Decaying World

The commotion caused by Xue Meng and his group quickly drew the attention of passersby in Fu’an Town. Sensing a spectacle, people slowed their pace or stopped altogether to inquire about the situation. Before long, the shop entrances surrounding the apothecary were crowded with onlookers.

"I told you, the Black Dragon Gate wouldn't let this slide. Are you kidding? Two of their experts crippled, one after another? There’s no way they’d just retreat. We’re definitely in for a good show!"

Inside a nearby dry goods store, the owner—a chubby, fair-skinned middle-aged man—cracked melon seeds as he whispered conspiratorially to the others.

"Are those experts from the Black Dragon Gate?" a curious passerby asked.

"They ought to be, but they don't seem to fit the Black Dragon Gate's Hard-Body Discipline style, do they?" The fat owner looked puzzled.

"That is Xue Meng, Sect Master of the Intent Blade Sect," a passerby carrying a strange weapon, evidently a martial artist himself, explained. "He’s an Internal Force expert from Xingdao. He earned the nickname 'Cloud-Linking Saber' in the Mengshan area and possesses extreme strength."

"Internal Force expert? Intent Blade Sect? Why would the Intent Blade Sect care about the Black Dragon Gate's business?" the fat owner asked.

This question was on everyone's mind. Hearing it voiced, the crowd pricked up their ears, awaiting the martial artist's reply.

"Hah, Intent Blade Sect, Black Dragon Gate... that's all in the past. They’ve all been merged into Clear Wind Temple now," the martial artist exclaimed with admiration. "To be precise, it is a union of three branches. The current Temple Master of Clear Wind Temple is a genius swordsman, barely twenty years old. It is said he single-handedly saved the temple from the brink of bankruptcy, led the absorption of the Black Dragon Gate, and invited the Intent Blade Sect to join, creating the current alliance. I even heard recently that they reached a joint agreement with the Hundred Flowers Sect."

He shook his head in awe. "Not even twenty... such a figure is simply a role model for our generation!" "Then is this Temple Master truly the strongest among the three branches?" The fat owner voiced everyone's inner thoughts.

"Naturally. That Temple Master has fought several great battles in succession. In one instance at the Hundred Flowers Sect headquarters, he entered the fray alone, suppressed the sect with his sword, and forcibly snatched a piece of fat meat from an already settled agreement, breathing new life into Clear Wind Temple." The martial artist was clearly well-informed and spoke with emotion.

"Does he have a title? This Temple Master is a native of our local towns, right? To be able to subdue strongmen from Xingdao... does he have any distinguishing characteristics?" A young man dressed as a wealthy scion asked with interest.

"I haven't heard of a title," the martial artist admitted. "However, rumors say his sword is extremely fast—fast as the wind, stirring up sand and rocks with a howling gale."

"Since he is a genius expert born in our Tuyue, why don't we give him a resounding title before others stick him with a bad one?" the wealthy scion proposed.

"How would we have the qualification? Such titles must be bestowed and spread by people of high prestige," the martial artist laughed involuntarily.

"But we can't always just call him Temple Master, right?" the wealthy scion insisted. "In my opinion, how about 'Formless Sword'? I've read in novels that experts with extremely fast sword speed can reach a realm where one sees the weapon but not the person. If they are even higher, then both the weapon and the person are formless. Thus, 'Formless Sword' would be the ultimate description."

"You certainly know how to pick names. I think it works!" The fat owner slapped the table in praise.

"I agree. The title is domineering enough."

"I also think it sounds good."

"Not bad, not bad! Come, have some melon seeds, my treat!"

As the crowd chimed in with praise, a squad slowly walked out from a distant street corner. Dressed in yellow clothes with black ropes tied around their heads, each member was tall and burly, heading straight for the Black Dragon Apothecary.

The leader was a tall woman wearing a straw rain cape and a conical bamboo hat. She had two scars forming a cross on her face, dark skin, a thick waist, and round shoulders. From a distance, she looked more like a man than a woman.

She wasn't alone; the dozen or so people behind her also bore cross-shaped scars on their bodies—some on the backs of their hands, others on their necks. It seemed to be the symbol of their faction.

Shua.

The squad stopped more than ten meters away from the Black Dragon Apothecary.

The tall woman raised her hand, signaling for silence. She took two steps forward, threw off her straw cape, and drew a strange silver-black blade with serrated edges from her waist.

"Clear Wind Temple's Xue Meng?" Her voice was hoarse, as if her throat had been damaged by a sharp weapon.

"Who goes there? State your name." Xue Meng opened his slightly narrowed eyes and stared at the opponent.

"Flying Stone Sect, Yao Huan." The woman threw away her scabbard and strode forward quickly. "Blade against blade. Let's see who is stronger!"

Shua!

Without another word, she slashed out.

The silver blade instantly unleashed a light resembling a full moon. Strangely, the speed of the blade light wasn't fast, yet it gave a distorted sensation, making it impossible to look away.

By the time Xue Meng reacted, the blade light was already approaching his forehead. In that instant, he slapped his blade hilt, blocking the light with lightning speed.

Clang!

Under the crisp sound of impact, the chair beneath Xue Meng abruptly exploded, shattering into pieces.

"The blade technique is decent, but drawing a blade in front of me? Far from enough!"

Xue Meng said coldly. His blade suddenly jarred the opponent away, then chopped forward with a waterfall-like cascade of radiance. The radiance came wave after wave, continuous and unending, as if cycling infinitely.