The clash between fist and sword erupted with a thunderous roar, rendering the world silent for an instant, countless rays of light flickered, and shattered golden light burst forth, illuminating the sky.
Immediately, the ground abruptly cracked open, and huge clouds of dust surged skyward.
Within several hundred feet of their battle, a violent explosion suddenly occurred, countless fragments of earth and stone tearing through the air, like the most powerful crossbow bolts shooting forth.
Shi Yunyi’s body tilted backward, retreating dozens of feet, carving a deep trench in the ground.
His body shook violently, flickering like a reflection in water.
"What kind of power is this?"
Shi Yunyi truly looked at his own long sword and asked.
Zhong Lin’s fist seemed ordinary, but the moment it connected with his long sword, a strange power surged from the Fist Seal, effortlessly dissolving his Sword Dao, giving a sense of endless vitality and inexhaustibility.
"Defeat me, and I’ll tell you."
Zhong Lin shook his arm slightly, looking at Shi Yunyi with a half-smile.
Shi Yunyi moved once more, an indistinct Sword Intent filled the heavens and earth.
Zhong Lin’s eyes narrowed slightly, at this moment, he only felt that Shi Yunyi resembled a giant sword piercing the sky, the Sword Intent vast and pervasive, filling his vision.
Black and white streaks entwined like dragons, coalescing on his long sword, with black and white beams colliding continuously at its tip, causing rippling waves in the surrounding space.
The sword cut through the air, followed by a faint sound of a sword ringing.
Ripples oscillated as black and white brilliance flowed, Shi Yunyi abandoned all distractions, swinging his sword horizontally in the sky, slashing towards Zhong Lin amidst the sharp explosive noise that seemed to shatter heaven and earth.
"Showy, Five Elements Rotation."
The terrifying roar and howling echoed throughout the world ceaselessly, under the fierce friction of the astral wind, billowing smoke surged upward.
Flashes of light flickered, the power of their collision scattered with a roar, the surrounding mountains and stones continuously shook and shattered, either rolling down or directly pulverizing into dust.
In the swirling airflow, a low muffled sound was heard.
Shi Yunyi’s figure fell from the sky, carving a long trench on the ground before stopping, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth, his sword-wielding hand tingling, his face pale, his Dantian completely depleted of True Qi.
Zhong Lin stepped forward from the dust, unscathed, only having consumed a lot of True Qi.
A large hand appeared in front of Shi Yunyi, who pursed his lips before reaching out to grab it, a force tugged him upright.
"Call me brother." Zhong Lin said with a half-smile.
Shi Yunyi blushed, and finally, with resignation, softly called out.
"Haha, that’s right! Best two out of three, a bet is a bet, you couldn’t beat me at chess, nor in fighting, if you’re still not convinced, you choose, and we’ll compete again."
Shi Yunyi shook his head, saying: "No need, a loss is a loss, from now on you are the senior brother."
"Say it one more time."
"You... senior brother."
Zhong Lin laughed heartily, like a fox that had just stolen a hen, utterly delighted.
"Senior brother, where did you learn that punch skill just now?"
"Learn? Your senior brother is a natural prodigy, why would I need to learn? Of course, I created it myself?"
"Do you want to learn? If you do, I’ll teach you!"
Shi Yunyi shook his head, touching the long sword in his hand, and said solemnly: "In my lifetime, I am devoted to the sword, solely to the sword, nothing else."
Zhong Lin pouted, remarking on his stubbornness.
Right hand grasped the air, a broken bamboo staff flew into his hand from afar.
Suddenly Zhong Lin’s momentum changed, and the bamboo staff in his hand emitted a sharp Sword Qi, the void shook, as if it was not a bamboo staff, but an unparalleled Treasure Sword.
Shi Yunyi stood as if pinned in place, disbelief painted across his face.
"Sword... Sword Intent?"
Shi Yunyi felt as though he was about to go mad, why did Zhong Lin exude Sword Intent, which only a Sword Cultivator could comprehend as a Supreme Sword Skill.
"Watch closely, I’ll demonstrate it only once."
Zhong Lin pointed the bamboo staff skyward, immediately, endless Wind Flow oscillated, the boundless Sword Intent converged into a long river of Sword Qi swooping down from the sky.
"The Great River Sword, descends from heaven."
Suddenly, a majestic tide of Sword Intent, like a celestial river overturning, swept down, covering the mountains and forests for hundreds of miles, with endless sharp edges, within the mountains, Shi Yunyi’s heart felt cold, like thorns on his back.
Zhong Lin raised an eyebrow at Shi Yunyi, a look of pride on his face.
"How did you achieve this? I mean, how do you possess Sword Intent?"
Shi Yunyi’s face was full of urgency.
"Sword Intent? It’s no big deal, if you have hands, you can do it." Zhong Lin replied nonchalantly.
Shi Yunyi’s face darkened, fists tightening, he felt like chopping him into pieces.
Damn it, if Sword Intent was so easy to comprehend, how would I be the first Sword Dao prodigy in the Sword Cauldron Sect for millennia?
"That swordsmanship just now..."
"I created it myself, ’The Great River Sword’, how does it feel?"
"It’s excellent, very powerful."
"Naturally, your swordsmanship is not bad either, but it’s a bit showy, had I used a sword just now, you would’ve lost long ago."
Shi Yunyi remained silent, his greatest pride silently extinguished, even a sense of powerlessness emerging.
The person before him was too monstrous, regardless of Martial Arts, Alchemy Dao, or Sword Dao, he crushed him comprehensively, inciting a sense of helplessness.
Shi Yunyi instinctively reached out, receiving a book in his hand.
"If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me."
Zhong Lin turned to leave, leaving only a robust silhouette behind.
Shi Yunyi murmured, his voice extremely faint, but enough for Zhong Lin to hear.
A smile appeared at the corner of Zhong Lin’s mouth.
He wasn’t being kind to Shi Yunyi for no reason, but to cultivate him in advance.
One who does not plan for eternity cannot even plan for a single moment.
One who fails to plan for the entire scheme cannot plan for a single domain.
Since hearing part of the truth about the world from Yu Jinglei, Zhong Lin had begun his plans, this continent would never confine him.
With the System Panel, Zhong Lin would one day reach the absolute pinnacle, never bound to one place.
Of course, Zhong Lin knew the dangers of going to sea, relying on only one person would mean certain death, therefore he planned to cultivate like-minded people, like Shi Yunyi.
Before Zhong Lin appeared, Shi Yunyi was the top prodigy of the Sword Cauldron Sect, entering the Dao through the sword, the sword opening the heavenly gate, breaking through the Heaven and Earth Bridge.
How could such a person be missed?
Of course, he had to be cultivated well, so when the time came to go to sea, there would be a companion, after all, Sword Cultivators are renowned for unmatched combat prowess.