Chapter 1 Red Leaves

Dusk. The wind rises, red leaves fill the sky.

On the road from Tongqiu to Cangling, a lone rider speeds past.

The man on horseback is around forty years old, with disheveled hair, unkempt clothes, and a long sword at his waist.

The horse is of inferior breed, the sword is nameless.

But the man riding the horse and carrying the sword is an unparalleled swordsman.

Xie San's gaze seems weary, his wind-blown hair seeming to tell of an undisguised dejection.

But suddenly, he reins in his horse, stopping abruptly, his weary eyes instantly becoming as sharp as a hawk's.

Because Xie San sees another person.

In the wind, a white-clad swordsman stands tall. He is the first in the entire Cangling Town to learn that Xie San has passed Tongqiu.

"Lin Chang?" Xie San recognizes the person before him, the Azure Sky Sword Lin Chang of the Six Flower Shadow Swords.

"Long time no see, Xie San." Lin Chang says in a deep voice, his voice cold, his eyes full of contempt. At this moment, he is completely different from the upright hero speaking loudly in the tavern, full of heroic spirit.

Xie San doesn't say a word, striding down from his horse. He holds the reins and turns the horse's head, then pats its back, and the horse trots off in the direction of Tongqiu.

The autumn wind blows, and in this instant, the world seems to be left with only two people and two swords.

A sense of murderous intent has already enveloped the surroundings, Lin Chang's intention is self-evident.

"The last time I saw you, I knew that the Azure Sky Sword was actually a sword hidden in its sheath." Xie San says in a deep voice, "Keeping a low profile, its sharpness not revealed."

"Is that so? Then why...can I still not see any fear in your eyes?" Lin Chang asks.

"Because even if you reveal all your sharpness, you are still not my opponent." Xie San replies calmly.

"Hahahaha..." Lin Chang laughs loudly, but there is no smile in his eyes, but rather an increasingly ferocious look, "Xie San, you disappoint me too much." As he says this, he actually throws his sword to the ground, standing proudly with his hands behind his back, "Do you think that my martial arts are something that a second-rate swordsman like you can fully comprehend?"

If a third person were to hear this conversation, they would probably think that Lin Chang had gone mad from practicing qigong, leading to mental derangement. If Xie San is considered a "second-rate" swordsman, then ninety percent of the masters in the current martial world can only be considered "out of the ranks."

Wouldn't the Jianghu become a huge joke?

"Lin Chang, it seems you're crazy." Xie San remains calm, unmoved.

A person who has cultivated martial arts to its peak will not be easily shaken. Rather than words, he trusts his years of hard training more.

In every era, top experts like Xie San are lonely because they cannot find an opponent, cannot find someone who truly understands them.

In Xie San's eyes, in the current martial world, only Ye Cheng can understand him. Apart from the Sword God, no one has yet reached the same realm as him. Therefore, no one else can shake him. Even if ten Lin Changs were standing here today, it would be the same.

"You will soon understand that I am very clear-headed." Lin Chang replies, he pauses for a moment, then continues, "You came to Cangling to duel with the Sword God." He sneers, "But Ye Cheng's swordsmanship is like a juggling act in front of me, he simply can't bear the title of Sword God..." At this point, Lin Chang's killing intent suddenly rises, and for a time, no speck of flying sand or fallen leaves can get close to him, "If there really is someone in this world who can be called Sword God...then it should be me, Lin Chang!"

Xie San shakes his head: "The ravings of a madman."

Before the words finish, he reverses his hand and draws his sword, his movements as fast as a startled goose. Before the scabbard hits the ground, countless lights and shadows have bloomed across the sky, like a thousand swords suspended in the air.

The nameless sword is drawn, the sword qi rushing powerfully, vast and mighty.

Lin Chang only snorts disdainfully.

A sword drawn must see blood.

Xie San shows no mercy, instantly reaching Lin Chang's front, sealing his throat with a sword.

Lin Chang's right hand rises instantly, two fingers together, protecting his neck. In this instant, his composure gives Xie San a chill.

With an unwavering heart, qi naturally settles. Lin Chang calmly flicks his fingers lightly, deflecting the blade of the nameless sword.

Xie San suddenly feels a surge of internal force rushing towards his right arm like a tiger or wolf, almost causing him to drop the sword in his hand. He quickly gathers qi in his feet, stabilizes his lower body, and stops his advance. Then, using a surge of force, he rotates his body to dodge, sidestepping to the side.

"You!" Xie San is shocked beyond words, unable to speak. The brief exchange just now is enough to shatter his self-esteem and all the common sense he has built up over the years.

"Hmph...I haven't even used my sword, and you're already so afraid...hahahaha..." At this moment, Lin Chang's face seems to be covered with an indescribable dark aura.

"What...what demonic art have you practiced?" Cold sweat has seeped out of Xie San's forehead, and his heart is filled with horror.

From his personal feelings, Lin Chang's casual finger flick just now felt like the full-force palm strike of a master who had focused on cultivating internal energy for more than fifty years.

"The evil intent of dusk is strong, fallen leaves resemble red clouds." Lin Chang chants, picking up a red leaf falling in the wind with a flick of his fingers, "Do you know? Xie San." He looks down at the red leaf, "Once, my vision was as narrow as yours." He sneers, "I thought that the skills of the One Manor, Two Towers, Three Sects, and Four Gates could be called superior martial arts; I thought that swordsmen like you and Ye Cheng were the supreme of swords; I even thought that with my talent, I would never catch up with you in this lifetime. Hehehe...I was wrong." Before the words finish, he lightly sends the leaf falling, drawing a stroke of red in the air.

In an instant, a bloody gash bursts open on Xie San's left rib, blood mist spurting out.

"There is always someone stronger, there is always a sky beyond the sky. These words are absolutely true." Lin Chang doesn't even look at Xie San, "Even I didn't expect that I could obtain this long-lost... 'true unparalleled martial art'." He smiles, "When my divine skill was first completed, I understood how crude the skills you people practiced were. What Ye Family Swordsmanship, Wanxia Divine Skill, Eight Directions Supreme Heart Method, Shaolin Seventy-Two Supreme Techniques... are simply clumsy and misleading!"

Blood is already flowing from the corner of Xie San's mouth. Although he is still standing, he can no longer move.

Lin Chang slowly approaches him step by step: "You want to find Ye Cheng to prove your swordsmanship, right? Hehe..." He smiles gloomily, "Don't worry, you won't break your promise, he's waiting for you in the underworld..."

Xie San's eyes widen, staring at Lin Chang in shock: "You..." He immediately remembers Lin Chang's previous sentence, "Ye Cheng's swordsmanship is like a juggling act in front of me."

"Hehe...it seems you already understand, that's right, Ye Cheng has already been killed by me, he won't be coming." Lin Chang continues to laugh triumphantly, slowly raising his hand, "Just go with him in peace, Nameless Sword!"