Infinite Professions

"This battle is uncontrollable, and the outcome is even harder to predict."

"If there’s any mistake..."

Wen Renying muttered to himself, his eyes full of worry.

High above, great cultivators observe the direction of the grand trend.

Whereas the common folk below do not possess such foresight.

They only focus on one thing.

That is...

"According to the opinions of fellow Daoists, who will win this battle?"

On a small mountain peak, many cultivators gathered to watch the movements in Xuanxiao. Though their cultivation was not high, mostly at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, they could still speak boldly.

"Logically, the Three Calamities Demon Monarch is more likely to win."

"Oh, what’s the reasoning?"

"Isn’t it obvious? The Three Calamities Demon Monarch first swept through the inland demon cultivators, forcing the Demon Dao to retreat defensively, avoiding his edge. Then he moved to the South Sea to massacre demons and sacrifice with the saber. South Sea cultivators, regardless of righteous or demonic, feared his might, and finally he defied the heavens and established his Dao, overcoming the tribulation of celestial punishment!"

"After returning inland, he even managed to cut down the Celestial Slaughter Demon Monarch with his saber, using Nascent Soul to counterattack a Primordial Spirit, suspected to be the reincarnation of a True Demon who had retrained, with glorious battle achievements and fierce reputation!"

"In contrast, the Cyan Nether Sword Master’s achievements are somewhat weaker, aside from breaking the Nine-Nine Undying Celestial Tribulation at Dongting Sword decades ago, and killing Black Mountain among other demons in the Profound Void Secret Realm single-handedly, while not bad, still pales compared to the Three Calamities Demon Monarch."

"Therefore, logically, the Three Calamities Demon Monarch is more likely to win!"

A cultivator spoke, causing others to frown.

"You can’t say that. The Cyan Nether Sword Master’s journey to Hidden Sword Mountain intended to slay the Celestial Slaughter Demon originally, it’s just that the Three Calamities Demon got there first."

"That’s right, it hasn’t been fought, who knows the winner yet?"

"Don’t boost others’ morale and dampen your own spirit."

"If the Three Calamities Demon wins, the painstakingly calmed demon disaster will surely erupt again."

Someone spoke, expressing their stance.

Upon hearing this, someone else refuted.

"You can’t say that."

"Though the Three Calamities Demon Monarch is a demonic cultivator, this demon disaster, to be serious, was pacified by his hand, with all demon cultivators and the Celestial Slaughter Demon Monarch being slain by him."

"In recent years, his saber wielding in the inland and South Sea only slew demon cultivators without harming the innocent."

"Hmph, that’s because his Three Calamities Demon Saber is most suitable for sacrificing with demon cultivators."

"Such a demon, heartless and insane, once he slaughters all demon cultivators, we will also become sacrifices for his saber."

"A demon is a demon, don’t expect him to mend his ways."

"Are you speaking for him because you’re secretly practicing Demon Skill yourself?"

"Practicing on your damn mother..."

A burst of words gradually turned into a conflict, with the potential for a brawl.

At that moment...

"Hmm!?"

"Here he comes!"

Above in the sky, within the sea of clouds, the eyes of many cultivators were fixed.

Soon after, they saw the heavens stained with blood, a saber mark cutting across the sky.

"Boom!!!"

The saber mark slashed through the sky, karmic fire like blood, spreading instantly to Xuanxiao, landing atop Wind Cloud Peak.

Then the saber light fell, revealing a figure in black clothing like an abyss, with demonic might surging.

"Buzz!!!"

At the same time, everyone’s sword artifacts buzzed, a cold light flashing into the scene.

A sword light as cold as ice entered the stage instantly, revealing a figure in white clothes as pure as snow, with an ethereal immortal aura.

It was...

"Daoist Sword—Li Qingming!"

"Demon Saber—Martial Madman!"

The two faced each other, their eyes meeting, calling out each other’s names.

"Today’s battle has been eagerly anticipated!"

The swordsman stood firmly: "Don’t let me down!"

"Blade and sword sharpen each other, Dao and demon prove themselves!"

The swordsman faced calmly: "I am sure to satisfy you!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

Their words were calm, not loud, yet echoed through the heavens and earth, making the surroundings silent.

In the sea of clouds, all cultivators remained silent, each speculating.

Instead, amidst the mountains and fields, the sounds of the common folk arose.

"These two people..."

"Why do you keep speaking in such a formal way?"

"You don’t understand, this is the demeanor of a master."

"But why do I feel like they know each other?"

"You don’t need to feel it, they do know each other."

"When they first arranged the duel, I could see that the Three Calamities Demon Monarch and the Cyan Nether Sword Master clearly knew each other, maybe even well-acquainted."

"What’s so strange about that? Back then, the Demon Dao cleared the fields and sowed discord, inciting the Three Calamities Demon Monarch to challenge the Cyan Nether Sword Master at Dongting. The two fought many battles, evenly matched, with no clear winner, until the Three Calamities Demon Monarch finally headed to the South Sea to slaughter demons and refine his saber."

"I guess that’s when they set up the battle agreement."

"How did you hear about this?"

"It’s the word on the street..."

In the wilderness, rumors spread and discussions abounded.

Among the sea of clouds, the great cultivators also heard whispers but dared not speak carelessly. At this moment, they couldn’t afford to be distracted, as their eyes were fixed on Wind Cloud Peak.

At the peak, the duel of saber and sword.

Two figures stood facing each other solemnly, one as unyielding as a mountain, the other as deep and still as the abyss.

Still as the abyss, unyielding as a mountain.

No one moved, no one spoke, but only the exchange of Qi was palpable, like the blending of water and fire, growing longer and disappearing, disappearing and growing longer.

Finally...

"Ding!!!"

A soft clang echoed, the clash of weapons resounded, yet the two remained unmoved, only their manifested Qi, with sword and saber Qi crisscrossing fiercely in battle.

"Bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang bang!"

Suddenly, the sounds grew intense, like a storm with heavy rain, the saber and sword clashing fiercely, blurring the boundaries of the void.

The surrounding things also suffered damage, the formless yet formed saber and sword left countless marks and wounds on Wind Cloud Peak and the neighboring crests.

Xuanxiao’s clouds, atop the five peaks, splendid and majestic, nourished by a Tier Five Earth Vein Spiritual Energy, the stones on the peak tougher than gold and iron, impervious to Gang Wind and toxic rain, standing strong for countless millennia, as times change, yet they remained.

But now, at the cross of saber and sword, at the mere meeting of Qi, the mountain stone could not withstand, and Wind Cloud Peak trembled, countless rocks rolled down, and dust swirled up, the saber wounds and sword marks obscuring the two figures.

"These two...!?"

Onboard the Golden Ship of Calamity, Yuu Lingying and Wen Renying’s eyes narrowed, revealing a hint of shock.

Although they already knew these two were extraordinary, they had heard but not seen themselves, knowing only of their strength but not how strong they were.

Until this moment, they saw a clue.

This clue made them gather their spirits instantly, not daring to relax a bit.

So did the two Ying, as did others, with a group of Nascent Soul Cultivators watching intently.

"This Sword Demon..."

"Has his injuries fully recovered?"

"After sustaining the Dao-Annihilating Demon Fire and triggering an extreme move to counterkill, such injuries and losses, he could recover in three years?"

"Terrifying, truly terrifying!"

"The Celestial Slaughter Demon is right, he hasn’t mastered an ordinary Three Calamities Demon Saber."

"Just the initial meeting of Qi, and such power?"

"The Cyan Nether Sword Master is also extraordinary, not falling behind at all!"

"For someone like this to appear in the inland!"

"What a marvelous duel of saber and sword!"

Everyone watched closely, their thoughts scattered like peaks and ridges in the distance.

"Bang!!!"

At this moment on the summit, a mighty strike of saber and sword erupted with a thunderous boom, tangling the wind and clouds.

But this was not the end, just the beginning, the beginning of the duel.

"Come!!!"

The Swordsman raised his hand, unleashing the Three Calamities Karmic Fire, forming a Demon Saber.

"Three Calamities — Earth-Breaking!"

With the Demon Saber in hand, the Karmic Fire roared, and he slashed out, the initial form of the Demon Saber.

"Sword One — Birth!"

The Swordsman also raised his hand, a Daoist Sword emerged, slashing out a sword light that divided into one, and one into two, two into three, three generating all things, instantly forming tens of thousands of Sword Qi, thousands of swords converging into a Sword Stream, rushing at the adversary.

It was the Daoist Sword Initial Form, Creation Techniques.

Swords creating towards destruction, sabers destroying towards creation.

Facing the magnificent Sword Stream born in an instant, the Swordsman was undaunted, the Earth-Breaking Saber struck without hesitation, cutting open a hundred-zhang saber beam, with Karmic Fire burning, slashing at the Sword Stream with unparalleled force.

"Boom!!!"

The initial forms collided, shaking the heavens and the earth, Wind Cloud Peak trembled, opening a hundred-zhang saber mark, within it dense with sword wounds, truly you within me, me within you, if it weren’t for the Tier Five Spirit Mountain, it might have long crumbled.

Just the initial forms, already showing such power, shocking the ten directions.

Those present were oblivious, one move followed by another.

"Three Calamities — Wind Splitter!"

"Sword Two — Death!"