A Pawn's Passage

Free-Roaming Blade was not just a fixed technique but rather a conceptual framework, much like the Taixuan Sword Heart Series and the Sword Demon Manifestation from the Taiyin 13 Swords. It was an entire combat system derived from a singular principle.

The key to the Free-Roaming Blade was in the Demonic Blade’s intuition. Thus, it was not Qi Xuansu who had discerned the original sword from the 16 duplicates—that was a skill only the Heavenly Blade could possess. Instead, Qi Xuansu followed his instincts to locate the original sword. Qi Xuansu himself could not fully explain how he came to this conclusion because he simply followed his intuition.

After breaking through the Thousand Swords Technique, Qi Xuansu held the Ghosthead Machete in his left hand with a normal grip, its tip slanting toward Qi Jianyuan, while his other hand wielded Flying Shadow in a reverse grip. One blade was rigid, the other elusive—one was yang, the other yin.

He then lunged forward, bringing down the heavy and now fully solidified Ghosthead Machete onto Qi Jianyuan’s longsword, sending a thunderous clang echoing through the air.

With both blades in hand, Qi Xuansu lifted off the ground and circled Qi Jianyuan like a butterfly fluttering around a branch.

During this maneuver, his strikes never ceased. These were not structured moves, only the relentless exploitation of openings dictated by the Demonic Blade.

Qi Jianyuan had no choice but to constantly be on the defensive. Ripples of force spread between them, cutting down countless reed flowers until they lay scattered like fallen corpses. His feet sank deep into the ground, and his protective qi shield began to waver unsteadily.

By the time Qi Xuansu completed a full circle, he had already unleashed 99 strikes in a single, seamless flow, perfectly demonstrating the text that had been engraved to the wall of the stone chamber.

Qi Xuansu showed no sign of fatigue. On the contrary, his momentum continued to build.

Such was the advantage of unorthodox perfected methods. While they carried great risks, their power was equally immense, far surpassing the steadier, safer orthodox perfected methods at the beginner’s stage.

Qi Jianyuan never expected Qi Xuansu’s assault to be so ferocious. He had planned to defend until Qi Xuansu’s strength waned before launching a counterattack. However, before Qi Xuansu could even begin to tire, his own defenses were already faltering.

Moreover, Qi Xuansu’s strikes were becoming faster, the double blades constantly shifting and sometimes exceeding the range of traditional blade techniques, only to seamlessly return to it again.

The most terrifying aspect was that every move was aimed to kill. The Demonic Blade did not merely follow its wielder’s will. Rather, the blade dictated the wielder’s movements. At this point, even Qi Xuansu was no longer in full control.

When Qi Xuansu’s Flying Shadow slashed down from above, Qi Jianyuan raised his longsword to block. But the sheer force sent him airborne, forcing him back to the very edge of Xingye Lake before he could stabilize himself.

Qi Xuansu was like a phantom—one moment he seemed to be in front, the next behind, his presence shifting unpredictably.

Even at such high speed, Qi Xuansu’s strikes never ceased. Qi Jianyuan felt as if countless invisible yet tangible killing edges surrounded him from all directions, leaving him with no way to escape.

Qi Jianyuan’s defenses were teetering on the edge, like a wall on the brink of collapse. His ability to counter Qi Xuansu’s unpredictable assaults was weakening rapidly. If not for the fact that his cultivation level was a notch above Qi Xuansu’s, he would have already fallen at his opponent’s hands.

At this point, Qi Jianyuan had no choice but to change his strategy. First, he used the Star Shift Technique to momentarily break away from Qi Xuansu. Then he soared into the air, attempting to widen the distance between them, planning to rely on his flying sword to secure victory.

But the moment Qi Jianyuan took to the sky, Qi Xuansu followed. His body was enveloped in swirling clouds as he relentlessly pursued the Heavenly Being like an inescapable affliction.

The essence of the Demonic Blade was not in the blade but in its “demonic” nature.

Though Qi Xuansu was now guided by the Demonic Blade, he was not reduced to a mindless puppet. Instead, he relied on instinct and intuition to make the most effective decisions. He could not only wield his blade but also utilize treasures and other techniques.

Thus, even under the influence of the Demonic Blade, Qi Xuansu could still activate the Taiyi Cloud Robe he wore.

Unlike the Dragon Painting Pistol, the Taiyi Cloud Robe was an article of clothing. It could not be stored in a magical receptacle and worn only in the heat of battle, as there would be no time for that.

Thus, Qi Xuansu always wore the Taiyi Cloud Robe, which was sandwiched between his inner and outer robes. This made it nearly invisible while still allowing it to function effectively.

However, the Taiyi Cloud Robe was not a dedicated defensive treasure. Since Qi Xuansu had not activated its protective cloud qi earlier, Qi Jianyuan’s sword qi and sword duplicates had managed to cut through his outer layers, leaving minor flesh wounds. This inadvertently caused Qi Jianyuan to lower his guard, as he had not realized Qi Xuansu possessed such a treasure.

The spectators erupted in astonishment at the sight. Was this truly a battle between two Heavenly Beings?!

Private duels were common, but fights between Heavenly Beings were rare.

Experts could see the techniques, while laymen only saw the spectacle. Sun Hewu, Yao Pei, and the other Deputy Palace Masters could naturally discern the intricacies of the battle, while those who were not Heavenly Beings could only watch the fight as entertainment, unable to even determine the true depths of the fighters’ cultivation.

At this moment, Qi Xuansu was still at a disadvantage because of the disparity in cultivation. If he was already a Heavenly Being, Free-Roaming Blade would have evolved to a whole new level, allowing him to truly traverse the heavens and earth freely. He would no longer need the Taiyi Cloud Robe.

Sun Hewu clicked his tongue. “The Taiyi Cloud Robe from the Cihang lineage. Who would have thought Zhang Yuelu would give such a treasure to that brat?!”

Yao Pei remarked, “With that, the greatest advantage of a Heavenly Being has been nullified. Qi Jianyuan is in real danger now.”

Qi Jianyuan wielded his longsword in his right hand while forming a sword seal with his left. A flying sword shot forward like lightning.

But if even the 16 detached sword duplicates from before had failed to deal with Qi Xuansu’s uncanny intuition, what chance did a single flying sword have? Moreover, once Qi Jianyuan failed to widen the gap between them, the effectiveness of a flying sword would have greatly diminished. Not to mention, Qi Xuansu’s Taiyi Cloud Robe provided an extra layer of exceptional defense.

Qi Jianyuan watched as his flying sword left a deep gash on Qi Xuansu’s neck. Even so, Qi Xuansu did not seem to care and instantly closed the distance between them.

Once again, those double blades were relentless.

Back then, the Holy Xuan had defeated Song Zheng, proving that the Nandou 28 Swords was indeed superior to the Demonic Blade. But Qi Jianyuan was not the Holy Xuan, and Qi Xuansu was not Song Zheng.

At this moment, Qi Jianyuan felt like he was always a step too slow, constantly being countered by those double blades.

The reason he lagged behind was not because his swordsmanship was worse than Qi Xuansu’s. It was because the Demonic Blade required no conscious reaction. Whether attacking or defending, it always acted on instinct, responding instantly. But Qi Jianyuan needed time to process and react, which inevitably made him a step slower.

This small gap made Qi Jianyuan feel utterly powerless. He was clearly stronger in cultivation and capable of overpowering this technique with sheer force, yet he found himself constantly restrained.

Moreover, Qi Jianyuan was not a Banished Immortal but a Qi Refiner, placing him a tier below Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei.

The most obvious difference was that both Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei cultivated two perfected methods—one orthodox and another unorthodox.

For example, the orthodox perfected method Yao Pei learned was the Heavenly Blade, while the unorthodox perfected method was the Taishang Emotionless Sutra. Zhang Yuelu practiced the Cihang Sword Sequence as an orthodox perfected method and the Six Void Tribulations as the unorthodox perfected method. On top of that, both Banished Immortals had semi-immortal objects.

This was why Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei could firmly suppress Qi Xuansu, while Qi Jianyuan could not. Even so, when Zhang Yuelu and Yao Pei fought Qi Xuansu, they would never underestimate him. They always had to take him seriously.

With a single strike, Qi Xuansu forced Qi Jianyuan down from the sky.

Qi Jianyuan crashed to the ground, leaving behind a web of cracks.

Qi Xuansu followed immediately. At some point, he had already dispelled the Ghosthead Machete. His left hand clenched into a fist, and his entire arm turned a brilliant, solid gold.

He harnessed the mystical ability of the Shaman’s Golden Body and combined it with the raw physical strength of a Martial Arts Practitioner to unleash the Dragon Tiger Fist from the Tantai Fist Intention.

The punch landed squarely on Qi Jianyuan’s chest, causing blood to spurt from all his orifices.

At that moment, Sun Hewu let out a soft sigh. With a single step, the old Sage vanished from the Star Observation Deck and reappeared beside Qi Xuansu, placing a hand on the young man’s shoulder.

Qi Xuansu immediately found himself unable to move. This was the true meaning of overwhelming technique with sheer force.

An elderly Sage second only to the Wanxiang Daoist Palace Master was far beyond what a newly ascended Heavenly Being like Qi Jianyuan could compare to.

The Demonic Blade was wild and unrestrained, so it instinctively tried to retaliate. However, Sun Hewu remained immovable like a mountain. With the shifting balance of power, the blade’s frenzy was gradually suppressed, and Qi Xuansu slowly regained clarity.

Then, Sun Hewu spoke to Qi Jianyuan. “The outcome has been decided, so let’s end it here. You have your own business to attend to. I allowed you entry not so you could come here seeking trouble.”