Try and die

"Brother Wei, you must not recklessly charge into this battle!"

"Indeed, Brother Wei, your noble intentions are admirable, but this fight is far too perilous. You may not be able to withstand it."

"Your righteousness moves us deeply, but please don’t act on impulse!"

"Brother Wei, we all admire your courage, but you must act within your means! Aside from Elder Luo, none of us here can face that colossal tiger!"

……

Wei Donghai suddenly volunteered, and the gathered saints immediately conveyed their objections through divine sense.

He understood the goodwill of his old friends.

Wei Donghai was deeply touched by their sincerity, but with the ancient sword by his side, he was no longer the weakest among them!

Feeling Luo Hongfei’s discouraging gaze, Wei Donghai grew even more resolute.

"Elder Luo, I have my own confidence in this. There’s no need to say more!"

His firm declaration left the saints dumbfounded.

How had Wei Donghai, the weakest among them, suddenly become so self-assured?

Before they could react, Wei Donghai had already drawn his sword, stepped into the void, and shot toward the colossal tiger like a bolt of lightning.

That tiny figure was the very picture of solitary bravery!

For the sake of humanity’s righteousness, he was willing to throw his life away—such selflessness shamed the saints! In their desperation, they erupted with full power, unleashing their battle intent to assist him!

Watching an old man charge forward with a battered sword, like an annoying fly, the colossal tiger sneered in disdain.

"Hmph…"

"Humans never learn. Always spouting nonsense about righteousness before rushing to their deaths. What foolish ants!"

In the sea of sand, hundreds of Void Beasts roared with sinister laughter.

"Only humans are stupid enough to rush to their doom!"

"Such idiocy proves they deserve extinction!"

"From now on, Cloudstar shall belong to our Void Clan!"

Their mocking laughter shook the heavens and earth, while the tiny figure went unnoticed.

Only when the other six saints moved did the golden tiger finally extend its massive paw, casually swatting at Wei Donghai as if shooing a mosquito—yet even that casual motion stirred a terrifying storm.

A single flick of its paw sent ripples through the void!

Waves of force surged for thousands of miles, their overwhelming might crashing like tides!

Under that strike, Luo Hongfei and the other five saints tensed, channeling their Dao power and summoning their treasures to shield Wei Donghai!

But before their saintly artifacts could unleash their power—

The terrifying shockwave was split in two, as if cleaved apart by some unseen force!

Within the gap of the divided shockwave stood only Wei Donghai, swinging his battered sword.

It seemed no one had helped him.

With his own power alone, Wei Donghai had split the tiger’s strike in half!

A single sword strike—how could it carry such might?

Since when had Wei Donghai become so powerful…?

Luo Hongfei’s eyes widened in shock.

The other saints froze, their faces filled with disbelief.

Before they could recover—

An invisible sword light seemed to expand, not only splitting the tiger’s shockwave but also cleaving its massive paw clean in two!

Light poured through the severed paw, illuminating the earth.

In an instant—

The laughter died.

Saints and Void Beasts alike stood dumbstruck, the sea of sand falling into dead silence!

The tiger’s amusement vanished, replaced by sheer terror.

A pained roar erupted, shaking the heavens!

"This—this is impossible!"

Its paw had been split apart in an instant, and the dreadful fissure continued spreading, crawling up the tiger’s hundred-zhang-long forelimb like a sentient wound!

Arm, torso, head—

In the span of a breath, the fissure had engulfed the tiger’s entire body!

"CRACK!"

With a resounding snap, the colossal beast was split in two by a single sword strike!

"ARGHHH—!!!"

A final, horrified shriek echoed as the tiger’s bisected body plummeted!

"BOOM—!!!"

The impact carved a thousand-zhang-deep crater into the sand, tremors rippling endlessly, drowning all sound beneath the earth-shaking force!

One sword strike—and the world fell silent!

Gazing at the once-mighty beast now motionless in the sand, the saints were left speechless.

Such terrifying sword intent, such overwhelming sword force!

Before they could utter a word, the previously arrogant Void Beasts scattered in panic, fleeing into the depths of the sand like frightened rats!

Above, only the figure holding the sword remained.

Like a god!

Staring at Wei Donghai, the saints barely recognized him—familiar yet utterly foreign.

The calamity had been resolved in an instant!

Overwhelming joy lit their faces as they rushed forward.

"Who would’ve thought the weakest among us, Brother Wei, was actually the strongest!"

"That sword strike just now—unforgettable!"

"To think you’ve been hiding such swordsmanship all this time!"

"If you’d told us earlier, I wouldn’t have been so tense!"

"Damn it, you really showed off this time!"

"Hahaha…"

Laughter rang out as the saints celebrated.

Only Luo Hongfei gradually calmed, his aged eyes filled with awe.

"Brother Wei… since when did you possess such mastery of the sword?"

Luo Hongfei had attained sainthood through the sword path and was a renowned saint for tens of thousands of years. His understanding of sword dao was profound—yet even he paled in comparison to that strike.

The more he recalled it, the more intrigued he became.

His question snapped the others back to attention.

"Right! Brother Wei never displayed any swordsmanship before. How could he slay the tiger in one strike? It defies logic!"

"Did you have some sudden enlightenment?"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Exactly. The paths of the Great Dao differ. If he never studied the sword, how could he suddenly gain such insight?"

Amid their shock and curiosity, Wei Donghai finally regained his senses.

Not only were his old friends stunned—

Even he had been terrified by that strike!

He had thought that with this ancient sword, he might at least hold his own against the tiger, perhaps weakening it enough to help Luo Hongfei.

With that modest hope, he had dared to act.

Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine—

A single swing—and the tiger was dead!

Good heavens.

He hadn’t even realized how strong he was!

Surrounded by praise, Wei Donghai basked in the glory, reaching the pinnacle of his life. Yet he knew—this power wasn’t his own.

The true source was the sword in his hand.

This sword was far more formidable than he’d imagined—no, a thousand times stronger!

This opportunity was even more incredible than he’d thought.

To think such a terrifying treasure had been casually gifted by Senior Yi Feng—such generosity, such dedication to nurturing the younger generation. Truly, a peerless master.

The more he pondered, the more awed he became, his heart overflowing with reverence.

Wei Donghai gripped the ancient sword tightly, his hands trembling with excitement.

This odd behavior didn’t escape Luo Hongfei’s notice.

His gaze fixed on the sword, the old saint’s murky eyes widened in realization.

"This sword…"

"Its hilt is pitch-black, its design oddly plain. I’ve never seen anyone wield such a blade before. It almost seems…"

The ancient saint’s muttering caught another saint’s attention, who suddenly exclaimed—

"Could those be the two swords from deep within the Ancient Corridor, the ones in the Path of Daylight?"

A startled exclamation rang out, drawing the intense gaze of all the revered sages present.

At a glance, the swords did indeed evoke a sense of familiarity.

Instantly, doubtful glances were exchanged, and questions poured forth!

"They really do look like them!"

"Now that you mention it, the more I look, the more they resemble them. Back in the day, I exerted all my strength in the Path of Daylight but still couldn’t pull those swords free!"

"Ah, even the most powerful seniors among us failed to obtain them, and some even passed away in despair."

"Hiss…"

"These swords were actually drawn out?"

"Brother Wei, how in the world did you manage it?!"

The surrounding elders gazed with envy and admiration, their eyes practically glowing green with desire.

Wei Donghai, the great hero, had become the center of attention, basking in the glory.

Yet, he hadn’t forgotten the source of this honor. His reverence for Senior Yi Feng grew even deeper, and he silently resolved to gift all his stock of Crimson Flame Brew in return.

Such a humble offering would surely be beneath Senior Yi Feng’s notice, but it was the fullest expression of his gratitude. If he delivered it discreetly, even outshining his senior brother, surely Yi Feng would sense his sincerity!

The more he thought about it, the more exhilarated he became. Never before had Wei Donghai experienced such a moment of triumph.

Not only were the elders gazing at him with admiration, but even the ancient sage Luo Hongfei couldn’t resist stepping forward to engage in polite conversation.

"Ahem…"

"Brother Wei, might I trouble you to lend me these swords for a closer look?"