Martial Cultivator

Sword Sect’s Yu Xiyi, requests a duel from Sect Master?!

These few words struck into everyone’s hearts like a bolt of lightning.

Yu Xiyi and the others knew, it was that man who had taken the Hundred Year Sword from Sword Qi Mountain, the most outstanding sword cultivator of his generation. While others were still climbing the path of Sword Dao, this young sword cultivator had already reached the Nepenthe Realm and become a true sword immortal.

Yet even if you, Yu Xiyi, had achieved fame at a young age, and even if you were already one of the sword immortals of this era, you were still only a sword immortal.

You had yet to step into the realm of great sword immortal, and yet you dared to challenge the number one person in Sword Dao in the world, the man who had stood unrivaled for countless years?

For a moment, countless people felt dazed, thinking this young man must have practiced himself into madness.

A newborn calf was unafraid of tigers, but this was far beyond mere fearlessness.

What surprised everyone, however, was that the Sword Sect’s Sect Master did not take those words as mere youthful arrogance. He neither ignored them nor showed anger at Yu Xiyi’s boldness. Instead, after glancing at him a few times, he said calmly, “Sword Sect disciples, watch carefully.”

In the previous duel, the one who had drawn his sword was the renowned Sword Immortal Luting, a true great sword immortal. When he fought, it was reasonable that the Sword Sect’s Sect Master called his disciples to observe. But now, with only a junior, a young sword immortal who had yet to step into the realm of great sword immortal issuing a challenge, the Sect Master’s solemn response was puzzling.

Sword immortals were rare in the world, but within the Sword Sect, they were not considered rare.

At that moment, among the sword cultivators gathered here to watch, there were not many, but no fewer than a dozen sword immortals.

They were all on the nearby mountains right now.

On one mountaintop, two sword immortals stood side by side. One was in yellow robes, the other in white, it was very easy to differentiate.

The middle-aged sword immortal in yellow stood with his hands behind his back, his expression solemn. While the middle-aged sword cultivator in white wore a faint smile.

In recent years, the widely spread tale among the world was that the Infatuation Daoist Temple had produced two young prodigies of nearly equal talent, known together as the Twin Pillars of Daoism, a story celebrated across the lands. Yet, years ago, the Sword Sect too had once produced a pair worthy of such comparison.

The one in yellow was surnamed Jiao, given name Xinchen. The one in white was surnamed Meng, given name Sangshan.

Though the two had not shared the same master, they had entered the sect around the same time, and were of similar age. From the day they began practicing the sword, they had been locked in constant rivalry. As their realms advanced, one would first reach the Bitter Sea, and the other would enter the Great Beyond first.

The two had competed for nearly half their lives, and later, almost simultaneously stepped into Nepenthe to become sword immortals. Afterward, perhaps because of age and broadened perspective, or for other reasons entirely, they ceased to view each other as rivals, and instead became the closest of friends.

Hearing the bold words of the young man, Meng Sangshan smiled and said, “That kid Yu Xiyi, ever since he managed to walk out of his self-imposed confinement, I knew that one day he would surely be able to break through and reach the end of Nepenthe, becoming a great sword immortal. But I didn’t expect it to happen so soon. It seems he’s a bit displeased that the great daoist sage and that young martial artist have both surpassed him.”

Jiao Xinchen said with no expression, “Though he’s just one step away from breaking through, he chose to use the Sect Master as his whetstone, to help him push open that final door. But the Sect Master clearly took this matter seriously. Now that he’s suppressing his cultivation to fight him, this kid is most likely doomed.”

Meng Sangshan glanced at his old friend, who had always been so serious all his life, but before he could speak, Jiao Xinchen straightforwardly pointed out the reason, “Though the Sect Master suppressed his realm, he’s still going to attach with full force. You should know, within the same realm, the Sect Master has never... never been defeated by any sword cultivator.”

Jiao Xinchen had originally intended to say that the Sect Master had never lost in the same realm, but thinking back to when he had gone to the Divine Capital, and earlier to the desolate north, he recalled that when the Sect Master crossed swords with the two emperors, he hadn’t gained any advantage. So he changed his phrasing.

Indeed, among sword cultivators, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master had never been defeated. From the day he began practicing the sword until now, countless so-called geniuses had fallen beneath his sword, as had numerous sword masters who once claimed to be at their peak.

Even as generations of sword cultivators rose and fell, none had ever managed to surpass this man who stood at the pinnacle of Sword Dao.

Meng Sangshan did not refute that statement, but merely said, “And what about little Yu? Since he began practicing the sword, has he ever been defeated by a sword cultivator of his generation?”

In truth, Yu Xiyi had always been an anomaly within the Sword Sect. Most sword cultivators of the sect spent their entire lives cultivating in this holy land, rarely descending the mountain to travel. Only Yu Xiyi seemed disinterested in what the rest of the world’s sword cultivators revered as a holy land. Over the years, he had spent very little time on the mountains. Most of the time, he was out wandering the world.

“Not to mention sword cultivators of his generation, even we old fellows who rely on our seniority have never defeated him.”

Meng Sangshan smiled and said, “Each generation brings forth its talents, each shining for a few hundred years. In the past, the Sect Master could indeed be called truly invincible. But to think that the Sect Master has since become an insurmountable mountain that no one can ever surpass, I don’t believe that. I admit I no longer have the ability, but that little Yu might just have a chance.”

Jiao Xinchen frowned slightly but said nothing in response.

This genius sword immortal, who had stepped into Nepenthe before reaching the age of sixty, did not hold much hope for Yu Xiyi. Not because he refused to acknowledge Yu Xiyi’s talent, but because the further he advanced in Sword Dao over the years, the more he understood how terrifying the Sect Master truly was.

In the path of the sword, the Sword Sect’s Sect Master could almost be said to embody the very meaning of “Sword Dao” itself.

Meng Sangshan knew his old friend would not believe him, so he did not insist, instead smiling as he said, “Let’s make a bet then. I’ll wager that jar of Jade Flask Spring you’ve been hiding away. If I lose, I’ll give you the Sword Scripture handwritten by the Sword Immortal Myriad.”

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