Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 427 - 424: A Rare Duel that Occurs Once in a Century

Chapter 427: Chapter 424: A Rare Duel that Occurs Once in a Century

Ye Xuan versus Liu Qinghe of the Sword Sect.

Dugu Hao versus Demon Sword Jue Wuchen.

Both battles, no matter which one, were highly anticipated by all.

The duel between Ye Xuan and Liu Qinghe was scheduled for the first match, whereas the fight between Dugu Hao and Jue Wuchen would take place in the second match that followed.

Liu Qinghe of the Sword Sect became a Martial Sect Master at eighteen and ranked among the top ten on the Master List by the age of twenty-five. Not yet forty, he defeated the Sword Dao Grandmaster of the Chaotic Sea Domain at the time, his fame shaking the world, and swordsmen everywhere crowned him with the title "Sword Sect."

Now, this Sword Sect had ascended to the realm of the First Grade Martial Venerate, and undoubtedly, his strength was even more formidable than before.

Ye Xuan, a peerless swordsman of the younger generation, though young, possessed exceptional swordsmanship and strength. The Fiery Fire Saber Sect, the Heavenly Fist Sect, Gui Qingluo, Xue Qianling—all were top masters of this convention, yet each had been defeated by Ye Xuan.

This fight could be described as a clash at the peak between an unrivaled swordsman of the younger generation and the strongest swordsman of the middle-aged generation. Such a clash was indeed a rare occurrence, maybe once in a century.

"Young man, your talent in Sword Dao is indeed rare in a thousand years; it’s just that you have a shallow foundation in cultivation, and your Cultivation is still lacking. It might not be easy for you to defeat Liu here."

Liu Qinghe’s face looked sharp and defined. Although he was nearing fifty, he still appeared to be only in his early thirties. The treasured sword in his hand was very broad, with its width exceeding the length of a middle finger by a bit, and within its sharpness, it also conveyed a sense of sturdiness.

Ye Xuan had heard from Qin Qi before that Liu Qinghe’s approach to Sword Dao tended towards the defensive, which was relatively rare because swordsmen generally emphasized attack and not defense. Even those who placed emphasis on defense would use their offense as their defense, rather than expressly studying defensive Sword Dao.

Of course, this did not mean that defensive Sword Dao wasn’t strong. Rather the difficulty in cultivation was greater, and for Liu Qinghe to achieve his current state in defensive Sword Dao showed the height of his achievements.

In Ye Xuan’s view, Sword Dao inherently involved both offense and defense. Using offense as defense was a swordsman’s edge; turning defense into offense meant hiding the edge within, and undoubtedly, the latter was more challenging to deal with.

"Sword Sect’s great reputation is well-known; regardless of victory or defeat, I would like to see for myself your prowess. Please make your move."

Ye Xuan bowed slightly, yet his face remained calm as he spoke with a light smile.

With that said, Liu Qinghe didn’t say anything further. His sharp gaze tightly locked onto Ye Xuan, and he dared not take this young man lightly. He had to treat Ye Xuan with the same seriousness as he would Demon Sword Jue Wuchen; otherwise, his swordsman’s intuition told him that he might lose this match.

"Mountain Sword!"

With a leap forward, Liu Qinghe closed the distance to just ten meters from Ye Xuan, his sword unsheathed. The sword light layered upon itself, like a towering mountain crushing down towards Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan’s expression didn’t change as he lightly drew the Dragon Abyss Ancient Sword with his right hand. The blue sword light struck with the precision of a python darting out of its cave, puncturing the mountains of swords and creating a crack that shattered the entire formation.

Ding!

The tips of their swords, filled with True Qi, collided, and then slid past each other’s blades, sparking two brilliant flares, dazzling and eye-catching.

However, after the sparks, the two treasured swords changed directions and entwined once again. Their movements seemed slow, but in reality, they were not. Moreover, both were still probing, holding back somewhat.

But this reservation would gradually reveal more and more of their true power as the battle deepened.

Ding ding ding!

Two differently colored sword lights clashed in mid-air, leaving behind lingering sword marks. The fierce force occasionally swept off the stage, slicing the surface with notch after notch.

"The duel of top swordsmen is indeed incredibly fierce."

The thrilling display of swordsmanship dazzled the audience, leaving them with a sense of heart-pounding excitement. Each strike from both combatants was sharp as if piercing directly into their hearts. It felt both distant and close, instilling a chilling fear.

"Water Sword!"

After blocking a dozen or so strikes from Ye Xuan, Liu Qinghe retreated four steps, followed by a flick of his wrist that sent twisting, water-like sword light surging from his long sword. The sword light, insubstantial and twisting, approached Ye Xuan quickly like true water currents.

Crack!

The sword light shattered, broken by an invisible Sword Qi.

Breaking the sword light, Ye Xuan’s figure unfolded, his garments fluttering as he retaliated with a sword strike. The astonishing speed of the sword caused the sword light to blur. In this moment, the energy of heaven and earth, along with Ye Xuan himself, integrated into one. And Ye Xuan himself merged completely with the sword in hand, achieving unity of spirit and blade.

"This is Human Sword Unity!"

Liu Qinghe was startled, he closed his eyes, and his movement technique reached its limit. He shifted to the side, the broadsword in his hand blocking in front of his chest, while Ye Xuan’s Dragon Abyss Ancient Sword grazed past the blade in front of him. The stroke did not touch Liu Qinghe, but inexplicably, there was a sword mark on his clothing, even the Protective True Essence was torn apart.

"It’s no wonder you’re from Sword Sect, the Human Sword Unity at full force still can’t faze you."

Ye Xuan looked at Liu Qinghe, three meters away. The other party had not been affected by the ambiance of Human Sword Unity and immediately stopped in his tracks, only now sporting an additional sword mark on his body.

"If I didn’t see wrong earlier, Human Sword Unity is just one of the great realms you’ve mastered. Besides that, you also have another great Sword Dao Realm, Sword Heart Clarity. If you were to fully activate both Sword Dao Realms, the power would be far greater, wouldn’t it?"

During the previous battle, Liu Qinghe had already discerned the two great Sword Dao Realms that Ye Xuan carried. At the time, Ye Xuan had not fully activated them, so Liu Qinghe only felt a slight fluctuation. However, with his intuition as a Sword Dao Master, he naturally would not sense it incorrectly.

"Indeed, that’s the case."

A gleam flashed in Ye Xuan’s eyes. The next moment, the Sword Seal between his brows also appeared, and his eyes seemed to become incredibly clear, while the sharp aura about Ye Xuan further intensified.

"Truly a heaven-sent talent. However, since Liu someone bears the name of Sword Sect, I cannot easily lose to another. If you can defeat me, the title of Sword Sect will henceforth belong to you, Ye Xuan."

Following the exchange of moves, Liu Qinghe had already developed a keen appreciation for talent in Ye Xuan. At Ye Xuan’s age, he did not possess the achievements that Ye Xuan now did. It was foreseeable that Ye Xuan’s future accomplishments would be boundless.

Even the Chaotic Sea Domain might not contain him.

"I have no interest in contending for the title of Sword Sect, but I must win this match."

Ye Xuan was expressionless as he spoke, and in his hands, the Dragon Abyss Ancient Sword, continually infused with True Qi, became transparent, emitting a clear blue light. Ye Xuan’s own aura, in an instant, increased tremendously.

The power he had been holding back earlier was finally fully unleashed.

"How is this possible? He actually still held back his power."

A murmur of astonishment spread through the crowd. Considering how extraordinary Ye Xuan already was, no one expected that he had still been conserving strength. What then would his full power amount to?

"This is interesting, to think such an unexpected youngster would appear so suddenly."

Jue Wuchen’s eyes lit up in the audience. He glanced at Dugu Hao not far away, then back at Ye Xuan, a rare battle intent surfacing on his face.

As the top of the Master List, how could he allow his position to be so easily shaken, even if he was soon to leave the Master List, he would not tolerate failure, to preserve his reputation in his late years.

"Could this man actually be my biggest rival?"

Dugu Hao also showed a contemplative expression, watching Ye Xuan’s battle without moving his eyes. A rare solemnity appeared in his gaze.

Confronting Ye Xuan, who had released his full strength, Liu Qinghe was initially stunned but then a trace of astonishment flickered in his eyes. Ye Xuan’s performance was increasingly alarming the Sword Sect’s own.

"Cloud Piercing Sword Step."

Liu Qinghe’s surprise only lasted a moment before he made his next move, as fleet as a sword, and shadowy as a spectre. His swordplay and footsteps were perfectly synchronized, on the same frequency, exceptionally brilliant.

"Thunder Devour!"

Holding the sword with one hand, Ye Xuan’s swordsmanship suddenly turned fierce. Each move was like thunder and lightning, the winds stirred and clouds swirled, containing an infinite explosive force, as if he were not cutting with a sword but rather striking with bolts of lightning, which crashed ferociously onto Liu Qinghe’s broadsword that was in harmony with his footsteps.

Puff, puff!

Sword Qi plowed furrows into the ground. After releasing his full power, Ye Xuan’s attack speed also abruptly quickened. His eyes were exceptionally clear, as if he could see through all of Liu Qinghe’s flaws. The Dragon Abyss Ancient Sword in his hands was astonishingly fast and able to seize the flaws to deliver the swiftest fatal blow.

"Dragon Battles Yellow Springs!"

His eyes seemed to penetrate the patterns of the Cloud Piercing Sword Step. Ye Xuan suddenly stomped his foot, his left hand became a palm, and he executed the seventh form of the Dragon Essence Palm. As the palm force poured into the ground, Liu Qinghe’s landing spot cracked like a spider web, the punch force exploding.

Seeing Ye Xuan’s move, Liu Qinghe quickly kicked off the ground to rise. He remembered Ye Xuan had used this move before, so he had been prepared in advance. But as the palm force erupted, it still transformed into the shape of a dragon, surging from below to assault the soles of Liu Qinghe’s feet.

"Immortal Sword Body!"

As the palm force was about to strike, Liu Qinghe’s aura suddenly burst. He gripped his sword with both hands, his body spun, and a very sturdy wave of energy erupted from him. The True Yuan around him, like a tide, surged forth, rapidly spreading around his body, forming a sword-shaped wave of light covering him. This wave of light, emitting an undying aura, was like a millennia-old ancient sword, indestructible and invincible.