Chapter 35: A Single Sword Cleaves the Celestial River

My goodness.

My disciple, you are far too formidable! You have actually comprehended the legendary "Eternal Sword." This is the inheritance of the Sword Emperor himself. He was well aware of the Sword Emperor Li Xiaoyao, one of only three peerless sword emperors in the history of the Lingxiao Holy Land. Rising during the Immortal Era five hundred thousand years ago, Li Xiaoyao had surged forward with unstoppable momentum until he ultimately attained the path of the Sword Emperor. According to records, his signature technique, "Eternal Sword," possessed infinite power, capable of rending the void and shattering the firmament; it was heralded as the premier lethal art among the ten great divine sword techniques of the Lingxiao Holy Land.

However, it was simply beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. In the annals of the Lingxiao Holy Land, no one had managed to inherit the legacy of Sword Emperor Li Xiaoyao for the past half-million years. Yet now, Jiang Yueli had grasped it on her very first cultivation session within the Haotian Sword Pagoda. Li Tianyuan could not help but be astonished.

But what surprised him most was not Jiang Yueli’s breakthrough, but the fact that the system had rewarded him with "Sword Cleaves the Heavenly River." Just hearing the name of this sword technique made it clear that it was something truly overpowered. It even reminded Li Tianyuan involuntarily of a line from a novel he had read in his previous life: "If heaven had not birthed me, Li Chungang, the path of the sword would have been as a long night for eternity; I have one sword to open the Heavenly Gate!" How domineering that was! It was absolutely earth-shattering!

"Hahaha, good disciple, you are truly my lucky star!" Li Tianyuan laughed heartily, his face filled with gratification. He couldn't wait to call out to the system: "Claim 'Sword Cleaves the Heavenly River'!"

Instantly, a majestic and vast sword intent, imbued with the essence of heaven and earth, surged into his mind. In that moment, Li Tianyuan felt as if he had become one with the heavens. Standing upon a towering peak, overlooking the masses like ants, he felt capable of cleaving the sky and sweeping across the eight desolate realms, invincible in this world. He closed his eyes, sensing the fierce and vast sword intent within his mind. After a long while, he opened his eyes, which glimmered like blades piercing through the firmament. At the same time, he raised his arm, his fingertip blooming with sword intent. It radiated a brilliant silver glow, so sharp and keen that it seemed as if it could split the sky and shatter the world itself.

"Sword Cleaves the Heavenly River!" Li Tianyuan whispered, his finger slashing toward the heavens.

In an instant, the world transformed; the sun and moon shifted, and the winds and clouds churned. Countless sword energies soared into the sky, converging into a ten-thousand-foot-long river of sword qi that swept outward. The river of sword qi pierced through heaven and earth like a sharp blade thrusting directly into the firmament, reaching high above the nine heavens. Finally, nothing remained but the sound of a sword ringing out, a thunderous roar that shook the universe and echoed for thousands of miles.

In that instant, the many cultivators nearby felt this vast sword intent and could not help but gasp. They looked up at the sky, seeing nothing but endless clouds in the void, which appeared to have been cleaved by something, leaving behind a massive chasm. The void itself seemed blurred, as if it might collapse at any moment. Furthermore, an invisible pressure emanated from it, weighing upon their chests like Mount Tai, making it difficult to breathe.

"What is happening?"
"Such terrifying sword intent! It’s truly frightening."
"I feel an invisible sword intent enveloping me; it's suffocating."
"That sword intent seemed to come from Lingyun Sword Peak. Could someone be practicing a peerless divine sword technique?"

The crowd speculated endlessly, their gazes fixed on Lingyun Sword Peak. However, they saw only swirling white mist obscuring everything, preventing them from catching a glimpse of what was happening. Though they could not see inside, Jiang Yueli, who was in the distance, knew that since it came from Lingyun Sword Peak, it must be her master’s work. The moment the river of sword qi appeared, she froze, her eyes filled with nothing but shock.

"Master is truly Master; no matter what he does, he leaves others in awe," Jiang Yueli thought, deeply convinced once again.

A river of sword qi was enough to make any cultivator look up in reverence. The sheer, matchless dominance of it left her sighing in wonder. He was worthy of being her master! When she had previously comprehended the Eternal Sword, she felt it must be the most powerful sword technique in the world. But now, seeing this river of sword qi, she finally understood her own shallowness and insignificance. While the Eternal Sword was a powerful inheritance, she could feel that compared to that river of sword qi, it still lagged far behind.

"What level has Master's sword mastery actually reached to be able to unleash such a world-shaking strike?" Jiang Yueli mused. When she had heard her master speak of the extremes of the sword path, she was shocked, but could only rely on her imagination to understand that realm. Today, however, seeing a river of sword qi surge to the nine heavens and shatter the stars, she finally understood what her master meant. It turned out that one really could use a blade of grass to slay the sun, moon, and stars, or a single leaf to sever the three thousand Great Daos.

Watching the sword intent that had yet to fully dissipate in the sky, Jiang Yueli’s understanding of the sword path reached a new level, feeling as if she had been enlightened. This was the difference between a genius and an ordinary person: most people could only gasp at such a strike and think it was impressive, while those with true talent could gain profound insights from it.

...

"As expected of 'Sword Cleaves the Heavenly River'! This is likely countless times more terrifying than even the Supreme Immortal Arts!"

On the other side, Li Tianyuan looked at the massive chasm suspended in the sky, his mouth twitching violently. Isn't this a bit too exaggerated? This move could actually cleave a chasm into the firmament—did it have to be this powerful?! He possessed a few Supreme Immortal Arts himself, especially the Haoran Sword Sutra, which was a supreme divine technique. Yet, he could guarantee that this "Sword Cleaves the Heavenly River" absolutely surpassed every Supreme Immortal Art he had mastered. It had already touched upon the level of the Heavenly Dao, far exceeding the scope of ordinary immortal arts.

"Master!"

As Li Tianyuan’s thoughts wandered, a graceful figure approached. It was Jiang Yueli, who bowed to him with great joy. Seeing his beloved disciple, Li Tianyuan smiled and said, "Good disciple, you’ve finally returned. How was your time cultivating in the Haotian Sword Pagoda? Did you gain anything?" Although he already knew of her encounter from the system, as a master, he had to show some concern.

"Master, look at this!" Jiang Yueli winked playfully, her expression proud. She extended her right hand, and a torrential sword intent erupted from her body as she unleashed the Eternal Sword!

"Oh?" Li Tianyuan feigned surprise and praised, "Very impressive. In just a few days, not only have you comprehended twelve thousand threads of sword intent, reaching the state of 'Clear Sword Heart,' but you have also grasped the Sword Emperor’s inheritance!"

"Hehe, of course, I am a genius, after all," Jiang Yueli said, straightening her back and acting coy after receiving his affirmation. However, she quickly added, "But I’m still not as good as you, Master. That sword strike you just unleashed, shattering the sky and reaching the nine heavens—it was simply too shocking!"