The final bell of the tournament echoed through the Primordial Magnetic Divine Mountain, marking the end of the battles as the results on the White Jade Stele settled.

Beside Chen Xihua's name, the golden script of "nineteen wins, one draw" stood out prominently, leaving him far ahead among the disciples.

Rivals who attempted to emulate Xuan Sword's kite strategy either failed due to insufficient escape speed and were defeated up close, or they struggled with chaotic spell frequencies and got entangled, ultimately failing to replicate that miraculous draw.

The Path of the Vertical Sword seemed simple, but in reality, it demanded extremely high skill; ordinary Sword Cultivators couldn't even balance sword speed with attack distance, let alone engage in maneuvers and entanglements.

As for the Magic Cultivators, their speed fell far short of Sword Escape, leaving them powerless.

Xuan Sword's record stood at "sixteen wins, four draws," with all four draws resulting from defensive-style cultivators imitating Chen Xihua.

These disciples clung to their Tier Two Top Grade Defense Spiritual Artifacts, standing firm. No matter how swift his Thunder Sound Sword Qi was, he could only watch helplessly as time slipped by.

Xuan Sword, however, remained calm; his Sword Dao was not yet perfected, but once it was, he could completely change this situation.

Although Chen Xiyun and Chen Ximei didn't make it to the forefront, each secured nine victories, which was an impressive achievement for two Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators.

At the highest point amidst the Cloud Sea, Han Lou True Monarch slowly rose, the Purple Gold Lotus Platform casting a faint halo.

He swept his gaze across all the disciples on the square, finally shaking his head gently without announcing any True Inheritor's conferment.

Although there were highlights among this batch of disciples, none had reached his standards of "Dao Heart Clarity and Mystical Techniques."

…

Three years passed in the blink of an eye.

The Cloud Sea atop Nine Cloud Peak became more majestic, with Chen Sheng seated cross-legged on a giant boulder shrouded in mist, a myriad of Sword Threads swirling around him.

These Sword Threads were as thin as cow hair but glowed with a purple-blue sharpness, interweaving into a massive Sword Net before him.

With a slight movement of his fingertip, the Sword Net rapidly contracted, transforming into "Seven-Star Chain," "Eight Trigrams Soul Lock," "Nine Palace Demon Slaughter Array"...

Dozens of basic Sword Formations flowed unpredictably in front of him, each transformation stirring the surrounding Cloud Sea, producing thunderous roars.

Over the years, he repeatedly integrated the "Profound Derivation Sword Array True Understanding" with real battle experiences, elevating his comprehension of Sword Formations far beyond the scope of "a single person forms an array."

The remnant formation he practiced now, the "Star River Sun Attraction Array," simulated star orbits with Sword Threads, utilizing the power of the world's magnetic field to form a suppression domain, specifically countering the Vertical Sword Lineage.

"Buzz——"

A Communication Jade Butterfly at his waist suddenly lit up, transmitting a wave of spiritual power carrying the Three Elements Commerce Association's imprint into his consciousness.

Chen Sheng dispersed the Sword Threads around him, and with a fingertip touch, a line of text appeared on the Jade Butterfly—Master Qing Xiao from Myriad Swords Sect has arrived at Three Elements Immortal City and wishes to meet swiftly.

He was initially taken aback, then burst into hearty laughter: "Just in time, I was pondering who would accompany me for a sword trial."

…

The Yunlan Mountain Dojo at Three Elements Immortal City had now become the foundation of the Chen Clan.

On the White Jade Arch at the mountain gate, the two characters "Chen Clan" were inscribed by Chen Sheng himself, the brush strokes imbued with a faint Sword Qi that would make ordinary cultivators feel their hearts and spirits tremble upon approaching.

Master Qing Xiao's Sword Rainbow landed in front of the arch, observing the rows of welcoming Chen Clan disciples lined up on both sides of the mountain path, and sighed in his heart—back then, this Loose Cultivator Fake Pill cultivator had now built such a formidable legacy.

"Fellow Daoist Qing Xiao, how have you been?"

Chen Sheng's voice came from within the mountain gate, as he walked out, dressed in a purple robe, his composure steady as a mountain, with an Alchemist Jade Scroll and a Sword Cultivator Token hanging from his waist.

Master Qing Xiao cupped his hands with a smile:

"In past years, I waited in vain at Myriad Swords Immortal City for your arrival, only to later hear that you had already joined the Three Elements Dao Sect and had become a Tier Three High Grade Alchemist, truly delightful news."

Although the Sword Qi around him was restrained, it still carried the unique sharpness of Myriad Swords Sect, and when his gaze fell upon Chen Sheng, he faintly sensed that familiar yet unfamiliar Sword Essence fluctuation within the latter.

Chen Sheng showed a look of apology:

"Please forgive me for the past, fellow Daoist. At that time, my cultivation was low, and I dared not reveal my alchemy skills. I hope you can understand."

Master Qing Xiao waved his hand dismissively, being one of the more understanding among Sword Cultivators:

"As cultivators, we ought to be cautious in our actions."

He also understood that during those times as a Loose Cultivator with a Fake Pill, even with Tier Three alchemy skills, Chen Sheng couldn't reveal them lightly—lest his wealth draw unwanted attention.

Chen Sheng's ability to hide his Tier Three Alchemy under such circumstances was a testament to his resolute spirit.

They passed through a corridor engraved with Pill Patterns and Sword Patterns, and sat at the Wangxian Pavilion atop the mountain, outside of which stretched spiritual fields for miles, where Chen Clan disciples worked, painting a picture of prosperity.

After exchanging pleasantries, Master Qing Xiao took out a Storage Pouch and pushed it in front of Chen Sheng:

"This time, I've come seeking a furnace of Barrier-Breaking Pills. I've been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core Early-Stage for several years and need your skilled assistance."

Upon hearing this, Chen Sheng wasn't surprised; his Divine Sense scanned the Storage Pouch, which contained essential materials for alchemy as well as two full ten thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones—his current external offering price.

He accepted the pouch without refusal: "Rest assured, fellow Daoist, the pills will be yours at this time tomorrow."

Master Qing Xiao expressed his gratitude; given Chen Sheng's current status, those seeking his pills typically had to wait years, so being able to skip the queue was an immense favor.

During a leisurely chat, Chen Sheng inadvertently mentioned the sect tournament from a few years ago, and when he spoke of the sword duel between Chen Xihua and Xuan Sword, Master Qing Xiao's eyes lit up.

He looked at Chen Sheng with a smile:

"Since you've mentioned the sword duel, I bet you're also eager for a match? I can hardly believe a true sword cultivator would have no interest in a spar."

He still remembered how Chen Sheng had refused his challenge back then.

Chen Sheng laughed heartily: "Indeed, I am. Let's go!"

Both figures shot up simultaneously, transforming into two streams of light soaring into the sky.

Above Yunlan Mountain, the fierce winds howled, yet the Sword Qi surrounding them forced out a vacuum space.

"Go!"

Master Qing Xiao was the first to strike, decades of refining his sword skills making his Sword Speed terrifyingly swift.

He pointed with his fingers like a sword, and a beam of blue-gray Sword Light burst from his fingertips, carrying with it the rumbling sound of thunder, crossing a few miles in an instant to slash at Chen Sheng's face.

This sword strike was unimaginably fast, with lightning patterns flashing on the sword body, leaving a trail of afterimages in mid-air.

"Good timing!"

Chen Sheng neither dodged nor retreated. The Sword Pill in his dantian spun violently, and countless purple-blue sword threads burst forth, gathering into a Sword Gang about a yard wide in front of him.

The Sword Gang was inscribed with dense array patterns, and at the moment of collision with Master Qing Xiao's Sword Light, a deafening roar erupted.

"Boom——"

The waves of qi spread out, lifting layers of green waves in the Spirit Field of Yunlan Mountain.

Their figures crossed in the air, Sword Light weaving like a loom, Sword Qi crisscrossing.

Master Qing Xiao's swordsmanship had reached the Mastery Realm, with swift swords like sudden rain and heavy swords like mountains collapsing, seamlessly alternating between reality and illusion. At times, it turned into a Cyan Rainbow wandering about, and at other times it stood firm with Sword Momentum as stable as a mountain, far surpassing the Profound Sword in skill.

"Fellow Daoist, watch out!"

Before Chen Sheng's voice had died away, a cold, sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He opened his mouth and spat, causing the Sword Pill in his dantian to suddenly erupt with magnificent radiance, as countless purple-blue sword threads sprayed out like a fountain.

In the fierce wind, these sword threads rapidly expanded, instantly transforming into 108 Flying Swords—their sword bodies flowing with starlight-like luster, full of star runes.

"Buzz——"

The 108 Flying Swords circled in the air three times, their sword hums converging into a low star chant, forming a grand array covering ten miles with Chen Sheng at the center in an instant.

Motes of starlight poured down like shattered gold, with sword shadows as dense as a cascading galaxy, each with long trails of light, interweaving into dense star tracks in the void.

The star tracks used the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper as the pivot, and wherever the handle of the dipper pointed, the sword shadows surged like a tide, forming the "Star River Sun-Attracting Array" specifically designed by Profound Inference True Monarch to counter the cultivators of the sword lineage.

The complete form of this array was Tier Four Middle Grade, requiring 3,650 Flying Swords as the array base to invoke true Star Power.

At this moment, the incomplete array Chen Sheng laid only reached Tier Three Middle Grade with the Flying Swords transformed from 108 sword threads but was already enough to trap a Golden Core Early-stage Sword Cultivator.

Master Qing Xiao intended to turn into a Cyan Rainbow to escape but suddenly felt the surrounding space become as heavy as if filled with lead.

The Sword Escape Light Membrane at his feet trembled violently, and the speed, once as fast as lightning, slowed by seventy percent as if it had fallen into a viscous swamp.

The seemingly slow circulation of starry Sword Shadows actually contained a subtle force of spatial entrapment.

He shifted left, and the star track in the front left instantly tightened. He dashed right, and the right-side Sword Shadows closed like a wall, creating a 360-degree no-dead-angle blockade, sealing all retreats completely.

"What is this array?" Master Qing Xiao's heart shook violently as he accelerated his incantation gestures.

He could feel a strong suppressive force pervading the array. The Sword Shadows were not just mindlessly blocking but could predict his movements, as if countless eyes were secretly watching.

"Hah!"

Master Qing Xiao activated his entire Sword Essence, causing the blue-gray Sword Light to surge three yards long, the lightning patterns on the sword body coming alive with a crackling explosion.

He slashed at the nearest star track, but at the moment of impact between sword edge and Sword Shadow, he felt as if he had struck a star imbued with Sword Intent.

When the Sword Shadow shattered, countless tiny pieces of light rained down like meteor showers, each speck sharp enough to pierce the Divine Soul, causing a piercing pain in his sea of consciousness.

"The array actually contains Sword Intent..."

Master Qing Xiao's pupils contracted, realizing that his sword speed was decreasing not only due to spatial suppression but also because his Divine Soul was under constant assault.

Every flicker of those Sword Shadows sent a subtle Sword Intent through his Sword Essence into his meridians, disrupting the flow of his Spiritual Power like a bone-deep poison.

Outside the array, Chen Sheng stood at the center of the star tracks with his hands behind him.

He could clearly perceive the trajectory of every Sword Shadow within the array, controlling the transformations of the star tracks with Sword Heart Clarity as effortlessly as moving his own limbs.

When Master Qing Xiao attempted to break the array with Thunder Sound Sword Qi, a slight movement of Chen Sheng's fingers caused the Beidou Star Track to reverse suddenly. The Sword Shadows instantly switched to the "Dubhe Lock" form, trapping the Thunder Sound firmly in the array core, not even letting a ripple escape.

A short time of a tea's infusion passed in a flash.

Master Qing Xiao's Sword Light had dimmed by thirty percent, with fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead, and his hair at the temples was disordered from the Sword Essence's impact.

Looking at the increasingly tightening star tracks around him, he finally had no choice but to withdraw his sword—continuing to fight would only deplete his mana further, leading to a more embarrassing situation.

Seeing this, Chen Sheng flicked his fingers, causing the star tracks to recede like a tide, as the 108 Flying Swords reverted back into sword threads and reentered his body.

As the grand array dissipated, Master Qing Xiao staggered onto a cloud, his chest heaving violently, yet his gaze at Chen Sheng was fiercely burning:

"You have actually comprehended Sword Heart and Sword Intent and could integrate sword array with Sword Intent so exquisitely. If I had known, I would have tied you back to the Myriad Swords Sect no matter what!"

He recalled when they first met, Chen Sheng was merely a Loose Cultivator using a Fake Pill to conceal his identity.

Now, he had found his own path in Sword Dao, and this growth speed made even someone like himself, who prided in being a Sword Cultivator, feel ashamed by comparison.

Chen Sheng laughed heartily, his Sword Essence retreating to its original state:

"Though the Path of Vertical Sword in the Myriad Swords Sect is indeed exquisite, there is a unique joy in my method of sword array."​

"Each has its destiny. Take a rest at Yunlan Mountain, and you shall receive the elixir pills tomorrow."

The next day.

Chen Sheng handed Master Qing Xiao a Profound Essence Barrier-Breaking Pill of exceptional quality. The pill was completely golden, its surface swirling with pill halos, exuding a spirit power fluctuation that was heart-stirring.

He cupped his hands:

"I wish you an early breakthrough to mid-stage Golden Core."

Master Qing Xiao accepted the jade bottle, nodding slightly:

"Thank you, fellow Daoist. If you visit Myriad Swords Immortal City in the future, Qing Xiao will most certainly welcome you with open arms."

With that said, he transformed into a Cyan Rainbow and disappeared into the horizon.

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