27: Chapter 27 Sword Intent

"Playing cheap tricks!"

Hong Tianming roared, "Watch me take your head off."

As he spoke, he gripped the air with both hands and pushed forward.

The vortexes in his palms merged, instantly swelling to the size of a basketball, attracting withered branches and gravel like a black hole.

"Wuji True Demonic Force!"

The black vortex broke free from his hands and rushed toward Lin Yuan.

Its speed was as fast as a spark, and it constantly released an attractive force, pulling at Lin Yuan's body.

This was Hong Tianming's trump card, extremely difficult to dodge.

Can't dodge? Then don't!

Sword Cultivators and saber users might lack other flashy tricks, but their attack power is absolutely unquestionable.

Lin Yuan gripped white snow tight, his True Qi circulating within him like ten-thousand-year-old ice, pouring into the famous blade.

"A Single Line Across a Thousand Miles, Flying Sky Shadow Slash!"

"Whoosh!"

The extremely sharp Saber Qi condensed into a beam, emitting a brilliant silvery-white light.

Like the moon stealing the sun's radiance, it tore through the earth and sky, crashing violently into the black vortex!

The two most terrifying forces in the forest converged, instantly entangling with each other.

The vortex wanted to extinguish the sharpness of the Saber Qi, while the Saber Qi wanted to cleave the core of the vortex.

Yet neither could succeed.

Neither could do anything to the other; they gradually merged, transforming into a pillar reaching the heavens that pierced the firmament.

"Boom!"

Creatures within a radius of hundreds of miles could hear a dull thud, and a visible shockwave instantly tore through the trees, leveling everything within a three-mile radius!

"What kind of joke is this!"

Hong Tianming's face turned livid, looking ugly to the extreme.

A mere first-stage True Aperture fellow actually withstood his ultimate move!

Are all Martial Artists from Dayue monsters?

Even among the remnants of the Wuji Demon Sect, only the Saint and Saintess could achieve this.

Could Lin Yuan be a Genius on their level?

Impossible!

"He must have used some kind of secret technique that damages his body!"

Yes, that must be it.

Hong Tianming, you must be confident.

As a True Disciple of the Wuji Demon Sect, you are certainly invincible among those of the same Realm.

The opponent is doing this to make you lose your composure and retreat.

The panic in Hong Tianming's eyes gradually faded, evolving into a terrifying killing intent.

"Cunning brat, how dare you corrupt my Dao Heart! Die!"

"Bang!"

The earth exploded, his body turning into an afterimage, friction with the air creating a violent whistling sound.

Lin Yuan: ???

"Hey, friend. Fighting is one thing, but don't go crazy."

Although he couldn't understand what had happened to Hong Tianming, Lin Yuan preferred close-quarters combat over long-range energy clashes.

He took a stance and unleashed a powerful, heavy downward slash.

The blade tore through the atmosphere, clashing head-on with Hong Tianming.

"Boom!"

The ground cracked violently, with cracks resembling a spiderweb extending up to ten meters away.

Both retreated a few steps, with Lin Yuan slightly at a disadvantage.

He stabilized the restless True Qi in his body, moved forward again, and swung horizontally, utilizing the Profound Truth of the Fast-Slow Blade—fast first, then slow—catching Hong Tianming off guard.

white snow added a moderate-sized wound to his chest.

Hong Tianming didn't care, reappearing the black vortexes in his palms and launching a fierce attack.

This vortex was the essence of the Wuji Demonic Technique's Profound Truth; attached to his palms, it could not only absorb the enemy's True Qi but also generate a repulsive force to protect his flesh, allowing his physical body to clash head-on with divine weapons.

The two clashed for dozens of moves; initially, Hong Tianming was extremely unaccustomed to the Fast-Slow Blade and sustained many wounds.

As time passed, he became... even more unaccustomed.

"What was going on?"

He was horrified in his heart.

The enemy's offensive not only showed no signs of weakening but instead became increasingly strange. That aside, was his speed getting faster?

The speed had indeed increased.

Because at this moment, Lin Yuan had fallen into a mysterious and profound Realm.

While fighting intensely, his mind was undergoing a subtle change.

Lin Yuan's strength was built on the word "fast." The True Qi circulation of the Soundless Blade and his 18,000-jin physical strength supported him in delivering strikes that surpassed the speed of sound.

But "fast" was not suitable for all battles; when facing more formidable opponents, his combat techniques couldn't quite keep up.

Therefore, he needed to introduce the change of "slow."

"Slow" meant condensation, which could conduct more True Qi and unleash even greater destructive power.

The combination of the two was "rhythm."

What needed to change was not the speed of the blade, but the rhythm of the blade—one fast, one slow; fast first, then slow; fast then fast; fast, slow, slow, fast...

As his consciousness flowed, the True Qi naturally followed.

One moment it was circulating normally to support physical exertion, and the next, it immediately shifted to the pathway of the "Soundless Blade," suddenly erupting with a super-high-speed strike.

Or, in one moment he would only exert seventy percent of his speed, and in the next, he would release it all, creating a secondary acceleration effect.

The art of fast and slow had been mastered to perfection by Lin Yuan!

"So that's it, I understand!"

Lin Yuan's eyes grew brighter and brighter. He felt the circulation of his True Qi was exceptionally smooth, like a veteran of many battles; it no longer needed deliberate guidance, and with just a thought, the True Qi moved accordingly!

This state, this Realm...

"Damn it, it's Intent—you actually realized Saber Intent!"

Hong Tianming finally reacted, his gaze toward Lin Yuan filled with terror.

So-called Intent is the power unearthed from the depths of the heart after the spirit and martial arts are completely in sync.

It can significantly augment the power of Martial Skills, surpassing the limits of their rank.

A Martial Artist who possesses Intent is absolutely the most terrifying existence among those of the same Realm; killing enemies of a higher Realm is as simple as eating and drinking.

But isn't Saber Intent something that can only be realized after reaching the seventh stage of the True Aperture Realm and breaking through the Heaven-Reaching Pass?

"What is this!"

The situation exceeded Hong Tianming's understanding, causing his movements to lag slightly, revealing a flaw in his rigorous offense and defense.

"Not good!"

He inwardly cursed, his attack route blocked by Lin Yuan's blade, and he was forced to retreat.

With this retreat, he lost all initiative and completely entered into Lin Yuan's "rhythm."

"Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!"

Lin Yuan pressed his advantage, his exquisite saber technique leaving Hong Tianming with only the ability to parry. His injuries accumulated, and he finally entered the lethal range.

Lin Yuan paused abruptly, holding the blade in his right hand, looking calmly at the person before him.

Hong Tianming no longer had the demeanor of a master from the Heroes Ranking. His upper garment was completely shredded, his hair disheveled, and his face and chest were covered in saber wounds, some deep enough to see bone, which were being suppressed by his powerful True Qi.

His eyes were wide open, appearing fierce, but in reality, only terror remained.

"That was truly a satisfying battle."

Lin Yuan stepped forward half a pace.

"But it has to end eventually. The next slash will kill you."

Hong Tianming's expression changed drastically, his True Qi surging throughout his body.

Blood flowed continuously from his wounds; he was no longer suppressing them with True Qi, making a desperate final struggle.

Lin Yuan was focused, completely unaffected, and he unleashed a slash.

"Fast-Slow Concept, Soundless Blade!"

The naked eye could no longer see the shape of the blade at all, so much so that it turned into a series of flickering images, both fast and slow, instantly delivered to Hong Tianming's side.

The next moment, Saber Qi erupted, severing his head.

Hong Tianming.

Dead!