The battle within the sea of clouds had already reached a white-hot stage by now.

Although the Sword Sect's Sect Master was a senior in the cultivation world and the number one figure in the world of sword dao, those titles were only good for intimidation. Actually trying to kill someone was far from easy.

What was more, Chen Chao was the hardest person in the world to kill.

Yu Xiyi’s flying sword was called Wild Grass. It was said that Yu Xiyi’s life circumstances were much like wild grass, but in truth, the one more like wild grass was not Yu Xiyi, but Chen Chao.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master took a deep breath. By now, his sword moves had come out in rapid succession. If it were any other powerhouse at the end of the Nepenthe realm, they would likely have already admitted defeat at this point.

But although Chen Chao had indeed taken several strikes from the Sword Sect's Sect Master and now bore a few wounds, the Sect Master himself was not faring well either. Chen Chao’s earlier slash had nearly split open his shoulder.

He was not a martial artist and did not possess such a resilient body. In a contest of endurance like this, he was destined to fall into a disadvantage.

Taking another deep breath, the Sword Sect's Sect Master suddenly smiled and said, "If we keep fighting, you will probably win. I will not force myself to hold on any longer."

Chen Chao was startled, somewhat unable to understand why the Sword Sect's Sect Master would suddenly say such a thing.

"That year, when I went to the Divine Capital, I went with the intention of killing His Majesty. But His Majesty never once thought of killing me. Instead, he even helped resolve the things I could not understand the most. I always said that many things should not be calculated this way, but in truth, with His Majesty’s help, what I have done still falls far short."

The Sword Sect's Sect Master said calmly, "To be frank, whether it is the Demon Emperor, or Wuyang, or those seniors in the sword dao I have met or not met, not a single one has truly earned my admiration. Only His Majesty, my admiration for him is complete."

Some people were simply like that, as if they possessed an immense charm, enough to earn the respect of everyone, whether they stood on the same side or not.

The Great Liang Emperor was clearly such a person.

One had to know that with Yu Xiyi’s fearless temperament, no matter who it was, he never had anything good to say about them. Only when it came to the Great Liang Emperor did he always show respect.

"Since you want to see a sword of the Fuyun realm, I will let you see it. It was something simple to begin with, why make it so troublesome?"

The Sword Sect's Sect Master smiled faintly. At that moment, it seemed as if he had figured something out. The flow of sword qi around his entire body took on a somewhat different meaning.

Some moments of sudden enlightenment could allow a person to break through a realm instantly. Others might not have that effect, but could still bring tranquility to the mind.

Chen Chao said gratefully, "Then many thanks, Senior."

The Sword Sect's Sect Master shook his head and said, "Although I can let you see it, you must agree to one more request."

Chen Chao said, "Senior, please speak."

"You have a good relationship with Sword Qi Mountain. Help me pass along a message - one day, I will go there to seek a sword."

For some reason, at this moment, the Sword Sect's Sect Master especially wanted to hold a sword, a sword that belonged to himself. With that sword, it seemed he could go and accomplish something significant.

Chen Chao thought for a moment, then said, "Alright."

The Sword Sect's Sect Master smiled and said, "It may not necessarily be the best sword. The best sword may not necessarily be what I need. I only need to find a suitable sword, suitable is enough."

Just this alone showed that the Sword Sect's Sect Master was different from most sword cultivators in the world. To him, the best was not necessarily good, what suited him best was what mattered most.

This principle was simple, yet it seemed that not many people truly understood it.

People always want the best, but there will always be something better.

Chen Chao smiled and asked, "Once Sect Master has a sword, what do you plan to do?"

The Sword Sect's Sect Master merely glanced at Chen Chao and did not answer.

But Chen Chao could already vaguely guess the answer.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master did not hide it either, and said frankly with varied, "Back then, that sword art failed to form. I rushed to the Demon Domain and, in front of the Demon Emperor, I lost face. Now that my sword art is complete and His Majesty is no longer here, the only one left who can test my sword is him. Besides, if I do not make a move now, and wait a while longer, your realm will grow higher and higher, and I will have no chance."

Chen Chao joked, "Then when the time comes, how about testing your sword on this junior?"

The Sword Sect's Sect Master looked at Chen Chao, shook his head, and sighed, "Each generation produces its own talents, each leading the way for a few hundred years. The era to come is destined to belong to you. Old things like me from a past era can only strive to shine once more before your time arrives, so that future generations might remember us for a few more years."

"Enough. Saying so much only wastes time. Since you have agreed, I will let you see just what a sword above Nepenthe is like!"

After speaking, the Sword Sect's Sect Master no longer stood with his hands behind his back. Instead, he slowly raised both hands in front of him and softly said, "Rise, sword."

As those words left his mouth, Chen Chao suddenly lowered his head and saw that beneath the sea of clouds, countless points of light shimmered brilliantly.

His entire body stiffened at once. Looking at those innumerable points of light, the young Lord Warden Commander felt a sharpness unlike anything others could compare to.

That was the purest sword intent, and also the most piercing sword intent.

Among all the genius sword cultivators in the world, the Sword Sect's Sect Master might not have been the most talented. But among all sword cultivators, he was undoubtedly the most pure when it came to the sword dao.

In his heart, there was only the sword.

There had only ever been the sword.

He had practiced the sword for countless years, never feeling bored, never once thinking of stopping. He had simply continued forward along this path, walking slowly when it was difficult, striding forward when it was easy.

In the entire world, there was no second sword cultivator whose sword heart was purer than his.

Chen Chao took a deep breath.

He began to brace himself for the swords that were about to surge upward from beneath him and pierce toward the heavens.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master saw Chen Chao’s nervousness and smiled, saying, "You're only watching. I didn't ask you to receive it."

There was another half of the sentence he did not say, a half filled with absolute confidence.

Even if you wanted to receive it, you would not be able to.

Perhaps in the future, you will stand before me and have me look at your back, but for now, you still cannot receive my sword.

Chen Chao nodded his head.

Then he saw a magnificent sight he might not witness many more times in his life.

A streak of sword light shot up from the ground, dragging behind it a brilliant white line, rising from the earth to the sea of clouds, and from the sea of clouds to the heavens.

Then came a second.

A third.

Countless more!

Countless brilliant streaks of sword light, like dazzling stars, rose from the ground to the sky, then drifted across the heavens.

Endless sword qi filled this space. Everywhere was sword qi, nothing else could be seen anymore.

At the center of that boundless sword qi, the Sword Sect's Sect Master smiled and said, "When I was young, I once asked my master a question - when would my sword be faster than everyone else's, and when would my sword dao stand above all others?"

"My master told me that even if one day I accomplished that, it would not be worth being happy about. Being higher than others in the sword dao is not something worth rejoicing over. Only if one day your sword surpasses even the heavens, that is something truly worth being happy about."

Higher than the heavens.

How high are the heavens?

The heavens can always be higher.

So it is forever impossible to be higher than the heavens.

In other words, there is no end to practicing the sword, no end to the sword dao, one must never stop.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master lamented with vicissitudes of emotion, "The sword stands higher than the heavens."

At this moment, Chen Chao no longer had the mind to listen to what the Sword Sect's Sect Master was saying. He was looking at those swords, at the sword light that contained the Sect Master’s understanding of the sword dao.

What the Sword Sect's Sect Master was doing now, if seen by a sword cultivator, would undoubtedly be considered the transmission of the Dao.

He was truly revealing all the insights of his lifetime without holding anything back, allowing others to observe freely.

Chen Chao’s mind was completely drawn into those swords. Though he was not a sword cultivator, as the saying went, the forest has many paths, yet they lead to the same destination.

The Great Dao is interconnected. The higher one reaches, the more one can observe others’ paths and strengthen one’s own.

The Sword Sect's Sect Master looked at Chen Chao, smiling as he looked at this young man who somewhat resembled that Emperor in every movement and gesture.

He had once done some things wrong, but he could not continue being wrong forever.

The two words "sword cultivator", he valued them more than his own life.

......

......

Northern Frontier General's Office.

The young woman who had already returned here had, as of today, become the Great General’s deputy, with the authority to participate in military deliberations.

Though it was a deputy position, looking across all these years of the Northern Frontier Army, there had never been anyone so young reaching this level, let alone someone so young who was also a woman.

All of this could be said to be unprecedented.

Now, within the Northern Frontier Army, anyone with sense could see clearly that at this rate, it would not be long before she became the next Great General.

Great General.

A female Great General.

Gao Xuan thought about these things as he looked at the woman not far away, a trace of undisguised joy in his eyes.

Xie Nandu suddenly turned around, looked at the young general, and asked, "Gao Xuan, when that day comes, will you become my deputy general?"

Gao Xuan smiled and said, "Why shouldn’t it be you becoming my deputy general?"

Xie Nandu said, "Because I am stronger."

Gao Xuan was somewhat helpless. Though it was the truth, only the woman before him would state it so matter-of-factly.

Gao Xuan only said, "I just hope that when you become Great General, we won’t merely be guarding this Great Wall."