Chapter 61: Master, Did Your Sword Just Miss?

"Just bluffing, aren't they?"
"Hard to say, but that sword shadow is indeed somewhat beyond my imagination..."
"If that really is this young man's momentum, then it truly transcends anything I could have imagined."

Before Yang Le even swung his blade, the sheer presence of the sword shadow looming behind him had already captured everyone's attention.

There was no help for it...
In the pitch-black night, the dazzling pale white glow emitted by the thousand-meter-long sword shadow made it impossible to ignore.

The vast majority of people were wondering what this sword shadow represented and what method Yang Le had used to conjure such a spectacle.

Normally, martial artists who had reached the sixth-grade realm would cultivate their momentum through cultivation techniques and inner breath.
Whether wielding saber, spear, staff, or club, this momentum would be interwoven into their strikes, capable of piercing the void and slaying enemies.

As for the demon race, even while maintaining a human form, they could project their true physical bodies into the momentum of their martial arts.
For instance, the Xue family possessed the true form of tigers; every single movement and posture of theirs integrated tiger might with flowing astral energy.
Their overall momentum was virtually unstoppable.
The sea of blood Qi permeating the surrounding area was the physical manifestation unleashed by their tiger momentum.

Going a step further from this point meant being able to kill with momentum alone—this was the fundamental gap between high-grade and low-grade martial practitioners.
Naturally, the fundamental reason why human and demon martial artists of the same realm possessed drastically different actual combat power also boiled down to this momentum.

For the human race, the momentum of the vast majority was forged from the weapons in their hands. Only a tiny fraction of heaven-favored prodigies—absolute geniuses who additionally practiced the pure human martial arts of a century ago—were able to use their own bodies to command the momentum of all things in heaven and earth.

For example, the momentum unleashed by human prodigies such as Qin Li and Tian Zonggong was not merely restricted to the momentum contained within their weapons.
Rather, they integrated the momentum of their weapons into the surrounding environment.
Just as they would weave the sound of the zither into the air to amplify their own momentum.
Though still inferior to the pure, innate physical momentum of the demon race, this was already the absolute limit of what the current human race could achieve.

The very essence of momentum was using one's own martial arts to overwhelm the opponent's momentum.
Once momentum was shattered during a clash, it was practically equivalent to losing half the battle.

Therefore, the moment Yang Le's sword shadow appeared, almost everyone focused their gazes entirely upon the phantom behind him.
If this sword shadow truly was Yang Le's personal momentum...
Then leave aside those present; even looking across the entire Great Gan Dynasty, he would be an unprecedented, singular existence.

"Impossible! Sword cultivators became extinct a century ago. At present, for a sword cultivator in the Great Gan to manage to enter the middle three grades by sheer luck is already considered a phoenix among men, let alone condensing their own sword momentum."
"Besides, with a phantom of this scale, even the imperial bloodline residing in the Central Province of Great Gan could never achieve it. This momentum is fake!"
"Obviously! If this momentum isn't fake, I'll chop my own head off and hand it to him!"

***

However, it didn't take long for everyone around to realize something.

The sword shadow behind Yang Le possessed sheer size, yet lacked any trace of killing intent. Leave aside Xue Tianlong, who was locked onto by the sword shadow, even the onlookers standing nearby failed to sense a single shred of murderous aura emanating from it.

In other words...
The sword shadow behind Yang Le was likely nothing more than an empty showpiece.

"Sir Qi, what do you make of the sword shadow behind Yang Le?"
"Merely a charlatan seeking fame through deception. Legend has it that a century ago, there existed a heterodox left-door path among the human race capable of magnifying one's momentum without granting any actual increase to its lethal power. I suppose this young man must have stumbled upon such a petty trick by sheer luck."
"Does Sir Qi believe it is fake as well?"
"It is not a matter of belief. Within the borders of Great Gan, such momentum simply cannot exist."

While the rest of the crowd still harbored lingering doubts regarding Yang Le's sword shadow, Sir Qi had already delivered his verdict.

Aside from the fleeting flash of shock that had crossed Qi Tianque's eyes at the very instant Yang Le's sword shadow first manifested, his expression had immediately returned to normal.
He sat serenely in his master chair, unmovable as a mountain.

A pretentious swindler who had merely happened upon some unorthodox trick of empty momentum—nothing more.
There was no need for concern whatsoever.

***

"Pavilion Master, this sword shadow is rather interesting. Could we have guessed wrong? Can this fellow really survive?"
"Had it been a century ago, back when the human race was at its zenith, I would have believed this sword shadow was genuine momentum."
"And now, Pavilion Master?"
"Now?"
Gongsun Lin let out a cold sneer. "He is merely a fraud."

***

"Lord Xue, the clown's performance has concluded. I will give you only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, after which we must discuss the matter entrusted to you by Lord Zhang. Time waits for no one."

Casually taking a sip of tea, Qi Tianque cast his gaze toward Xue Tianlong beside him. "Do not waste any more time on a mere brat."
"Rest assured, Lord大人, it will not even take the time of an incense stick."

Feeling the pressure underlying Qi Tianque's words, Xue Tianlong hesitated no longer and stepped directly before Yang Le. "I admit, you did startle me for a moment."

The next instant, a thunderous tiger roar burst from Xue Tianlong's throat, its shockwave so violent that the surrounding onlookers found themselves unable to even raise their heads.

Then.
Xue Tianlong leaped into mid-air, and three distinct streaks of astral energy erupted instantly from his claws.
The ferocious claw-phantoms shredded everything in their path into fine powder.

Yang Le was in grave danger!

"Master, look ahead."

***

Amidst the crisis, although Li Qi'er appeared unruffled on the surface, his heart was pounding wildly with panic.

"I, Yang Le, have never been a fraud."

Yet at this moment, Yang Le remained completely unperturbed, merely letting out a gentle breath. "You guessed right, this thing really isn't my sword momentum."

"Are you still immersed in your damned dream of being a sword cultivator?"

Xue Tianlong was now right before him, treating Yang Le as nothing more than a hopeless madman. "Well, that's fine too. Dying in a dream is far better than dying in reality."

"The one who is going to die is you."

A calm and placid voice slipped past Yang Le's lips.

The next second, Yang Le swung his sword with a downward slash.
High in the air, a crisp and melodious ringing of a sword chimed out.

Xue Tianlong instantly halted in his tracks, his eyes filled with absolute bewilderment.

"What on earth is Xue Tianlong playing at? Kill him already!"

Witnessing this bizarre scene, Qi Tianque felt a prickle of unease rise in his heart, his face twisting with a trace of exasperated panic. "Kill him right now!"

At first, Qi Tianque had assumed Yang Le was merely a swindler.
Yet seeing Xue Tianlong suddenly grind to a halt just as he was about to slaughter Yang Le...
An inexplicable sense of crisis abruptly welled up within Qi Tianque.

Instantly, Qi Tianque rose from his seat, his eyes locked dead upon Yang Le.

"It is over. To die beneath this single sword strike is your honor."

At that moment, Yang Le glanced sideways at the frozen Xue Tianlong, then calmly sheathed his sword.

"Master, Xue Tianlong is still right in front of you! Your slash completely missed!"

Normally, Li Qi'er would never dream of questioning Yang Le.
But right now...
Li Qi'er ultimately couldn't help himself and spoke up to offer a reminder.

The reason for this was simple.
The sword strike Yang Le had just executed was undeniably handsome, possessing the true aura of a white-robed swordsman beneath the moonlight.
However, Li Qi'er was painfully certain of one thing.

The sword strike his master had just delivered...
Had missed entirely.