The battlefield stretched across both banks, the bleak autumn wind fluttering countless banners, and the setting sun dyed the land blood-red.
The wind served as drums, and Sword Sense thundered, heralding the final battle.
Countless people held their breath, especially the sword cultivators, who watched with reverence and tear-filled eyes.
In the path of Swordsmanship, there were few Great Beings, and today, two of them would decide life and death.
“Senior, please.” Meng Qingzhou placed one hand behind his back and gestured with the other.
The Hidden Sword Lord’s face was filled with sorrow. His Emperor Grade divine sword trembled, emitting an eerie sound, more like the strumming of a zither than the ringing of a sword.
He did not stand on ceremony, and readily accepted Meng Qingzhou’s invitation, striking first.
Zheng!
As the divine sword was unsheathed, the wind and clouds changed color instantly. It was as if a heart had formed within the heavens and earth, pulsating in harmony with the sword’s hum.
The Hidden Sword Lord spoke with a sorrowful tone:
“Though status holds no nobility, and age no distinction, in the path of cultivation, the one who attains it first is the master. Yet, I must point out, Meng Qin, your Sword Sense of Time and Space is nearly perfect, unmatched through the ages.”
“But your sword is too hesitant, never daring to unleash its full power.”
“A sword is not just about Sword Sense; it has a Sword Heart! No matter what your path to salvation is, whether upright or biding your time, that is your strategy, not your Swordsmanship!”
The Hidden Sword Lord fully exposed his Swordsmanship, summarizing his lifetime of experience to explain the great path of the sword to Meng Qingzhou.
A sword cultivator who had lived for thousands of years, despite his Dao Heart being clouded, his understanding of Swordsmanship far surpassed Meng Qingzhou’s.
“A sword cultivator values freedom, openness, and righteousness! Unlike blades, spears, axes, and halberds, which may bend, a sword’s blade is straight, without the slightest curve.”
The Hidden Sword Lord, like an old man nearing his end, rambled on for a long time before finally thrusting his sword.
“Behold, this sword is named: Autumn’s Descent, Silence of All Things.”
Buzz!
Meng Qingzhou heard the rustling of autumn wind stirring fallen leaves, and suddenly, an illusion appeared in his mind. In the eyes of a blind person restricted by the System, the autumn wind turned into a silent reaper, harvesting lives and leaving a world shattered and blood-soaked, with only deathly silence remaining!
Splat!
“Blood?!”
Meng Qingzhou felt a slight chill on his neck. He reached out to touch it and felt a bit of moisture. Bringing it to his nose, he sniffed and his expression changed.
“Autumn wind leaves no trace, kills without form.”
“Moreover, this Sword Sense carries sorrow, making one involuntarily fall into despair, experiencing the Hidden Sword Lord’s emotions, forcing the enemy to be distracted.”
Had the Hidden Sword Lord not held back a bit, Meng Qingzhou would not have died, but he would certainly have been injured.
Realizing this, Meng Qingzhou discarded his underestimation and became fully vigilant.
With just one exchange, he understood…
He was not the only one with Immortal Grade Sword Sense! Anyone who dared to say the Hidden Sword Lord coveted Meng Qingzhou’s Sword Sense of Time and Space would face his first objection.
“How do you possess Immortal Grade Sword Sense?” Meng Qingzhou asked, “It’s rumored that years ago, you attempted to reach the supreme Swordsmanship, failed, and were left with Dao injuries, unable to break through to Morning Glow.”
The Hidden Sword Lord smiled, even in his smile, there was solitude.
He said calmly:
“Meng Qin, never underestimate anyone, and never believe in rumors.”
“I attempted to reach the supreme Swordsmanship three times, all ending in failure. However, from the day I took on the responsibility of saving the Ninth Heaven, I felt no obstacles, as simple as drinking water, and naturally comprehended Immortal Grade Sword Sense.”
“Even the severe Dao injuries from the three failures healed within seconds.”
The Hidden Sword Lord shook his head, a bit desolate, and said, “The reason I cannot break through to Morning Glow is because my Dao Heart is clouded.”
“And if I wanted to break through, it would be simple. As long as I no longer kneel to anyone, cleanse my Dao Heart, I could instantly break through to Morning Glow, and with three thousand years of accumulation, I could even reach the peak of Morning Glow in one go!”
“Do you believe it?”
Meng Qingzhou remained silent.
At this moment, his heart was deeply touched, shocked, and truly filled with respect.
“Senior, please unleash your second sword!” Meng Qingzhou lowered the hand he had placed behind his back, ready for battle.
The Hidden Sword Lord smiled faintly and said, “Very well.”
With his aged, low voice—”The second sword is named: Frost Ashes Dye the Forest.”
As the words fell.
Meng Qingzhou’s body trembled slightly. As a cultivator of the Moon Shine Realm, he felt a bone-chilling cold.
Strands of Sword Sense turned into invisible needles, penetrating through Meng Qingzhou’s countless pores, seeping into his skin, piercing his flesh, and embedding deep into his bones, almost every piece of flesh was pierced through.
Meng Qingzhou turned into a bloodied figure, blood flowing like a waterfall, streaming down his pants and staining the yellow earth red, perfectly matching the phrase “Frost Ashes Dye the Forest.”
“My Swordsmanship is born solely for killing, thus it is extremely pure, the word ‘kill’ runs through the entire path.” The Hidden Sword Lord said.
“Meng Qin, draw your sword.”
“This third sword embodies my life’s blood and sweat, a thousand years of patience, kneeling to darkness and injustice for a thousand years! It embodies the tragic fate of the beings in the Wilderness.”
“Give it your all, use every ounce of your strength, and face the silent roar from a thousand years!”
With that, the Hidden Sword Lord began to chant softly, as he delivered the third sword…
—”Autumn’s Descent, Silence of All Things, Frost Ashes Dye the Forest, Cicada’s Cry for a Lifetime of Autumn…”
Cicada’s Cry for a Lifetime of Autumn.
“Squeak, squeak, squeak…”
In Meng Qingzhou’s mind, the illusion changed again, ‘seeing’ a cicada clinging to a tree trunk, crying out with all its might.
A cicada lives for eighteen years, spending the first seventeen years wrapped in a cocoon, and when it awakens in midsummer, it is its birth day, but also its death day!
Born in summer, and buried before the autumn wind.
“Squeak…”
With the last loud and piercing cry of the cicada, Meng Qingzhou’s heart suddenly felt a great alarm!
A deadly killing intent, like a thorn in his back!
“Swordsmanship of Time and Space!!” Meng Qingzhou suddenly drew his sword, unleashing his full power, shouting:
“Time. Reverse the Flow!!”
In an instant, time reversed, and space rotated!
A tributary of the river of time aimed to pierce through the Hidden Sword Lord’s life, returning to his childhood to kill his past self.
However, as the Dao of Space-Time was about to touch the Hidden Sword Lord, it slowed down and became obstructed, as if facing an immense barrier.
Meng Qingzhou gritted his teeth and used another Sword Sense of Time and Space, a move he had once used to slay the Seven Supreme Beings.
“Space. Ocean Flow!!”
“Squeak!”
The cicada’s cry suddenly echoed, shattering Meng Qingzhou’s killing move.
“Senior, do you truly seek death?!” Meng Qingzhou roared in anger.
“Meng Qin, from your Swordsmanship, I glimpsed your true nature. I know you have hidden cards, strike now, kill me!” The Hidden Sword Lord said softly.
Meng Qingzhou sighed, “Such a hero, I have only read about in books. Now that I have finally met one, I truly do not wish to kill you.”
But, sensing the Hidden Sword Lord’s desire for death.
Whether Meng Qingzhou was willing or not, he could only fulfill his wish…
—【Ding, System Reminder: Time. Restart, the power is immense, please use with caution.】
…………………………
【PS: Slightly modified the world setting, if there is any confusion, please refer back, thank you】
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