"Well met!"
Yang Tiankui grunted, a flicker of excitement in his eyes as he saw Wang Lei riding the dragon of lightning towards him.
For the past few decades, he had been honing his sword intent in the Blood Fiend Realm, encountering no one truly human. To find so many who cultivated sword intent in this world was indeed exhilarating.
After all, Yang Tiankui's blood thrummed with a belligerent spirit. He loved combat, reveling in the sensations it brought.
Without battle, his very life felt meaningless.
In combat, he pursued his supreme sword dao.
"This feeling is fantastic!" Yang Tiankui roared with laughter, his expression somewhat savage.
The Blood Fiend Sword Intent that permeated his body grew increasingly profound in its might.
"Blood Fiend, Boundless! Sword Slashes All Things!" Yang Tiankui formed a sword finger, and the Blood Fiend Sword Intent radiating from his body began to coalesce, forming a long sword akin to fresh blood.
A ghostly wail resounded, the vengeful souls of the blood demons he had slain in the Blood Fiend Realm, carrying their dying resentments.
Crimson sword energy slowly swirled around Yang Tiankui, taking the form of skulls, entwined with a dense, malevolent aura that coiled around the blood-red longsword he was summoning.
"Hiss, why does this Yang Tiankui's sword intent seem so unorthodox? What kind of proper sword intent has skulls?" Disciples on the viewing platforms exclaimed in astonishment, finding Yang Tiankui to be less than savory.
"He's radiating an aura of wickedness," one disciple sighed, a hint of apprehension on his face.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid! After all, Wang Lei's sword intent is the Raging Thunder Sword Intent, which will surely counter this sort of wicked intent, understand? Don't be scared, everyone!" A loyal fan of Wang Lei shouted, boosting the morale of Wang Lei's supporters.
After all, it was commonly believed that lightning was the natural bane of all wicked energies.
"Sect Master, why is Yang Tiankui's sword intent like this? Are you sure this is Slaughtering Sword Intent? I recall the sect's records stating Slaughtering Sword Intent is not like this," an elder questioned, sensing the malevolent aura from Yang Tiankui and finding it dubious.
"..." The Sect Master was at a loss for words. *Ask me? How would I know? I'm not Yang Tiankui, how could I know? I don't possess Slaughtering Sword Intent myself, how would I know what it looks like? He told me it was Slaughtering Sword Intent, and I believed him! What else do you think? With such a powerful sword intent, would I give it to another sect?*
"Never mind what his sword intent is like, Yang Tiankui himself doesn't feel like an evil sword cultivator, understand?" Jian San's eyes narrowed as he addressed the questioning elder, speaking each word deliberately.
"But..." The elder tried to say more, but Jian San's glare silenced him, forcing him to swallow his words.
*You little brat, I've been Sect Master for so many years, and you dare to challenge my decision? Do you think I'm made of mud?*
Seeing their Sect Master's displeasure, the elders standing beside him dared not speak further, shifting their gaze back to the arena below.
The two, having just unleashed their full power, had violently collided.
Lightning tore through the Blood Fiend energy, their contained sword intents entwining. Both were inherently opposing forces, yet it was clear that Yang Tiankui's sword intent was significantly more refined than Wang Lei's Raging Thunder Sword Intent.
Their swords met instantly. Wang Lei felt the intensity of the opponent's sword intent and his expression changed. *This doesn't feel right.*
*It's not right! How is this not right? Didn't they say lightning would counter this Yin-attribute sword intent? Why isn't it working?*
Wang Lei was utterly bewildered. Why was this happening? This was not how he'd anticipated things would unfold. The intelligence had confidently stated that Yang Tiankui's sword intent was not of high quality, but perhaps a rare type, which was why the Sect Master agreed to let him become the peak master of the last peak of the Myriad Sword Sect.
Yang Tiankui, observing Wang Lei's expression, was also puzzled. *What's going on? He looks like he made a miscalculation.*
However, with his sharp mind, a moment's thought revealed the reason for that expression. It was clearly born from surprise at misjudging his sword intent.
He understood why Wang Lei was the first to challenge him. It seemed Wang Lei was supremely confident in his Raging Thunder Sword Intent's ability to counter Yang Tiankui's Slaughtering Sword Intent, prompting him to issue the challenge first.
At that, he spoke with a smile, "Surprised by my sword intent? Did it not meet your expectations, failing to be suppressed so severely by your own?"
Wang Lei gritted his teeth, his sword thrusting out repeatedly, laced with tiny sparks of electricity. The dark clouds above were being torn apart by the blood-red malevolent energy Yang Tiankui had conjured, revealing the originally clear blue sky once more.
"Your lightning seems rather weak and ineffectual," Yang Tiankui remarked with a slight smile, taunting him mercilessly.
"Let me tell you, I haven't even used my true strength yet, and you're already struggling, Wang Lei." Yang Tiankui delivered another statement that was hard to accept.
Everyone present, being cultivators of considerable attainment, could clearly hear Yang Tiankui's words. They exchanged bewildered glances.
"Is what this Yang Tiankui says true? He truly hasn't used his full power?"
Someone in the crowd cried out in disbelief, finding the reality hard to accept. Wang Lei was already a formidable cultivator of the Dharma Manifestation realm, ranking among the top disciples.
After all, the power of lightning was known for its ferocity, and its offensive capabilities were among the highest of all disciples. Yet, now, it was unable to counter Yang Tiankui's so-called Yin-attribute sword intent.
"Who exactly is this Yang Tiankui? Where did he come from? My family's intelligence network cannot find any record of this person's past. What is going on? Can someone tell me where he appeared from?"
Some individuals with family influence began deploying their clans' forces to frantically search for this man named Yang Tiankui. They were currently in a rather undignified state, fiddling with their communication crystals.
This was because even their family's intelligence network had failed to find any information about Yang Tiankui. They only knew that he had appeared in a city two months ago, killed numerous demonic beasts, and sold them in the city, before directly appearing at the Myriad Sword Sect.
Some sat back in their seats, their eyes vacant, muttering, "Is it possible that the Myriad Sword Sect's current generation will be suppressed by an outsider!"