Immortal of the Nine Realms

The audience did not wait long before a sword cultivator of the Enlightenment Realm named Nangong Yu arrived at the Sword Duel Palace under the command of Nangong Yuancheng.

A ripple of recognition spread through the crowd as they gasped.

”Nangong Yu of Broken Moon Sword?”

He was well-known in Yunlu City as the strongest Enlightenment Realm sword cultivator under Nangong Yuancheng’s command. However, he was most famous for his controversial choice of treading the sword path.

Though born into the noble Nangong family, a lineage dedicated to the pursuit of longevity, he had forsaken the path of longevity to walk the fleeting but fierce road of the path.

Many had questioned his choice until rumors surfaced that he was, in fact, the illegitimate son of Nangong Yuancheng’s father. Only then did people come to a realisation.

Arriving before Nangong Yuancheng, Nangong Yu softly called out, ”Brother.”

Nangong Yuancheng didn’t even raise his gaze to look at him. ”Have a duel with Lady Long Ruo’s sword cultivator.”

”Understood,” complied Nangong Yu as he nodded.

He stepped into the arena.

”Wait a minute, what about the previous wager?” interjected Xu Yan suddenly, her voice laced with amusement.

The crowd turned to Long Ruo expectantly.

Indeed. If a rematch had been issued, shouldn’t the stakes be reset as well?

Long Ruo chuckled, and her gaze swept over the restless gamblers. She replied, ”I only agreed to a rematch to convince you of your defeat wholeheartedly. But do not take me for a fool. If I lose, I shall return your wagers in full. If I win, you will shut up and honor your losses.”

The crowd murmured amongst themselves. Though dissatisfaction lingered, they understood that this was likely the greatest concession Long Ruo would make.

Seeing that the gathered cultivators had more or less accepted this, Xu Yan scrutinized Long Ruo for a moment before falling silent.

Nangong Yuancheng turned to Fang Chen with a faint smile and instructed, ”Be sure to draw your sword this time. If you resort to strange tricks again, do not blame me for bullying the weak.”

Long Ruo nodded at Fang Chen and smirked. ”This time, draw your sword and shut these guys’ mouths for good.”

”One strike or two?” asked Fang Chen.

The crowd was stunned into silence.

Long Ruo let out a soft laugh and answered, ”As you please.”

”Arrogant fool! Where did you find this sword cultivator?” yelled Xu Yan, her eyes narrowed.

Nangong Yuancheng and the other palace masters frowned but quickly relaxed. They had absolute confidence in Nangong Yu’s sword technique. Even if he was pitted against Little Eight, he might not have lost.

This duel was still highly winnable.

”A fight to the death or till one of us throws in the towel?” transmitted Nangong Yu to Fang Cheng.

”You decide.”

”There is no enmity between us. There is no need for bloodshed,” replied Nangong Yu.

With that, a long sword appeared from his palm.

His sword exuded a gentle yet pervasive pressure, like the silent nourishment of spring rain. Before anyone even realized it, his sword domain had already formed.

Many of the Soul Splitting Realm cultivators present felt a chilling sensation, as if Nangong Yu’s sword was already at their throats and prevented them from retaliating.

”This is the legendary sword domain?” gasped someone.

Realization struck the audience like a thunderbolt.

Nangong Yu’s sword intent did not merely affect a single opponent. It enveloped the entire arena, affecting tens of thousands of cultivators. The Soul Splitting Realm cultivators shuddered, and only the Fusion Realm cultivators remained relatively unaffected.

The sword domain was obviously a higher level than sword intent.

The sword domain had nothing to do with one’s cultivation level. They were correlated to the understanding of the Sword Dao. In today’s world, only Ascension Realm sword cultivators were known to have comprehended them.

Xu Yan’s expression darkened.

If Nangong Yu had truly grasped the sword domain, even Little Eight would have stood no chance against him.

She glanced at Nangong Yuancheng, only to find an expression of surprise flicker across his face as well.

Even he had been unaware of this?

A trace of unease crossed Long Ruo’s face for the first time. She sat up straight and examined Nangong Yu.

”Is this truly the sword domain...?” mumbled Fu Donghai.

The other sword cultivators among the spectators looked on in disbelief.

To them, sword domains were myths, their power was rarely witnessed in their daily lives.

Even among Ascension Realm sword cultivators, those who comprehended sword domains were rare. It was an evolution of sword intent and an entirely different level of mastery.

A sword cultivator who had grasped a sword domain could effortlessly battle multiple opponents of similar cultivation realm. Against orthodox cultivators pursuing longevity, their power was almost unfathomable.

Fu Donghai blabbered, ”If that is truly a sword domain, then whether one is at the early or grand completion of the Soul Splitting Realm makes no difference anymore. Unless they walk the path of sword cultivation, only those of Fusion Realms could hope to suppress him.”

”Long Ruo might have misplayed this time around. This opponent is far more formidable than Little Eight,” whispered someone.

”At least we won’t lose everything now. Next time, we must tread more carefully...” added another.

Let go... Let go...

A whisper echoed in Fang Chen’s ears, urging him to abandon his sword. The voice sought to erode his resolve and shatter his will.

”Interesting,” murmured Fang Chen as amusement flickered in his eyes.

Nangong Yu’s sword intent bore an uncanny resemblance to his own. It also affected the hearts of those around it.

However, Nangong Yu’s sword intent no longer inflicted injury. Rather, it struck directly at the root origin.

”If they call this the sword domain, then have I not already grasped one, the Mortal World?” muttered Fang Chen.

A realization dawned upon him.

He now understood why whenever he wielded his sword, the influence of its sword intent was far more profound than Bai Qingming and his peers.

He had originally assumed that Mortal World was a more special immortal intent, but it’s possible that he had already grasped the sword domain while comprehending it.

As a faint smile appeared on Fang Chen’s lips, Nangong Yu’s heart wavered.

Then, he felt it.

His sword domain was being devoured.

No, it was being assimilated.

By the time he regained his composure, the immense strength he had once wielded had quietly faded away.

Silence hung in the air.

Nangong Yu let out a wry chuckle with an inscrutable expression.

”Why are you two still standing there?”

”Fight already! We do not have all day!”

Impatient shouts rang from the audience.

Nangong Yu cupped his fist resolutely before hoarsely conceding, ”I lost. I thought sword domains were rare among Enlightenment Realm cultivators. It seems I was but a frog in a well.”

”What the fuck! He lost?!” yelled an angry spectator.

”Sword domain? He has a sword domain as well? Then why didn’t I feel anything?” questioned one.

”Wait... Just now, Nangong Yu’s sword domain vanished. Yet I didn’t even notice...” whispered another.

”Nangong Yu! What nonsense is this? You haven’t even drawn your sword! How could you concede so easily!” shouted Nangong Yuancheng angrily.

He rose abruptly with a livid face.

Nangong Yu was unabashed. He calmly replied, ”Brother, you don’t understand how sword cultivation works. Sometimes, you don’t have to draw your sword to know the outcome. I have indeed lost.”

Upon hearing his reply, Nangong Yuancheng’s expression darkened as he clenched his fists. He stared deadly at Nangong Yu.