connecting Cultivator, a victor on the path to longevity. How could he allow a junior to push him to such extremes?

Just then, from behind a large tree, Yu Ci peeked out, their eyes meeting. Yan Daoist suddenly noticed a flame burning in Yu Ci's dark pupils. It was not hatred or fear, but pure joy and thrill-seeking pleasure. It was similar to the intoxication after drinking, impossible to resist.

A sudden chill ran from his tailbone to the crown of his head, suppressing even his raging heart. A thought flashed through his mind:

A menace, he will be a menace in the future!

I must end him with that move!

Murderous intent surged in Yan Daoist's heart. However, instead of advancing, he made a strange movement.

With his hair disheveled, he sheathed his sword and half-closed his eyes. As his breathing adjusted, he gradually lowered his sword.

Yu Ci was panting behind the tree. The recent sword fight had drained almost all his strength, and his True Qi was nearly depleted. His injuries were severe, but surprisingly, his condition was excellent. Since the age of thirteen, he had grown accustomed to teetering on the edge of life and death. Instead of wearing down his courage, these experiences invigorated him.

Since reaching the Acupoint Developing Upper Stage, it had been a long time since he had experienced such life-and-death situations. He even missed it a little. When he finally stopped, he felt unsatisfied. A strange energy surged within him, replenishing his depleted True Qi and urging his heart to rush back into battle with Yan Daoist for another three hundred rounds.

So, he peeked out from behind the tree and through the distorted heat waves, he saw the entire process of Yan Daoist closing his eyes and positioning his sword.

They were nearly ten meters apart now, which should have been a safe distance. However, when the blade pointed at his skull, for no apparent reason, his heart pounded wildly. It was just like that moment by the bonfire when Yan Daoist was about to swing his sword. This time, without any scent to stimulate him and only relying on a vague intuition, he leaned in the direction of his body and fell straight down. At the same time, instinctively, he held the Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman horizontally in front of him.

Before he even hit the ground, he felt a sudden heat in his palm as if the Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman had blocked something. But immediately after, he felt a pain in his chest and involuntarily spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Precious Blood Talisman Sword, which had just held its own against the Nine Yang Talisman Sword, break into two pieces. The flying tip exploded in mid-air, turning into a cloud of pale red blood mist.

Only at this moment did a long, hissing sound penetrate his ears, as if a red-hot brand was immersed in icy water. It was hard to distinguish between cold and heat; the only thing that was clear was the piercing energy emanating from outside, powerful enough to break through all obstacles, impossible to resist.

"What kind of technique is this? It seems like a stimulated Sword Energy, but its power is more than ten times stronger?"

With this confusion, Yu Ci fell to the ground. At this point, a strong smell finally permeated the air, a burnt smell of air, but also the scent of death.

His usually prideful sense of smell had slowed down for a moment. If not for his intuition, he might have already been pierced by that invisible sword Qi energy, dead beyond dead!

Yu Ci struggled to raise his head to look. Yan Daoist's state at this moment was very strange. Although he had achieved success with one strike, he still maintained the posture of holding the sword. The red blade was not as radiant as before, appearing much more restrained. The tip of the sword drooped slightly, but it was still locked onto his head.

Of course, Yu Ci wanted to dodge the direction of the sword tip, but the internal shock had not subsided yet, and he couldn't move for a while. Despite his best efforts, he could only shift his body a few inches away. Meanwhile, the distant Nine Yang Talisman Sword also adjusted its angle accordingly.

At this moment, he saw Yan Daoist's eyes. Those big, bell-like eyes were devoid of any light, with pupils unconsciously dilated, hollow and grey. It was as if they had lost their soul. However, he could clearly feel that Yan Daoist was still staring at him, projecting a beam of "light" onto him through some incomprehensible method.

This sensation was so clear that even in the midst of a raging fire, the touch of that "light", its scorching heat burning, far exceeded the surrounding heat waves. It was like a red-hot iron needle piercing through the marrow.

"I will be killed by him!"

Both intuition and reason said so. However, at this moment, Yu Ci's feeling was very strange. His chest felt as if it had been doused with boiling oil, scorching and painful, but that definitely wasn't the taste of fear.

This burning sensation had no other purpose but to force him to open his eyes wide and find a way to survive from this sudden deadlock.

Yu Ci stared at Yan Daoist. He was sure that this man was about to release a killing move identical to the previous one. However, the interval between the two was too long and the posture of gathering strength was full of flaws. If he still had the strength to charge now, he would undoubtedly rush forward without hesitation and chop off the head of that villain. But now, his recovery speed couldn't keep up with the opponent's speed of gathering strength.

The two were ten feet apart. In Yu Ci's hand was only a half-broken Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman. Even if his arm were ten times longer, he couldn't reach the enemy. However, for that invisible sword Qi energy, distance was not an issue at all.

This was a deadlock, but he wanted to survive. Therefore, all problems boiled down to one sentence: Kill Yan Daoist before he releases his Sword Energy!

On matters of life and death, simplicity prevails. His forte lies precisely in such choices.

He didn't know how he managed to muster the strength, but the half of the Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman was hurled out!

At that very moment, he saw it. The sharpness of the sword aura from the Nine Yang Talisman Sword was shining with an almost dazzling light.

Yu Ci didn't ponder the consequences if the invisible sword Qi energy were to strike, nor did he consider the potential damage of throwing a broken sword aimlessly. At this moment, all lines of thought had been severed. The only thing that remained in his mind was a thought, its origin unknown:

The Taoist ahead - slay him!

In that instant, his pupils dilated, all the varying lights and shadows in his surroundings imprinted within them, flowing through his mind like clear water. Yu Ci suddenly felt that everything around him had quieted down. His body was vibrating as if it were the pulsing of his blood, but the frequency was more peculiar.

Then, he found his true pulse. The throbbing of his blood vessels due to the impact of the Sword Energy resonated like a beating drum. Meanwhile, that just-emerged vibration continued to showcase its power.

It was as if he had suddenly gained an extra heart, or rather, an additional "self".

This strange sensation continued. Slowly, or perhaps in an extremely brief moment, the once familiar throbbing of his blood flow receded into the background, naturally masking the pain of his physical body. Only that newly born "self" expanded infinitely and in an indescribable way, interacted with the surrounding world, drawing complex information from it and feeding it back into his brain.

His mind had ceased to function and could not comprehend all this, yet he experienced an inexplicable joy. The feelings of confusion and clarity intertwined, ultimately merging into chaos. Only a single Divine Light hung in the air, guiding him back to that initial simple thought:

The Taoist ahead - slay him!

Once such a thought manifested, it seemed as if divine intervention ensued!

Within the chaos, a limitless vacuum suddenly opened up. Countless stars shone brightly in the sky. Among them, several were as large as hen's eggs and shone like jade, casting their light downwards. In response to this, the flying half of the Seven Dipper Star Sword Talisman suddenly gleamed with a greenish-red light that resembled smoke or fog. Its speed then increased dramatically, turning into a blurry rainbow light that flashed past Yan Daoist's neck.

Yan Daoist didn't even attempt to block it, leaving himself completely exposed.

Then, his head fell off.

************

Fish Bone held Yan Daoist's head asking for votes (apologies if this seems gory). Also, there is a strong desire for more bookmarks. Hopefully, more readers will pay daily attention to this book "Inquire the Mirror".

I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e