44: Chapter 44 Sword Heart Clarity

Despite the vast number of the Blood Rats, their traces remained extremely difficult to find within the boundless territory of the Wanshou Mountain Range.

Seven days flashed by in an instant, and you had only slain dozens of stray Blood Rats. Just as you were preparing to rest in place, an ethereal voice suddenly sounded in your ear:

"Have you heard?"

"Hmm?"

Your brows furrowed slightly, and you expanded your spiritual sense to its maximum range, yet you found nothing at all.

That ethereal voice, sounding as if it fell from the nine heavens, continued:

"One hundred miles to the north, a large group of people in black are surrounding and killing disciples of the Tianxuan Sword Sect, and there are also many big red mice at the scene!"

You stopped in your tracks and fell into deep thought, finally letting your gaze fall upon the entry on the light screen—Whispers Among the Clouds.

"Head straight north, and you will follow closely behind."

Before the words faded, you said no more. With a light tap of your toes, your flying sword clanged out of its sheath, carrying you to transform into a streak of light that tore through the night sky and sped straight towards the north.

The three team members watched helplessly as your figure disappeared into the dark night, leaving only one thought in their hearts: The carry has run away...

...

A cold moon hung high, and at some unknown time, a misty drizzle began to drift down from the sky.

More than a dozen disciples of the Tianxuan Sword Sect leaned against a precipitous cliff, their robes stained with blood. Not far away lay quite a few corpses wearing the attire of the Sword Sect. Dark shadows loomed all around, and densely packed Blood Rats swarmed in like a tide from all directions, the stench of blood soaring to the skies.

In the dense forest not far from the cliff, several figures in black stood silently like ghosts, each holding a grayish-white bone flute in their hands, gazing coldly at this scene.

"Senior Brother Chen, what should we do?"

A youth stumbled and knelt to the ground, blood continuously overflowing from the corner of his mouth, yet the long sword in his hand still steadily pointed at the rat swarm.

Hearing this, the young man standing at the very front of the crowd raised his eyes to look at the high altitude not far away.

Two figures were fiercely exchanging blows among the clouds, sword light and baleful winds continuously entangling, spiritual pressure bursting, and the clouds surging and rolling.

"There is nothing we can do."

A trace of helplessness appeared on the youth's face; the Foundation Establishment cultivator who came to reinforce them had been entangled.

"It is merely death, are you all afraid?"

No one responded, but the bursts of buzzing sounds coming from the long swords behind them replaced all answers—For us sword cultivators, why begrudge a battle.

Seeing this, the youth smiled freely and took a step forward.

Just as he was about to order an attack, fire suddenly flashed in the night sky not far away, and the firmament instantly brightened.

Several fireball-like blazes resembling scorching suns emerged out of thin air, and then crashed down with a booming sound. The ground cracked, molten lava splashed in all directions, and more than a dozen elite Blood Rats instantly turned into charred ash.

Amidst the smoke and dust, a figure in white fluttered down, the remaining flames on her fingertips not yet extinguished.

This is the power a perfected True Art should have!

You extinguished the fire in your hand with satisfaction, the long sword at your waist slipped out of its sheath, and you glanced sideways at the dazed people behind you:

"Just form a formation to protect yourselves."

Before the words faded, you had already transformed into a fierce afterimage, sweeping into the Blood Rat swarm.

"Senior... Senior Brother Chen, which personal disciple Senior Sister is this?"

They naturally recognized the attire of a personal disciple, but your appearance had not spread. After all, in this simulation, apart from that grand competition, you had been in seclusion practicing for most of the time.

"She is the Great Elder's newly accepted personal disciple, and has only entered the sect for five years."

That kneeling youth looked at your figure with burning eyes, the look of worship in his eyes bordering on fanaticism.

Five years!

This number plunged all the disciples into silence; among their group, even the one with the shortest time in the sect had exceeded ten years.

Watching the dashing and graceful figure fighting with ease amidst countless Blood Rats, for the first time, they so clearly felt the chasm between a proud child of heaven and ordinary people.

The number of Blood Rats was massive, but their shortcomings were also exceptionally obvious—they were all demonic beasts of the middle and late Qi Refinement Stage, making it difficult to break through your physical body's defense.

You didn't even need to care about their attacks at all, just reaping them to your heart's content.

"Damn it, who is this woman?"

Seeing you harvest the rat swarm like mowing grass, the expressions of several figures in black in the forest suddenly darkened, and chilliness surged in their eyes.

They could indeed briefly drive the Blood Rats, but once these bloodthirsty beasts entered an attack, they would stimulate their bloodthirsty instinct and wouldn't listen to commands at all.

Seeing Blood Rat after Blood Rat fall beneath your long sword, they could no longer sit still.

Under the moonlight, several black shadows quietly approached the battlefield.

At this moment, you could no longer care whether you were elegant or not; your white clothes were completely dyed the color of blood.

Yet in your eyes, there was only slaughter. Your gaze was as bright as a torch in the rain of blood, and the long sword in your hand seemed to faintly resonate with your mind and spirit. Every time you swung your sword, it carried the momentum of splitting the air, and your sword qi became increasingly chilling, sharp, and unstoppable.

Almost there! Almost there!

Your mood became increasingly stirred.

"Senior Sister, be careful!"

The few cultivators struggling to support themselves by the cliff were still distracted and paying attention to you. At this moment, they suddenly cried out in alarm as two figures in black had quietly sneaked behind you, cold light erupting in their hands.

These people's stealth methods were indeed profound; even the Blood Rat swarm couldn't discover them.

Yet under the shroud of your spiritual sense, which far exceeded the peak of the Qi Refinement Stage, those little concealment methods were nothing more than a mere formality.

"Swoosh!"

The cold light penetrated your body without any surprise, but the next moment, the ferocious smiles of those two men in black completely froze on their faces—they didn't feel the sensation of a sharp blade entering flesh at all.

"Die!"

A cold voice sounded from behind them. They hastily turned their heads, and as far as their vision could reach, there was only a cold light that cleaved the night sky, instantly swallowing everything.

After cleanly cutting the two of them in half at the waist, your figure flickered and once again disappeared into the Blood Rat swarm.

We've been discovered!

A sense of ominousness surged in the hearts of the remaining men in black; their judgment of your combat power seemed to be ridiculously wrong.

Having fought with the rat swarm for so long, the spiritual power within your body showed no signs of drying up at all, your perception ability far exceeded imagination, and there was also that extremely bizarre movement technique...

Is this really just a cultivator in the Qi Refinement Stage?

"The mark is tricky, retreat!"

One of the men in black shouted in a low, stern voice, his figure violently retreating out of the rat swarm.

"Can you retreat?"

Your sneer sounded beside him. Without even thinking, he completely burst forth with the spiritual power of the peak of the Qi Refinement Stage, instantly condensing a black palm print in his hand and striking towards his side.

"Cold Fiend Palm!"

"Good timing."

Your eyes lit up. Instead of retreating, your figure advanced, without a single superfluous movement, slashing out with a single sword against this palm print soaring with baleful energy!

"Hum!"

That trace of inspiration that had long lingered in your heart and remained elusive finally condensed into a thread of Sword Intent as clear as water at this moment.

After slashing out with that sword, the excitement in your heart previously fell completely silent, leaving not a single distracting thought.

At this moment, you felt the heavens and earth were clear and bright, as if your mind and sword had merged, and your will followed the sword.

This is Sword Heart Clarity!

The palm print in front that could originally contend with the sword light actually melted like ice and snow, instantly collapsing.

"Swoosh~"

The man in black's pupils shrank abruptly. Before he even had time to react, your figure had already swept past him like lightning.

The next instant, an excellent head soared into the sky behind you...