In this world, every living being is born with a unique blend of Bloodline, Physique, Constitution, and Spiritual Roots, shaping their innate potential and destiny.
While Bloodlines are most often associated with beasts, those who inherit them from their ancestral lineage are bestowed with the primal power and abilities of their forebears, carrying the legacy of their ancestors' strength.
Humans, on the other hand, are more commonly defined by their Physique, Constitution, or Spiritual Roots.
A Physique often grants exceptional combat prowess, enhancing durability, weapon mastery, and rare battle-focused or specialized talents.
Meanwhile, Constitution and Spiritual Roots govern the body's overall vitality, aptitude for unique techniques, cultivation potential, and elemental affinity, along with the ability and efficiency to absorb various types of spiritual or unique energies.
In rare and exceptional cases, beasts may inherit a unique Physique, Constitution, or Spiritual Root, granting them extraordinary abilities.
Similarly, certain powerful noble or hidden families carry the legacy of their ancestral bloodlines, imbuing their descendants with remarkable traits of strength, abilities, and heritage.
The classifications of Physique, Constitution, and Spiritual Roots follow a hierarchy of refinement and power: Normal, Mortal, Intermediate, Advanced, Superior, Earthly, Mystical, Sacred and the highest rank, Heavenly.
Each step marks a significant leap in potential, shaping the destiny of those who inherit them.
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"H-H-How can this be? You possess both the Peerless Sword Body and Golden Sword Aura?" the scarred man stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"Although a few members of our sect have awakened Golden Aura, no one—no one—has ever wielded both simultaneously since our Sect Founder, Great Empress Mao, the 'Invincible Under Heaven,' who ascended to a higher realm!"
His voice trembled with frustration. "How is it possible after hundreds of thousands of years? Why didn't those bastards mention this before sending us?"
"Big Brother, what should we do now?" one of the disciples whispered nervously, his eyes darting between his comrades.
The scarred man swallowed hard but forced a sneer. "D-Don't be afraid! Even if he has Golden Sword Aura, he's only at the Low Stage of the Qi Solidification Realm, while we are all Low-Stage Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. If we strike together, we still have a chance! Now—attack!"
"Yes, Big Brother!" the disciples responded in unison, their voices trembling with forced resolve.
Those who had been paralyzed with fear moments earlier now gripped their swords tighter, a flicker of newfound confidence sparking in their eyes as they prepared to attack together.
But Yang Lie had already moved.
"You really think that's possible?" he scoffed, his voice a cold blade cutting through their courage. "Foolish."
He lifted his sword, its edge gleaming with an ominous radiance. "Now, witness the true power of my Awakening Stage Peerless Sword Body and Refinement Stage Golden Sword Aura!"
The scarred man's eyes burned with rage as he snarled through clenched teeth. "Bastard! You're not the only one with Sword Aura—I've mastered the Refinement Stage too! Now die!" He roared, lunging forward with all his might.
His sword, infused with violent Yellow Aura, hummed with deadly energy as it arced through the air toward Yang Lie's throat.
Yang Lie shifted into a firm stance, one leg forward and the other rooted behind, his grip steady as he intoned, his voice calm and unshakable,
"Cloud Slashing Sword Technique...
First Form—Storming... Cloud... Slash!"
With fluid, almost effortless grace, he swung his sword, unleashing a blinding wave of Golden Sword Aura that roared forward, creating an earth-shattering storm of destructive force.
Slash!
A deafening explosion followed.
BOOOOM!
The scarred man's eyes widened in horror as his sword, imbued with his hard-earned Yellow Aura, shattered into fragments with a sickening crack.
"H-How... is this possible...?"
Before the question could even leave his lips, a flash of gold tore through his body—clean, merciless, and absolute.
"ARGHHH—!"
His scream was cut short. His torso split perfectly in half, and his severed form crumpled to the ground with a dull thud.
The devastating slash didn't stop there.
The Golden Aura surged forward, carving a path of ruin.
Trees in a wide arc, stretching over several hundred meters, were sliced cleanly at their bases as if scythed by an invisible storm.
Leaves and branches exploded into the air, caught in a sudden, ferocious gale that roared across the battlefield.
The wind howled, whipping through the clearing as the aftershock of Yang Lie's attack stirred the very air into chaos.
Dust and debris spiraled upward, and a sharp, metallic scent filled the breeze as silence descended, broken only by the rustling of falling leaves.
Yang Lie stood still, his sword lowered, eyes cold and unfeeling as the world seemed to hold its breath in the aftermath of his strike.
"M-M-Monster! Run for your lives!" one of the disciples screamed, his voice breaking with terror.
The cry pierced the air like a death knell, and panic seized the group. Without hesitation, they turned and fled, their steps pounding frantically against the ground.
Yang Lie stood motionless, his gaze calm and unwavering as chaos erupted around him.
He slowly turned his head, watching as the four other disciples sprinted away in blind desperation, their backs disappearing into the distance.
"Cloud Slashing Sword Technique...
Second Form—Drifting Cloud Slash!"
The air stirred. A faint breeze became a tempest, and the world seemed to blur as the slash swept forward, as fluid and graceful as a drifting cloud, yet sharp enough to sever anything in its path.