161: Chapter 161 Body and Sword as One

"What? What are you saying!"

Lai Tianxiang could hardly believe his ears. He recognized every word Xu Changsheng said, but he couldn't make sense of them when combined.

The surrounding Lai Family Disciples burst into a chorus of sneers.

"What did I just hear? This guy says he's going to defeat the Head in one blow?"

"Haha, you heard right. That's exactly what he said."

"On what basis? Just his mouth? Truly laughable."

Xie Yuzhu's willow-like brows furrowed slightly, also wondering where Xu Changsheng's confidence came from.

Xu Changsheng's expression remained calm, ignoring the idle chatter around him. "Fellow Daoist Lai isn't deaf; you should have heard clearly what I just said."

"You say you'll defeat me in one blow?"

Lai Tianxiang laughed in anger, the cleaver in his hand trembling unconsciously from the force of his grip.

"Yes."

"Hahaha! I, Lai, have roamed the Ancient Wood Mountain Range for ten years, and this is the first time I've seen a Foundation Establishment Cultivator dare to speak to me like this—and an Early Stage one at that!"

The cleaver pointed at Xu Changsheng again. "Fine, let me see how you intend to do it, Fellow Daoist!"

The latter looked around. "This isn't a good place for a duel. Let's find an open area to fight!"

"Humph, then follow me. I hope you don't try any tricks, Fellow Daoist."

Having said that...

Lai Tianxiang's figure rose into the air and flew into the distance, with Xu Changsheng following closely behind.

Xie Wantang swallowed several healing Medicinal Pills, ignoring the pain from her abdomen as she followed them.

The remaining members of the Lai Family looked at each other. Not bothering with the Xie Family captives at their feet, they summoned various Magical Artifacts and followed.

With no one watching her, Xie Yuzhu was able to use a bit of Spiritual Qi, hopping toward the direction they had left.

...

After about ten breaths of time...

Xu Changsheng followed Lai Tianxiang out of the dense forest and arrived at a large lake.

The lake water shimmered with ripples, sparkling under the light.

By the lake was a vast stretch of beach covered in Platinum Sands.

Xu Changsheng clapped his hands. "It is indeed exceptionally open."

"Stop the nonsense. Can we start now?"

"Of course."

Xu Changsheng glanced at Xie Wantang, who was near the seven-colored clouds on the horizon. Firelight surged from his right palm toward the ground.

As the golden-red light dissipated, the divine wood two principles sword appeared in his hand.

"Whoosh!"

A powerful pressure emanated from the sword's body, pushing the sand where he stood outward.

Lai Tianxiang's heart jolted. "A Top Grade Spiritual Artifact? No wonder you talk so big. But if you think you can make me yield with just one Top Grade Spiritual Artifact, you're being a bit delusional, Fellow Daoist."

Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Changsheng saw that the Lai Family Disciples had taken their positions. However, feeling the pressure from the divine wood two principles sword, they didn't dare get any closer.

He smiled slightly. "You'll know once you try it, Fellow Daoist."

The next moment.

The divine wood two principles sword shone brilliantly, as if a radiant sun were being held in his hand.

There were no complicated sword incantations, no profound footwork. He simply gripped the sword with his right hand and took a step forward with his left. The movement was incredibly simple.

One step—a simple step—and the world changed color.

The radiant sun suddenly expanded, turning into a streak of golden light that pierced through the mist on the lake's surface.

Nearby Cultivators closed their eyes, while distant birds and beasts were startled into flight.

"This is..."

Seeing Xu Changsheng's figure completely merge with the golden light, the smile and ferocity on Lai Tianxiang's face froze completely.

He felt an unusual aura within the brilliance.

Sword Qi!

Sword Qi was the unique aura of a Sword Cultivator. Sword Cultivators claimed that all methods return to one, to be severed by a single sword, possessing the strongest offensive power among Cultivators of the same rank.

"No!"

He immediately denied his own observation because the Sword Qi only came from that Top Grade Spiritual Artifact.

Not a shred of aura escaped from Xu Changsheng, who was enveloped in the light.

His heart instantly settled. "So he's just a half-baked Sword Cultivator. He almost fooled me."

He slapped several Talismans onto himself, and various spiritual lights appeared on his body's surface.

Three small shields flew out, spinning around him.

After making full preparations and holding that Medium Grade Spiritual Artifact cleaver, he slashed toward Xu Changsheng at extreme speed, bolstered by a Second-Rank Wind-Riding Talisman.

At this moment.

Xu Changsheng appeared motionless, but in reality, his entire body's Spiritual Qi was surging into the divine wood two principles sword.

Within his Dantian sat a translucent spiritual platform. A strange energy was mixed into his Spiritual Qi—it was the very Sword Qi that outsiders had sensed.

After all these years, he had finally figured out the spiritual platform's ability to nurture Magical Artifacts and Spiritual Artifacts.

Not only could it increase the grade of Spiritual Artifacts and Magical Artifacts, but it could also brew a Weapon's Breath based on each artifact's unique characteristics.

This could be released all at once as an attack method, possessing immense potential.

And what the divine wood two principles sword had nurtured on the spiritual platform was precisely Sword Qi.

It could be considered a trump card he had never used before; today was the perfect time to use it on Lai Tianxiang.

Watching the figure get closer and closer, Xu Changsheng closed his eyes.

Within the beam of light, his figure was fading.

His flesh, bones, Meridians, and Spiritual Qi were merging as one with the divine wood two principles sword.

The sword was him, and he was the sword.

The boundary between man and sword was completely blurred at this moment.

The moment he disappeared, the surroundings fell silent, so quiet that a pin drop could be heard.

Under everyone's gaze, the radiant sun elongated again, striking toward Lai Tianxiang at a speed far exceeding his own.

The next instant.

Lai Tianxiang stopped, his eyes wide like bronze bells.

Behind him, the low hill by the lake split neatly down the middle and collapsed with a roar, the cut as smooth as a mirror.

An ancient tree towering into the clouds behind the hill also split apart.

The three cuts formed a perfectly straight line.

"This is... Unity of Body and Sword!"

Xie Wantang recognized this sword light.

She had seen it in ancient records.

Three thousand years ago, a Genius from the Central Region Sword Sect came to the Ancient Wood Mountain Range and had performed the same sword technique.

According to the records, on that day, that Genius, with a Late Stage Golden Core cultivation, transformed into a sword light and shattered the protective shell of a Fourth-Rank Yao Beast that dominated the Ancient Wood Mountain Range.

Then, merging body and sword, he turned into a streaming light and fled for thousands of miles, vanishing from the world ever since.

Only after that did Cultivators move into the Ancient Wood Mountain Range to Cultivate.

Her eyes reddened. "To think that after not seeing you for a few years, you've actually mastered such a legendary divine technique!"

Lai Tianxiang split apart—literally.

The scenes he saw were in fragments, here and there, unable to form a complete picture.

Then, he fell into total darkness.

Xu Changsheng's figure staggered out of the golden light, looking at the scene in the distance.

He thought to himself, "This move is extremely powerful. Once I've nurtured enough Sword Qi next time, I might even be able to unexpectedly injure a False Core or even an Early Stage Golden Core Immortal Master. It's just that the Wind-up is a bit too long."

Without thinking further, he looked at Lai Tianxiang's corpse. A wisp of black smoke rose from his split crown.

He gave a cold snort.

He reached out and caught the black soul in his palm; he couldn't let him go into Reincarnation so easily.

It just so happened that Lu Yuanze's thousand soul banner hadn't been replenished with living souls for a long time. This person was perfect to serve as a new Main Soul for the soul banner.

Glancing back, he saw the Lai Family Disciples scattering and fleeing.

"Damn it, where did this old monster come from? He killed the Head with a single sword strike!"

"Run! If we don't run now, he'll notice us!"

Xu Changsheng shook his head. How could these Qi Refining Cultivators possibly escape his grasp?