Chapter 1543: Arrogance
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Many cultivators had gathered together at Sword Comprehension Mountain. Some swordsmen had been cultivating here all along, and others had come because they had heard about Shen Jing and had specifically come to see him.
He was the genius who had defeated all the other geniuses of the Higher Heavens Realm. Although he was already so famous throughout the Divine Palace, the more he refused to show his hand, the more the people of the palace wanted to know how strong he was.
Especially since a swordsman as powerful as Li Daozi was waiting here at Sword Comprehension Mountain for him.
At that moment, two figures were streaking through the sky towards the mountain. Everyone stared at them as soon as they appeared. He had finally come.
They had all been waiting for a long time.
“Brother Zhuang Hong!” whispered everyone when they saw the figure beside Ye Futian.
Zhuang Hong was another extremely prestigious figure within the Divine Palace.
Apparently, Shen Jing had been spending his time at Celestial Worthy Mountain, cultivating with Zhuang Hong.
“Brother Zhuang,” people said as the two of them arrived, and many of them bowed. This made a look of surprise come over Ye Futian’s face. He looked strangely at the man beside him.
It seemed like he had an incredibly high position within the Divine Palace. No wonder he had put so much pressure upon him when they had first met. However, they had not fought; otherwise, he would truly know Zhuang Hong’s power.
Ye Futian saw some familiar faces. Fighting will appeared in many of their eyes when they looked at him. It seemed like they wanted to see just how strong this man who was so highly regarded was.
Moreover, there was someone else there who surprised Ye Futian. Yi Tianyu was there as well.
However, Ye Futian’s gaze did not linger on Yi Tianyu. He just looked at him for a moment and then looked elsewhere.
“Zhuang Hong,” said Yi Tianyu.
Zhuang Hong turned his gaze upon him, then at the woman beside him. “Are you two together?”
Previously, although there had been developments in the relationship between the two of them, they had not reached the step of actually being together. But now, they were standing shoulder to shoulder. Could it be that he had been completely focusing on cultivating up to the Renhuang level and thus had overlooked things going on the Divine Palace?
Yi Tianyu smiled thinly but did not answer. His gaze fell upon Ye Futian, and he said, “I am Yi Tianyu, a disciple of the Divine Palace.”
“I am Ye Man, a disciple of the Divine Palace,” the woman beside him said to Ye Futian. Although she was smiling at him, Ye Futian could faintly feel her powerful arrogance. She had a sense of nobility about her that seemed inborn. She seemed to be a good match for Yi Tianyu.
Moreover, her surname was Ye, just like his.
“These two are not from the Higher Heavens Realm; they come from other realms within the Nine Supreme Regions. However, they are both members of top forces. It is said that one of them is the prince of a divine dynasty, and the other is a princess of an ancient nation, so they both are of incredibly high status. They are both very talented and are very well suited to each other,” Zhuang Hong transmitted to Ye Futian, giving him a simple introduction to these two.
Ye Futian knew of Yi Tianyu but had never realized that Ye Man was also not from the Higher Heavens Realm. Was it because they were both far from home that they developed feelings for each other?
“I am Shen Jing of Taixuan Mountain.” Ye Futian nodded to each of them in turn.
“I have heard of the peerless swordsman of Taixuan Mountain, Shen Jing. Now all the disciples of the Divine Palace want to see you, and this has now become my wish as well,” said Yi Tianyu with a smile, seeming very polite. At that moment, Yi Tianyu was acting completely different than when he had seen him in the Heavenly Mandate Realm.
1Of course, this could be because he was in a different mood.
“No need to be so polite,” said Ye Futian with a slight smile. Yi Tianyu said no more. He had come today only because he was curious. Li Daozi was, after all, someone who was at the same level of fame as him. Thus, the battle between him and the swordsman from Taixuan Mountain was worth paying attention to.
At that moment, an incredibly cold will descended upon Ye Futian. He frowned and turned his gaze. He saw a group of figures appear. These people were surrounded by an incredibly cold aura that felt as cold as ice that would never melt in a thousand years. There seemed to be wind and snow in their eyes, and everyone they looked at seemed extremely cold.
There was someone in the group that Ye Futian recognized, one whom he had left a deep impression on. After all, he had seized the Stream of Life from her and then taken her fruit of the way. How could he have not left a deep impression?
The woman was Lu Qingyao, and there was a young man in a white robe with her. His hair was as white as snow, and his facial features were exquisite, but his aura was cold. He was the one who had the strongest aura among them.
He looked back at Ye Futian when he felt his eyes on her. At that moment, Ye Futian felt he had entered another world—a world of endless snow and ice. His thoughts seemed to freeze as if he was in a field of snow. His blood seemed to have been infected by ice as well.
With just a glance, Ye Futian seemed to have been covered in a layer of ice, and it seemed like he had turned into an ice sculpture.
“Huh?” A look of surprise came over Ye Futian’s face. Li Daozi had not done anything yet, and someone else wanted to fight Ye Futian first?
Moreover, this was a personal disciple of two of the palaces within the Divine Palace. That was how talented he was. Two of the top figures of the age were teaching him. Lu Qingyao was his sworn sister, and Bai Xiu, the personal disciple of Lord Underworld, who had been wounded by Ye Futian, was his sworn brother. This man was also a personal disciple of Lord Underworld.
This was Jiang Ce, one of the top figures within the Divine Palace.
Ye Futian’s blood rushed faster when he felt the cold will enter him. Terrible yet majestic sword will swept out from within him, driving away the cold will. His eyes flashed like swords as he looked back at his opponent. In a flash, the space around the two of them was subject to an immense amount of pressure.
Falling snow seemed to fill the sky, and there was incredibly sharp sword will among the flying snowflakes.
Neither of them moved, but they seemed to have entered another world. It was a world of endless snow and sword will. Ye Futian stood facing his opponent. This Jiang Ce had already formed a soul of the way, and his divine spirit was incredibly frightening.
Jiang Ce was trying to freeze his spiritual soul.
“What are they doing?” A look of surprise came over the faces of the people on Sword Comprehension Mountain. The temperature around them was falling continuously, and sword will had already spread off into the distance. But the two of them still had not moved. It seemed that they were both in a meditative state.
“Their spiritual souls are fighting,” someone said.
Woosh! A wild ice storm blew all around them, swallowing up Ye Futian and the others. But the fierce sword will was not diminished. It continued to flow around them endlessly.
A destructive sound rang out as the Great Path roared within Ye Futian, destroying everything. There was a clear, crisp sound as if something had snapped. Suddenly, the ice storm began to weaken, and the sword will dissipated as well.
The ice on Ye Futian melted, and Jiang Ce’s eyes became normal once again.
He looked long and hard and Ye Futian, then said, “It seems that Sister Lu’s defeat was not a fluke.”
Beside him, Lu Qingyao glanced at him. She was speechless. It seemed like Brother Jiang Ce was also admitting how powerful this man was.
“Do you wish to test me any more?” Ye Futian asked Jiang Ce.
“Li Daozi has been waiting here for you for a long time. This matter is now between the two of you,” answered Jiang Ce. The snow and ice disappeared, as he was no longer unleashing his power. Previously, he had just been testing Ye Futian to see how powerful his spiritual soul was. The will within him could not be stopped. He was clearly a powerful being.
Ye Futian turned and looked towards Sword Comprehension Mountain with its 81 peaks. Each peak looked like a sword reaching up into the heavens, trying to pierce through the clouds.
His eyes seemed to pierce across the distance. Within all of those sword peaks, he saw a figure sitting quietly in front of the second to last mountain. He seemed to not have realized that Ye Futian had arrived, and was not paying attention.
Ye Futian started forward. At that moment, someone rose into the air, looked towards where Li Daozi was, and called out, “Brother Li, Shen Jing is here.”
Li Daozi seemed not to hear him. He still sat where he was. But at that moment, sword will burst out from among the sword mountains, and sword light flashed all around. The sword will seemed endless as it flowed around. The one who had called forth all this power seemed to be the man who was sitting there without moving.
“You are the one I have been waiting for. Let us comprehend the next sword stroke here and now,” came a misty voice that resounded through the air. Everyone could hear the arrogance in that voice.
He had been waiting here for Shen Jing for a long time. But if Shen Jing could not comprehend the next sword stroke then and there, then what right did he have to make him wait? And what right did he have to make him draw his sword?
Li Daozi did not only want to fight this battle because Ye Futian had defeated his brother Li Xun. If that had been all, then he would not come here.
What he wanted was to find a swordsman who was his equal so that he could prove himself.
Everyone’s eyes were on Ye Futian. Someone said, “Alright, Shen Jing. Comprehend the next sword stroke.”
A look of surprise came over Ye Futian’s face when he heard this. He smiled and walked towards the mountains. He could see sword will flowing within the mountains.
“I did not come to Sword Comprehension Mountain to challenge anyone, nor to prove anything. If I comprehend the next sword stroke, it won’t be for anyone else. It will simply be because I am cultivating the way of swordsmanship.”
Ye Futian stepped forward as he said this. His thoughts flowed, and in an instant, endless sword will shot up into the clouds, transforming into a sword that stuck up from one of the mountains.
Then another one came from a second mountain, then a third. Brilliant sword light shone from the peaks one by one, making everyone stare at the sight.
Was he comprehending the sword strokes?
How was he doing it so fast?
Li Daozi had his pride. If Ye Futian could not comprehend these swords right in front of him, then he would not be qualified to fight him.
Ye Futian was the same. He had not come here because Li Daozi was waiting for him, nor because he wanted to challenge Li Daozi. He had only come because this was a good place to cultivate swordsmanship.
Everyone watched as Ye Futian walked forward. With every step, more swords shot up from the mountain peaks around him. The sword will of the Great Path burst forth, flowing towards him and casting brilliant light.
“This…”
Everyone was speechless as they watched this scene!