#766 - Chapter 766: The Battle of Primordial Chaos

The universe, vast and desolate.

Ye Kong traced a faint glimmer of light, venturing deep into the River of Time, hoping to find a way to save Xiaoshan.

Before him stood a mountain of black iron, its eastern side facing the vast ocean, its cliffs steep and peaks peculiar. The mountain's summit pierced the clouds like a sharp sword, soaring tens of thousands of feet into the sky, towering above the firmament.

He took a deep breath and rode the mist upwards from the mountain's base.

Along the way, jagged rocks jutted out, withered vines covered the already cracked earth, and floating dust half-buried the bones of birds and beasts. Even the trickling streams had dried up, revealing fractured riverbeds.

Everywhere was scarred and desolate.

A leaf, carried by the autumn wind, fluttered down before Ye Kong.

Suddenly, Ye Kong moved, his actions like those of a ghost, and the small fishing rod in his hand transformed into his most comfortable sword, yet even more ethereal than a ghost.

With a single slash, seven sword shadows appeared in the air.

"Chi, chi, chi, chi, chi, chi, chi," seven soft sounds echoed, and the fallen leaf was shredded into pieces, scattering in the autumn wind, raining down from the sky.

This was the Weaving Sky Swordplay, a sword technique like a net cast across the heavens and earth.

Ye Kong's small fishing rod was unremarkable and short, and even as a sword, it was just a small thing.

Other people's swords, even the short ones, were four or five feet long, and the longer ones were even six or seven feet, but his sword, from the blade to the hilt, was less than three feet in total.

The shorter the weapon, the more agile and swift it was, and Ye Kong's swordsmanship had taken agility and swiftness to the extreme.

In the time it took others to make one slash, he could make seven consecutive slashes. Others' swordsmanship was as brave and fierce as a tiger descending the mountain, while his swordsmanship was as dense as a net cast across the heavens and earth.

Not to mention that he also had an inexhaustible supply of spiritual power to support him.

One sword, seven kills. The sword net, howling from seven directions, was enough to crush everything within its grasp, whether it was a fallen leaf or a life.

The shadow opposite him had begun to sweat.

Although the shadow was blurry, Ye Kong could still see the clues. This was clearly one of the many scattered soul fragments that the alien world's Emperor Luo had released long ago.

It is said that rats do not know fear, because rats are too stupid, so stupid that they do not even have the feeling of fear.

But humans are not rats. Although they improve through cultivation, fear is instinctive when faced with such formidable and terrifying swordsmanship.

The shadow suddenly took a step back. "Please wait a moment," he said.

"If you are afraid, then leave. Today, I want a solution, not bloodshed," Ye Kong said.

"No need, I still have one sentence that I haven't said. After saying this sentence, there will be no regrets. As for a solution, I don't have one either," Emperor Luo's soul fragment said.

"Alright, speak," Ye Kong said. The short sword, radiant with golden light, returned to its sheath, and Ye Kong placed his hands behind his back, his expression leisurely and content.

A true grandmaster should seem like him, without worries, watching the rise and fall of the tides and the drifting of clouds.

Emperor Luo's soul fragment turned around, but walked to another shadow.

That shadow was clearly just a mark left in the River of Time by the deceased Earth Mother.

He smiled, looking at her, but there was a taste of parting in the smile.

He leaned close to the Earth Mother's ear and whispered, "If I die, many people will tell you stories about me. But you must believe: in this life, I have never loved anyone but you."

After speaking, he gently kissed the Earth Mother's ear, leaving her with a smile, then drew a long sword from her waist and turned to leave. The Earth Mother reached out to grab him, but grabbed only air.

A hint of surprise suddenly appeared on Ye Kong's calm expression, and he suddenly said, "What exactly do you want! Tell me the solution for my disciple Xiaoshan, and perhaps I can let you be reborn!"

Emperor Luo's soul fragment smiled and said, "It's useless, everything is useless. Whether it's me or your disciple Xiaoshan, we must die."

Ye Kong laughed loudly twice. After laughing, his peaceful expression was also replaced by solemnity.

He began to draw his sword, very slowly, inch by inch. The blade rubbed against the scabbard, making an unusually pleasant sound. Everyone's expression changed slightly, but only Ye Kong's face remained as peaceful as a martyr.

"Perhaps, this will be the last time I draw my sword in this life. If I die, you may remember what I looked like the last time I drew my sword," Ye Kong seemed to be speaking to the air, and also seemed to be speaking to the invisible ghosts in the River of Time. A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, a smile without fear.

Because he was also a martyr. The Dao was right in front of him, and what was there to fear about dying for the Dao?

Whether it was literature or martial arts, whether it was saber techniques or sword techniques, when cultivation reached its peak, it was all the Dao. Therefore, when they faced each other's blades, it was precisely when they faced the Dao.

A lone fallen leaf fluttered down between the two, falling silently, without a trace of wind. Everyone could feel the tension that tore the air, but the two who should have been the most nervous remained motionless, like two statues.

No one attacked first. Because no matter how fast the opponent's movements were, experts like them would definitely have a chance to strike once, but only once. Either kill the enemy or be killed by the enemy.

Therefore, this final strike must have condensed all their strength. They accumulated their own strength while quietly waiting for the opportunity to attack. When the opponent could not control their strength, it would be their own time to launch a fatal blow.

The two remained motionless, as if they were clay sculptures. Immobile meant there were still many choices, but once they acted, they could only go all in.

The Earth Mother stared blankly at Emperor Luo's soul fragment. She no longer had time to think about what Emperor Luo's words meant.

She could only clench her fists tightly, waiting for fate to pronounce its verdict.

Emperor Luo's fate could be fought for, but her fate had no hope.

The spiritual sword in Ye Kong's hand made a "buzzing" sound, as if the spiritual sword was trembling gently, a very low, very low sound, which was still faint and almost inaudible at the beginning, but slowly, the sound became louder and louder.

The blade of the golden spiritual sword undulated like waves, and the enormous inner strength contained in the blade, like volcanic magma, slowly began to pour outwards.

Ye Kong finally couldn't help but move. His body turned into a phantom, and outside the phantom, golden sword light was mixed with the roar of dragons and the howl of tigers. The saber light and the figure were as swift as thunder and wind, as fast as shooting stars and lightning. Almost at the same time, Emperor Luo's soul fragment also moved, moving backwards.

"Zheng, zheng, zheng, zheng, zheng, zheng, zheng," Emperor Luo's soul fragment retreated seven steps in a row. With each step, the sword collided with the sword once.

After seven swords, Emperor Luo's sword momentum was exhausted, but Ye Kong's sword momentum was like a bow drawn to its fullest extent.

A master of defense hides beneath the nine earths, and a master of offense moves above the nine heavens. But what do the thunderbolts above the nine heavens and the dust beneath the nine earths rely on to determine victory or defeat?

Rhythm!

In a situation of equal strength, the most important thing is always rhythm, whether it is offense or defense! This is like the most beautiful music, which always follows the best rhythm.

So, what is the best rhythm?

Some people say that the faster the rhythm, the better. No, fast is definitely not the best rhythm.

The best rhythm is the rhythm that can disrupt the opponent's rhythm.

The defender constantly changes his position, and the attacker can only constantly change his route. Once the rhythm of the attack is disrupted, the defender has enough time to respond.

This is the best rhythm for defense.

Ye Kong adopted the best rhythm, so he won.

Later, someone asked Ye Kong: "Why didn't you rush to attack Emperor Luo's soul fragment that day?"

Ye Kong smiled and replied: "In that case, when I stabbed out the first sword, I would probably have been cut six or seven times."

If the offense is not as sharp as the opponent's, then defense is the best offense.