The vast majority of sword cultivators in the world would only cultivate one lifeblood flying sword. They nurture their flying swords daily to achieve the so-called unity of man and sword, which was what outsiders refer to as the synchronization of heart and mind.
The reason for only nurturing one flying sword was not only because it was difficult to nurture multiple flying swords simultaneously, but also due to the general understanding among sword cultivators: the lifeblood flying sword was the sword cultivator's partner in life and death. Having one would suffice.
Given these reasons, sword cultivators who could simultaneously nurture several lifeblood flying swords were a minority in the world. The blind old sword immortal in front of him displayed remarkable talent in swordsmanship when he first went up the mountain to train in the sword. Otherwise, his master would not have had such high hopes for him, bestowing upon him the renowned sword, New Mirror, as soon as he went up the mountain.
The reality was that he did not disappoint his master either. In a short span of several decades, he reached the realm of Nepenthe, cultivating more than one flying sword. In the foreign cultivation world, he enjoyed considerable prestige.
However, after his defeat, he became disheartened and secluded himself for half a sixty-year cycle. Gradually, his name faded from the world.
For the blind old sword immortal's Sword Dao, New Mirror was everything. It held significant importance in his sword cultivation journey. Thus, when he first summoned this flying sword, it was with the utmost caution in this battle against the Great Liang Emperor.
The flying sword New Mirror cut through the wind and snow. Countless sword qi scattered, blending into the falling snow. It then carried along numerous snowflakes, creating the illusion that there were thousands of flying swords simultaneously slashing toward the Great Liang Emperor. Though it might not appear impressive to the naked eye, it was undoubtedly a grand spectacle to the senses.
The Great Liang Emperor still held the oiled-paper umbrella, and the countless snowflakes stabbed towards the umbrella like sharp swords.
When the snowflakes touched the surface of the umbrella, countless tiny grooves instantly appeared on the surface of the umbrella, as if countless sword tips were currently pressing against the umbrella surface, attempting to pierce through.
The Great Liang Emperor raised his head slightly, looking at the umbrella frame supporting the surface. In the instant he lifted his head, several frame ribs made of green bamboo directly split open. A few bamboo threads floated in front of the Great Liang Emperor, looking somewhat pitiful.
However, the surface of the umbrella remained intact. The Great Liang Emperor gripped the umbrella handle, lightly exerting force with that hand. All the snowflakes pressing against the umbrella were promptly deflected, and the surface of the umbrella instantly straightened again!
Back to normal.
But this scene did not last long. In the next moment, the flying sword New Mirror broke through the snowstorm and collided directly with the oiled-paper umbrella.
The sharp sword qi had already descended a moment earlier.
Accompanying the sword qi was a foot of chilling light that was much thicker than the sword qi itself. The flying sword New Mirror, with a so-called sword body like a mirror, was not just a rumor.
It truly seemed to illuminate the splendor of the world.
Watching the dazzling sword light, the Great Liang Emperor remained composed and simply smiled, "We have heard about that sword battle thirty years ago. It was said that Sword Immortal Gan was depressed after that duel." "Looking at it now, it was all a rumor. After thirty years, Sword Immortal Gan's Sword Dao has greatly surpassed that of thirty years ago."
Even though the two sides were mortal enemies at this moment, as the sovereign of the human race, he should exhibit such magnanimity.
Hearing these words, the blind old sword immortal's eternally unchanging expression also showed a hint of a smile. He said coolly, "I don't expect this sword to be able to defeat Your Majesty. It's already good enough to receive Your Majesty's praise."
With these words, the flying sword New Mirror finally landed on the surface of the umbrella!
The sword tip pressed against the umbrella surface, suddenly causing the stone bricks beneath the Great Liang Emperor's feet to shatter. It spread out in all directions like a spiderweb.
The Great Liang Emperor looked up, locking eyes with the flying sword New Mirror while separated by the oiled-paper umbrella. He seemed to enter a trance for no apparent reason. Actually, back when he was still a prince, he had no aspirations for the throne. On the contrary, he harbored a strong desire to become a distinguished and admired sword immortal. He even had someone assess his aptitude and realized that even if he trained in the sword, he would have a promising future too. However, as a prince, there were certain things he could not necessarily do even if he wanted to. Later on, he forcefully suppressed these thoughts. As he grew older, he received a fiefdom. Then later, he rose in rebellion and ascended the throne... These matters were buried deep in his heart and never mentioned again.
However, even so, the Great Liang Emperor still held a deep appreciation for the sword cultivators in the world.
Otherwise, he would not be aware of that incident from thirty years ago.
Yet, despite the appreciation, when it came to actual combat, even the most formidable sword cultivator might not necessarily fare well against the Great Liang Emperor.
The flying sword New Mirror was still trying its best to descend, attempting to tear open the umbrella surface of the oiled-paper umbrella. The umbrella ribs had once again broken apart, appearing as if they were about to collapse in an instant. However, in the next moment, the Great Liang Emperor reached out, gently touching the sword tip of the flying sword through the umbrella surface.
A sword cry suddenly sounded out.
Following that, the flying sword New Mirror retreated somewhat frantically, stumbling backward as if it had consumed too much alcohol.
Finally, the flying sword retreated high up into the sky, continuously circling, but it no longer descended.
The blind old sword immortal's complexion became somewhat pale. Although he could no longer see, he still faced the direction of the Great Liang Emperor. It was unknown what he was thinking about.
However, soon after, with another sword cry sounded out, another flying sword broke out of the sheath. This flying sword was entirely black, resembling charcoal.
"This sword is named Ink Cloud. It was from the first time this old man descended the mountain and accidentally obtained a piece of ancient black iron. After bringing it back to the mountain, it took seven-by-seven, forty-nine days to forge." "My master named it Ink Cloud. The original intention was for this old man to behave in a low-profile manner and not seek publicity..."
The blind old sword immortal let out a sigh. Back then, when he had achieved success in his cultivation, he became complacent, thinking that he had no rivals among his peers. His master saw through this tendency in him, so he used the Ink Cloud as a wake-up call. However, at that time, how could he have thought about these things? With two lifeblood flying swords, he became even more arrogant, setting the stage for his later defeat in the sword duel.
As the flying sword Ink Cloud left its sheath, another flying sword shot out right on the heels of Ink Cloud. It was an ancient bronze sword with a lingering green patina on its blade, indicating that it had existed for quite some time, perhaps several hundred years, if not a millennium.
"This sword is named Green Pear. This old man happened to come across it during my travels in the world. It should be a relic left by a predecessor sword cultivator. It's unusually sharp, crafted from bronze, but it can't be considered a divine weapon."
The sword cries of the two flying swords rose in succession, one after another, each hovering in place.
The blind old sword immortal said solemnly, "Thirty years ago, this old man roamed the world, relying entirely on these three flying swords. Now that New Mirror has been defeated, these two swords must join forces to seek guidance from Your Majesty."
The Great Liang Emperor remained composed as he said, "Please go ahead."
The blind old sword immortal nodded slightly. With a thought, the two flying swords instantly shot forward, one on the left and one on the right, each blocking one side of the Great Liang Emperor.
This represented the two most formidable techniques of the blind old sword immortal from thirty years ago as they soon arrived in front of that oiled-paper umbrella. Soon, the pitch-black flying sword Ink Cloud changed direction and thrust toward the Great Liang Emperor beneath the umbrella, while the ancient bronze sword slashed toward the umbrella surface of the oiled-paper umbrella.
Seeing the sudden appearance of the ink-black flying sword in front of him, the Great Liang Emperor did not evade. He extended the hand that was not supporting the oiled-paper umbrella, intercepting the flying sword. A monstrous sword qi instantly erupted from the sword tip, but at this moment, the sword qi was entirely halted outside the oiled-paper umbrella. The overwhelming sword qi shredded apart the space here, yet it could not advance a hair's breadth further.
Under the shelter of the oiled-paper umbrella, the Great Liang Emperor seemed to be hidden behind an impenetrable barrier. Even the surging waves outside could not shake him in the slightest.
In fact, the blind old sword immortal had already noticed this long ago. Otherwise, he would not have immediately thought of slashing apart the oiled-paper umbrella. Even though New Mirror had been defeated at this moment, his second sword, Green Pear, continued the mission that New Mirror failed to accomplish.
While the flying sword Ink Cloud and the Great Liang Emperor were locked in confrontation, the ancient bronze sword had already torn a long gash in the umbrella surface.
Sword qi poured out.
The umbrella ribs shattered with a loud bang.
The entire oiled-paper umbrella surface was now disintegrating, looking extremely miserable.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Green Pear cut through the umbrella handle held by the Great Liang Emperor, sliding all the way down. Finally, with the invasion of sword qi, it was about to land on the Great Liang Emperor's arm.
The Great Liang Emperor who lost the oiled-paper umbrella, reappeared between heaven and earth.
However, this scene caused an instant sigh of relief from the three individuals here.
From the start of the battle, the burly man equipped with the Vajra of Buddhism failed to force the Great Liang Emperor out from under the oiled-paper umbrella. The first sword of the blind old sword immortal was the same. That was because of the will of the Great Liang Emperor. But now, with the oiled-paper umbrella shattered, did it also signify the shattering of the Great Liang Emperor's will?
If he could not even defend his own will, how could he possibly avoid being defeated?
It could be said that the current change had presented an opportunity for victory to all three of them.
With renewed determination, the blind old sword immortal sent the two flying swords, each carrying endless sword qi, towards the Great Liang Emperor.
He believed that in this battle, he had gradually gained the upper hand, and the momentum of offense and defense was about to be reversed.
But things did not unfold that way.
The Great Liang Emperor steadfastly held onto the umbrella handle. The umbrella surface was gone, but the handle remained in his hand.
Facing the two flying swords that shot over, he did not evade. Instead, he gripped the umbrella handle and swung it towards the ink-black flying sword Ink Cloud.
The flying sword could not dodge in time, or perhaps it never intended to.
After all, what was so extraordinary about an umbrella handle?
But how could the umbrella handle in the hands of the Great Liang Emperor be ordinary?
As the umbrella handle smacked toward the ink-black flying sword, several terrifying auras surged forth in an instant. However, at the same time, countless sword qi also emerged.
In a very short time, a fierce battle erupted here.
However, just moments later, a wailing sound echoed, and the ink-black flying sword flew backward, nailing heavily into a stone wall!
The blind old sword immortal's expression was complicated, and his expression was ugly. The flying sword was connected to his mind, so when the flying sword was damaged, he naturally gained no benefits.
However, when he wanted to control the other flying sword, he discovered that the ancient bronze sword had also been slapped away by the umbrella handle long ago and fell into the snowy ground.
The Great Liang Emperor repelled both flying swords before saying, "The fourth sword hidden in the sheath, is that Sword Immortal Gan's insight during these thirty years?"
The blind old sword immortal did not speak. He just removed the sword sheath and placed it horizontally in front of him. His palm rested on the sheath, and a humming sound of swords resonated, lingering incessantly.
"Thirty years of ignoring worldly affairs, everyone thought that the Sword Immortal Gan Yong no longer existed in the world. However, after this old man went blind, my sword heart became even clearer instead. In these thirty years, I have far surpassed the previous thirty years."
The blind old sword immortal sighed softly and said, "The flying sword this old man forged in these thirty years is named Morning Glow. Like the flowers that bloom again, and the days of youth that are no more. After forging this sword, it seems as if this old man has glimpsed the scenes of my youth once again."
The Great Liang Emperor suddenly asked, "If you were to battle with that Sword Sect's sword immortal at this moment, what are Sword Immortal Gan's chances of winning?"
The blind old sword immortal replied calmly, "If it's just the first three swords, even if I execute them a hundred times, I might not be able to cut him down. However, with the fourth sword, if I unleash it and he still remains in the state he was before thirty years ago, he'll definitely meet his end under this old man's sword!"
The Great Liang Emperor nodded slightly and fell silent.
The blind old sword immortal gradually became more casual. He slapped the sword sheath and said cheerfully, "Come out!"
