Chapter 713: The Sword in the Hand
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The inheritance Su Ming obtained from Hong Luo regarding the use of swords was different from how the Immortals used swords to fly. His method was even older and almost clumsy. It was not as agile as a flying sword, which was why Hong Luo had not delved deep into it after he had obtained it by pure chance.
However, Su Ming was incredibly interested in this method to use swords. This ancient method adhered to using one's hand to hold onto a sword. Only when a sword was in a person's hand could it truly become a sharp tool for the sword wielder.
With the killing sword shining with golden light, Su Ming's casually thrust forward, and the sword sliced through the air as it went forward, a large suction force swiftly erupting from within it.
This was not the sword's power itself. Su Ming slightly conformed with some form of law in the world as he thrust forward and triggered some strange changes, which made the place where the sword passed through the center of the area. It then sent all forms of existences, even divine senses, tumbling forward into the sword's path.
At that instant, the hundreds of thousands of sword auras distorted and changed their direction, charging towards the sword in Su Ming's hand. It was as if the sword's path had turned into a black hole that could devour everything.
However, the nine waves of sword aura that had gained form and now looked nearly physical after they flew out of the cracks in the ground only let out piercing sword whistles as they scattered slightly before transitioning from being mere illusions to something corporeal. They did not change their direction and charged at Su Ming, coming less than a hundred feet away from him within an instant. The nine swords closed in on him at the same time, spreading out waves of powerful pressure that made it seem as if they could destroy anything.
Right after that one thrust, Su Ming loosened his grip around the killing sword with a calm expression. He did not hold the sword in a tight grip. Instead, at the instant the nine swords closed in on him, he flicked his wrist, and with his wrist acting as the axle, he swung the killing sword from the left to the right, then from up to down, before he swung it around himself in a circle!
If anyone looked over, they would see that as the sword in Su Ming's hand swerved around him, a circular slash formed by an endless amount of vertical sword illusions manifested due to his movements.
It looked like a circular slash, but if that anyone looked again, they would find that it was a method to use swords that would form a sword formation. It looked as if it had formed a sword shield that stood before Su Ming to protect him. The nine flying swords coming towards him instantly crashed into it.
Sounds of swords clashing into each other rose into the air. Eventually, a resounding boom spread outwards, and the nine swords that had gained physical form shattered and fell back, turning into smoke and scattering away.
Su Ming stood his ground with a calm expression. The sword in his hand drew a beautiful arc that went diagonally from his left side to his feet. A freezing glint shone in his eyes, and a wave of murderous aura appeared in his gaze.
That murderous aura and the motion of Su Ming swinging that sword diagonally from his left looked as if he was storing up power.
It was like the calm before a storm, like the quiet before a volcano erupted, like an ancient ferocious beast that would spread out an extreme, aggressive air that surged into the sky the instant before it devoured the world.
During that instant, all activities in the world showed signs of stopping, and an indescribable, oppressive air surrounded the area without any sound. The source of all of this was naturally Su Ming bringing his sword downwards.
"There are thirteen styles to use swords, but I've only come to understand four, flicking, thrusting, swirling, and slicing… but it's enough to break this Rune." At the instant Su Ming said these words in a flat voice, the sword that was held diagonally to his lower left side was brought swiftly to his upper right side.
A clear sword mark traveled from his lower left side to his upper right side as the world boomed. This was slicing. With the sword's sharpness, it would slice apart all barriers that blocked its path.
At the instant Su Ming swung his sword, the world rumbled. The swing contained some change in the world's laws, and at the instant Su Ming sliced upwards, an excited sword whistle traveled out from the killing sword. There was a wave of agitation and excitement within that whistle. It was the sword's complete acknowledgment, because this method was the only correct way to allow a sword to erupt forth with a power that could shake the sky and earth!
If it was a flying sword, then it would be impossible to execute this slicing technique, since no one was holding onto the sword. Besides thrusting and slashing, it would not have the intelligence to execute anything else.
The killing sword had a spirit. It had been suppressed by Su Ming earlier and forced to submit to him, but clearly, there had been defiance within that submission, and the sword had been waiting to turn against Su Ming. Yet at that instant, as the sword whistle traveled forward, the spirit within the killing sword truly acknowledged Su Ming, because it had been able to sense that when Su Ming held it in his hand, the three actions of thrusting, swirling, and slicing had allowed it to burst forth with its complete power, and it was a power that surpassed what it possessed.
This power made it tremble with excitement. This power made it feel as if it had gone through a cleansing, and a faint feeling of an epiphany blossomed within it: It was a sword, and this was how it should be like.
The world roared. When Su Ming sliced through the air, a diagonal sword mark tore through the space before him. That tear traveled forward with a bang, and wherever it went, the world would be torn apart, the air would shatter, and as the crack grew larger, it swept through a thousand lis before it landed on Great Leaf Immortal Sect's mountain. An even louder bang rang into the air, and the sword mark from that one slice shot through Great Leaf Immortal Sect.
It shot through the sword-shaped mountain and charged towards the area behind it. As it continued spreading, it eventually turned into a crack in the world that was several tens of thousands of feet long. It went straight through the Sword Rune that surrounded Great Leaf Immortal Sect and created a large gap in it.
Once that gap appeared, the Sword Rune that protected the mountain where Great Leaf Immortal Sect was located crumbled around it. The Rune turned into an endless amount of sword fragments that fell backwards in all directions while stirring up a violent gust of wind that swept up to the nine heavens. A violent boom that shook the entire area shot up into the air.
The sword-shaped mountain that belonged to Great Leaf Immortal Sect shuddered, and its center started slanting as that booming sound rang in the air. When half of the mountain fell to the left and crashed down, the ground trembled, and a loud sound surged into the sky.
Waves of dust rose up and spread through the area. Su Ming's hair and robes moved due to the wind, but his expression did not change. With the killing sword in hand, he looked over coldly.
At that moment, half of Great Leaf Immortal Sect's mountain had been sliced off. The surface where it had been cut off was incredibly smooth, and that part was naturally where Su Ming's sword mark had passed through!
The sword-shaped mountain was broken!
The killing sword in Su Ming's hand was trembling and letting out excited cries. Murderous aura spread out from its tip, as if it was thirsting for blood and hoping to drink it for eternity.
"Swords are primary killing tools."
Su Ming lifted his head and looked towards the broken Great Leaf Immortal Sect mountain before he walked over slowly. On this day, he would destroy a sect by himself and save his second senior brother from Great Leaf Immortal Sect.
Fated Kin were looking at their Respected Senior Mo excitedly from the back. The might of that sword just now had shook the sky and earth. It was enough to shake the hearts of all those who witnessed it.
Su Ming's footsteps seemed slow, but in truth, with every step he took forward, his body would appear a little faded. When his form became clear again, he would already be a thousand feet away. It was fine for those looking at him from the back, they would not be in too much discomfort because of what they saw, but if anyone looked at him while he was walking towards them, they would immediately feel dizzy.
Because even though they would see Su Ming tens of thousands of feet away, in the blink of an eye, he would be much closer, making them think that their eyes were deceiving them. The surroundings did not move, but Su Ming's body would suddenly turn into an illusion, then gain clarity just as abruptly, instantly causing all Immortals who were staring at him to feel dizzy.
By the time they felt this dizziness, Su Ming was already standing at the foot of the remaining half of Great Leaf Immortal Sect's mountain. He lifted his head and looked at the broken sword-shaped mountain. Then he took a deep breath.
As Su Ming breathed in, layers of snow fell down from the sky above Great Leaf Immortal Sect. Each flake exuded an endless amount of freezing air, and in the blink of an eye, everything within a circular area of ten thousand lis was covered in snow.
That snow was very dense. When it landed on the ground, it looked like a gigantic seal from the distance that sealed Great Leaf Immortal Sect within!
This was the Art Su Ming created in Life Cultivation Realm - Midwinter's Chill.
With this Art, he could seal off all directions, preventing all Immortals within Great Leaf Immortal Sect from escaping, turning this place into a cage!
"I have come here today… to destroy Great Leaf Immortal Sect," Su Ming stated languidly. As his voice reverberated in the air, the echoes of his words seemed to be faintly passing through the endless snow around him. Once these sounds fused together, they turned into a roar that sounded as if it came from heaven itself, shaking the area so much that the remaining half of Great Leaf Immortal Sect's mountain was wrecked by tremors.
At the time Su Ming said these words, he lifted his foot and walked forward, onto the stairs leading to Great Leaf Immortal Sect's mountain. At the instant his foot landed, an infinite amount of sword aura erupted from Great Leaf Immortal Sect with a bang, and two thousand long arcs flew out.
Within these two thousand long arcs were two thousand Great Leaf Immortal Sect disciples. All of their eyes were crimson red. As they charged forward, they rushed towards Su Ming along with the sword aura.
As roars echoed in the air, even more Great Leaf Immortal Sect disciples flew out from behind the two thousand and charged towards Su Ming.
The sword in Su Ming's hand whistled. It thirsted to have blood dye its blade red, and that thirst made the killing sword tremble violently. Its whistling seemed to be pleading for Su Ming to let it kill to its fill.
Su Ming looked at the thousands of people coming towards him, and the chill in his eyes grew colder. He lifted his foot and took another step forward. As he moved, the stairs behind him instantly shattered and turned into ashes.
No unnecessary words were said. When he took that one step forward, the thousands of Great Leaf Immortal Sect disciples closed on him. Su Ming swung the sword in his hand forward, and a head flew up swiftly, bringing with it a wave of fresh blood, dyeing the tip of the sword red.
With a couple thrusts and one swing outwards, several heads more immediately flew up. Once their blood covered Su Ming and Immortals' vision, Su Ming took his third, fourth, and fifth steps…
He walked calmly upwards. There was an endless number of Immortals by his side, along with waves of sword aura booming around him. He did not stop waving the sword in his hand. As the sword spirit let out excited and bloodthirsty whistles, heads fell on the ground and rolled down to the foot of the mountain.