Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 278: Chapter 174: Meeting the Female Sword Immortal Again, the Fearsome Secret Words

It was uglier and more dangerous than the Broken Sword had described.

The Female Sword Immortal casually tossed a sword. It flew from her sleeve in a graceful arc, landing steadily in front of Wan Ze. The tip of its sheath plunged into the dirt, the blade trembling slightly.

Wan Ze looked down.

This sword was a palm’s length longer than the Broken Sword. The blade was wider, the spine thicker, and it was clearly much heavier.

The sheath was dark brown, without any ornamentation, but the material felt as warm and smooth as Jade to the touch. The hilt was wrapped in fine thread, somewhat worn from use, revealing a dark gold pattern underneath.

He reached out, gripped the hilt, and pulled the sword from the dirt.

Under the Red Moon, the blade flashed with a cold light, as frigid as ice.

The sword looked extraordinary, its blade bearing patterns like clouds, but compared to the Broken Sword, it was still a few tiers lower in quality.

The Broken Sword had felt alive, with its own emotions, temper, and preferences; it possessed great Spirituality.

But this sword, though exquisitely crafted from superior materials, was just a sword. A very good sword, but nothing more.

Wan Ze reached out and touched the blade, a slight chill meeting his fingertips.

Stealing Celestial Secret successful.

[Magic Sense +100%]

Wan Ze froze for a moment as the numbers pulsed in his vision.

His Magic Sense had instantly doubled.

Then... a scene flooded into his mind.

Wan Ze suddenly ”saw” a person.

He stood atop a colossal cliff, his robes fluttering, radiating an awe-inspiring immortal aura.

His face was unclear, shrouded in a faint, glowing mist. Only a rough outline was visible: slender and tall, with a well-defined jawline. He wore a moon-white robe, its hem rustling in the mountain wind, embroidered with dense silver Runes that seemed to shift and flow with the breeze.

The man raised his hand, his fingers forming a loose grip in the air.

A sword flew from its sheath, its blade tracing a silvery-white arc through the air with a piercing shriek.

The man waved his hand.

The sword shot forward.

In the distance, a Deceitful Beast was coiled among the mountains. It was as large as a mountain itself, its spine disappearing into the clouds. Its limbs were like pillars supporting the heavens, and with every step, the earth trembled.

The Deceitful Beast’s head was hidden in the clouds and mist. All that could be seen were two enormous eyes, like a pair of blood-red moons, looking down upon the insignificant earth below.

The man on the cliff pressed two fingers together and pointed.

The sword grew as it flew, its body rapidly expanding... from several feet to tens of feet, then hundreds. By the end, the sword was no smaller than the mountain-like beast.

The blade blazed with fierce white flames, leaving a long trail across the night sky like a meteor falling from the heavens.

As the sword fell, a line of white light stretched from its tip to the horizon, splitting the world in two.

The mountain-sized Deceitful Beast was cleaved in two from head to tail. Its halves toppled to either side, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust that filled the sky.

Blood gushed from the wound like a bursting dam, forming a crimson river in the valleys below.

The man recalled his sword.

The blade rapidly shrank in mid-air, returning to its original size as it flew back into his hand.

The vision ended as abruptly as it began.

Wan Ze snapped back to his senses.

’That was too real. So real I could feel the mountain wind on my face, smell the stench of blood in the air, and feel the terrifying pressure as the sword fell.’

’This sword, that mysterious man, and that heaven-splitting Power... *this* is what I want.’

’Not hiding in the mountains, secretly creating a Blood Refining Corpse. Not scavenging for scraps in some Tomb. I want to stand openly between heaven and earth... to unleash a single slash and make all of creation bow before me!’

The Female Sword Immortal’s voice came from behind him, uttering just two words: ”Slash it.”

Wan Ze didn’t hesitate for a second.

SWOOSH—

The sword rose.

Heaven and Earth Sword Pulling Slash!

The Core of this Swordsmanship lay in a single concept: the draw.

In the instant the sword is drawn, all of one’s Power, all of one’s Qi, and all of one’s spirit are condensed into that single action.

As the sword is swung, Qi rapidly accumulates on the blade, like a spring compressed to its limit, then suddenly released in a single instant.

Instantly, a streak of light flashed, tracing a silvery-white arc under the Red Moon. With a piercing shriek, it viciously slashed down on the Deceitful Beast’s head.

CLANG!

The sound of striking metal echoed through the forest like the tolling of a great bell.

A shallow white mark appeared on the horny plate of the Deceitful Beast’s head. Sparks flew and debris scattered. The impact of the blow knocked its body sideways, its thick limbs digging four deep gouges into the ground.

The Deceitful Beast roared and shook its head, seemingly dazed by the strike. It quickly recovered, however, and the rumble in its throat grew more menacing.

’This thing’s armor blocked most of the damage.’

’The Power of the Heaven and Earth Sword Pulling Slash is already considerable, but hitting this thing is like trying to chop a rock with a kitchen knife. I can leave a mark, but I’m a long way from cutting through.’

Wan Ze’s expression remained impassive.

He pushed off the balls of his feet and lunged forward, leaving an afterimage in his wake.

Pulling Slash!

The second slash!

This time, he aimed for the white mark left by the first slash.

The sword’s light flashed, striking the exact same spot with perfect accuracy.

CLANG!

Another tremendous crash.

The white mark deepened, and fine cracks spiderwebbed from its edges.

The Deceitful Beast’s body was once again knocked aside. Its limbs scrabbled wildly at the ground, sending dirt flying as if it were wrestling with an unseen force.

The Deceitful Beast was thoroughly enraged.