C69 Ripping the Tribulation Clouds apart

Qin Buyi darted through the calamity cloud, his fists, massive as hills, pounding against it with thunderous force. Within moments, he had dispersed the bulk of the cloud.

A small portion of the calamity cloud lingered. With a roar, Qin Buyi summoned, "Killing Saber!"

The resonant "Zheng!" of the blade echoed as the Killing Saber swelled in size.

Standing a hundred feet tall, Qin Buyi gripped the now-gigantic Killing Saber and cleaved through the remnants of the cloud.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

The colossal blade, stretching dozens of feet, tore into the calamity cloud, obliterating it under Qin Buyi's formidable strike.

Qi Yun watched, mouth agape, at the spectacle.

Once the calamity cloud dissipated, Qin Buyi reached out and grasped the air. The thirty-six swords that comprised the Thirty-six Heavenly Sword Formation were now in his hand. His potent Divine Consciousness poured into the swords, severing Qi Yun's bond with them.

"Puff!"

Stripped of the thirty-six swords, Qi Yun's complexion blanched, and he coughed up a substantial amount of blood.

With the sword formation gone, despair settled in Qi Yun's heart. He nearly pleaded with Qin Buyi to return them but held his tongue.

Offering a sword salute, he conceded, "Qin, I shall not meddle further. Farewell."

Turning to Hong Wanrou, Qi Yun's face was a tapestry of emotions—memories, sorrow—all of which he severed with a heavy heart and a long, resigned sigh before departing.

In the wake of Qi Yun's departure, Hong Wanrou's panic surged. "Uncle Qi, you can't abandon me. You and my mother..."

Qi Yun, already distant, heard her plea. His voice, devoid of emotion, reached Hong Wanrou's ears.

"Our ties end here. Your mother left me to chase after wealth and status."

"Not long after marrying your father, he was slain by his enemies. She found me, holding you, newly born. And I..."

Qi Yun's voice turned wry, "I'm just a sentimental fool, clinging to the past. I gained nothing, yet I've been entangled in these old affections for years."

The chains binding his heart shattered, and Qi Yun's presence surged, breaking through from the Early Combination Period to the Middle Combination Period.

As Hong Wanrou was about to speak, Qin Buyi's towering figure loomed behind her, "Enough with the prattle. Save your words for hell."

"Chi!"

The Killing Saber descended upon Hong Wanrou.

Overwhelmed by the disparity in strength, she couldn't react in time...

"Bam!"

The massive Killing Saber, dozens of meters in length, struck Hong Wanrou, and a cloud of blood mist exploded into the air.

With Hong Wanrou's death, Qi Yun briefly hesitated before turning and flying away without a backward glance.

Azure blocked his path, prompting Qi Yun to question, "Azure Dragon, what's the meaning of this?"

"You act as if you can come and go at will, showing no regard for my lord," Azure retorted.

Qi Yun replied, "Your lord's target is dead. Do you also begrudge me my departure?"

With his newfound advancement in cultivation, Qi Yun felt a surge of confidence.

"My lord is merciful, but he lives by one principle: the sanctity of a promise," Azure explained.

"You claimed you wouldn't surrender until your last breath, yet here you stand, brimming with energy. Isn't that a breach of your vow?"

Qi Yun turned to Qin Buyi in the distance, "Qin Buyi, what's your intention here?"

Qin Buyi, with no intention of intervening, was already irked by Qi Yun's lack of tact and replied,

"Azure and I are both as good as our word. You promised to fight to your last ounce of strength, and it's merely ensuring you keep that promise."

Qi Yun, incensed, shot back, "This is outright oppression!"

"When you interfered with my master, did you not consider that excessive? When you coerced my master amidst the thunder tribulation, what crossed your mind?" Azure challenged.

"I've advanced to the Middle Combination Period; you're no match for me," Qi Yun declared.

Gazing at Qi Yun with a mocking air, the Azure Dragon said, "We of the Azure Dragon Clan excel in combat; you can't possibly fathom our prowess."

"Azure Dragon Battle Technique: Devour the Heavens!"

Azure snapped its jaws shut around Qi Yun, and as the dragon's maw sealed, Qi Yun vanished from sight.

Surrounded by an inky void where he couldn't even see his own hand, Qi Yun opened his sword case.

From within, thirty-six long swords burst forth.

"Shu Mountain Sword Art: The Thirty-Six Heavenly Stars Formation!"

The swords positioned themselves strategically, encircling Qi Yun protectively at the center.

The oppressive force of the dark expanse bore down on Qi Yun, unrelenting.

The Heavenly Stars Sword Formation offered no defense whatsoever.

"What sorcery is this that renders the Heavenly Stars Sword Formation utterly ineffective?" Qi Yun cried out, aghast.

"Azure Dragon Mystic Art: Netherworld!"

The crushing pressure multiplied a hundredfold in an instant.

Qi Yun's face, already pallid from injury, flushed with the intensity of the force.

"Azure Dragon Mystic Art: Stripping!"

As Qi Yun struggled against the overwhelming pressure, he felt his body grow numb, slipping beyond his control.

No technique he employed could wrest back command of his own limbs.

Alarm surged through Qi Yun; at this rate, he would completely lose bodily control within mere moments.

Left with no other recourse, Qi Yun bit down on his tongue and bellowed,

"Shu Mountain Sword Art: Supreme Imperial Sword Technique!"

With a forceful palm strike, he shattered the sword case beside him, releasing a cascade of swords.

They swirled around Qi Yun before coalescing beneath his feet into a colossal blade.

"Swiftly!"

Qi Yun stood astride the massive sword, guiding it with his Divine Consciousness as it emitted brilliant arcs of sword light.

The beams sliced through the darkness, and Qi Yun reemerged into the world.

"Azure Dragon Battle Technique: Dragon's Breath!"

No sooner had Qi Yun reappeared than he was engulfed by the dragon's fiery exhalation.

In a frantic move, Qi Yun split the giant sword beneath him into individual blades to shield himself.

The dragon's breath spared nothing, engulfing the swords arrayed before Qi Yun.

As he mounted a desperate defense, the breath permeated each sword, erasing every trace of Qi Yun's Divine Consciousness.

Devoid of Qi Yun's guiding will, the swords plummeted helplessly to the ground.

With a swift flick of its claw, the Azure Dragon seized every last sword.

Qi Yun's complexion turned ashen as he coughed up yet another mouthful of blood. His Divine Consciousness had been wiped away, exacerbating his internal injuries. Moreover, he was frantic; this venture had resulted in a total loss for him. The Taia Sword, a legacy of Shu Mountain passed down through generations, lay in ruins. The swords bequeathed by the forebears of Shu Mountain had all been taken. As a disciple, Qi Yun felt utterly disgraced, unable to face the lineage of Shu Mountain. And for a swordsman, lacking the enhancement of a sword meant losing over half of his battle prowess in an instant.

Azure, however, was unconcerned with such matters. To it, sparing Qi Yun's life was already a generous act.

With a thunderous "Bam!" the dragon whipped its tail, striking the dazed Qi Yun.

He was hurled hundreds of meters through the air.

"Master has granted you mercy," Azure declared. "Consider these swords as the price of your life."

"Also, Master has a message for you: without the power, don't pretend to be a hero. Next time, keep your nose out of other people's business."

A bitter expression crossed Qi Yun's face as he realized all that was precious and valuable to him had been taken or destroyed. Despite this, he felt a deep sense of gratitude towards Qin Buyi for sparing his life. At this point, he couldn't even overcome Qin Buyi's pet, the Azure Dragon; if it wished, ending his life would be effortless.

"Please convey my regards to your master," Qi Yun requested of Azure. "I acknowledge my recklessness and will come to offer my apologies in person when the time is right."