1100: Who Else

Who Else

The Seventh Swordsman challenged the Sword Mountain.

Countless cultivators of the Nine Counties of Dali and many from the holy lands looked on.

His sword had proven that no one in the Nine Counties was able to take him on.

Not even the three strongest fighters from the battles of the Nine Counties had actually been able to make him go all out, be it Li Hanxing, Zuo Zhengdao or Qin Cang. In truth, none of them had actually been able to take the one sword attack he threw their way.

Who the hell was this Seventh Swordsman?

The people of the Nine Counties were not the only ones who were impressed; even the County King of Yan was astonished by Ye Futian's power. That young man who the Sword Saint of Fierce Wind had introduced to him had indeed made it seem like there were no swordsmen below Saint Plane but him.

No one had been able to take even one sword attack from him.

Even someone as powerful as Li Hanxing had proven utterly incapable of taking even a single attack from him.

"Spectacular," said King Li praisefully, who was sitting on his throne at the top of the steps. Ye Futian had truly dared to break the rules with his swords, ignoring the guidelines for the event and going straight to the Sword Mountain, as if there were no swordsmen in all of the Nine Counties to begin with.

He was arrogant and unique.

King Li did not mind at all, as he judged that truly extraordinary people needed to possess the courage to break rules, and only truly extraordinary people had the right to do so.

There had been quite a number of people from the battles fought between the Nine Counties who had been selected by the cultivators of the Upper Worlds. Qin Cang of Shangqin, Zuo Zhengdao of Dongyang and Li Hanxing of Yan were all fine candidates.

However, as the king who reigned over all the Lower Worlds of Dali, he nonetheless felt something was lacking.

They lacked a figure who was truly able to stand above all—lacked an absolutely exceptional genius who was able to shake the top forces of the Upper Worlds. While Qin Cang had beaten Zuo Zhengdao and had come to be number one in the battles, there was still something inadequate about him.

The emergence of Ye Futian made up for that lack. King Li saw a supreme youth who was truly unbridled, and one who possessed a combat prowess that truly stood above all the rest.

As the king, he naturally knew that there was no lack of talent or genius in the domain of the Dali Dynasty. What the dynasty lacked was people like Lu Chuan—geniuses who were capable of something like steering the direction of the Battle of the Empty Realm single-handedly. They lacked someone like Ye Futian, who had been able to single-handedly determine the outcome of the Battle of Empty Realm the previous year through his own efforts alone.

While it would have been nice to have some geniuses enter the Upper Worlds to train, it was probably someone like him who would truly catch the imperial advisor's attention.

He did not know if the Seventh Swordsman had what it would take to live up to such expectations, but, at the very least, he stood a chance of doing so.

Lu Chuan gazed at Ye Futian, but he said and did nothing. He simply watched the events unfolding in silence.

It was the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint that led the ones from the Sword Mountain in that event. His gaze was as sharp as a sword as he regarded Ye Futian.

The Sword Mountain was the number-one holy land of the sword in the Upper Worlds, and it had many students. Any one of them had made it through trial after trial, and they all had superior talent. But, then again, there were still stronger and weaker ones among them.

In actual fact, Ye Futian had already proven the power of his way of the sword when he defeated those swordsmen from the County of Yan.

However, as the number-one holy land of the sword, they were unable to simply allow someone to ignore the rules and challenge them. Anyone who wanted to challenge the Sword Mountain needed to prove the strength of their way of the sword first.

It was apparent that Ye Futian had performed with flying colors in that department.

"You're from the County of Yan?" the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint asked.

"I am," Ye Futian replied.

"Who was your teacher?" the sword saint continued.

"I have learned and trained under many wandering swordsmen and rangers. I've been guided by them and have walked the path of the sword, but I've never truly studied under any teacher in my journey," Ye Futian answered.

"So you're self-taught, then?" the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint asked. "How many ways of the sword have you developed? I assume that you have developed the general principles of the sword, the Blazing Sun, the Freezing Ice, the Raging Storms and so on, all on your own, no?"

"I've picked up quite a number of incomplete manuscripts about sword arts. If I were said to have a teacher, one could say that I've picked up my learning in the arts from the sun, the moon, stars, storms, and the rain. Nature itself is my master," Ye Futian continued in his answer. He then asked the sword saint, "Are you done with your questions, sir?"

"Would you like to come with me and train on the Sword Mountain of the Upper Worlds then?" The sword saint did not ask any further questions, extending his invitation to Ye Futian instead.

An invitation for him to train on the Sword Mountain.

It was not a turn of events that surprised anyone. Despite his unbridled personality, Ye Futian's talent in the way of the sword had proven superior and peerless among those of the Lower Worlds of Dali. Furthermore, there was simply no way that the Sword Mountain would have just passed on someone who was so pure in their seeking of the way of the sword. They would even overlook his unbridled nature gladly.

"I have spent 30 years studying the way of the sword. After venturing outside of the Mountain of Hidden Swords and into the County of Yan, I quickly found none of the swordsmen of the county worthy of me drawing my sword. I then heart that King Li was gathering cultivators throughout the Nine Counties, and so I came here intending to find a worthy opponent. However, the cultivators of the Nine Counties of Dali are still without any such person."

Ye Futian's voice was as sharp as his sword as he turned around to look at Shadow Bearing Sword Saint and said, "I heard that the Sword Mountain was the number-one holy land of the sword in the Upper Worlds. If anyone from the Sword Mountain proves capable of defeating me, then I shall come with you, sir, to studying the way of the sword on Sword Mountain."

"So you're saying that, if none of us are able to defeat you, then you won't join us?" The Shadow Bearing Sword Saint asked.

"If none of the students who have emerged from the Sword Mountain are able to defeat me, then what is there on the Sword Mountain that would be worth my seeking?" Ye Futian said proudly, and those words made all who heard them speechless.

No one from the Sword Mountain being able to defeat him? they repeated. What is there in that would be worth seeking for him?

It was clear that he remained as arrogant and unbridled as he had been before. However, none of them looked at Ye Futian the same way they had previously. That unbridled swordsman could have joined the Sword Mountain if he had just simply nodded.

However, he sought only the way of the sword.

"Good point," the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint said with a smile, not minding Ye Futian's attitude one bit.

Truly extraordinary people seemed to be stubborn to a fault in furthering their way of the sword. That was a manifestation of their obsession with the sword, and their yearning for it.

He seemed to be able to see all of that in Ye Futian.

"Yuan Gang," the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint called. A figure emerged from the crowd behind him.

Only a few from Sword Mountain had come to the Lower Worlds, and there was, coincidentally, one who had just touched the great path recently. It would have been very difficult for anyone to defeat the Seventh Swordsman otherwise.

In his previous battles, Ye Futian had revealed that he was versed in many arts of the sword, and it was also apparent that he possessed immense strength, being able to slice Zuo Zhengdao with just one swing of the sword from above—a feat which served as a testament to the might of his heavy sword.

Yuan Gang was also versed in peculiar, uncommon ways of the sword.

Yuan Gang stepped forward. His silhouette was clear and he seemed to seep explosive power. Every step he took emanated a sense of weight, instead of sharpness common with swordsman.

One was unable to sense any sharpness from him at all.

"Draw your sword," Yuan Gang said to Ye Futian, a heavy sword appearing right in front of him as soon as he finished speaking. Furthermore, it was a sword without an edge, which was what he was like as a person—heavy, clumsy, and without any hint of sharpness.

Many of the onlookers sported funny looks as they watched him in action. The blunt sword in Yuan Gang's hand seemed to be utterly incapable of piercing anyone's body.

However, given that he was, nonetheless, a student from Sword Mountain, there was still no one who dared to underestimate him.

Ye Futian stepped forward. The light of the sun was bright and scorching as it shone from on high. He held the Sword of Blazing Sun. Its heat burning the sky as he brought it down from above. One swing with the sword, and the air looked as if a fire dragon had appeared there.

Yuan Gang seemed to be cradling the blunt sword at first. His body then coursed with silver light, transforming into a suit of armor.

Boom. He stepped forward, and his movements looked clumsy and heavy. He held the blunt sword and swung it, knocking Ye Futian's blade aside.

Yuan Gang did not pierce with his sword; he bashed with it instead.

The Sword of Blazing Sun came down and banged against the blunt sword. Sparks flew everywhere, and Yuan Gang leaped into the air with his sword. Ye Futian's Sword of Blazing Sun cut all the way through the air and met Yuan Gang's blunt one. The terrifying flames actually reeled back, shaving down the Sword of Blazing Sun, bit by bit.

Boom. The blunt sword continued to beat down, and Ye Futian took to the air, heading straight into the clouds and gazing below.

Boom. Yuan Gang shot to the air while cradling his sword. Multiple blunt swords appeared in the sky and grew in numbers until they stacked on top of each other. It seemed as if the surroundings were filled with nothing else but that edgeless, blunt sword.

"All ways of the world can be made into swords," the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint said, pointing out a fact. Many came to realize that there were thousands of ways of the sword; it was not confined to one single path.

That sword saint from Sword Mountain was actually letting Yuan Gang teach everyone else a lesson.1

"You are correct, sir. All ways of the world can be made into swords," Ye Futian replied with a full voice from high above in the sky. He extended his hand, and multiple heavy swords appeared around him, carrying the weight of stars. Every single sword seemed to emanate terrifying power.

A gigantic, heavy sword materialized between his hands.

Rumbling noises could be heard as Yuan Gang shot upwards with his layered shadows of the blunt sword, heading straight for Ye Futian.

"Go." Ye Futian took one step in the air, which seemed to be melding with his way of the sword, and dived. The swords around him dived as well, bombarding the first blunt sword his opponent was wielding.

Intense explosions continued to be heard afterward. The rumbling shook the world around them.

The stacks of blunt swords clashed with Ye Futian's. Yuan Gang finally reached his target with the sword in his hands. He yelled, and the shadows of blunt swords swept upward.

However, Ye Futian arrived at that moment, bringing down that heavy sword that was imbued with limitless power. Countless swords of the stars around him fell, clashing with the heavy swords.

Two massive forces collided with each other, whipping up a devastating storm in an instant.

"Down." Ye Futian uttered this word. A power fervent in the extreme burst with the will of great path. The heavy sword he wielded bombarded the blunt sword, pummeling it down.

Boom, boom, boom... Tremendously terrifying explosions continued to sound. The crowd was shocked to see two silhouettes dropping at extreme speeds. The stacks of heavy swords in front of Yuan Gang continued to explode and shatter as they went.

He roared, and yet he remained incapable of stopping that overwhelming tide.

The Seventh Swordsman pointed at the sky with one hand, summoning more heavy swords to rain downwards. Rumbling noises continued to be heard.

Boom! A massive rumble was heard throughout the space. Yuan Gang's body was pinned to the platform. His hands continued to resist with that huge, blunt sword of his, but Ye Futian came down with the sword of the great path, bringing down one attack after another on him, which made Yuan Gang grunt. He then spit blood, and the armor he was wearing shattered.

Ye Futian took one furious step forward, and, finally, the blunt sword was shattered. Yuan Gang remained sprawled on the ground. Ye Futian rose back into the sky using the recoil. He stood tall in the air and turned to look at the Shadow Bearing Sword Saint, asking, "Who else?"

His booming voice could be heard throughout the venue. Everyone from the Nine States of Dali felt their hearts racing.

The Seventh Swordsman did not only make it seem as if there were no formidable fighters in all of the Nine Counties—his power was such that even a swordsman from the number-one holy land of the sword in the Upper Worlds fell at his hands.

It did not matter that his opponent was someone from the Upper Worlds. He took him down all the same.

The Shadow Bearing Sword Saint looked at Yuan Gang, who was pinned flat against the ground, and was unable to say anything at that moment in response to Ye Futian's question.

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