Sword Aura to the Heavens
Chapter 64: The Curtain Falls? (Request for First Subscription)

Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Curtain Falls? (Request for First Subscription)

On the colossal stone within Sword Valley, Li Fan’s consciousness returned, and strands of formidable Sword Intent surged into the valley. The spiritual energy of heaven and earth poured into his body, causing it to roar within.

Inside Sword Valley, the unceasing sword hymn seemed to resonate with Li Fan’s call.

He opened his eyes, and a fleeting gleam of sword light appeared before vanishing.

*"I’ve broken through,"* Li Fan thought to himself. While battling in the stone wall, he emerged having reached the Late Stage of God Refining Realm. More astonishingly, his physical body advanced as well, and his martial arts entered the Grandmaster Realm.

The sense of exhaustion he’d felt within the stone wall was entirely swept away; his spirit surged, and his vitality coursed through him like a dragon.

*Li Fan understood that he might be on the verge of obtaining Li Mountain’s greatest inheritance.*

The sword the Old Blind Man had mentioned—it must be that sword.

It was no wonder Li Mountain tried dissuading him from entering Sword Valley. To harbor a demon within one’s body yet have the potential to inherit the highest legacy of Li Mountain—how could Li Mountain dare take such a risk?

Even so, Li Mountain ultimately did not stop him from coming to Sword Valley. Perhaps, they too wished to witness destiny unfold.

Li Fan rose to his feet, turning to look at Ye Qinghuang.

As he moved, the sword hymn within Sword Valley abruptly came to a halt. Nearby, Lu Yuan looked toward Li Fan, her beautiful eyes reflecting a strange expression, her heart stirred with intense emotions.

*Could it be that the disruptions across the entire Sword Valley were caused by him?*

Ye Qinghuang opened her eyes and looked at Li Fan, saying, "Xiao Fan."

"Senior Sister, I need to go to Sword Peak," Li Fan said.

Ye Qinghuang gazed at him, seeing determination in his eyes and battle intent emanating from his entire being. She lightly nodded and said, "If you want to go, then go."

"Junior Brother, I’ll go with you," Wen Ruyu stepped forward, speaking. On Sword Peak, a decisive duel awaited him.

"I will go as well," Lu Yuan declared as she stood. News had arrived that at the Peak of Li Mountain, Lingxiao Pavilion’s Sword Inquiry left Li Mountain struggling to win even a single match.

Wen Ruyu gave Lu Yuan a glance, nodded faintly, and with a thought, his sword floated before the two of them. He said, "Step on."

Li Fan and Lu Yuan both stepped onto the flying sword. Wen Ruyu turned and commanded the sword to rise; in an instant, three sharp swords pierced through the skies, racing toward the peak of Li Mountain.

"Wait for me!" Yang Qingshan shouted, running after them. How could they forget him?

Figures from all over Sword Valley soared through the air, departing one after another toward Li Mountain’s Sword Peak.

Atop Li Mountain’s peak, outside the grand hall, an uneasy silence reigned.

An intangible pressure cloaked Li Mountain as yet another faction arrived. They stepped onto Sword Peak, leveraging the occasion of the Sword Inquiry to forcefully intimidate Li Mountain.

Gu Qingyang sighed inwardly. Li Mountain’s millennium of glory had suffered defeat today, affirming its decline.

He raised his head and glanced at the sunlight, which was slightly blinding.

*Li Mountain, Li Mountain... it had finally reached the point of no return. He found himself longing for those past years, when his master and countless elders upheld the mountain’s honor. Now, under his stewardship, he could no longer sustain it. He felt deeply ashamed of his inability to protect Li Mountain.*

He returned his focus and looked at the opposition, prepared to speak when the furious roar of Sword Aura rushed from behind him. Turning around, he caught sight of figures flying through the air. Above Li Mountain, swords were gliding amidst the skies.

Wen Ruyu, Lu Yuan!

The two most exceptional disciples of Li Mountain across two generations. Their arrival at the final critical moment brought a fleeting sense of relief to Gu Qingyang. Even if Li Mountain were truly to fall, its Sword Cultivators retained their pride and backbone.

He also caught sight of Li Fan, though his expectations of Li Fan remained modest.

From Lingxiao Pavilion’s direction, Pei Jing raised his head, noticing Wen Ruyu’s arrival. Wen Ruyu’s presence brimmed with Sword Intent, sharp and extreme; in his gaze rested a fiery battle spirit.

Wen Ruyu lowered Li Fan and Lu Yuan. His gaze, like a pointed blade, landed on Pei Jing but refrained from making a move.

This Sword Inquiry of Li Mountain was to be Xiao Fan’s battlefield.

He withdrew to the rear, leaving Pei Jing slightly furrowed in thought.

Li Mountain’s disciples were perplexed, but as they observed Lu Yuan stepping forward, their spirits surged once more. Perhaps Wen Ruyu intended to reserve his efforts until after Lu Yuan’s battle concluded.

"Lu Yuan."

On Sword Peak, the eyes of Li Mountain’s disciples rested entirely on Lu Yuan, brimming with fervent anticipation.

Lu Yuan was Li Mountain’s hope now.

Regardless of Li Mountain’s ultimate fate, the Sword Inquiry would not end in utter humiliation.

Li Mountain could falter, but not in disgrace.

What they needed was a victory.

Even the elders of Li Mountain turned their gazes toward Lu Yuan.

The collective hopes of Li Mountain seemed to converge upon Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan stepped onto the battlefield, with unbridled fighting spirit spiraling in her eyes. From Lingxiao Pavilion’s direction, Chu Zili stepped forward and smiled at Lu Yuan. *What a breathtaking woman.*

Chu Zili approached her and said, "Li Mountain is finished. Why don’t you join us in Lingxiao Pavilion?"

The people of Li Mountain glared in indignation. Chu Zili’s arrogance knew no boundaries: he dared to recruit one of Li Mountain’s disciples in their presence!

Lu Yuan ignored his words, as an icy aura surged forth around her. Her Dharma Form manifested.

A bright moon hung high in the sky, and Taiyin Radiance cascaded down, directed at Chu Zili. In an instant, he shivered as that radiance enveloped him, leaving him feeling chilled to his bones. Even the circulation of his Sword Intent stuttered slightly, and his expression grew more solemn.

*This ice-cold beauty’s strength was evidently formidable.*

Behind Chu Zili, Wang Daoxuan and Ye Chaosong focused intently on Lu Yuan’s Dharma Form, their expressions betraying astonishment.

Then, Sword Intent emanated from Lu Yuan, frigid and piercing, and in a flash encircled Chu Zili.

The glowing moon radiated magnificently, seemingly merged with her Sword Intent. As lunar brilliance rained down, the moonlight appeared imbued with Sword Intent. Each ray of radiance carried immense might, striking toward Chu Zili.

"Be careful," Pei Jing warned. Chu Zili took a step forward, surrounding himself with powerful Sword Intent that transformed into a Sword Veil to shield his body. The moonlight struck the veil like falling blades, making it tremble incessantly.

Frost began to condense along the Sword Veil, threatening to crystallize completely.

Witnessing the scene, the disciples of Li Mountain felt a rush of exhilaration. Their eyes stayed locked on the battlefield, their breath held tight in anticipation.

Prior attempts in the Sword Inquiry had seen Lu Yuan holding back; she had yet to unleash her full strength. Now, in the midst of the Sword Inquiry, they were finally witnessing Lu Yuan in her prime.

The lunar brilliance intensified, cascading unfailingly down upon Chu Zili. His movements turned sluggish, while a sword materialized in Lu Yuan’s hand.

"Zili, stand down,"

a voice commanded. Chu Zili paused mid-step, hesitating.

"Withdraw,"

Wang Daoxuan declared, his eyes locked firmly ahead. He had already seen the inevitability of Chu Zili’s defeat.

Since victory was beyond reach, better not to fight at all.

While retreat by its nature constituted concession, insofar as Jiang Taie overcame Lu Yuan in battle, the domination could still be considered absolute.

Chu Zili flushed with embarrassment, but ultimately dared not defy Wang Daoxuan’s order. He withdrew, returning to Pei Jing’s side.

"Coward!"

Li Mountain’s disciples glared angrily at Wang Daoxuan. Faced with certain defeat, the man had shamelessly chosen to avoid combat entirely.

Even so, the retreat in itself confessed to Lu Yuan’s dominance. Their gazes toward her burned brighter. Lu Yuan had salvaged a sliver of Li Mountain’s dignity.

But there remained another duel.

Having turned her sights away from Chu Zili, Lu Yuan now looked toward Jiang Taie.

Jiang Taie stepped forward courteously, offering a sword salute to Lu Yuan. "Jiang Taie of Lingxiao Pavilion. Your teachings, please."

"Lu Yuan of Li Mountain," Lu Yuan replied.

As the words left their lips, moonlight descended anew while Jiang Taie’s Sword Dao rings radiated behind him, gilded divine light radiating brilliantly.

Li Mountain was particularly still. Even the eminent figures from various sects watched this battle, intrigued.

This seemed to be the decisive duel between the foremost prodigies of Li Mountain and Lingxiao Pavilion.

The moonlight moved toward Jiang Taie, but behind him, golden Sword Aura blossomed within his Sword Dao rings, colliding in mid-air with the Taiyin Sword Aura, both annihilating each other.

Clearly, what overwhelmed Chu Zili lacked the capacity to suppress Jiang Taie.

A golden Sword Ring revolved behind Jiang Taie, releasing an intense burst of divine light—a golden sword.

As it shot forth, lunar brilliance fell over the golden sword, momentarily coating it in frost. Though its speed appeared slightly hindered, it nonetheless carried divine radiance as it surged forward aggressively.

Lu Yuan extended her left hand, and everything before her froze instantly. An ice wall materialized, shielding her. When the sword struck the ice wall, it transformed into an icicle.

The strength of a Dharma Form directly amplified the potency of spells it conjured, and Lu Yuan’s Bright Moon Dharma Form was evidently formidable.

Jiang Taie was no less aware of this power. Unlike his battle against Xie Can, he extended his hand forward, forming a Condensed Sword Seal. In moments, golden divine brilliance intensified behind him, and his Sword Dao ring erupted with countless beams of golden light.

"All Swords Return."

Wang Daoxuan observed the scene with great satisfaction. This swordsmanship belonged to the pinnacle of Lingxiao Pavilion’s techniques, yet to display such mastery within the Refining Realm—who besides Jiang Taie in the Da Li World could accomplish that?

Undoubtedly, this talented young woman possessed transcendent aptitude, but she was destined to lose.

Amongst her peers, Jiang Taie had no equal.

Lu Yuan’s expression hardened as the golden swords burst forth, her ice wall crumbling under their relentless force. Witnessing this, the disciples of Li Mountain felt despair sweep over them. Was this the power of a Sword Cultivator in the Refining Realm?

"Bang..."

The ice wall shattered completely, but Lu Yuan leaped into the air, her mana enabling her to hover above. She merged seamlessly with the bright moon, which cast its radiance over her.

Lu Yuan seemed to meld into the moonlight itself, as Sword Intent surged from her brow. The cascading lunar brilliance transformed into an icy storm, consuming everything it touched and rushing toward Jiang Taie.

Amid this, a sword emerged within the luminous moon—a weapon descending along with the moonlight toward Jiang Taie. Lu Yuan followed close behind, seizing the sword by its hilt, embodying a divine presence.

Jiang Taie swept his hands, igniting the golden Sword Ring behind him. Its divine radiance clashed fiercely with the lunar brilliance. The golden ring grew larger, radiating magnificence akin to a golden sun. From within it emerged an enormous golden sword, obliterating all before it.

As the golden giant sword was released, onlookers felt its brilliance sting their eyes.

The two swords collided, inciting an explosive storm.

Jiang Taie took steps forward, the sword intent strengthening with each move. Above him, swords seemed to coalesce, crying out endlessly in an orchestra of Sword Aura.

The pressure of his sword terrified Li Mountain’s disciples, choking them with despair.

Jiang Taie—a Sword Cultivator of the Refining Realm.

"All Swords Return," he declared, pointing toward his sword. The giant sword lunged forward, summoning countless swords throughout heaven and earth to converge toward Lu Yuan. Moonlight descended valiantly, but the giant sword shattered through the ice wall with a roar. The deafening impact overwhelmed Lu Yuan, finally launching her backward.

Moonlight scattered into an enchanting flurry of frost as Lu Yuan landed harshly, vomiting blood. Sword Aura had wounded her.

As silence enveloped Li Mountain, its disciples were consumed with feelings of defeat.

After witnessing the duel, could anyone truly fault Lu Yuan? She had fought valiantly, showcasing incredible combat power. Yet Jiang Taie’s sword was domineering, leaving her unable to get close.

All eyes turned toward Jiang Taie, resplendent in golden divine radiance. The disciples of Li Mountain felt a deep sense of helplessness.

Lu Yuan’s loss signified the end of Li Mountain’s Sword Inquiry.

Would it also mark the fall of Li Mountain itself?

Even the elders of Li Mountain sighed inwardly. If Li Mountain fell, their hopes rested in the hands of their disciples—but witnessing Jiang Taie’s power raised doubts. Did Li Mountain still have any hope?

On the battlefield, Lu Yuan coughed softly, her youthful eyes betraying a trace of undeniable disappointment. She was, after all, just a girl burdened with the weight of such an important duel.

And, she had lost.

*Lu Yuan felt her heart ache with regret as she turned, dragging her injured body away from the battlefield.*

The faces of Wang Daoxuan and his comrades revealed satisfaction. To them, it was over.

Li Mountain, too, was finished.

But then, from amidst the crowd, a figure began walking slowly toward the battlefield.

Lu Yuan paused and turned her gaze toward Li Fan.

"It’s up to you now," Lu Yuan murmured softly.

Li Fan froze briefly, nodded slightly toward her, and with that, the two passed each other. Li Fan continued forward, stepping into the heart of the battlefield.