The Next Sword Master Candidate

The left battle line formed three battlefields.

Below the Emperor level formed one battlefield, with fighting occurring near the city walls, making it convenient for cultivators to quickly return to the walls for healing when injured.

Eleven Emperors formed another battlefield, each engaging in combat with remnant Emperors of similar strength. This was positioned at the outermost perimeter to prevent the fighting from affecting the city walls.

Chen Xia formed a battlefield of his own, focusing on guerrilla warfare. The Way of Time was incredibly flexible - even if Emperors wanted to engage him in direct combat, it depended on whether Chen Xia agreed.

Even three-path Emperors couldn't catch Chen Xia, let alone ordinary Emperors.

Thus emerged the peculiar phenomenon of Chen Xia running ahead while remnant Emperors desperately chased behind.

Chen Xia would occasionally behead some remnant Saints, tossing their heads to the pursuing remnant Emperors.

He embodied the art of provocation to perfection.

The Emperors could only chase him, having no other choice. They dared not approach the city walls, fearing the supreme Emperor stationed on the left battle line would annihilate them.

This Emperor was the left battle line's ultimate trump card, estimated to be around the fourth path level - an extremely ancient Emperor who might have even known the Supreme Being.

The reason this fourth-path Emperor didn't actively participate in battle was simple: the frontline's purpose was never to kill, but to delay.

They needed to drag this great era through until the Heavenly Dao calmed again, only then could they survive this great purge.

Thus, the death of cultivators became a means to delay the Heavenly Dao's purge. The question was how and when to die.

This was the tragedy of cultivators - how could human power alone resist heaven?

No matter how intense the battlefield became, it couldn't affect the Heavenly Dao.

But could the Heavenly Dao truly remain unmoved forever?

In the Great Death Realm.

The Inner Demon arranged his robes today, using realm power to conceal his aura and appearance, preparing to depart for other realms.

While the main forces in the Great Universe were fighting, as an Inner Demon, he naturally had to busy himself with tasks like visiting other realms and attempting to merge more realms together.

His divine consciousness stirred slightly, and a portal opened beneath his feet, transporting him out of the Great Death Realm.

His destination was naturally the Immortal Realm, which had deep connections with the main force.

The Immortal Realm resisted his arrival somewhat, as the current Inner Demon could be considered a realm incarnation - too powerful for the Immortal Realm to bear.

The Inner Demon casually reached out and forced his way in.

Thus the Immortal Realm took on his shape.

His transmission location was somewhat remote, situated among vast mountains.

"This is a good spot," the Inner Demon chuckled softly, pointing downward.

The aura of the Great Death Realm instantly enveloped the vast mountains, directly seizing this territory from the Immortal Realm. In two or three thousand years, this area would belong to the Great Death Realm.

Finally accomplishing something concrete, the Inner Demon smiled happily, surveying the Immortal Realm's territory with growing amusement. He looked up at the sky, seemingly speaking softly to someone.

"Once I've consumed all realms, we'll challenge Heaven itself!"

Seasons pass unnoticed, years flow endlessly.

Wild flowers grew in the pavilion beside the path to the Blue Sky Sword Sea.

Passing disciples would comment with smiles, gathering in groups of three or five, or walking in pairs, chatting about recent interesting events and insights from their cultivation.

Youthful spirit was abundant.

Their ability to enter the Blue Sky Sword Sea was enough to make them proud - they were truly exceptional talents, one in a million.

There was vibrant energy, and peaceful times.

Above the Blue Sky Sword Sea, crossing countless star regions, reaching the battle lines.

Countless blood was being spilled.

Impossible to distinguish whose it was.

Chen Xia had also gone berserk in his killing, even beheading the pursuing Emperor, the head falling who knows where.

This was his fifty-sixth year of battle, during which he never once returned to the city walls. When injured, he would concoct medicine and heal himself on the spot.

He was completely self-sufficient.

The Emperor Council had elevated Chen Xia's status to match that of second-path Emperors.

In the thirtieth year, Emperor Tianhe returned to the city walls once to rest and recuperate. Watching the distant figure in blue robes fighting, he rarely expressed admiration.

"Still as fierce as ever."

In the fiftieth year, Emperor Tianhe returned again to recuperate. Watching Chen Xia still fighting in the distance, he asked those nearby in confusion.

"He still hasn't returned?"

"No."

"..."

Emperor Tianhe fell silent, wondering if Chen Xia might be a bit too intense.

By the seventieth year.

All Emperors had returned to rest at least once, but Chen Xia still hadn't returned. He seemed to fight with increasing vigor, his sword dao becoming even more fierce.

Some Emperors noticed and exclaimed in shock.

"He's comprehending the dao!"

What dao?

Naturally, he was comprehending the sword dao through battle.

Chen Xia was already a Great Saint, and the gap between him and a quasi-Emperor was only in their understanding of the dao.

The only difference between quasi-Emperors and Great Saints was their deeper comprehension of the dao - they had half-proven the dao, their understanding only inferior to Emperors.

Therefore, the combat power between Great Saints and quasi-Emperors wasn't vastly different; specific battle prowess depended more on one's dao.

For example, even if you were a second-path Great Saint of flowers and grass, you'd still be chased and cut down by a sword dao quasi-Emperor.

Even if you possessed something like the Chaos Green Lotus or the Hundred Lives Reincarnation Grass, it would be useless - one sword strike would end you.

This was why Chen Xia could redefine the combat limits of a fourth-path Great Saint.

Nothing else, just an abnormal dao.

Now Chen Xia was comprehending the sword dao further. If he advanced one more step, he could become a quasi-Emperor through the sword dao.

"If he really succeeds, with one more step forward, could he become a Sword Emperor?"

"Becoming a Sword Emperor isn't that simple. Only the strongest sword practitioner of this era can achieve it. The last strongest sword practitioner was also from the Blue Sky Sword Sea - the Sword Venerable Emperor."

"If it falls to someone from the Blue Sky Sword Sea again this era, then the Blue Sky Sword Sea would be truly terrifying."

"Heh, let's wait and see. Chen Xia has already comprehended four paths, and might reach five paths in the future. Even if he only proves two or three, he'd still be close to supreme existence."

The Emperors rarely chatted like this before returning to endless battle.

This battle lasted extremely long, countless cultivators died, and dense wandering souls moved aimlessly beneath the city walls.

Chen Xia's battle ended with a sword light that illuminated the entire universe.

This sword strike felled an Emperor.

It also brought down Chen Xia himself. He fell to the city walls, completely exhausted, only able to stare blankly at the sky.

The immortal sword in his hand was brilliant.

So brilliant that it seemed only now worthy of being called an immortal sword.

Chen Xia never truly understood the sword dao.

But the meaning of sword dao was invincibility. Throughout history, there were over ten Sword Emperors, all undefeated when fighting those of equal rank!

Chen Xia went one step further.

He was undefeated even when fighting those above his rank!