Chapter 63

Not only were there curses, but nine Secret Martial Artists from the seven clans also emerged from the carriages, two more than what Yin Yang had found out. Each of them had a grim expression as they looked toward the riverside. Leading several dozen martial artists and a dozen servants, they stood in a standoff from a distance.

The situation on the opposite bank of the river was the same, tense and ready to erupt at any moment.

Zong Shou secretly smiled, knowing that these merchants felt they had gathered enough strength to start causing trouble.

In fact, those servants, though not without skill, were not the real problem. The real challenge was the person beside the waterfall.

This time, it was likely to end in humiliation.

Sure enough, after a brief commotion, the man beside the giant sword became impatient. With a cold snort, the air within thousands of feet trembled.

The giant sword suddenly rose into the air and plunged into the ferry landing. A vast and imposing intent pressed down on both sides of the river.

Ordinary people who had only a basic understanding of martial arts did not feel much. However, the martial artists trembled, and the faces of the Secret Martial Artists alternated between red and pale. Some of those with weaker foundations even knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with panic.

"Get lost! I, Old Lei, have traveled through the Five Directions and a hundred landscapes, contemplating the meaning of the sword. Today, just as I was making some progress, you disturbed me! Do you want to die?"

His voice was like a闷雷 (muffled thunder), creating rolling sound waves. The owner of the giant sword seemed extremely angry but forced himself to say, "No one is allowed to pass here for the next ten days!"

He suddenly waved his sleeve, and over a hundred beast crystals were casually scattered. "No matter how much you've lost, these beast crystals should be enough compensation. In any case, you can only come back after half a month!"

The martial artists and carriage drivers were already speechless, having realized the kind of person they had provoked. To be able to control such a massive steel sword from a distance, he must be at least a Night Walker if he were a Spirit Master, or at least a Heaven Rank if he were a martial artist.

Upon hearing this, they all felt as if they had been granted a reprieve and turned to leave. In a short while, the over a hundred carriages turned around, raising clouds of dust as they headed back.

Zong Shou also received a beast crystal that was thrown over. Upon closer inspection, it was a second-rank water-type crystal. His eyes flickered, thinking that this person was quite generous. A second-rank beast crystal was worth ten thousand silver taels. Any significant loss could be compensated.

The merchants, though still frightened, also showed a hint of joy, clearly having gained something.

Zong Shou secretly praised the man, thinking that he was not bad. Despite having supreme martial power, he could still restrain himself and not abuse it.

The previous slight dislike he had for the man vanished. Occupying the ferry and prohibiting passage was indeed domineering, but he did not seek revenge on those who cursed him. Instead, he offered beast crystals as compensation. Such a character could not be considered too bad.

Yin Yang also turned the eighteen Cloud-Flipping Horses around. After walking about a hundred feet, Chuxue curiously asked, "Prince, that man said he was contemplating the meaning of the sword. Is it similar to what you and Uncle Yin talked about, the sword intent? Can one really understand it by looking at the landscape?"

"More or less! When one reaches the initial stage of martial arts, they can grasp the rhythm. When the rhythm reaches its peak, it can form a momentum. And when the momentum reaches its peak, it becomes intent. Martial intent can be divided into sword intent, knife intent, and fist intent. They are roughly similar, but the shapes and characteristics of weapons and fists are different, so there are some differences. In any case, reaching this stage is considered advanced martial arts. This man claims to have traveled through a hundred landscapes, so his martial intent is likely related to the landscape."

Zong Shou didn't think much about it and explained casually, then added with a hint of helplessness, "Our luck is too good. We actually ran into a Heaven Rank here!"

Chuxue's eyes brightened, "That witch said the Prince has already achieved sword spirit and understands three types of sword intent. This man is still contemplating the knife intent. Isn't he not as good as the Young Master?"

Zong Shou's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he instinctively wanted to cover Chuxue's mouth. A Heaven Rank expert could hear sounds from twenty miles away even in meditation. They were still within a thousand feet; they couldn't just say such things.

He had deceived Lingyun Sect with a ruse. Forcing Zhao Yanran back was a necessity. For such a powerful expert, it was best to avoid offending him at this stage.

However, before he could act, a surprised voice came from the riverside, "Sword spirit? Young man, please come over for a chat!"

Zong Shou's brows furrowed, and he sat woodenly on the carriage roof, pretending not to hear.

But the next moment, a powerful force grabbed him. Not only did the Cloud-Flipping Carriage stop moving, but Zong Shou was also lifted up, spinning through the air until he landed beside the waterfall, standing in front of the giant sword's owner.

"Prince!"

Yin Yang let out a cry of alarm, abandoning the Cloud-Flipping Carriage and chasing after Zong Shou like lightning. In a few breaths, he covered a thousand feet, drew his sword, and a flash of fire forced the servants away.

However, before he could get close, the ten-foot-long giant sword let out a long, resonant sound, and another powerful intent pressed down.

Yin Yang was thrown back, retreating dozens of feet before stabilizing. He planted his sword in the ground, his face turning ashen. Under the pressure of the intent, he barely managed to stay on his feet.

Zong Shou's gaze flickered, but he did not try to stop him. He looked closely at the man in front of him, who was actually very young, about twenty years old, with regular features and a striking appearance. However, he was unkempt, with a face full of steel-like stubble. He was tall and robust, with sharp eyes and an extremely domineering aura.

For some reason, Zong Shou felt an inexplicable sense of closeness, perhaps due to the 'intent' in the sword.

The giant sword's owner also examined Zong Shou from head to toe, then asked in a low voice, "Someone said you have achieved sword spirit? Who among the martial arts experts of Donglin Cloudland said this?"

Zong Shou was secretly troubled but knew that these top-tier experts hated being deceived. After a brief moment of thought, he answered frankly, "A while ago, I met Zhao Yanran of the Seven Spirits Sect."

"Her?"

The giant sword's owner was slightly surprised, then regained his composure, "That girl's skills are still lacking, but her judgment is not wrong. However, you are only thirteen years old. Saying you have achieved sword spirit and understand three types of sword intent, is that girl crazy? Or are you a disciple of some Spirit Martial Venerable? No, you are clearly only at the martial artist stage and have a dual-meridian body—"

Zong Shou smiled but said nothing, not wanting to offend this person. However, the next moment, the giant sword's owner shook his head, "Forget it. Since she praised you so highly, even if it's an exaggeration, you must have some skill in martial arts. I, Old Lei, need someone to help me evaluate something."

As he spoke, the giant sword's owner suddenly slashed his palm. Without any sound, a huge rock thirty feet away was marked with two large sword marks. He then pointed to the giant mountain to the east and the waterfall, "What do you think of this mountain and this water? And what about my knife intent?"

Zong Shou had already sighed countless times in his heart. Now, he dared not avoid the question and reluctantly focused, carefully examining the scene. Then he shook his head, "This mountain is a mountain, clear as a mirror. This water is water, like a curtain. As for your knife intent, it is too much like chiseled work, not worth mentioning! You clearly know it yourself, so why ask me?"

The giant sword's owner's face immediately turned green.