Chapter 13: Breakthrough to the Second Layer of Sword Domain

Swish!

The sound of tearing air!

Ye Tianlong’s speed was blindingly fast! His figure blurred, and in the same instant, the Wood Stone Sword’s tip was already at the First Leader’s throat!

The First Leader leaned back sharply, dodging by a hair’s breadth, a mocking sneer on his face. “Heh. Too slow, kid!”

He lashed out with a vicious kick, aiming straight for Ye Tianlong’s sword hand!

A jolt of intense pain shot up Ye Tianlong’s arm! Damn!

“Oh? Still holding onto your little stick?” The First Leader looked genuinely surprised for a second, then his expression hardened. “But, in the end, you’re still just trash. Time for me to finish this!”

The grey feather fan swept upwards!

A violent hurricane instantly materialized within the forest clearing! Wind howled furiously! Sand and stones were ripped from the ground, swirling violently! Whoosh! CRACK!

The hurricane ripped a massive boulder from the earth and hurled it directly at Ye Tianlong!

Ye Tianlong retreated rapidly, swinging his sword defensively! Fwoosh! Sword Qi flared! BOOM! The massive boulder exploded into fragments in mid-air!

The First Leader stared, his face a mask of disbelief. “How… How is that possible?! A piece of Body Refining scum can actually shatter a boulder with Sword Qi?!”

Vwommm!

Before the First Leader could recover, Ye Tianlong retaliated! A concentrated beam of Sword Qi shot through the air, slamming into the bandit leader and sending him flying backward! WHAM!

The First Leader hit the ground hard, coughing up a mouthful of blood! Urgh!

Ye Tianlong immediately pushed off the ground, leaping forward like an arrow! Sword thrusting straight for the First Leader’s throat again!

The First Leader hastily brought his grey feather fan up to block! Shnk! Shnk! Shnk! With a series of clicks, several small, razor-sharp steel hidden knives shot out from the fan’s edge!

CLANG! CLANG! Sparks flew as the Wood Stone Sword deflected the treacherous blades!

The First Leader roared furiously, “Arrogant brat! Eat this! Fan, rise!”

The very air around Ye Tianlong seemed to twist and distort! A swirling vortex, the eye of a hurricane, formed directly above him! Immense suction pulled everything nearby towards it!

The hidden knives embedded in the fan shot upwards, caught in the wind, then rained down viciously towards Ye Tianlong! Thwip-thwip-thwip!

Killing intent, sharp and suffocating, washed over him!

Suddenly, the distinct sound of crashing ocean waves echoed faintly in the air!

Ye Tianlong swung his sword in a wide, clean arc! The hurricane eye, the falling knives – everything was sliced cleanly in two! The vortex dissipated, the knives clattering harmlessly to the ground.

It was just the barest application of Tian Wai Yi Jian’s first layer, but against this First Leader? More than enough.

Utter horror filled the First Leader’s face! He blurred, instantly trying to flee!

“Trying to run?! Not happening!” Ye Tianlong roared!

Another sword strike! Slice! Slice! It severed both of the First Leader’s legs cleanly at the knees!

“AAAAAAAARGH!” A horrific scream of agony tore from the bandit leader’s throat!

He collapsed, writhing on the ground. He turned his head, glaring venomously at Ye Tianlong. “You…! I’m warning you! There are powerful people backing me! People you cannot afford to offend!”

Ye Tianlong pierced the First Leader’s throat with his sword without hesitation. “Bullshit!”

The First Leader died, his eyes wide with disbelief and impotent rage.

***

Elsewhere in the forest.

Bǎi Tōngmíng stared at the ground littered with bandits impaled by bamboo spears. He shook his head in amazement. “Big Brother’s plan actually worked perfectly!”

One bandit, somehow still clinging to life despite grievous wounds, gasped out furiously, “You… You despicable cowards! The First Leader… he’ll definitely avenge us!”

Bǎi Tōngmíng flicked his whip. Crack! The dying bandit’s head snapped back, life extinguishing instantly.

He gazed worriedly in the direction Ye Tianlong had gone. “Hope Big Brother is okay over there…”

Rustle… Rustle… Soft sounds came from the bushes to his right.

Bǎi Tōngmíng’s heart leaped into his throat! “Who’s there?!”

The sounds grew closer.

Bǎi Tōngmíng raised his whip defensively.

“Tongming? You alright?” Ye Tianlong emerged from the trees, cutting a path through the undergrowth with his sword.

“Big Brother!”

Bǎi Tōngmíng lowered his whip, relief flooding his face as he rushed over.

Ye Tianlong simply nodded.

Bǎi Tōngmíng looked at him with unrestrained admiration. “Big Brother! Your plan was flawless! It worked! Amazing!”

Back at the ruins of Black Wind Stockade.

The Strange Old Man materialized abruptly amidst the smoldering ashes, seemingly appearing out of thin air. He stared at the utter devastation, his face contorting with incredulous fury.

He let out a guttural roar that echoed through the mountains! “WHO DID THIS?! WHO?! AAAAARGH! MY SPIRITUAL MATERIALS!”

Consumed by uncontrollable rage, the old man slammed his palm downwards!

BOOOOOOM! An invisible palm force exploded outwards! The shockwave was immense! Trees in the surrounding forest snapped like twigs! Boulders tumbled down nearby slopes! The very mountains seemed to tremble!

The last vestiges of Black Wind Stockade were utterly annihilated, reduced to nothing but swirling ash carried away on the wind. It ceased to exist.

The old man let out a chilling, grating cackle. “An ant dares to shake a tree?! Heheheh… Brat… The day I find you… will be the day you DIE!”

Back in the hidden forest cave.

Bǎi Tōngmíng was enthusiastically recounting the recent events to the children, his face beaming with pride. “Big Brother’s plan was absolutely seamless! That First Leader? Thinks he’s so smart? Hah! Not even worthy to carry my Big Brother’s shoes! And his cultivation? Grandmaster Realm Second Layer? Pfft! Weak! Sooo weak! Compared to Big Brother? Tsk tsk…”

Getting carried away, Bǎi Tōngmíng even stood up, dramatically re-enacting parts of the fight.

“Wow… So cool!”
“Brother Tianlong is amazing!” the children whispered in awe.

Bǎi Tōngmíng puffed out his chest proudly. “Of course! He’s my Big Brother, Bǎi Tōngmíng’s! How could he not be amazing?”

“Hey! Stop taking credit! It was Brother Tianlong who’s amazing! What’s it got to do with you?” one of the older girls teased.

“Yeah! Yeah!” others chimed in.

Bǎi Tōngmíng pretended to look offended, shaking his head haughtily. “Well, he is my Big Brother! Recognizing someone so amazing as my Big Brother proves my good judgment, doesn’t it? But,” he added with a sly grin, “I still have to admit defeat to our Little Sister Qing! She’s Big Brother’s actual blood sister! Now that’s good judgment right from the womb!”

“Brother Xiao Ming! Stop teasing!” Ye Qing blushed slightly, swatting playfully at him.

Ye Tianlong watched them, a small smile touching his lips. In just a few days, Bǎi Tōngmíng had somehow managed to break the ice with both his sister and the traumatized children. The atmosphere in the cave was much lighter now. Maybe taking on this boisterous little brother wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

He chuckled softly to himself, turning his attention back to cleaning the Wood Stone Sword.

Counting now… this sword had already devoured nearly five different weapons. Its blade was undeniably sharper, much more lethal. But strangley, it also felt lighter in his hand, more responsive. Maybe… maybe one day, he really could use it to tear open the void itself.

BOOOOOOM!

A massive, distant explosion suddenly reverberated through the air!

A suffocating wave of terrifying, bloodthirsty aura washed over the cave, accompanied by overwhelming killing intent!

This feeling…?! Ye Tianlong’s heart clenched!

Just as quickly as it appeared, the suffocating pressure vanished, leaving an unsettling silence.

The hollow-eyed little girl trembled violently, her eyes wide with primal fear. “It’s… It’s that Strange Old Man… Today… today was the day he usually comes to Black Wind Stockade… to collect us… for refining pills…”

Bǎi Tōngmíng’s face turned pale. “That aura… so powerful… Big Brother, what do we do?!”

Ye Tianlong’s eyes blazed with cold fury. “What else can we do?! We fight him! One way or another, he’s the one who’s going to end up dead!”

Bǎi Tōngmíng gritted his teeth, his fear replaced by fierce loyalty. “Without Big Brother, I’d already be dead! Whatever you decide, Big Brother, I’ll follow you!”

***

Suspended Stone Island.

Emerald willow branches filled the air, whipping towards Ye Tianlong like venomous snakes! Killing intent permeated the space!

Ye Tianlong moved like a whirlwind, sword flashing!

Again, he was covered in wounds, bleeding profusely.

“You’re fighting aggressively today,” Lao Mu observed. “What happened?”

Ye Tianlong quickly explained everything that had transpired – the massacre, the rescue, the destruction of the stockade, and the terrifying power unleashed by the Strange Old Man.

Lao Mu fell silent for a long moment. “This opponent you’ve provoked… he is not ordinary. The ability to suppress others with sheer aura pressure… He must be at least Grandmaster Realm Third Layer, possibly even Martial Venerable Realm First Layer. With your current cultivation… you are likely no match for him.”

“I’ve already provoked him,” Ye Tianlong stated firmly, his voice unwavering. “Hiding and cowering, living in fear for the rest of my life… that’s not an option. Better to cut the weeds and pull out the roots! Finish him! If he doesn’t die, I die. But it’s not my time to die yet!”

As he spoke these words, the very air around Ye Tianlong seemed to shift, crackle with intensity!

The sound of crashing waves roared in his ears!

The trial of Tian Wai Yi Jian’s Sword Domain!

Second Layer!

Ye Tianlong found himself instantly immersed within the Sword Domain.

Titanic waves, twice as large and twice as fast as before, surged towards him!

Not only that, but the Wood Stone Sword in his hand felt incredibly heavy, sluggish! His movements felt slow, restricted!

Gritting his teeth, Ye Tianlong gripped the sword with both hands, swinging with all his might! CRASH! The wave slammed into him, throwing him back onto the ‘shore’ of the domain, leaving him battered and bleeding.

Again, and again! He charged, he fought, he was thrown back! His body became a canvas of wounds, washed clean only by his own blood.

“HYAAAAH! AGAIN!” Ye Tianlong roared defiantly, charging back into the crushing waves!

He swung the Wood Stone Sword in a horizontal arc! A profound, mystical energy flowed from the blade! FWOOOOSH! The massive wave was cleaved cleanly in two! Even the exposed seabed beneath was shaved down by the residual Sword Qi!

Ye Tianlong stood panting, supporting himself with his sword, eyes blazing like fire as he stared down the receding waves. “Hah… Come on! Bring it! I’m not afraid of you!”

The waves dissipated. The Sword Domain faded.

Ye Tianlong had grasped another layer of Tian Wai Yi Jian’s profound meaning.

“Well done. You have comprehended more,” Lao Mu acknowledged.

Ye Tianlong shook his head, still unsatisfied. “Not enough! Train more!”

Again, the willow branches attacked! Again, Ye Tianlong fell!

“I refuse to accept this! Again!”

Finally! After countless failures, Ye Tianlong managed to dodge two willow branches simultaneously!

Small victories, but each painful strike, each desperate dodge, tempered his meridians and bones, hardening them further.

BOOM!

A surge of True Qi flooded his system! Another breakthrough!

Body Refining Realm, Eighth Layer!

Lao Mu seemed to sigh, a sound like rustling ancient leaves. “Brat… With your talent, your state of mind… You will undoubtedly achieve great things!”

Ye Tianlong, however, felt a familiar frustration. “Why am I still in the Body Refining Realm?! And now Eighth Layer?! When will I finally break through to the Diamond Realm?!”

“I do not know,” Lao Mu admitted. “Your situation is unprecedented in all known history.”

Ye Tianlong shook his head dismissively. “Forget it. Doesn’t matter. Let’s keep training.”

And so, the brutal training continued.

By the time he left the Suspended Stone Island, dawn was breaking.

Ye Tianlong got up to practice his sword forms, then decided to hunt for breakfast.

Sure enough, his speed had increased dramatically again! Nearly twice as fast as before! To the naked eye, he was just a blur!

Wild deer were fast, but not faster than Ye Tianlong’s sword now.

A flash of light! Thump. A fat deer fell dead on the forest floor.

Ye Tianlong easily hoisted the deer onto his shoulders and headed back towards the cave.

“Brother!” Ye Qing ran out to meet him, her face etched with worry. “Brother! That strange little girl… she’s gone!”