Chapter 57: The Sword Intent of Life and Death

Liu An kept his gaze fixed intently on the supreme elder who had issued the retreat order, a surge of indescribable anger and helplessness welling up within his heart.

He knew all too well that once the elders and disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect retreated from this place as ordered, the people of North Han City would be plunged into an abyss of eternal damnation, with no hope of survival left.

In this city lived not only his family and friends, but also tens of thousands of innocent common folk. They were all living beings of flesh and blood, each with their own families, dreams, and attachments.

At this thought, Liu An clenched his teeth and resolutely abandoned the idea of following the others in retreat.

With a flash of his figure, he dashed away without the slightest hesitation in the exact opposite direction of the sect's disciples, heading straight for the imperiled North Han City!

Meanwhile, Fatty Xu, who shared a tacit understanding with Liu An, made the exact same decision. This fellow, who usually appeared somewhat chubby and endearingly naive, displayed breathtaking courage and resolve at this very moment.

"Fatty, you're not leaving either," Liu An smiled.

"Mn."

The two exchanged no further words. Like two streaks of lightning, they streaked across the sky, rapidly approaching North Han City.

Along the way, they flew at breakneck speed, the surrounding scenery flashing past their eyes, yet their gazes remained unwaveringly locked on the city ahead, which loomed closer and closer.

At that moment, Liu An fell into deep thought, seriously pondering the true meaning of immortal cultivation. Was it merely meant to pursue some illusory and unreachable path of longevity? This thought inevitably brought a wave of confusion and bewilderment to his mind.

He knew deeply that embarking on this path of cultivation meant having to forsake many things.

However, for Liu An, this was simply too difficult to do. Because he always held a deep attachment to his family in his heart; those warm moments spent with his loved ones and every single memory of the past were deeply branded into his soul, impossible to sever.

Just then, Liu An raised his head and saw North Han City gradually drawing near in the distance.

Upon the towering city walls, he saw his father standing straight and tall, resembling an unshakeable mountain.

At the same time, the soldiers who had previously retreated back into the city quietly marched out through the city gates once more, arranging themselves in neat formations.

On every single one of these soldiers' faces was etched a resolute expression of unyielding defiance, ready to face death without fear.

Liu An's father's booming voice resounded from atop the city wall: "My fellow soldiers! Look closely. Behind us lies the homeland upon which our ancestors and generations have depended for survival. Within this city dwell our aging parents, our wives, and our children. Therefore, no matter how powerful the enemy we face, we must never take even half a step back! Perhaps in the eyes of those high-and-mighty cultivators, we are nothing more than humble and insignificant ants, but even so, we shall lift our chests, straighten our spines, and fight until the very last breath of our lives!"

On the distant horizon, the Realm-Breaking Vessel—symbolizing the majesty and mystery of the Azure Cloud Sect—shattered the void and fled into the distance.

Standing upon the vessel, the remaining cultivators of the Azure Cloud Sect could clearly see the ant-like, frail soldiers of North Han City down below.

Clutching crude weapons, they foolishly attempted to block the arrogant cultivators of the Myriad Ghost Sect and Elder Netherblood, an act as futile as striking a rock with an egg or trying to stop a chariot with one's arms.

Lin Luomei stood upon the Realm-Breaking Vessel, her expression cold and detached.

Unlike the others who chose to flee back to North Han City seeking shelter, she had resolutely stepped onto that path of cultivation filled with unknown perils and hardships.

Perhaps, in her heart, immortal cultivation was her entire world.

As the Realm-Breaking Vessel tore through the void and vanished swiftly, the cultivators of the Myriad Ghost Sect poured into North Han City like a pack of ravenous wolves.

In an instant, battle cries and miserable shrieks rose and fell in succession, plunging the entire city into a sea of blood in the blink of an eye.

Amidst this chaos, two figures stood out particularly—Liu An and Fatty Xu.

Though the two of them fought fiercely and desperately to slay the enemy with all their might, facing the surging tide of foes and their overwhelming power, everything they did seemed utterly insignificant.

After several harrowing and brutal battles, the two of them were covered in wounds and utterly exhausted, finally collapsing heavily to the ground together, drenched in blood and entirely drained of strength.

Lying in a pool of blood, Liu An used his very last shred of strength to turn his head with great difficulty, casting his gaze toward the direction of the city wall where his father had stood.

From some unknown moment, he actually saw his father, mother, and elder sister standing there, warm and gentle smiles hanging upon their faces.

"No—!" Confronted with this scene, Liu An felt as though his heart were being sliced by knives, and a fierce wave of unwillingness surged into his mind.

With the very last of his physical strength, he let out a soul-shattering roar that pierced the heavens, echoing for a long, long time over the land stained crimson with blood...

In that very instant, Liu An snapped violently out of the dreamlike illusion.

He slowly opened his eyes, the undried tear tracks at the corners of his eyes clearly visible, silently speaking of the sorrow and pain he had just experienced within the dream.

Yet, in the next moment, the aura emanating from Liu An surged upward like a rushing, torrential flood!

An intimidating pressure radiated from his entire body, and the surrounding air seemed to grow heavy under the weight of this formidable power.

As it turned out, through the baptism and tempering of that dream, Liu An had actually comprehended the true essence of the Sword Intent of Life and Death!

This sword intent was one of the most profound and lethal sword intents in the entire world.

At this moment, as his comprehension deepened, Liu An successfully stepped into the second realm of swordsmanship.

In this new realm, life and death were no longer simple opposing forces; rather, they blended together as perfectly as the dual poles of Yin and Yang intertwining in an endless cycle, integrating seamlessly into the sword techniques in his hand.

Every strike of his sword contained both the vibrant vitality of hope and the decisive, piercing murderous intent of death; it possessed both gentle, lingering softness and fiery, explosive might.

Just as the piercing sword intent erupted fiercely from Liu An's body, the Master merely flicked his sleeve with carefree indifference.

In a flash, that formidable sword intent was gently smoothed away by an invisible hand, vanishing without a trace.

Astonishingly, the entire room suffered not the slightest bit of damage, as if the heart-stopping clash from a moment ago had never taken place, and peace and tranquility were once again restored to the room.

At this time, the Master looked at Liu An with a smile and slowly said, "You are awake, Liu An. To be able to comprehend such supreme sword intent is truly remarkable!" However, facing the Master's praise, Liu An did not show even a shred of joy. His eyes remained dim and lifeless, and he remained entirely immersed in a deep, inescapable sorrow.

After a moment of silence, Liu An raised his head, fixed his gaze directly upon the Master, and asked with a slight tremor in his voice: "Master, I wish to ask you a question. Was everything I experienced truly nothing more than a dream? But why were those people in the dream so vivid and lifelike? Although that time was exceedingly brief, I truly felt an unprecedented and wondrous experience there."