Chapter 990: Attack on Emerald Cove P4: 4th Order Sword Intent

Rumaal’s expression changed as he saw Kanis’ performance.

He had known that Kanis was powerful, but witnessing the young cultivator unleash his sword in earnest was an entirely different experience.

The gap between a peak Lord-level cultivator and someone who had already begun touching the Nascent Soul realm was far greater than ordinary cultivators could imagine.

And Kanis had demonstrated that difference with a single strike.

No wonder that guy offered me to go and try first. He knew the result all along.

Rumaal thought to himself and cursed Kanis some more. He really hated true sword cultivators who could use their brains.

Meanwhile, the enormous arc of icy Sword Intent reached the gray dome.

For a fleeting moment, the rolling fog seemed to resist its approach. The outer surface of the Devil’s Den Formation rippled, and the gray mist gathered toward the incoming attack, just as it had when Rumaal’s halberd struck.

But this time, the result was different.

The instant the Sword Intent made contact with the formation barrier, the entire dome shuddered violently.

A deafening roar erupted across the sea.

The icy sword strike cut through the gray fog, forcing the formation’s defensive power to concentrate around the point of impact. The dome caved inward, its surface twisting into enormous spirals as the formation attempted to resist the overwhelming force.

For a brief instant, it seemed as though the formation might once again repel the attack.

Then Kanis’s Sword Intent erupted.

The pseudo 4th Spirit realm Sword Intent tore through the formation’s resistance, overwhelming its defenses with a force that the Devil’s Den Formation couldn’t withstand.

CRAAAAAAAAACK!

The gray dome shattered.

Countless streams of gray fog burst outward, scattering across the sky like fragments of a broken world. The enormous barrier that had protected Emerald Cove Island for decades collapsed under the force of a single sword strike.

The icy Sword Intent continued forward for a short distance before gradually dissipating, leaving behind a vast expanse of disturbed air and a sea that was still struggling to recover from the attack.

Silence descended upon the region.

For several moments, nobody spoke.

Rumaal stared at the space where the gray dome had once stood, his face frozen in disbelief. Anaah and Mirelle were equally stunned, while the Swordfall cultivators watched their leader with undisguised reverence.

It had taken the combined efforts of three Lord-level cultivators to test the formation’s defenses, and they hadn’t managed to accomplish anything.

Kanis had destroyed it with one strike.

However, things weren’t as simple as Rumaal and others thought them to be.

Kanis took a long, steady breath to calm himself.

From the outside, he appeared completely at ease. His expression remained composed, and the hand holding his sword didn’t even tremble. Anyone unfamiliar with the intricacies of Sword Dao might have assumed that destroying the island’s defensive formation had been nothing more than a casual exercise for him.

The reality, however, was quite different.

Even for a half-step Nascent Soul cultivator like Kanis, wielding 4th Spirit realm Sword Intent was no easy feat. Although he had begun touching upon the fundamental principles of Sword Dao, his physical vessel and soul were still insufficient to translate his immature understanding into practice without paying a considerable price.

Fortunately, his body was fine. He hadn’t suffered any physical injuries, and his Spirit Essence circulation remained stable. The real damage was spiritual.

His soul felt as though it had been dragged through a battlefield. More than half of his soul essence had been depleted in that single strike, leaving him feeling spiritually drained. If he had to unleash another attack of the same magnitude immediately, he would have to think twice before doing so.

’I’m still not there yet,’ Kanis thought to himself and sighed. This was why he had used the island invasion as an opportunity to sharpen his Sword Intent. Experiencing these things was the real sword cultivation.

He closed his eyes briefly and focused on regulating his breathing. He had no intention of revealing his current condition to the people around him. After all, maintaining a formidable image was part of being a true sword cultivator, especially when he was representing the Swordfall Realm before cultivators from another faction.

Nevertheless, a sense of relief and satisfaction gradually emerged within him.

He had done it.

The mysterious formation that had resisted the combined assault of three peak Lord-level cultivators had been destroyed by his sword alone. Not only had he accomplished what Rumaal and his two wives couldn’t, but he had also demonstrated the terrifying potential of his Sword Intent.

Kanis couldn’t help feeling proud of himself. Even he was pleasantly surprised.

His talent had always been exceptional. Even among the countless sword cultivators in the Swordfall Realm, he had managed to distinguish himself and earn the recognition of the higher-ups.

Reaching the half-step Nascent Soul realm at his age was no small achievement, and his ability to wield Sword Intent beyond the conventional limits of the Lord realm was further proof of his extraordinary potential.

Of course, there was still a considerable distance between his current accomplishments and the true heights of Sword Dao.

But that was a problem for another day.

For now, he was satisfied with his performance.

Unfortunately, Kanis had no idea that the very island whose formation he had just destroyed had once imprisoned the person he had been searching for.

Prince Varesh had also been trapped inside the Devil’s Den Formation.

And unlike Kanis, Varesh had managed to destroy it through brute force and clearer understanding of Sword Intent alone.

Before his death, Varesh had barely entered the late stage of the Lord realm.

The difference between the two feats was considerable. Kanis had relied on his immature understanding of the 4th Spirit realm Sword Intent, pushing his soul essence to its limits to deliver a single devastating strike.

Varesh, on the other hand, had broken through the same formation while possessing a cultivation base that was still below the peak of the Lord realm. He depended on his Sword Body, Sword Mind, and his purer sword cultivation path to bring out 150 percent of his potential.

It wasn’t that Kanis lacked talent. Far from it. He was an exceptional cultivator whose potential had already earned him a place among the most promising sword cultivators of his generation.

But Varesh was a different kind of monster.

His talent had been so overwhelming that even among the prodigies of the Swordfall Realm, he had stood apart from the rest. It was precisely this extraordinary potential that had secured his status as a Prince, granting him privileges and recognition that ordinary cultivators could only dream of obtaining.

Varesh’s talent and his special status was also the reason why the Swordfall King was so worried about his well being. He had deployed Kanis along with the core sword cultivators of his faction just to find Varesh and bring him back safely.

Had Kanis known what Varesh had accomplished on this very island, his satisfaction might have been tempered by a different emotion.

But he knew nothing of it.

He didn’t know that he was standing above the final resting ground of the very prince he had been sent to find. Strictly speaking, Emerald Cove Island was Varesh’s final resting place, even though his body had never been buried there.

Aksai had preserved Varesh’s corpse and stored it away for future use in his puppeteering endeavors.

The dead prince’s remains were nowhere to be seen, and the island gave no indication that such a formidable cultivator had met his end there.

***

After calming himself for a while longer, Kanis opened his eyes and turned his attention toward the island below.

With the gray dome gone, Emerald Cove Island had been exposed in its entirety. Towering mountains rose above the surrounding waters, their slopes covered in expansive forests.

Winding rivers cut through the landscape, while scattered buildings stood among the verdant terrain. A rich concentration of Spirit Essence permeated the island, making it appear even more alluring to cultivators capable of sensing its presence.

Kanis narrowed his eyes.

The island was clearly more than an ordinary cultivation outpost. Its defensive formation alone had been extraordinary enough to justify a thorough investigation. Now that the formation was gone, he had no intention of allowing anyone to escape before he uncovered its secrets.

"Spread out. Encircle the entire island and establish an inescapable net. Don’t leave even a single gap in the perimeter," he ordered.

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, but the Swordfall cultivators accompanying him immediately sprang into action.

Groups of cultivators dispersed in different directions, flying toward designated positions around Emerald Cove Island. Some moved above the sea, while others maintained higher positions in the air, creating overlapping layers of surveillance. They were determined to seal off every possible escape route.

Kanis watched their movements for a moment before turning toward Rumaal, nodding at him. Rumaal returned the gesture before turning his attention back to Emerald Cove Island.

Without saying another word, he flew downward, heading straight toward the island.

Rumaal exchanged glances with Anaah and Mirelle.

Neither woman needed to say anything. They understood that their investigation had reached its most crucial stage.

The three cultivators nodded at one another before following Kanis toward the island.