Chen Chizhong initially thought that although Zhang Yan’s Sixteen Swords in One Breath appeared dazzling, over time, his heart and spirit would inevitably grow weary and reveal flaws. At that moment, he could seize the opportunity for a decisive strike. Suppressing his anger over Chen Tong’s death, Chen Chizhong patiently engaged in a standoff with Zhang Yan.
To his surprise, the battle lasted for a full hour. Not only did Zhang Yan show no sign of slip-ups, but his sword moves grew increasingly adept. Chen Chizhong couldn’t help but feel secretly astonished, thinking, "This junior was clearly so inexperienced when controlling his swords initially. How can he manage all sixteen sword balls for so long without even the slightest sign of disorder?"
If it were an ordinary cultivator, they might manage to split their sword balls into sixteen for combat, but their efforts would surely be fraught with fumbling and disarray. Yet these swords had developed True Recognition, and with Zhang Yan’s Divine Intent harmonizing with them, they became as if an extension of his own being. Though sixteen swords seemed like many, in reality, wielding them was no different from cutting with a single blade.
At the beginning, Zhang Yan focused solely on defense. But as time passed, amidst hundreds of exchanges, he gradually managed to counterattack with one or two strikes. Eventually, he began returning dozens of moves. By the end, he was fighting with offense and defense fully balanced, displaying remarkable finesse.
Even Chen Chizhong realized something unusual was happening. Frustrated, he thought to himself, "This junior is actually using me to refine his sword techniques? What a pity my sword plate was confiscated by the sect when I was expelled. Otherwise, I could use it to deploy a sword array, breaking this junior’s moves with ease!"
Every disciple of the Yuan Yang Sword Sect possessed a sword plate, which was both a Dharma Treasure and an Array Diagram, imbued with thirty-six sets of sword arrays. Chen Chizhong had cultivated seven strands of White Tiger Mysterious Light Sword Qi. With the sword plate, he could form the Beidou Sword Formation, something no ordinary sword move could withstand.
He cast a dark, sinister gaze over Zhang Yan and, after brief contemplation, retrieved a jade token from his sleeve bag. The token was inscribed with the image of a flying crane spreading its wings—an item presented to him by a friendly Daoist from the Nanhua Sect as a means of self-defense. In times of danger, it could summon a Mysterious Bird to assist him in battle.
Chanting under his breath, he shook the token and exclaimed, "Activate!"
The phantom shadow on the token came alive, bursting out in flames. It rolled amidst the clouds and transformed into an immortal crane covered in fiery feathers and shimmering brilliance.
The crane hovered in the sky, spread its wings wide, and let out a resonant cry before swooping down toward Zhang Yan. Even before it approached, a wave of scorching heat had already surged forth.
This Fire Crane was a Mysterious Bird crafted by the Nanhua Sect. Although it posed little direct threat to a Xuan Guang Practitioner, Chen Chizhong’s aim was to disrupt Zhang Yan’s heart and spirit, forcing him to expose a flaw.
Zhang Yan’s face curled into a cold sneer. He shouted, "Ao Tong, where are you?"
A thunderous dragon roar echoed through the skies as a Demon Flood Dragon with shimmering golden scales extended its limbs and swayed its six-zhang-long body. Its fierce eyes glinted with cunning as it spotted the Fire Crane. Laughing mockingly, it said, "So it’s just a fiery sparrow! Watch old Ao pluck the feathers off this bird!"
With that, it arched its back and pressed its four claws against the clouds, springing up and lunging toward the Fire Crane to engage in battle.
Ao Tong, an Ancient Mutant Demon Flood Dragon, possessed scale armor impervious to both water and fire. Naturally, it had no fear of the raging flames on the crane’s body. In its mind, it thought, "This fiery bird is easy enough to deal with. But if the master asks me to fight that cultivator afterward, old Ao really doesn’t have that kind of skill. Better to make a loud fuss without killing the bird too quickly."
Suddenly, the two exotic beasts clashed fiercely in mid-air, biting and clawing as their roars filled the sky with intensity, creating a commotion far surpassing the spectacle of Zhang Yan’s fight.
Chen Chizhong frowned deeply as he watched. He then retrieved from his sleeve bag a crudely-fashioned short sword. Initially, he kept it concealed, waiting for another back-and-forth exchange with Zhang Yan before carefully maneuvering to a position upwind. Without a word, he flicked his wrist, sending a black streak flying straight toward Zhang Yan’s face.
Zhang Yan’s gaze flickered with a hint of amusement. With a sweep of his robe sleeve, the Heart-Hitting Hammer transformed into a streak of red light and met the short sword head-on. With a resounding clash, the short sword shattered into two pieces. Zhang Yan did not press the attack further. Instead, with another flick of his sleeve, he stowed the Treasure Hammer away, devoting his full attention to dealing with the seven strands of White Tiger Mysterious Light Sword Qi.
Chen Chizhong’s temples throbbed as he watched. After so much effort, neither the Dharma Treasure nor the Mysterious Bird nor the Flying Sword seemed capable of overcoming his opponent. He cursed inwardly, "If not for me breaking away from the sect and losing all my Dharma Treasures to my master, how could I allow you to be so arrogant before me? Even if I must burn through my Primordial Qi today, I will cut this junior down beneath my sword!"
His eyes glinted coldly, as though shooting sparks, and with a swift motion of his finger, he stirred the sword light below. Seven strands of sword qi poured out like Zhou Yu’s torrential rain, delivering over a hundred strikes to force Zhang Yan back a hundred zhang. Then, raising his hand, his long sword let out a resonant cry as it leapt from its sheath. He shouted, "Divine Monarch commands, subdue qi and spirit, now decree with this token talisman—Thousand Swords as One!"