109: Chapter 010 Ancient Sword Formation 109: Chapter 010 Ancient Sword Formation Zhou Yan’s body shook, dispelling the dust all over, as he suddenly rose from the giant pit.

Had it not been for the Seven Star Sword Formation summoned in an instant to protect his head and leveraging the enormous defensive power of the Green Lotus Spirit Lotus, this strike would have likely dealt him a heavy blow, despite his body’s durability being comparable to that of a Lower Grade Spirit Sword.

This battle was the first in which Zhou Yan seemed somewhat embarrassed, but from the adversary’s sudden deadly move, Zhou Yan realized one thing: even if the opponent was only at the Sword Spirit Third Layer Heaven, if they were a genius with combat power possibly nearing three times their actual realm, that was tantamount to facing a warrior at the Sword Soul Second Layer Heaven.

A genius was a special existence that surpassed ordinary cultivators; one must not only consider their realm but their potential as well!

Therefore, this person could not simply be regarded as a normal warrior of the Sword Spirit Three Heavens; such an approach would doom oneself to disadvantage.

In confronting an enemy, besides their realm, one should also analyze their vitality and sense how it compares to that of a powerful ordinary cultivator, which would provide an advantage in battle.

This realization made Zhou Yan no longer careless but instead, start to seriously free himself from the shackles of realm constraints and earnestly treat the battle.

Just like the adversary, who did not underestimate him because he was a cultivator at the Sword Heart Third Layer Heaven, but took him on with substantial strength and combat power, even resorting to sneak attacks!

This was quite telling!

…

Although Zhou Yan wasn’t lacking in combat experience, he had subconsciously ignored certain things, his age and temperament still being insufficient.

Now, this battle allowed Zhou Yan to deeply understand his own combat abilities and deeply reflect on his combat methods.

Despite the close call in this fight, Zhou Yan still confirmed his Tao, realizing a significant error in his understanding.

If it weren’t for this incident, should he encounter another genius at the Sword Spirit Three Heavens with a combat power that could break five in the True Spirit Level in the future, his fate would be exceedingly grim!

Thus, Zhou Yan actually felt fortunate and valued this encounter.

Thinking over these, his mood gradually calmed down, and then, his figure flickered, and he flew out, standing once again in the Void.

Standing there quietly, he seemed very calm!

But within his body, a terrifying aura continuously condensed.

Having endured such a fearsome strike, he seemed unaffected, which was a chilling and doubtful sight for many.

From a distance, a black-robed youth, about to mobilize his essence blood to unleash a devastating blow, suddenly changed his expression—an uncertain fear gripping him as he stared at Zhou Yan ascending again into the sky.

His pitch-black eyes, tinged with a hint of ghastly white, nearly bulged out!

He hesitated, preparing to strike again, but the next moment, sensing the immense Sword Intent and destructive energy, his expression drastically changed again and without thinking, he transformed into a stream of light, rolling in black smoke, like instantaneously multiplying, fleeing in all directions.

He decisively chose to flee!

This approach caused the stunning woman hidden not far within the Sword Formation to pale in shock, her eyes filled with fear.

“Do you think you can still escape?!

Earlier, I was just playing with you!”

Zhou Yan sneered repeatedly, his face also showing a fierce color.

His vitality, as if suddenly ignited, truly erupted now, the horrifying aura, making him seem like a Wilderness Beast, extremely terrifying!

At this moment, he fully unleashed the Xingyi Swordsmanship’s True·Desolate Dragon Sword Technique!

This was an extremely terrifying sword technique; this one sword encompassed not only the previous Desolate Dragon Killing Intent but also the Purple Flame Energy that Zhou Yan had condensed.

This energy, although incomparable to the Purple Flame in the ‘Purple Flame Space’ within the eyebrow center, was still incredibly potent since Zhou Yan had tested this condensed Purple Flame energy.

Even though it consumed more time, it was sufficient to melt the Green Lotus Spirit Lotus Armor!

This meant that the condensed Purple Flame Breath, despite being much weaker, was still potent.

Now, the already terrifying True·Desolate Dragon Swordsmanship also contained this Purple Flame Breath, nearly like the rebirth of a Dragon God.

A light purple Desolate Dragon, roaring mightily like a bellowing Divine Dragon, emitted a brilliant purple glow all over its body!

The Desolate Dragon, covered in spiny bones, each sharp and surrounded by purple electric arcs, crackled with the echoing sounds of thunder arcs.

Its massive body covered the sky, overshadowing half of the Void, tremendously shocking!

Zhou Yan stood in the Void, a sword strike executed as if the heavens and earth changed colors.

That sword strike, the Desolate Dragon, turned into a giant purple light sword, piercing through the Void, carrying boundless terrifying killing intent, thrusting out.

That sword strike, as if slicing through the heavens and earth, creating a continuous line, within which everything was annihilated into nothingness.

The endless black-robed figures, under such formidable force, crumbled like ruins, vanished without a trace, leaving only that escaping shadow suddenly pierced by this world-shattering sword.

“Ah—”

A heart-wrenching scream arose, echoing through the desolate land, but then abruptly stopped at its most shrill.

One sword, its aura gradually fading.

And, the black-robed youth, his body pierced, was frozen in the Void.

As the energy gradually settled, only then did the black-robed youth’s body begin to crumble inch by inch, turning into blood and flesh, disintegrating.

“Puh—”

Blood and flesh flew across the sky, blood rain scattering everywhere.

The young man was brutally killed, dying tragically on the spot.

…

All was quiet between heaven and earth.

Zhou Yan lightly gestured toward the distance, and immediately, the Spiritual Lotus Green Lotus Armor’s sword, with a ‘hum’, suddenly flew back.

Its blade had not a speck of blood or flesh, still emitting a dark halo, chilling and intense.

With a ‘swoosh’, the Broken Worry Sword returned to Zhou Yan’s waist.

Then, stretching out his hand, a ring appeared in his grasp.

It was a purple ring engraved with mysterious Sword Formation Runes, and sensing inside it, Zhou Yan found many good items.

He sensed the items inside the ring briefly, seemingly waiting for something.

But after waiting a while with no sign of anything, he glanced toward a point in the void and coldly said, “Come out!”

“Ah…

no, don’t kill me!”

The beautiful woman in a light yellow silk gown, trembling and pale-faced, walked out from the previously concealed Sword Array.

It seemed she no longer harbored any thoughts of being Zhou Yan’s enemy!

Before, she thought under the deadly sword of her senior brother Xie Canyang, Zhou Yan would surely die, but after that sword strike, Zhou Yan…

was completely unharmed!

Zhou Yan was merely at the Sword Heart Second Layer Heaven, while her senior brother’s combat power was comparable to the peak of the Sword Soul First Layer Heaven.

That sword strike was even comparable to the full force of an early Sword Soul Second Layer Heaven master.

But Zhou Yan managed to withstand it without showing any irregularities!

Was this not surpassing the Fourth Layer?

It was likely even beyond the Fifth Layer!

She was horrified, and suddenly thought that opposing a genius like Zhou Yan was a foolish thing!

Despite her hatred for the death of Xie Wuyang, she realized that Zhou Yan was too much for her to handle.

However, if one day she gained an opportunity and her strength far surpassed Zhou Yan’s, she would not mind coming back for a brutal revenge!

Thinking thus, she made a pitiful appearance, hoping to obtain a slim chance of survival.

But what she didn’t know was that all her thoughts were sensed by Zhou Yan.

“Spare you?

Of course, that’s no problem, just cripple your own cultivation, and I will let you live.”

Zhou Yan watched her coldly, while internally he rapidly adjusted his own physical condition.

With his capabilities, while he did block that sword strike, a large part of the reason was because his own physical body had been tempered to an extremely strong extent.

Otherwise, with his power, that sword strike would likely have blown open his head.

That strike had, in fact, painfully jolted Zhou Yan’s organs as if they had been displaced, but he just endured it without showing it, and then he struck back with all his might, leading to a momentary feeling of weakness.

However, this moment passed quickly, and the woman did not notice it.

Now, his body had almost completely recovered, the only pity being that the Guardian Sword Formation of the Green Lotus Spirit Lotus Armor had been violently destroyed.

Of course, the Spirit Armor forged from materials of the Spiritual Lotus Secret Realm, despite losing the protective power of the Sword Formation, still retained strong defensive capabilities, and its basic functionality as Spirit Armor was unaffected.

“To cripple my own cultivation in such a place, are you asking me to die?

You might as well kill me directly!”

The woman’s expression changed, showing a reluctant and resentful hatred.

These were words of anger, but upon hearing them, a cruel smile appeared on Zhou Yan’s stern face: “Then, as you wish!”

Saying this, Zhou Yan struck with another sword.

This sword was the True·Eagle Form Sword Technique; with this strike, a dragon-eagle-like mutant beast, carrying the lonely aura of a king and with an intensely solitary Sword Intent, transformed into the persona of a roaring giant eagle-form Sword Spirit and with a ‘whoosh’, slew the woman in the void.

Her light yellow dress was quickly soaked in blood, and after a moment of eerie silence, a spray of blood stained the fabric like a banner.

Her beautiful eyes gradually dimmed, but still glaring at Zhou Yan, seemingly filled with infinite resentment and intense hatred.

“I didn’t kill you, only to wait for the day you’d kill me, so, you must die, even if you are a woman.”

Zhou Yan said indifferently, his earlier near-miss serving as a harsh lesson, and now he was unhesitant about eliminating the root of future trouble.

Having killed her and obtained her Qiankun Ring, Zhou Yan hadn’t even had the time to sense it further before the roaring cry of the beast ahead presented itself again.

Zhou Yan glanced at the desolate and barren area in front, contemplating briefly.

He didn’t break the concealed Sword Array but entered it himself.

After all, the previous full-force battle had caused a great commotion, risking unnecessary trouble, so Zhou Yan decided to watch and wait for now.

Entering this concealed Sword Array, Zhou Yan began analyzing the formation from inside.

This analysis made him realize the unique characteristics of this Sword Array, which was clearly different from the series of Sword Arrays he was familiar with.

Due to this, Zhou Yan felt like he had discovered a completely new cultivation path, which was extremely exciting.

He carefully sensed the principles of this Array and also searched carefully in the Qiankun Ring of the man in the black robe, discovering the method to arrange this concealed Sword Array.

This Array Formation Method engraved on an ancient feeling silk, was an extremely ancient Magic Technique!

After observing it, Zhou Yan also felt its difficulty— with his comprehension ability, he was unable to grasp it at the moment!

Yet he was not too worried, because he could bring this item into the Space of his Brows’ Heart and utilize the enlightenment ability of the Purple Flame Lotus Seeds growth to watch and comprehend it with his soul!