42: Chapter 42 The Legendary Cheng Ying Sword!

"Li Hanyi is too strong! Her strength shouldn't even appear in this Grand Competition!"

Baili Dongjun spoke up.

"But she's not even fourteen yet!"

Sikong Changfeng added.

The two looked at each other again and let out a sigh.

Their gazes fell upon Su Rui in unison.

Su Rui's expression was calm, making it impossible to tell what he was thinking.

On the martial arts stage, Song Yanhui took a few steps back.

He finally realized that the gap between himself and Li Hanyi was like a vast chasm between heaven and earth.

"Can someone who has comprehended a Sword Intent really be strong to this extent?"

Song Yanhui's eyes were filled with resentment, shock, and disbelief.

"No, I cannot lose!"

He muttered to himself as the True Qi within his body suddenly erupted.

In the front spectator stands, someone immediately cried out in alarm.

"It's Wushuang City's Broken Sword Heart Art!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone's expressions changed slightly, followed by another sigh.

Rumors had long circulated in the Jianghu that Wushuang City's Sword Control Technique required the Sword Heart as its Foundation.

However, there was also a desperate secret method called the Broken Sword Heart Art—by shattering one's own Sword Heart, one's strength would instantly double.

But from that point forward, they would never be able to control a sword again.

Because the sword within their heart was broken, it could no longer connect with the sword in their hand.

This was why everyone felt such pity.

Only Su Rui nodded slightly.

Song Yanhui still possessed a surge of hot-blooded passion.

After shattering his Sword Heart, Song Yanhui's anger and resentment were actually swept away completely.

The aura within his body surged violently.

He leaped directly to the edge of the Zizai Earth Realm.

After breaking the Sword Heart, his state of mind had instead become even clearer.

However, Li Hanyi's expression remained indifferent.

With his strength greatly increased, Song Yanhui charged forward.

His Sword Qi was like a Dragon, exceptionally sharp and fierce.

But what no one expected was...

Li Hanyi still easily parried that Sword Qi away.

Song Yanhui, who had closed in on her, was repelled in just a few moves.

It was no different from before.

"Just what level has Li Hanyi's current strength reached?"

Everyone was filled with doubt and alarm.

Could even Song Yanhui, after shattering his Sword Heart, not force out her full power?

Baili Dongjun and Sikong Changfeng were also incredibly surprised.

"This little girl... could her combat power have already stepped into the Carefree Heaven Realm?"

Sikong Changfeng speculated.

"Perhaps that really is the case," Baili Dongjun remarked with emotion.

"Once she truly enters the Carefree Heaven Realm, I'm afraid her combat power could reach the Great Carefree Realm."

The two looked at each other and sighed once more.

A Prodigy!

And then there was one more person—

They looked toward Su Rui.

Li Hanyi's natural talent was extraordinary, but to be able to stimulate her potential to such a degree in a short time...

Wouldn't that make Su Rui even more Heaven-Defying?

This thought emerged almost simultaneously in the hearts of everyone in the front spectator stands.

By now, they all knew that Su Rui ran a martial arts hall that wasn't very large.

And these female Disciples had only recently joined.

Could their own children also join his sect to learn his arts?

They didn't dare hope for skills as profound as Li Hanyi's; as long as they could learn a thing or two, it would likely be enough to benefit them for a lifetime.

But this Su Rui seemed to have criteria for accepting Disciples!

Earlier, Su Rui had personally said that he would not accept those with mediocre talent into his sect.

And the current facts indeed proved this; the five female Disciples who had entered the martial arts hall were each exceptionally gifted.

Setting aside the stunningly talented Li Hanyi and Sikong Qianluo, even the other three had shown admirable potential in the previous matches.

Oh, right, there was also Yin Luoxia, though she wasn't within the scope of their discussion.

But now, Yin Luoxia had also proven herself with her own strength.

After all, not just anyone could step into the Peak of the Earth Realm before the age of twenty, only a single step away from the Heaven Realm.

However, they would only have a chance to verify things after that match ended.

On the stage, Song Yanhui's repeated attacks failed to take effect, and he could only retreat a few steps with a bitter smile.

"It was I, Song Yanhui, who was too arrogant.

I was hoping to witness your Ten Thousand Swords Art, but I didn't expect I wouldn't even have the qualification to make you move a single step!"

Li Hanyi looked at him, her expression shifting slightly.

"I have seen your will. Since you wish to see it, then I shall let you have a look."

Li Hanyi's voice was not loud.

But Song Yanhui heard it clearly, and several experts in the field also heard it distinctly.

For a moment, light flickered in many people's eyes.

They had originally thought they wouldn't get a chance to see it, but hearing Li Hanyi's tone now, it seemed she really was going to perform the Ten Thousand Swords Art?

This supreme technique had become quite famous in Snow Moon City recently.

Yet very few people had seen it with their own eyes.

Aside from the one time Li Hanyi had performed it when Yin Luoxia ascended the stage to challenge her, there were only the thousands of sword shadows suspended over Snow Moon City a few nights ago.

But rumors, after all, could not compare to seeing it for oneself.

"Ah? Senior Sister is going to use the Ten Thousand Swords Art?"

Yin Luoxia said softly upon hearing this.

Sikong Qianluo spoke up with some confusion.

Su Rui nodded gently.

"I originally thought this Song Yanhui was too constrained by technique and wouldn't go far in the future, but now that he has broken his own Sword Heart, his future has instead become unpredictable.

However, this determination is worthy of praise. Your Senior Sister likely thinks the same."

Su Rui said slowly.

Sikong Qianluo nodded, seemingly understanding yet not quite.

On the martial arts stage.

Li Hanyi lifted the Cheng Ying Sword in her hand, and her right hand slowly drew the blade.

A sword body as clear as autumn water appeared before everyone's eyes.

Anyone who saw the sword clearly was shocked by its dreamlike blade.

Ji Ruofeng was so excited his whole body trembled, his eyes fixed intently on the sword in Li Hanyi's hand.

Trembling, he took out a brush and paper from his robe and began to record feverishly.

"The Cheng Ying Sword! The legendary Cheng Ying Sword!"

Upon recognizing this sword, several sword masters stood up abruptly, their eyes full of shock and fanaticism.

"What? It's the Cheng Ying Sword?"

Following this exclamation, countless gazes turned burning, carrying an undisguised longing.

A legendary Sharp Weapon!

It had actually appeared before their eyes.

Those gazes were filled with heat and greed.

"I thought it was just a rumor, but I didn't expect it to be real."

Someone murmured in a low voice, speaking the thoughts of most people present.

A flash of brilliance also crossed Baili Dongjun's eyes.

Though he had heard of it long ago, he had never seen this sword unsheathed.

At this moment, even he couldn't help but be attracted by that autumn-water-like sword light, and he even birthed the thought of abandoning wine to cultivate the sword.

However, Baili Dongjun shook his head violently, forcibly suppressing the thought.

"Can't look, can't look!"

Hearing his old friend's lament, Sikong Changfeng couldn't help but let out a light laugh.

Even he, a spear user, had thought of switching to the Dao of the sword, let alone you, someone who already knows how to use a sword?

In the distance, Li Changsheng stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the scene on the stage from afar, and also let out a soft sigh.

If this were a hundred years ago, he probably would have already moved to seize the sword, even if it meant a battle against the unfathomable Su Rui.

But now, only a sigh remained.

Li Changsheng thought that if Su Rui couldn't protect this sword, the Jianghu would likely be swept into a storm of blood and gore.

That scene would probably be even more intense than the Demonic Cult's Eastern Crusade back then.

However, thinking of the Sword Intent he had encountered that time...

Li Changsheng felt that Su Rui might be the most suitable owner for this sword right now.

"The divine sword Chengying!"

Song Yanhui stared blankly at the sword in Li Hanyi's hand.

As a Disciple specially nurtured by Wushuang City, his understanding of swords was naturally deeper than that of ordinary people.

At this moment, he himself couldn't say what he was feeling.

But Li Hanyi didn't care what others thought.

The True Qi within her body surged, and the autumn-water-like blade of the Cheng Ying Sword seemed to come alive, flowing with a faint radiance.

Li Hanyi knew in her heart that she was still far from reaching her teacher's Realm and could not perform the Ten Thousand Swords Art out of thin air; she had to rely on the sword in her hand.

Holding the Cheng Ying Sword now, she also wanted to see for herself what kind of scene it would be to perform the Ten Thousand Swords Art with all her strength.

In the next second, everyone personally experienced that shocking moment.

Above the vast arena, dense sword shadows emerged.

Tens of thousands of sword tips pointed downward in unison.

Airtight, layered upon layer, they blotted out the sun.

Song Yanhui looked up, his eyes hollow, as if his very Soul had been pulled away.

His mind was a complete blank right now, and he couldn't even find the words to describe the scene before him.

Off-stage.

Ximen Chuixue gripped his scabbard so hard his knuckles turned white, yet he felt nothing.

He looked up, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the sky full of sword shadows.

Murong Fu had a thousand thoughts in his mind, but at this moment, only one remained—

Those sword shadows were too terrifying!

Xing Hun's eyes widened, his mouth slightly agape, as he stared blankly at the ocean of swords in the sky.

The Qi blade in his hand had only half-condensed before it automatically dissipated.

He knew in his heart that no matter what move he used, he would have no chance of victory against these swords.

Wanwan and Shi Feixuan looked at each other with solemn expressions.

They had followed Li Hanyi but had never seen this move.

If she had used this move that day, the plague poison probably wouldn't have been able to be deployed at all; those people would have already been buried under the swords.

Yue Ji and Underworld Marquis's faces were pale, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.

They racked their brains but couldn't think of how to deal with this sky full of flying sword shadows.

Ji Wuming and Duan Lang were different.

One was fearless of death, the other was overconfident.

They actually had the mind to wonder if they could withstand this move.

Xu Weixiong's eyes flashed with a hint of contemplation.

She lightly stroked the chi chi sword, thinking to herself: Could Heavenly Thunder withstand such dense sword shadows?

In the front spectator stands, the experts who had been coveting the Cheng Ying Sword now had completely different expressions.

The might of this move was too frightening.

Among those present, only a handful could have the confidence to escape unscathed.

And that was only their own self-judgment.

Before truly facing those sword shadows, no one dared to draw a conclusion easily.

To one side of the stands, Su Muyu, radiating killing intent, gripped his umbrella handle; his first reaction was how to kill the person holding the sword.

His mind raced through various possible ways to break the situation.

But he soon shook his head.

Unless he used his trump cards, no matter how many people came, they would just be sending themselves to their deaths.

With a gentle wave of the sword in Li Hanyi's hand...

The sky full of sword shadows acted as if they had received an order, pouring down like a rainstorm.

Ten thousand swords fell in unison, like thousands of silver needles striking the ground.

But this rain was not rain; it was swords!

Swords capable of tearing the earth apart!

The sounds of the stone slabs on the arena being pierced by sword shadows rang out one after another.

Song Yanhui's figure was instantly submerged within the sword shadows.

Not just him, the entire arena was swallowed by the sword rain.

Sword Qi swept across, stone fragments flew, and dust filled the air, completely enveloping the entire arena.