Chapter 1059: Chapter 597: The Tenth Under Heaven 10 (Two-in-One) (Part 2)

He stretched out his arms, exhaled a breath, then took a deep one, the breath distorting the wind lines around, like a tightly drawn bowstring.

An arrow shot out swiftly.

Amidst the wild wind and great waves, the arrow was as small as a blade of grass, which seemed ridiculous to outsiders—it was said that the tenth under heaven drew the bow and strung an arrow, only for it to fly crookedly. Yet this seemingly childish arrow could travel against the wind, darting toward Chen Yi.

The arrow seemed half-alive, bouncing in the airflow. Chen Yi saw the trick and, without changing the momentum of his right hand sword, drew a knife with his left hand; he did not easily unleash a fierce and yang Wind-breaking and Rain-cutting strike, as aimed to shift weights using minimal effort.

He used swordsmanship with a knife, integrating Yin Sword Mountain’s Living Sword, revolving in a distraction-free sword dance, as the knife light flew around, persistently chasing the arrow’s trajectory, entangling with it, gradually dissolving the arrow momentum until the arrow was at the end of its strength, finally slicing down with the knife.

One slash split the arrowhead and tail, they fell to the ground, while Chen Yi’s left-hand knife strike did not disrupt the momentum of his right-hand sword.

The front of the Blind Arrow was already covered by the surging sword qi. The momentum of the sword qi was such that he immediately drew another arrow as soon as the first arrow was halfway in flight; he advanced instead of retreating, his body seemingly propelled by his arms and the entire bow, as the mighty sword qi struck forth, the arrow furiously piercing forward.

The arrow was like a strong dragon emerging from the sea, crashing into the vast sword qi, trembling the entire mountain path, even making the Old Heavenly Master standing at the peak in front of Jade Emperor Hall feel the mountain shake slightly.

A sense of unease.

Wearing his magic robe, the Old Heavenly Master did not watch the battle above but instead directed his gaze inside Jade Emperor Hall.

The Warlord Furnace taken from the Holy Emperor burned fiercely, glowing red, seemingly about to melt, its mouthless gluttonous face twisted and grim.

Standing in front of the furnace, the one-armed woman remained serene, her eyes closed since entering Jade Emperor Hall.

The shattered Ruoque Sword was being melted and recast in the furnace. The Dragon and Tiger Mountain Taoists guarded the eight directions, originally to fill the Tai Sha Sword gap in the Sword Array. Now that Tai Sha Sword was temporarily restored, the purpose became helping Master Tongxuan re-enter the top ten under heaven.

However, it still required time.

Thus, Chen Yi blocked the Blind Arrow from climbing the mountain with ulterior motives.

As the transmitted vibrations gradually subsided, no one exhaled a sigh of relief; on the contrary, the Old Heavenly Master’s heart was in his throat.

On that side of the mountain path,

The Blind Arrow let out a slight ’Eh’ of surprise.

After his second arrow fell, the sword qi did not collapse as imagined but mostly dispersed upon collision. Yet, the remaining sword qi scattered around, then returned as if revived by the spring breeze, engaging him fiercely. The persistence and dedication of these sword qi remnants astonished the Blind Arrow.

Without distance to draw the bow, the Blind Arrow directly wielded an arrow, intercepting the attacking sword qi. The arrow circled through the sword qi, seeking gaps to strike. Though blind, the Blind Arrow listened to the subtle changes in the wind, using the arrow to hack, lift, stab, or smash, dispersing the attacking sword qi easily. However, the sword qi around seemed inexhaustible, as if a heaven and earth enveloped him.

The Blind Arrow caught a glimpse of a trick, holding an arrow behind him to guard his back, wielding an arrow before him to clear an open space, making room to draw a bow—but as both hands held arrows, how could he draw a bow like a full moon?

Naturally, with his feet.

A pair of calloused, nail-flattened old feet pinched the bowstring and bow body, his whole body contorted in a peculiar pose, half-reclining on the ground, an arrow shooting forth again.

In an instant, it broke open the sword intent world enveloping him.

Escaping from this situation, the Blind Arrow flipped over, laughing heartily, "Good sword, good sword, thought you were all show, but today I see the true caliber."

In the wind and rain, Chen Yi finally spoke, "Senior, you are truly worthy of your name."

His recent strike was a killing blow, almost entirely unreserved, leaving no testing or mutual exchange behind; a shocking display, yet even so, the Blind Arrow quickly unraveled them in brief time, the two seemingly exchanged moves, but essentially, the Blind Arrow hadn’t used full strength.

The tenth under heaven was truly worthy of being the tenth under heaven.

Chen Yi couldn’t help but think, even if the previous Sword Armor Zhou Yitang came, he could only narrowly win.

As if to "see clearly" the person before him, the Blind Arrow climbed the steps closer. Chen Yi did not retreat either.

When the martial artist’s qi touched each other, the Blind Arrow hoarsely said, "I’ve seen two Jianghu exist for seventy or eighty years, praised and defeated countless masters beyond memory, but those with your swordsmanship are as rare as three-legged toads. The mighty momentum of your sword qi earlier was extraordinarily surprising. Yet, even more so, the subsequent swarms of sword qi coming endlessly like ants sweeping clean was startling. From where did you learn it?"

An old ragged beggar sincerely discussed martial arts with the junior, truly exuding an aura of a master.

This tenth under heaven naturally had the demeanor and mind to pause after a life-threatening encounter.

After a head-on sword clash, Chen Yi also followed Jianghu etiquette, extending hands not to strike a smiling person, so he didn’t start anew with another sword.

"Self-realized," Chen Yi replied calmly.

Blind Arrow snorted coldly, his rain-soaked white hair fluttering like a cloak, "One grasps a bit of martial arts easily boasts like heaven, Jianghu is vast, everyone occupies some spot, each deluded frog at the bottom of the well. I think you have a surpassing grandeur, surely have seen vast worlds, no grains mean no rice, no nets mean no fish, advise you sincerely say who aided your swordsmanship mastery?"

After briefly pondering, Chen Yi replied, "Two people. One is Sword Armor from Yin Sword Mountain, privately taught a few swordsmanship moves, which laid my swordsmanship foundation. Another called Wu Buxu, not certain of his sect, met at Sword Pool, heard he’s very renowned."

Hearing about Sword Armor seemed expected, but at hearing the latter name, the Blind Arrow visibly paused, his beard and hair standing on end, muttering after some time, "Are you bluffing?" 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Chen Yi did not answer, his attitude clearly one of belief or disbelief as they wish.

Wu Buxu’s reputation was evidently significant in this seventy, eighty-year-old beggar’s mind; the story of the former first under heaven losing to the current first wasn’t just a tale. For Jianghu people facing Xu Qi dominating martial artists, the story seemed merely lore, feeling True Heavenly People’s victory justified. Yet, for the Blind Arrow who witnessed it, Wu Buxu’s loss shocked the world.

After a while, the Blind Arrow regained his composure, without excessive suspicion or complete belief, gathered his astonishment, slowly said, "With you such an upcoming generation in Jianghu, not comforting but daunting instead."

Chen Yi didn’t reply, as the surrounding wind and rain suddenly became chaotic, his qi vigilant.

The Blind Arrow’s killing intent intensified beyond before, he said, "I challenged you to climb the mountain as an excuse, not intending to kill you, but now I must."

Chen Yi smiled lightly, asking back, "Why?"

"Today’s failure to kill you means future trouble from the Mother of Non-Birth, Red Sun disaster ends, White Sun arises, the world in turmoil, Maitreya descends. Only when heavens fall, collapse, can the Mother of Non-Birth return to supreme heaven."

As he spoke, the Blind Arrow struck again.

In the mere ten or so feet, he drew the bow stringing a full moon on Dragon and Tiger Mountain’s path.

Chen Yi brandished both knife and sword, both striking together.

Amidst the rain curtain, everything ceased.

As if holding its breath, awaiting the moment to exhale again.

......

Inside the Jade Emperor Hall at Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

The one-armed woman, who had quietly rested with closed eyes, suddenly opened her eyes, the furnace flames paused,

"Cannot wait any longer."