Su Yi felt exhilarated.
This battle allowed him to experience the long-lost sensation of blood boiling, igniting a fighting spirit within him.
It was as if he had encountered a worthy opponent, enjoying the thrill of combat.
In previous fights, most opponents were swiftly defeated with a single sword strike. After numerous encounters, Su Yi couldn't help but feel a sense of loneliness deep within his heart.
But now, even though Jing He had recently broken through, he could still be considered a Land Immortal. Facing him, Su Yi finally found some joy in battle.
Sword cultivators were born for the sake of fighting and warfare.
Without battles, how could they hone the sharpness of their sword and temper their martial hearts?
In the midst of the fight, Su Yi resembled a carefree immortal, dancing with his sword, exuding a radiant aura.
In his hands, the Xuanwu Sword resounded with a melodious hum, filled with the sound of killing intent. Every slash of his sword qi seemed to twist the starry river, overturning the heavens and earth.
Sometimes it reflected the brilliance of the sun and moon, shining brightly.
Other times, it divided the pure from the impure, traversing the ten directions.
And...
The profound essence of the Great Fast Sword was fully displayed by Su Yi in the heat of battle.
As the battle raged on, Su Yi immersed his mind and spirit in it. His qi and spirit harmonized and flowed seamlessly, with each sword strike becoming more enjoyable than the last. His entire being unleashed unprecedented potential, both internally and externally.
In contrast, the young monk Jing He's expression gradually grew serious as the battle progressed.
In the end, a look of disbelief couldn't help but appear between his brows.
When Jing He had just broken through, he had been full of confidence, believing that he could easily handle Su Yi and his group.
Who would have thought that it would be just a young Martial Ancestor like Su Yi who would impede his every move!
Despite Jing He utilizing his supreme skills, employing killer moves, and even resorting to numerous secret techniques of the Buddhist sect, every one of them was systematically neutralized by Su Yi.
If it hadn't been repeatedly confirmed in battle, Jing He wouldn't have believed that Su Yi truly had the cultivation of a Second Stage Grandmaster. He couldn't help but doubt the existence of such an unparalleled monster in this world!
What baffled Jing He even more was that as the battle progressed, Su Yi's sword force became increasingly fierce and terrifying.
Now, it even made him feel pressured, and this pressure continued to grow!
How was this possible?
Was this guy still human?
When did such a monstrous being appear within the borders of Da Zhou?
Could it be that this person was an old monster who had possessed someone's body?
A series of doubts surged in Jing He's mind, lingering persistently.
No, this couldn't go on any longer!
Jing He realized that if he didn't change the tide of battle, he would most likely capsize in the gutter this time.
With this in mind, he gritted his teeth and a resolute gleam flashed in his eyes.
"Condense!"
Jing He's momentum changed, and his entire body was engulfed in a boiling golden Buddhist flame. It seemed as if all his qi and spirit were extracted and poured into the bright ringed saber in his hand.
Boom!
The hall trembled, and everyone, including Ning Yi and the others, as well as the white-browed old monk, keenly sensed it. The surrounding Qi streams from all directions were drawn towards Jing He, converging madly towards the depths of the hall.
Jing He's figure floated in mid-air, surrounded by surging Qi flows, forming a terrifying storm of elemental power.
Within the storm, the golden Buddhist flame burned fiercely.
From a distance, the silhouette of the young monk Jing He appeared like a Buddha standing amidst the storm of flames, radiating a powerful aura that made one's heart tremble.
"This..."
Ning Yi and the others felt an extreme sense of danger.
"Burning his own essence and spirit to forcibly control the power of the Heaven and Earth Zhou Void. Isn't this equivalent to seeking self-destruction?"
As Su Yi witnessed this scene, he couldn't help but shake his head. "Well, since you don't want to be my whetstone anymore, I'll send you off."
Swish~
Su Yi stretched his body.
He heard the rumbling sound of the great river flowing within him. His skin was translucent and jade-like, emitting strands of Dao rhyme.
At this moment, his soul, blood, cultivation, and inner and outer body powers completely merged, reaching an unprecedented level of concentration.
"Strike!"
Jing He, who had gathered all his strength, solemnly swung the ringed saber in his hand.
Boom!
The vast Heaven and Earth Qi he had gathered surged like a bursting flood, accompanying his strike as it fiercely swept towards Su Yi.
This power was far beyond everyone's imagination.
The immense hall on the first floor of the Buddhist pagoda trembled violently, and a crack spanning dozens of zhang appeared in the void.
The unmatched saber aura was like a burning blade of light, possessing an overpowering force capable of tearing everything apart.
Seeing this scene, Ning Yi, Jing Huo, and the others who were engaged in combat, as well as the white-browed old monk and the others, all held their breaths and looked over.
This strike seemed to steal away all possibilities!
How could Su Yi withstand it?
But then...
Su Yi's expression remained calm, his gaze calm as a deep well. Deep within his heart, a long-suppressed intent to kill suddenly erupted.
Clang!
The Xuanwu Sword trembled slightly, emitting a peculiar and melodious chant as Su Yi casually thrust it forward.
This sword strike appeared ordinary, devoid of any imposing aura.
The reason was that all the power contained within this strike was condensed to the extreme, without the slightest hint of diffusion.
As a result, it seemed unremarkable at first glance.
However, when this sword strike was executed...
Boom!
Everyone felt as if their souls were pierced. In a trance, they seemed to witness a surge of sword Qi filling the sky, seizing the power of creation. It appeared as if it came from the hands of celestial beings, rather than something mortal could possess.
Naturally, this was an illusion created by the influence of Su Yi's sword momentum on their minds.
At this moment, Jing He's seemingly world-shattering saber strike had already arrived, meeting Su Yi's thrusting sword in the void.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amidst thunderous explosions akin to heavenly lightning, the several dozen zhang long saber Qi crumbled inch by inch, and Su Yi's sword power also suffered repeated impacts.
In the end, when the several dozen zhang long saber Qi dissipated, Su Yi's sword power was also exhausted.
This clash resulted in a draw!
But before the others could react, Jing He suddenly let out a long roar and, wielding his ringed saber, pounced on Su Yi in mid-air.
His figure appeared completely ablaze, and his entire aura merged into the ringed saber in his hand. In his eyes and expression, there was only a resolute determination.
It was a calmness that saw through life and death, fearless of victory or defeat.
Su Yi's brows furrowed slightly, and he coldly snorted. With a flick of his finger, he thrust his sword horizontally through the air.
Boom!
The hall trembled as the terrifying clash of sword and saber Qi engulfed the area, leaving only a shining brilliance. The sound was so deafening that even the people's ears momentarily lost their hearing.
It was clearly visible that a violent and destructive torrent spread in all directions, like a hurricane, from the center between the two.
Even the residual waves of their battle posed a great threat.
Ning Yi, Jing Huo, and the others had no choice but to stop and retreat. Fear and tension filled their expressions.
Who would emerge victorious?
In the eyes of the white-browed old monk and the others, given Jing He's extraordinary means as a newly breakthrough Land Immortal and the final strike he unleashed at the cost of burning his own essence, even someone of the same level would hesitate to face its edge.
Su Yi might be strong, but he was only a Martial Grandmaster at the peak of the second stage. Even if he could withstand it, he would likely end up severely injured and on the brink of death!
Even Ning Yi, Jing Huo, Mu Xi, Lan Suo, and the others were uncertain in their hearts.
In the past, it was no surprise for Su Yi to effortlessly slay Martial Grandmasters at the Precelestial Martial Ancestor level. However, now his opponent was a newly breakthrough Land Immortal, a powerful existence transcending the mundane!
Especially in the end, Jing He's desperate strike was too formidable!
Could Su Yi truly resolve this life-threatening crisis?
Even Ning Yi and the others began to doubt their confidence.
"What is this?"
Suddenly, the white-browed old monk's face changed drastically.
Soon after, the seven remaining monks beside him also had their expressions change.
Ning Yi and the others stared wide-eyed, frozen in place.
They saw---
The dust dispersed, the torrent of power vanished, the brilliance faded away. Deep within the hall, Jing He, who appeared as a young man, slumped to the ground.
He lowered his head, gasping for breath, while his bright ringed saber shattered into pieces, scattered not far in front of him.
And before Jing He, stood Su Yi's slender figure in a flowing blue robe, ethereal and calm as before, without a trace of injury on his body.
The distance between the two was merely three feet.
One slumped, the other stood tall, clearly distinguishing the victor!
"I never imagined that on the day I stepped into the realm of a Land Immortal, it would also be the day of my demise... Fate is truly ironic," Jing He gasped and spoke with a face full of regret and desolation.
Then, with great effort, he raised his head and looked at Su Yi with dim eyes. "Before I die, may I ask you a question?"
Su Yi nodded, "You may."
Jing He took a deep breath and said, "Are you... a monstrous creature born through seizing another's body?"
Su Yi was taken aback.
The gazes of Ning Yi and the others in the distance focused on him.
"No," Su Yi replied without hesitation, "If you can cultivate 'Sensate Apertures,' 'Hidden Meridians,' and 'Dao Core' during the Qi Gathering Realm, and nurture the Five Elemental Spirits during the Furnace Nurturing Realm, you can also achieve the same level of cultivation as I have."
"I've heard of Sensate Apertures, but what about Hidden Meridians, Dao Core, and the Five Elemental Spirits... What secrets and mysteries are hidden within the Qi Gathering Realm and the Furnace Nurturing Realm that are unknown to ordinary people?" Jing He looked bewildered and remained stunned.
He had hoped to receive an answer before his death, so he could pass away with peace of mind.
But little did he expect that Su Yi's answers would be like a series of enigmas, plunging him into even greater confusion and perplexity.
After a moment, Jing He smiled bitterly and peacefully passed away while seated on the ground.
The vitality in his body receded like a tide. Within a few breaths, he transformed into a lifeless corpse, with a lingering sense of desolation between his eyebrows.
This elder figure from the Descending Dragon Hall of the Shanglin Temple had fallen.
He did not die at the hands of Su Yi, but rather, the desperate strike he had unleashed earlier had depleted his vitality and made it difficult to continue living.
This day was the eighth day of the fourth month in the calendar of the Great Zhou Dynasty. It was the fifth day since Su Yi set off for the Jade Capital City.
It was also the first time since Su Yi's reincarnation that he had crossed paths with a Land Immortal.
In the end, he emerged victorious with his cultivation at the Martial Grandmaster Second Stage!
In the distance, Ning Yi, Mu Xi, Lan Su, and others were filled with shock and regarded Su Yi as if he were an extraordinary being.
The white-browed old monk and the others had pale faces, lost and disoriented.
Su Yi's gaze turned towards a corner at the end of the hall---
There, a golden dragon shadow, about a dozen zhang long, was cautiously poking its head out, seemingly attempting to take advantage of the chaos and escape.