Chapter 444: A Single Sword Strike Slays a Mortal-Transcending Cultivator

Sword heart: using the heart as the sword, guided by intent, wherever it reaches, every move is a sword technique.

Compared to this, sword intent is the most superficial understanding, too childish to be considered.

The difference between a weed and a towering tree.

He had thought that with his long sword unleashed and sword intent surging, his opponent would surely be defeated. Even if he couldn't kill him, he could protect himself and withdraw with ease. He never dreamed that the other party simply didn't care... His opponent's understanding of the sword was even deeper than his own, having already reached the realm of sword heart!

This was a realm that countless Mortal-Transcending experts could not attain, yet a young man who had just broken through to Half-Step Mortal-Transcending, less than twenty years old, had comprehended it...

He bullied him for not being able to fly on the ground, but then a single scream sent the Ironback Pterosaur plummeting, too terrified to fight him.

He mocked him for lacking strength to harm himself, but then... in the blink of an eye, he broke through and successfully struck Half-Step Mortal-Transcending.

He thought the other hadn't comprehended sword intent and couldn't break his defense, but who knew he not only comprehended it but had reached the higher realm of sword heart...

Big brother, is there anything else you haven't comprehended? Could you let me know in advance so I can prepare? Keeping this up is too damn scary...

Feeling his confidence shatter, Ding Hong could barely hold on.

"Correct, you're right. It is indeed the realm of sword heart!"

With a light smile, Zhang Xuan finally drew the long sword in his hand.

His sword was obtained from the Lin family; its grade was not high, only a top-tier Ghost Grade, and it didn't look sharp, yet for some reason, it gave a sense of being invincible.

Sword qi flowed, breath surged, and with a flick of his wrist, the air was torn like shredded paper.

Swish!

The sword qi halo on Ding Hong's body, under normal circumstances, could hardly be broken unless the attacker's power far exceeded his own. Yet, for some reason, when it met this unsharp sword, it scattered instantly, like magnets repelling each other, not even daring to resist.

Puchi!

Sword qi slashed across, and Ding Hong felt a sharp pain. His left arm was severed, the cut so clean that not even blood flowed out.

The sword qi of the sword heart realm was invincible. Coupled with Zhang Xuan's strength, which was now no weaker than his, even a Mortal-Transcending expert could not withstand it.

"Flee!"

His face pale, knowing that continuing would mean certain death, Ding Hong didn't dare stay and turned to flee.

He had arrived with great momentum but fled in panic.

The ancestor of the Xuanyuan Kingdom, a Mortal-Transcending expert, ended up in such a situation, surprising everyone.

"Too strong!"

"Breaking through on the battlefield, slaying a Mortal-Transcending with one sword. A man should be like this!"

"From today on, Teacher Zhang is my idol. No one else should compete with me."

"This is a true genius. Ding Mu is nothing compared to him."

...

The young onlookers were all burning with excitement.

Earlier, when Zhang Xuan came alone to challenge the crown prince, everyone thought he was too arrogant and didn't like him. But later, when he broke the army with a single word, received the gift of heaven, and broke through with a single word, gaining the favor of half a teacher, their gratitude grew stronger.

Now, seeing his divine might and invincibility, even the ancestor of the Xuanyuan Kingdom was beaten and fled in panic, they were finally completely convinced and filled with admiration.

One man against a nation.

A man should be like this!

"You might not know this, but I heard that Ding Mu killed Teacher Zhang's student, and Teacher Zhang came to avenge him!"

"How do you know?"

"My cousin is Zhou Jin, the crown prince's personal beast tamer. He let this slip while drunk!"

"To avenge his student, he fights a nation alone and withstands a Mortal-Transcending?"

"You know, when he first arrived, he wasn't this powerful..."

"Having such a teacher... even death would be worth it!"

...

Among the crowd, someone who knew the story recounted the whole affair, and everyone clenched their fists, their eyes reddening.

For cultivators, the greatest fortune is to find a good teacher to guide their training.

This Teacher Zhang not only had high personal strength and excellent teaching skills but was also willing to fight a titled kingdom alone for his student without backing down. This bond alone was enough to justify the title of 'teacher.'

...

The crowd was excited, each person brimming with admiration. On the sacrificial altar, seeing Ding Hong trying to flee, Zhang Xuan narrowed his eyes.

"Hmph, can you escape?"

Raising his brows, he shifted his feet and gave chase.

Having experienced Ding Mu's incident, he understood the principle of nurturing trouble. Since he had acted, he must exterminate the root, leaving no survivors; otherwise, trouble would always be his.

If he hadn't been soft-hearted back then, Lu Chong wouldn't have sacrificed himself.

Since he had acted, he couldn't leave any future trouble.

"Stop right there!"

With a flick of his wrist, the long sword descended.

Sword qi like a rainbow, piercing through a hundred meters, slashed straight down at the fleeing Ding Hong.

Having reached Half-Step Mortal-Transcending, he had some control over his surroundings. Previously, sword qi could only extend a dozen meters at most, but now, with true qi surging, it could spread over a hundred meters.

Swish!

The sword qi struck the opponent's back, leaving a huge, bloody gash, hideous and terrifying.

Though the distance was great, the power was weakened; otherwise, this single strike would have split him in two.

"Blood Sacrifice!"

Feeling the pain on his body, knowing that even if the distance made this attack non-lethal for now, a few more strikes would surely kill him. Gritting his teeth, Ding Hong burned his blood, his speed suddenly doubling.

The Blood Sacrifice technique Ding Mu had used was taught by him. Though it could temporarily unleash power and speed beyond one's limits, it had a time limit, after which one's cultivation would automatically drop.

Killing a thousand enemies, injuring oneself eight hundred.

This was a last-resort move. Normally, after using Blood Sacrifice, one would surely kill the opponent to avenge the loss. But now, he was truly afraid.

This guy always seemed doomed to lose, yet he always turned the tables, terrifying.

He feared that if he fought any longer, the other would pull out even more tricks, leaving him without even the strength to flee.

Swoosh!

With Blood Sacrifice activated, his speed skyrocketed. In the blink of an eye, Ding Hong disappeared into the maze-like buildings of the royal city.

"Damn it!"

Seeing the man vanish, Zhang Xuan clenched his fist.

Though he had successfully broken through to Half-Step Mortal-Transcending, forcibly using power against the heavens had left him with many internal injuries.

Moreover, he had used the Heaven's Path movement technique many times before, and it was now nearly at its limit. If he continued using it, he might collapse before catching up.

Without it, he had no other light-body techniques, and his strength was inferior to his opponent's. How could he catch Ding Hong, who had activated Blood Sacrifice?

"No need to regret. That guy used Blood Sacrifice, and with you cutting off his arm, even if he escapes with his life today, his cultivation will be greatly diminished. He might not even be able to maintain Half-Step Mortal-Transcending. He's no longer a threat!"

Just as he was considering whether to mobilize the soldiers who owed him half a teacher's grace to search the city and eliminate the root, he heard a voice.

Turning around, he saw a young man walking over with a smile.

About the same age as Zhao Ya, the youth looked somewhat frail, but his eyes were dark and bright, revealing intelligence. His skin was delicate, and his features were handsome.

"A woman?"

He frowned.

Though the other was dressed in men's clothing, it couldn't fool Zhang Xuan, who had the Eye of Insight.

This ability, which only six-star master teachers could comprehend, could see through disguises, let alone a woman dressed as a man.

"I am Zhao Feiwu, from the Ten Nations Alliance. Greetings, Teacher Yang!"

The youth, unaware that his identity had been seen through, smiled slightly and folded his fan, exuding natural ease.

This young man was the 'young master' from the Ten Nations Alliance, but no one expected that he was actually a woman.

"Thank you for your help, Special Envoy."

Hearing 'Ten Nations Alliance,' Zhang Xuan immediately understood.

The sudden appearance of the alliance token, which denied Ding Mu's kingship and resolved the awkward situation, was likely the work of this person.

Otherwise, he couldn't think of anyone else who could do it.

"The Xuanyuan royal family changed their ruler without reporting to the alliance, acting on their own. I was just following the rules."

"Young Master" Zhao Feiwu smiled slightly and looked at the young man before him with admiration. "If anyone should give thanks, it should be me. Your prescription cured me. Otherwise, I would still be lying in bed, waiting for death."

"Prescription?"

Zhang Xuan was puzzled.

"It was the last difficult problem you solved under the alias Liu Cheng at the Healer Guild's problem wall in Tianwu Kingdom. I suffered from that illness. I sought out many doctors but to no avail. You cured my injury, allowing me to recover."

Zhao Feiwu said.

This cross-dressing noble 'young master' was none other than the Second Princess of the Ten Nations Alliance, who had been bedridden with a severe illness and could shatter rocks with a single punch.

Learning that she had been cured by a healer from a first-class kingdom, she found out the name 'Liu Cheng' and brought her subordinate Jin Conghai to investigate.

When they reached the Xuanyuan Kingdom, Jin Conghai went to find Gu Mu, and the two met Sun Qiang. Knowing that Liu Cheng was Zhang Xuan, they came here and lent a hand.

Otherwise, why would a stranger go against a subordinate titled kingdom for a two-star master teacher and repeatedly have Jin Conghai save people?

"Congenital muscle weakness?"

After a moment of recollection, Zhang Xuan remembered.

At the time, he was just solving problems to test for healer certification. He never expected to save a person.

And it seemed this girl held a high status.

"Exactly!" Zhao Feiwu nodded.

"My prescription cured your illness, and you helped me solve my problem. We're even." Zhang Xuan clasped his fists.

He didn't want to owe favors, to avoid entangling karma.

Her earlier intervention counted as repaying the favor, so they were now even.

"Even?"

Zhao Feiwu was taken aback.

Knowing he was a special envoy of the Ten Nations Alliance and showing goodwill, he didn't make any requests. He was indeed an odd person.

Anyone else in his position would have made a request.

Rolling her eyes, she smiled slightly. "Fine! But... you killed the king of one of our titled kingdoms and drove away the ancestor. How should this be resolved? Without an explanation, it will inevitably cause unrest."

A titled kingdom was now in shambles, with its soon-to-be-crowned king dead and its ancestor fled. Other kingdoms would surely be destabilized by this situation.

"This..."

Zhang Xuan was stunned.

He had only thought of avenging Lu Chong, not of these consequences.

Now, the Xuanyuan Kingdom would indeed face a great storm; its collapse was only a matter of time.

"How about I give you a suggestion?"

Seeing his hesitation, Zhao Feiwu's eyes sparkled, and she laughed.

"Oh?"

"Since you single-handedly destroyed the kingdom, if you become the new ruler, no one would object, and I can report back with a clear conscience." Zhao Feiwu said.

She had asked that question not to make things difficult, but for this purpose.

She had considered this earlier; otherwise, she wouldn't have helped Zhang Xuan.

This man had defeated a nation alone; even if he became king, no one would dare say a word.

Helping him ascend the throne would repay the life-saving debt, and she could return satisfied.

"Become king?"

Zhang Xuan shook his head. "No interest."

He had to become a nine-star master teacher before thirty to survive. Staying here as king of a titled kingdom had never crossed his mind.

"Then..."

Unexpectedly rejected outright, Zhao Feiwu was stunned.

Becoming king, commanding the realm, and shaking the world was a dream for countless people. Yet he refused...

"The Xuanyuan Kingdom is in this state because of my fault. How about this: though I don't want to be king, I can help you find one."

After a moment's hesitation, Zhang Xuan said.

Regardless, a kingdom cannot be without a ruler for a day, or there will be suffering and many troubles, which he didn't want to see.

"Oh?"

Not wanting to be king himself but offering to find one, Zhao Feiwu looked at him curiously. "Help me choose a king? Who might that be? Don't tell me it's Sun Qiang."

If it were Sun Qiang, she would surely cry.

That guy's strength was mediocre, but his mouth was too big. Most importantly, he had no sense of propriety. If he became king, the entire Xuanyuan Kingdom would be doomed within a few years.

"Sun Qiang? How could that be? Making him king would be a waste of his talent." Zhang Xuan shook his head.

Sun Qiang was his steward and would follow him to explore a larger world. How could he stay in this small place as a ruler?

"... Cough, cough!"

Choking on her saliva, Zhao Feiwu was speechless.

Like master, like servant.

She had thought Sun Qiang's boasting was his own fault, but now it seemed the master was even more exaggerated...

A mere Acupoint Opening realm guy who knew nothing, as king of a titled kingdom, and it's a waste of talent... Can we have a pleasant conversation?

"Then who do you want to choose?"

Suppressing her frustration, Zhao Feiwu asked.

"Her..."

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly and waved to the sky. "Mo Yu, come down!"

Roar!

As his words ended, the Iron-Toothed Sky Roaring Beast in the air roared and descended. Mo Yu, her eyes red, came to his side. She wanted to throw herself into Zhang Xuan's arms but hesitated and stopped.

She had been truly worried for him.

But she knew he had no feelings for her. If she rushed over, it would only create awkwardness.

"Her?"

Unexpectedly, a woman descended, and Zhao Feiwu was full of doubt.

"Yes, I want her to be the first empress of the Xuanyuan Kingdom. Is that acceptable?" Zhang Xuan laughed.

"Empress? Empress of the Xuanyuan Kingdom?"

Mo Yu was stunned, her delicate body trembling uncontrollably.