Chapter 193: The Other Fight
Yu Xuan narrowed his eyes at the flood of monsters rushing toward him. Their killing intent pressed against his skin like a furnace wind, but instead of fear, exhilaration welled in him.
With a thought, he activated his prized skill — [Ultra Instinct].
At once, his awareness expanded outward. Every hair on his body rose, every nerve was sharpened.
His spirit sense erupted outward like a tidal wave, expanding longer than normal until the entire battlefield within two hundred meters lay bare to him, each shifting muscle, each ripple of Qi, each killing intent crystallized into perfect clarity. Nothing could approach him without being noticed.
He also activated his [Immortal’s Gaze].
Behind him, five spears shimmered into existence, floating in a perfect circle, their silver edges humming with restrained hunger. At his front, however, he did not choose one of his conjured weapons.
Instead, a sword appeared in his hand.
Not just any sword.
It was the treasure his father had given him.
Unlike the countless blades Yu Xuan had drawn and discarded, this one carried weight.
Its blade was a pristine white, its surface unmarred by use. At the base, symmetrical engravings of auspicious beasts shimmered faintly, as though alive. Its aura radiated nobility, demanding reverence.
Yu Xuan’s lips curved slightly. A Heaven-grade weapon!!
In his world, only clan elders or leaders of large forces possessed such weapons. It was absurd that he wielded one now. And yet, somehow, it felt fitting.
He could not truly control it. His cultivation was still far too shallow, and his grip on its power was crude, like a child learning to steer a warship. But even that crude control was enough.
"Father... just what kind of blade did you give me?" he murmured under his breath.
His Qi poured into the sword, and it responded with a low hum that resonated through his bones. At once, the [Magic Swordsmanship of the Avalon Imperial Family] awakened.
The sword glowed faintly, a soft red at first, then erupted into a furious, blood-hungry crimson. The intent did not spill wildly into the air; instead, it clung tightly to the edges of the blade, condensed and lethal, like a predator crouching before a kill.
The weapon was amplifying his sword intent, feeding on it, demanding more. Yu Xuan had to carefully adjust the flow of his Qi, restraining the sword from devouring too much too quickly, lest it go berserk. Even so, it elevated him to a realm of sharpness he had never touched before.
He was a contradiction: a sword cultivator who had yet to form Sword Qi within his dantian, and yet one who had already comprehended Sword Intent.
It was a quirk of his peculiar cultivation technique and sword technique, one that he knew would shift dramatically when he reached Core Formation. For now, however, it gave him an edge that defied his level.
The army pressed closer, their roars shaking the earth.
Yu Xuan raised the glowing blade, his golden eyes gleaming slightly.
"I’ve spared you long enough. It’s time to fight."
His gaze flicked to the sky. Concentration sharpened to a point. With the full might of [Telekinesis], he seized upon dozens of winged figures mid-flight and ripped their wings clean off.
SKKRRRRK!
Agonized shrieks filled the air as bird people plummeted from the heavens, their blood misting in the wind. But the ground army did not even spare them a glance. The stampede surged forward, trampling the fallen mercilessly in their rush toward Yu Xuan.
He did not flinch. His eyes were calm, sharp, burning with resolve.
One step forward. Then another.
And then he broke into a run, his aura surging skyward, the spears behind him spinning like silver comets, orbiting his form as if declaring him their sovereign.
The monsters roared back in defiance, a tide of steel, scales, and hatred bearing down on a lone figure.
Yu Xuan’s lips curved into a smile.
"Let me beat the impossible now."
He swung the blade.
From its crimson edge erupted a slash of pure destruction, a dark red crescent that screamed across the battlefield, cleaving into the front lines of the monster army with unstoppable force.
The ground split, blood sprayed, and dozens of bodies were carved apart before the wave of energy finally dispersed into the distance.
But Yu Xuan did not pause to admire his strike. His focus was razor sharp, absolute.
The spears behind him whirled into motion — three shot upward like silver meteors, piercing through the sky toward the bird people.
Their shrieks rang out as blood misted down like rain. The remaining two curved outward, intercepting the hunters slinking through the shadows, spearing them through the chest before their ambush could land.
Yu Xuan’s footsteps were fluid, steady, like water flowing across polished stone. Each step carried purpose, no wasted movement.
He moved according to [The Formless Martial Path], his body shifting unpredictably, elusive and seamless. Combined with [Ultra Instinct], his reactions were sharper than lightning.
On this battlefield, he was not simply a fighter — he was a phantom, an inevitability.
Though his cultivation realm was lacking, his circumstances were unlike any ordinary cultivator’s. His foundation was strange, his methods unorthodox, his traits monstrous. He stood where others should have crumbled.
The green monsters lunged at him, with a war cry. Yu Xuan’s blade flashed — one arc of crimson light, and the creatures split apart. He did not waste time in drawn-out struggles; he fought with ruthless efficiency. Time was the true enemy here, not the creatures themselves.
Intermediate Sword Intent surged through his strikes, every movement sharper, heavier, more devastating. It was not just swordplay; it was judgment made manifest.
But the tide was endless.
As the green monsters fell, draconic figures surged forward, their clawed hands gleaming like steel. Scales armored their bodies, their draconic bloodline radiating pride and ferocity. They clashed against Yu Xuan with thunderous force. Each strike was heavy, relentless, far more difficult to cut down than the green creatures.
Yu Xuan parried, twisted, cut through where he could, his movements seamless.
Unlike Lingluo, who seemed to erase them as though their defenses were paper, Yu Xuan had to fight for each kill, breaking through claw, scale, and rage with effort.
Still, he adapted.