Legend of Swordsman

“What is to be done then?”

Jian Wushuang turned angry and growled, “Is there nothing we can do, save to watching blindly as the vortex swells and grows until it destroys us?”

The Palace Masters wore a sullen and worried look.

“Should we try for an all-out assault and kill the woman who is still working on the rituals of the Grand Formation?” The Tang Emperor suggested.

“That would hardly help.” Palace Master Yun shook his head heavily. “Once Enduring Samsara Formation is formed, even we kill the man who plays the formation, it will continue to expand without an end.”

“Is there really no solution to this?” The Samsara Temple Master asked, refusing to relent.

“I still have much to learn in the skills of conjuring magical formation. There could still be a chance if we have help from someone who is more adept and proficient in the use of these skills.” Palace Master Yun admitted.

“One who is more adept and proficient than you in the skills of using magical formations?” The Samsara Temple Master gave a short and bitter laugh. “Who else save for you, Master Yun. You are the greatest in the skills of conjuring magical formations. Who else can we look to if you too, know not of any solutions?”

The rest of the Palace Masters shook their heads furtively in dismay.

“I may know one. One whose skills in the sorcery of magical formation could outvie even Palace Master Yun.”

There were gasps and exclamation of shock as a voice rose from the midst of the dejected crowd. It was the Sunrise Sword Emperor.

Every eye present instantly turned and trained upon the Sword Emperor.

“Sword Emperor, is there anyone you know whose skills in the sorcery of magical formation bests even Master Yun?” The Samsara Temple Master asked with shock and distraught.

“There is another whose skill in formation outstrips mine in the Green Fire World?” Even Palace Master Yun himself could hardly believe what he had heard.

He had the utmost confidence in the skillfulness of his craft.

For a long time, even he himself had truly believed that he was the greatest conjurer of magical formations in the Green Fire World.

Otherwise, he would never have been charged with manning the huge magical formation at the edge of the vast battlefield.

Yet, in an abrupt manner, the Sunrise Sword Emperor proclaimed that there was still another who skills in the craft of using magical formation outvied him!

“In fact, I do. But whether his skills in the crafts of using magical formation eclipses Master Yun, that I cannot say. But his skills are truly unfathomable, to say the least.” The Sunrise Sword Emperor confessed solemnly. “Do you still remember the magical barrier in the Hall of Crucified Minds thirty thousand years ago?”

“The Hall of Crucified Minds?” The memory seemed to strike Palace Master Yun hard. He hastily said, “Of course I do. That was a site of opportunity encountered by us thirty thousand years ago. We have found plenty of treasures and resources there and I remember the powerful magical barrier that was holding the hall!”

“You have summoned for my assistance to destroy the barrier when you found the Hall back then. The destruction alone had taken me a few hundred years of research, yet I have only accomplished so little. I would require at least more than another millennium before I can truly undo the magical barrier.”

“But it was you. Somehow you had found a way to destroy the barrier; a way which had eliminated the barrier in mere moments!”

“Indeed.” The Sunrise Sword Emperor acknowledged as he smiled. “Indeed I had found a way to destroy the barrier. But it was taught to me by a mysterious person. A mysterious person who is a true enigma!”

“An enigma?” Everyone kept their gazes transfixed upon the Sunrise Sword Emperor.

“Yes. He exudes a strange presence. It was by chance that I encountered him and he was apparently studying the craft of magical formations. Knowing that he could be a learned scholar in the craft, I illustrated the magical barriers in the Hall of Crucified Minds and showed it to him. With merely a glance, he could immediately teach me the way of destroying it.” The Sunrise Sword Emperor admitted.

“What?” Palace Master Yun was instantly astonished by this revelation. “This is impossible! He knew how to destroy that barrier with a mere glance?”

The insides of Palace Master Yun squirmed violently with anxiety.

For centuries, he had searched, delved and scrapped through every resource he came across, only to find a mere inkling to which how should the barrier of the Hall of Crucified Minds be removed.

Yet, there was one; a person who had been able to see the weaknesses of the barrier with only one simple look?

“Is there truly one such conjurer of magical formation who wields such abilities in the Green Fire World?” Palace Master Yun challenged immediately.

“I speak only the truth. But there is also the possibility that he is familiar with only that particular barrier. But still, just as I have said before, the man is strange and unusual.” The Sword Emperor clearly admired the stranger greatly.

“Be that as it may, we have no other options but to implore his help. He may be able to provide us with ways to destroy the Grand Formation of the Enduring Samsara.” Palace Master Yun remarked quickly.

“Sword Emperor, where is he now? This mysterious stranger?” The Samsara Temple Master asked with haste.

“Sadly, I know nothing of the person’s origins. I only know that he exudes a most unusual aura. He was of the Eternal Realm when I met him, that I am sure of. But even I, who was a Universe Master then, could not fully sense the full extent of his powers.” The Sunrise Sword Emperor revealed.

But there was one man amongst the crowd of dazed spectators who jumped with recognition. It was Jian Wushuang.

“A man who appeared to be of the Eternal Realm, yet not even the Sunrise Sword Emperor could truly discern his full powers. Could it be? Is he not…”

“Sword Emperor!” Jian Wushuang looked immediately to the Sunrise Sword Emperor. “The mysterious stranger you mentioned, is he called Xuan Yi?”

“Xuan Yi?” The Sunrise Sword Emperor shook his head. “I do not know the person’s real name.”

Jian Wushuang immediately pressed on, “Have you given him a token that contained three Sword Essences as repayment of the favor when he had taught you about the ways to remove the barrier of the Hall of Crucified Minds?”

“Yes! How did you know that?”The Sunrise Sword Emperor looked at Jian Wushuang with shock and surprise.

Despite hearing the Sword Emperor’s words, they did not register into the mind of Jian Wushuang whose face instantly turned eerie.

This stranger, although outwardly an Eternal Realm practitioner back then, was able to notice the ways to destroy the powerful barrier of the Hall of Crucified Minds with a mere look. His true powers were so unfathomable that not even the Sunrise Sword Emperor who was then a Universe Master could not fully gauge his full greatness.

Most importantly, the Sunrise Sword Emperor had given him a token that contained three Sword Essences for the favor he has been accorded.

The details have fully illustrated the identity of the mysterious stranger.

“Everyone, if I am right, I believe I know the person whom the Sword Emperor spoke of.” Jian Wushuang declared.

“You know him?” The eyes of the other Palace Masters twinkled with hope as they turned to look at Jian Wushuang at once.

“I not only know him. In fact, he is my Teacher!” Jian Wushuang croaked hoarsely.

“Your Master?”

The epiphany took everyone by surprise.

“He is your Master?” Even the Sunrise Sword Emperor turned to stare at Jian Wushuang, his shock and bewilderment hardly concealed.

“Indeed he is. The token that you have given him, he had passed it on to me. I was then a fresh student in martial skills who was still powerless and weak. The three Sword Essences you have imbued into the token had saved me many times.” Jian Wushuang revealed with a smile.

“That is great!” The Sunrise Sword Emperor beamed with delight. “Send word to your Teacher at once, Jian Wushuang. We need to see if he has any solution to break the Enduring Samsara Formation.”

“Understood. I will send word right away.” Jian Wushuang nodded.