Chapter 34: The Divine Sword of Armor One
The home of Bai Yuan had long been reduced to ruins by the hands of those trial practitioners. Now, he and his daughter resided not far from Wang Jie’s current dwelling.
Under the dim glow of the streetlights, Bai Yuan stood by the window, gazing down at the quiet street below, lost in thought.
A knock at the door broke the silence.
“It’s me, Dad.”
Turning around, the heavy weight on Bai Yuan’s face eased, replaced by a warm smile. “Come in.”
Bai Xiao stepped inside, the graceful young girl bringing a bowl of hot porridge for her father.
“Be good, I’m not hungry.”
Ignoring his words, Bai Xiao gently pushed him into a chair, her delicate hands kneading his stiff shoulders. “Do you have confidence for tomorrow?”
Bai Yuan chuckled. “Of course. Your father is undefeated in battle.”
Bai Xiao’s hands paused for a brief moment. “If you told me you weren’t confident, I’d actually feel more at ease.”
Silence hung between them.
“…Xiao’er, I’m sorry.”
“Dad, I’m in love.”
Bai Yuan suddenly rose to his feet, his piercing gaze locking onto her. “Who is it?”
Bai Xiao merely offered a playful smile, slipping out of the study. “I’ll tell you this time tomorrow.”
Bai Yuan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, all that escaped was a bitter chuckle. Tomorrow at this time… will I still be alive?
The Three Gods and Five Extremes—they were the first beings to tread the path of cultivation in the wake of Blue Star’s apocalypse, forging legends to counter the end of days. Yet with each wave of trial practitioners descending upon this world, those myths crumbled one by one.
Only one man still stood unshaken within that legend—Bai Yuan.
The second wave of trial practitioners had been annihilated by Bai Yuan’s single sword strike, even Wen Zhao had been stunned by his prowess. Thus, if Yun Lai wished to claim dominion over Blue Star, he would first have to surpass Bai Yuan.
Outside the Upper Capital City Base, Yun Lai stood with one hand behind his back, exuding an effortless grace. The battered tents in the distance formed a stark contrast to his composed figure.
Aside from those stationed at key defense points, every cultivator in the base had gathered. Tens of thousands of spectators, both within and beyond the city, stood in tense anticipation.
Yun Lai relished this atmosphere. Back in Armor One Sect, he could never experience such a moment.
Even if the sect’s disciples assembled in similar numbers, they wouldn’t be gathered to watch him. Their attention would be on those true prodigies, those terrifying senior brothers and sisters whom even he regarded as monsters.
“I thought last night would be restless,” Yun Lai smirked, looking at Bai Yuan. “You’re even more foolish than I imagined.”
Without a word, Bai Yuan reached into his sleeve, gripping his sword’s hilt. It was the same stance he had taken when he had slain the second wave’s strongest warrior. “Perhaps. But you’re not as clever as you think either.”
Yun Lai scoffed. “Draw your sword.”
Bai Yuan stepped forward. Slowly. So slowly it seemed as though he were merely strolling through a quiet field.
In the crowd, Bai Xiao clutched her black cat tightly. Dad…
Nearby, Wang Jie and the others observed in silence. How much strength can Bai Yuan force Yun Lai to reveal?
Finally, Bai Yuan stood before Yun Lai, raised his sword, and struck.
The blade vanished.
No one saw it move, as if Bai Yuan had merely performed an empty gesture.
Yun Lai remained motionless.
And then, the crowd’s breath caught in their throats as Bai Yuan’s sword gradually came back into view.
A fine crack spread from the tip of the blade, and with a sharp snap, it shattered.
Bai Yuan lowered his gaze to the broken hilt in his hand and exhaled deeply. So, it really was useless…
Opposite him, Yun Lai’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Fast Shadow, huh? Impressive. You condensed your entire Lock Force into the sword’s edge. Against an ordinary Nine-Seal Cultivator, they wouldn’t have survived your strike. In fact, you could probably unleash three of those slashes, meaning you could defeat every other trial practitioner of my batch.”
He shook his head. “Quite remarkable for a mere native.”
“But unfortunately… you met me.”
Bai Yuan released his grip, letting the broken hilt fall to the ground with a dull thud.
A wave of despair spread through the gathered cultivators. The strongest warrior of Blue Star… had lost.
And only now did they realize just how formidable Bai Yuan truly was. The knowledge stung even more because it came from the mouth of their enemy.
“Do I even need to make a move?” Yun Lai lifted his right hand, fingers curling slightly. Beneath his palm, a small bow of energy began to coalesce, its arrow aimed directly at Bai Yuan.
Though minuscule, the sheer cold intent it radiated seemed to smother the entire Upper Capital City Base.
Bai Xiao’s face turned pale. She instinctively stepped forward.
“I still have one last sword,” Bai Yuan suddenly said.
He wasn’t speaking to Yun Lai. His gaze lingered on Bai Xiao instead.
She froze in place. Dad… can you really draw that sword?
Yun Lai’s patience thinned. “Don’t test my tolerance.”
Bai Yuan took a slow step back. “Little brother, I once offered to help you ascend to Armor Rank, why such urgency?”
Yun Lai’s expression remained cold. “If this is just Fast Shadow, it doesn’t matter how many times you swing your blade. The gap between us is innate.”
Bai Yuan lifted his gaze toward the sky. “These Celestial Projections, I see many wielding swords. But among them, one figure’s swordsmanship eludes me. Even after mastering Fast Shadow, I still couldn’t comprehend it.”
“I stared at him for ten years.”
“For ten long years, I cultivated nothing else. I did nothing but watch that figure.”
A smile spread across Bai Yuan’s lips as he met Yun Lai’s gaze. “And on the day you all descended, when the Heaven Stones rained down, when Seal Power surged… I finally understood.”
“This sword—will be powerful.”
Yun Lai frowned. Impossible. Fast Shadow was already one of the Eighteen Ultimate Techniques, ranking among the finest in Armor One Sect. To have mastered it, yet still not understand another sword technique? How could that be?
Bai Yuan retrieved his second sword.
It was neither bronze nor steel—merely plastic.
A strange, wide-bladed weapon, almost toy-like in appearance.
Yet, the moment it was unsheathed, Yun Lai, Wen Zhao, and even the hidden trial practitioners disguised among the crowd felt a profound shock ripple through their souls.
They had seen such a sword before—clutched in the hand of the colossal statue standing outside Armor One Sect.
“Impossible.” Wen Zhao’s voice trembled with disbelief as she fixed her gaze on Bai Yuan.
Wang Jie frowned in confusion. “What’s wrong?”
In the distance, Yun Lai’s pupils constricted. “Impossible… You actually glimpsed the Armor One Divine Sword?”
At the same time, beneath the cascading waterfall of Armor One Sect, the disciples monitoring the trial gasped in shock. They hurriedly reported back to the sect—
The Armor One Divine Sword had manifested!
Above the waterfall, the board at which the elder and the young girl had been playing was now empty. They had vanished.
Bai Yuan held the wide-bladed plastic sword in his grip, running his fingers over its edge. His aura grew immensely subdued.
“What is this Armor One Divine Sword?” Wang Jie inquired.
Wen Zhao’s expression was solemn. “Among the Eighteen Ultimate Techniques of our sect, each stands unparalleled in its own right. Your Armor Eight Steps, Bai Yuan’s Fast Shadow, may seem learned, but they are merely superficial imitations. Throughout history, it has been rare for natives to grasp any of these techniques during the trials. However, amongst the Eighteen Ultimate Techniques, one reigns above the rest—the Armor One Divine Sword.”
She paused before continuing, “The name of our sect, Armor One Sect, was forged from this very sword technique.”
“It was the sword technique of our sect’s founder. Even within our sect, countless years may pass before a single prodigy appears, capable of comprehending it. Never in the history of our trials has a native successfully cultivated the Armor One Divine Sword.”
Wang Jie turned to Bai Yuan. So, this was the true foundation of Bai Yuan, one of the Three Gods.
Looking up toward the sky, he spotted the projection above. Indeed, there it was—a silhouette wielding a wide-bladed sword, identical in stance to Bai Yuan. He had been curious about that projection before, but unable to understand it, he had dismissed it. Moreover, that wide-bladed sword was nowhere to be found, so he hadn’t thought much of it.
Could that truly be the supreme Armor One Divine Sword?
“Then, does that mean we have a chance of winning?” Older Sister Tang asked. She had stayed near Wang Jie’s group, as Wen Zhao and Yun Lai clearly knew each other. She wanted to keep a close eye on them.
Old Five and the others also turned their gazes toward Wen Zhao.
Wen Zhao exhaled. “Hard to say. Yun Lai, having mastered Eight Cloud Arrows, earned the sect’s recognition. The techniques you have learned are but skin-deep imitations, absorbed without guidance, interpreted in different ways. It all depends on how far Bai Yuan has pushed his mastery of the Armor One Divine Sword.”
Yun Lai’s eyes locked onto Bai Yuan, his perception of the man now completely changed. Anyone who could cultivate the Armor One Divine Sword was far from ordinary—even if he was merely a native shackled by Lock Force, doomed to a path without future prospects.
Bai Yuan gripped the hilt of his sword, meeting Yun Lai’s gaze. “I told you before—once I break through to Nine Seals, I will deliver you a top-tier evaluation. This path was the right one, wasn’t it?”
Understanding dawned in Yun Lai’s eyes. So, this was the way.
By breaking into Nine Seals, Bai Yuan could wield the Armor One Divine Sword against him in battle. If Yun Lai could defeat him, earning the highest Armor-Level Trial evaluation was indeed possible—
Because this was the Armor One Divine Sword.
But why?
Yun Lai’s expression darkened, his heart surging with cold fury. Why should a mere native have the right to glimpse the Armor One Divine Sword? Why? He had gone through this trial, exhausting every effort to achieve the Armor-Level result, just so he could gain access to the Scripture Vault and qualify to train in this sword technique. And yet, this native had already mastered it?
His stare turned ice-cold.
Bai Yuan sensed danger. [This man is far narrower-minded than I expected. Such people are deceptive when in high positions, but utterly ruthless when at a disadvantage.]
“Come then! Show me how powerful the Armor One Divine Sword truly is!”
Yun Lai didn’t wait for Bai Yuan’s breakthrough. A single arrow shot from his palm, its razor-sharp aura cutting through the distance as if space itself was meaningless.
It was aimed directly at Bai Yuan’s heart—with unmistakable killing intent.
Fortunately, Bai Yuan had remained vigilant. He barely managed to evade the attack, his survival hanging by a thread. He hesitated no longer.
With both hands gripping the hilt, he swung his sword horizontally. Instantly, his Seal Power was drained, drawn into the sword in a bizarre manner. The blade expanded—tenfold, a hundredfold, a thousandfold, a millionfold—until it loomed like a mountain crashing down upon Yun Lai.
Even the sky darkened beneath its shadow.
Every onlooker was utterly dumbfounded.
Despite its colossal size, the sword fell no slower than an ordinary swing.
No matter how swift Yun Lai was, he could not escape.
Turning sharply, he faced the sky, bow drawn—eight arrows flickering with unstable energy, released in an instant.
Eight Cloud Arrows.
The eight arrows pierced into the massive blade, yet there was no violent clash—only a strange distortion. The moment they touched the sword’s edge, they twisted and scattered in all directions.
Three of the arrows tore through the city walls, reducing them to rubble. The remaining five plunged into the ground, leaving unfathomable craters.
Yun Lai’s pupils shrank as the enormous sword descended.
With a swift motion, he struck out with his palm. From his palm erupted a torrent of tiny arrows, scattering in all directions like an arrow storm. The land collapsed under their force—but even as Bai Yuan’s sword was halted, it did not fall completely.
Then, with a flick of Yun Lai’s left hand, a gust of force shot through Bai Yuan’s body.
Bai Yuan staggered backward, coughing up blood. The titanic sword vanished as if it had never existed.
“Father!” Bai Xiao rushed forward, catching Bai Yuan before he could collapse.
Older Sister Tang and the other cultivators surged ahead, forming a protective barrier around Bai Yuan, eyes locked onto Yun Lai.
Lian Qin was shaken. This was Bai Yuan’s strength?
She recalled that Yun Lai had, with just two arrows, annihilated Heavenly Prefecture Base and Golden Hill City, despite the vast distance between them. And now, even unleashing eight arrows had proved useless against Bai Yuan’s sword.
That technique—it barely resembled a sword strike, yet its might was undeniable.
Yun Lai’s expression darkened. There was no mistaking it now.
This was the Armor One Divine Sword.
For a mere Eight Seals practitioner to challenge a Nine Seals warrior—to force him to the point where even Eight Cloud Arrows had failed—only the Armor One Divine Sword could achieve such a feat.
This man had to die.
Bai Yuan, weak and bitter, leaned on Bai Xiao’s support.
Still… he had lost.
He had believed that this strike would be enough to win.
Yun Lai dusted off his sleeve. “You lost.”
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
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