Li Zhexian's sword—
Swift beyond belief. Razor sharp beyond compare.
At times cold as frost, at others blazing as fire, and at times scattering starlight like falling petals.
His sword sought to embody all phenomena under heaven.
By contrast, the sword mark left by the young Chen Xin contained only one thing—killing intent.
Where the edge pointed, even the air seemed stained with blood.
His sword existed solely to kill.
In that moment—
Two starkly different sword intents clashed in the void.
For a few breaths, sword qi surged wildly. Dust and dirt around Li Zhexian were ground into powder by invisible force.
And then, the duel across time and space—was over.
Facing the younger Sword Douluo—
Li Zhexian neither won nor lost.
Just as he was about to open his eyes—
A sudden twist.
A streak of blood-red sword qi shot out from within the stone wall, darting toward Li Zhexian's Qinglian Sword like a living thing, eager to entwine itself around it.
"Tss—"
Feng Buyu and Feng Xiao trembled violently, their eyes brimming with uncontainable envy.
"That's a wisp of Sword Douluo's true sword intent!"
"Li Zhexian has actually received such a great opportunity!"
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others also lit up with joy.
But then—
Li Zhexian's eyes snapped open.
Two fingers raised like a blade, he slashed through the air.
Shiiing—
That streak of blood-red sword qi shattered instantly.
He had rejected it.
For a sword path not born of his own insight—Li Zhexian held nothing but disdain.
His sword path would be carved by his hands alone.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin was undoubtedly powerful.
Even the lingering trace of his sword had influenced the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger to the point its claws were imbued with sword qi after prolonged exposure.
But Li Zhexian believed in himself more.
He firmly believed that one day, at the very summit of the sword path—
The name Li Zhexian would be engraved.
His sword path had its own soul and did not need to be contaminated by the aura of others!
What's more, adopting another's sword intent would require refinement and adaptation—
It would only hinder his true growth.
The blood-red sword qi gradually faded into nothingness.
Everyone stared in stunned silence.
Feng Xiao and Feng Buyu looked utterly stricken.
"Ughh…"
Feng Buyu clutched his chest, nearly stomping his feet in frustration.
"Brother Zhexian!"
"Why… why would you do that?!"
"That was Sword Douluo's true sword intent!"
"What a waste! What an unbelievable waste!"
Feng Xiao's initial pain and regret slowly turned into solemnity.
He looked at Li Zhexian, his old eyes filled with a respect deeper than ever before.
"Young Hero Zhexian… at this moment, I'm even more certain—
Your path in the sword will be one that pierces the heavens."
Dugu Yan, Ye Lingling, and the others were just about to speak—
When suddenly!
A foul wind howled! The sky darkened!
A tidal wave of blood-colored mist surged across the land like a flood!
"Careful!"
"The ten-thousand-year Demonic Tiger has returned!"
Before Elder Feng Xiao even finished shouting—
ROAR—!!!
A deafening, bone-rattling roar exploded through the clearing!
Everyone's minds buzzed. Their blood churned violently.
The foul wind cut like blades, and rain mixed with blood crashed down from above.
A red-and-black, six-meter-long tiger—like a collapsing mountain of flesh and blood—crashed down from a hundred meters above, cloaked in boundless killing intent.
BOOM—!
The ground shook violently!
A tidal shockwave of blood-red aura swept outward in all directions!
Almost the instant the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger revealed itself—
Buzz—!
Buzz—!
Spirit Rings flared to life one after another.
Wind Sword Sect responded the fastest.
"Wind and Thunder Sword Formation—"
"Activate!"
With a unified shout, the formation took shape in an instant.
Elder Feng Xiao held the core position. Feng Buyu took the right. Over a dozen disciples linked their Spirit Power together.
Their swords hovered midair, humming with power. Blue-green wind and thunder gathered along the blades, merging into a massive five-meter-long Wind-Thunder Greatsword!
The sword's body crackled with lightning, summoning distant thunder as swirling gales ripped a hole through the blood mist.
Feng Xiao's beard bristled, his green robes whipping wildly in the storm.
He gripped the hilt of the giant sword in midair—then swung it down toward the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger with full force.
All the Wind Sword Sect disciples shouted in unison, their voices echoing across the forest:
"Wind-Thunder Sword Formation—"
"CUT—!!"
BOOM!
CRACK!
The Greatsword tore through the air—
Shrieking under the strain.
Waves of wind and thunder exploded from its edges, forming a radiant yet deadly aurora of destruction.
Faced with this overwhelming strike, the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger's blood-red eyes gleamed with fury.
It didn't dodge. It didn't retreat.
Instead, it roared to the heavens.
Its massive claws—each as large as a grinding stone—swung upward.
From their tips burst streaks of sword qi!
At the same time, its immense body unleashed an even denser surge of blood-red killing intent, wrapping around its claws, magnifying its might.
BOOM—!!
Sword met claw in an earth-shattering collision!
The storm of wind-thunder and blood mist erupted into chaos, tearing deep scars into the ground already soaked in spirit beast blood.
Pfft—
Feng Xiao, Feng Buyu, and all of Wind Sword Sect's disciples staggered back, faces flushed, coughing blood.
The formation was shattered.
The Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger too was forced several steps back, gouging deep trenches into the earth with its claws.
The killing aura around it weakened slightly.
But just then—
The forest around the tiger's den began to tremble violently.
Giant trees shook as if a legion of spirit beasts was stampeding through them.
Everyone's faces changed.
"What's going on?!"
"Are the nearby Spirit Beasts in a frenzy?!"
While Wind Sword Sect launched their assault on the Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger—
Li Zhexian's group had also reached their peak state, ready to strike.
They had no time to worry about the forest's strange upheaval.
The arrow was nocked. It could no longer be held back.
Dugu Yan was surrounded by multicolored poison mist, as if venomous snakes were flicking their tongues.
She unleashed it in a torrent toward the Demonic Tiger.
But the tiger's roiling blood aura completely dissolved her poison.
Osler, the Ghost Leopard, activated his Spirit Ability—his body splitting into two, flanking the tiger alongside the Wind Chime Bird Spirit master, Yu Feng.
The Shi brothers, with their Black Turtle Martial Souls activated, merged their turtle shells into a giant shield wall and charged forward to draw the beast's attention.
Whoosh—!
The tiger's tail, like a siege hammer, swept through the air.
CRACK—!
The shield shattered instantly.
The Shi brothers were sent flying hundreds of meters, blood spraying midair.
"Nine-Hearted Begonia—Healing!"
Ye Lingling's calm voice rang out.
Nine luminous begonia petals bloomed in her palm, pouring warm vitality into the brothers' shattered bodies.
In that moment of distraction—
Osler and Yu Feng's attacks landed.
"Second Spirit Ability—Leopard Claw!"
"Third Spirit Ability—Wind Surge!"
Their attacks landed on the demonic tiger's tough fur, only creating a few sparks, as if they were tickling it.
The Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger roared in annoyance. The foul murderous aura it spat out sent both of them flying.
It was in this moment, as its old strength was gone and new strength had yet to form.
Li Zhexian, who had been drinking to fuel his "Wine-Boiled Sword Cry," finally moved!
Spirit Power surged through his legs.
He shot up from the ground like an arrow loosed from a bow!
He appeared directly above the demonic tiger's broad back.
Dense purple spirit rings swirled around the Qinglian Sword.
In the gloomy sky above the forest, it was as if starlight gathered at the sword tip.
In that instant—
The Qinglian Sword was dazzling and impossibly sharp!
From his back came a familiar tearing pain, as if something was about to burst out.
But Li Zhexian had no time to care.
He had seized the small opening after the demonic tiger had repelled Osler and Yu Feng.
Gripping the hilt with both hands, he plunged downward, channeling all his strength into this one strike!
"Second Spirit Ability—Three Swords of Elegance!"
"Qinglian Sword Song, First Move—Yaoguang!"
Squelch—!
ROAR——!!!
The Qinglian Sword was incomparably sharp, sinking completely into the demonic tiger's back. The demonic tiger roared in agony.
But before joy could even reach their faces—
RUMBLE—
The trembling of the forest had become a full-blown earthquake!
Countless powerful spirit beast auras surged forward like a tidal wave!
Everyone scrambled into the demonic tiger's cave, only to see—
A three-headed azure wolf, a massive silver centipede like it was cast from metal, a golden python clutching half a giant elephant carcass in its mouth…
Countless terrifying spirit beasts—
Swept past the cave like they were being driven by some unseen command.
And the wounded Blood-Toothed Demonic Tiger let out a low roar.
Ignoring the pain in its back and the sword embedded in its flesh, it turned and charged into the flood of spirit beasts, sprinting madly toward some unknown destination.
Along with it... was Li Zhexian, who was tightly gripping the sword hilt and still hanging on the demonic tiger's back.
"Li Zhexian!!!"
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling screamed and charged out of the cave like madwomen...