Chapter 1274: Can the Strong Do Whatever They Want?

Everyone who entered here was worried about being eliminated or eliminating others, but this guy just sat here cultivating, and it seemed he had been here for a long time. No wonder he was puzzled.

"He's a genius from the Qianchong Empire and also skilled in swordsmanship... I only realized what this place was when I caught the Muyun Sword. He might have understood as soon as he entered!"

Soon, he came to his senses.

The other party was from the Qianchong Empire. This Sword Pool must have been visited before, so finding this place wasn't difficult.

Rumble!

Amidst his exclamations, he saw the surrounding sword intent and sword qi continuously converge toward the other party. In the blink of an eye, the man's aura grew stronger and stronger.

Hum!

The Muyun Sword beside him could no longer hold on, prostrating on the ground and trembling incessantly, as if suppressed by the sword qi within him, not daring to resist.

"It's... the True Interpretation of the Sword! Seven hundred years, I never thought I'd see another one!"

Looking at the漫天 sword qi and the submission of the longsword in his hand, an old man was filled with excitement.

"Not the True Interpretation of the Sword. The real True Interpretation of the Sword means all swords return to the origin. Now it's only submission; it should be... Half-Step True Interpretation!"

An old man beside him said.

"Indeed, it's Half-Step True Interpretation! The world only knows that sword techniques are divided into two levels: Sword Intent and Sword Heart, but they don't know there is a higher level: the True Interpretation of the Sword! Comprehending this realm means all swords return to the origin. As long as the sword's strength does not exceed one's own, they obey unconditionally..."

Another old man sighed: "This one only makes those with lower cultivation submit, not yet reaching unconditional obedience... It should only be Half-Step!"

"Even Half-Step is impressive. Haven't we studied for so long just for this?"

"Yes!"

"Seven hundred years ago, when Ji Lingzhen of the Light Song Sword broke through this realm, I happened to be nearby and witnessed this miracle with my own eyes... I never thought, nearing the end of my life, I would see a second one!"

"After Ji Lingzhen broke through, he didn't seem to leave the Sword Pool, did he?"

"No, he went to the center of the Sword Pool, hoping to obtain the inheritance of the Sword Elder... but he never succeeded. Not seen for so many years, I don't know if he's still alive!"

Everyone discussed animatedly.

"Half-Step True Interpretation?"

Listening to the crowd's conversation, Zhang Xuan nodded.

With a wave of his hand, the Muyun Sword prostrate on the ground immediately felt the pressure disappear, struggling to fly up again, seemingly full of terror and fear.

The True Interpretation of the Sword, an understanding of the sword that surpasses the Sword Heart realm, carries an innate oppression on sword spirits. This Ma Minghai, so young and already comprehending it, truly deserves to be someone with a chance to enter the Saint Son Hall—unparalleled talent!

Compared to him, Zhang Jiuxiao fell far short.

Whoosh!

The漫天 sword qi was absorbed into his body, and Ma Minghai slowly opened his eyes.

Clatter!

His eyes seemed to contain crisscrossing sword qi, ready to shoot out at any moment.

His cultivation, though still Pseudo-Out-of-Body and having not undergone the Thunder Tribulation, was now vastly more profound than before. It seemed that even if a real Thunder Tribulation came, he could pierce through it with a single sword strike.

"Zhang Xuan?"

Standing up and stretching, Ma Minghai felt satisfied and immediately saw Zhang Xuan not far away. His eyes narrowed.

This guy had fought him before, using the Thousand-Peak Sword Sea, which was swallowed in one gulp—extremely strong.

He had intended to use his ultimate move to defeat him, but was stopped by Hall Master Yue, so it came to nothing.

Later, the other party challenged Hall Master Yue and used a puppet... Though he won overwhelmingly, it didn't represent true strength.

If he didn't suppress his cultivation, coupled with his newly broken-through swordsmanship... defeating him, even killing him, shouldn't be too difficult!

His eyes flashed with a cold smile: "Lucky for me, I just broke through and ran into you. It seems I'll have to eliminate you first..."

Whoosh!

With a light flicker, he arrived in front of Zhang Xuan and looked over: "Hello, Teacher Zhang. We meet again."

"Yes, we meet again."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Although I admire your strength, I'm sorry, but we are in the re-examination, which involves the quota for entering the Saint Son Hall. So... will you hand over the jade talisman yourself, or should I do it personally?"

Raising his eyelids, Ma Minghai looked over indifferently, with a tone that brooked no refusal: "If you hand it over yourself, I won't strike, sparing you pain. If I strike... even though the rules forbid killing, I can still cause some flesh wounds that leave you immobile for a short time. And being immobile here... whether you'll be killed by a sacred beast, I can't guarantee."

"Are you threatening me?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head.

"You can take it as a threat, or as... the oppression of someone stronger than you!"

Ma Minghai sneered coldly.

Zhang Xuan frowned: "Does being strong mean you can do whatever you want?"

"Exactly, being strong means you can do whatever you want!"

Ma Minghai's lips curled into a smirk.

Having been defeated by the other party before, he had long held a grudge. Now here, with no one else around, he didn't need to follow the rules of the master teacher. He could easily crush him and take revenge.

And vent for Hall Master Yue!

"Alright!"

Seeing the other party speak so directly, Zhang Xuan sighed. With a flip of his palm, true qi flowed, and he pushed forward: "Since you've decided, I'll have to be rude!"

"What? You still want to fight me?"

Seeing that this guy wouldn't hand over the jade talisman and was still struggling desperately, Ma Minghai sneered. With a point of his finger, a sword qi met him.

With his sword comprehension reaching Half-Step True Interpretation, even without a longsword, the sword qi within his body could easily defeat opponents of the same level!

Let alone a... mere mid-stage Primordial Spirit cultivator...

Hmm?

His heart was full of doubt.

Yesterday, when he fought the opponent, he was only at the middle stage of the Primordial Spirit realm. How did he now appear to be at the peak?

In a single night, he had advanced two levels?

"Whether it's the middle stage or the peak, it doesn't matter! Encountering me now... there's only one path to death!"

Raising an eyebrow, the brilliant sword energy at his fingertip shot through the air. Just as he thought it would easily pierce the opponent's palm, the sword energy met the palm force and dissipated instantly, like tofu hitting steel.

His pupils contracted.

Having comprehended the half-step true interpretation of the sword, he knew the power of this finger strike. Even the previous "Brother Sun" would not dare to confront it easily. Yet this fellow had shattered the force with a casual palm... How had he done it?

However, before his confusion could end, he saw the palm force that had shattered the sword energy continue forward, arriving before him in the blink of an eye.

Bang!

A tremendous pressure struck. His face flushed, and Ma Minghai tried to resist but was utterly unable. He crashed directly into a huge rock, his chest tight, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"How can this be... How can your strength be so great?"

He clenched his teeth, full of disbelief.

Yesterday, he lost to the opponent because he suppressed his cultivation. Now, with his cultivation unsuppressed and having comprehended the half-step true interpretation of the sword, he was still defeated. His worldview was directly overturned.

"It must be a fluke. I don't believe it..."

He suddenly stood up, formed a sword with his fingers, and drew a semicircle in front of his chest. True qi spurted out, forming a circle.

"Ten thousand sword energies, heed my command!"

Amidst his roar, the wandering sword energies around gathered together, forming a huge true qi sword in front of his chest, a full ten meters long.

Having comprehended the half-step true interpretation of the sword, although he could not yet command a long sword, he could still control the sword energy in the air.

The Sword Pool was filled with sword cultivators. The sword energy condensed and did not disperse. Being able to mobilize the sword energy meant having the assistance of so many experts, doubling his combat power at least!

At this moment, even if a true Out-of-Body realm expert encountered him, he could easily kill them!

"Is this the power of the half-step true interpretation of the sword?"

"So terrifying..."

"Controlling sword energy, in the Sword Pool, he can be said to be invincible..."

"Yeah, that guy opposite is probably going to lose..."

The surrounding crowd all had grave expressions.

They were all sword cultivators and knew the terror of the half-step true interpretation. With sword energy crisscrossing and a myriad of phenomena, it was absolutely invincible at the same level.

The young man opposite was only at the peak of the Primordial Spirit realm. How could he withstand it?

Swish!

Amidst astonished gazes, the long sword formed entirely of sword energy thrust toward Zhang Xuan.

It seemed to break the sound barrier, arriving before him in the blink of an eye.

Judging by its momentum, once struck, even the hardest physical body would be instantly cleaved in two, dying on the spot.

"Gathering sword energy, though powerful... is ultimately not one's own!"

Shaking his head, Zhang Xuan showed no tension but instead revealed a look of disappointment. He also pointed a finger.

A special light shimmered at his fingertip. The thrusting long sword met it and immediately disintegrated.

"Go!"

He flicked lightly.

Bang!

Ma Minghai was sent flying again, his back pressed against the rock wall, smashing a large pit. He seemed nailed to it, struggling but unable to move.

"You, you..."

His face turned pale. Looking at the young man not far away, Ma Minghai's eyes were full of panic.

He had thought that without suppressing his cultivation, crushing the opponent would be easy. He never dreamed that the opponent would only use one finger and beat him until he couldn't fight back!

Even with the help of thousands of sword energies, it was useless!

Just as he was shocked and incredulous, he saw the young man walking over gracefully, lifting his eyelids, a smile on his face.

"Although I admire your strength, I'm sorry, but we are in the re-examination, which involves the quota for entering the Saint Son Hall. So... will you take out the jade talisman yourself, or should I do it personally?"

His whole body tensed, Ma Minghai's face flushed red from holding back.

These were the exact words he had said to the opponent earlier. He hadn't expected them to be returned verbatim.

"Want my jade talisman? Unless you kill me..."

He clenched his teeth.

Losing the jade talisman meant losing the qualification to enter the Saint Son Hall, and all his efforts would be in vain.

"Kill you? Not necessary..."

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly and flicked his finger.

Bang!

Ma Minghai immediately felt a pressure like a mountain bearing down on him, crushing him against the rock wall, on the verge of suffocation.

"Stop..."

His body was squeezed and deformed. Ma Minghai wanted to speak but couldn't make a sound.

"Sorry, I'm not in the habit of stopping when my opponent doesn't yield."

Zhang Xuan smiled lightly: "Oh, by the way, what you said earlier was very right..."

"With great strength, you can... do whatever you want!"