Chapter 159: Chapter 152: The True Essence of Combat

From the very beginning of the battle, Gao Xuan was studying all the possible variables within the hall.

He prepared everything he could in advance for this.

Just like the nearly a hundred treasure swords he seized, all stuck into the ground, occupying a large area.

Gao Xuan used all his strength to grab so many treasure swords. With more and more old men appearing as avatars, he hardly had any chance to seize swords later on.

Regarding the messy sword array laid out on the ground, Gao Xuan had always controlled himself not to utilize it, holding back until the last moment.

Now, Gao Xuan could activate the sword array.

Gao Xuan retreated into the sword array, with the sword array formed by the six elders pressing in. Other groups of sword arrays also circled around them forming a ring.

The sword array was calculated to ensure that it could maximize each individual’s combat power and completely control the space.

Thirty-six old men, their coordination now could be described as exquisite.

After retreating into the sword array, Gao Xuan did not hesitate to swing his dual swords and throw them.

His arms rotated like wheels, exerting all his strength to throw the longsword, with precise aim and full of power.

Flying swords shot out one after another, the dazzling cold light slicing through space.

The leading elder spun his dual swords, chopping down three flying swords, but was pierced in the chest by the fourth flying sword, incapacitating him on the spot.

After killing one elder, Gao Xuan immediately adjusted his target to attack a member of the second group.

The elders all wielded dual swords; none had anticipated Gao Xuan would throw treasure swords with such a refined technique.

Although the elders’ sword array was exquisite, it was aimed at individual targets. Against the flying swords, the sword array was ineffective.

In warfare, countless theories could be proposed. But in Gao Xuan’s understanding, combat is about more effectively utilizing energy and space.

In ancient warfare, ordinary soldiers used long spears to attack from a distance. No matter how sharp an opponent’s sword was, it was useless if it couldn’t get close.

Cavalry equipped with bows and arrows were formidable weapons in ancient times due to the mobility of horseback and the range of arrows.

This is why nomadic tribes could always grasp the initiative in warfare.

This holds true even in modern times, where beyond-visual-range, high-power weaponry can easily end battles with precision targeting.

Therefore, battles are nothing more than using the strong to defeat the weak, length against short, range against proximity, and the large against the small.

While Gao Xuan might not excel in strategy, as the King of Assassins, he is a top-tier combatant in specific tactics.

Throwing treasure swords like hidden weapons is using range against proximity. If the opponent doesn’t have sufficient sword artifacts, they can only be passively attacked.

Numbers become a disadvantage at this moment.

This alone allows Gao Xuan to change the course of the battle.

Gao Xuan continuously threw dozens of flying swords, killing five old men.

The opposing elders also split into two groups; some learned from Gao Xuan to throw flying swords, while others formed a sword array to press forward directly.

Gao Xuan was fearless. With the vast space he could utilize as a lone person, the numerous flying swords thrown by the opponent did no harm to him.

Furthermore, the opponent’s rhythm had already been disrupted by him.

Gao Xuan fought while retreating, utilizing the advantage of terrain and swordsmanship to wipe out two groups of elders.

By this point, the elders had only two and a half groups left, no longer posing a substantial threat to him.

Gao Xuan wielded his dual swords, killing the remaining elders one by one. Soon, the hall was cleared, leaving behind a ground full of treasure swords he had thrown.

Gao Xuan waited for a moment but didn’t notice any changes.

His gaze landed on the throne; could it be that he needed to sit on it?

As Gao Xuan sat on the throne, a white light pillar descended from the sky.

The Source Power and consciousness gathered by the white light pillar fully merged into Gao Xuan’s spiritual sea.

Only then did Gao Xuan understand the function of the Celestial Spirit Sword Box.

By passing the test of the Celestial Spirit Sword Box, one could obtain the inheritance of the Celestial Spirit Sword Scripture.

The Celestial Spirit Sword Scripture should strictly be called Celestial Spirit Sword Qi. Celestial Spirit Sword Qi doesn’t have specific sword techniques; rather, it’s a Source Power Secret Technique. It could even be called a magic.

When Gao Xuan performed swordsmanship, he could freely attach Celestial Spirit Sword Qi to enhance the power of his swordsmanship.

Celestial Spirit Sword Qi is upright and harmonious, yet powerful and boundless in its transformations. Moreover, Celestial Spirit Sword Qi consists of thirty-six layers.

Every elevation of one layer in Celestial Spirit Sword Qi doubles its power.

Gao Xuan’s current Celestial Spirit Sword Qi is only at the First Layer, with his Source Power at ten thousand degrees, completely in line with the environment of Pegasus Star and the state of the Celestial Spirit Sword Box.

When the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi reaches the Thirty-sixth Layer, its power can increase by more than 300 billion times, meaning a single strike of Celestial Spirit Sword Qi can reach over 300 trillion degrees, making it seemingly possible to cut through the Milky Way Galaxy with one sword.

Gao Xuan calculated slightly and felt the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi had great potential!

The Celestial Spirit Sword Qi can be cultivated on its own, but human capability is limited, and it might take tens of thousands of years to reach the highest level.

As long as you enhance the Celestial Spirit Sword Box and upgrade its level, the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi can naturally upgrade.

The Celestial Spirit Sword Box likes to devour sword artifacts, including Swordsmanship Secret Techniques, Sword Intent, etc. Only when it has consumed enough will it upgrade.

Every time the Celestial Spirit Sword Box advances a level, it tests the Sword Master. If the Sword Master passes, they continue to be served by the Celestial Spirit Sword Box; if they fail, they must endure the backlash of the Celestial Spirit Sword Box.

The power of the backlash depends on the level of the Celestial Spirit Sword Box.

Gao Xuan studied it thoroughly and felt that the Celestial Spirit Sword Box was still quite useful. At least before reaching the twenty layers of Celestial Spirit Sword Qi, he should be able to handle this thing.

When Gao Xuan’s spirit withdrew from the Celestial Spirit Sword Box, he discovered that it had already opened, and of course, there was nothing inside.

Gao Xuan pushed the Sword Box in front of Fang Yumei, “Teacher Fang.”

Fang Yumei looked at the empty Sword Box, deeply disappointed.

For the Celestial Spirit Sword Box, she had worked hard for over ten years. She tried every means, finally opening the box today, only to find nothing inside.

The disappointment on Fang Yumei’s face slowly turned to calmness, and she suddenly realized: “I have wasted too much of my mental energy on this. I was trapped in an obsession. Today, seeing the truth has instead made me feel relieved.”

At this point, the Source Power aura around Fang Yumei suddenly changed drastically.

Soon, several key acupoints of Source Power within her body suddenly opened in succession, and her Source Power aura became increasingly robust.

“I really advanced.”

Gao Xuan was a bit surprised; at Fang Yumei’s age, breaking through in cultivation was almost impossible.

But suddenly letting go of her obsession, Fang Yumei’s spirit instead sublimated.

The solid foundation she had accumulated over her life also allowed her to break through the bottleneck of Source Power and directly reach Level 10.

There was luck in this, but it was also Fang Yumei’s personal talent and intelligence that led to this sudden enlightenment.

Gao Xuan also felt a bit emotional, indeed, a person’s fate is hard to tell.

Fang Yumei lost the Celestial Spirit Sword Box but instead gained a great reward. This kind of insight from the heart is more important than the so-called Celestial Spirit Sword Scripture.

It wasn’t long before Fang Yumei cleared several critical Source Power nodes and reached the Level 10 tier.

After advancing, Fang Yumei’s eyes shone with electric light, unexpectedly adding a bit of intimidating power to her gaze.

However, the electric light in her eyes soon dissipated. This was just a phenomenon of power overflow after suddenly advancing. It didn’t have any substantial power.

Fang Yumei sincerely cupped her hands to Gao Xuan, “My breakthrough this time is all thanks to Friend Gao’s help.”

Gao Xuan waved his hand, “You’re too kind. This is your own opportunity.”

Fang Yumei smiled understandingly, pushed the Celestial Spirit Sword Box to Gao Xuan, “I said beforehand, the item is yours once it’s done. I will never break my promise.”

After advancing, Fang Yumei became even more magnanimous. Since she had made a promise beforehand, she was even less likely to go back on her word now.

“Thank you, Teacher Fang.”

Gao Xuan also didn’t stand on ceremony, took the Sword Box, fiddled with it for a bit, and then placed it on the table.

Standing up with a happy expression, Fang Yumei said, “Fulfilling a long-cherished wish, fortunately advancing, I am content. Goodbye.”

“I’ll see you off.”

Gao Xuan saw Fang Yumei out, and only then did he have the time to fiddle with the Celestial Spirit Sword Box.

His spiritual consciousness connected with the Celestial Spirit Sword Box, and it transformed into a silver light falling upon his chest, turning into a mark resembling a silver lotus flower at his chest.

At this point, Gao Xuan then completed the loading of the Celestial Spirit Sword Box, thereby enabling him to wield the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi.

Gao Xuan extended his index finger, and a wisp of silver Sword Qi emerged at his fingertip.

Given Gao Xuan’s cultivation, it was easy for him to activate Sword Qi. However, this wisp of Celestial Spirit Sword Qi was granted by the Celestial Spirit Sword Box.

The Celestial Spirit Sword Qi did not consume his Source Power at all and could cooperate with his own Sword Qi. The power of the two combined was not merely an addition of one plus one.

Casually pointing, Gao Xuan sliced the curtain over ten meters away into two pieces.

The three-layered curtain was made of high-quality material, not only light-shielding but also able to block high-frequency radiation and even filter harmful substances in the air.

An ordinary swordsman, with a True Sword, would struggle to cut through it with one strike.

After all, it’s a soft material that doesn’t take force well. Only someone at Level 5 like Qingyi Fei Niao, with such cultivation, could easily cut through the curtain.

Gao Xuan’s casual burst of Sword Qi was two shades stronger than Qingyi Fei Niao’s True Sword.

The first layer of Celestial Spirit Sword Qi was actually more powerful than Gao Xuan’s fully activated Sword Qi.

Moreover, the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi could transform into various forms.

The Celestial Spirit Sword Qi provided by the Sword Box was like giving the Sword Master a canvas and brushes; what can be painted depends entirely on the Sword Master’s ability.

Gao Xuan’s spiritual power was comparable to a Golden Powerhouse, in addition to having the Six-winged Celestial Cicada and the experience of rebirth. Shaping Sword Qi was not difficult for him.

After pondering for a moment, he pointed, and the silver light transformed by the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi gathered and formed in the air, quickly turning into a tall, magnificent silver horse.

The horse galloped with swift hooves, its mane flying, its eyes lively, like a Celestial Horse galloping through the skies and trampling clouds.

However, Sword Qi shaping is still just shaping. This silver Celestial Horse was just for show, essentially just a mass of Sword Qi.

Gao Xuan then used the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi to transform into his own appearance and could control this body with Spirit Projection.

Unfortunately, the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi could only extend one hundred meters from his body at most. This is the limit. A Sword Qi clone, while fun, was not of much use.

The Celestial Spirit Sword Qi was so strong and its silver light so dazzling that it couldn’t deceive anyone with eyes.

However, the Celestial Spirit Sword Box could stably retain three shaping modes. The freely transforming Celestial Spirit Sword Qi had many uses.

For example, it could turn into a toilet for urgent needs. Or transform into a beautiful woman, with a more realistic feel than ordinary plastic dolls…

Of course, Gao Xuan wouldn’t be so unreliable. He chose to transform the Celestial Spirit Sword Qi into a set of Silver Battle Armor!

(Thanks for the rewards, everyone~ It seems daily stable three updates lack passion~ Fixed two updates, one flexible update, more surprises, right~)