The first to spout blood was not Shentu Yu, but Zhao Letian; after all, his strength was a notch weaker. Before finding an effective way to counter Shentu Yu, he could only be suppressed by his opponent. Moreover, as his internal injuries accumulated, the situation would become increasingly unfavorable for him.
"Zhao Letian, stop struggling. You're certain to die today. If you give up resisting, I can grant you a swift death. Otherwise, I will make you die in the most humiliating and painful way right here on the Life and Death Platform." As Shentu Yu's sword slashed Zhao Letian's arm, drawing blood that spurted out, he grew even more smug.
At the beginning of the fight, if he was somewhat nervous, fearing Zhao Letian had other tricks up his sleeve, he was now certain that Zhao Letian was already fighting with all his might, absolutely without any other hidden cards. Otherwise, given Zhao Letian's hatred for him, he should have taken those out at the start of the fight to bombard him directly.
However, Zhao Letian turned a deaf ear, ignoring his own injuries, continuing to slash sword after sword at Shentu Yu, and in the midst of battle, he polished his Body Technique "Carefree Travel" while attempting to grasp the Four Layers Sword Force.
Zhao Letian was well aware that the gap between him and Shentu Yu wasn't that large. At least, it wasn't so vast it couldn't be bridged. Whether it was deepening his understanding of the Body Technique "Carefree Travel", mastering the Four Layers Sword Force, or elevating his Sword Skill "Dragon Roar Nine Swords" to the level of Five Dragon Roars, he could immediately bridge the gap between him and Shentu Yu and turn the tide of the battle.
"Borrowing the force, borrowing the force, how exactly should I borrow the force of heaven and earth?" As Zhao Letian struck sword after sword against Shentu Yu, ignoring the increasing blood-colored sword scars on his body, he focused on understanding the fourth layer of the sword force. He had already touched the threshold of the Four Layers Sword Force and could master it at any moment; he was just missing an opportunity.
The Illusion Realm in the Ten Thousand Abyss did let him understand the three stages necessary to comprehend sword force, but how exactly to walk this path, he still had to explore step by step.
"In the Illusion Realm of the Ten Thousand Abyss, it felt as though I had completely mastered the Ten Layers Sword Force. Without needing to understand the principles, with just a thought, I could easily borrow the force from all things in heaven and earth—it can be said that I know the 'what' but not the 'why'. To master the Four Layers Sword Force in reality, I must first grasp the key principles. Borrowing force is a higher realm than riding the force of the first three layers. It should have some connection with them. Can I reflect on how I initially understood riding the force to comprehend borrowing force?" Thoughts swirling in Zhao Letian's mind, he began to recall the time long ago when he first understood sword force.
He remembered clearly, on that day, after swinging and slashing his sword thousands upon thousands of times, he suddenly sensed the force of heaven and earth around him. He realized that if his sword went along with the force of all things, it could possess a power different from Primordial Energy, an unyielding and indestructible mighty force—that was his initial comprehension of sword force.
"Sensing the force of heaven and earth? Yes, that's the most basic, most fundamental requirement for comprehending sword force. Ever since I've understood sword force, I could naturally sense the force of heaven and earth. Precisely because of this, I neglected to seriously experience the force of all things. Perhaps, to comprehend the fourth layer of sword force, I have to go back to the beginning and start again from there." After pondering for a long time, Zhao Letian finally felt a sense of sudden enlightenment, oblivious to the multiple sword wounds on his body, his eyes revealing a hint of excitement instead. Yоur suppоrt оn М|V|L8ЕМРYR kееps this sеriеs gоing.
"Hm?" Seeing the strange look in Zhao Letian's eyes, Shentu Yu felt an inexplicable chill in his heart and frowned.
Within the darkness, Zhao Letian's excited gaze gave off an extremely dangerous feeling, for such a look should never appear in someone who has been suppressed for so long, covered in wounds, with death looming at any moment.
"Letian, my disciple, are you finally about to comprehend it?" On the Golden Warship, Sword Obsession's eyes shimmered with the gleam of swords, revealing a look of anticipation.
As a Sword Cultivator, no one understood the process of comprehending sword force better than Sword Obsession. He vaguely sensed that Zhao Letian was probably about to begin understanding the Four Layers Sword Force. A mere boy of sixteen, with only the cultivation of the second level of true martial power, grasping the Four Layers Sword Force—such talent could indeed be called a rare genius of the Galaxy Sect, once in a millennium.
But Sword Obsession's standards were very high, higher than anyone present. Even if Zhao Letian had mastered the Four Layers Sword Force, it would only just barely meet his expectations, justifying why he had taken Zhao Letian as his first disciple.
"Brother Letian." Liu Wei in the sky was nervously watching the fight below on the platform. Although she had great confidence in Zhao Letian, as she saw more and more sword wounds accumulate on his body, his white robe stained with blood, her heart was still wrenchingly anxious. She had even planned that if Zhao Letian were to be defeated by Shentu Yu, she would not stand by and watch Zhao Letian die on the Life and Death Platform; she would save Zhao Letian once again, at all costs.
"Master, you must hold on, we, the Five Tigers of the Galaxy Sect, are still counting on you to lead us to make a name for ourselves in War King City and throughout the entire Dajin Country." The nearby Five Tigers of the Galaxy Sect were also extremely tense. Zhao Letian was definitely the strongest genius they had ever seen. Alas, the gap in cultivation between him and Shentu Yu was simply too vast, and this battle would be difficult to win.
At the same time, Liu Fei, not far away, seemed to relax, her face even showing a pleased expression. With every new sword mark on Zhao Letian, the happier she looked. Continuing , Zhao Letian surely wouldn't last long, and soon would be slain by Shentu Yu—at that point, she could be completely at ease.
"No, this isn't right!"
However, down on the Life and Death Platform, Shentu Yu, who was exchanging blows with Zhao Letian, felt more and more uneasy, his face growing increasingly grim. He discovered that Zhao Letian's attack power was visibly soaring at a rapid pace, and even felt as though the very heavens and earth of the Life and Death Platform were opposing him, making it difficult for his mastery of the Two Layers Sword Force to exert its full strength.
"Guiding? That's right, to perceive the forces of nature and attempt to guide them for my own use—this is leveraging!"
Across from him, Zhao Letian's eyes suddenly brightened, a brilliant light bursting forth. He finally comprehended that the key to mastering the Four Layers Sword Force lay in the word "guidance." First, one must perceive the forces of nature, then skillfully guide them, and one could borrow the power of all things under heaven. With one slash of the sword, it was as if it carried the might of the heavens and earth, its power boundless.