Jian Wu's eyes widened as the world-destroying sword strike closed in, ready to sever his head from his body.
"I can't dodge it."
He tried to evade, but it was already too late for him. Just when it seemed that Jian Wu's end was inevitable, a resounding clash echoed through the cave.
Clang!
A sword, radiating an ancient aura, intercepted Cui An's strike, halting it almost instantly.
Cui An narrowed his eyes, looking at the person before him with a serene expression. "You... You are also like us, aren't you?"
Wen Lun, now standing between Jian Wu and Cui An, shook his head. "Don't lump us in with your kind. We're not scum like you, nor are we as weak." He glanced back at his senior brother, checking for injuries. Seeing that Jian Wu was unharmed, Wen Lun turned his gaze back to Cui An. "You should be grateful nothing happened to Senior Brother. Otherwise, you would have cursed the day you were born."
Hearing Wen Lun's confident words, Cui An hesitated, his resolve wavering. But then, as if recalling something crucial, his determination solidified. "I don't care who you are or what backing you have, no one can surpass our sect leader."
With those words, Cui An charged forward again, a fierce growl escaping his lips. Suddenly, a hidden aura erupted from within him, altering the expressions of both Wen Lun and Jian Wu. "Both of you will die today!"
Cui An's grip on his sword tightened, his knuckles whitening as he summoned every ounce of his strength. An overwhelming aura erupted from him, thick and oppressive, causing even the other shadows to falter under its weight. "Lightning Fang!" he roared, unleashing his attack. His sword cleaved through the air with blinding speed, crackling with violent arcs of electricity. Though this technique lacked the refinement of Jian Wu's sword strike, the sheer force of Cui An's cultivation made it seem as if Wen Lun and Jian Wu were already dead.
Wen Lun and Jian Wu felt the crushing force of the attack bearing down on them, a sensation of certain doom washing over them. "Such a bad sword technique," Jian Wu muttered under his breath, frustration flashing in his eyes. "If only I could use even a fraction of my true strength... What a waste." Resigned to his fate, Jian Wu threw his sword back toward Eli Shan, his voice barely a whisper as he urged, "Run."
Eli Shan caught the sword, feeling its warmth. A single tear welled up in his eye as he looked at his dying brother. "Even at the end, Senior Brother cared for me," he sniffed, adding in his mind the imaginary sound of a mournful violin.
Meanwhile, Cui An, who was more than a major realm higher than Jian Wu and Wen Lun, was closing in with the power of a thousand thunderstorms. The two brothers, with no chance to defend themselves, stared down their inevitable fate. Yet, instead of fear, a serene smile graced Jian Wu's face. "In my next reincarnation," he said, his voice dripping with calm resolve, "I'll come back just to annihilate your whole existence."
Cui An's eyes widened at this, but he didn't falter. Instead, he increased the force behind his sword even more. "I'll kill you so thoroughly that even your soul will be too scared to reincarnate!"
With a calm smile, Wen Lun and Jian Wu closed their eyes, waiting for their death. And then... nothing.
"Huh?" Wen Lun peeked one eye open, confused. "Is it just me, or is his sword taking an eternity to reach here?"
Jian Wu, still with his eyes closed, nodded. "Yeah, right? We could've dodged it if it was this slow. Why are we just waiting to die? Are we dumb or something?"
They both opened their eyes fully and what they saw left them utterly speechless. "Junior Brother?!"
At that moment, they witnessed something they would never forget in their lives. Eli Shan stood before them, completely at ease, one hand casually in his pocket, the other gripping a sword. But wait... it wasn't his sword; he was gripping Cui An's blade with his bare hand, as if it were no more than a dull butter knife.
"W-Who are you?" Cui An stammered, his voice shaky and eyes wide with disbelief. He couldn't sense any cultivation from the young man before him, which only deepened his unease.
Eli Shan simply grinned, gesturing toward Jian Wu and Wen Lun. "Me? I'm just their junior brother, Eli Shan."
As those words left his lips, Eli Shan casually tightened his grip on Cui An's sword. A low, ominous crack echoed in the silence, as the blade—once a symbol of Cui An's pride and power—began to crumble. Slowly, deliberately, it shattered into countless fragments, falling to the ground like shards of broken glass.
Cui An's heart raced, terror creeping into his voice as he stuttered, "Y-You—You must be him!" Panic gripped him as he turned to the shadows. His command was urgent, almost desperate. "Everyone, give it everything you've got! Kill this guy!"
The shadows that had encircled them suddenly vanished from view, their forms blurring as they converged on Eli Shan with blinding speed. They moved as one, a storm of deadly precision, their weapons aimed to strike him down in an instant.
Eli Shan, however, remained unfazed. A small, confident smile played on his lips, his eyes gleaming with an almost playful glint. As their blades closed in, Eli Shan moved—his steps light, almost casual, as though he were taking a leisurely stroll rather than facing a life-or-death assault.
Each attack missed its mark by a hair's breadth as he effortlessly sidestepped and weaved through the onslaught, his movements so fluid and precise that it seemed more like a dance than a fight. To Eli Shan, the shadows' lightning-fast strikes were laughably slow—no more threatening than a one-year-old child's clumsy attempts to hit a seasoned martial artist.
Witnessing this, everyone's jaws dropped in disbelief. Even Jian Wu and Wen Lun couldn't hide their astonishment, their eyes fixed on Eli Shan.
Eli Shan dodged every attack casually, and then as if merely strolling through a field, he suddenly turned his head toward Jian Wu. "Brother, may I use your sword?" he asked, his tone light, while his body continued to twist and weave, effortlessly evading every attack.
Jian Wu, still in a daze, nodded instinctively, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. "Thank you, Senior Brother," Eli Shan said, as he effortlessly drew the sword Jian Wu had thrown to him earlier.
Seeing Eli Shan holding the sword, the attacking shadows instinctively retreated, a cold sweat forming on their foreheads. They watched him with a mix of awe and fear, their bodies trembling as they struggled to hide their panic.
"W-We can't win against someone like him," one shadow murmured, his voice barely a whisper.
"Y-Yeah. We can't even land a hit on him. He might be as strong as our sect leader!" another added, his voice quivering with dread.
As the shadows hesitated, Eli Shan surveyed them with an air of casual indifference. "My sword might destroy this whole cave, so I can't use it here," he remarked nonchalantly. His gaze then shifted to Cui An, and as their eyes locked, a cold smile spread across his lips, sending an icy shiver down Cui An's spine.
Terror surged through Cui An, his entire being gripped by an overwhelming fear. "It's you... it must be you!" he stammered, his voice cracking with sheer dread. Panic surged through his veins as every cell in his body screamed for him to flee. Without a second thought, he followed his instincts, turning around and bolting desperately to escape the terrifying presence before him. The sensation was so intense that he felt that if he stayed even a moment longer, not even his body would remain intact.
"I don't know what you mean," Eli Shan said, his tone light yet laced with a hint of menace. "But the fun has only just begun. Where do you think you're going?" With that, he slashed his sword in a seemingly simple, effortless motion.
Boom!
The sound reverberated through the air like a thunderclap. Even though it appeared to be a basic sword strike, the force behind it was anything but ordinary. The sheer power unleashed from that single slash obliterated all the shadows in an instant. Only Cui An managed to evade the full brunt of the attack by the slimmest of margins, though the impact sent him crashing into a wall with bone-jarring force.
Eli Shan calmly placed the tip of his sword on the ground, the blade scraping along with a low, menacing grind as he moved toward Cui An. Each step he took seemed to tighten a noose around Cui An's heart, the very air growing heavier with dread. Even the onlookers, who had been mere spectators, felt a chill run down their spines. The formation masters, in particular, were filled with a cold sweat, grateful beyond words that they hadn't dared to attack Eli Shan earlier. Otherwise... they gulped hard, didn't want to imagine the consequences.
On the ground, Cui An struggled to stand, his eyes wide with terror. "Now I understand why he wanted this man dead... He's a monster! He shouldn't be allowed to exist in this universe!" Cui An whispered, his voice trembling. "But I have no intention of dying here." His gaze flickered to Eli Shan, who was steadily approaching, and with a desperate whisper, he muttered, "Shadow Steps."
The moment the words left his lips, Cui An vanished, moving so swiftly and silently that not even the air stirred. His intent was clear—escape at any cost. With his current speed, reaching the cave's exit would take less than a blink of an eye. Yet, in that fleeting moment, time seemed to stretch endlessly, each heartbeat echoing like a drum of impending doom.
Well, he was right to be anxious. Because, just as Cui An was about to make his escape, his heart nearly stopped. His eyes widened in sheer terror as he saw a dark silhouette blocking his path, standing motionless as if it had been waiting there for an eternity. Their eyes met, and a slow, deliberate smile crept across the figure's face—a grin so sinister and cold that it sent icy tendrils of fear coursing through Cui An's veins, freezing his blood on the spot.
But despite the terror gripping him, Cui An couldn't stop. His momentum was unstoppable, and with the cave's exit just a breath away, he knew he couldn't afford to falter. It was now or never—do or die. Fueled by desperation, he pushed his speed to its absolute limit. However, just as he was about to pass through the silhouette, the figure calmly extended a hand, a sword gleaming in its grasp.
Splash!
Cui An's speed was too great; he couldn't stop his advancement. In an instant, he collided with the sword, decapitating himself in one swift motion. His body continued to move forward briefly, even as his head fell to the ground with a soft thud.
Silence...
Dead silence!
No one understood what had happened, except for Jian Wu, who stared at Eli Shan, utterly dazed.
For the others, it was as if time had stopped. They had seen Eli Shan walking toward Cui An, then both had vanished. The next thing they knew, Cui An lay on the ground, headless.
Breathing became difficult as the reality of what had just occurred settled in. Every gaze was locked on Eli Shan, who now seemed like a being far beyond their comprehension. No one dared to move, let alone speak.
Eli Shan paid them no mind. Calmly, he walked over to Wen Lun and handed him the artifact. "Senior Brother, this is yours," he said, his voice steady and composed.
Wen Lun accepted it, still in a daze, his mind struggling to process the overwhelming display of power he had just witnessed.
At this moment, no one even dared to entertain the thought of snatching the artifact. If they had known that a monster like Eli Shan was here for the dragon heart, they wouldn't have come in the first place.
After a moment of stunned silence, Jian Wu and Wen Lun finally snapped back to reality. They exchanged a look before turning to Eli Shan. "Junior Brother, you..."
Eli Shan simply smiled, his expression calm and reassuring. "Don't worry about these things, Brother. Let's head back to the sect."
The two glanced at each other once more, then nodded, accepting Eli Shan's composure. Without another word, they prepared to return to the sect.
The onlookers, who had been paralyzed by shock, also regained their senses. Panic set in as they realized the magnitude of what had just occurred. They bolted towards their respective sects with all the speed they could muster. An unknown disciple from the Sword Sect had annihilated a group of Shadows—something even the sect masters of the top ten sects would struggle to achieve. And this mysterious man had done it as casually as if he were strolling through a field!
As the trio flew back on their swords, Eli Shan broke the silence with a question. "Senior Brother, who are these Shadows? Their power seems far beyond what one could naturally achieve."
Jian Wu gave a bitter smile. "You're the last person I'd expect to question about the unnatural power."
Eli Shan grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Jian Wu shook his head with a mix of amusement and seriousness as he continued. "Nearly eighteen years ago, they appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be the strongest sect."
"You mean there were no Shadows before eighteen years ago?" Eli Shan asked, his astonishment clear.
Jian Wu nodded. "Exactly. Some rumors say that eighteen years ago, everything turned dark, the sky tore apart, and the Shadows fell from there."
Eli Shan raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"
Jian Wu's expression remained grave. "I'm not so sure. The thing is, they didn't just appear in our world—they're everywhere, on every single planet."
Eli Shan's thoughts turned inward, a frown creasing his brow. "Eighteen years ago... Isn't that when I was reincarnated in this world?" he whispered to himself. "Could they somehow be connected to me?"
Lost in thought, Eli Shan was brought back by Wen Lun's voice. "I have a feeling they aren't from this universe."
Eli Shan turned to him, curiosity piqued. "What do you mean?"
Wen Lun met his gaze steadily. "You're aware of the existence of higher universes, aren't you?"
Eli Shan nodded. "Yes, I'm aware."
Wen Lun continued, his tone thoughtful. "These beings who call themselves Shadows, every one of them is stronger than the Emperor Realm. Yet, they've never gone on a killing spree, nor have they unleashed their true power. Do you know why?"
Eli Shan leaned in slightly, his curiosity growing. "Why?"
Wen Lun's expression darkened. "Because of the Law of Nature! It suppresses their cultivation, and if they attempt to use their full strength or wreak havoc in these lower universes, the Law of Nature would expel them."
Eli Shan felt a spark of understanding ignite within him. Even though he had been harnessing his universe's laws, he had struggled to break through to higher levels due to his lack of knowledge. Now, hearing Wen Lun's explanation, he felt a new path opening before him, one that could allow him to tap into nearly three percent of his universe's true power.
"Senior Brother, your words have enlightened me," Eli Shan replied, his tone filled with sincere gratitude.
Wen Lun blinked, slightly taken aback. It felt strange to be called "Senior Brother" by someone as powerful as Eli Shan, but he accepted the title nonetheless.
As they continued to fly and chat, the familiar sight of the Sword Sect's mountain range gradually came into view, its peaks rising majestically against the sky. Upon landing, they were immediately greeted by the outer disciples guarding the entrance. "Welcome back, Senior Brothers."
The trio nodded in acknowledgment but moved swiftly inside the sect, their expressions unusually grave.
The outer sect disciples exchanged puzzled glances. "The Senior Brothers seemed to be in a hurry. Did something wrong happen outside?" one of them wondered aloud.
"I doubt it," another replied. "Who could possibly harm Senior Brother Jian Wu?"
"Yeah, you're right," the first disciple agreed, though a shadow of uncertainty crept into their voice.
Inside the sect, Jian Wu's urgency was evident. "We need to report this to the Sect Master immediately. Brother Eli Shan, come with us."
Eli Shan nodded, following closely as they ascended to the highest mountain peak, where the Sect Master resided.
Upon landing at the peak, they hurried into the grand hall. A rich red carpet lined the floor, and elders, their cultivations ranging from the eighth step of the Emperor Realm to the peak, sat in stately rows on both sides.
Eli Shan couldn't help but be impressed by the atmosphere of power and authority that filled the hall. "So this is what the top sect looks like," he thought, his eyes taking in the grandeur of the surroundings.
As they approached the Sect Master, the three bowed respectfully. Jian Wu spoke first, his tone respectful yet urgent. "Apologies for the interruption, Sect Master, but we have something important to report."
The Sect Master, a man of dignified presence, smiled warmly. "No need for formalities; there are no outsiders here."
The three straightened up, standing before the Sect Master. His gaze shifted to Eli Shan, his eyes appraising. "You must be the young man Jian Wu has spoken of."
Eli Shan cupped his fists in a traditional gesture of respect. "Greetings, Sect Master."
The Sect Master nodded approvingly. "You look like a promising young man."
Eli Shan shook his head modestly. "I don't deserve such praise, Sect Master."
The Sect Master smiled again, pleased by his humility. "Humble too. Good, good." He then turned his attention back to Jian Wu, his expression growing serious. "So, what is the matter?"
Jian Wu's face mirrored the gravity of the situation as he looked directly at the Sect Master. "Today, we killed the Shadows."