Chapter 601 - 574: Slaying the Sword Monarch’s Clone

The Sword Monarch’s avatar fixed Zhaang Ye with an ice-cold stare.

Only now did Zhaang Ye truly understand just how formidable the experts of Ancient Times were. The avatar’s eyes were deep and unfathomable. The moment its gaze fell upon him, a jolt of terror shot through Zhaang Ye. The Saber Technique he had painstakingly cultivated, the Realm he had arduously comprehended—all of it felt useless. It was as if the Sword Monarch’s avatar could see through all his secrets, and an unbearable pressure settled in his chest.

What horrified Zhaang Ye even more was that his blazing fighting spirit was rapidly crumbling under the avatar’s gaze. If this continued, he would surrender before the Sword Monarch’s avatar even needed to attack.

’A Spirit Secret Skill! The Sword Monarch’s avatar’s gaze looks ordinary, but it’s actually a Spirit Secret Skill designed to shatter one’s will to fight! This thing attacked the moment it appeared! Master, you have to break free from its technique!’ the Fire Spirit cried out in his mind, sensing Zhaang Ye’s strange state.

His heart sank. A misty Water Qi rose from his body. Meeting the Sword Monarch’s avatar’s gaze, he recited, word by word, "Nothing in the world is softer or weaker than water, yet for attacking the firm and strong, nothing can surpass it. The weak overcomes the strong; the soft overcomes the hard. Everyone in the world knows this, yet no one can put it into practice."

This passage was from the profound scriptures of the Tao Te Ching, describing how the weak overcomes the strong. In a flash of inspiration, Zhaang Ye recited the verse while channeling his Water Realm, and the effect was miraculous. A layer of shimmering Water Qi materialized around him, blocking the avatar’s deep, inscrutable gaze.

This misty Water Qi seemed gentle, but it held the power of softness overcoming hardness. Behind its protection, the terrifying sensation of being utterly exposed vanished, and Zhaang Ye’s fighting spirit reignited.

The Sword Monarch’s avatar faltered for a moment, a strange light flickering in its eyes. The scripture Zhaang Ye had just recited was profound and inscrutable, and it had piqued the avatar’s interest.

If the Sword Monarch himself had been present, he certainly would have demanded Zhaang Ye continue reciting the verses of the Tao Te Ching. But what stood before him was merely an avatar, a sliver of the monarch’s power left behind in the passage.

The Sword Monarch’s avatar lacked Spirituality. After that momentary pause, its gaze turned cold once more. The fist hidden within its sleeve slowly rose, preparing to strike.

As it raised its fist, the very air in the passage seemed to solidify. An immense pressure bore down on the surroundings, causing the stone walls to groan and creak.

In the instant before the Sword Monarch’s avatar could strike, a faint smile touched Zhaang Ye’s lips. The next moment, his body transformed into a streak of light, slashing toward the avatar!

He attacked first!

Having already taken two of the avatar’s punches, Zhaang Ye was intimately aware of the Great Sun Fist Technique’s power. Facing the third fist, he abandoned his defense. He chose to attack, unleashing his Cloud-Breaking Slash!

The Cloud-Breaking Slash was the most powerful move Zhaang Ye had created. This single slash fused his deepest understanding of the Sword Dao, his comprehension of the Wind Realm, his Melting Power, and even some of his insights from the Tao Te Ching. As he unleashed the attack, he achieved Human-Sword Unity. Moving as fast as a meteor, the slash crossed dozens of meters in an instant, arriving right before the Sword Monarch’s avatar!

"Insolent!"

Seeing Zhaang Ye dare to attack first, the Sword Monarch’s avatar’s gaze hardened. The fist it had been slowly raising suddenly blasted forward. As it did, nine blazing suns materialized in the passage!

The third stance of the Great Sun Fist Technique—Nine Yangs Emerge Together!

This punch from the Sword Monarch’s avatar seemed to exist apart from the world, yet was in perfect unison with it. Nine suns hung high in the void. They were eerie and unpredictable, yet moved in harmony with the cosmos, imbued with an eternal, unchanging mystery. The nine suns enveloped everything, leaving no corner untouched!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The Broken Wave Saber carved a stunning arc through the void, instantly shattering seven of the suns. But just as it was about to strike the eighth, the blade suddenly vibrated with a loud BUZZ and melted into a puddle of liquid iron in mid-air.

’This is bad! The power of this fist is too immense. Even my Broken Wave Saber couldn’t withstand it and was melted! Now I’m in real trouble!’

When Zhaang Ye executed the Cloud-Breaking Slash, he and his saber had become one. With the Broken Wave Saber melting into liquid iron, the slash’s power was drastically reduced. All Zhaang Ye could see was a blinding flash as the two remaining suns smashed toward his face!

Danger!

At such close range, he couldn’t possibly dodge, no matter how skilled his Body Technique. If he tried to block them head-on, the two suns would detonate, and the immense power they contained would absolutely vaporize him!

Just as the two suns were about to crash into his head, a glint flashed in Zhaang Ye’s eyes. His mouth snapped open, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!

As he spat the blood, a gentle power materialized in the void. It was an incredibly soft force, yet one capable of accommodating anything. It instantly locked onto the two suns and silently enveloped them.

The Power of Accommodation!

This was the very power Zhaang Ye had comprehended from water—the Power of Accommodation. In that critical moment, he had used his own blood as a catalyst to unleash it. Though his command of this power was weak, it performed a miracle, instantly enveloping the two suns and saving his life.

After enveloping the two suns, Zhaang Ye flicked his arm and flung them far away.

The suns manifested by the Great Sun Fist Technique were actually spheres of highly condensed Innate True Qi, containing an incredibly scorching and tyrannical power. Zhaang Ye’s understanding of the Power of Accommodation was still shallow; he couldn’t contain the two suns for long, which was why he had thrown them away at the first opportunity.

KABOOM! KABOOM!

The two suns exploded in the distance, and a scorching heatwave swept through the area. The entire passage was baked red-hot, and billows of heat rolled forth.

The Sword Monarch’s avatar stood amidst the heatwave, its robes fluttering, looking as imposing as ever. But Zhaang Ye’s keen Spiritual Sense could clearly feel that the avatar’s aura had weakened significantly. Its presence was now only equivalent to that of an expert at the True Dao Sixth Layer Early Stage.

Zhaang Ye was stunned for a second before understanding dawned on him. ’An avatar is just an avatar, after all; it’s nothing compared to the original,’ he thought. ’This Sword Monarch’s avatar can’t cultivate. Its power weakens with every attack. After launching that third fist, its strength has been greatly diminished.’

Zhaang Ye said aloud, "I have withstood your three fists and passed your test. Now, Sword Monarch, please step aside. I need to go inside."

The Sword Monarch’s avatar’s gaze fell upon Zhaang Ye with cold indifference. Its aura began to swell, and it looked ready to strike at any moment.

Zhaang Ye’s eyes narrowed. "Hold on!" he yelled. "Didn’t you say that I would pass the test as long as I could withstand your Great Sun Fist Technique? I’ve done that, so why aren’t you stopping?"

The Sword Monarch’s avatar stated coolly, "You have provoked the dignity of this Sword Monarch. Therefore, you must die today."

Zhaang Ye laughed in fury. "You, a supreme expert, going back on your word. No wonder the Fist Dominator killed you ten thousand years ago! Fine. Since you’re so determined to kill me, I won’t hold back. Today, I’ll defeat you, and then I’ll refine you!"

BZZZT!

The Mysterious Blade Tip appeared in Zhaang Ye’s palm. Once again, he executed the Cloud-Breaking Slash, striking at the Sword Monarch’s avatar.

The Sword Monarch’s avatar’s combat techniques and experience far surpassed Zhaang Ye’s. Although its power was now only equivalent to an expert at the True Dao Sixth Layer Early Stage, it could still employ countless methods to counter Zhaang Ye’s earth-shattering slash.

BZZZZZZZ!

The Sword Monarch’s avatar swiped its palm through the empty air. In its wake, a web of fine threads materialized from the void. These threads, invisible to the naked eye, formed a dense barrier in front of Zhaang Ye. His speed instantly slowed to a crawl, and the power of his attack plummeted.

Zhaang Ye’s expression shifted. The avatar’s combat prowess was far beyond his expectations. It clearly only had the strength of the True Dao Sixth Layer Early Stage, yet it could deploy a technique so powerful that even his Cloud-Breaking Slash couldn’t get close.

Zhaang Ye gritted his teeth and roared in his mind, ’Fire Spirit, Gold Spirit, Wood Spirit, Water Spirit, attack together! We have to destroy this avatar!’

Normally, Zhaang Ye would never let the Fire, Gold, Wood, and Water Spirits reveal themselves, to avoid attracting unwanted attention. But the situation was desperate, so he had no choice but to have them act.

The Fire, Gold, Wood, and Water Spirits were bound to Zhaang Ye by a contract. At his mental command, they shot out as four streaks of light and launched their attacks in unison.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

With a slight movement from the Gold Spirit, a colossal white saber materialized in the air and slashed down with the force of a thunderbolt, aiming for the avatar’s neck!

The Water Spirit appeared and immediately transformed into a cloud of mist that drifted silently toward the avatar. The mist looked inconspicuous, but a single touch would be enough to freeze the avatar solid.

The Wood Spirit’s technique was far more ostentatious. With a slight twitch of its body, a dense thicket of vines erupted from the void and snaked toward the avatar, seeking to entangle it.

The Fire Spirit, the most powerful of the four, used no special technique. It simply transformed into a fireball and charged straight at the Sword Monarch’s avatar in a direct assault.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The attacks from the Fire, Gold, Wood, and Water Spirits were all extraordinary. As powerful as the Sword Monarch’s avatar was, it was forced to respond. It flicked its fingers four times, sending four strange streams of power into the air that intercepted and nullified each of the Four Spirits’ attacks.

When the Four Spirits attacked again, the Sword Monarch’s avatar gave a cold smile. Four icy Sword Gangs materialized and shot through the air, striking each of the spirits squarely. The Four Spirits let out strange shrieks as they were hit, retreating dozens of meters, each of them suffering significant injuries.

While the avatar was occupied with the Four Spirits, Zhaang Ye’s Mysterious Blade Tip finally broke through the web’s blockade. In a flash of light, the blade tip appeared, arriving within three feet of the Sword Monarch’s avatar in an instant!

"Damn it!"

The Sword Monarch’s avatar roared, its body flashing backward as it tried to retreat deeper into the passage. But it had barely moved before the Four Spirits, disregarding their own safety, pounced and latched onto it, holding it fast.

PFFT!

Just as the Sword Monarch’s avatar blasted the Four Spirits away, Zhaang Ye’s Mysterious Blade Tip finally arrived. The tip sliced cleanly through its form, splitting it in half!