Chapter 117: The True Destiny Returns to Emptiness

After grasping the Azure Green Sword, Grandmaster Hu San swiftly swung it behind him. The sword’s energy tore through the air, whistling perilously close to my scalp before striking the ground not far away. The earth immediately split open, forming a trench more than ten meters deep. Wherever the sword’s energy swept, trees and weeds withered and snapped like brittle twigs.

“Such a magnificent sword, wasted in your hands!” Grandmaster Hu San sneered, pointing the blade directly at me.

“Lin Yi, not everyone can wield the Azure Green Sword. You cannot. To think you could slay me with it is mere fantasy!” he declared. Suddenly, he pushed off the ground, and a murky black aura spread, coiling around the sword. The blade, shrouded in this foul energy, looked tainted and grim. With a fierce thrust, he lunged toward me.

I flipped aside just in time.

The earth cracked open again, loose stones tumbling into the fissure.

In Grandmaster Hu San’s hands, each stroke of the Azure Green Sword carried the force of mountains crumbling and earth splitting. Every evasion was a life-or-death gamble.

Yet, after four or five moves, his sword technique shifted abruptly. Three phantom images of the blade emerged, simultaneously stabbing at me from three directions—front, left, and right.

Without hesitation, I retreated swiftly. Taking two steps back, I realized the triple attack was nothing but illusions. Behind me, however, an overwhelming aura of terror pressed in.

I spun around quickly, sending a surge of energy from my palm toward the Azure Green Sword.

The sword cleaved through my energy.

With a sharp whistle, it thrust straight for my forehead, fierce enough to pierce my skull.

But just as the blade was about to strike, it suddenly halted.

Grandmaster Hu San gripped the sword tightly, roaring angrily as waves of black murk surged toward the blade, yet it remained immovable.

As he continued exerting pressure with the dark aura, a pale blue energy began to glow on the sword, revealing intricate patterns.

“The triple-edged treasure sword called Azure Green,” I read silently.

Then, the azure energy surged violently, counterattacking and swallowing the black murk entirely.

Grandmaster Hu San was stunned. He had believed no sword was beyond his control. Yet despite his relentless pressure, the sword resisted fiercely. The blue energy swelled uncontrollably, and with a sudden explosive force, it shattered his grip.

With a hum, the Azure Green Sword curved into an arc.

In a swift reversal, it swept across Grandmaster Hu San’s neck. Startled, he retreated, shielding himself with black murk to block the surging sword energy.

Now, the hilt pointed toward me.

“A fine sword indeed!”

I seized the hilt, shifting my stance and spiraling into the air. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, I sped toward Grandmaster Hu San with a piercing thrust.

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Sensing danger, Grandmaster Hu San vanished swiftly, cloaking himself in the black murk as he charged toward me.

The power of that dark energy was immense. Though I wielded the Azure Green Sword, I was blasted backward several meters. Regaining my footing instantly, I pursued the black murk’s trail.

But beyond the dark aura, I saw no sign of him. Instead, the sky was pitch black, enveloped in the murky energy as if the entire world were suffocated by it.

Just then, above the clouds, a pair of glowing azure fox eyes appeared.

Those eyes shone with an eerie blue light, crescent-shaped like a new moon, haunting and otherworldly. They fixed their gaze on me, sending a chill down my spine.

Could this be Grandmaster Hu San’s true form? When a beast cultivates and refines its spirit, gaining a primordial soul, it can transform into human shape. After its spirit returns to void, it can forge a true corporeal form—a formidable existence indeed. Beneath such a form, even a spirit returned to void is but an insignificant ant.

The reason is that it is extraordinarily difficult for beasts to refine their essence, but once their primordial spirit returns to void, the strong foundation forged through hardship takes effect. Thus, wild immortals, once reaching this state, can threaten the entire Central Plains Taoist sect.

Even the great masters of the Central Plains, working together, would be no match for Grandmaster Hu San’s true form.

I was certain he had reached the stage of primordial spirit returned to void, but I had not expected he had already cultivated his true corporeal form.

I slashed toward the clouds.

Though the Azure Green Sword’s power was immense, each strike carried overwhelming force, yet each blow met only empty air. Grandmaster Hu San’s true form remained unmoved.

“Lin Yi, today you shall die!” His voice thundered as if rolling down from the heavens.

The black murky energy surged forth.

I met it with sword strikes, but the dark energy crushed me, sending me flying backward. Then, a massive claw slammed down upon me.

There was no way to evade. I could only raise my fist and strike back. Only then did I see his true form—a colossal black fox.

Though I wielded the Azure Green Sword, its power in my hands was limited. It might easily slay the other four heavenly protectors, but against Grandmaster Hu San’s true form, it seemed feeble. The title “Grandmaster” was well earned.

Moreover, at Changbai Mountain, he had absorbed the essence and souls of four powerful guardians of the Lingying Palace, each at the peak of primordial spirit.

Yet I could not afford to fall.

Supporting myself on the ground, I stood firm.

The crimson silk fragment in my hand stained my eyes like fresh blood, stinging my heart. I bit my lip and glanced again at the Azure Green Sword.

Huayu Yan had said that to destroy Grandmaster Hu San, one must rely on the Azure Green Sword.

Wild immortals had attempted to breach Shanhaiguan Pass, but with the Azure Green Sword present, they could not enter.

This proved the sword had yet to reveal its full power. In my hands, without form or technique, it was difficult to unleash its greatest strength.

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Master Li had once said the highest level of swordsmanship is to win without formal moves.

But this “winning without moves” did not mean reckless swinging without technique. Rather, it meant that when swordsmanship reaches a certain mastery, every move is infinitely variable—that is the true pinnacle.

He said that true mastery of the sword, the sword’s way, is even more dazzling than Taoist magic. Among Taoism’s legendary figures—whether Master Zhang or the Three Maos True Lords—none refrained from using the sword.

“To gain knowledge from books is shallow; true understanding comes from practice.”

No matter the Taoist magic or swordsmanship learned from others, they will never surpass the original masters. True experts never imitate; they create their own Taoist arts and sword ways, naturally becoming unique. When they find their own path, that marks their primordial spirit’s return to void.

In that moment, Master Li’s words echoed in my mind.

Yet as I faced Grandmaster Hu San, only one thought dominated me: “Kill.” He had slain Wei Yang. Only through killing could I avenge her.

Moreover, at this moment, my mind resonated with the triple evil aura within the Azure Green Sword. The three malevolent energies became clear:

Killing intent, murderous energy, and fierce wrath.

The sword’s killing intent and my own merged as one, crashing like a raging storm.

Killing intent governed the slaying; murderous energy and wrath served as its fierce attendants, amplifying the terror of the sword’s and my own killing intent.

At this very moment, clarity flooded my mind. I suddenly understood—this was my sword path.

My sword path was summed in one word:

“Kill!”

Killing intent flowed directly into my breath, murderous energy and wrath coiled around me like twin azure dragons, majestic and fierce.

I never imagined my primordial spirit’s return to void would be like this.

Now, when I looked again at Grandmaster Hu San’s true form, though its aura remained imposing, it trembled at the onslaught of my killing intent.

“Lin Yi, what exactly are you? Your killing intent is unnaturally strong!” His voice rumbled like distant thunder.

Along with his voice surged a devastating wave of black murk, flooding forward like a torrential flood. His target was not only me but Shanhaiguan Pass behind me.

He intended to overwhelm the pass with this deluge.

Seeing this, I leapt into the air.

Once the sword is drawn, it heralds slaughter.