novel against the - Chapter 2044

Chapter 2044: Sword Heart Turmoil

The Dragon Clan is the only remaining beast clan in the Abyss, relying on the powerful Dragon supreme-ruler bloodline to stubbornly resist the erosion of the Abyssal Dust to this day.

The Abyssal Dragon Clan venerates the Ancestral Dragon, and the auras of those strongest Ancestral Dragons are all intimately familiar to Hua Qingying. When Yun Che’s dragon might and dragon soul manifested, she was naturally shocked beyond measure.

One after another, extraordinary phenomena that defied understanding appeared on Yun Che, and by this point, even someone at Hua Qingying’s level could no longer fathom the true identity of the “Master” who had bestowed all of this upon him… or rather, just how powerful this ancient remnant soul might be.

When the words “ten years old” and “over a hundred years have passed” reached her ears, Hua Qingying’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

The matching age and timeline… instantly brought to mind a certain person, and the momentous event that had once shaken a vast Divine Kingdom.

But this thought was fleeting, not enough for her to truly delve into it.

“You… actually…”

Hua Caili took quite a while to finally suppress the surprise in her heart. Her voice was slightly urgent as she said, “How could I possibly blame you? This is your secret, and you shouldn’t have told me… and you absolutely must not let anyone else know. Otherwise, it might lead to unpredictable dangers.”

Hua Caili did not blame him; instead, she expressed concern, which visibly eased Yun Che’s tension. “Rest assured, Sister Qu, I have never disobeyed Master’s instructions. Whether it’s the Light Profound Energy or the dragon soul, since I entered this world, I have only revealed them in front of Sister Qu.”

This trust was not only exclusive, but also unconditional. It even directly involved Yun Che’s fate and safety… Even though Hua Caili was not deeply experienced in the world, she fully understood just how precious this trust was.

Her heartstrings were touched once again—still unfamiliar, yet different from any previous time. Almost instinctively, she asked, “You… why do you trust me so much?”

“…” Yun Che stood there stunned, a hint of confusion appearing on his face, as if even he didn’t know why.

His lips moved slightly. “Perhaps… this is what Master once called ‘feelings cannot be helped’.”

“…” Hua Caili’s lips parted slightly, her eyes rippling with emotions she herself was unaware of.

Having softly uttered the words, Yun Che seemed to immediately sense something was amiss. He quickly half-turned and, in an abrupt and awkward manner, changed the subject: “Speaking of age, I still don’t know how old Sister Qu is…”

“No… Don’t ask!”

Hua Caili’s reaction was unexpectedly intense. She immediately turned her face away. “You, you, you… Your Master must have taught you that asking a woman’s age is impolite! Anyway, just calling me Sister Qu… is enough.”

Her posture was proud and defiant, but upon closer inspection, a faint blush could be seen creeping across her ears.

“Alright.” This reaction surprised Yun Che a little, but he quickly responded, raising his hand in a promise. “I swear I won’t ask again… Three Abyssal Beasts are approaching from the right.”

“I’ll handle it!” It seemed the perfect opportunity to escape the embarrassing atmosphere that had settled in her heart. Hua Caili’s figure swiftly turned, and the Li Yun Sword, glowing with a jade light, shot out. The light streaked sharply but, miraculously, without making a sound as it cut through the air.

Ding!

A barely audible chime rang out, and two of the Abyssal Beasts, not yet close, were already sliced in two. The sound of their severed bodies hitting the ground was in stark contrast, echoing loudly.

The sword light swirled and flew back, never touching the third Abyssal Beast. But just as the jade-white sword lightly returned to Hua Caili’s back, the Abyssal Beast suddenly shattered into over ten pieces in mid-air, the cuts as smooth as mirrors.

The Abyssal Beast had no time to let out any roar before it fell apart and dissipated into drifting Abyssal Dust.

It had not been long since Hua Caili had comprehended the first form of the Heaven-Breaking Sword, but her progress was astonishingly fast, and she was nearing a state of soundless and invisible mastery.

In the Endless Fog, even the slightest sound could attract danger, which made this place ideally suited for Hua Caili’s current training. She always thought that if she could master the first form of the Heaven-Breaking Sword before the end of her training, she would surely astound her supreme father.

“Impressive.”

Yun Che’s soft sigh reached her ears as his gaze shifted from where the Abyssal Beast’s aura had dispersed, landing on the Li Yun Sword behind her. “Sister Qu, I’ve always been curious—what kind of sword path do you cultivate?”

“The sword aura and sword intent your sword releases seem not only capable of traversing space but also of deceiving… or rather, distorting perception?” Yun Che’s face was full of undisguised amazement. “I practice swordsmanship as well. Master once explained many sword paths to me, but none of them ever reached the extraordinary level that Sister Qu’s has,” Yun Che remarked.

Hua Caili’s lips moved slightly, momentarily unsure of how to respond. Facing Yun Che, who had placed his unwavering trust in her time and again, the deception she was maintaining only deepened her feelings of guilt.

However, if she were to utter the words “Heaven-Breaking Sword,” her true identity would likely be exposed.

“This is… a sword technique unique to my family,” Hua Caili could only reply this way. “It does differ from other sword paths. I’ve only just made some minor progress. I’m still far from reaching the level of my father and aunt.”

Yun Che didn’t press further. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he pondered aloud, “Traversing space, distorting perception, and slaying foes without a trace… Such sword intent is truly captivating. I wonder if my sword can ever glimpse such a level.”

Hua Caili quickly shook her head, fearing he might waste his efforts pursuing such a path. “That kind of sword intent requires mastery over multiple kinds of sword intent, all of which must be perfectly understood and coordinated. It relies on a special sword technique as its guide. It’s not something that can be achieved through ordinary training and comprehension.”

As her words fell, she noticed that Yun Che had already closed his eyes, showing no reaction to what she had said.

His arm lifted, and at some point, the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword had silently appeared in his hand.

The demonic sword released a crimson supreme glow.

Hua Caili raised her jade-like hand, but seeing Yun Che so focused, she ultimately didn’t intervene.

Moments later, Yun Che’s brow twitched, the sword in his hand trembled slightly, and its sword intent was abruptly released.

Boom!

His perception extended, and the sword’s power shot forward ten meters, exploding exactly at that distance, perfectly aligned with his perception.

Hua Caili wanted to stop him again, but she noticed Yun Che had already closed his eyes once more, seemingly lost in his obsession. She could only purse her lips in helplessness.

To master the Heaven-Breaking Sword, one must first train in the Heaven-Questioning Sword, Heaven-Pacifying Sword, and Heaven-Controlling Sword, all to perfection before they can even qualify to comprehend the Heaven-Breaking Sword. And even then, it’s only a qualification. To truly grasp the intent of the Heaven-Breaking Sword requires not only immense talent and insight but also an extraordinary stroke of fortune.

One breath, two breaths… ten breaths passed.

Suddenly, Yun Che’s eyes opened, and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword trembled lightly once more, its sword intent flowing.

Boom!

Within his perception, a concentrated sword intent enveloped the space three meters ahead… But, instead of exploding at that distance, the sword’s power detonated in the air above, three meters high.

The force was minimal, not enough to shatter a stone, yet it caused Hua Caili’s eyes to widen in utter shock, leaving her completely stunned.

Up above, Hua Qingying’s skirt fluttered, her foot almost slipping down half an inch, nearly causing her aura to leak out.

“Hah,” Yun Che let out a small breath and said, “It’s indeed a bit difficult… Eh? Sister Qu, what’s wrong?”

Her wide eyes, like two full moons radiating with unrestrained brilliance, shimmered with a beauty and purity that seemed to transcend the mundane world. Yet, this expression on the face of the Heaven Breaker supreme-rulerdess seemed oddly out of place.

Several breaths passed before the Heaven Breaker supreme-rulerdess finally recovered from the shock that had shattered her understanding. Her lips parted and closed several times before she managed to ask, with great difficulty, “How… how did you do that?”

At the same time, Hua Qingying softly murmured, “How is this possible…”

Although it was a mere fragment of sword intent—weak, fleeting, and far from being useful in battle—it was, for a brief moment, a genuine trace of Heaven-Breaking Sword Intent!

In the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom, the current Divine Sovereign, Hua Fuchen, had trained in swordsmanship for four hundred years before comprehending his first trace of Heaven-Breaking Sword Intent.

Hua Qingying, renowned as the “Sword Immortal,” who possessed sword talent far surpassing Hua Fuchen, took seventy-seven years to achieve the same.

Hua Caili, the first in the history of the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom to possess a perfect supreme body and, according to Hua Qingying, the highest sword talent in history, took nine years. Those nine years were destined to be a miracle that would be etched into the annals of the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom for eternity.

And Yun Che…

He wasn’t from the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom. He had no foundation in the Heaven-Questioning Sword, Heaven-Pacifying Sword, and Heaven-Controlling Sword. There was no way he should have been able to touch the Heaven-Breaking Sword technique…

Yet, somehow… he had.

Hua Qingying had never before found her own perception so difficult to believe.

For the first time in her life, her deepest pride—her understanding of swordsmanship, something she had blended so closely with her very existence—was shaken to the core, so much so that it felt as if cracks were spreading through it.

Yun Che, noticing Hua Caili’s shock, expressed his own surprise at her reaction, saying, “This… doesn’t seem that difficult. Sister Qu, is there… something unusual about me?”

“How is that possible… not… too difficult?” Hua Caili shook her head vigorously, momentarily speechless. “But… but… you’re not… you haven’t trained… you don’t even have a sword technique, how could you… how could you possibly…”

“Sword technique?” Yun Che shook his head, his gaze clear and serious. “Master never taught me any sword techniques and never allowed me to train in any.”

Li Suo: “?”

Hua Qingying: “?”

“Why?” Hua Caili asked instinctively, her voice filled with confusion.

Yun Che replied, “Master said that sword techniques are dead, but sword intent is alive. If you use dead sword techniques to drive sword intent, the result will only be a lifeless sword.”

“But without sword techniques, how do you develop sword intent? And how do you train in swordsmanship?” Hua Caili murmured.

Yun Che raised his arm, and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword gleamed faintly once more. “Sword intent should arise from the heart, from the body, and from the sword itself, without relying on sword techniques.”

This philosophy of swordsmanship was completely new to Hua Caili.

Not just Hua Caili, even the Sword Immortal, Hua Qingying, had never heard such a philosophy before.

After all, it was entirely fabricated by Yun Che.

Deep within Yun Che’s soul sea, Li Suo sighed softly. She finally understood why Yun Che had asked her about the Zhetian Sword technique earlier. It was, of course, just another one of his rather underhanded tactics.

And Hua Caili’s extreme reaction only confirmed how successful his tactic had been.

Faced with Hua Caili, who was now more bewildered than ever, Yun Che continued to explain, “The sword path Master taught me is indeed quite peculiar. It took me many years to barely comprehend it.”

“After struggling to reach the ‘harmony’ Master spoke of, I can now observe and perceive the sword intent others use, transcending the need for their specific sword techniques or foundational training. I instead align the sword intent with my own sword heart, sword body, and sword spirit to execute it.”

“That’s what I did just now.”

Hua Caili couldn’t grasp what he was saying. It seemed too profound, too mysterious—so much so that it was beyond her reach.

If anyone else had said the same thing, she wouldn’t have believed them at all.

Yet just moments ago, she had witnessed with her own eyes how Yun Che had released that trace of Heaven-Breaking Sword Intent at such close proximity.

“The sword I usually wield is broad and unrestrained, flowing with my heart’s intent, never bound by any sword techniques,” Yun Che continued. “The sword intent you cultivate, Sister Qu, is mysterious and profound, which is awe-inspiring. But clearly, it doesn’t suit me; it’s more suited to someone like you, a graceful fairy.”

He spoke casually, carefree, completely oblivious to the turmoil he had caused in the heart of the girl before him.

“Qingxin!” Suddenly, Hua Qingying’s voice echoed in Hua Caili’s ears.

Like jade falling into an ice spring, Hua Caili’s soul sea and gaze instantly became clear.

“He is an extraordinary person; his unique sword path belongs solely to him. Do not let this shake or question your own sword heart.”

The supreme voice penetrated her soul, quickly dispelling all of Hua Caili’s doubts. However, it could not eliminate the growing astonishment she felt towards Yun Che, which intensified with each passing moment.