Chapter 16: This Strike, Twenty Years of Cultivation, Can It Be Stopped?
Zhou Yi sighed inwardly. In truth, the technique he most wanted to cultivate was the Seven Immeasurable Abodes—an invincible method for preserving one's life, capable of turning the body into particles and reassembling anywhere.
[Note: Changing Seven No Boundaries to Seven Immeasurable Abodes. ]
However, the cultivation requirements for Seven Immeasurable Abodes were extremely high.
Zhou Yi's current cultivation level was not sufficient to practice it.
He shook off his thoughts and, with a gentle embrace of Ah Yin, set off for home.
He was eager to find a secluded spot on the journey to test the power of his One Sword to Part the World technique.
Leaving Soto City behind, Zhou Yi held Ah Yin tightly in his arms. With the Wind and Thunder Wings unfurled, they sped towards Notting City like lightning.
Ah Yin was excited yet nervous.
"Yi, do you think Sister Liu will dislike me?"
"Don't worry, she won't. I've got this!"
Zhou Yi tightened his hold on Ah Yin.
He had already told her about the affair with Liu Erlong. Ah Yin didn't mind at all.
If Zhou Yi didn't care that she was a Soul Beast, why should she be bothered? Moreover, among Soul Beasts, powerful male beasts often had many female ones. For example, lion-type Soul Beasts, where the Lion King would dominate all the females in a lion pride.
Zhou Yi was so powerful—there was no way he could only have one woman.
Twenty miles outside Notting City, high above a forest, Zhou Yi landed gently, Ah Yin still in his arms. His gaze swept across the lush, green trees, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Ah Yin, how do you think this strike of mine will fare?"
He summoned his Martial Soul, and the Divine Dragon Sword appeared in his palm.
"One Sword to Part the World!"
A torrent of Soul Power surged wildly, condensing and compressing into an ultimate blade of sword energy. The terrifying edge of the sword made Ah Yin's heart race.
Her body felt as though it was being cut by a thousand knives!
"Amazing, such a terrifying Soul Skill!" Ah Yin gasped in awe.
The next moment, she was shocked to realize that this Soul Skill wasn't even one of Zhou Yi's Soul Rings?!?
Boom!
Before she could think any further, Zhou Yi swung his sword. An indescribable sharpness erupted at that moment.
The sun seemed to dim.
Ah Yin watched in awe as the sword light rapidly extended forward.
Where it passed, the grass, trees, soil, and even the air silently parted, splitting apart...
The ground revealed a smooth, mirror-like incision, dozens of yards long, impossibly deep.
Ah Yin stood stunned, her lips parted in disbelief, as if a chicken egg could fit in her mouth.
This scene was something she would never forget for the rest of her life.
At that moment, her heart was completely filled with Zhou Yi's extraordinary display of power.
Even her delicate body trembled slightly from the overwhelming shock.
"It's powerful, but it consumes quite a bit of energy!" Zhou Yi noticed that this strike had drained most of his Sacred Heart True Qi. He probably could only manage one or two more strikes at most.
Even so, Zhou Yi was extremely satisfied.
He looked at Ah Yin and smiled. "What do you think of this strike?"
"Ssss!"
Ah Yin came to her senses, taking a sharp breath. As a 100,000-year-old Soul Beast, she had once been comparable to a Titled Douluo.
Though her power had diminished after taking human form and starting over, her eyesight remained keen.
"Yi, the power of this strike is absolutely on par with a Titled Douluo! Any average Titled Douluo, if they're not careful, would probably be severely injured or even killed instantly!"
Ah Yin's eyes were filled with admiration. This wasn't a Soul Skill obtained through hunting Soul Beasts and their Soul Rings; this was a technique Zhou Yi had created on his own—without relying on any Soul Rings!
How amazing!
"Someone's coming. We should leave!"
Zhou Yi's brow furrowed, and he swiftly picked up Ah Yin. With the Wind and Thunder Wings flapping behind him, they transformed into a gust of wind and thunder, disappearing quickly into the depths of the forest.
Not long after, four figures arrived in two separate groups.
The first group consisted of two men.
One was a young man with a face like a polished jade, straight nose, and square mouth. His demeanor was elegant and gentle, dressed in a pure white long robe that remained spotless.
He appeared to be in his twenties, with smooth black hair flowing down his back. Everything about him seemed effortless, without the slightest pretense.
The other man was middle-aged, also wearing a flawless white robe. His appearance was ancient, with a face as smooth as a baby's, his expression detached, and his eyes seemed to see nothing around him.
"What a strong sword aura. This is a swordsmanship master!"
The voice of Chen Xin cut through the air like a blade, sharpening the hearts of those who heard it. His normally indifferent eyes showed a glimmer of eagerness and battle intent.
He was none other than the Sword Douluo Chen Xin, the guardian Titled Douluo of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
His Martial Soul was the Seven Killing Sword.
Upon encountering another swordsmanship master, the calm waters of Chen Xin's heart rippled. Unfortunately, he did not see his opponent.
The young man beside him was Ning Fengzhi, the young sect master of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At that moment, two burly youths quickly approached, and they were none other than Tang Xiao and Tang Hao, the brothers heading to Notting City.
"Xiao Brother, Hao Brother, I didn't expect to meet you here!"
Ning Fengzhi smiled as he greeted the Tang brothers.
Given their status as the Sky Dou Brothers of the Clear Sky Clan, Ning Fengzhi naturally knew them.
"Lord Sword Douluo, Brother Ning."
Tang Xiao and Tang Hao stepped forward and exchanged greetings before examining the sword mark, sensing the terrifying sword intent still lingering within it. Tang Xiao exclaimed in admiration:
"The swordsmanship of Lord Sword Douluo is truly formidable!"
They had assumed that the mark was left by Chen Xin, after all, there were very few Titled Douluo with sword martial souls on the entire continent.
And since Sword Douluo Chen Xin had just happened to be here, who else could it be but him?
"Xiao Brother, you've misunderstood. We came here because we sensed the disturbance, but unfortunately, we didn't get to witness the great Sword Douluo's presence!" Ning Fengzhi quickly explained.
"What?" Tang Xiao and Tang Hao were stunned.
There are other sword-style Titled Douluo?
A Titled Douluo is a pinnacle existence among Soul Masters. There are only a few dozen publicly known Titled Douluo on the continent.
Including the hidden Titled Douluo, the total number on the entire continent barely exceeds one hundred.
The two brothers were well-travelled, but they couldn't immediately think of any other Titled Douluo who fit this description.
Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi were equally stumped.
Unable to come up with an answer, they didn't think much more about it.
Chen Xin, indifferent, walked to the side and ignored Tang Xiao and Tang Hao.
Ning Fengzhi, on the other hand, eagerly chatted with the two brothers.
"Xiao Brother, what brings you here? Are you also here for Zhou Yi?"
Ning Fengzhi asked.
"We met Brother Zhou in the Star Dou Forest while acquiring Soul Rings, and this time, we came to invite him for a drink!" Tang Xiao casually replied.
If Zhou Yi heard this, he would certainly warmly say: "I'll treat you to my wedding feast with Ah Yin! Drink all you want!"
Ning Fengzhi's mind stirred upon hearing this. It seemed that the Tang brothers had a good relationship with Zhou Yi. Could it be that Zhou Yi was planning to join the Clear Sky Clan?
The Clear Sky Clan was known as the number one sect on the continent, thanks to the presence of Tang Chen, the peerless Titled Douluo at rank 99, whose power could rival that of the Spirit Hall.
It wasn't impossible for Zhou Yi to join the Clear Sky Clan.
While their Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect was strong, its power and prestige were still a bit lacking compared to the Haotian Sect.
However, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had wealth.
That was their advantage.
It wasn't out of the question to attract Zhou Yi.
The group of four mainly consisted of Ning Fengzhi and Tang Xiao chatting.
Chen Xin stood with his hands behind his back, walking beside them, exuding a sense of unrivaled supremacy, as if he were above all things, and naturally no one dared disturb him.
Tang Hao, quiet as always, silently stayed by Tang Xiao's side.
"Brother Zhou's theory of mental power, although not yet proven by others, seems highly feasible to me, though the effects are slow to manifest…" Ning Fengzhi and Tang Xiao eagerly discussed Zhou Yi's ideas.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yi had already arrived at a grassy field full of Blue Silver Grass.
In high spirits, Zhou Yi felt an urge to experiment.
He decided to test Ah Yin's final evolution skill of the Blue Silver Domain—"Ocean's Embrace"
Under Ah Yin's helpless gaze, Zhou Yi instructed her to turn around and lie down against a large tree.
Though unwilling, Ah Yin's heart was calm.
She was willing to do anything for Zhou Yi.
As Zhou Yi activated Ah Yin's Blue Silver Domain skill, "Ocean's Embrace," the surrounding Blue Silver Grass seemed to cheer and rapidly grow.
Vines coiled around them, weaving together to form a massive cradle made of Blue Silver Grass.
Swaying gently.
A cool breeze blew.
The ancient trees stood tall.
The forest was filled with the vibrant life and fragrant air of spring, mixed with the earthy scent of soil.
One couldn't help but feel poetic:
"Withered vines, old trees, and crows in the dusk."
"Small bridges, flowing water, and homesteads."
"Ancient roads, the west wind, and a thin horse."
"The setting sun sets in the west."
"At the ends of the earth, a heartbroken soul."
…
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