Chapter 327: Ninth Stage of Sword Dao, Li Hao's Fury!
Ninth Stage of Painting Dao!
As Li Hao broke through the painting Dao, countless insights about the painting Dao flooded his mind, overwhelming the joy in his heart, immersing him in a state of enlightenment.
Just moments ago, he had poured his heart and soul into painting, using the heart of the painting to observe a saint, capturing the indescribable essence of the saint's presence, refining his spirit.
The ninth stage signified that Li Hao's painting had now entered the Dao.
Breaking through the surface of all things, capturing their essence and spirit, and depicting the underlying Dao. Painting was the Dao, and the Dao was painting.
"Is the painting done?"
The Sword Lord sensed Li Hao had put down his brush, and the feeling of being scrutinized deeply to his core disappeared. He turned his gaze toward Li Hao's painting.
Li Hao came back to himself and slowly took down the painting, handing it over to the Sword Lord with both hands.
The Sword Lord accepted it and looked at the still-wet ink on the canvas. Yet, the essence of the figure within had already vividly come to life.
Moreover, as he gazed at the back figure in the painting, he felt a humming sword intent reverberating in his mind—that was his own sword Dao!
Li Hao had actually managed to depict three parts of his sword Dao!
The Sword Lord's calm expression immediately turned serious, his eyes fixed on the painting.
Within the strokes of ink, there was a kind of Dao resonance that he had never seen before.
The Sword Lord lifted his gaze to Li Hao, seeing that his expression was tranquil, and there was a kind of ethereal yet genuine aura about him.
In just a few moments, it seemed like this young man had changed.
The Sword Lord looked deeply at Li Hao, then, once the ink had dried, he rolled up the painting and said, "I'll keep this. Thank you for the painting. I like it very much."
"As long as you like it," Li Hao replied with a smile.
At that moment, he glanced at his panel and noticed the painting Dao had changed. To advance from the ninth stage to the tenth, the required experience had increased from one million to five million!
Surprisingly, painting the Sword Lord just once had earned him 370,000 experience points—an astounding amount.
Even so, to fully fill the painting Dao's experience bar, he'd need to "milk" two or three saints dry of their essence to reach the limit.
The tenth stage signified sanctification!
A masterpiece could transcend time, becoming an eternal classic, praised for millennia.
However, Li Hao knew that breaking through to the tenth stage would not only require accumulating experience but also attaining a profound understanding of the heart.
As the sun set, casting a veil of twilight over the sacred mountain, wild geese flew south, the shadows of bamboo swayed in the wind, and the waterfall flowed majestically—a scene of unparalleled beauty.
Casually, Li Hao captured this "Sunset Over the Sacred Mountain" in a painting, earning over 5,000 experience points as a pleasant surprise.
After bidding farewell to the Sword Lord, Li Hao descended the mountain and returned to the Alchemy Court.
The battles before the Sacred Mountain had concluded, and when Li Hao arrived back at the Alchemy Court, Lin Shanhai asked, "Why didn't you attend the matches today? You missed out on something really intense!"
"Oh?" Li Hao grabbed a teapot, feeling parched after a day of fishing, and took two sips to quench his thirst. "Did they determine the final four in the losers' bracket?"
"Yes, tomorrow they'll fight for the last two spots to advance to the top ten. Then it's the ten strongest!" Lin Shanhai replied.
The entire Sword Deity Battle would last for about a month. Being held only once every hundred years, the event wasn't something that could end in just a day or two.
Li Hao nodded and glanced over at Lin Qingying, who was sitting quietly in the courtyard.
Sensing his gaze, Lin Qingying opened her eyes and looked back at him.
She hadn't seen Li Hao today, so she knew that he must have gone to the Sword Lord to fish again.
Their gazes met briefly, neither saying a word, but there was an unspoken understanding between them.
Lin Qingying's gaze remained calm.
She knew what Li Hao was thinking, perhaps wondering if she was confident about her next battle. Her response, however, was that she would take things as they came and do her best.
Lin Shanhai noticed the subtle exchange between them, feeling a slight sense of unease. He couldn't shake the feeling that a wolf had entered the fold, and his granddaughter might eventually be "stolen away."
He tugged on Li Hao's sleeve, shifting his attention back to the details of the day's battles.
As Lin Shanhai animatedly described the events, with some embellishment, Li Hao could vividly imagine the fierce encounters, especially given his familiarity with the Holy Sons and Daughters who had competed in the earlier rounds. He could easily guess how the battles had played out based on their skills and techniques.
Once the conversation ended, Li Hao went into the kitchen and prepared some small snacks, giving Lin Shanhai a portion and inviting Lin Qingying to try some as well.
When Lin Qingying heard Li Hao's invitation, she stood up gracefully in her elegant green robe and joined them at the table in the Alchemy Room, slowly savoring the snacks.
Originally, Lin Shanhai was enjoying the treats, but when he saw his granddaughter accept Li Hao's invitation so readily and observed the two of them quietly sharing the meal, he suddenly found that the snacks had lost their flavor.
Although Li Hao and Lin Qingying didn't exchange words, Lin Shanhai could feel an invisible connection between them, something that seemed to bypass him entirely.
He sighed inwardly, feeling the familiar pang that comes with realizing that a daughter or granddaughter is growing up and no longer under his protective wing.
When the meal was finished, Lin Qingying stood up, thanked Li Hao, and returned to the courtyard to continue her sword meditation.
Li Hao also said his farewells to Lin Shanhai, dusted off his clothes, and headed back to his small courtyard.
After arriving, Li Hao casually set up a barrier, ensuring that unless someone made a deliberate effort to probe, his activities would remain undetectable.
With that done, he opened his panel and noticed that under the "Mind" section, there was now an unused entry: Heart of Painting Dao.
Previously, Li Hao had used his Heart of Cooking on his Physical Body Dao and Control Dao, which had caused his Sword Dao to stagnate. While his cultivation level had improved, his sword techniques had been lacking in power.
Now that his Physical Body Dao had reached the ninth stage, pairing it with the Sword Dao would maximize his combat potential in the short term.
After all, he had strength—now he needed attack methods!
Without hesitation, Li Hao selected the Sword Dao and embedded it.
In an instant, a flood of insights and realizations surged into his mind—using the painting Dao to comprehend the sword Dao!
It was as if a torrent of sword intent and sword energy washed over him, pulling him into a world of swords.
In front of him, endless sword auras appeared—long swords, short swords, thin swords, heavy swords.
Each sword had its own unique offensive techniques and swordsmanship.
At that moment, everything unfolded in Li Hao's mind like a grand spectacle. When all the swords merged into one, he felt a profound understanding.
A sword is a sword, and it is only a sword.
Long swords, short swords, heavy swords—they are all still swords.
Even grass and trees can be swords.
When there is no sword in hand, the heart carries the sword—that is the way of the sword.
In this moment, Li Hao's Sword Dao advanced to the ninth stage, attaining enlightenment in the sword!
The unique Sole Sword Intent he had previously condensed now merged with the insights of the ninth stage, transforming into Sole Sword Dao!
What is Sole?
When one's own sword Dao is unleashed, all other paths are annihilated!
This was the Sole Sword Dao—supremely domineering!
When Li Hao opened his eyes again, his body didn't emit sharpness; instead, there was an air of tranquility and deep wisdom, as if he were seated within the long river of time, calm and far-reaching.
But if someone looked closely, they would see that the place where he sat seemed to become the center of the entire courtyard, and even the center of the entire area for tens of miles. His posture and spine resembled a sword standing upright in the ground—its edge hidden, yet if even the slightest trace were perceived, it would cut deep.
At this moment, in terms of the Sword Dao, Li Hao had already reached the level of a Sword Saint.
If he reached the tenth stage, he could sanctify himself with the sword and become a true Sword Saint!
That would be the true Sword Saint—supreme in the way of the sword!
Though his sword techniques had now reached the same level as a Sword Saint, his overall combat strength was still far inferior. After all, back when he had only mastered the sixth stage of the Sword Dao, he could still kill opponents in the Dao Law Realm.
And the sixth stage of the Sword Dao was considered at the bottom among the inner disciples of this Sword Ancestral Sacred Land.
"Sword Dao, Sword Dao. Sword intent follows the heart, and the sword Dao follows the will…"
Li Hao murmured to himself.
As he gazed around his small courtyard, it looked completely different from before. The weeds, stone slabs, and old jars all seemed to contain a certain resilience—a quality that the Sword Dao also possessed.
The shadow of the sword could be found in all things.
Absorbing this understanding, the night deepened, and the stars glittered in the sky.
Li Hao withdrew from his thoughts. He didn't attempt to test his sword Dao's power; now that he had reached such a level, he had an incredibly clear sense of his strength and didn't need to test it to know.
With a casual wave, he pulled a piece of wood from the courtyard, and a carving knife fell into his hand. Yet now, the carving knife seemed to him like a sword blade, and his carving became even more effortless.
By now, his carving skill had accumulated to the fifth stage.
Li Hao glanced at his current panel attributes:
Physical Body Dao: 9th Stage
Control Dao: 7th Stage
Sword Dao: 9th Stage
Movement Dao: 6th Stage
Fist Dao: 6th Stage
As for his skills and arts:
Chess Dao: 7th Stage
Music: 4th Stage
Poetry and Calligraphy: 4th Stage
Carving: 5th Stage
Cooking Dao: 9th Stage
Painting Dao: 9th Stage
Fishing: 6th Stage
Skill Points Remaining: 7
Both his movement and fist techniques were stuck because of the lack of spiritual insights.
These two areas were also critical. Li Hao currently relied heavily on his mastery of the Void Extreme Boundary to compensate, but if his movement techniques themselves could reach the ninth stage, combined with the Void Boundary, Li Hao could only imagine the level of agility he might achieve. His mastery of the Void Extreme Boundary would likely reach unfathomable heights.
Fist Dao not only improved his fist techniques but also enhanced the strength of his arms, which would, in turn, increase the power of his Sword Dao, making it equally indispensable.
"Spiritual insights, spiritual insights… If I could get both fishing and carving to the seventh stage, my combat strength would rise another level," Li Hao thought with some regret. Time was simply too short. Despite the fact that he worked tirelessly every day, practicing, fishing, and carving, progress was still too slow.
Shaking his head, Li Hao closed the panel and returned to his carving.
This time, Li Hao chose to carve the Sword Lord, aiming to capture the essence of the figure he had committed to memory. Slowly, as he carved, a trace of divine resonance emerged.
When the carving was complete, Li Hao saw that he had earned over 5,000 experience points.
Just from carving the Sword Lord's figure from memory, he had gained such a substantial amount of experience. If he were to carve in the Sword Lord's presence, it could easily be in the tens of thousands.
Without pause, Li Hao moved on to his second carving.
Though the experience gain was generous, Li Hao could clearly feel that carving a saint was far more challenging than carving others. If not for his attainment in the Sword Dao, using the sword to guide the carving knife, he would have injured his hands several times during the process.
After finishing his second carving, Li Hao's carving Dao experience increased to the brink of the fifth stage, breaking through to the sixth stage!
The sixth stage required 50,000 experience points to fill.
Li Hao continued carving, completing four or five more pieces, each yielding between two to three thousand experience points.
When the experience gain began to dwindle, Li Hao thought of Yao Ancestor and the other half-saint elders, as well as the Sword Saint.
His mind conjured up the image of Yao Ancestor, and he immediately began carving. His hands moved swiftly, and as wood chips flew, a figure resembling a celestial maiden descended to the mortal world, emerging within his palm—it was Yao Ancestor.
While Li Hao was deeply engrossed in his carving, back at the Sword Pavilion, the Sword Lord, who was sitting atop the tower, gazing quietly at the bright moon while sipping wine, suddenly had a flicker of movement in his expression, sensing the feeling of being watched.
This sensation, guided by the sanctity of the Dao, caused his melancholic gaze to sharpen. He looked toward a distant place as if his vision could pierce through thousands of miles, landing on a small courtyard.
When he saw the familiar figure within, the young man busy carving a block of wood, he blinked in surprise.
"Are you okay, Master?"
Bian Ruxue noticed Sword Saint's unusual reaction and couldn't help but feel curious.
Sword Saint glanced over once more, then calmly withdrew his gaze.
He realized that the person lived behind Lin Shanhai's Alchemy Court, so there was likely a close relationship. The fact that this person was carving him wasn't offensive, and was more likely a sign of respect.
This sort of situation wasn't unfamiliar to him. What surprised him, however, was that the carver had captured his essence so accurately, almost as though he had comprehended his divine resonance.
Only someone with great reverence would observe him with such detail, but Sword Saint could tell that the young man wasn't motivated by worship. Instead, it was a deep mastery of carving that had allowed him to capture the divine essence.
If it had been worship, Sword Saint would have sensed a flow of faith energy from him.
As a Saint, he could always recognize his true believers, and Li Hao was clearly not one of them.
"It's nothing. Just a young man with impressive carving skills," Sword Saint said calmly, with no sign of anger.
"Carving?" Bian Ruxue asked in confusion, but didn't dwell on it. This small-scale craft reminded her of a certain child who had enjoyed playing chess.
Perhaps that child had now fulfilled his dream of becoming a Chess Saint… Bian Ruxue's lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.
...
Li Hao had no idea that his carving of a Saint had been noticed. He remained fully absorbed in his work.
As his carving experience inched closer to the full sixth stage, the next day arrived.
Lin Qingying and Lin Shanhai, as usual, went off to spectate the ongoing matches, while Li Hao, lacking much interest, stayed behind in the courtyard to continue refining his carving skills.
When he felt truly exhausted, he would head over to the Sword Lord for some fishing.
On the Sacred Mountain, the battle continued to rage. After intense combat, two participants emerged from the losers' bracket to rejoin the top ten.
These two were Qiu Wuhen and Bian Ruxue.
After another three days of rest, the top ten matches were set to begin.
This time, Lin Qingying was also scheduled to fight, and Li Hao accompanied Lin Shanhai to watch the matches.
During these three days, Li Hao managed to elevate his carving skill to the full sixth stage, just shy of entering the realm of true enlightenment.
By now, his small courtyard was filled with various carvings—some of familiar figures from his time in the mortal realm, while others depicted figures like Yao Ancestor, other half-saints, and even Sword Saint and Sword Lord themselves.
Seated in the floating grandstand, Li Hao joined Lin Shanhai and other alchemists, watching the matches in silence.
Once again, it was a series of one-on-one duels, and the atmosphere of the top ten matches was much more intense than before. The fierce battles in the losers' bracket had roused the enthusiasm of the Sacred Land disciples, and expectations for the top ten matches were higher than ever.
To everyone's surprise, Lin Qingying's opponent was once again Bian Ruxue. Upon seeing this result, many spectators sighed in pity for Bian Ruxue.
Having barely fought her way out of the losers' bracket, she now faced the same opponent who had defeated her previously. Many couldn't help but feel a sense of despair on her behalf.
Bian Ruxue, too, hadn't expected to draw the same opponent. Her face paled slightly.
This felt like a fated confrontation, giving her an uncomfortable feeling.
Although her master had given her guidance, her Ice and Snow Sword Intent had yet to reach perfection. She had made slight progress since their last match, but still fell short of a breakthrough.
Lin Qingying, on the other hand, showed no outward reaction, merely surprised by the coincidence.
The others, however, envied Lin Qingying, as this seemed to grant her an easy path to the next round.
Sword Saint, witnessing the outcome, let out a quiet sigh. He could have subtly influenced the outcome or manipulated the rules, but he didn't. There was no need.
The greater the Saint, the more they believed in fate.
After all, Saints could faintly glimpse the threads of destiny.
Destiny cannot be reversed!
Even at the Fourth Realm of Standing Firm, which included the so-called Destiny-Reversing stage, destiny could not be truly reversed when faced with the Heaven-Sealing powers of the Enlightened Realm.
The so-called reversal of destiny was nothing more than a last-ditch attempt for a mortal, a plea for a second chance.
It wasn't truly reversing fate, but rather trading for a different one.
True destiny cannot be altered!
As the battle began, Holy Son Haoyue once again dominated with his overwhelming strength. With his Sun-Moon Divine Eyes detecting the movements in the Void, combined with his Void-level instant movement and powerful domain, he appeared invincible in his realm, without a single noticeable flaw.
The battle between Lin Qingying and Bian Ruxue began as well. This time, Bian Ruxue unleashed an even more powerful Sword Aura, with greater strength, but in the face of Lin Qingying's perfected Gentle Sword Intent, she was easily defeated once more.
Having lost twice, Bian Ruxue's heart was heavy with bitterness, but her Dao heart remained unshaken. She was still too young, and had previously trained in the mortal realm. Although she had received excellent resources at the Divine General's Mansion and had been taught by Sword Wu Dao, her starting point was still too low compared to these prodigies.
The other Holy Sons and Daughters had been born in the Holy Lands, and some were even reincarnated avatars of Saints. Losing to them wasn't shameful.
Bian Ruxue retrieved her sword and returned to the platform. She would later face the other geniuses of the Canglan Realm, and during this time, she could focus on perfecting her Sword Intent.
"Qingying has made it into the top five! Incredible!"
"But tomorrow's match will be even more challenging. All the remaining contestants have perfected their Sword Intent. Victory will depend on more than just their swordsmanship."
Zhao Yingzhen and the others congratulated Lin Shanhai, proud of Lin Qingying's progress. Reaching the top five was already a remarkable achievement. If she could place in the top three, she would be regarded as a peerless prodigy.
Though Lin Shanhai wore a broad smile, his eyes revealed some concern.
The next day.
The battle for the top five began.
This time, the rules were different from simple one-on-one matches—each of the five contestants could choose their opponent! Whoever wasn't selected would automatically advance to the top three.
This seemingly random approach tested the participants' ability to assess their opponents.
After so many fierce battles, if anyone still overestimated their strength and chose the wrong opponent, they would have no one but themselves to blame.
The five who advanced to the top five were Holy Son Haoyue, Lin Qingying, Qiu Wuhen, Holy Son Linghuan, and Holy Daughter Honghe.
On the Sacred Platform, Lin Qingying exchanged glances with Qiu Wuhen. Due to their prior interactions with Li Hao at the Sword Pavilion, they tacitly agreed not to choose each other.
Their gazes fell on the others, but they both avoided Holy Son Haoyue.
Holy Son Haoyue remained calm, as if expecting this. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Soon, the choices were made.
Qiu Wuhen selected Holy Son Linghuan, while Lin Qingying chose Holy Daughter Honghe.
Holy Son Haoyue chose Lin Qingying.
But because Holy Son Linghuan and Qiu Wuhen had chosen each other, and Lin Qingying and Holy Daughter Honghe had also chosen each other, Holy Son Haoyue was left without an opponent.
Since no one chose him, his selection was invalid, and he automatically advanced.
The result left the watching disciples astonished, but it wasn't entirely unexpected.
Since the start of the competition, Holy Son Haoyue had dominated with his immense reputation. Unfortunately, none of the other Holy Sons or Daughters, even those who had previously hidden their strength, were strong enough to challenge him.
As the battles commenced, the duel between Qiu Wuhen and Holy Son Linghuan erupted with intense force. Both fighters were in the Fifth Realm of Five Extremes, and their battle culminated in a clash of heavenly avatars, with their sword intents surging like tides across the battlefield.
If not for the protective formations set up by the half-Saints, the force of their strikes would have spread hundreds of miles.
Holy Son Linghuan's Sword Intent was one of illusion—his sword alternated between real and illusionary forms, making it hard to defend against. After a fierce struggle, Qiu Wuhen's Thousand Strands Sword ultimately fell short, and he was narrowly defeated.
The second match between Lin Qingying and Holy Daughter Honghe was equally intense. Their fight also escalated into a clash of heavenly avatars. Holy Daughter Honghe's Sword Intent had also reached perfection, and her Red Flame Sword Intent transformed the battlefield into a fiery inferno.
However, despite the overwhelming heat of Honghe's Sword Intent, Lin Qingying held her ground. They fought with all their strength, and in the end, Lin Qingying achieved a narrow victory.
Next came the losers' match, where Qiu Wuhen faced Holy Daughter Honghe to determine the fourth and fifth place rankings.
Meanwhile, Lin Qingying, Holy Son Haoyue, and Holy Son Linghuan would face off tomorrow to determine the top three.
Night fell.
The moon shone bright in the sky.
Li Hao glanced at the woman sitting alone in the courtyard. Tonight, instead of practicing her swordsmanship, she seemed lost in thought, gazing at the moon.
Li Hao brought some snacks over, sat down beside her, and smiled. "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Have something to eat."
Lin Qingying shifted her gaze from the moon, turning to look at Li Hao. After observing the relaxed expression on his face, she found herself wondering how he could always seem so carefree and happy.
That feeling stirred a faint sense of envy within her.
"Tomorrow, I'll lose to Holy Son Haoyue," Lin Qingying suddenly said.
Li Hao looked at her, slightly surprised.
She had clearly realized the vast gap between herself and Holy Son Haoyue. Sword Intent alone wouldn't be enough to close that distance.
After all, his Sword Intent had also reached perfection.
"If you don't break through at the limit, you'll be destroyed by the limit. I don't want to fail my sword. I can't give up until I've given everything I've got."
Lin Qingying's words seemed to be directed at Li Hao, but also at herself.
Li Hao nodded and said, "It's just a match. Do your best."
Lin Qingying looked at him for a moment, then nodded slightly. Her gaze fell upon the plate of snacks in his hands. She picked one up and put it in her mouth, her tone suddenly lightening, "It tastes really good. Where did you learn to make these?"
"I figured it out on my own," Li Hao replied with a smile, taking a bite himself.
Beneath the moonlight, their shadows stretched side by side.
Lin Qingying asked, "I've noticed you haven't been practicing your swordsmanship recently. Have you given up?"
She knew that training was grueling, and Li Hao had immense talent in the Sword Dao. It would be a shame if he gave up.
"I'm practicing in secret," Li Hao chuckled.
Lin Qingying was left speechless, not sure how to respond. She said nothing more, instead gently stroking the sword in her hands.
"Ever since my parents passed, this sword has been my only companion."
Li Hao glanced at her sword and said softly, "Then it truly is a loyal companion."
Hearing this, Lin Qingying smiled. She looked at Li Hao, noticing how the moonlight cast half of his face in shadow, making his features appear sharp and defined.
She gazed for a moment before turning her eyes away.
There was more to her earlier sentence, but she left it unsaid.
That was about "then" and "now."
Now, she wasn't only accompanied by her sword.
After they finished their snacks, they said their goodbyes under the quiet moonlight and went their separate ways to rest.
The next day.
The final battle of the Sword God Competition had arrived—the battle that would determine the title of Sword God!
Before even reaching the Sacred Mountain, they could feel the excitement in the air.
Li Hao arrived with Lin Shanhai, and all the disciples below were buzzing with anticipation. They speculated whether anyone could dethrone Holy Son Haoyue, and who would claim second and third place.
Although the previous battles had been intense, no one knew whether anyone was still holding back their final trump cards.
Today's competition would also involve a selection process.
But this time, to everyone's surprise, both Holy Son Linghuan and Holy Son Haoyue selected Lin Qingying as their opponent.
According to the rules, this meant that Lin Qingying would automatically advance to the next round, while Holy Son Haoyue and Holy Son Linghuan would first face each other. The winner would challenge Lin Qingying, while the loser would fight to determine second and third place.
As the match between Holy Son Linghuan and Holy Son Haoyue began, what had been anticipated as a fierce battle ended far too quickly. Holy Son Linghuan's Illusory Sword Intent was perfectly countered by Holy Son Haoyue. His Sun-Moon Divine Eyes saw through all illusions, and Haoyue swiftly claimed victory.
This battle had all but ensured that Holy Son Linghuan could only compete for second or third place—he had no chance of winning the title.
Any hopes of an underdog victory were crushed by Holy Son Haoyue's overwhelming power, which seemed to snuff out any possibility of an upset.
Next came the duel between Lin Qingying and Holy Son Haoyue.
"Do you know why I keep choosing you?" Holy Son Haoyue asked as he looked at Lin Qingying, a smile tugging at his lips, though his eyes grew colder by the moment.
Lin Qingying frowned slightly, sensing a shift in his demeanor. Before, though he had pursued her several times and been rejected, he had always maintained a certain level of decorum. But now, something was different.
"If we combine forces, I can sever my emotions and forge an emotionless sword heart. It would be mutually beneficial. Once I become a Saint, I'll even find a path to sainthood for you. But you're too foolish to understand."
Holy Son Haoyue's words were delivered through a mental transmission, so no one else could hear.
"If you're truly capable of becoming a Saint, why would you need me? You could do it on your own," Lin Qingying replied with a frown.
Holy Son Haoyue sneered. "Don't spout such nonsense. Cultivation is all about seizing opportunities. Whether it's eating pills or food, it's all about using external resources to strengthen yourself. How could that be considered 'borrowing'?"
Lin Qingying remained silent, offering no response.
"No matter. Even if you don't agree, I have other ways," Holy Son Haoyue said, a smile creeping across his lips.
Seeing his grin, Lin Qingying felt a chill run through her, a foreboding sense of danger creeping into her heart.
Yet, she didn't choose to concede. Taking a deep breath, she resolved to press forward. Since she had already stepped onto this path of solitary swordsmanship, she would continue to fight back, even if it meant failure. Conceding would be the only true defeat.
As the array activated, the battle began.
Boom!
Holy Son Haoyue suddenly attacked, his body surging with divine light as he instantaneously moved to Lin Qingying's side. His forty-nine-layered domain manifested, immediately crushing Lin Qingying's domain.
In the next moment, his Sword Intent exploded, his Sun-Moon Divine Eyes locking onto her as he slashed down.
Lin Qingying's pupils constricted. He was attacking with his full power from the outset, a level of intensity he hadn't displayed in any of his previous matches.
She quickly expanded her domain, her body transforming into Gentle Sword Intent. Simultaneously, her Dao Seed spun, merging with her Sword Intent and pushing her power to its peak.
But Holy Son Haoyue's attack was too overwhelming. His Sun-Moon Sword Intent, imbued with the ultimate destructive force of yin and yang, crashed down—this was his true Sword Intent!
Boom!
Lin Qingying's Gentle Sword Intent shattered instantly. Before the immense pressure of the Sun-Moon Sword Intent, her formless, dispersed defense had nowhere to hide and was immediately suppressed.
One strike sent Lin Qingying crashing into the formation barrier, blood spurting from her mouth.
"I had originally intended to unite with you and sever my emotions that way. But since you refuse, I'll just have to use more drastic measures to completely destroy you. The deeper the wound, the more thoroughly I can sever my ties!"
Holy Son Haoyue's eyes were cold as he spoke to Lin Qingying through his mental transmission.
Lin Qingying's pupils shrank in horror. She tried to flee, but her domain was entirely suppressed—his domain far outmatched hers.
"You!"
Lin Qingying was both furious and horrified. She hadn't expected his malicious intent, intending to use her downfall as a stepping stone for his own sword Dao.
"I con…"
As soon as the word left her mouth, she realized her voice was being cut off—his domain had blocked her.
Holy Son Haoyue's gaze grew even colder. "You have no chance. The moment I chose you, I had already planned this. In front of everyone, I'll cripple my beloved. The pain will be so deep, the wound so raw—it's exactly what I need to sever all attachments!"
Hearing his words, Lin Qingying felt a bone-chilling coldness envelop her, along with a wave of disgust.
Holy Son Haoyue strode toward her, and upon seeing the hatred in her eyes, his gaze filled with satisfaction.
"Yes, that's the look I want. The more you hate me, the more it hurts, and the deeper I can cut."
Suddenly, he thrust his sword forward, aiming to destroy her Dao Seed by stabbing her in the abdomen.
Lin Qingying was overwhelmed with terror and raised her sword in a desperate attempt to defend herself. But an immense force radiated from Holy Son Haoyue, his domain suppressing her completely. The Sun-Moon Sword Intent had fused with his domain, showcasing power far beyond that of any other Holy Son.
At that moment, Lin Qingying felt the full weight of their difference in strength.
In a normal sparring match, she would have conceded by now, accepting defeat without regret.
But now, she was being completely suppressed, unable to even surrender.
"Hm?"
Meanwhile, Yao Ancestor and the others watching from below noticed something unusual, sensing that Holy Son Haoyue was exerting far too much power in suppressing Lin Qingying.
Unless Lin Qingying had some hidden trump card she was certain to lose.
But Lin Qingying did not surrender and continued to resist.
In fact, it looked as if she was being completely suppressed.
"What's going on? Could it be that Haoyue…"
One of the elders' eyes shifted, noticing something unusual as Holy Son Haoyue's sword moved toward Lin Qingying's Dao Core, sensing something amiss.
Sword Saint also noticed, his brows furrowing slightly, though his gaze flickered for a moment, he remained silent.
Meanwhile, in the floating seats, Li Hao also realized that something was wrong. At this moment, Holy Son Haoyue was using nearly all his strength—there was no way Lin Qingying could win.
Li Hao knew Lin Qingying's capabilities well. She had already acknowledged that she would lose and had said she would give her best effort, simply to gauge the gap between them. But in this situation, she had clearly understood the difference. She should have already surrendered—there was no need for her to keep fighting to the point of risking her life.
Whoosh!
Li Hao's figure flashed, appearing near the array, on the opposite side of Lin Qingying.
Lin Qingying noticed the sudden appearance of his figure outside the array and sorrow filled her eyes.
She knew—she could not block this.
Boom!
The tip of Holy Son Haoyue's sword pierced violently, stabbing through Lin Qingying's abdomen and shattering her Dao Core.
"Stop!!"
Seeing the look in Lin Qingying's eyes, Li Hao immediately understood. His pupils contracted, utterly shocked. How could a spar between disciples turn so vicious?