Watching the Mountain

Chapter 270: Chapter 166: Wuchen’s Highlight

’The young Demon Saint of the Demon Race is Qin Yufeng’s handiwork. If he ends up facing Li Daoyi and the others in the future, it’ll be like a magical combat by proxy between me and Qin Yufeng.’

Qin Yufeng, his so-called ”friend,” was growing in power far too quickly. Xu Ran had to admit that he was no match for him. That was why he hoped Li Daoyi and the others could surpass him in his stead and gain the upper hand.

Thus, after demonstrating his Three-Form Sword Technique for the first time in front of Chu Lingxiao and Luo Qianxue, Xu Ran looked at them with a serious expression. His voice was low as he said:

”Do you want to witness the swordsmanship of a young Senior Brother Ye Shan?”

At his words, it wasn’t just Chu Lingxiao and Luo Qianxue who were stunned—even Li Daoyi was shocked.

Their eyes widened as they stared at Xu Ran, a hint of anticipation mixed with their shock.

”Senior, you know the swordsmanship of Sword Dao Ye Shan from his youth? But wasn’t it said that he never passed down his techniques?”

Li Daoyi was also filled with confusion. ”Martial Uncle, how come I’ve never heard you mention this before?”

Xu Ran wasn’t surprised by their reactions in the slightest. Such was the power that the name Ye Shan held.

He believed that anyone, even someone who wasn’t a Sword Cultivator, would have the same reaction as Li Daoyi’s group upon hearing they could witness the swordsmanship of a young Ye Shan.

An image surfaced in Xu Ran’s mind: his first meeting with Ye Shan, when the man’s brilliance seemed to rival the scorching sun in the sky. He found himself lost in a daze for a moment.

’Back then, he truly was more dazzling than the scorching sun.’

’What a pity... his time has passed.’

’And now, the scorching suns of this new era are standing right before my eyes.’

Xu Ran looked at the fervent gazes of Li Daoyi and the other two, smiled faintly, and spoke with a calm expression.

”It’s impossible to perfectly replicate his swordsmanship, of course. But... I should be able to capture a shadow of it.”

The swordsmanship of a young Ye Shan also had only three forms. He had taught Xu Ran very earnestly while sparring with him back then, but at the time, Xu Ran couldn’t even comprehend what he was seeing, let alone learn it.

However, as time went on and Xu Ran’s Cultivation and swordsmanship improved, he began to faintly understand it when he recalled those memories.

But that alone wouldn’t have been enough for him to perform the techniques. What truly gave him his breakthrough was the long-distance exchange he’d had with Ye Shan while persuading Ye Shu to learn the sword.

By then, he had sparred with Chen Chang’an for sixty years and experienced numerous breakthroughs. His Sword Dao Realm was on a completely different level than before. Exchanging the Three-Form Sword Technique with Ye Shan from afar after so many years had instantly allowed him to comprehend many things that had previously been obscure.

After that, empowered by the Huaque Array, he had temporarily attained a Divinity Transformation Stage Cultivation. By wielding the very sword Ye Shan had once used, he was able to grasp Ye Shan’s state of mind and was even faintly influenced by it.

It was this experience that finally allowed him to truly comprehend Ye Shan’s swordsmanship.

Just as he’d said, while he couldn’t replicate it perfectly, he could certainly produce a shadow of Ye Shan’s true ability.

Upon hearing Xu Ran’s answer, the faces of Li Daoyi and the others lit up with joy. They couldn’t wait to speak. ”We implore you, Martial Uncle, to let us witness the swordsmanship of Sword Dao Ye Shan.”

Xu Ran said nothing more at their request. He simply gave a slight nod, then silently walked to a nearby clearing. Facing them, he closed his eyes. A long moment passed. When he opened his eyes again, his entire aura had completely transformed.

”Here it comes.”

As his voice fell, he slowly raised the longsword in his hand.

Li Daoyi, Luo Qianxue, and Chu Lingxiao held their breath, their gazes locked on Xu Ran as he began to practice his swordsmanship in the clearing.

Xu Ran’s opening stance was unremarkable, but the instant the tip of his sword thrust forward, an invisible, crushing pressure suddenly descended upon them.

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Ran thrust the longsword straight ahead.

THRUST!

The light of the blade condensed into a thin line. There was no whistling sound as it cut through the air, yet the atmosphere felt as if it had been instantly vacuumed dry. The three felt their chests tighten, as if that very sword tip was pressed against their own throats.

Luo Qianxue instinctively took half a step back. Chu Lingxiao’s pupils shrank, and he clenched his fists.

Xu Ran didn’t pause; his thrust transitioned into a horizontal sweep.

SWEEP!

A simple horizontal arc sliced through the air—a clean, decisive movement, utterly devoid of flourish.

Yet, as the Sword Qi swept by, the dead leaves scattered on the ground were silently reduced to fine powder, dispersing in the wind.

Li Daoyi’s eyes sharpened. He could clearly feel the pure destructive power contained within that Sword Intent. It seemed simple, yet it held an unyielding resolve to tear everything apart.

Beside him, Luo Qianxue’s breathing grew ragged, her eyes filled with a mixture of shock and yearning.

Then, following the momentum, the longsword swept upward before coming down in a sudden chop!

CLEAVE!

A powerful, heavy cleave descended, the movement still a most basic technique.

But in the instant the cleave fell, an aura of sharpness so intense it made one’s Divine Soul tremble erupted forth! It felt as if the very sky was about to be split asunder.

Both Luo Qianxue’s and Chu Lingxiao’s faces went pale. They felt a chill shoot from their spines to the crowns of their heads, and they instinctively wanted to circulate their energy to resist the suffocating aura of death that washed over them.

Li Daoyi’s body tensed slightly, his expression becoming incredibly grave.

He stared intently at the ephemeral trail left by that final cleave, his mind in turmoil. ’So this is the sword of a young Sword Dao Ye Shan? No superfluous movements, no complex trajectories... only the most primal, purest offensive instinct. Every strike carries an all-or-nothing momentum, an intent to sever all creation!’

’No wonder Master said that Martial Uncle Ye Shan’s swordsmanship transcended mere Sword Techniques. This is a dao of pure slaughter, one that incorporates his entire mind and will.’