190: Surpass yourself

"The twenty-year Sword Dao Heavenly Show Assembly is about to begin. Disciples between the ages of sixteen and thirty are eligible to participate."

"My Chess Sword Pavilion has consecutively won the Top Sixteen positions for three rounds. This time, we must also achieve good rankings. All of you, cheer up and Cultivate properly."

"For the Sect's honor and for your bright future, you must not miss this excellent opportunity."

Lord Youyang's voice resounded throughout the Chess Sword Pavilion. Immediately, Sword Qi and cold shadows intertwined, and the Disciples trained even harder.

Lord Youyang nodded with satisfaction: "This time, the new Disciples of my Chess Sword Pavilion have a chance to enter the Top Eight."

"No chance."

As soon as his voice fell, a cold and arrogant voice echoed above Lord Youyang's head.

Looking up, they saw Shen Lian standing on the top floor of the main hall at some unknown time, gently fanning himself with a Folding Fan, looking down at everyone below.

"Defend!"

Lord Youyang did not hesitate and immediately shouted loudly, preparing to Defend.

Instantly, a sword formation was assembled, all pointing at Shen Lian.

Shen Lian slightly raised his eyes, which were full of disdain.

"Didn't Clear Moon tell you to run away quickly?"

"Hmph, how could my Chess Sword Pavilion Disciples be threatened by a crooked Evil Path like you!

Shen Lian, you only escaped last time because three Grand Elders suppressed you. Now that you've delivered yourself to our doorstep, leave your life behind!"

"Hahaha, want my Shen Lian's life? That depends on whether you have the ability."

As soon as his voice fell, Shen Lian leaped to the front of the main hall.

He raised a hand and flicked a finger, displaying an extraordinary demeanor.

"Come, let me see if your Chess Sword Pavilion truly has the ability to kill me. Don't hold back, don't retreat, show me the ability you owe, and then..."

With a hand behind his back and his back turned, his cold and arrogant posture was evident.

"Kill!"

Lord Youyang did not hesitate, and with a shout of "Kill," the battle instantly began.

However... "ants shaking the heavens is certainly admirable, but..."

He suddenly turned around, and a thick wave of Qi spread for a hundred miles.

Wherever the Qi and Dao Rhyme passed, all the Chess Sword Pavilion Disciples who were close instantly vanished into thin air.

"Moths flying into a fire are simply overestimating themselves!"

Boom~

The surging airflow directly shook Lord Youyang, who was three zhang away, causing him to bleed from all seven orifices.

Without even making a move, the outcome was already clear.

"Impossible, in just a few months, your cultivation actually..."

Lord Youyang didn't finish his sentence before he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.

Shen Lian's eyes turned cold: "I'll grant you the resolve to guard your Sect, leaving you a shred of dignity."

Lord Youyang clenched his fists: "You want me to commit suicide? Lord Youyang has lived in the Chess Sword Pavilion since childhood. Every blade of grass and every tree here is everything to me. Even if I die, I will not let you trample half a step!"

As his voice fell, Lord Youyang actually endured the Immortal Realm's pressure, disregarding the pain of his meridians reversing, and forcibly urged his lifelong cultivation.

At this moment, Broken Sword and Xie Pingan felt a huge killing intent and simultaneously arrived at the front of the hall to assist.

"It was you who killed my Revered Master!?"

Seeing Shen Lian, Xie Pingan roared, condensing Sword Qi with his finger, and charged directly at Shen Lian's face.

However, the sword finger was directly repelled ten zhang away by the Indestructible Dao Body when it was three zhang from Shen Lian's front.

"Nangong Li's Disciples are truly one more trash than the last. Keeping you alive is just a waste of air."

Shen Lian slightly raised his palm, and his eyes briefly closed.

Boom——

Xie Pingan's body, which had not yet landed, exploded, directly turning into a rain of blood that drifted down.

"Beast, die for me!"

Watching Nangong Li's last Disciple also perish, Broken Sword and Lord Youyang could no longer bear it and simultaneously attacked Shen Lian.

"Eighteen Chess Sword Forms!"

"Swallow's Return."

The two great sword moves were unleashed simultaneously, Sword Qi flanking from left and right, directly aiming for Shen Lian's vital points.

However, Shen Lian didn't even glance at the two of them, merely turning his back to the incoming Sword Qi.

As the Indestructible Dao Body was activated, the two streams of Sword Qi immediately dissipated into nothingness.

"This game should end."

A declaration of death caused Broken Sword and Lord Youyang to simultaneously freeze in their hearts.

Before they could react, a giant palm came directly at them.

Boom, boom——

With two soft explosions, Lord Youyang and Broken Sword were instantly reduced to dust.

"This is bad, the Sect Master is dead, the Sect Master is dead!"

"Let's escape quickly, staying here will also lead to death."

With the Sect Master dead, the remaining Disciples all lost their will to fight and fled in all directions without regard.

"I gave you a chance, but you didn't cherish it, so don't blame anyone else!"

Shen Lian's eyes narrowed, and he leaped into the Void Realm, raising his hand to summon the human emperor cauldron.

"In your next life, think carefully before deciding whether to embark on the path of cultivation."

As his voice fell, the human emperor cauldron emitted a dazzling purple light.

In just an instant, tens of thousands of Chess Sword Pavilion Disciples, along with the solemn and majestic main headquarters of the Chess Sword Pavilion, all vanished into nothingness.

Putting away the human emperor cauldron, Shen Lian stood alone on the mountain Peak, his gaze directed towards the back mountain.

At this moment, Chen Wuji trembled, cowering in his Immortal Cave, not daring to make a sound.

Just as he was at a loss, Shen Lian's voice rang in his ears.

"When you recover to your Peak, I will naturally come to find you for a life-and-death battle. I hope your Blood River Sword Intent won't disappoint me, hahaha."

Accompanied by the echoing wild laughter, Shen Lian had already boarded the netherworld chariot and was speeding towards the Eastern Domain.

"Shen Lian..."

Feeling the pressure recede, Chen Wuji cautiously walked out of his Immortal Cave, looking at the Chess Sword Pavilion, which was left with not even a speck of dust, and couldn't even muster a thought of revenge... Within the Sword Realm, Sima Zhou, sensing the destruction of the Chess Sword Pavilion, spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Shen Lian!!!"

A deep, fierce roar caused the space and time of heaven and earth to distort.

"I will never let you go!"

...The netherworld chariot slowly traveled towards the Eastern Domain.

Inside the carriage, Su Mengyao looked at Shen Lian, who was meditating and adjusting his breath, not daring to say a word.

A moment later, Shen Lian finished his cultivation and looked at Su Mengyao: "You've been watching me since just now. Are you reminiscing about your departed Sect, wanting to avenge them?"

Su Mengyao shook her head: "No, Disciple is just wondering if, with my current ability, I can truly have a place at the Heavenly Dao Sword Cultivator Assembly?"

Shen Lian: "Are you unconfident in your own strength, or are you worried about the unknown?"

Su Mengyao said: "The Disciples who can participate in the Sword Dao Heavenly Show are all outstanding among swordsmen.

Disciple has only followed Revered Master for a few months. If I lose at the Sword Dao Heavenly Show, wouldn't I lose Revered Master's face?"

"Do you practice the sword for me?" Shen Lian retorted, "Let me tell you, there has never been a perfect sword in this world, not even above the Heavenly Domain.

The so-called invincibility is not because of astonishing Sword Dao attainment, but purely an illusion created by the Foundation of the strong crushing the weak.

Your purpose in participating in the Heavenly Dao Sword Cultivator is never to defeat your opponent, but to defeat yourself. Only by surpassing your former self,

can you advance further in Sword Dao attainment. Do you understand what this means?"

"Surpassing myself?"

Su Mengyao murmured to herself, looking lost.

"There is still one month. Within this month, I will make your Heart Sword advance further.

But the process will be very painful for you. You can choose not to accept it. Make your own decision."