Desolate Devouring Art

Chapter 383 - Yun Lan’s Enlightenment

Liu Wuxie was inwardly shocked because only inner disciples could learn the Seven Sword Art, and he wondered how Yun Lan had obtained it.

"That's right. It's indeed the Seven Sword Art. Junior brother, you're truly knowledgeable." Yun Lan's sword flashed, drawing a flower with his sword in mid-air.

"What? He practices the Seven Sword Art and can manifest seven sword auras?" Exclamations came from the surroundings. This was because even inner disciples couldn't manifest seven sword auras, but Yun Lan had achieved it.

The seven sword auras were extraordinary, each radiating a different color: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. When combined, their power became terrifying.

Most people could only achieve five sword auras at best, which was already impressive. So, how did Yun Lan manage to achieve seven?

"That's impossible! He's only an outer disciple, so how can he manifest seven sword auras? In the sect's history, only one person has ever manifested seven sword auras, and that person was an elite disciple." Many people couldn't believe it and thought Yun Lan was exaggerating.

Even the elders and deacons looked skeptical.

The Seven Sword Art was a profound sword technique that most gave up halfway through, and only a few persisted. For Yun Lan to comprehend the essence of the Seven Sword Art at his age made many deacons look at him in a different light.

"He must be boasting. How could an outer disciple possibly gain access to the Seven Sword Art? He's lying!" Someone spoke up to debunk Yun Lan's claim. After all, outer disciples weren't qualified to come in contact with the Seven Sword Art.

"You can also practice the Seven Sword Art if you have a true disciple as an elder brother," a cold voice echoed, silencing the commotion.

Liu Wuxie was shocked because he didn't expect Yun Lan to have an elder brother who was a true disciple of the sect. That explained everything because true disciples had great authority and could bestow treasures to outer disciples.

The disparity seemed too great—Yun Lan was merely an outer disciple, while his elder brother was a true disciple. However, only a few people knew that Yun Lan and his brother were more than twenty years apart in age.

"Junior brother, you have to be careful now!" Yun Lan pointed his sword at the sky and released his sword aura, which manifested into seven sword auras.

"Look, he managed to manifest seven sword auras!" The seven colors formed a powerful pressure above Liu Wuxie, pressing down.

Liu Wuxie knew he couldn't afford to be careless even if Yun Lan's cultivation was only in the pinnacle True Core Realm. His combat power was comparable to the first level of the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

"Excellent swordsmanship!" Liu Wuxie couldn't help but praise. This sword technique was the most formidable one he had seen thus far.

"Junior brother, are you going to face my sword barehanded?" Yun Lan said, fearing his sword technique might put Liu Wuxie in danger.

"Thank you for your reminder, Senior Brother Yun. I'll use my weapon when necessary," Liu Wuxie replied. The Fatality Blade Art was immensely powerful, and he seldom resorted to using it.

This was because the Fatality Blade Art was lethal upon activation, and Yun Lan was neither his enemy nor a villainous person. Liu Wuxie even owed him a favor, so using such a deadly technique against Yun Lan was out of the question.

Yun Lan didn't insist and swung his sword down. Seven figures appeared in the arena, all looking identical to Yun Lan. They held a long sword and attacked from seven directions without leaving space for Liu Wuxie to evade.

A terrifying whirlwind resembling a seven-colored cage was formed, trapping Liu Wuxie within.

"Liu Wuxie is in danger now. He'll lose for sure! The Seven Sword Art is almost at the level of a heaven-grade martial technique!" The Profound Inscription Peak and Terrain Summit Peak spewed vicious words, hoping for Liu Wuxie's death.

"It's a pity he is only in the True Core Realm. If he had reached the Heavenly Dipper Realm, he surely would’ve been in the top ten," remarked many experts with sympathy on their faces.

When the seven sword auras descended, there was no way Liu Wuxie could dodge this attack. Like a violent storm, the visibility in the arena was greatly hindered.

Liu Wuxie didn't use Ghost Eye because he wanted to use his strength to resolve this attack. However, each incoming attack was flawless, and it was no wonder Yun Lan wasn't willing to give up like that unless his attack failed to defeat Liu Wuxie.

In the blink of an eye, Liu Wuxie had thought of three ways to resolve this attack. None of the people present, including Elder Tian Xing, could surpass him in combat talent.

"The sword auras are stable, and this move has reached the state of perfection." Even the deacons stood up with excitement in their eyes.

"Liu Wuxie hasn't used his weapon yet, and his chance of resolving this attack isn't high." The voices of condemnation targeting Liu Wuxie disappeared, replaced with discussions about the outcome of this battle.

Rumbling sounds came from the sky and enveloped the entire arena. The sword auras manifested into seven gigantic swords, which intertwined around the arena to form a cage. This was a complete sword array!

If separated, it was a sword technique, but upon reaching great mastery, it could manifest into the Seven-Colored Sword Array with a sea of sword auras.

Liu Wuxie was deep in this sea and would be devoured by the seven-colored sword aura at any moment. He was no longer visible and was deep within the spiritual array.

"Senior Brother Yun, I'm going to break your move now!" Just when everyone thought Liu Wuxie was bound to lose, his voice came from the arena's center. He wasn't affected by the Seven-Colored Sword Array.

When Liu Wuxie walked out from the Seven-Colored Sword Array, he wasn't affected by any sword aura, shocking many people.

"How did he walk out of the Seven-Colored Sword Array unscathed?" Even the outer deacons couldn't comprehend what was happening; they didn't see how Liu Wuxie appeared outside the spiritual array.

Regardless of spiritual arrays or martial techniques, only cultivators in the Heavenly Phase Realm could pose a threat to Liu Wuxie.

Liu Wuxie threw an ordinary punch and didn't use the Primordial Astral Fist. This was because the Primordial Astral Fist was too powerful, and he didn't want to cause Yun Lan many injuries.

Explosions rumbled, and countless cracks appeared on the Seven-Colored Sword Array, riddling it with holes.

Yun Lan was shocked but didn't dare to be careless and began changing his attack. He had already comprehended a hint of an even more powerful sword intent, which was purer than ordinary sword intent.

The violent gale created by the punch swept through the arena, causing explosions and tearing apart the sword array. There was nothing fancy about Liu Wuxie's attack, and it was just an ordinary punch.

"I've lost! Junior brother, please spare me!" Yun Lan's voice held a touch of despair. He hadn't anticipated such a thorough defeat; the Seven-Colored Sword Array was capable of easily overcoming opponents at his cultivation level, yet he couldn't muster a decent defense against Liu Wuxie.

When the force behind Liu Wuxie's punch dissipated, the Seven-Colored Sword Array gradually shattered, revealing the two in the arena.

"There's something I don't know if I should say!" Liu Wuxie retracted his fist and looked at Yun Lan. Since the latter had admitted defeat, he had successfully advanced to the next round.

"Junior brother, please speak!" Yun Lan sheathed his sword and looked at Liu Wuxie with anticipation. Through the battle, he understood that Liu Wuxie's combat talent had surpassed him.

"The sword focuses on the limit, but you're too focused on the technique itself. In a nutshell, you've confined yourself within techniques. I advise you to abandon these techniques altogether, as formlessness represents the pinnacle of swordsmanship, not the variation of techniques."

Liu Wuxie's words confused everyone because the essence of sword techniques was the variation of moves to defeat opponents. So, how would they fight if they forgot the techniques?

Only those with sharp minds fell silent while most disciples mocked.

"Liu Wuxie, an outer disciple like you dares to guide someone? The sect's ancestors created the Seven Sword Art, and the essence of this sword technique isn't something someone as insignificant as you can comprehend!" Mockeries echoed from the surroundings, and more people joined in.

Yun Lan suddenly closed his eyes and contemplated what Liu Wuxie said. This meant Yun Lan and Liu Wuxie remained in the arena even after deciding the outcome.

Suddenly, a violent aura swept out above Yun Lan, forming a colorful mist that lingered for a long time. Moreover, the fog grew increasingly dense, with sword auras radiating out without restraint.

But when those sword auras got close to Liu Wuxie, they automatically retreated because Liu Wuxie brought out his blade intent to contend with the sword intent.

With that, a silent confrontation between the two began.

"Look, Yun Lan has made a breakthrough and stepped into the Heavenly Dipper Realm!" Exclamations came from the surroundings because Yun Lan seemed to have entered a profound state, similar to when Liu Wuxie made his breakthrough into the Heavenly Dipper Realm.

"He has attained enlightenment!" The higher-ups couldn't remain seated when they saw this scene. After all, many people spent their whole lives and couldn't even enter the state of enlightenment, but Yun Lan had achieved it. Could it be because of Liu Wuxie's words?

"What a powerful sword aura! Yun Lan's swordsmanship seemed to have improved tenfold!" Many people were shocked as they watched the seven-colored sword aura around Yun Lan manifesting. It was on a new level compared to when he previously fought Liu Wuxie.

Yun Lan's aura continued to rise and was infinitely close to the limit of the first-level Heavenly Dipper Realm, heading straight for the second level.

This was the benefit of enlightenment, allowing one to make a breakthrough naturally without any resources. The surrounding spiritual energy gathered above the arena before entering Yun Lan’s and Liu Wuxie's bodies.

Everyone had envy on their faces. Not only did Yun Lan make a breakthrough in his cultivation smoothly through Liu Wuxie's guidance, but he also comprehended an even more powerful version of the sword intent. This meant he was the biggest winner, even if he was eliminated.

No one interrupted Yun Lan, and this process lasted for ten minutes. Yun Lan slowly opened his eyes, and the surrounding sword aura gradually dimmed and entered his body.

When Yun Lan opened his eyes, countless tiny sword auras appeared around him and shot out, producing whooshing sounds as they hit the spiritual array around the arena.

A hint of sword aura flashed in the depth of Yun Lan's eyes as his expression returned to normal after waking up from enlightenment. He was utterly detached from the outside world and couldn't perceive anything during his enlightenment. It felt as though time had stopped for him.

Liu Wuxie was the closest to Yun Lan, and the faint aura he released during his breakthrough entered Liu Wuxie's soul sea. Inspired by Yun Lan's sword intent, Liu Wuxie's blade intent improved significantly.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother Yun, for reaching the Heavenly Dipper Realm!" Liu Wuxie said in a teasing tone and a faint smile. He only gave Yun Lan a pointer because Yun Lan was too focused on the technique, trapping himself in a circle.