Chapter 98

Shang Xia clearly had a mistaken understanding of the beast tide.

He originally thought that when the beast tide arrived, Tongyou Peak, which had just experienced a major battle, would immediately face another fierce battle.

However, he did not expect that the current scene at Tongyou Peak and the beast tide would be so "peaceful."

The beast tide did not launch a large-scale assault on Tongyou Peak, and after the previous major battle, Tongyou Peak was also resting and recuperating, without overly provoking the surrounding beast tide.

"Why does the beast tide attack Tongyou Peak?"

In response to Shang Xia's question, Shang Xi, who had not yet fully recovered, half-lying on a cushion made of Tianqing bear skin, looked puzzled: "Even if the fierce beasts outside have gone mad, Tongyou Peak is now a unified whole. In their eyes, it is no different from a high mountain or a large rock. Should they go and crash into mountains and rocks? If they really intend to launch a major attack on Tongyou Peak, doesn't that mean the beast tide is actually controlled by someone?"

"Why do they linger around Tongyou Peak for such a long time without dispersing?" Shang Xia asked, puzzled.

Shang Xi yawned and said, "Because of the elemental energy! Due to the protective array, Tongyou Peak gathers a large amount of elemental energy. Only the Four Spirit Mountains in the entire Two Realms War Zone can compare. Although these fierce beasts have gone mad, their instincts remain, and they naturally gather where the elemental energy is dense."

Shang Xia noticed that his aunt was somewhat tired, but he still wanted to understand, so he asked again, "Then how did the beast tide form?"

Shang Xi looked at her nephew with some helplessness and said, "It might be related to the previous mutual intimidation with divine weapons at the Two Realms Passage, but it's not certain."

"Aunt, one last question!"

Shang Xia saw his aunt's impatience and quickly said, "Are we just going to stay here and do nothing, waiting for the beast tide to disperse?"

Shang Xi gave him a look and said, "How do you know we're doing nothing?"

"It's not that..."

"Alright, alright, go out quickly, I want to sleep. You're really annoying. Why don't you ask someone else about these things, but you come to disturb me..."

Shang Xi impatiently drove Shang Xia out.

After leaving Shang Xi's room, Shang Xia saw Yan Qi waiting for him outside.

"Little Master, actually, every day on Tongyou Peak, a gap is opened in the array to attract fierce beasts to attack, and then they are killed to collect extraordinary materials," Yan Qi explained to Shang Xia.

Shang Xia was surprised and said, "Why didn't I hear anything?"

Yan Qi said, "Because the iron chains connecting Qiling, Kaiyuan, Luohui, Mingxiu, and Pinxin Peaks have been damaged. To prevent any mishaps, the gaps have been concentrated between Yuxi and Qiling Peaks these past few days, and each time they are opened, at least two Fourth Heaven experts are present."

"Is that so!"

Due to the inside and outside cooperation of the Rose Society, the iron suspension bridges between Kaiyuan and Luohui, and between Qiling and Kaiyuan, were successively cut by Jia Yuntian with the Gold Devouring Scissors.

The iron suspension bridges between Luohui, Mingxiu, and Pinxin Peaks, although not completely severed, were damaged by Ran Biro's attacks, and the iron chain between Luohui and Mingxiu was cut by the Seven-Spiral Sword.

At the time, Liu Qinglan was barely maintaining under Ran Biro's pressure.

If Shang Bo had arrived a moment later, even if Yan Que failed, Liu Qinglan would have made a breakthrough here.

However, Shang Xia was on Kaiyuan Peak at the time and did not know the situation in other directions.

Shang Xia first returned to his meditation room and saw that Yan Nier was still quietly incubating the four mutated rain swallow eggs. Then he went to the training ground behind the Shang Building.

From the moment he entered the training ground to the moment he picked up a green steel sword from the weapon rack, Shang Xia's Two Instruments Elemental Energy had already completed the transformation between the hard and soft extremes, and even with the help of the Taiji diagram, all the elemental energy in his body was converted into soft energy.

He set up the sword stance, and the formless sword technique began to flow like clouds and water in his hands.

First form, second form, third form, fourth form...

Before the battle at Tongyou Peak erupted, Shang Xia had only completed the deduction and mastery of the first three forms of the formless sword technique.

After the beast tide erupted and he returned to Tongyou Peak, perhaps due to the multiple battles he had experienced, Shang Xia's understanding and mastery of the formless sword technique advanced rapidly.

In just a few days, Shang Xia had already cultivated the formless sword technique to the seventh form.

Yesterday, while treating the rain swallows' injuries on Pinxin Peak, Shang Xia suddenly gained insight into the essence of the eighth form of the formless sword, feeling that mastering this form should be possible today. He returned to the Shang Building, visited the recuperating Shang Xi, and then hurried to the training ground.

Strictly speaking, the formless sword technique is more like a sword philosophy.

Just as its name suggests, "water has no constant form," as long as you can grasp the essence of each form, when you practice the sword technique, the moves can often break free from the constraints of a fixed framework, giving a sense of freedom.

This is a further understanding of the "water has no constant form" philosophy, known as "emphasizing the intent, not the sword"!

Because of this understanding, after completing the seventh form of the "formless sword technique," Shang Xia's long sword did not pause, flowing like water, and he smoothly completed the eighth form by following the feeling captured by his intent.

However, at this moment, Shang Xia suddenly felt that after the eighth form was completed as smoothly as water flowing into a channel, the intent in his heart did not dissipate but instead gained more momentum.

Shang Xia's heart stirred, and the inheritance of the "formless sword technique" flowed through his mind, from the first form to the eighth form, the essence was instantly connected. A sense of enlightenment spread from his heart, and his long sword followed his intent, completing the ninth form in one smooth motion. The momentum that had been building up found its outlet, and a formless sword energy was about to burst forth from the long sword!

Shang Xia suddenly remembered that when he mastered the "Square Steel Sword Technique," he also triggered a sword energy, which destroyed the weapon rack. He quickly reined in his internal elemental energy, locking the sword energy within the long sword.

However, Shang Xia underestimated the power of the sword technique combined with his internal elemental energy. The green steel long sword developed cracks and then shattered into countless pieces, which fell to the ground with a "ding ding dang dang."

As the sound of the sword fragments falling, Shang Xia suddenly froze, and the Four-Sided Stele in his mind suddenly appeared, with a faint red glow flickering on the stele. It seemed as if some characters were about to appear, but ultimately, it seemed to lack the strength and fell back into silence.

"Congratulations, Master, on mastering the sword technique!"

Yan Qi's voice suddenly sounded, waking Shang Xia from his deep thoughts.

"Huh, Uncle Qi, were you here all along?"

Shang Xia threw away the remaining sword hilt and said to himself, "Every time I complete a set of sword techniques, I destroy a long sword. The cost seems a bit high!"

Yan Qi laughed and said, "I just arrived. I originally had a task from Miss and went to Mingxiu Peak, but on my way back, I saw a familiar person from afar, someone you might be interested in."

"Who?"

Shang Xia took the wet towel from Yan Qi, wiping his hands while asking casually.

"Do you remember Dou Zhong?"

Yan Qi's eyes carried a hint of amusement.