CHAPTER 1349: CHAPTER 116: HOW CAN A WOMAN BE SO DOMINANT?

Ming Venerable stood on the Sky Dome, looking at the back of Xue Wujian with a complex expression.

This Sword Cultivator from the Sword Sect had brought him profound shock and great pressure.

First, Yu Canghai defeated the War Venerable with his sword, and then Xue Wujian defeated him in a single exchange.

Such existence, along with their Sect, made Ming Venerable feel that in future battles between the Human Race and Demon Race, his own clan would absolutely not have an easy path and would inevitably encounter various hardships.

Ming Venerable still had strength to fight again, but Xue Wujian only needed to release one sword; if this were a battle of life and death, continuing the fight would inevitably result in Xue Wujian’s death.

But this was not a battle of life and death.

Xue Wujian was even craftily opportunistic, seizing the moment, and after delivering one sword, he immediately retreated.

He then loudly announced the battle outcome, settling the result without giving Ming Venerable the slightest chance to fight again, forcing him to swallow a hidden loss.

Ming Venerable felt aggrieved, but in such a situation where all eyes were on him, conceding defeat was also something he could not bring himself to do.

Therefore, in the end, he could only look gloomily in the direction of Yumen Pass once more before retreating.

"Chi Venerable, the human race is rather tricky and cunning; be careful not to suffer an unexpected defeat," he hesitated for a moment but finally couldn’t help but remind Chi Venerable.

Chi Venerable solemnly nodded, not disregarding the advice.

The consecutive defeats of the War Venerable and Ming Venerable had already elevated his sense of caution to the highest level.

....

Atop Yumen Pass, Xue Wujian, raising his cup, smiled faintly and couldn’t help but compare himself to Yu Canghai, "How about it, how does my one sword compare to your Sword Array?"

Yu Canghai nodded in praise, "One sword separates life and death; your sword, in this sense, is truly the legendary Sword Cultivator’s technique."

"Brother, you flatter me," Xue Wujian replied with a modest smile.

He didn’t display the slightest of the cold demeanor he had shown before the Demon Race.

Within the seven peaks of the Sword Sect, Yu Canghai and Xue Wujian had the deepest relationship.

This was because they were Sword Cultivators who entered the Sword Sect in the same batch. Yu Canghai was somewhat older and slightly superior in cultivation, so it was only natural for Xue Wujian to call him senior brother.

Back then, Yu Canghai cultivated the Internal Sword, while Xue Wujian cultivated the External Sword, each being the top in their respective fields and having quite a bit of competition between them.

Moreover, due to the differing cultivation paths, their victories and defeats subtly determined whether the Internal or External Sword had more say.

But awkwardly, Yu Canghai practiced the Sword Array, while Xue Wujian honed the art of nurturing swords.

The uniqueness of the art of nurturing swords made it a lethal swordsmanship, a secret technique that astonished when it erupted.

Thus, from the day they entered the sect, Yu Canghai had slightly advanced beyond Xue Wujian, and this remained the case until now—Yu Canghai was recognized as the second person of the Sword Sect.

As for these superficial titles, they did not actually care much.

But, having shared ties for so many years, mingled with comparisons of the strengths of the External and Internal Swords, claiming complete indifference would not be accurate either.

So now that Xue Wujian defeated Ming Venerable with one sword, naturally, he wouldn’t miss this rare chance to boast.

"It’s a pity it’s only one sword; otherwise, you could have taken care of Chi Venerable in one go as well," Yu Canghai continued, sounding rather regretful, yet his remark was quite insightful.

Xue Wujian’s expression stiffened, not without a hint of awkwardness.

Indeed, outsiders might be amazed at his sword and start to wonder why Yu Canghai, who seemed evidently inferior, was considered the second person of the Sword Sect, instead of him, Xue Wujian.

But one understood one’s own affairs...

Other Sword Cultivators separating life and death with one sword do so because they need only one sword.

He separated life and death with one sword because he only had one sword.

This is quite an embarrassing situation.

"What’s more regrettable is that this sword of mine was originally meant to kill a High Ranking Demon Venerable, yet now it is used just to wound Ming Venerable," Xue Wujian lamented, "How extravagant."

He then lightly smiled, skipped over the topic for the moment, and worriedly said, "You should not make another move, my single sword has been used, yet among the three Demon Venerables, one still remains. The final battle can only be entrusted to Daoyun..."

Xia Daoyun was the youngest among their seven Peak Masters.

Even with exceptional talent, achieving Sixth Tribulations Realm cultivation within five hundred years, it still depended on who she compared herself to.

When compared to Chi Venerable, such a top-tier Demon Venerable, the Sixth Tribulations Realm cultivation was entirely inadequate.

Even Yu Canghai, with an Eighth Tribulations Realm cultivation, had no chance against the War Venerable and only won by borrowing the power of the Long Wind Formation.

Xue Wujian, with a Seventh Tribulations Realm cultivation, managed to defeat Ming Venerable through a single sword nurtured over twelve hundred years.

And it was merely a victory, without being able to kill him.

From this perspective, for Xia Daoyun with her Sixth Tribulations Realm cultivation to defeat Chi Venerable seemed like an impossible dream.

However, Xue Wujian’s tone was not completely pessimistic, just more worried.

"Then it depends on how well she integrates with that object," Yu Canghai looked at the woman on the fortress, with a temperament like the moon over a cold river and twilight reflecting the clear pond, he then smiled: "I believe in her."

....

On the side of Yumen Pass, after Xue Wujian narrowly defeated Ming Venerable, the morale of the human cultivators began to soar, making them feel that the Demon Race’s Demon Venerable were not so formidable after all.

Only a few insightful and knowledgeable cultivators harbored concerns about Yu Canghai and Xue Wujian’s challenge to their superiors.

They knew that the two must have paid an unspeakable price for their uprising.

But this concern seemed trivial in the current atmosphere of exuberant enthusiasm.

Moreover, War Venerable and Ming Venerable actually understood this reasoning.

But the question was, what exactly was the price they paid?

Without understanding this, the Demon Race would not easily engage in a battle with Yumen Pass.

.....

On the fortress, Xia Daoyun’s face was calm as she looked out of the city.

At this moment, in the seemingly endless Demon Race army, a figure was slowly stepping out.

That figure, wielding a Red Halberd, exuded an indescribable pressure.

The air currents between heaven and earth were surging, but within a hundred feet around him, everything was silent, as if being suppressed.

Seeing that figure stepping out, the passionate cultivators at Yumen Pass couldn’t help changing their expressions, words filled with trepidation escaped through their clenched teeth: "Chi Venerable!"

Xia Daoyun’s gaze sharply focused on that figure who seemed to suppress the entire world.

After a moment’s hesitation, she rose with sword control, transforming into Sword Light as she rushed out of Yumen Pass, crossing over the Long Wind Formation, and finally landing opposite Chi Venerable.

When Xia Daoyun’s figure emerged from the Sword Light, Chi Venerable no longer paid attention to others, his gaze was directly on Xia Daoyun.

"Is this battle between you and me?" Chi Venerable’s eyes lacked any waves, as if the previous defeats of War Venerable and Ming Venerable did not weigh on his mind or affect him in the slightest.

This tranquility induced waves of coldness.

"It is me." Xia Daoyun confirmed.

After hearing Xia Daoyun’s answer, Chi Venerable paused, then raised the Red Halberd in his hand, pointing distantly at Xia Daoyun with an indifferent expression: "If Yu Canghai and Xue Wujian could still fight, they wouldn’t be like this now."

"They surely can’t fight anymore."

"So, as long as I defeat you, your Sect Master must make a move."

"Are you prepared to face judgment?"

Chi Venerable saw the situation with exceptional clarity.

Moreover, he had reasons for which he must win this battle.

With War Venerable and Ming Venerable consecutively defeated by the human Sword Cultivators, losing again would be a significant blow to the morale of the Demon Race.

Additionally, their purpose this time was, firstly, to verify the truth of what the Heart Demon Clan said, and secondly, to probe the background of Qingyun Sword Immortal.

If even Xie Qingyun did not make a move, and they were sent away like this, wouldn’t that be a joke?

Clang! Clang!

Two swords of Sword Light flashed, then two long swords flew out from Xia Daoyun’s body, swirling around her.

These were Xia Daoyun’s life-bound swords.

Jinghong and Youlong.

Graceful as startled swans, elegant as swimming dragons.

Xia Daoyun answered Chi Venerable’s question with her actions.

"Do you intend to defeat me with the Eighth Realm?" Chi Venerable sighed, and at the moment of his sigh, it seemed as if the world darkened, erupting with an indescribable aura of slaughter.

"A mere Sixth Tribulations Realm?" he seemed to ask, yet it seemed like a self-mutter, the sinister killing intent he emitted causing chills down one’s spine.

The Red Halberd pointed from afar, wrapped in overwhelming killing intent and might, bringing tremendous pressure, yet Xia Daoyun’s expression did not change in the slightest.

"What does the realm matter to me?" she stated.

Following this, with one sentence, this peerlessly graceful female Sword Cultivator caused the scene to chill with iron-like killing intent, making the Demon Venerable, supreme within the Burning Moon Domain, unable to maintain his composure, becoming angry, losing serenity.

"If I, Xia Daoyun, slay demons, what does it matter if I surpass you by one realm?"