The sword light split the sky, resplendent in its brilliance.

The sword qi fell with a thunderous roar.

Within Xia Daoyun, who was going against the current with her sword, the Element Force surged continuously.

Whether it was harnessing the Sword Immortal's sword qi to traverse thirty thousand miles, or the one sword that chills the world, both far exceeded her current cultivation limits, forcibly manifested as Sword Immortal techniques.

All to send this seemingly invincible Chi Venerable on his way.

Blood continued to seep from the corners of Xia Daoyun's mouth, yet she persisted, advancing against the current, mustering all her strength to thrust a sword.

The sword qi arrived first.

Pfft!

At this moment, blood splattered, Chi Venerable's entire body was riddled with wounds, and he was sent flying backward, sliding back thousands of feet.

On the straight path of his retreat, clouds billowed, and blood splattered, forming a blood-red ribbon.

The sword qi slashed by Li Qiubai in his lifetime, continued to inflict unprecedented severe injuries on the once-insolent Chi Venerable behind him, making him cough large amounts of blood, cracks appearing on his body.

Yet Chi Venerable still stood unshaken, his expression indifferent, showing no hint of emotion.

Even when heavily injured, he remained so calm, his composure frightening.

However, he truly had now fallen into a dire situation, even his life for the first time was under threat.

For following the sword qi of Li Qiubai, came another sword.

Xia Daoyun's sword.

Hum!

The sword light in the sky seemed to want to slice through the Nine Heavens, with resounding sword echoes rolling like thunder.

The sharp aura that burst from the sword light seemed to want to cut through the Heaven's Vault.

Xia Daoyun's sword arrived.

The bull's ear, at unimaginable speed, carrying unimaginable sharpness, appeared before Chi Venerable in less than a breath's time, plunging down fiercely.

"You're still lacking!"

Chi Venerable shouted, making a desperate counterattack, employing various means.

If that previous sword qi came a few more times, he indeed would despair.

But since the Sword Immortal's sword qi ended here, he had nothing to fear.

Xia Daoyun's sword, Chi Venerable didn't regard it at all.

In the next moment, he spat out a mouthful of blood, burning the strength within him, golden divine light appearing in his hands.

Confronting the bull's ear thrust by Xia Daoyun, Chi Venerable clasped his hands together fiercely, with vast demonic qi sweeping out.

At this moment, the strength between his palms was enough to flatten a thousand miles of mountains and rivers.

However, Chi Venerable now had only one purpose.

To block Xia Daoyun's sword!

The fiercely thrusting bull's ear was just caught within the fierce clasp of Chi Venerable's hands.

Like two mountains converging.

The power of Chi Venerable and Xia Daoyun clashed madly against each other.

The bull's ear was slowly advancing, trying to break free from Chi Venerable's clasp, piercing through his body.

The progress of the bull's ear was exceedingly difficult.

Xia Daoyun's right hand holding the sword began to tremble slightly.

So she placed her left hand on top.

Xia Daoyun, stacking swords with both hands, had a bloodless face, yet the bull's ear was being pushed inch by inch towards Chi Venerable's body.

The bloodstains at the corner of her mouth grew crimson, but Xia Daoyun paid no heed, her eyes fixated only on her sword.

Between Chi Venerable's palms and the bull's ear, a billowing air energy spread, forming a thin "lake surface."

A remarkably thin "lake surface."

Yet unimaginably sharp.

A breeze brushed past, unknowingly colliding with this "lake surface," and was instantly shredded, disappearing without a trace.

Chi Venerable's face, shrouded in a bloody mist, twisted ever more hideously.

Xia Daoyun swallowed the blood rising in her throat, her gaze filled with indescribable coldness and killing intent.

This exceptionally talented female Sword Cultivator took a step forward.

I, Xia Daoyun, want to wield my sword; who can stop me?

She asked.

And so, her sword was finally unleashed at this moment.

A hole burst through Chi Venerable's palm, a bloody mess.

This was not enough.

A streak of sword light pierced a crimson flower of blood on Chi Venerable's chest.

The sword light began at Chi Venerable's chest, dissipating at Chi Venerable's back.

A single sword had already run through Chi Venerable.

....

Yu Canghai and Xue Wujian watched the sword duel from afar, and at this moment, they were truly amazed.

If the earlier waves of Sword Qi, though the means of a Sword Immortal, were ultimately borrowed from others, then Xia Daoyun's current sword, although it borrowed the Sword Intent of Sword Immortal Li Qiubai, the final Sword Technique came from herself.

In this one sword, both Sword Intent and Sword Qi were enough to be called the peak of contemporary Sword Cultivators, and couldn't simply be described as a mere Sword Technique.

Because it stemmed from the right time, right place, and right people, it couldn't be replicated, and afterwards, even Xia Daoyun couldn't unleash a second sword like it.

Such a sword could be called the means of a Sword Immortal.

The so-called means of a Sword Immortal meant that once it was unleashed, it could disregard realms, disregard everything.

......

"Chi Venerable!"

The Demon Race's War Venerable and Ming Venerable both exclaimed aloud, truly fearing that Chi Venerable might meet with an accident, being killed by Xia Daoyun outside Yumen Pass by a stroke of bad luck this day.

This was too unreal; the mighty and noble Demon Venerable was pushed to such a plight by an Eighth Realm Sword Cultivator, blood staining the long sky?

At this moment, War Venerable finally couldn't help but intervene.

He couldn't possibly just sit and watch Chi Venerable encounter an accident.

With a rumbling sound, the heavens cracked and the earth shattered. War Venerable stretched out a large hand and snatched Chi Venerable back from under Xia Daoyun's sword.

Xia Daoyun saw this, and only sighed, knowing that the opportunity to kill Chi Venerable could ultimately not be fully seized.

Because her strength was still not enough, and that last sword wasn't sufficient to directly slay Chi Venerable; it merely heavily injured him.

And War Venerable did not give her the chance to finish with... the sword.

War Venerable could sense Xia Daoyun's extreme weakness at this moment, but he glanced again at "Xie Qingyun" on Yumen Pass and ultimately did not strike her while she was down.

For no other reason than simple fear!

"This battle, we of the Demon Race have lost. According to the prior agreement, our realm will temporarily retreat, giving you some peaceful days at Yumen Pass."

"Within ten years, our Demon Race will not invade Yumen Pass again!"

War Venerable shouted loudly, announcing the decision, and then he and Ming Venerable took Chi Venerable, turning into a rainbow light and disappearing beyond the sky.

Afraid.

He feared that Xie Qingyun would seize the opportunity of Chi Venerable's severe injury, and lead Yu Canghai and Xue Wujian to pursue and eliminate them root and branch.

At this moment, Ming Venerable was injured, Chi Venerable was severely wounded, and War Venerable couldn't hold on alone, not having the confidence to face these three, thus not daring to take the risk.

As the Demon Venerables withdrew, the horn sounded immediately.

Looking around the vast expanse, the army of the Demon Race, dense and oppressive like a great black sea, silently retreated at great speed.

Not a single Demonic Cultivator spoke, although this was a display of orderliness, the atmosphere was abnormally oppressive.

Because this time they lost, an unprecedented defeat.

The three Venerables came with great momentum, forcing Xie Qingyun to take action.

The result was that Xie Qingyun didn't unsheathe a single sword, and only three Eighth Realm Peak Masters of the Sword Sect fought in turns and defeated their Demon Race's three Venerables one by one, with Chi Venerable severely wounded and his status unknown.

How could such a thing be tolerated?

The decision not to invade Yumen Pass within ten years was both a promise from previous challenges and because the Demon Race truly needed some time to recover.

Only time could restore the morale that fell after this battle and allow Ming Venerable and Chi Venerable to heal their wounds.

.....

The silhouettes of the three Demon Race Venerables had just vanished over the horizon.

Pfft!

Xia Daoyun spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering on her feet.

Yet, even as chaotic Qi continued to stir within her body, she maintained a proud and upright stance.

Xia Daoyun took a deep breath and began to retrieve her swords.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The four Life-bound Swords—Startling Rain, Youlong, Light Cloud, and Flowing Wind—buzzed in resonance, summoned by their Sword Master, returning to hover before her.

Xia Daoyun gently pointed her sword.

The four Life-bound Swords each entered her body in turn.

Finally, there was only one sword left before her.

Niuer.

Since acquiring it, it had always been stored in her Mustard Seed, never having entered her Dantian.

Zheng zheng!

As if sensing Xia Daoyun's gaze,

the ancient Niuer quivered slightly, emitting a soft hum.

Whoosh!

Then, Niuer transformed into a Sword Light, like a swift swallow returning to the forest, directly and willingly entering Xia Daoyun's body.

The grandeur of a Sword Immortal had already been fully displayed in that sword just now.

In the Tianyuan Year, Xia Daoyun was surely a pillar of the Sword Dao.

Therefore...

Since the Sword Dao is paramount, let her hold the Niuer.

Through this battle, Xia Daoyun completely harmonized with Niuer, and henceforth would wield it with the ease of manipulating one's arm, operating with perfect fluency.