Yun Chaoxian

The Tiger King passed away peacefully.

...

When Chu Liang unleashed his divine power, he truly believed he was executing the Hundred Swords Technique.

Yet, at the very instant he released the Crimson Name-Slaying Sword, he sensed something was amiss.

It was an emotion long suppressed, for untold years—anger, loathing, urgency... It was a sword of justice, sealed away for ages, now finally able to strike at evil once again, exultant with wild joy.

This was the awakening of the Sword of Justice!

With a thought, the Crimson Name-Slaying Sword began to multiply—one became ten, ten became a hundred, a hundred became a thousand, a thousand became ten thousand...

Suddenly, a force from nowhere erupted, like a gust of azure wind propelling one up to the heavens.

Boom!

In the void, a surge of sword qi exploded, the sound was deafening.

Ten thousand swords soared, endless and boundless!

Even Chu Liang himself was left in awe at the sight.

Is this the Myriad Swords Technique?

It must be more than that—the ordinary Myriad Swords Technique surely could not unleash such power with each strand of sword qi. The Crimson Name-Slaying Sword blanketed the sky, surging toward the colossal black tiger’s body.

Sss—sss—sss—sss—

One beam of sword light slashed by, opening only a shallow wound, demonic energy seeping out, not a drop of blood spilled.

But when tens of thousands of such swords descended, the scale changed entirely.

The first volley alone made the Tiger King roar in agony! “Awooo—”

The burly man seized the moment to leap back, not forgetting to snatch up the Mountain-River Halberd from the ground. Gripping the halberd in hand, his presence immediately soared, even more imposing than before!

But he no longer needed to fight.

The overwhelming sword light began its second round of slicing.

Sss—sss—sss—sss—

Sword lights whirled, like bees returning to the hive, weaving in and out of the black tiger’s massive frame, forming a dazzling, radiant ring that enveloped it.

Though the process sounds elaborate, in truth, it lasted but a blink; the ten thousand swords had already unleashed countless volleys. The Tiger King’s eyes shone childishly bright, and his body began to emit a strange glow.

“Ah—” it shrieked.

Rumble!

The result of ten thousand blades piercing the body was a thunderous explosion, a torrential rain of blood pouring down!

Not a bone remained.

It was obliterated.

Only a single golden shadow drifted into Chu Liang’s body.

Immediately after, the Crimson Name-Slaying Sword flew back to him, flickering with a bloodthirsty red glow.

Chu Liang suddenly recalled the earlier introduction... This was a Sword of Justice; when facing an enemy steeped in evil and blood, it would grant a powerful surge of strength.

So it was said, but this power boost... wasn’t it a bit too much?

From Hundred Swords to Myriad Swords—at least a hundredfold increase!

He had never seen those legendary divine swords, but among all the treasured blades he’d witnessed at Mount Shu, not one could compare.

It was simply outrageous.

Even he was shaken, let alone anyone else.

The bare-chested burly man was utterly stunned.

He stood there for a moment before approaching, halberd slung over his shoulder, his eyes flickering as he said, “I am Yun Chaoxian of the Heavenly Gang Sect. Thank you, my friend, for your assistance!”

“Chu Liang of Mount Shu,” he replied.

“So you are a disciple of Mount Shu—an honor to meet you.” The burly man clasped his hands in respect, his tone exceedingly polite.

“And you are of the Heavenly Gang Sect—no wonder you’re so formidable,” Chu Liang returned the courtesy at once.

It was only now that Chu Liang saw the burly man clearly—not only was his physique towering and powerful, but his features were also rather handsome: sword-like brows, deep-set eyes, defined cheekbones.

The look he gave Chu Liang brimmed with awe.

Chu Liang was about to exchange a few more words when something sprung to mind, and his expression shifted. “Wait!”

Without another word, he turned and dashed off.

Yun Chaoxian, puzzled, hefted his halberd and followed.

Rushing out of the cave, Chu Liang saw the hills outside utterly empty—not a trace of a demon beast remained.

These lesser demons valued their lives above all. The moment their king fell, they scattered like birds and beasts, terrified of even the slightest delay. Because Chu Liang was only a moment late in pursuit, he could no longer catch even a single one.

“Sigh…” Chu Liang finally let out an empty sigh. “Gone. All gone…”

Yun Chaoxian asked curiously, “Brother Chu, why concern yourself with those lesser demons? None of them pose any threat. You’ve already slain the black tiger fiend—enough to quell all nearby troubles.”

“I…” Chu Liang paused. “Evil must be rooted out completely.”

Yun Chaoxian clasped his hands once more. “Brother Chu, your righteousness is admirable—truly worthy of respect.”

...

Since the lesser demons had fled, Chu Liang and Yun Chaoxian descended the mountain together, striking up conversation along the way.

In fact, Chu Liang had some inkling—he’d read about it in the Seven Stars Gazette. Among this generation of the Heavenly Gang Sect, there were four outstanding core disciples, each specializing in blade, spear, sword, or halberd.

The most renowned, of course, was the sect’s chief disciple, Ren Hongdao.

And Yun Chaoxian was the halberd practitioner.

“Our Heavenly Gang Sect lies in the northwest. When those four divine envoys entered the Yu Dynasty from the far west, the sect took notice,” Yun Chaoxian explained.

“Our master ordered the four of us to each pursue one divine envoy.”

“But the one I chased was exceedingly cunning…” At this, Yun Chaoxian’s frustration bubbled over. “He challenged me to a wager, drawing a circle on the ground, saying neither of us could bring weapons into the ring, and whoever stepped out first would lose and be at the other’s mercy.”

“I agreed, and entered the circle to duel him.”

“After landing a single punch, that wretch took advantage of the moment to leap out of the ring, grabbed my Mountain-River Halberd, and ran!”

“I told him he lost, and he replied that I could do as I pleased—if only I could catch him.”

“No sense of martial integrity!”

“…” Chu Liang fell silent for a moment.

He remembered the divine envoy earlier mentioning he’d encountered a disciple of the Heavenly Gang Sect.

Skilled, but not the brightest.

A fair assessment, truly.

Purely in terms of martial prowess, Yun Chaoxian was formidable.

He’d fought the Tiger King’s true form, a fifth-realm demon king, toe-to-toe with his bare hands.

And one must remember, he’d trained with the halberd since childhood—his entire style built around that weapon. Yet in his battle with the Tiger King, he’d fought unarmed!

For a martial cultivator, a weapon was vital. Without one, he could at best display sixty percent of his strength, and yet he was still so formidable.

Now, with the Mountain-River Halberd in hand, he likely rivaled any genius of the orthodox sects.

If it was purely a contest of cultivation, even Senior Sister Jiang Yuebai might not be able to defeat him outright—their paths were simply different. But…if they truly fought, perhaps Senior Sister Jiang could find a hundred ways to win.

It just goes to show: having a good head on your shoulders means a great deal for a cultivator.

“Brother Chu, would you be interested in joining me in the pursuit of that villain?” Yun Chaoxian suddenly invited.

“Hmm?” Chu Liang was surprised. “Why me, Brother Yun?”

“That demon envoy is devious and scheming, bent on harming our kind—he deserves death at all hands. I may not be able to handle him alone,” Yun Chaoxian looked at Chu Liang with genuine admiration. “But you, Brother Chu, your cultivation is unparalleled—a true prodigy. With your help, we are sure to bring him down!”

“My cultivation is unparalleled…” Chu Liang hesitated.

“Indeed! Never in my life have I admired anyone, but after witnessing your divine arts today, I am truly impressed!” Yun Chaoxian nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with adoration. “Your aura seems ordinary, nothing extraordinary at first glance. If I hadn’t seen your Myriad Swords Technique with my own eyes, I’d never have guessed you were so mighty!”

Indeed.

Chu Liang smiled faintly.

It's not just you… I never imagined I was this formidable, either.