Chapter 388: Chapter 388: Ghost Swordsman Battles the Great Grandmaster Chapter 388: Chapter 388: Ghost Swordsman Battles the Great Grandmaster An Jing looked at the golden torrent rushing towards him, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then he stepped forward, the Qi Sea burst open, with countless True Qi dancing chaotically, as if wanting to fill every meridian in An Jing’s body.

The surrounding True Qi even swarmed over, forming a purple vortex centered around An Jing.

Then this True Qi, like the ancient rivers, all converged on the blade of An Jing’s Dulu Sword.

The Dulu Sword’s radiance flourished, and then a giant sword appeared in the world, traversing in all directions.

Unity Sword Technique! Sword Control Flying Immortal!

An Jing looked indifferently at the surging golden torrent, slashed forward with the Dulu Sword in his hand, and instantly the giant sword surged down from the sky.

This strike had reached the peak that An Jing could achieve.

At this moment, it was as if all the brilliance in the world had disappeared, with all the light focusing on this one sword.

Experts below the Grandmaster Realm surrounding Ba Mountain seemed to know that the aftermath to come would be terrifying, all fleeing towards the distance.

Meanwhile, the grandmasters at the scene were gathering their True Qi inside their bodies, their expressions extremely solemn as they defended in front of themselves.

The next moment, the Sword Qi collided with the golden Long River above the sky, and suddenly the world trembled.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Then the whole world began to shake, with Ba Mountain trembling violently, rocks rolling down continuously, and even some mountains beginning to fracture.

It’s unknown how much time passed before that terrifying tide of True Qi spread outwards.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

As that terrifying tide of True Qi struck, the True Qi Barriers gathered by the grandmasters shattered like thin paper, instantly breaking, then they felt a severe pain in their chests, couldn’t help but taste sweetness in their mouths, a mouthful of fresh blood spurting out.

The wind formed was like a series of sharp blades, leaving no grass wherever it passed.

And the two in the center were surrounded by dense Qi Force, with black and white lightning emerging, stirring a sense of dread in the hearts of those who saw it.

“Zongzheng Huachun!?”

Seeing this lightning, many people’s gazes converged, clearly Zongzheng Huachun had not been defeated and was still preparing for the second round of attack.

Suddenly, the giant sword reappeared in the storm, advancing toward the lightning.

Hum!

Only to see that the black and white lightning, like apocalyptic thunder, illuminated the whole world, finally lashing down fiercely.

Boom! Boom!

The lightning seemed to pierce through the void, at last striking heavily upon the giant sword.

Deafening booms rang out once again, and then everyone felt an indescribably terrifying fluctuation sweeping out, even ordinary soldiers far away were shaken until their eardrums burst, with continuous bleeding.

Boom!

The earth kept collapsing amidst the trembling, in just a few moments, the wide, boundless land below appeared with a giant, deep black hole, with large cracks around the edge of the hole spreading like a spider’s web.

Countless people watched this scene, their heart rates suddenly increasing.

The giant sword continued unrelentingly, without the slightest pause, as the thick lightning was split in two, turning into a wisp of pale smoke that drifted into the air.

At the same time, the radiance formed by Zongzheng Huachun’s Great Snow Mountain Holy Body Technique behind him was gradually dissipating.

“Did the Ghost Swordsman win!?”

Cong Yue stood behind the leader of the Southern Barbarians, steadying his body, his gaze first turned to the place where the green light sword radiance intermingled, his eyes shining with surprise.

Not just Cong Yue, everyone was lifting their heads, staring intently at what was in front of them, seemingly eager to know the outcome of this great battle.

When the leader of the Southern Barbarians saw this, he whispered, “It seems that in the end, it really is the Ghost Swordsman who has won.”

Today’s battle was definitely the most formidable clash between masters he had ever seen, it was truly breathtaking.

Starting from today, this great battle of the three kingdoms against Yan will probably come to an end, and Houjin will fall into decline from this, even the whole great plains will be incorporated into the territory of the Great Yan Dynasty.

With the great changes in the world situation, the name of the Ghost Swordsman will once again shake the whole world.

Luo Chongyang took a deep breath, “It’s over.”

Xiao Qianqiu’s brows lightly relaxed, then furrowed again.

Whispers gradually rose around Ba Mountain, all the experts present had varied expressions, compared to the panic of the many experts of Houjin, the many experts of the Demon Sect were carrying a hint of ecstasy.

Back when Houjin cavalry broke through Dongluo Pass, the Demon Sect was forced to retreat into the territory of Great Yan, countless followers of the Demon Sect were made into spectacles, the scene was horrific, and Zongzheng Huachun, the Holy Master of Houjin, even dashed Jun Qinglin’s last hope of survival, and now this great vengeance had finally been avenged.

All around Ba Mountain, the expressions of the Jianghu experts varied greatly, differing markedly.

The sweeping dust gradually dissipated, and the figure of An Jing gradually emerged.

Only to see him holding the Dulu Sword, frowning tightly as he looked forward, while some experts could clearly see his hand clutching the sword was trembling, and then a stream of fresh blood flowed down from the tiger’s mouth to the tip of the sword.

“What!?”

You Gai couldn’t help but blurt out when he saw this, “It seems not as simple as imagined!”

Zhao Qingmei extended her palm, and two silver lights appeared; the Mandarin Duck Twin Blades were already in her grasp.

The others were greatly puzzled by this scene.

As the dust continued to settle, Zongzheng Huachun’s figure also emerged. The Muzhu Pearl emitted a faint glow, revolving continuously around him. This glow was the Supreme Yang Qi.

True Yuan!

If one looked closely, the True Yuan was condensing the Supreme Yang Qi. That True Yuan was incredibly vast and pure, dozens of times more so than True Qi, and it was one of the hallmarks of a Great Grandmaster.

The leader of the Southern Barbarians’ pupils dilated, exclaiming in shock, “Great Grandmaster!?”

What!?

Not just this top expert of the contemporary world, all of the elites present felt as if struck by lightning, their minds going blank.

“Great Grandmaster!? Zongzheng Huachun is a Great Grandmaster?”

“My heavens! Has the Holy Master of Houjin already broken through to the Great Grandmaster level?”

“Could it be that he has been concealing his skill all this time, and this is his true cultivation level?”

…..

After the shock, discussions erupted around Ba Mountain like a volcanic eruption, surging forth.

All the expressions were filled with immense astonishment and disbelief.

Who could have imagined that Zongzheng Huachun’s true cultivation level was not that of a Five Qi Grandmaster, but that of a true Great Grandmaster.

Although there is only a one-word difference between Grandmaster and Great Grandmaster, to the people, it signifies a difference as vast as heaven and earth.

A Great Grandmaster is like a Land Immortal, whose True Qi transforms into True Yuan, greatly increasing strength, possessing the ability to traverse heaven and earth in an instant, and even extending their lifespan by three hundred years.

While a Five Qi Grandmaster is a figure of an era, a Great Grandmaster is a figure in history.

One is but a grain of sand, while the other is a mountain.

They are almost incomparable.

Although Zongzheng Huachun had received a wisp of intent from the Earth Vein Spirit, everyone believed his cultivation was still at the peak of the Five Qi stage, as the gap between a Grandmaster and a Great Grandmaster is vast and not so easily bridged.

But at this moment, Zongzheng Huachun displayed the cultivation level of a Great Grandmaster, which could not possibly be faked. This scene shocked everyone present, including the leader of the Southern Barbarians, Xiao Qian Qiu, Luo Chongyang, You Gai, the Island Master of Bibo Island, and other top experts of the world.

The Island Master of Bibo Island sighed softly and said, “It seems, the Ghost Swordsman is going to lose.”

Although he deeply hoped the Ghost Swordsman could win and pressure the Black Ice Platform, the possibility of defeating a Great Grandmaster with the cultivation of a Grandmaster was next to none.

Xiao Qian Qiu took a sharp inward breath and said solemnly, “Zongzheng Huachun has hidden his strength so deeply; it seems this is his ultimate trump card.”

Everyone thought that the Muzhu Pearl’s Earth Vein Spirit was Zongzheng Huachun’s trump card, and he knew that, which is why his trump card never seemed to change. Originally, this trump card was already very powerful, but who could anticipate that his breakthrough was his real trump card.

Yu Qiurong exclaimed in disbelief, “Zongzheng Huachun is actually a High Grandmaster?”

Duanmu Xinghua, Ouyang Ping, Lin Tianhai, and many other top experts of the Demon Sect, also turned pale, as nobody expected Zongzheng Huachun to have concealed his strength so deeply.

You Gai, with his eyes closed, said softly, “This has become difficult.”

His words were understated, but everyone knew that An Jing’s chances of victory had become slim to none, given the vast gulf between a Great Grandmaster and a Grandmaster.

Suddenly, the situation took another turn.

Zongzheng Huachun looked at An Jing’s expression and said indifferently, “It seems you’re not very surprised?”

He was eager to see a trace of astonishment, a sliver of fear in the swordsman’s eyes, but the swordsman’s eyes were as cold as the sword in his hand, devoid of any emotion.

“Quite surprised,” An Jing replied as he wiped the blood from the web of his thumb with his sleeve. “I didn’t expect you’d have reached the Grandmaster Realm. It must be the effect of the Muzhu Pearl and a wisp of intent from the Earth Vein Spirit.”

Zongzheng Huachun was a top Five Qi Grandmaster, and not too far from a Great Grandmaster, but it was still incredibly difficult to make a breakthrough, and he apparently relied on external forces for his breakthrough to Great Grandmaster.

Before Zongzheng Huachun could speak, An Jing continued, “And you haven’t been a Great Grandmaster for long, have you?”

“You’re right, but what does it matter?” Zongzheng Huachun laughed boldly, “The victor is king, the vanquished, the bandit–this is the eternal rule of history that no one can change.”

An Jing nodded and said, “That’s true, the victor is king and the vanquished the bandit, but it seems the outcome is not yet decided, is it?”

Zongzheng Huachun looked at An Jing for a long time before saying, “I’ve always admired one kind of person in my life.”

“Which kind?” An Jing asked.

Zongzheng Huachun replied, “Those who foolishly think they can shake a great tree.”

With that, he sent a roaring Qi Force like tidal waves towards An Jing, continuous and unending, as if it had the power to move mountains and split stones.

Just the rolling of this Qi Mechanism seemed capable of such feats.

In the world around them, everyone felt as if a dark cloud was looming overhead, so oppressive that it was difficult to breathe.

“Today, let me show you how a mayfly can shake a great tree,” An Jing said, raising the Dulu Sword in his hand. The enormous Sword Radiance swept across the universe, clearing away the overwhelming Force Qi that had invaded his space.

He knew that facing a Grandmaster of such a realm, the only way was to take the initiative and seize the advantage.

Zongzheng Huachun waved his sleeve robe, and the robust True Yuan transformed into pillars of light that enveloped An Jing.

Crack crack crack crack crack crack!

These pillars of True Yuan were like a violent storm, terrifying and impenetrable.

An Jing let out a cold shout, and dazzling starlight burst from his body. The Dulu Sword, wrapped in a surge of cold and sharp Qi, charged towards the pillars of True Yuan.

Bang bang bang bang bang!

The collision of True Yuan and True Qi created a series of storms that swirled around heaven and earth.

An Jing’s figure stood proudly in the center of the storm, a golden Light Shield formed by the Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique surrounding him.

The storm melted away upon contact with the Light Shield as if glaciers had met magma.

Then, An Jing’s sword continued to strike forward.

On the top of Ba Mountain, countless freezing purple cold waves suddenly emerged, covering almost the entire peak of Ba Mountain. Like the powerful surging tides of a river, they rapidly approached.

Zongzheng Huachun stood still, raising the Mud Dust Pearl in his hand, standing amidst the cold waves like an unyielding rock.

An Jing waved his sword again, another sharp Sword Light emitted from the blade.

With An Jing’s continuous sword swings, the rolling cold waves seemed like the ceaseless great river’s tides, wave after wave, endless.

Even the canopy of the sky above was dyed purple by the infinite cold light.

This grandiose purple cold wave was mighty and glorious, a vast Dao indeed.

Sword Light after Sword Light, the Dulu Sword in An Jing’s hand, renowned as The World’s First Sword, was wielded to its fullest potential, causing anyone who felt its sharpness to have a tingling scalp.

If it were an average Five Qi Grandmaster, they might not be able to withstand even three of An Jing’s swords. But how many had An Jing struck now?

His Dantian seemed inexhaustible, one sword after another, a truly relentless offensive wave of life.

Only the Nameless Heart Scripture, a peerless mental method, could sustain such prodigious expenditure of An Jing’s True Qi.

Yet the Sword Light had still not breached Zongzheng Huachun’s Light Shield, which, especially with the enhancement of the Mud Dust Pearl, appeared invincible.

It was not until An Jing had swung the one hundred and thirty-second sword that Zongzheng Huachun finally took a slow step forward.

With one step, life sprouted.

The Supreme Yang Qi around Zongzheng Huachun flourished. He slapped his palm onto the Mud Dust Pearl, and immediately, a roaring sound reverberated, followed by ripples of Supreme Yang Qi scattering far into the distance.

Those ripples of Supreme Yang Qi easily blocked the spreading Sword Qi.

An Jing’s gaze turned frosty, and he slapped the Dulu Sword in his hand.

Fast!

The Dulu Sword, with extreme cold light, unleashed a surprising storm of Qi Mechanism. The Qi Mechanism spread crazily, and the Dulu Sword, with a whoosh, lunged forward with indescribable speed.

The void ahead tore apart, like glass mirrors produced in the far west, shattering bit by bit. That Sword Light seemed like a light piercing through the darkness.

Before the Sword Light even arrived, Zongzheng Huachun inwardly grimaced from the sharp pain in his brow, as the Ten Directions Technique automatically began to circulate.

But his body seemed to be frozen in place; there was no escaping the deadly strike of the Flying Sword.

“Sword Control Technique and Hundred-step Flying Sword are indeed formidable!” Xiao Qian Qiu murmured softly.

This move was also a signature technique of the Ghost Swordsman, famous throughout the world.

What came next was unbelievable. The Supreme Yang Qi from Zongzheng Huachun’s Mud Dust Pearl began to spread forward.

The cold light surrounding the Dulu Sword seemed to start melting; even the speed of the Dulu Sword gradually slowed down. The previously lightning-fast Dulu Sword was now slow enough that all the experts present could see it clearly, until it finally stopped in front of the Mud Dust Pearl.

“Get back!” exclaimed Zongzheng Huachun.

His Qi mechanism shook, and a domineering rebounding force emanated from the Mud Dust Pearl.

“Whoosh!”

The Dulu Sword rapidly retreated, leaving a trail of Qi Force waves in the air.

An Jing reached out his hand, catching the Dulu Sword as it flew back to him, and immediately a stream of Supreme Yang Qi from the sword coursed into his body.

Instantly, a scorching sensation surged in his heart. Any common Grandmaster invaded by such vast Supreme Yang Qi would burn up; An Jing took three steps back, using the Nameless Heart Scripture to completely dissipate the Supreme Yang Qi.

“Too strong! Zongzheng Huachun’s breakthrough to the Grandmaster Realm, coupled with the exotic treasure Mud Dust Pearl, is just too powerful.”

“There is already a slight gap between the two fighters, and the scales of victory have begun to tilt towards Zongzheng Huachun.”

“It seems that Houjin really is going to move southward and swallow Great Yan.”

“Who could have imagined today’s battle would turn out like this?”

…..

Seeing that An Jing couldn’t make any progress despite executing several moves in succession and was even forced to retreat by Zongzheng Huachun, nearly everyone anticipated the ultimate outcome.

At that lightning-fast moment, Zongzheng Huachun continued his onslaught.

With a stoic expression, he extended his hands, silently reciting spell after spell, the Supreme Yang Qi from his Mu Dust Pearl pouring down like a torrential flood.

Boom–!

Standing atop the surging waves of Supreme Yang Qi, Zongzheng Huachun bore an unmatched imperial might, like an emperor walking among mortals, commanding the world.

Then, the Supreme Yang Qi converged to form a formidable and invincible phantom.

An indescribable oppressive force permeated the air, as if even Ba Mountain trembled slightly at Zongzheng Huachun’s power.

Those from the Demon Sect and others in the distance watched on, their complexions fully pale, eyes filled with intense fear.

“Is this the strength of a Great Grandmaster?” Duanmu Xinghua inhaled sharply, her voice strained as she spoke, her face etched with indescribable wariness.

At that moment, the tide of Supreme Yang Qi continued to brew, its unstoppable and daunting momentum suggesting that if it erupted, the heavens and earth would shatter instantly.

Behind Zongzheng Huachun, a phantom emerged, towering hundreds of feet high, piercing the clouds as if a deity had descended.

All looked at Zongzheng Huachun’s silhouette, their expressions growing tense.

In that fleeting moment, they perceived something terrifying on Zongzheng Huachun.

Soon after, the raging flood of Supreme Yang Qi, like a gate being opened, furiously rushed towards An Jing.

Boom!

A thunderous explosion erupted, the dazzling burst of Supreme Yang Qi resounded, followed by a ferocious Qi mechanism pouring out, instantly shattering the ground.

“The Ghost Swordsman is finished….”

A relieved voice came out at that moment from Jiren Tai’s mouth; his eyes intense as he watched the field, clearly sensing that Zongzheng Huachun’s attack had hit An Jing.

With such a level of assault, regardless of An Jing’s strength, he was bound to be grievously injured or even killed; the duel, it seemed, had reached its conclusion.

An Jing was indeed too powerful!

So powerful that even the masters present felt suffocated!

If it weren’t for Zongzheng Huachun’s concealed move, it might not have been possible to defeat the Ghost Swordsman.

As Jiren Tai spoke, somewhere else, Qiu Lun’s expression also darkened.

Under the full-force strike of a Great Grandmaster, even An Jing would struggle to cope; if he somehow managed to survive, what chances would he have left?

“It’s over!”

Yu Qiurong’s face turned ghostly pale, her breathing halted.

You Gai, Duanmu Xinghua, Ouyang Ping, and others clenched their hands, their eyes intently focused on the storm of Qi mechanisms – was this really the end?

Lin Tianhai, Yi Daoyun, and others also showed reluctance on their faces.

It wasn’t that An Jing wasn’t strong, but Zongzheng Huachun before them was simply too powerful.

If the Ghost Swordsman was to lose, it would be a massive blow to Great Yan at this moment, and even more so a cruel strike to the Demon Sect.

“Is he still lacking somewhat after all?” Luo Chongyang bemoaned with a salute.

The Ghost Swordsman had brought him many surprises and hope, with too many unbelievable things revealed through him.

But this time, it seemed he wasn’t going to perform another miracle of his own.

Only Zhao Qingmei’s eyes remained cold; her grip tight on her Mandarin Duck Twin Blades.

In the distance of Ba Mountain, Xi Hafu brought his hands together and calmly watched the scene, his voice faint, “It seems that after all, it is time for this humble monk to take action.”

No one knew that at this moment, a current Great Grandmaster expert was hidden here.

“Even if Zhao Zhiwu were alive today, he would be no match for me, let alone you?”

Atop Ba Mountain, Zongzheng Huachun looked at the place where the Qi mechanism raged, smiling and then shook his head, turning to walk away. He had absolute confidence in his strike.

The Ghost Swordsman was as good as dead; even if he had practiced the Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique of the Great Zhou Dynasty Royal Family, what of it?

His full-strength strike, combined with the Mu Dust Pearl–an exotic treasure–meant that even a typical Great Grandmaster would struggle to defend against it, and a Five Qi Grandmaster like An Jing was unquestionably doomed to die.

Thud! Thud!

However, just as he turned, a subtle yet deep footstep sound emerged from the Qi Mechanism’s fray, making Zongzheng Huachun’s body freeze abruptly. Then, expressionless, he slowly turned around, his pupils contracting as he looked at someone stepping out from the midst of the overwhelming Qi, disbelief flickering in his eyes.

Not just Zongzheng Huachun, but all the experts around Ba Mountain’s base felt their hearts skip a beat, holding their breath as they turned towards the chaotic Qi Mechanisms.

……

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