A Pawn’s Passage

Beneath Katsura Yoshiyuki's skin, it seemed as though a small serpent slithered along his veins. Yet, as a cultivator still possessing the strength of the Zaohua stage, he instantly severed the corresponding meridians, halting the lightning-dragon's course and dispersing it before slashing out horizontally with his blade.

Qi Xuansu stood unmoved like a mountain. With Green Cloud in hand, he drew a circle, shifting into the Yin-Yang Polar Reversal Technique. It not only dissolved Katsura Yoshiyuki's strike but also flowed seamlessly into the Reversing Qi Technique.

The essence of the Reversing Qi Technique lay in advancing as retreat and bending as extension. This swordplay returned upon itself, with clarity turning obscure and qi flowing in reverse.

It was a cunning technique. Even a sect master would struggle to find a counter immediately if they saw it for the first time, unless they could overwhelm the technique with sheer force.

For a brief moment, Katsura Yoshiyuki himself did not know how to dissolve it.

Seizing the moment, Qi Xuansu briefly closed his eyes before snapping them open. This was the Omniscient Eyes.

Light surged within Qi Xuansu's eyes before a profound gleam burst forth.

Katsura Yoshiyuki's expression shifted slightly as the wound at his chest started spurting blood without end.

Yet he showed neither panic nor fury. He calmly unleashed his blade, blade qi raining down on Qi Xuansu. His strokes overlapped and interwove, dazzling in their ferocity. However, before Qi Xuansu's layer upon layer of defenses—Celestial Phenomena Spiritual Body, his indestructible body spirits, Green Netherworld Armor, and Five Elements Qi Shield—not one strand of blade qi managed to strike his core.

Katsura Yoshiyuki was in no hurry, continuing his assault. If Qi Xuansu's sword intention grew ever higher in layered ascension, Katsura Yoshiyuki's blade only grew faster until the blade itself vanished, leaving only countless intersecting trails of light woven into a net that slowly eroded the space around Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu refused to sit still, awaiting death. He thrust Green Cloud straight toward Katsura Yoshiyuki.

Ordinarily, with such a thrust, Katsura Yoshiyuki needed only to counter with his long blade, and Qi Xuansu's arm would be severed at once. Yet having witnessed Qi Xuansu's ability to reconstruct his body, even the loss of an arm was trivial. Thus, it was better to meet offense with offense. After all, Katsura Yoshiyuki's Monohoshizao was much longer than Green Cloud.

The dance of blades abruptly stopped as Katsura Yoshiyuki stabbed Qi Xuansu in the chest and drove Monohoshizao forward with brutal force.

Qi Xuansu relied upon his Longevity Stone Heart to meet the strike head-on, while the Phoenix Wings at his back flapped furiously, leaving afterimages in the air.

Then suddenly, nine interwoven strands of pitch-black Nether Chains manifested from the void, their other ends coiling tightly about Qi Xuansu's limbs and waist, snapping taut in an instant to anchor his stance so that he would not drift back.

This caused the blade of Monohoshizao to bend under the force.

Katsura Yoshiyuki flicked his wrist, straightening Monohoshizao to rebound backward. His feet tapped lightly in the void, creating lotus-like ripples midair.

Before his backward momentum even ceased, Katsura Yoshiyuki once again employed the Flying Swallow technique, flashing behind Qi Xuansu. Yet since Monohoshizao was too long, he could only strike with his palm against Qi Xuansu's lower back.

His five fingers were like swords, tearing through Qi Xuansu's Spiritual Body, Green Netherworld Armor, and Five Elements Qi Shield, stabbing into his body as though five iron nails were hammered deep within.

If not for Qi Xuansu's physique as a Wuliang-stage Martial Arts Practitioner, that single claw strike would have cost him his life.

Qi Xuansu dissolved into a beam of moonlight, scattering apart, only to re-form his Spiritual Body not far away. His injuries swiftly healed.

Yet the strike from Katsura Yoshiyuki's five fingers that lodged in Qi Xuansu's lower back had left behind a tangible pain radiating from his Dantian.

Even Qi Xuansu, long accustomed to agony, found this pain nearly unbearable.

Of course, Katsura Yoshiyuki's torment was far greater. His heart meridian had been wounded by Qi Xuansu's Omniscient Eyes, initially leaving it numb. But as time passed, the pain was like a swarm of insects gnawing on him. This agony only deepened his murderous intent toward Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu released Green Cloud, letting it hover and circle freely in midair.

In the next instant, Qi Xuansu darted forward, so fast he left behind an afterimage. In the blink of an eye, he was right in front of Katsura Yoshiyuki.

Katsura Yoshiyuki's expression remained calm. With his unarmed left hand, he casually seized Qi Xuansu's wrist, pouring blade qi into Qi Xuansu's body like a torrential river.

Qi Xuansu felt the meridians of his hand and arm shatter one by one, while flesh, bone, and sinew were sliced apart as though they were being shredded. His skin erupted with countless crimson lines, a torture akin to death by a thousand cuts.

Such was the power of the Zaohua stage. Without the need for profound techniques, even simple and direct use of blade qi could cause grievous harm.

Qi Xuansu's entire body shook violently. His arm was all but destroyed. Yet faint glowing nodes, connected by lines of light, still outlined the shape of an arm. These were his condensed body spirits. So long as they remained intact, rebuilding the body was no difficulty. At a Martial Arts Practitioners' later stage, flesh and blood mattered little. The acupoints were the true key. As long as they endured, he could endlessly regenerate his limbs, rearranging and recombining them into countless forms.

Qi Xuansu, wagering the loss of one arm, gathered all his true essence and blood qi into his remaining hand and punched Katsura Yoshiyuki squarely in the face.

The two separated upon impact.

Qi Xuansu, using the outline formed by his acupoints as a framework, began to regenerate his arm.

Katsura Yoshiyuki's face caved in. Though it was not a fatal wound, his features were marred. Without a Martial Arts Practitioner's regenerative abilities, he could not restore it in a short time.

Qi Xuansu had tried close combat earlier but realized he gained no advantage. After all, Katsura Yoshiyuki's control of blade qi was no longer limited to his blade, leaving Qi Xuansu at a slight disadvantage.

So Qi Xuansu once more grasped the hovering Green Cloud.

Katsura Yoshiyuki reset his crooked nose with his hand, then gripped Monohoshizao with both hands, charging at Qi Xuansu.

Qi Xuansu abandoned his tricks and used the Taixuan Sword Heart Series from the Taiyin 13 Swords to meet his opponent.

The Taixuan Sword Heart Series was the 12th form of the Taiyin 13 Swords, said to embody the culmination of all swordsmanship. It ultimately distilled into pure sword intention. Once comprehended, all sword techniques under heaven became innate, endlessly adaptable, and readily employed.

This form was akin to directly seeking enlightenment from True Lord Ziguang. Even if one could not read the stars, True Lord Ziguang could relay their meaning. Though Qi Xuansu was not a natural swordsman, by expending divine power to communicate with True Lord Taiyin's Palace of Cold Light, he could borrow her skills and temporarily become a master swordsman.

For a time, Katsura Yoshiyuki could no longer overpower Qi Xuansu in technique. The two were evenly matched, forced to change moves incessantly, not seeking superiority in form, but in cunning and timing, like a cavalry's feigned retreat on the battlefield. The brilliance lay not in refinement, but in the element of surprise.

Katsura Yoshiyuki, decades older and far more seasoned than the self-proclaimed veteran Qi Xuansu, soon seized an opening and thrust a blade toward Qi Xuansu's back.

Just then, Qi Xuansu's long black hair cascaded down like a cloak, covering his back completely. When Monohoshizao struck, it rang with the sound of metal clashing against stone.

This was the Black Hair Armor.

Qi Xuansu had not foreseen this strike. Rather, it was the wondrous instincts of the Demonic Blade that had blocked the strike so perfectly at the last moment.

Pairing the Demonic Blade with the Taixuan Sword Heart Series, Qi Xuansu seemed like a mere spectator in this fight. He need not think actively nor make a conscious move. His intention moved with the body, and the body moved with the sword.

Qi Xuansu followed through, unleashing three consecutive strikes. Not only did he employ the Taixuan Sword Heart Series, but he also blended earlier forms, forcing Katsura Yoshiyuki into a hasty retreat.

If not for Katsura Yoshiyuki's cultivation being far superior to Qi Xuansu's, able to counter techniques with sheer strength, he would have already suffered bodily injury from those three sword strikes.

Furthermore, Qi Xuansu's earlier Omniscient Eyes had struck Katsura Yoshiyuki's chest. Though it appeared insignificant, in truth, it caused a deep impact. If Katsura Yoshiyuki were likened to a great lake, then Qi Xuansu's sword was a breach carved in the embankment, allowing water to continually flow outward. At first, the loss was negligible, but over time, the lake would drain completely. Thus, Katsura Yoshiyuki had already begun to expend his energy, unable to prolong the fight as before.

Suddenly, Katsura Yoshiyuki lunged forward.

Qi Xuansu traced a circle with Green Cloud, and in an instant, dozens of glowing sword rings appeared before him, layered and interlocked in varying sizes. Katsura Yoshiyuki struck down with a single slash, but the circles only wavered without breaking, like trying to cut through water with a blade. One might split it for a moment, but never for long.

Instead, Katsura Yoshiyuki was shaken by the layered sword rings and forced backward.

Then, more and more sword rings manifested from Qi Xuansu's blade until his entire body was enveloped within countless glowing circles. As soon as one ring faded, another immediately formed in its place.

By now, Katsura Yoshiyuki could see no gaps within the formation. It was as though a thousand long swords shielded Qi Xuansu's entire body. With the Taixuan Sword Heart Series, Qi Xuansu adopted a purely defensive stance, flawless and without openings.

Yet, this sword formation of glowing circles could also advance, surging like tidal waves. He was no longer trading blows one by one. Seven small swords formed one greater sword, and seven greater swords formed a sword formation. In defense, these 49 swords guarded as one; in offense, they struck in unison.

Facing Qi Xuansu's sword formation, Katsura Yoshiyuki unleashed another all-out slash against the tide of glowing rings. Yet, the formation held firm, unbroken. Instead, it forced him backward. His haori shuddered violently, his hair flew straight back, and his steps left rippling imprints in the air as he retreated.

The Taixuan Sword Heart Series was ever-changing. Its marvel resided entirely in its wielder. However, facing a Kengo, the expenditure of power was immense. In mere moments, Qi Xuansu had already spent 3,000 marks of divine power. Even with a reserve of 5,500 marks, he could not endure such expenditure for long.