Zhou Yuanshu? Meng Yin?
Hearing these two names, Leng Lianyun processed them with the intuition of a Wind-Catching Secret Agent. In an instant, he combined them into a new name and grasped the true meaning behind Chen Xin’s words.
Zhou Yin! It was actually him! Leng Lianyun was slightly taken aback; this was a big catch.
Celestial Fragrance Sect Leader Wang Sen had come to the capital to preach under the banner of the "Three Religions and Three Calamities." He proclaimed that the Divine Land was undergoing a "Tribulation Transformation," facing three major tribulations: the Formless Tribulation, the Solemn Tribulation, and the Lunar Mansions Tribulation. To survive the Great Tribulation of the End of Dharma, Dipankara (Daoists and Nuns), Shakyamuni (Monks and Nuns), and Maitreya (Sages) needed to face these three tribulations respectively.
However, because the current Daoist, Buddhist, and Confucian religions harbored filth and corruption, they had been forsaken by the mandate of heaven. Only the sage Wang Sen, the reincarnation of the Ancient Buddha, could save the world and its people.
To prove that the destiny of the three religions rested upon him, Wang Sen established three Venerable positions below the Sect Leader, keeping them empty to await the worthy. Overnight, a Daoist, a monk, and a Confucian scholar descended from the sky, lotus flowers blooming with every step they took. They claimed to have come to assist "King Gu Buddha" in saving the world. All three were top-tier experts at the Outer Realm Level, and they assumed the three Venerable positions. This event propelled the Celestial Fragrance Sect to great fame, and Wang Sen capitalized on the momentum to enter the capital with great fanfare.
Zhou Yin was the Daoist of the Celestial Fragrance Sect destined to face the Formless Tribulation, known as Venerable Wuxiang.
Thinking of this, Leng Lianyun couldn’t help but laugh inwardly. "What bullshit Immortals descending from heaven, what bullshit Venerables facing tribulations. Other than his name, nothing about this Zhou Yin is real!" he mused. The Wind-Catching Secret Agents had long since thoroughly investigated the identities of these three individuals.
Zhou Yin’s true identity was that of an Independent Cultivator expert from the Zhedong region, nicknamed the "Formless Sword." He excelled at using a Soft Sword, was renowned for the Upper Clarity Quick Sword, and his Palm Skill was equally exceptional. Three years ago, this man suddenly vanished without a trace, only to reappear as this Venerable Wuxiang. The other two shared similar stories.
As the Wind-Catching Secret Agent’s thoughts shifted, the two men on the battlefield clashed once more!
Seeing this, Leng Lianyun hurriedly retreated. Although he possessed the power of the Inner Realm, in terms of actual martial prowess, he did not even meet the standards of Jiangg Hengchuan or Yan Chong. Whenever moments like this arose, Leng Lianyun couldn’t help but lament, wishing he had his older brother’s Talent.
"What a silent and deadly Saber Skill. The Divine Robe Guard is truly vicious. But so what if I’ve lost the use of my left arm and can’t unleash the Black Death Palm? My sword can still take your life!" Zhou Yin sneered, no longer pretending to be Meng Yuanshu. He violently drew the Soft Sword hidden in his belt with his right hand and turned to close in on Chen Xin.
The sharpness of the Soft Sword seemed capable of slicing through the very air. The weapon in Zhou Yin’s hand was named Cicada Wings. Forged from millennium-old unmelting ice crystals, it was as thin as cicada wings and radiated a biting chill. Under the sunlight, it became exceptionally transparent, capable of deceiving even ordinary Martial Artists.
BUZZ! BUZZ!
One could only hear the divine hum of the Cicada Wings Soft Sword without seeing its form. When Zhou Yin executed the Upper Clarity Quick Sword, the Soft Sword—which previously retained a faint shadow—slithered like a dragon, completely concealing itself in the air and vanishing without a trace, formless and invisible! Being able to execute a Long Sword Technique like the Upper Clarity Quick Sword with a Soft Sword, and earning the illustrious moniker of "Formless Sword" in the process, was the very source of Zhou Yin’s pride.
"A mishmash of a technique," Chen Xin scoffed, not taking it seriously at all. With his hand resting on his saber hilt, he stood ready to strike.
For a Soft Sword, the blade was as supple as silk. It was unsuited for chopping and thrusting, and wielding it did not involve the direct, straightforward force of a standard Sword. Instead, it required skillful finesse to slice and neutralizing force to cut. Though he swung a sword, it wouldn’t be strange to call it a whip; even if a strike missed, a simple flick of the wrist could rapidly launch a follow-up attack.
For Zhou Yin to forcefully execute a Long Sword Technique using a Soft Sword, what was it if not a mishmash? If this kind of technique fell into the eyes of a Grandmaster, it would inevitably become a laughingstock. It appeared formless and invisible, but who knew how many flaws lay buried within!
Although Chen Xin had not reached the Grandmaster realm, his eyesight and Talent were not inferior to theirs; in fact, they might have even surpassed them. Thus, Chen Xin drew his saber to meet the attack.
"Unstoppable" revealed its sharp edge, and the Sword Qi abruptly formed a net of a thousand intersecting blades. It was as if it had swept through every available gap in the world, with countless saber shadows and an immeasurable number of sharp edges.
Seven Kills Saber Technique: Star Fall Silence!
The massive net of Sword Qi surged forward!
Zhou Yin was horrified to discover that every single stream of his opponent’s Sword Qi accurately struck his Cicada Wings Soft Sword. Even before he could launch his next attack, a wave of Sword Qi was already waiting for him. It looked like the two were engaging in a skirmish, but in reality, Zhou Yin was being completely suppressed.
He thought miserably, "Why does it seem like he can see my sword... Predicting my moves? How is that possible? He hasn’t even reached the Outer Realm Level!" His Sword Technique had actually been dragged into the rhythm of his opponent’s Sword Qi, restricting him at every turn and forcing him to waste his True Qi in vain.
Nearby Divine Robe Captains rushed over at the sound of the commotion. However, seeing the erupting Sword Qi and the formless Sword Technique shattering the backyard’s ground and sending bricks and tiles flying, they could only helplessly halt their steps. A battle of this level was not something they could interfere in.
"Formless Sword, huh. I think you’d be better off changing your name to Mosquito Sword; all that buzzing is quite annoying," Chen Xin mocked, striking with Sword Qi while verbally battering his opponent.
Despite his words, Chen Xin remained on high alert. The intelligence stated that Zhou Yin had roamed Zhedong unchallenged for years, accumulating an impressive combat record. Coupled with his profound Inner Strength at the Outer Realm Level, he was not to be underestimated.
Sure enough, Zhou Yin’s expression shifted as if he had made up his mind. With a flick of the Cicada Wings Soft Sword, he changed from slicing to thrusting, forcefully wielding the Soft Sword as a Long Sword.
With this change, the formless and invisible Soft Sword immediately transformed, resembling a straightened awl. The finesse of the Sword Technique was completely gone, but Zhou Yin’s Outer Realm Level True Qi played a massive role.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
With a series of ringing clashes, Zhou Yin unleashed thirteen consecutive strikes, forcefully shattering Chen Xin’s massive net of Sword Qi relying purely on the disparity in their Inner Strength. It was just a pity for the Cicada Wings Soft Sword; forcefully straightened from its curved nature using Inner Strength, the blade suffered significant damage, losing its former divine properties.
Once the technique was broken, Zhou Yin took advantage of the momentum and flicked his wrist. The Soft Sword in his hand reverted to its original form, following up with another strike with the speed of lightning and a Fire Stone. The blade slashed straight toward Chen Xin’s carotid artery!
Chen Xin neither dodged nor evaded, as if he hadn’t even seen it coming. His right hand rotated "Unstoppable," turning the blade upward and slashing out from a diagonal angle. The sharp edge aimed right at the tip of Zhou Yin’s heart, while his left hand abruptly unleashed a palm strike.
In a flash, Zhou Yin thought, "Trading a life for a life—just how much is this Divine Robe Guard’s monthly salary?" However, the momentum of his sword did not cease. He believed in his Martial Arts, he believed in his Cicada Wings Sword, and he believed in his close-fitting Silk Armor.
SQUELCH!
Chen Xin only felt an approaching chill. In the next second, his throat was slit open by the Cicada Wings Soft Sword, and blood burst forth!
Zhou Yin didn’t fare much better. He had underestimated Chen Xin’s saber and palm, and overestimated his own Heart-Protecting Armor. The Silk Armor that had safeguarded his life for years was sliced open like tofu beneath the opponent’s blade, which plunged straight into his chest.
The palm strike that followed proved even more fatal than the saber. The moment it hit his chest, a bizarre stream of Inner Strength surged through the Treasure Armor.
CRACK!
With a series of explosive cracks, his sternum and twelve pairs of ribs instantly fractured. The upper part of Zhou Yin’s chest looked as though it was going to collapse inward toward his waist.
Chen Xin pulled "Unstoppable" out of Zhou Yin’s body and stood leaning on his saber. Blood flowed incessantly from the wound on his throat, and his face was pale.
"Sir!"
"Chen Copper Order!"
Seeing this scene, the surrounding Divine Robe Captains cried out in panic. Leng Lianyun was also stunned by Chen Xin’s reckless, death-defying combat style.
"Urgh, urgh..."
While Chen Xin could still stand, Zhou Yin could only stagger back a few steps before collapsing. Lying on the ground, Zhou Yin tightly gripped his Cicada Wings Soft Sword, looking at the Divine Robe Guard across from him. He wanted to burst into manic laughter, but his current physical state wouldn’t allow it.
He thought, "To possess such combat power at merely the Inner Realm Level, he must be a secret genius cultivated by the Divine Robe Guard. Trading my own life for his is not a loss, not a loss at all!"
Zhou Yin’s consciousness gradually blurred. Before it faded completely, he saw Chen Xin suddenly make a move. The man made a show of taking a non-existent "pill" out of his sleeve, and then swallowed it with incredibly fake acting. Zhou Yin’s mind was muddled, but he still knew this was a futile effort.
Just as he wanted to use his last ounce of strength to mock the man for deceiving himself and others, he saw the bleeding from Chen Xin’s throat suddenly stop. Immediately after, the wound healed at a visible rate. Two seconds later, there was no sign that Chen Xin’s throat had ever been injured.
"As expected of the Medicine King Sect’s Life Creation Pill. Regenerating flesh, mending bones, and healing injuries—it’s truly extraordinary! Good thing I had this Miracle Pill, otherwise I wouldn’t have dared to risk my life against this guy. It seems I am still the superior one." Chen Xin "muttered to himself" full of vitality, though his voice was a bit too loud, ensuring the present Divine Robe Captains and Wind-Catching Secret Agent Leng Lianyun heard him clearly.
"You... you didn’t even take a pill!" Zhou Yin thought. His eyes widened, furious curses on the tip of his tongue. But in the final second before he could voice them, his lifeforce was cut short, and he died full of regret.
CLATTER. The Cicada Wings Soft Sword smashed onto the ground.
Zhou Yin had finally released his grip on the sword.