Chapter Fifty-Four: The Duel of Swords

The Realm of True One Law.

The clangor of metal rang incessantly, cold light gleamed sharply, and shortly after, two figures crossed paths.

A few breaths later.

Chen Heng raised his right sleeve, his gaze darkening.

Before his eyes, a sharp gash had nearly sliced his robe’s sleeve apart; if not for his Taisu Jade Body, his sword-wielding arm would have been severed the moment the sleeve was cut, and the blade embedded in his chest would have claimed half his life.

Only the fifth level of the Profound Realm’s Taisu Jade Body—already impervious to even inferior talismanic weapons—allowed him to receive this sword blow as if nothing had happened, standing firm where he was.

“Ten paces, one kill—indeed, the ultimate limit of mundane swordsmanship... Senior Brother, with this Taisu Jade Body, I’ve managed to withstand fifty rounds under your blade.”

Chen Heng sighed, raising his sword to shoulder height, adopting a defensive stance.

Across from him, Xu Zhi flicked his long sword, conjuring a flourish, then stepped forward abruptly, thrusting straight ahead without expression, like a shooting rainbow streaking from the west.

“Excellent!”

Chen Heng’s spirit surged, unleashing the first form of the “Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture”: Wind Beckons Fire.

Their blades collided, emitting an ear-splitting tremor that hurt the ears.

This, even as Chen Heng deliberately suppressed his strength within the bounds of ordinary men; if he unleashed his seemingly inexhaustible force, there would be no need for sword techniques—one casual swing, and Xu Zhi would be torn apart, bones reduced to pulp.

In the days spent cultivating within the Realm of True One Law, Chen Heng had not yet mastered the art of controlling his strength with ease; often, Xu Zhi could not withstand even a single exchange, and Chen Heng’s ordinary sword had accrued countless cracks.

Only after summoning Tong Gaolu and slaying him for several days—breaking his own bones dozens of times in the process—had Chen Heng learned to wield his power at will, dispersing and gathering it as he pleased.

“Regrettably, Senior Brother’s heart-phantom is a prior imprint, wielding only a mundane iron sword, not a talismanic weapon.”

Narrowly avoiding the sword tip aimed at his eye, Chen Heng retreated a step, steadying his blade, thinking:

“If he held a talismanic sword, guided by the ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ swordsmanship, I’d hardly find it so easy to cope.”

Their blades struck, showering sparks.

Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!

Amid a flurry of sword clashes, their figures blurred, the duel accelerating, growing ever more intense!

Thrust, point, lift, slash, chop, cut, press, hang, slice, draw, pierce, suppress, sweep, block, pull, intercept, push, twist, grind—twenty-eight fundamental sword forms flowed from Xu Zhi’s hand with near miraculous mastery, as if brought to life!

If Chen Heng’s sword was a ferocious dragon lurking in a deep ravine, every stroke bristled with lethal intent, reckless and fierce.

Yet Xu Zhi, who had attained “Ten Paces, One Kill,” showed no outward bloodlust; his swordplay resembled an old farmer wielding a hoe he had used for half a lifetime.

Every move was plain and unremarkable, seemingly riddled with flaws, yet always able to intercept Chen Heng’s killing strikes at the critical moment, breaking them effortlessly.

Bang!

A metallic explosion halted the exchange; Xu Zhi suddenly flicked his blade, transforming a horizontal slash mid-air to stab at Chen Heng’s wrist.

The thrust was swift, nearly touching flesh, but Chen Heng deftly rotated his wrist, lowering his blade three inches to block the attack securely.

Ding—

As their blades met, Xu Zhi instantly withdrew, circling halfway around before bringing his sword down overhead.

Chen Heng raised his iron sword to parry, scattering sparks, his mind astonished.

That earlier thrust—had it occurred in previous times—

He would have been unable to defend...

Xu Zhi’s heart-phantom, unaffected by Chen Heng’s hesitation, pressed the attack relentlessly.

Having seized the initiative several times, his sword strikes now surged like overlapping waves, forming an unstoppable tide, intent on sweeping away all barriers.

Under this mountain-sea assault, Chen Heng retreated step by step, yet his swordplay grew less rigid, lethal intent deepening.

Each blow was unpredictable, barely warding off Xu Zhi’s deadly advances.

Though he struggled, the subtle harmony within his sword technique shone through—each strike outmatched the last. Eventually, beyond mere defense, he could intermittently counterattack.

This time, they battled through more than a hundred exchanges—a rarity.

Yet Chen Heng paid no heed to the count; as Xu Zhi’s momentum waned, a fierce light flashed in his eyes, his robe billowed like a bird spreading its wings, the killing intent on his blade condensed to a cold gleam at the tip.

Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture, Twelfth Form—Northern Star’s Embrace!

Xu Zhi’s heart-phantom remained expressionless; with a twist of his arm, his blade did not quiver, drawing a sweeping rainbow.

Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture, Fourth Form—Remnant Rainbow Guards One!

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The two figures crossed paths at speed, darting more than thirty feet apart, cold light flashing as their blades clashed several times before both swords shattered, iron fragments scattering, only the hilts left gripped in their hands.

After several breaths of silence.

Chen Heng turned in quiet resignation, releasing the sword hilt to let it fall, pressing his neck and sighing:

“Senior Brother, in the end, you have won again...”

As his words faded,

Xu Zhi’s heart-phantom suddenly collapsed thirty feet away, the broken sword clanging to the ground, blood pooling.

A massive sword wound pierced through his skull,

front to back, a translucent crimson.

In the end, Xu Zhi’s blade was faster—

Before Chen Heng could pierce his skull, Xu Zhi’s sword had already struck Chen Heng’s neck.

Had it been before Chen Heng acquired the Taisu Jade Body, that single blow would have cleaved half his head, splitting his corpse in two.

This outcome had occurred countless times in their duels.

But this time, even without the Taisu Jade Body, Chen Heng’s own blade carried enough force to pierce Xu Zhi’s skull.

It was the first time—

Chen Heng had defeated Xu Zhi purely by swordsmanship...

“The Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture—the more I study it, the more profound its mysteries seem. I have a premonition: if I master it fully, I too might grasp the ‘Ten Paces, One Kill,’ the ultimate limit of mundane swordsmanship!”

No longer manifesting Xu Zhi’s heart-phantom, Chen Heng closed his eyes to reflect deeply.

Only after half an hour did he slowly open his eyes, letting out a long sigh.

Back in Yuangjing City, when he transformed wine into swordplay, teasing Rong Jin, he had sensed himself separated from the ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ realm by only a thin veil.

Just a touch, and he could elevate his sword cultivation to a new world.

But inspiration came swiftly and left just as quickly; before he could truly gain insight, it vanished.

Thus, what lay before his sword cultivation was an unreachable abyss; when he reached, there was only darkness and confusion, no clear way forward.

After exchanging fatal blows with Xu Zhi, Chen Heng’s mind trembled, as if some vital passage had suddenly opened.

Insight after insight soared, lifting him higher, elevating his sword realm to a new story; yet, subtly, he still fell short of the ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ threshold, unable to break into a new world.

“I have the Realm of True One Law, virtually immortal, unfettered by fatigue, and Senior Brother Xu Zhi to spar with, feeding me moves.”

Chen Heng lamented, “Yet even so, I cannot attain ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’? Though only a single step away, I have not fully succeeded... Is this body’s aptitude truly so poor?”

He had long known this body’s mediocre talent.

When he first entered the threshold of immortality, striving for the fetal breath stage, he had lost count of how many times he had ended his life in the Realm of True One Law, struggling bitterly before barely succeeding.

After all, the method Chen Heng chose—“Fear of Life and Death, True Understanding of Divinity”—though it could lead to the Dao, was a side-path.

Chen Heng’s self-harm—breaking legs, stabbing abdomen, severing fingers, striking eyes—was the most extreme of side-paths, bloody and bizarre, so much so that even demonic practitioners avoided it, for they had only one life.

He died and revived a thousand times before intuiting a faint sense of qi.

Yet orthodox practitioners achieve fetal breath with a mere scripture in hand and incense burning; amidst fluttering robes, they gain sudden enlightenment and spiritual blessing.

Those with higher aptitude need not even incense or scripture—one look at the pure sky, and they form a connection. For the less talented, it’s just a matter of time, nurturing their root.

None would resort to such bloody extremes as Chen Heng, devoid of dignity.

As for cultivating qi, he did not know how many times he practiced in the Realm of True One Law before daring to proceed carefully.

Without the Realm of True One Law, even a thousand lives would not suffice to manage the flow of qi; cultivating qi would be hopeless for years.

“Poor aptitude is poor—but with the Realm of True One Law, I need not be inferior to ordinary cultivators.”

Chen Heng gathered his spirit, dispelling all weary thoughts, laughing aloud:

“‘Primordial True Origin’ is the world’s highest true qi; with it as the foundation of my Dao, surely my aptitude will improve somewhat! Pity this body is already sixteen; even if I comprehend ‘Ten Paces, One Kill,’ I cannot enter the Middle-B Class Sword Sect to become a sword cultivator.”

Since arriving in this world, he had studied many Daoist books and gained some uncertain knowledge.

One rumor had caught his attention.

It said: if one comprehends the ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ sword limit before age sixteen, one may enter the Middle-B Class Sword Sect, become a disciple personally taught by the elders.

Because of this, in the East Hun Prefecture where the sect is located, even in mundane nations, swordplay flourishes; nearly everyone carries a sword, young and old, male and female, all possessing some sword technique.

When Chen Heng read this, his heart stirred for once.

But remembering his body was already sixteen, only two years from coming of age, he abandoned the thought.

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Moreover, East Hun Prefecture is a distant major province in the Four Seas of Nine Continents, far from his own East Mi Prefecture; not to mention commoners—even ordinary cultivators may never leave the southern region of East Mi in their lifetime.

Much less cross the ocean abyss to another province.

He could only feel regret for Xu Zhi; the man attained ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ before sixteen, a talented sword prodigy, yet now languishes in his current state—one can only lament his ill fortune.

...

“It is a pity, ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ is only the limit of the mundane realm; above it must be the ranks of immortal sword cultivators. Tu Shan Ge, that fox, has seen the world in the Scarlet Bright Sect, but paid little attention; she only remembers sword qi thunder and refining swords into threads. Even if I master ‘Ten Paces, One Kill,’ I have no reference for the road ahead...”

Chen Heng shook his head, drawing golden light onto himself, transforming it into a page of Mahā Golden Book.

...

[Mahā Victorious Secret Light Meditation]

[Name]: Chen Heng.

[Techniques]: Taisu Jade Body (Profound Realm, Fifth Level), Qi Armor Technique (Mastered), Chen Clan Archery (Mastered), Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture (Intermediate), Little Wind and Mist Summoning Technique (Intermediate), Golden Person Substitution (Intermediate), Blood Armor Technique (Intermediate), Green Sack Medicine Scripture (Novice), Aurora Great Escape (—).

[Treasures]: Flowing Sky Ruler (Medium-grade talisman), Qing'e Painting (Medium-grade talisman), Combined Carriage (Medium-grade talisman), Purple Gold Demon-Breaking Hammer (Medium-grade talisman), Thunderfire Lightning Pearl (Medium-grade talisman), Green Bamboo Thorn (Low-grade talisman), Barrier-Removing Gold Lamp (Low-grade talisman), One Qi Essence Jade (Low-grade talisman), Twelve Universe Bags (Low-grade talisman), Armor Iron Garment (Low-grade talisman), Colorless Gauze Cover (Low-grade talisman), White Bone Mirror (Low-grade talisman), Mountain-Carrying Staff (Low-grade talisman), White Bamboo Ring (Low-grade talisman), Yin-Nurturing Bottle (Low-grade talisman), Bird-Trapping Net (Low-grade talisman), Tiger-Strength Robe (Low-grade talisman), Rainbow Magic Boat (Low-grade talisman), Desire-Dispelling Mirror (Low-grade talisman), Battle Talisman (Secret treasure)

[True Scriptures]: Three Qi Illuminating Spirit Technique, Guiyuanzi Qi Cultivation Essentials, Spirit Crane Breathing Guidance Technique.

[Dao Practice]: Qi Cultivation, Third Layer (God House Pivot Splendor, Dao Sovereign reciting Primordial True Origin Scripture).

...

Chen Heng scanned briefly, fixing his gaze on the Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture.

The Mahā Golden Book had grown more complex than before.

The Mountain-Carrying Staff, Desire-Dispelling Mirror, and a dozen other low-grade talismanic items were acquired during his journey in Yuangjing, mostly from the six or seven Universe Bags of Zhou Chuyu, and of little use to Chen Heng; they would soon be sold in a market.

As for the newly added [True Scriptures]—

The Three Qi Illuminating Spirit Technique, Guiyuanzi Qi Cultivation Essentials, and Spirit Crane Breathing Guidance Technique all dropped from the heart-phantoms of Xu Zhi, Tong Gaolu, and Rong Tuo—various qi cultivation methods.

Three Qi Illuminating Spirit Technique is the fundamental law of the Profound True Sect, which Chen Heng dared not touch now.

Guiyuanzi’s Essentials and Spirit Crane Guidance, though lesser in quality, could be sold for some talisman money, useful for qi cultivation.

...

But Chen Heng paid no mind to these; seeing the Little Scarlet Dragon Sword Scripture still at the intermediate stage, he shook his head.

“How difficult it is! To truly master ‘Ten Paces, One Kill’ before sixteen—what kind of genius would that be?”

Chen Heng composed himself, summoning Xu Zhi’s heart-phantom again; a few moments later, both swung their swords simultaneously.

“Kill!”

...

Thus, another month of fierce combat passed.

One day, aboard the Cloud-Chasing Flying Boat.

As Chen Heng withdrew from the Realm of True One Law, sitting in meditation to cultivate qi, Tu Shan Ge suddenly knocked and said:

“Master, ahead there’s a floating tower ship blocking the way. I saw someone aboard whom you seem to know; she also recognized us. Should I approach for a meeting?”

“Acquainted?”

Chen Heng frowned, stepping out to take a look.

With his current eyesight, he easily spotted the lantern-lit floating tower ship ahead, where a beautiful woman in red stood gazing in their direction.

“We do know each other.”

Chen Heng turned back, speaking coolly: “But meeting her is only trouble. Better not to, just steer around and continue.”

Tu Shan Ge nodded quickly, the Cloud-Chasing Flying Boat veered off course, continuing its flight. Yet after half a tea’s time, the floating tower ship followed closely behind.

“...”

Chen Heng reached out, secretly grasping the Thunderfire Lightning Pearl in his sleeve.

This medium-grade talisman had been with him the longest, most handy in use.

“Senior Brother Chen, oh Senior Brother, why do you ignore me...”

At that moment, a stream of dazzling light flew from the tower ship, the woman’s voice within sounding aggrieved:

“Could it be you do not wish to see me?”

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