"Old Ji!"
When Jing Ziyang saw Chen Junting's sword descending, she initially remained calm—after all, she had absolute confidence in Ji Juechen. But the moment she realized Ji Juechen was standing frozen in place, completely motionless, her heart instantly clenched with panic!
Her soul rings flared, and soul skills erupted from her hands recklessly, like she didn't care about the cost.
Purple smoke surged toward the descending blade, attempting to slow it down even slightly.
At the same time, Jing Ziyang shot forward, and a brilliant violet light suddenly erupted from her body—clearly a Rank 6 soul-engineered barrier.
She was plainly ready to take Chen Junting's sword strike head-on in Ji Juechen's stead.
But space rippled faintly. A flash of black light appeared, and Gu Tianchen materialized before her. With a casual wave of his hand, a spatial gate opened, swallowing the entire wave of purple smoke whole.
"Sis, you really shouldn't interfere in this fight. If you block it, it'd actually do your boyfriend more harm than good."
As he spoke, Gu Tianchen—almost as if he'd anticipated her next move—made several bone spikes erupt from the ground, effortlessly intercepting Jing Ziyang's attacks.
That sturdy defense snapped Jing Ziyang out of her panic. "He's not even my boyfriend yet!"
She retorted almost instinctively, then turned her gaze back toward Ji Juechen. Above his head, the Seven Kill Sword hovered, suspended mid-air, suspended, not falling—as if waiting for something.
Yet the pressure emanating from it kept intensifying, crushing down upon him relentlessly.
Chen Junting stood perfectly still, his blade hovering just above Ji Juechen's brow. He watched Ji's silence, his own form unmoving for a long while.
Ji Juechen simply stood there—but his entire body had taken on a faint gray tint. He no longer looked like a living person; instead, he resembled a stone statue.
Even his presence had vanished entirely—just like Chen Junting himself when immersed in the state of "Man-and-Sword as One."
Yet as time passed, an unmistakable sense of danger began welling up within Chen Junting's spiritual sea—emanating precisely from that motionless, statue-like figure.
Without warning, Ji Juechen's eyes snapped open.
A glimmer of gray flashed across his pupils!
Seizing the moment, Chen Junting withdrew his sword and retracted his force.
The ethereal figure behind him slowly dissipated, and the terrifying sword intent vanished like mist in the wind—as if it had all been an illusion.
Ji Juechen sheathed his sword and clasped his hands respectfully. "Thank you."
On his usually stoic face, an uncommon expression briefly surfaced.
"Congratulations—you've stepped into Man-and-Sword as One," Chen Junting said matter-of-factly, gently brushing his palms together as a gesture of congratulations. "And just now… you also successfully awakened your own domain, didn't you? Mind sharing its name?"
It was just a name—Ji Juechen had no reason to refuse.
"Sword Domain: Ji." (Wiki name: Solitary Sword Domain)
But "Ji" here meant "loneliness"—the solitude of utter stillness.
Chen Junting gave a slight nod, savoring the lingering essence of that "Ji" domain. He felt deeply moved, especially when Ji Juechen's next words struck right at his heart.
"Next, please critique my domain."
"That's exactly what I hoped for," Chen Junting smiled faintly. "Let me test the might of your Solitary Sword Domain."
Ji Juechen said nothing more. He simply raised his sword and swung.
A streak of gray light erupted like a silken ribbon—yet at the moment of its appearance, it carried no trace of soul power, not even the faintest ripple. It seemed nothing more than a pale gray wisp.
But wherever that wisp passed, a thin black line tore through space itself—proof that even reality had been cleaved apart.
The instant Ji Juechen swung, Chen Junting's presence instantly receded. Both of their domains vanished, replaced instead by a cascade of utterly distinct yet harmoniously blended auras—solid as mountains, deep as valleys, wild as wind and thunder.
All that intent coalesced upon his blade.
Amidst a thousand shifting essences, his sword descended with serene grace—yet it met Ji Juechen's gray strike precisely at the perfect moment.
Every onlooker held their breath, eyes locked onto the clash—
dreading to miss even a single detail.
Hum—!
Clang—!
Two utterly different sword cries erupted simultaneously!
When the blades finally parted, Ji Juechen stood exactly where he'd begun—but confusion flickered in his eyes. "You held back just now."
Chen Junting stood sword-in-hand, his intent still lingering in the air.
Ji Juechen's sword aura had already been shattered. Had Chen Junting not pulled back at the last moment, Ji's Extraterrestrial Meteoric Sword would surely have shattered.
"Your sword is a fine one. A shame to ruin it."
Truth be told, that Extraterrestrial Meteoric Sword wasn't comparable to high-grade soul-engineered blades. But in Chen Junting's eyes, this sword—fused with Ji Juechen's martial soul—was far more suited to him than any manufactured weapon. To see it destroyed would have been a true waste.
"Is that so?"
A fleeting emotion crossed Ji Juechen's eyes as he glanced at his blade—but their battle was far from over.
His right hand shot upward. Instantly, a gray sword aura blazed into existence, swelling rapidly in the air until it formed a three-meter-long spectral blade that slashed straight toward Chen Junting.
On Chen Junting's side, that same overwhelming sword intent surged once more.
With a gentle lift of his hand, sword energy scattered like blossoms in spring rain. Behind him, a colossal phantom of the Seven Kill Sword pierced the heavens—ethereal, dreamlike, as if the spectators had been transported into the heart of nature itself.
Then, an indomitable pride burst forth—like an emperor surveying his realm. Amidst the flashing sword light, figures of dragon and phoenix emerged,
flanking the phantom blade, one on each side.
"Nobility oppresses, denying freedom;
Like a soaring dragon or dancing phoenix, its momentum unstoppable.
Three thousand guests intoxicated by flowers in the hall;
One sword's frost chills fourteen provinces."
Buzz—!
Beneath the resonant sword song, a sharp cry split the sky:
"—Sword Dao: Junting!"
…
"That move of yours… it's newly created, isn't it?"
Ji Juechen's eyes gleamed, his tone utterly certain.
"A rough draft from two years of wandering," Chen Junting admitted with a nod.
He took Ji Juechen's Extraterrestrial Meteoric Sword into his hands. Cracks riddled the blade—dense, intricate, unmistakable. Even though Chen Junting had held back at the last instant, the sword's material simply couldn't endure the strain.
"You're far too modest," Jing Ziyang muttered, glancing at the utterly devastated ground. "Good thing this isn't on Academy property—otherwise, how many golden soul coins would we owe just for this one fight?"
Chen Junting merely chuckled softly, saying nothing.
His hands moved subtly, weaving an inconspicuous formation. Before Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyang's astonished eyes, the Extraterrestrial Meteoric Sword appeared as if immersed in volcanic lava—partially molten yet holding form—as it reshaped itself.
"Here, take it back."
Ji Juechen caught it in one swift motion. "Thanks."
"No need to thank me. But I'd still advise you to find a master blacksmith to properly reforge this blade. Otherwise… it won't last you long on the path ahead."
Ji Juechen gave a firm nod, signaling he understood.
His gaze lifted from the sword. "You're from Shrek too?"
"Huo Yuhao didn't tell you?" Chen Junting raised an eyebrow—but Ji Juechen only shook his head. "I never asked. I only knew he was an exchange student from Shrek."
Huo Yuhao stepped forward to explain. "Actually, I first became a disciple of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—only later did I join Shrek Academy."
"I see…"
A flash of realization lit Ji Juechen's eyes—he seemed intrigued.
Chen Junting wasted no time and directly extended an invitation. "If you're both willing to join our sect, the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect would be honored. For ten thousand years, we've preserved countless inheritances of sword martial souls—along with their battle techniques, self-created soul skills, and profound insights."
"Really?"
"A gentleman's word is his bond."
Seeing the gleam in Ji Juechen's eyes, Jing Ziyang—who knew him best—already had a pretty good idea where she'd be settling down from now on.
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