The four subordinates of the scarred man moved instantly, their figures blurring as they unleashed a coordinated assault, swords flashing and Spiritual Qi crackling through the air.
Yang Lie stood motionless, his eyes narrowing as a calm, deadly focus settled over him.
"So predictable," he murmured, voice low as a whisper of death.
With fluid precision, Yang Lie drew his sword in a motion so seamless it seemed timeless, the blade humming with restrained power.
Steel met steel in a blinding cascade of sparks as he parried their attacks, his movements flowing like water, effortlessly redirecting each strike.
A dance between raindrops.
His feet glided across the shattered earth, dodging slashes by mere inches.
In a breath's span, he slipped free from the flurry of blades, putting distance between himself and his attackers, his eyes calm but alert as he prepared to counter.
Just then, his senses flared.
His Physique instinctively recoiled, sensing the deadly danger.
A surge of violent Spiritual Qi roared toward him from behind—Yellow Aura entwined with Sword aimed straight for his neck.
"Eat my Refinement-Stage Sword Aura, bastard!" the scarred man bellowed, his voice brimming with triumph.
Yang Lie spun, milliseconds from disaster.
The sword aura grazed his cheek, drawing a crimson line as the burning energy seared the air around him.
Blood trickled down his face in a thin stream, warm against his skin.
The ground behind him, several meters wide, shattered into a jagged crater under the devastating pressure of the scarred man's strike, dust and splinters flying as though a storm had been unleashed.
Yang Lie's heart pounded, his breath sharp.
"Damn it... when did that bastard manifest Sword Aura? If I'd been a second slower... my head would be rolling."
"Ha! You survived my strike imbued with Sword Aura!" the scarred man sneered, triumph twisting his expression into a mask of contempt.
"But the next strike—will split you in half!"
He raised a hand, snapping his fingers with lethal intent. His four subordinates moved again, surrounding Yang Lie, blades drawn for the kill.
Yang Lie exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around his sword.
His eyes flashed with cold resolve.
"You're right... I underestimated you. You're not an Inner Sect disciple for nothing. But..."
His lips curled into a dangerous smirk.
"I think it's time I get serious."
In a single heartbeat, a torrent of pure Spiritual Qi surged from his Initial Dantian nestled within his lower abdomen.
The scarred man's eyes widened.
"W-What are you fools waiting for?! He's up to something! KILL HIM—NOW!"
Desperation twisted his voice, but it was already too late.
Spiritual Qi erupted from Yang Lie in a thunderous wave, swirling around him like a raging tempest before transforming into a radiant Golden Aura that began to coil gracefully around his sword.
A radiant glow enveloped his body as he activated the Physique he had awakened just days earlier within the Mystic Evergreen Forest.
His skin and bones thrummed with Spiritual energy—the Legendary Peerless Sword Body. The very air around him crackled and quaked.
Golden threads of energy spiraled from his sword, transforming into a blinding aura of pure cutting power—Golden Sword Aura.
"W-W-WHAT!?" The scarred man's mocking grin faltered, his eyes widening in disbelief.
His voice, once filled with scorn, now trembled with terror.
"P-P-Peerless Sword Body... and... G-G-Golden Sword Aura!?" His thoughts spiraled into chaos, terror gripping his heart.
Behind Yang Lie, the four disciples froze mid-attack, their confidence shredded by fear.
Murmurs of panic rippled through them as they exchanged frantic glances, their courage dissipating like mist under a rising sun.
From a distance, a shadowed figure concealed among the towering branches of the trees gasped, his eyes narrowing with intense focus.
In his hand, a Shadow Recording Stone pulsed faintly, capturing every moment of the unfolding battle.
He inhaled sharply, voice barely a whisper.
"Terrifying... truly terrifying."
His heart pounded as he recalled the rumors.
"No wonder he's drawn so much attention within the sect. Even at the Sect Disciple Selection Ceremony, there were whispers among the Elders—some, even the Great Elders, entertained thoughts of making him their personal Direct Disciple."
He paused, his grip tightening around the stone.
"Though tradition forbids it until one officially becomes an Inner Sect disciple, their eagerness speaks volumes."
His gaze sharpened further as Yang Lie's golden radiance illuminated the grove.
The observer's gaze sharpened.
"So it's true. He possesses it... the Heavenly Peerless Sword Body."
His breath hitched as he recalled the ancient texts.
"A Heavenly Physique that appears once every ten thousand years, the very same as that of the Supreme Dao Sect's founder—crafted for those destined to master the sword.
It is a rare gift that amplifies one's affinity with the sword a hundredfold, or perhaps even more, depending on the individual."
He swallowed hard.
"And that... Golden Sword Aura..."
His voice faltered.
"In the long history of the Supreme Dao Sect, spanning hundreds of thousands of years, only two individuals have ever awakened the Golden Sword Aura.
Three others have wielded the Golden Saber Aura, and only a single person —the Sect Master's own daughter in the current generation—has awakened the Golden Spear Aura."
"Now... Yang Lie becomes the third in history to awaken the legendary Golden Sword Aura."