C1355 The Unusual Grand Sword Immortal!
After expressing her gratitude, Ciara turned and walked away, her face clouded with somberness. Her visit had been prompted by the snow bear, and the presence of the unfamiliar Zhou You did nothing to pique her interest. The snow bear's affirmative nod seemed to bring her a sense of relief, reassured that the Dire Bear—a figure of great significance in Shura history—would stand with them when it mattered most. That was all she needed.
Once she departed, the snow bear let out a subdued roar. Its eyes, icy as Ice Shards, suddenly blazed with light, as if some dormant power had been stirred within. The ground of the Frozen Wastes trembled subtly in response. Deep within the unseen core of the earth, it was as if the cosmic order had been roused by its bloodline, rearranging itself, awakening a new force brimming with lethal intent.
Millions of miles away, the River of Swords, which had been meandering towards this location, came to an abrupt halt. Yu Yuan was overcome by a potent sense of danger. He was aware that the enigmatic snow bear wasn't after him; it didn't intend to harm him. Yet, he sensed that after its exchange with Ciara, the snow bear had conveyed a definitive stance to Alonso and the Blood King Sabonis—a stance that left Ciara thoroughly content.
The Blood King, at the zenith of the tenth level, and the grand commander Alonso, had both deemed it necessary for Ciara to seek a clear response from the snow bear. The Shura, second only to the Sky Fiend, held the snow bear in such high regard that it astonished Yu Yuan.
Zhou You was equally taken aback. Despite the many tales he'd heard about the Dire Bear, he had never truly encountered it. He couldn't fathom why Blood King Sabonis and commander Alonso would go to the lengths of dispatching a platinum Shura to solicit its opinion. It seemed as though an affirmative nod from the bear was all that was needed for a fervent reaction.
What power did it possess? What sort of enchantment did it hold over the Shura? What made the entire Shura race approach its stance with such caution? These questions eluded Zhou You.
Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swash! Swish! From the now-still River of Swords, seven resplendent sword lights burst forth. Each sword light had its own distinct aura: some as pure as a mountain spring, others as fiery as a flame meteor, some exuding a killing intent that could slice through the cosmos, some redolent of fate and reincarnation, and others as radiant as the springtime sun...
Seven beams of sword light, each of varying thickness, shot straight toward the Frozen Wastes, sealed by the Skyfall Net. Quietly, the sword's will at the bottom of the Titanblade's sheath, resting above Yu Yuan's knees, began to resonate. Both Yu Yuan's true body and his Lunar Spirit were jolted by this occurrence.
While his true body was still refining his physique, his Lunar Spirit at the Dragon Slaying Stage sharply turned its attention to the snow bear. The snow bear, now with its back to him, had a presence as imposing as a towering snow-capped mountain, exuding an odd aura that Yu Yuan found unsettling. It was as if the bear had transformed into a Grand Sword Immortal who had spent eons perfecting the art of swordsmanship!
Within the bear, a sword's will seemed to be emerging. Hidden beneath the fur on its back were sword scars, obscured by its thick coat. It was as though, millions of years ago, it had practiced swordplay alongside Nie Qingtian! Perhaps, before Nie Qingtian ascended to the status of a supreme primordial spirit, he had journeyed with the bear through the Star River, using it as a sparring partner to hone his skills. He might have even taught it to grasp the essence of swordsmanship. Indeed, the bear appeared to have genuinely touched upon the marvels of the sword's way!
"My heavens! It, it's actually a swordsman!" Zhou You, usually so composed, was now utterly dumbfounded. He gazed at the legendary "Dire Bear" as if it were some mythical creature, sensing the subtle sword's will that was gradually emanating from within it. His mouth agape, wide enough to fit a small watermelon, he rubbed his eyes as if trying to bring the unbelievable sight into clearer focus...
Not once had the secret tomes of the Merchant Association, nor the writings of the Everlands' five great powers, nor any sect or individual familiar with the "Dire Bear," mentioned its understanding of swordsmanship! Had he not witnessed it firsthand, Zhou You would never have believed such a tale. The "Dire Bear," notorious for its savagery and longevity, sometimes unseen for centuries, had, through Nie Qingtian, gleaned the intricacies of swordsmanship.
Moreover, there was more than one type of swordsmanship spell!
How was it accomplished?
"Yu Yuan, it... it might actually be your senior brother! You would never have imagined that someone before you imparted the Sword Sect's intricate swordsmanship to a snow bear, did you? What's even more astonishing is that it fully grasped the concepts! It possesses a sword's will within its body, and it bears distinct sword scars and sword spells!"
Zhou You's voice grew louder as he spoke, his excitement palpable as he gesticulated wildly.
Yu Yuan, meanwhile, was dumbstruck, speechless for quite some time.
He gazed at the silhouette of the "snow bear," taking in the sword scars etched across its formidable back, remarkably similar to those on his own arm bone.
Yet, they were not the 'Nine Celestial Slashes', but rather a different sword spell, conceived by a Grand Sword Immortal who perished in the Star River of the extraterrestrial realm.
He finally understood why the "snow bear" could weave a River of Swords with cold fog, and even manipulate those rivers to create resonances.
Deep within those rivers lay the intricate sword's will it had contemplated!
This enigmatic snow bear might have been one of Nie Qingtian's few friends thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands, of years ago.
Nie Qingtian led a solitary and haughty existence, considering all the world's heroes as his rivals and the common folk as whetstones for his blade.
He never took a disciple, nor did he enjoy honing his swordsmanship in the company of others. After the death of his only love, he ignored even his Sword Sect brethren and turned a deaf ear to many of the sect's commands.
It was unthinkable to anyone that he would find the time to befriend an alien beast from beyond our world and impart swordsmanship to it.
He even used the creature as a sparring partner to refine his skills.
Zhou You was correct; in a way, this "snow bear" could be considered his senior brother, having been taught by Nie Qingtian and clearly achieving mastery.
*Crack! Crack!*
As Yu Yuan and Zhou You's thoughts raced, seven sword lights, each imbued with its own profound meaning, effortlessly tore through the Skyfall Net and disintegrated Yue Mu's sword force within the wall.
Yue Mu grunted, the rupture of the Skyfall Net apparently wounding him in an instant.
After a muffled groan, he urgently cried out, "Watch out!"
The relentless sword lights continued their assault on Du Yuan's towering Divine Visage!
A sequence of seven sword lights, each one more majestic and boundless than the last, flashed in succession.
Du Yuan, ranked third in the Unbound Stage with his late-period cultivation, watched his Divine Visage, imbued with the essence of destruction, shatter and then reforge, only to shatter again.
This cycle repeated a total of five times!
After the onslaught of seven sword lights, Du Yuan's Divine Visage repeatedly broke apart until, after the fifth time, it reverted to its original, unadorned form.
It seemed he was incapable of recondensing his Divine Visage in such a short span, leaving him unable to unleash his full power or trap the three Platinum Shura.
Not only could he not contain them, but the wounded Du Yuan, who had seen his Skyfall Net torn asunder by Yue Mu, was now countered by Demian!
In an instant, the seven sword lights completely reversed the tide of battle!
The three Platinum Shura, who had just moments before been disoriented, were taken aback by the turn of events.
They hadn't anticipated that a series of seven sword lights would come to their aid, striking down Yue Mu and Du Yuan and catching the two Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect off guard.
Nonetheless, they quickly rallied, their spirits lifted as they closed in on Du Yuan.
With his Divine Visage in ruins, Du Yuan, clutching the golden jar, wore a look of bewilderment.
The frenzy and bloodlust that had flickered in his eyes seemed to have dissipated along with his Divine Visage, now nowhere to be found.
He recognized the true essence of swordsmanship in all seven sword lights.
Moreover, he had battled alongside the creators of three of those sword lights against formidable opponents from the extraterrestrial realms.
The remaining four were the legacy of Grand Sword Immortals from an earlier era of the Sword Sect, his own ancestors.
During his sword training, he had revered the sword's will embodied in those four lights, but had not chosen to follow them as they did not align with his own path.
Du Yuan had assumed that anyone who could comprehend and wield the seven sword spells must surely be a member of the Sword Sect.
Why then, were they attacking him?
And from whence did the seven sword lights originate?
His gaze turned to Yue Mu.
After the Skyfall Net had been torn, Yue Mu's figure emerged beneath the wall, suspended between earth and sky.
Yue Mu's face was pallid as he gazed upward at the dome. His eyes pierced through the delicate barrier to the now-still River of Swords.
He focused on three of the streams, which were not particularly wide.
The seven beams of sword light originated from these three streams. It was as if a force, sealed for eons, had been awakened by someone from afar, and then it was precisely unleashed.
"Mr. Hong, is it you?"
Yue Mu grumbled internally, his discontent brewing beneath the surface.
He believed that his and Yu Yuan's intentions aligned; they were both here to rescue the Stardust Blade.
Moreover, he suspected that the Stardust Blade's entrapment was due to Yu Yuan's presence in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, which led to Ji Ningshuang's forceful intrusion and the ensuing consequences.
Yu Yuan, having mastered the Nine Celestial Slashes, had triggered the residual sword light, and now it was being used against him?
Yue Mu was far from pleased.
Meanwhile.
Xi Quan, wielding the Withered Sword and on the verge of charging at Alonso on the Shattered Star, abruptly halted.
Her face, ashen, was a mix of horror and bewilderment.
Who was manipulating the ancient power within the River of Swords, targeting Du Yuan and Yue Mu?
Could it be Yu Yuan?
Like Yue Mu, she had assumed that Yu Yuan, having grasped the Nine Celestial Slashes, must have triggered the River of Swords' might, resulting in the decisive strike.
"No, that can't be right!"
Xi Quan's brow furrowed in confusion, mirroring Yue Mu's. She couldn't fathom why Yu Yuan would draw his sword at such a moment.
Did this heartless man wish for his junior sister's death?
Xi Quan clenched her teeth in silent fury.
