A Pawn's Passage

Marshal Thunder shook the ancient sword in his hand, his sharp eyes filled with arid coldness.

In the next moment, Marshal Thunder’s figure darted forward, following the path of his sword and charging toward Zhang Yuelu in midair.

Zhang Yuelu moved gracefully, treading the sky on white clouds, every step creating a lotus-shaped qi that sent rippling waves.

When the two closed in, their swords clashed, sounding like a battlefield with countless metallic clashes and sword qi scattering in every direction.

With every strike, the two left visible sword light in the night sky. Zhang Yuelu’s marks were a lotus-white, while Marshal Thunder’s were a lightning purple.

Before long, numerous sword lights crisscrossed in distinct colors and lingered in the sky, seemingly shredding the darkness into fragments.

Marshal Thunder casually tossed the ancient sword aside, letting it hover. He used one hand to control the sword. With a wave of his sleeve, he transformed the lightning on the sword into hundreds of swords that poured down like torrential rain.

Zhang Yuelu wielded her paper sword, unleashing an overwhelming burst of sword qi. The energy surged like a river bursting its banks, scattering the thunder swords, which were three times sharper than ordinary weapons.

Marshal Thunder’s robes fluttered from his own surging qi and Zhang Yuelu’s overwhelming sword qi. His expression remained calm as he pointed to the sky and said, “Rise.”

The ancient sword that had been hovering beside Marshal Thunder was drawn by his innate qi, tracing a crescent moon arc before accelerating rapidly. It transformed into a streak of purple lightning, moving so fast that the blade became invisible.

This was the Sword Steering Technique of Heavenly-Being Qi Refiners, which did not require lightweight miniature flying swords. They could easily maneuver a meter-long sword like an extension of their own arm.

In terms of power, a meter-long sword far surpassed a 10-centimeter flying sword.

Although Marshal Thunder’s strike had not reached an Immortal’s level of decapitating an enemy from 500 kilometers away, it was not to be underestimated.

Its speed was so fast that only a flash of sword light could be seen, followed by lingering traces of lightning.

Facing this strike, Zhang Yuelu maintained a calm mind. She fully deployed the Sword Series and the Heart Series of the Cihang Sword Sequence. She used her mind’s eye to survey all directions, and her sword followed suit, guarding her entire body so tightly that even the fastest Sword Steering Technique could not find an opening.

In just the blink of an eye, Marshal Thunder’s ancient sword clashed with Zhang Yuelu’s paper sword over a hundred times. Though the Sword Steering Technique surpassed the limitations of wielding a sword by hand and was incredibly aggressive, Zhang Yuelu only needed to defend one meter all around her. Without the need for her sword to circle and traverse like a flying sword, her shorter range allowed her to counter Marshal Thunder’s ever-changing offense with an airtight and unchanging defense, rendering Marshal Thunder’s strikes ineffective.

Marshal Thunder remained unfazed, merely changing his gesture once more.

When a sword technique was perfected, it could even sever dragons.

Injecting his qi into the ancient sword, Marshal Thunder transformed it into a surging thunderbolt, making it resemble a dragon that once again charged through the air.

This ancient sword, named Azure Thunderbolt, allowed even those unfamiliar with thunder techniques to summon lightning simply by wielding it.

The winds and clouds shifted dramatically in the night sky, resembling turbulent river waters during a tidal surge. However, Zhang Yuelu stood her ground and released her paper sword.

The paper sword hovered independently and radiated a rainbow of light. It then split into two, then three, then countless more, forming a fan of swords behind her, resembling a peacock’s spread-out tail feathers.

Behind Zhang Yuelu, a Spiritual Statue of a Hundred-Arm Guanyin appeared, towering over 10 meters tall. Unlike any Guanyin statues found in temples, this one held no ritual vases or willow branches. Instead, each hand wielded a paper sword.

This was the Guanyin Hundred Swords Technique.

Compared to the other three great swordsmanship, the Cihang Sword Sequence lacked the sharpness and lethal aura, but embodied a more compassionate spirit, achieving harmony in offense and defense.

Zhang Yuelu placed both palms together, making a hand motion.

The hundred swords moved in unison, blooming like a hundred flowers.

In the night sky, countless streams of sword qi crisscrossed.

Forced to adapt, Marshal Thunder temporarily summoned his ancient sword and grabbed it, ditching the Sword Steering Technique. An intense qi radiated from the Heavenly Being, causing a windstorm. He was using raw power to break through Zhang Yuelu’s intricate techniques.

A vast curtain of swords unfolded.

Marshal Thunder wielded his long sword, drawing continuous circles to form a tight shield. The seemingly illusory hundred swords swarmed and struck the shield, only to shatter and disperse one after another.

The clashing of sword qi and lightning created a zapping sound.

Watching from the sidelines, Qi Xuansu had assumed Zhang Yuelu would fail. To his surprise, the hundred swords merged back into one, forming a single line of sword qi that pierced through the already weakening shield, striking Marshal Thunder’s chest.

Blood sprayed from Marshal Thunder’s chest, leaving the Heavenly Being both shocked and furious. But he ignored his injuries and retaliated without hesitation.

A flash of thunderous sword light shattered the white Spiritual Statue of the Hundred-Arm Guanyin, scattering it into countless fragments that fluttered like falling snowflakes or fireflies.

Zhang Yuelu reappeared, drifting back over 30 meters before steadying herself, relying on the sash of her Taiyi Cloud Robe to hover midair. The robe emitted layers of white clouds, with tiny streaks of lightning writhing like serpents across its surface.

She shook her Taiyi Cloud Robe, dispersing the tiny lightning snakes from her body. She then raised her paper sword once more, pointing it at Marshal Thunder standing opposite her.

Marshal Thunder was not faring well either. Zhang Yuelu’s earlier strike was not purely from the Cihang lineage. She even incorporated the Six Void Tribulations. Thus, the six foreign streams of qi took root in Marshal Thunder’s chest upon impact, gradually spreading to his limbs and the rest of his body.

He was forced to suppress it with all his might. Fortunately, his cultivation surpassed Zhang Yuelu’s by one level, allowing him to subdue it with overwhelming force, but not without a price.

Thin streams of blood trickled from the corners of his eyes and nostrils, leaving red, gory streaks on his face. Without wiping them away, he gripped his ancient sword once more and sneered. “You sure live up to your nickname as the Junior Tiangang Hall Master. You’re impressive, I’ll give you that.”

Zhang Yuelu did not reply. She simply swung her paper sword, sending out a wave of sword qi. Marshal Thunder blocked it with his ancient sword, his innate qi quaking through his body as fresh blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.

Marshal Thunder, hindered by the Six Void Tribulations, had his cultivation impaired. Zhang Yuelu’s paper sword was also significantly superior to Marshal Thunder’s ancient sword.

As Madam Qi had mentioned, guidance from a master and the collective wisdom of predecessors far surpassed that of solitary exploration. Thus, in their exchange, Marshal Thunder found himself at a temporary disadvantage.

After enduring one of her strikes, Marshal Thunder refrained from direct confrontation. Instead, he launched waves of thunderous sword qi while focusing on dispelling the Six Void Tribulations within him that were like gangrene in his bones.

Zhang Yuelu lightly shook her Taiyi Cloud Robe, using the surrounding clouds to block the incoming sword qi.

Her eyes shone like the bright moon, and her skin glowed like fine jade. Her black hair was bound by a jade hairpin, and she was adorned in a white robe that exuded clouds, with a colorful sash that circled her arms.

Holding her paper sword, the composed Zhang Yuelu looked like an ethereal presence who had just descended from the heavens.

Her expression remained calm and unruffled as she launched another sword strike.

Marshal Thunder’s figure plummeted rapidly downward.

Zhang Yuelu pursued him closely, forcing Marshal Thunder to counter with his sword.

His ancient sword clashed with her paper sword more than ten times in rapid succession, each collision resounding like a thunderclap that pierced one’s eardrums.

Eventually, Marshal Thunder’s defenses faltered. Though he blocked nearly all of the ten consecutive strikes, he failed to stop the final one, which landed on his chest, tearing a long gash and releasing a mist of blood.

However, using this strike as an opportunity, Marshal Thunder suddenly accelerated, his figure shooting toward Zhenwu Lake below like a falling meteor.