The sheer dominance in his voice and the piercing sword intent were like that of a heavenly soldier descending with world-ending might.

As his words fell, he raised his longsword high. With no wasted motion, he slashed straight down at Chen Yang.

A single strike birthed a myriad of lights. A five-meter radius around him churned as a violent squall of bladed wind arose, shredding the very air to pieces. The powerful aura rippled outward in all directions, causing the flags at the building's entrance, even a hundred meters away, to whip and snap loudly.

The onlookers scrambled back, one after another. Horror filled their faces, as if they were staring at a ghost.

Is this… is this the power of a Sword Cultivator?

To be precise, this was the might of a Tier-Eleven and a half Sword Cultivator. Be it a Sword Cultivator or a Fist Master, crossing the threshold of the tenth tier marked a qualitative leap in strength.

"Boy, do you feel despair?" Chen Ke was proud and majestic, his condescending gaze like that of a god presiding over the lives of countless mortals. He held the Soul Extinguishing Sword high, standing at the apex of power.

"It's passable." No matter how wildly the sword intent raged, Chen Yang remained unmoved. After a slight nod, he tossed his longsword into the air, caught it in a reverse grip, and pressed the flat of the blade against his forearm.

Channeling power from his waist, he twisted his body and drew the longsword in a downward diagonal slash.

SHING!

"An ant trying to shake a tree," Chen Ke sneered.

However, his words were cut short by a piercing shriek of steel. The sneer just beginning to form on his face froze solid, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

How is this possible? With a simple slash from his opponent, the Sword Domain he had so carefully cultivated shattered with devastating ease.

In the blink of an eye, the blade was upon him.

WHOOSH!

But Chen Ke was no ordinary man, after all. Taking a deep breath, he hastily pulled his longsword back, gripping the hilt with one hand and the blade's flat with the other to block. He was preparing to retreat explosively, but…

CLANG!

With a sharp crack of metal, the longsword in his hands snapped in two.

SHLIIICK!

That sword—the Ancestral Sword of the Chen Family—slashed him diagonally from his right shoulder to his left abdomen. Flesh peeled back instantly as blood gushed from the wound.

BOOM!

A massive force sent Chen Ke flying sideways. He crashed heavily onto the ground seven or eight meters away.

CRACK! SQUELCH...

Then, there was only silence.

The vast square plunged into a deathly stillness. Every pair of eyes widened in utter horror and shock, staring fixedly at the unmoving Chen Yang.

"This..." In their minds, the one who should have ended up in a tragic state was the one who was just toying with his sword—Chen Yang. After all, from his grand entrance to the imposing aura he had just unleashed, Chen Ke had shaken them to their core. He seemed like an invincible Sword God descended upon the mortal realm.

And yet, the outcome... Defeated in a single move? And so grievously wounded?

Most critically, his opponent hadn't even used his full strength. He had simply reversed his grip on the longsword and made one gentle pull. Just… just like that? It was unbelievable. The truth was laid bare before them, yet they couldn't bring themselves to accept it. The sheer contrast threatened to shatter their very souls.

"PFFT..." Chen Ke struggled to sit up, only to spit out a mouthful of fresh blood. When his hand brushed against the gash on his chest, his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. How is this possible?! He snapped his head up, his gaze fixed on Chen Yang as if staring at some primordial beast.

How could he be so strong? It's impossible! Who is he?!

He was from a collateral branch of the royal Chen Family of Cangyun City, a rare pure Sword Cultivator who had already reached Tier-Eleven and a half. Even against a Tier-Twelve Fist Master, his ferocious sword techniques would allow him to hold his own for ten exchanges, perhaps even fight to a standstill. But now...

"No, no, this is absolutely impossible!" Chen Ke shook his head frantically, his eyes bloodshot with disbelief. "This has to be an illusion, right?" His strength was the very source of his pride, yet today, it had been shattered so effortlessly.

As for Chen Yang, he straightened up and took the Ancestral Sword in his other hand. He held it casually as crimson blood trickled down the blade, gathered at the tip, and dripped to the ground in a steady line. He then began to walk slowly toward Chen Ke.

"Chen Ke, are you okay?" Chen Mengyao rushed over immediately, helping Chen Ke up. Her face was pale as she asked anxiously.

"I'm not dead yet!" Chen Ke ground his teeth, his red eyes filled with resentment and venom. He could never have imagined being defeated by some unknown piece of trash. The sense of failure threatened to tear his Divine Spirit apart.

"Why didn't you listen to me?" Chen Mengyao seethed, grinding her teeth in frustration. "I already told you that you were no match for him!"

"When did you say that? All you said was that you'd found Chen Zhi's whereabouts!" Chen Ke shot back.

"I did! Right after that, I was about to tell you that you're no match for him! Both Chen Zhi and his guard were killed by that man!" As she spoke, Chen Mengyao jabbed a finger toward Chen Yang. Noticing he was walking their way, she tensed up instantly.

Chen Ke was speechless. He'd briefly considered the possibility before but had quickly dismissed it. How could that be? Considering Chen Zhi's strength, not to mention his guards... To be blunt, who in this backwater Lingjin City could possibly harm him?

"You... why didn't you tell me sooner?" Chen Ke's face flushed crimson, his eyes looking as if they might burst. If he had known, he never would have attacked. That was just asking for death!

"I was trying to, but you wouldn't listen!" Chen Mengyao said with an aggrieved expression. "Quick, we have to go!"

Chen Ke didn't dare hesitate. He turned to flee, ignoring the blood streaming from his wounds.

DING!

The Ancestral Sword, the very weapon Chen Ke had coveted, shot through the air and embedded itself in the ground right at his feet. In an instant, both Chen Ke and Chen Mengyao froze solid.

"Do you know why I didn't kill you outright?" Chen Yang asked calmly as he walked over and stopped before them.

Chen Ke's expression shifted several times. "You've won," he said grimly. "Are you really going to kill me?"

"Tell me how you located me so precisely," Chen Yang said. If he didn't solve this problem, he could face endless pursuit. While he feared nothing, he wasn't entirely alone. It was best to eliminate such annoyances.

"You..." Chen Ke clenched his teeth, staring at Chen Yang with a sinister glare. "Since you killed Chen Zhi, I suppose you won't let me go either."

Chen Yang neither confirmed nor denied it, simply staring at him.

"Heh..." Chen Ke let out a tragic laugh.

But then, completely unexpectedly, a thick mist of blood erupted from every pore on his body. The dense fog clung to him, refusing to disperse, but in the next second, it violently contracted, engulfing Chen Ke completely before shooting into the distance.

Chen Yang frowned. He yanked the Ancestral Sword from the ground and thrust it at the retreating shape. The blade sank three inches deep, drawing a spurt of blood, but the blood mist shot away like a beam of light, vanishing into the crowd in the blink of an eye.

"This..." Chen Yang's gaze darkened. What kind of escape technique was that? His eyes then fell upon Chen Mengyao.

Chen Mengyao stumbled back several steps, her plump, fair face now deathly pale. "He actually... he actually abandoned me and ran!" she said, her voice a mixture of shock and fury.

WHOOSH.

Chen Yang's sword was at her throat.

Chen Mengyao trembled, shaking her head frantically as she burst into tears. "You... you're Second Brother, aren't you? You can draw the Ancestral Sword, so you must be my second brother, the one who disappeared more than twenty years ago! My... my name is Chen Mengyao! I'm your little sister!"

Chen Yang was speechless.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.