Gu Santong looked at the martial art Su Xi was using, and a look of emotion, along with unconcealed excitement, appeared on his face.
Others might not understand, but he did, to the point of feeling a sense of reverence.
The move Su Xi was currently employing had appeared a long, long time ago. Back then, he was just a child, but he had inadvertently witnessed a world-shattering scene that had been replaying in his mind ever since.
It was this childhood baptism that allowed him to reach his current level.
Unfortunately, despite dedicating his entire life, he still couldn't reach the realm of that person from back then.
He had thought this world-shattering move was lost to time, yet to his surprise, he was now seeing Su Xi use it. Although Su Xi's attack was still a bit green, the outline of that person was already discernible.
As Su Xi activated the Soul Ferry technique, Gu Santong instantly felt a tremor from his soul, and his movements faltered.
Immediately, a powerful gravitational pull generated above his head, continuously tugging at his soul, attempting to separate it from his body.
"Not bad," Gu Santong said, nodding as he felt the changes in his body, approving of Su Xi's move.
His cultivation far surpassed Su Xi's, and his soul was far beyond ordinary. Even though he was suppressing his cultivation, the strength of his soul had not diminished.
The fact that Su Xi's move could make his soul tremble indicated that Su Xi was no ordinary person. Her future potential was limitless.
However, despite recognizing Su Xi's extraordinary nature, he had no intention of letting her go. While this move might be effective against others, it was still far from enough against him.
"The wind rises!"
Gu Santong shouted, and the broken sword in his hand immediately emitted a blinding light, as fierce sword energy erupted from his body.
As the sword energy dispersed, a mournful sound followed, severing all the black threads that had bound his soul.
Seeing Gu Santong sever his soul restraints, Su Xi's expression turned grim. She felt a surge of blood in her chest as a backlash struck her.
It took great effort for her to suppress the surging blood.
She had never imagined that someone could sever the shackles binding the soul so effortlessly.
With her soul restraints gone, Su Xi could no longer execute the remaining steps.
She was truly at a loss when facing Gu Santong.
Gu Santong looked at Su Xi, her face devoid of hope, and a withered smile touched his lips. He sneered, "It's already impressive that you could make me use some of my strength."
After uttering this boastful remark, Gu Santong's figure flickered, and the next moment he appeared before Su Xi. His rusty sword plunged directly into her body.
Having done this, Gu Santong couldn't help but shake his head.
What a pity, such a promising seedling died by his hand.
However, just as Gu Santong felt a pang of sadness for Su Xi, his expression changed abruptly. He looked closely at Su Xi before him, scrutinizing her.
Soon, anger contorted his face.
Because he realized the person before him was not Su Xi, but a puppet.
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Seeing her disguise revealed, Su Xi, clutching her chest, emerged from a corner.
At the critical moment, she had used a substitute talisman to help her evade the fatal blow.
Fortunately, she had managed to deceive Gu Santong.
She had long known that she was no match for Gu Santong. Her previous all-out assault was intended to distract him and make him believe she had exhausted all her trump cards and was at her wit's end.
Her true objective was simply to trick Gu Santong into letting his guard down.
Gu Santong stared at Su Xi, who had reappeared behind him, his expression grim and complex.
He had been careless and fallen for Su Xi's ruse.
He tightened his grip on his sword, a strong urge to kill Su Xi surging within him.
Su Xi had escaped his grasp once, but she wouldn't be able to do so again. With a mere flick of his finger, he could end her life.
Su Xi sensed Gu Santong's killing intent and shook her head. "Senior, you must keep your word. You've used your three moves. If you continue to attack..."
Su Xi didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.
If Gu Santong broke his promise, he would tarnish his lifelong reputation.
Gu Santong's expression shifted multiple times, but he ultimately suppressed the urge to attack.
As a swordsman, he had his own Way of the Sword. Even though no one else was present, killing Su Xi would completely violate his Way of the Sword. If his Way of the Sword was lost, his cultivation would stagnate henceforth.
After a moment of internal deliberation, he stopped.
He let out a long sigh and said with immense helplessness, "You have passed this trial."
Although he knew Su Xi had employed a lot of clever tricks to pass, she had, in essence, truly passed.
Therefore, dwelling on it further was pointless.
Maintaining a pure sword heart was essential for his further progress.
"Thank you, Senior," Su Xi said gratefully and began to ascend higher.
However, after only a few steps, she heard Gu Santong let out a muffled groan. She instantly felt a tremor in her chest, a sharp pain, and then she spat out a mouthful of blood.
She knew this was Gu Santong's way of expressing his displeasure.
Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Su Xi continued forward as if nothing had happened.
A minor injury was nothing to worry about.
Moreover, since he couldn't kill her, she would only become stronger.
Regardless, she had passed the trial, and even if Gu Santong was displeased, there was nothing he could do.
Watching Gu Santong fade from her sight, Su Xi continued on.
Gu Santong looked at Su Xi, who hadn't fallen, and shook his head in resignation. He sat back down on the ground, returning to his previous state.
He had done what he was supposed to do. As for the final outcome, it was no longer his concern.
After all, his task was complete, and no one could fault him.
Su Xi had almost reached the eighth level when the pain from her injuries became unbearable, and she coughed up blood again.
The reason she had persisted and held on was not out of pride.
She knew very well that if she had shown any weakness just then, Gu Santong would not have let her leave so easily.
Such formidable experts detested weakness and admired strength.
If she had appeared weak, she might have been eliminated by the principle of survival of the fittest.
Su Xi sat down cross-legged on the ground and popped a pill into her mouth.
Fortunately, Qiao Er had many good things on him, and using them to refine pills now was not a bad idea.
After taking the pill, the discomfort in her chest lessened considerably, and she also felt a powerful sense of restraint.
At this moment, the sword intent Gu Santong had used earlier involuntarily surfaced in Su Xi's mind.
Each move and posture began to play out in her consciousness.
With the aid of the supercomputer, Su Xi's comprehension of this move deepened.
As Su Xi's understanding of the Way of the Sword grew, many swords on the mountain began to tremble slightly, seemingly generating a peculiar aura between them.
Gu Santong, observing from below, suddenly opened his eyes and looked towards where Su Xi was on the mountaintop. He murmured to himself, "It is indeed destiny."
He had thought he had underestimated Su Xi, but her talent astonished him even more, filling him with admiration.
Su Xi sat on the ground, isolating herself from everything else.
In her eyes now, there was only complete immersion in her comprehension of the Way of the Sword.
Everything around her ceased to matter.
The wind blew, stirring the sand on the ground.
Everything around her began to revolve around Su Xi, yet none could approach her. Anything that drew near was reduced to ashes.
Fierce sword energy began to spin within her mind, as if someone was constantly demonstrating moves before her. The strengths and weaknesses of sword intent became clear in her heart.
The flying swords, which had been trembling below the mountain, now flew out of the ground, revolving around Su Xi. Simultaneously, they emitted crisp sounds, as if rejoicing at finding their master.
Sensing this change, Xu Shan looked up at where Su Xi was in the sword cave, his face filled with shock. "This is the Myriad Swords Paying Homage!"
He had never expected to witness this legendary phenomenon. This time, he truly had no regrets.
Yet, he couldn't understand how such a wondrous scene could occur with Su Xi, who wasn't even from Shu Mountain.
Gu Santong's expression shifted repeatedly as he observed the phenomenon Su Xi was causing. Finally, he let out a long sigh.
He now knew that Su Xi possessed great fortune. If he had truly attacked and killed her earlier, he would have certainly faced heavenly retribution, and his own opportunities would have been halved.
After all, those chosen by the Way of Heaven inherently carried great fortune, and anyone who harbored ill intentions towards them would suffer backlash.
"It seems I must also do something," Gu Santong said, then flicked a green light into the sky.
Instantly, the anomaly in the sky vanished, and the sword cave returned to its previous state, appearing completely normal from the outside.
Gu Santong knew that if Su Xi's situation were to leak, many would resent her and seek to seize her fortune.
Since he had injured Su Xi earlier, he needed to do something to compensate.
Otherwise, his already limited fortune would be even more precarious.
Su Xi, unaware of what was happening around her, felt an indescribable sensation in her body, as if she had received a full-body massage, invigorating and pleasant.