Chapter 1076: Chapter 603: Tongxuan? (Two-in-One)

She held the sword horizontally in front of her, like holding a stick of incense, tapping lightly on the sword’s body with her fingers, as if shaking off the ash.

And it seemed as if the ash truly scattered, the light of the sword’s edge grew even more intense, and strands of ethereal Sword Qi rose skyward.

Golden light floated in the azure sky, veiled by the heaven’s curtain, like a thin layer of gauze.

She silently recited: "All powers, Three Realms officials, Ten Directions Masters and Saints, Ten Directions Saints, Jade Capital Golden Palace Heavenly Emperor’s Truth, Three Realms Venerable."

With each word that fell, the golden halo behind the azure sky grew more substantial and intense.

At first, in the midst of the void, countless figures of the supreme heavenly officials appeared faintly.

Soon, above the nine heavens, in the center of the four directions, within the Three Realms, numerous heavenly court officials materialized from behind the celestial screen, more intense than before.

At last,

The vast golden light rose, like a great sun ascending, resembling a suspended drum, blazing high in the sky, brilliant and radiant, shaped like the Jade Capital’s palace.

At that time, Emperor Jade ascended to the seat of light, along with the true saints, Flying Great Saints, Infinite God King, spiritual child Jade Girl, ninety million people, observing a solemn fast as they stood mightily upon the azure sky!

This sword of Zhou Yitang.

Heaven and Earth are born with me, and all things are one with me.

Sword in Heaven and Earth.

Avoiding the terrifying Sword Qi gathered by obsessions, Blind Arrow turned abruptly, an incredibly magnificent scene caught his eyes, causing his spirit to tremble drastically.

In the Vacuum Home, Mother of Non-Birth, the myriad images in his mind compared to her, were like fireflies against the bright moon.

Red Sun... Is this truly the end of the catastrophe?

"Just the last flicker of a strong bow."

In an instant, Blind Arrow regained his senses, halting his wavering spirit, disregarding the pervasive Sword Qi barriers, he forcefully drew the bowstring.

Chen Yi couldn’t see the ever more magnificent and radiant figures behind the celestial screen, nor did he observe the increasingly intense Divinity between Heaven and Earth. He didn’t pay attention to the splendid golden light overhead either; at this moment, he only saw Blind Arrow’s Heavenly Person-like body transforming and deteriorating.

Legend says that when a Heavenly Person’s lifespan is about to end, five strange signs will appear.

The flower above the head withers entirely, internal emptiness expands rapidly, the elusive Heavenly Clothes unknowingly fill with filth, the various gods and spirits of Heaven and Earth seem to be gradually eroding Blind Arrow’s lifespan, even his breathing carried a scent of death, the halo on his body flickered, inches of glaze peeled from him like the gilding of an old Buddha statue, painful to behold, the darkness increased while the light diminished, Blind Arrow seemed to be gradually transforming back into the old beggar he once was.

The five decays of a Heavenly Person.

Blind Arrow showed signs of decline, Chen Yi realized he couldn’t let this arrow be shot, otherwise all efforts would be wasted in an instant. The world forged by Sword Intent grew broader and more vast, as if intending to encompass everything visible within this realm, including Blind Arrow’s arrow.

Chen Yi extended his realm once again, perhaps due to Heart Lake’s damage, he was already like a man possessed, ignoring whether his body could withstand the ensuing pressure. He lost his reason, but the Old Saintess did not, she watched this scene in heart-pounding dread as his body neared collapse like thin paper.

At the same time, the obsessions followed the unconscious convergence of Sword Intent, a sword blade as thick as a mountain ridge fell straight down.

The Sword Qi carried wind and thunder, crashing down like mercury pouring out, landing on Blind Arrow’s body.

The Blind Arrow, exhibiting the five signs of Heavenly Person’s decay, was finally wounded by the Sword Qi, gray blood splattered and soaked the dark clouds, yet his indistinct eyes did not waver in the slightest.

The longbow remained steady, and it aimed perfectly.

Contrary to common belief, practitioners of archery do not actually require a pair of sharp eyes.

The more one possesses, the more they are confined by external things.

Those with eyes can be blinded by a single leaf. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Those with hands can easily await opportunities in vain.

But his heart is not hindered by any place, seemingly observing the whole without looking.

Like a person learning archery, with long practice comes skill. Though later shooting without intent, due to prolonged practice, every shot hits the target.

Blind Arrow neither looked nor listened, not even thinking, he drew the bow slowly and released the bowstring.

Chen Yi could not find the shadow of the arrow, nor did he know whether it was truly shot or not. This top ten battle under heaven had reached a level beyond his comprehension.

He merely, could only extend selflessly this Sword Intent world, entering a state of spiritual flow, the world created by Sword Intent accommodated everything within sight,

Accommodated the long wind cutting through the sea of clouds, accommodated the storm clouds driven by thunder, accommodated the distant flashes of knife and sword shadows, accommodated the swaying banners atop Dragon and Tiger Mountain beneath the cloud sea, Heaven and Earth continued to extend outward, continue expanding,

Continuing, continuing...

Until, unwittingly, even Zhou Yitang was included within it.

The one-armed woman suddenly moved, the sword shot out within an instant amidst Heaven and Earth.

This world extended for an unknown duration, Chen Yi finally regained his senses, finding himself in a vast whiteness, hearing the sound of the sword in the silence, also hearing the sound of the arrow.

He opened his eyes, seeing the trajectory of the sword and the trajectory of the arrow.

Chen Yi stretched out his hand, reaching forward with all his might, finally touching the flying arrow, he pushed hard.

The arrow deflected by an inch.

Small deviation, great difference.

The arrow brushed past Zhou Yitang, flying out of this world, falling toward the void.

The one-armed woman did not look at this arrow, nor at her sword, for once the sword is thrust, the outcome is settled, further glance holds no meaning. She surveyed her surroundings, the sky overhead so vast, the earth beneath her feet so distant, neither knowing the height of the azure sky nor the depth of the yellow earth.

This world, even her sword is included within it...

She was momentarily speechless.

Chen Yi’s Sword Dao unfolded like a towering mountain, reminiscent of Confucius meeting Laozi.

Birds, I know they can fly; Fish, I know they can swim; Beasts, I know they can walk;

As for the dragon,

I cannot know how it ascends to the heavens on wind and clouds...

...

In this world,

The tenth-ranked arrow under heaven has already fallen into emptiness.

The ninth-ranked sword did not deviate, striking straight down.

One sword descended.

Amidst earth-shattering collapse, Blind Arrow’s lips moved, as if to speak, but the silent words dissipated with the collapsing world,

This sword...

Deservedly so...

...

For a long time, for a long time...

Chen Yi did not know where he was.

He only had a hazy awareness, rather unsteady, in a daze scenes came and went, since he extended Heaven and Earth indefinitely outward from that moment, his consciousness remained in this blurred state.

During this time, it seemed there were visits, some observing from afar, some approaching for a closer look, some merely passing by, with soft, fragmented, chattering sounds that Chen Yi instinctively wanted to hear but couldn’t hear clearly, wanted to see but couldn’t see.

It seemed that after he had extended Heaven and Earth outward indefinitely, many people noticed his presence, and these people... seemed to have been invited by Zhou Yitang’s sword, they were the ones who observed the battle in the sky from behind the celestial screen at that time.

Some had high hopes, some shook their heads incessantly, some returned with disdain, some continued observing... Gradually, as opinions varied, what began as whispers turned into noisy clamor, ceaseless and overwhelming for Chen Yi.

Some people wished for him to die just like that, some wanted him to live on, some hoped he would achieve Nirvana, some desired to push him into nothingness...

This noisy state lasted an unknown duration, finally someone stood against the crowd.

Gaining a moment’s relief, Chen Yi looked that way, that person inexplicably gave him a familiar feeling, he vaguely heard from others around that they called that person... Mountain and River God, Yu.

Soon after, the noises gradually ceased, Chen Yi felt his soul seemingly descending slowly, returning to where it belonged, and those previously fatal wounds were being repaired by them.

Warm lake water enveloped him, he finally had the strength to open his eyes, and slowly did so, the clear heaven was reflected in his eyes.

Chen Yi seemed not yet reunited with his soul, absent-mindedly staying in this place for a while.

An unknown amount of time passed, ripples appeared on the water, drifting from afar to here.

This slight movement finally elicited a response from Chen Yi, he turned his head, glancing that way, a figure familiar beyond familiarity came into view, her face etched in Chen Yi’s deepest memory.

And the only difference was,

She had two hands.

"...Tongxuan?"