The impossible black point lingered for only a heartbeat longer.
Then—
It quietly collapsed into nothingness.
The fractured space slowly began repairing itself.
The countless cracks that had spread through the heavens gradually disappeared.
The distorted clouds returned to their natural form.
The bent lightning straightened once more.
Even the surrounding spiritual qi resumed its normal flow.
It was as though the impossible phenomenon had never existed.
Only—
The complete absence of Zuo Qia's Seventh Form remained.
Not a trace of sword qi lingered.
Not a fragment of spiritual power remained.
It had been utterly erased.
---
Lizarius remained suspended beneath the dark storm clouds.
His enormous white-scaled body hovered motionlessly within the heavens.
His golden eyes quietly rested upon the place where the colossal sword had vanished.
There wasn't the slightest ripple within his gaze.
Only calm observation.
*...So it functions.*
There was neither satisfaction nor excitement within his thoughts.
Only quiet analysis.
The result itself mattered far more than victory.
*However...*
His gaze lowered slightly.
The tiny black singularity had nearly become unstable.
Although it had completed the devouring process—
its internal structure had almost collapsed beneath the immense pressure generated by the incoming sword art.
The memory replayed itself within his mind.
Every fluctuation.
Every distortion.
Every minute change in the singularity's stability.
Nothing escaped his analysis.
*Against an attack of this level...*
*Maintaining the Devouring Void Art remains difficult.*
*The greater the pressure exerted upon the singularity...*
*The faster its structural stability deteriorates.*
His thoughts continued one after another.
*Had the incoming attack possessed even slightly greater destructive force...*
*The singularity would have collapsed before the devouring process had fully completed.*
There was no disappointment.
Only another conclusion.
*Its current form remains incomplete.*
His gaze remained perfectly calm.
*Further refinement is required.*
The conclusion settled naturally within his thoughts.
There would be other opportunities.
Other battles.
Other techniques worthy of testing.
There was no need to rush.
His path of cultivation had only just begun.
For now—
he had already obtained the answer he sought.
That alone made this encounter worthwhile.
Without dwelling upon it any longer—
his attention shifted toward the woman standing across the battlefield.
---
**Hum—**
One after another—
brilliant qi swords materialized beside him.
A single sword.
Then another.
Then another.
Ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
One hundred.
The number continued increasing.
Without pause.
Without hesitation.
Each newly formed sword quietly joined the growing formation.
Although every blade differed slightly in length—
each radiated astonishing sharpness.
Their edges shimmered with compressed spiritual power.
Sword intent silently circulated along every blade.
None produced the slightest sound.
They simply floated around the enormous white-scaled lizard.
Perfectly orderly.
Perfectly still.
Soon—
the surrounding heavens became filled with countless qi swords.
Rows upon rows.
Layer upon layer.
From below—
the formation resembled a vast constellation hanging beneath the storm clouds.
Like countless stars revolving around a single moon.
Above—
the black storm clouds slowly began rotating.
Lightning crawled endlessly between their depths.
The countless qi swords gradually moved together with the rotating clouds.
Not randomly.
Each blade occupied an exact position.
Every movement complemented the others.
Gradually—
an enormous sword formation took shape.
Ancient.
Elegant.
Murderously precise.
Its killing intent remained perfectly restrained.
Not even the slightest pressure escaped unnecessarily.
Yet—
the surrounding space had already begun trembling beneath its existence.
Invisible ripples spread quietly throughout the heavens.
The spiritual qi of the entire mountain range instinctively withdrew.
Even the drifting clouds unconsciously avoided the formation.
---
Across the battlefield—
Zuo Qia silently watched.
For the first time since the battle had begun—
her expression became completely serious.
The countless qi swords reflected within her calm eyes.
Each blade carried extraordinary power.
Yet what truly drew her attention—
was their perfect coordination.
Not one sword existed independently.
They functioned as a single whole.
"...It seems..."
Her calm voice drifted through the silent heavens.
"...I praised your concealment..."
"...Yet underestimated your strength."
Her eyes never left the countless floating swords.
The pressure radiating from the formation...
Was sufficient to threaten even an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.
This was no ordinary demon beast.
Not even close.
Slowly—
she extended one graceful hand.
The white flying sword instantly returned.
It transformed into a streak of white light before settling firmly within her grasp.
The instant her fingers wrapped around its hilt—
Sword intent erupted.
The surrounding heavens responded immediately.
The drifting clouds silently parted.
The mountain winds ceased entirely.
The spiritual qi within hundreds of kilometers instinctively converged toward her position.
The heavens themselves seemed to acknowledge the sword she held.
"...No matter."
Her voice remained calm.
Steady.
Unwavering.
"...I'll kill you."
"...Then..."
"...I'll extract every secret hidden within your soul."
Her gaze remained fixed upon Lizarius.
"...Your concealment."
"...That strange devouring technique."
"...Your sword arts."
"...Everything."
"...Will belong..."
"...To the Cloud Sword Sect."
The final word had barely fallen—
when she stepped forward.
**BOOM!**
The heavens cracked beneath her feet.
A violent shockwave erupted behind her.
Her pristine white robes fluttered wildly beneath the violent surge of spiritual qi.
The sword within her grasp erupted with dazzling radiance.
Every strand of sword intent lingering throughout the surrounding mountains answered her call.
Ancient sword intent hidden within distant cliffs awakened.
Dormant sword intent sleeping beneath rivers stirred.
Even the lingering sword intent left behind by cultivators of generations past resonated faintly.
Countless rays of brilliant white light converged toward her blade.
Its radiance became almost impossible to observe directly.
The surrounding sky itself seemed dyed white.
---
Lizarius remained perfectly still.
His golden eyes quietly reflected the approaching Nascent Soul cultivator.
No emotion surfaced.
No excitement.
No fear.
Only quiet calculation.
Then—
The countless qi swords surrounding him...
Moved.
**Shing!**
**Shing!**
**Shing!**
Hundreds of clear sword cries echoed simultaneously.
The enormous sword formation awakened.
Hundreds of blades shifted together.
Like a vast celestial mechanism that had slept for countless ages.
Every movement possessed absolute precision.
Every adjustment complemented another blade.
No sword moved alone.
The formation itself had come alive.
One after another—
the countless sword tips slowly rotated.
Until—
every single blade pointed directly toward the approaching woman.
The surrounding storm clouds rumbled violently.
Lightning leapt continuously between every sword.
Countless arcs of blue-white light intertwined throughout the formation.
The heavens darkened further.
The mountain range below fell into absolute silence.
Not even the wind dared continue blowing.
Every living creature instinctively retreated.
The true clash...
Was finally about to begin.
The mountain range trembled.
Dark storm clouds churned violently across the heavens.
Lightning roared endlessly through their depths.
The countless qi swords remained suspended for only the briefest instant.
Then—
They moved.
**Shing!**
**Shing!**
**Shing!**
Hundreds of qi swords shot forward simultaneously.
Not one arrived before another.
Not one lagged behind.
Every blade moved in absolute harmony.
Each sword carried terrifying sharpness.
Each one contained perfectly condensed spiritual power.
The entire sword formation descended together.
Like the judgment of heaven itself.
The surrounding sky was instantly filled with streaks of dazzling light.
The mountains below disappeared beneath their shadows.
The pressure alone caused countless ancient trees to bow.
Several distant mountain peaks cracked beneath the overwhelming sword intent.
Across from the descending formation—
Zuo Qia remained perfectly composed.
Her sword never slowed.
Her expression never changed.
She simply raised her blade.
Then—
she swung.
"...Cloud Sword Art."
"...Eighth Form."
"...Heavenly Severance."
Nothing spectacular appeared.
No colossal sword phantom emerged.
No world-shaking explosion followed.
Only—
A single white line.
Pure.
Perfect.
It quietly crossed the heavens.
There was no overwhelming pressure.
No violent fluctuations of spiritual qi.
Yet—
the instant that solitary line appeared—
the world itself seemed to divide.
The descending sword formation met the white line.
Silence.
The first qi sword...
Separated cleanly into two perfect halves.
Then—
The second.
The third.
The fifth.
The tenth.
One after another—
every qi sword that entered the white line met exactly the same fate.
There was no collision.
No violent impact.
No explosion.
No resistance whatsoever.
Only—
Effortless division.
The white line continued moving forward.
Unhurried.
Unstoppable.
Within only a few breaths—
dozens of qi swords had already been severed.
Then—
hundreds.
Every blade that entered its path was instantly divided before dissolving into drifting motes of spiritual light.
The once-overwhelming sword formation rapidly collapsed.
Its perfect coordination no longer mattered.
Its terrifying killing intent no longer mattered.
Before absolute sharpness—
everything was simply cut apart.
Within moments—
the countless qi swords had completely disappeared.
Only countless motes of spiritual light drifted slowly through the storm-filled sky.
Lizarius quietly watched.
His golden eyes reflected the fading remnants of his sword formation.
*Pure cutting intent.*
*No unnecessary complexity.*
*No excessive variation.*
*The technique possesses only a single purpose.*
*To sever.*
His thoughts remained perfectly calm.
*Not through overwhelming force...*
*But through absolute sharpness.*
The white line continued advancing.
Nothing before it remained intact.
The storm clouds quietly parted.
Lightning itself separated into two diverging currents.
Even the surrounding space appeared faintly divided beneath its passage.
The solitary white line steadily approached.
Until—
it finally reached him.
Without the slightest hesitation—
Lizarius slowly raised one foreclaw.
Dark green scales spread rapidly across his enormous body.
Ancient runes ignited one after another beneath the scales.
Each rune emitted an emerald radiance.
Ancient.
Heavy.
Enduring.
"...Mountain Sovereign Shell."
**BOOM!**
An enormous emerald barrier materialized around him.
Layer after layer of defensive light rapidly condensed.
Its surface resembled countless overlapping dragon scales.
Within the translucent barrier—
ancient mountains appeared reflected across its surface.
Majestic.
Immovable.
As though countless mountain ranges themselves had become his shield.
The white line arrived.
**Crack—**
The emerald barrier trembled violently.
A single crack appeared.
Then—
another.
Then another.
Within the blink of an eye—
dozens of fractures spread rapidly across the entire defensive art.
The countless dragon scales fractured one after another.
The reflected mountains dimmed.
The ancient runes flickered violently.
Within less than a single breath—
the defensive arts endured no longer.
**Boom!**
The Mountain Sovereign Shell shattered.
Fragments of emerald light scattered throughout the heavens like countless broken stars.
The white line continued onward.
Its brilliance hadn't diminished in the slightest.
Its cutting intent remained absolute.
Unstoppable.
It descended directly toward Lizarius.
Zuo Qia's eyes narrowed slightly.
*Too late.*
*He cannot evade.*
Yet—
the enormous white-scaled lizard remained perfectly calm.
Not even the slightest ripple appeared within his golden eyes.
The instant before the white line reached his body—
His shadow beneath the storm clouds...
Moved.
Without warning—
the enormous white-scaled figure standing before Zuo Qia blurred.
At the exact same moment—
a dark figure silently emerged from a shadow several hundred meters away.
**Shadow Clone.**
The exchange completed instantly.
So quickly—
that even the surrounding spiritual qi barely reacted.
The real Lizarius had already disappeared.
The white line reached the remaining figure.
**Boom!**
The clone exploded apart before the sword had completely passed through it.
Black mist erupted across the heavens.
The illusionary body instantly disintegrated.
Not even the smallest fragment remained behind.
Everything vanished.
As though the clone had never existed.
Zuo Qia's pupils contracted.
*A clone...?*
Her spiritual sense erupted outward without hesitation.
It swept across every direction simultaneously.
The surrounding mountains.
The storm clouds overhead.
The forests below.
The countless valleys stretching into the distance.
Nothing.
There wasn't even the slightest fluctuation.
Then—
A faint ripple.
Behind her.
Her sword moved almost instinctively.
**Shing!**
A brilliant white arc swept backward.
Its sword intent tore through the surrounding sky.
Yet—
it struck only empty air.
The fluctuation disappeared once again.
Gone.
Without leaving even the slightest trace.
Far above—
Hidden within the dark storm clouds—
a pair of golden eyes silently watched everything unfold.
Lizarius calmly evaluated the exchange.
*The defensive arts endured for less than a single breath.*
*Expected.*
*Her offensive capability greatly exceeds my current defensive capability.*
His thoughts continued without interruption.
*The Mountain Sovereign Shell cannot withstand sword intent condensed to this degree.*
*At my current cultivation...*
*Its defensive limit has already been reached.*
Another conclusion quietly formed.
*The Shadow Exchange remains effective...*
*Provided the substitution occurs before physical contact.*
*Any later...*
*And the opportunity is lost.*
His gaze settled quietly upon the woman below.
She no longer appeared relaxed.
Her white sword remained raised.
Sword intent quietly surrounded her body.
Her spiritual sense blanketed every direction.
Waiting.
Listening.
Searching.
Prepared for another surprise attack at any moment.
For the first time since the battle had begun—
the initiative no longer rested entirely within her hands.
Neither side moved immediately.
Only the storm clouds continued rumbling overhead.
Lightning silently illuminated the battlefield.
Then—
Zuo Qia moved first.
She never hesitated.
The instant her sword struck empty air—
she stepped forward once more.
**Whoosh!**
Her figure transformed into a streak of white light.
The distance separating them vanished almost instantly.
The white sword within her grasp thrust forward.
"...Sky Sword Art."
"...Second Form."
"...Piercing Clouds."
The sword itself disappeared.
Only—
A single point of white radiance remained.
No unnecessary movement.
No wasted spiritual power.
Everything had been compressed into one perfect thrust.
Absolute speed.
Absolute penetration.
The surrounding air exploded apart.
The heavens themselves seemed pierced by that single point of light.
The dazzling thrust shot directly toward Lizarius.
---
Lizarius remained motionless.
His golden eyes calmly followed the incoming strike.
He neither retreated—
nor prepared another defensive technique.
Instead—
his right foreclaw slowly rose.
One claw quietly extended.
Then—
it traced forward.
Only a single motion.
Thin.
Silent.
Almost imperceptible.
A perfectly straight line appeared before him.
Nothing happened.
For the briefest instant—
it seemed no different from an ordinary gesture.
Then—
it happened.
The line became visible.
A flawless vertical tear.
It stretched from the heavens above...
To the mountains below.
Perfectly straight.
Perfectly silent.
Everything standing before it—
The drifting clouds.
The howling wind.
The flashing lightning.
Even the approaching sword thrust—
was quietly divided.
No explosion followed.
No violent collision erupted.
The brilliant white thrust simply...
Separated.
The condensed sword qi split cleanly into two perfect halves.
The divided sword intent drifted harmlessly to either side of the vertical line.
It never reached Lizarius.
The heavens themselves appeared to have been neatly severed.
---
Zuo Qia's pupils contracted violently.
"...What?"
For the briefest instant—
genuine confusion flashed across her face.
*It...*
*Cut through my sword art?*
*Without even colliding with it?*
There hadn't been the slightest impact.
No exchange of force.
No clash of techniques.
It was as though—
the moment her sword art touched that perfectly straight line—
it had simply ceased to exist.
Her astonishment lasted for only a heartbeat.
A Nascent Soul cultivator's battle instincts immediately reasserted themselves.
Without hesitation—
she stepped forward once more.
Sword intent erupted around her.
"...Cloud Sword Art."
"...Eighth Form."
"...Heavenly Severance."
The familiar white radiance blossomed once again from her blade.
The surrounding heavens responded immediately.
The drifting storm clouds parted.
The mountain winds ceased.
Every strand of sword intent lingering throughout the battlefield converged toward her sword once more.
This time—
instead of allowing the mysterious line to continue existing—
she chose to sever it directly.
The dazzling blade descended.
The Heaven-Severing Line remained perfectly still.
One represented absolute sharpness.
The other—
absolute division.
The two terrifying techniques closed the remaining distance in an instant.
The surrounding mountains seemed to fall completely silent.
Even the heavens themselves appeared to wait...
For the outcome.