Chapter Nine: Binding Fate, One Strike to Decide Victory or Defeat

A flash of sword light suddenly appeared.

A peachwood sword descended from the sky.

The Azure Serpent was struck with a chilling shock.

The chill came from the sword light’s piercing sharpness.

The shock was from not expecting the old Taoist to return after leaving.

Anger from being deceived.

Resentment suppressed.

These emotions combined, causing the Azure Serpent to erupt.

“Humans are truly deceitful!”

Its forked tongue hissed as it exhaled a massive burst of cold air.

At the foot of Floating Cloud Mountain, the temperature dropped sharply; snowflakes fell from the sky, frost coated the vegetation, and the ground froze over.

The sword light shattered under the biting cold.

The peachwood sword rang out as it broke through the ice layer.

It flew into the hand of an elderly Taoist with white hair, clad in a gray Taoist robe, exuding an ethereal aura—this was Xuan Ming.

Looking down at the serpent demon below, Xuan Ming’s heart sank.

In a past life, when reading novels, he had seen many old masters use this very technique. Since the serpent demon was injured and its speed shouldn’t have surpassed his own, it shouldn’t have escaped the forest so quickly. So he had been hopeful and tried it, not expecting an unexpected gain.

Yet, Xuan Ming’s heart was not pleased but weighed down.

This was because the Azure Serpent carried a strange aura.

Though faint and hidden within the serpent’s own breath, it could not escape Xuan Ming’s perception.

His spiritual senses had been enhanced by the “Yellow Court Classic,” and having perfectly established his foundation, his essence, energy, and spirit were greatly increased, easily surpassing practitioners at the Qi Refinement stage.

Moreover, because the Azure Serpent was intact, having fused its severed head and reconnected its cut tail, its strength had grown considerably beyond before.

Even he felt a sense of pressure.

With cold eyes fixed on the serpent demon, Xuan Ming wasted no words—the saying goes, “A thousand cups are too few among kindred spirits, but half a sentence is too much if minds do not meet.”

There was nothing to discuss with the serpent demon.

—

Raising his hand, the sword light grew colder.

The peachwood sword flew out once more.

In an instant, one became two, two turned to four, four to eight.

Within moments, eight swords were unleashed.

Each sword light measured about a yard in length.

Brilliant and blinding, sharp beyond compare.

This was the fundamental sword technique of the Quest for Truth Sect: the Eight Trigrams Sword.

After entering the path, he did not rush to master profound spells but began with the most basic swordsmanship and magical arts.

Between contemplating scriptures to understand the Dao and practicing breath and spirit, he repeatedly drilled these foundational techniques.

In Xuan Ming’s view, these basic techniques, refined and perfected over three generations of Taoists at the Quest for Truth Sect, were honed to near flawlessness.

They were more worthy of refinement than advanced spells.

Perfecting these first, then progressing naturally to deeper methods, was the most reasonable path to cultivation.

Now, he intended to test his achievements against the serpent demon.

The sword light fell like a waterfall; the cold was severed, ice shattered, heavy snow buried beneath.

The eight sword lights continued unabated, rushing straight toward the serpent demon.

The Azure Serpent seethed with hatred, opening its mouth to spew cold breath again.

An even greater cold current surged forth, and as it twisted its body, the river beneath its feet roared, rising into mighty waves.

The cold current and water waves surged forward, transforming into eight fierce ice serpents, mouths wide with sharp fangs, swallowing the eight sword lights.

Crack, crack!

The sword lights and ice serpents shattered simultaneously.

While the peachwood sword flew backward, the Azure Serpent stirred the waves beneath, heading straight for the nearest mountain stream.

Leaping high, sword in hand, Xuan Ming gave chase relentlessly. Since fate had bound them, the cause and effect had to be resolved today. He would not let a tiger return to the mountains.

Striding hundreds of yards with each step, Xuan Ming’s body floated lightly. His right hand cast the peachwood sword with swift sword light extending three yards in the wind, slicing toward the waves.

His left hand wielded a dust whisk, its three thousand silver threads expanding tens of yards, combining softness and strength, aiming straight at the Azure Serpent.

At the same time, he inhaled and exhaled a breath of primordial energy.

Instantly, five illusory spirits appeared, guarding the five directions. As the waves were cut, the serpent demon was ensnared by the dust whisk for a moment.

The five spirits sealed the Azure Serpent’s escape route with the Quest for Truth Sect’s Five Elements Demon-Sealing Formation.

—

“You stinking Taoist, do you truly intend to exterminate me?”

“To be honest, this body is merely a fragment of my soul forcibly occupying another. As long as my true form lives, I will return sooner or later. When that day comes, it will be the end of the Quest for Truth Sect.”

“If you turn a blind eye and let me go, I promise never to trouble you or the Quest for Truth Sect again. Otherwise, you will bring ruin upon the entire sect.”

Sensing the old Taoist’s obstinacy, the Azure Serpent’s tone was fierce but inwardly fearful.

This fragment of a soul had wasted much power breaking through the seal and fleeing here. After forcibly occupying the still-warm body of the serpent demon, it had spent more strength repairing its form.

Now, the remaining energy was limited, only enough to match a Qi Refinement stage cultivator’s strength.

Using a little meant less usage, increasing chances for escape. The serpent demon did not mind lowering its head temporarily.

Once the true form’s seal was broken, it would slaughter the entire Quest for Truth Sect openly before the old Taoist.

Betrayal and treachery were nothing new.

In the face of interest, dignity was meaningless.

However, Xuan Ming neither responded nor wavered, not wasting words, and exerted his full strength in a strike.

The sword light surged to three and a third yards.

The five illusory spirits merged into it.

The sword light extended further, reaching four yards.

This was his all-out attack.

—

Though he believed the serpent demon was a fragment of a soul occupying another, and that the true form existed, he did not trust its promises.

Simply relying on empty boasts to frighten him into hesitation was impossible.

He was no youth easily fooled.

Over six years spent in the scripture pavilion, he had pored over countless books, sometimes reading cultivation secrets and miscellaneous notes.

Especially since entering the Dao, he had free access to the sect’s scriptures, vastly expanding his knowledge.

Though not versed in the mysteries of soul division, he understood the importance of soul integrity to cultivators.

By analogy and deduction, he concluded that unless absolutely necessary, cultivators would not lightly resort to soul-division techniques.

Even if the serpent demon’s true form was powerful, it was likely temporarily restricted or trapped, or it would not have needed to forcibly occupy another body.

The serpent demon appeared clever, trying to use its true form as a threat to intimidate him into retreat.

In truth, this only betrayed many problems, like “hiding silver where there is none.”

Of course, these were only Xuan Ming’s speculations.

Whether true or false, he would first incapacitate the serpent demon and then interrogate it.

—

The serpent demon’s eyes blazed with fury.

It did not expect this old Taoist to be so stubborn.

No words, just action.

Since no agreement could be reached, then battle it was.

It was a mighty flood dragon; even when swimming in shallow water, it would not be made a fool of by an old Taoist.

The waves roared, and the serpent demon summoned more power.

Feeling the sword’s terrifying might and hoping for a swift victory, it sought to slay the old Taoist quickly to avoid unforeseen complications—after all, this was the Quest for Truth Sect’s stronghold; who knew what tricks might be hidden.

The wild wind howled through the forest; towering waves formed into a ten-yard-long flood dragon, baring fangs and claws.

Boom!

The flood dragon collided with the sword light.

Plants were flattened, earth churned, sand and stones flew.

The fierce clash was fierce yet fleeting.

White hair fluttered, the Taoist robe billowed; Xuan Ming formed hand seals as the peachwood sword danced, showcasing the Eight Trigrams Sword Technique.

The four-yard sword light formed an Eight Trigrams Sword Formation.

For a moment, sword light surged, countless fine sword energies moved along mysterious trajectories, forming a dense sword web—sharp, brilliant.

This basic sword formation of the Quest for Truth Sect, in his hands, possessed the power to split mountains and sever rivers.

The serpent demon’s expression darkened; it let out a shrill hiss.

The waves swelled in layers, each surpassing the last.

A dragon’s roar resounded as the hundred-yard flood dragon surged forward, fiercely charging.

One serpent, one man—both resolved that this strike would decide victory or defeat.