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"This is..." Chen Xuanfeng was greatly astonished to see his opponent rely purely on swordplay, using only a tenth of his own power yet completely countering this move.

Unfortunately, in Chen Xuanfeng's previous life, the renowned Taiji swordplay had yet to be born, and its founder, Zhang Sanfeng, had not yet been born. Thus, he could not know how strikingly similar the sword technique his opponent was now employing was to the future-famed Taiji martial arts. What came to Chen Xuanfeng's mind was another formidable figure—the strongest archer of the elves, the "Sniper Arrow God" Karin Ling, who had once battled the Ancestor of Sword Saints, the Twelve Sages, and the White-Maned Lion King.

Ever since witnessing the legendary female Arrow God transform a single arrow into countless arrows, shattering the human water-element forbidden spell "Dreamlike Bubbles" during the elves' battle to reclaim their Everlasting Royal Capital months ago, Chen Xuanfeng had regarded her skill as the pinnacle of this world and sought to reach that miraculous level of turning the mundane into the divine. Now, seeing this undead swordsman effortlessly dismantle his magical blade technique, though neither in scale nor effect did it match the wonder of the "Sniper Arrow God" that day, Chen Xuanfeng had an inkling that the hidden depths of the opponent's swordplay were no less profound than Karin Ling's archery.

With this realization, Chen Xuanfeng's heart grew calm.

...The undead before him had yet to reveal his name, but his swordplay was peerless, and his strength surely no weaker than a human Sword Emperor. Coupled with the "Centennial Demonblade," one of the Ten Divine Swords, and its unfathomable time-manipulating abilities, he was no easy opponent to kill...

...Perhaps retreat was the wiser choice...

...No! The opponent had made his hostile stance clear and would not relent. With Catherine still recovering and Chen Xuanfeng being the strongest combatant in Fontainebleau, failing to resolve this here would only invite greater disaster upon returning to his territory. Who knew if the enemy would freely assassinate his subordinates? Or worse, ally with those young Sword Saints for an ambush...

...Thus, he must be slain here. It was a pity Winter Night (character name) had returned to the demon realm—reentering this world would take at least ten days. Otherwise, his spatial magic would have been a great aid...

Faced with such a formidable opponent, Chen Xuanfeng's killing intent only grew fiercer. Rising to power through martial arts, his two lifetimes of extraordinary encounters far surpassed ordinary imagination. The several secret techniques he had encountered all touched upon the divine realms of this world. Though he had yet to master them, his understanding already surpassed that of most Saint Masters. The battle at Sacred Dragon Mountain had been one of large-scale destruction, filled with schemes and calculations, yet the power he had wielded then was not his full strength. Only now, encountering such a formidable foe, did he resolve to unleash his full might and ensure the enemy's demise here.

With his resolve steeled, Chen Xuanfeng's mind became ice-calm, his aura surging dramatically. "Marvelous swordplay," he declared loudly. "No wonder you dared to confront me directly for the 'forbidden spell mark crystals.' But if you think skill of this level can defeat me, you are sorely mistaken. Let me show you what true divine swordplay looks like."

With that, he raised his sword and struck—yet not a trace of Platinum Lightning was unleashed. Instead, the ancient, mottled blade of Divine Punishment (sword name) thrust forth obliquely, its shadow slicing through the void as if wrapped in a hazy luminescence, taking on fantastical hues. Simultaneously, the space before the undead swordsman twisted violently, like rippling water, enveloping him.

"Oh? Spatial manipulation?" The undead, sharp-eyed, recoiled in alarm. But how could he evade a strike that transcended space? As he retreated, the distorted trajectory in the air followed relentlessly, slicing unimpeded toward his neck.

This ability to manipulate space through martial arts was a technique Chen Xuanfeng had only recently begun to grasp. Years ago, when he obtained the book "Sword God Realm" from the old lion Leimen, he had read of such concepts. Yet spatial manipulation without magic was profoundly esoteric—even Sword Saints who could summon dimensional domains knew only the how, not the why, let alone Chen Xuanfeng, who was not yet a Sword Saint. Later, by chance, he schemed to obtain a fragment of divinity from the dark deity Spider Queen Lolth, finally brushing against the edge of this power—though he still needed Platinum Lightning as a medium to sever space. Through relentless training, he eventually gained enlightenment while watching the elves tear open space to summon their Everlasting Royal Capital, "Xilinmeilidania." Combining this spatial ability with the Nine Yin Manual's supreme technique, the "Eight Celestial Vistas Sword Technique," he forged his own spatial sword art—"Sky-Overturning Sword Dance."

This sword art, merging the pinnacle achievements of two worlds, was naturally astounding. The "Eight Celestial Vistas Sword Technique" had originally lacked power—even Huang Chang, author of the Nine Yin Manual, might not have reached the level of an ordinary human Sword Emperor with it. Yet its core lay in constant self-deconstruction and reforging, granting it near-limitless potential for evolution. Chen Xuanfeng's previous world, bound by laws devoid of magic and gods, had seen techniques like the Nine Yin Manual reach their zenith, with no room for further growth. But this world was boundless, its myriad wonders offering Chen Xuanfeng endless opportunities to advance. His swordplay naturally ascended with him. The "Sky-Overturning Sword Dance" was the culmination of integrating spatial abilities with the "Eight Celestial Vistas Sword Technique's" cycle of self-negation and rebirth, honed through countless trials. Its principles were profoundly mystical—once unleashed, within hundreds of meters, spatial limitations became meaningless. The blade could pierce through the void to strike the enemy, leaving no room to dodge or flee. Moreover, with the sword hidden in the void, the blade only manifested upon striking a vital point, rendering it unblockable—a nigh-flawless sword technique.

Yet the first strike of this newly born technique failed to sever the enemy's head. With a "shhh," the undead swordsman's black robe split in two, revealing a withered, mummified torso, a long scar running from neck to waist, several broken collarbones and ribs. The undead, unfazed, merely tied the tattered robe around his waist.