Chapter 57 I Will Only Use One Sword. Watch Carefully.

Chapter 57: Chapter 58: I Will Only Use One Sword. Watch Carefully.

Eamon Strake’s eyes widened in shock.

Before he could fully recover from the previous clash, Julian flicked his wrist.

The tree branch, reinforced with Pure Yang Primordial Energy, swept toward him.

A sharp gust struck Eamon’s face.

It felt less like wind and more like a blade passing across his skin.

His expression changed.

Danger!

Eamon forced down the pain in his trembling arm and raised his longsword before him.

He had no time to counterattack.

All he could do was block!

Bang!

The branch struck the flat of his sword.

An overwhelming force exploded through the weapon.

Eamon’s body left the ground.

He was thrown backward, flying dozens of meters before crashing into a massive boulder.

Boom!

Cracks spread across the stone.

Dense fissures crawled over its surface like a shattered mirror.

"Cough... cough!"

Eamon’s face turned pale.

He drove his sword into the ground with his left hand and barely managed to remain standing.

His internal organs churned violently.

Even with his Origin Sea Realm Ninth Layer cultivation, Julian’s physical strength was far beyond anything he could resist head-on.

That had only been one casual strike.

If Julian attacked him several more times with that kind of force, Eamon knew exactly how this battle would end.

He would be beaten to death without ever getting the chance to display his swordsmanship.

The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Eamon looked up at Julian.

"Sword Grandmaster Julian," he said coldly, "people speak highly of your achievements in the Sword Dao. Yet from the beginning, you’ve relied on nothing but overwhelming strength."

His grip tightened around the hilt.

"You haven’t drawn your sword. You haven’t even shown me a proper sword technique."

His voice grew heavier.

"Do you believe I’m not worthy of seeing your true swordsmanship?"

Eamon had come to Crownfall Mountain for one reason.

He wanted to exchange swords with a powerful opponent.

Instead, Julian had picked up a branch from the side of the road and used raw strength to crush him.

This was not a sword exchange.

It was a one-sided beating.

Julian looked at him for a moment.

Then he shook his head.

"I will only use one sword."

He raised the branch slightly.

"Watch carefully."

Eamon’s expression tightened.

Julian had mastered several Earth Rank Peak Grade sword techniques.

Any one of them would be more than enough for this exchange.

He chose one.

Returning Origin Sword Art!

Pure Yang Primordial Energy surged from Julian’s body.

It flowed into the tree branch in his hand.

A faint radiance spread across its surface.

Then a chilling aura descended upon the mountain gate.

The branch remained still.

Yet the Sword Intent gathering around it made the surrounding air feel heavy.

Leaves trembled.

Flowers bent beneath the pressure.

Several nearby branches snapped with sharp cracks.

Eamon’s breathing slowed.

His instincts screamed at him.

The attack had not even been released.

Yet the pressure alone made him feel as though he were standing before an unsheathed blade.

Without hesitation, Eamon raised his sword before his chest.

At the same time, he released his full Sword Intent.

Great Mastery Sword Intent!

A sharp and powerful aura erupted from his body.

For a brief moment, his Sword Intent pushed back against the pressure surrounding Julian.

Then everything changed.

A terrifying sword light rose into the sky.

It was sharp.

Absolute.

Unyielding.

Eamon’s eyes widened.

His Great Mastery Sword Intent trembled.

Then it was completely suppressed.

"Perfected Sword Intent?!"

The words escaped his mouth.

But Julian had already moved.

Swish!

There was no grand explosion.

No earth-shattering collision.

Only a single sound.

The sound of something cutting through the wind.

A cold gust swept across Eamon’s face.

His entire body stiffened.

Every hair on his body stood on end.

For one terrifying instant, death felt close enough to touch.

Then the wind disappeared.

Silence returned to the mountain gate.

A bead of cold sweat rolled down Eamon’s cheek.

Slowly, almost mechanically, he lowered his eyes.

His breathing stopped.

The sharpened tip of Julian’s tree branch rested before his throat.

Less than half a finger’s width separated the branch from his skin.

The branch itself had been damaged by the force of the exchange.

Most of its outer layers had been stripped away.

But its remaining tip was sharp enough to pierce straight through his throat.

Eamon’s scalp went numb.

If Julian had moved the branch forward even slightly...

He would already be dead.

After a long silence, Eamon lowered his sword.

"Such a fast sword."

A trace of bitterness appeared on his face.

"I admit defeat."

The two Mercer Family disciples watching from the distance were stunned.

The entire battle had ended in only a few exchanges.

They had expected a fierce duel between two renowned sword cultivators.

Instead, Swordmaster Eamon Strake had been completely suppressed.

Their Clan Head had defeated him without even drawing his actual sword.

Just how strong has the Clan Head become?

Under their astonished gazes, Julian withdrew the branch from Eamon’s neck.

"What do you think of that sword?"

Eamon was silent for a moment.

Then he gave a bitter smile.

"I have traveled through more than a hundred cities and crossed swords with countless swordsmen."

He looked at Julian with open respect.

"But that sword was unlike anything I have ever seen."

"The technique itself is extraordinary. The control, the speed, and the Sword Intent behind it were all beyond my reach."

His gaze fell toward the damaged branch in Julian’s hand.

"With your current cultivation and Perfected Sword Intent, I doubt there are many sword cultivators in the surrounding territories who could stand against you."

Eamon shook his head.

"When I first heard the stories about you, I thought they had been exaggerated."

His expression became complicated.

"Now I realize the opposite was true. The rumors didn’t describe your strength well enough."

Julian nodded slightly.

Eamon had lost badly, but Julian had no intention of underestimating him.

An Origin Sea Realm Ninth Layer sword cultivator who had mastered Great Mastery Sword Intent was already a rare talent.

Against an ordinary opponent, Eamon could even threaten a newly advanced Star Wheel Realm cultivator.

The problem was simple.

His opponent was Julian.

And Julian was far too strong.

More importantly, the Mercer Family still lacked powerful cultivators.

A capable sword cultivator like Eamon would be valuable.

Julian looked at him.

"Would you like to learn that sword?"

Eamon froze.

For the first time since arriving at Crownfall Mountain, his calm expression completely disappeared.

"You mean..."

He stared at Julian.

"You’re willing to teach me that technique?"

The sword Julian had just displayed was clearly extraordinary.

Eamon had assumed it was one of his most closely guarded techniques.

Yet Julian was now offering to teach it to him.

The development was so unexpected that Eamon didn’t know how to react.

A strange sense of shame rose in his heart.

He had arrived at Crownfall Mountain and immediately challenged Julian to a sword exchange.

Julian had accepted.

After defeating him, Julian hadn’t humiliated him or made things difficult.

Now, he was even offering him an opportunity to learn such a powerful sword technique.

Eamon lowered his gaze.

He had met countless cultivators during his travels.

But few possessed such confidence.

At that moment, Julian casually tossed the damaged branch aside.

He placed his hands behind his back and smiled.

"Of course, there is one condition."

Eamon looked up.

Julian continued.

"Become a retainer of the Mercer Family."

"Serve the family, and I will teach you the Returning Origin Sword Art."

The mountain gate fell silent.

Eamon’s expression changed.

He had spent his entire life traveling alone.

He belonged to no sect.

He served no family.

For the sake of the Sword Dao, he had given up many things.

Now, Julian was asking him to join a family.

Eamon lowered his head.

For the first time in many years, the wandering swordsman found himself facing a decision that had nothing to do with winning or losing a battle.

And he wasn’t sure what his answer would be.