Chapter 1033: Shock

"What did I just see?!"

"Imperial Sword?!"

"That damned boy, Ink Painting, he can still use Imperial Sword?!"

"How can he use Imperial Sword? How is it possible for him to use Imperial Sword?"

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

This fact was too shocking, causing many observing cultivators to first question not their eyes, but their minds:

"Am I caught in an illusion technique, experiencing an illusion?"

"Did I mess up my brain from refining pills? I seem a bit unable to distinguish reality—"

"I drank heavily last night, perhaps the alcohol hasn't worn off yet."

"I must be dreaming, but I'm dreaming of Ink Painting using Imperial Sword, it's really too ridiculous, there's definitely a problem with my sea of consciousness." Of course, most cultivators still had reason and believed what they saw was real.

But precisely because of this, they found it harder and harder to believe:

"That Ink Painting, he's really using Imperial Sword?!"

"He still used Imperial Sword to instantly kill Ye Yuanao?"

"Tai Xu Sect's 'Array Master,' controlling a flying sword, killed the Da Luo Sect's Imperial Sword heaven's favorite with one sword?!"

"Is this even reasonable?"

"Absurd to the extreme."

"This cultivation world is too crazy—"

Most people's hearts were filled with shock and incomprehension.

"And there's still a question, this Ink Painting, where exactly did he learn Imperial Sword, and how is it possible for him to learn Imperial Sword?"

"There's clearly not a trace of sword energy on his body, definitely no sword cultivation inheritance."

"What is his method of Imperial Sword?"

"There's not a single trace of the unity of person and sword in his Imperial Sword—"

"I've cultivated swords for so many years, I've never seen such an unconventional Imperial Sword technique—"

"Does Tai Xu Sect have such an Imperial Sword method?"

"And, the sword he controlled, what kind of sword was it? How did it directly explode?"

"Was this explosion intentional, or accidental?"

"Was it a mistake?"

"Imperial Sword backfired? Spirit sword exploded? An accidental hit, an accidental collision, and Ye Yuanao was instantly killed?"

"This Ye Yuanao, really unlucky one—"

"You were all only busy looking at the sword, did you not notice, the distance of his Imperial Sword, is also a bit not right?"

"It seems a bit farther than Ye Yuanao's?"

"This distance, approaching the limit of Foundation Establishment?"

"It's hard to estimate the distance on the Fang Tian Painting Shadow, but it's probably also around a hundred or several tens of zhang—"

"This is the distance of Imperial Sword for an array master who doesn't cultivate sword methods?"

"No matter how strong one's divine sense is, it's not used this way?"

"An array master's divine sense is for drawing array methods, not for using Imperial Sword. Does this Ink Painting even have a bit of self-awareness?"

"Hard to understand—"

The observing cultivators, some puzzled, some relieved, some confused, some shocked, whispered to each other, debating incessantly.

In the mountains at the same time, countless cultivators conversed and argued ceaselessly.

The entire Debate Mountain was filled with noise.

Not only these ordinary observing cultivators, but even people who were to some extent 'familiar' with Ink Painting, like Wen Renwan, Murong Caiyun, Hua Qianqian, Gu Longhuan, and Zhang Bo, were all completely shocked.

They also didn't think that Ink Painting, who usually never showed off or drew attention, and who had never even touched a sword, could actually use Imperial Sword?

Especially Zhang Bo.

He remembered very clearly that initially in Tongxian City, Ink Painting, this child, let alone cultivating sword methods, couldn't even lift a sword.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, more than ten years had passed.

He could actually, in the Debate Assembly, instantly kill the renowned Da Luo Sect's Imperial Sword genius with one sword.

He didn't cry until he was shocked, and when he cried, he shocked everyone.

It was truly absurd to the extreme.

Absurd beyond belief.

On the Sword Viewing Tower.

Master Hua smiled comfortably as she looked at Ink Painting, her beautiful eyes full of surprise.

The heads of the other sects also all showed expressions of disbelief.

In the tea room.

The heads of Tai Xu, Tai A, and Chong Xu's Three Mountains sat silently in their original places, unable to say a single word.

Everything had happened too fast, and ended too suddenly.

The debate began, Ink Painting used Imperial Sword, the flying sword flew out, directly exploded, then the Debate Bell rang, and everything was over again.

Then, just—

Won?

The heads of the Three Mountains were all a little hard to believe for a moment, and even somewhat doubted their eyes.

So much so that the joy of winning the debate couldn't dilute the shock and surprise in their hearts.

Finally, Head Tai A sighed:

"This child—is just to say it's simple, but also—"

Not this kind of simple method.

This is really a bit too 'simple'.

From beginning to end, it was just a blink of an eye, a matter of one flying sword.

They didn't even have time to prepare mentally before the debate was over.

Even the pot of tea on the table hadn't boiled yet—

Amidst the 'controversy' of the crowd of cultivators, this debate ended.

The observing cultivators left, and Debate Mountain gradually quieted down.

But Ink Painting's unconventional move of using a flying sword was truly too much beyond common sense, making it impossible for people to forget.

The waves caused by this sword also did not subside for a long time—

As night fell, in the sect hall.

The elders of each sect's Dao Law gathered.

An imitation shadow map was suspended high in the air.

On the imitation shadow map, Ink Painting took the sword, controlled the sword, and with a flick of his finger, the Imperial Sword flew out, piercing the sky, and hitting the Da Luo Sect disciple.

Initially, there was no abnormality.

But the next moment, the spirit sword began to glow, the sword array ran, the sword pattern transformed, sword energy accumulated, until it exceeded the load, the spirit sword cracked open, and exploded into fragments.

The cracked sword edges, mixed with sword energy, produced incredible killing power—

This scene was played repeatedly in the hall.

The Dao Law elders in the entire hall watched it over and over, no less than a hundred times, from evening until midnight.

They watched in silence.

This kind of Imperial Sword completely exceeded their normal understanding.

They kept asking themselves silently in their hearts:

What kind of Imperial Sword is this?

How is it controlled?

What Imperial Sword method is used?

What sword cultivation principles does it follow?

How does spirit energy run?

How is sword energy transmitted?

Why can the sword still explode?

The crowd pondered for a long time, unable to find a solution.

In their lives, they had never seen such an unconventional Imperial Sword method.

Why?

Why could Ink Painting, who clearly didn't know sword methods, control a flying sword and instantly kill the Da Luo Sect's Imperial Sword genius with one sword?

Where did his sword cultivation attainments come from?

Was it a blind guess, good luck?

Or is this Ink Painting truly a hidden, more powerful sword cultivation genius than the Da Luo Sect's heaven's favorite, a shocking and incredibly talented individual?

Has he mastered a profound and unconventional sword method that is difficult for ordinary people to understand?

With this shocked and ineffable mood, the group of Dao Law elders carefully and repeatedly played back the imitation shadow map of Ink Painting's Imperial Sword, watching it countless times, afraid of missing a single detail.

Finally, they finally understood, and angrily said:

"Imperial a fart's sword!"

"This, fundamentally, is not Imperial Sword at all!"

"This isn't even a sword method!"

"A cultivator's Imperial Sword is about the unity of person and sword, life cultivation of each other, intention and thought are one, so that they can be driven like an arm, maximizing the power of Imperial Sword."

"Imperial Sword is a more advanced sword method, requiring comprehension of the sword way, tempering of sword energy, compatibility of person and sword, and unity of heart and mind—"

"Ink Painting, this boy, has none of these sword cultivation qualities."

"Nonsense, he was originally not a sword cultivator, he was just purely using the method of 'divine sense control of objects' to control the sword."

"You think he's using Imperial Sword, but in reality, he's treating the sword as a 'club' to control."

The crowd was truly infuriated.

"How unreasonable—"

"This is an insult to the sword way, a crime of great evil!"

"Almost deceived again by this stinky brat, I still thought he was some truly shocking and awe-inspiring sword way prodigy, a natural talent who could learn Imperial Sword immediately—"

"Turns out he's trying to pull a fast one again—"

"His mischievous ideas are truly numerous."

"Did he really think of this himself?"

"Otherwise, who among proper sword cultivators would be willing to self-detonate their spirit sword?"

"This is truly an 'evil' and unconventional path—"

Some people had different opinions:

"To be fair, this matter might not be simple, it can almost 'confuse the fake with the real,' and be considered a powerful Imperial Sword method."

Another sword cultivation elder scoffed, "It only looks like it, but the principle is actually very 'crude', only the surface, no bone, flesh, or soul, far from comparable to the exquisite nature of proper Imperial Sword."

"But the Da Luo Sect's 'proper' Imperial Sword genius was killed by his one sword."

The sword cultivation elder chuckled, "That's because—"

"After all, it's only Foundation Establishment, it will be different in Golden Core."

Someone agreed, "Not bad, it's only Foundation Establishment now, so the power of Imperial Sword isn't fully displayed. In Golden Core, proper Imperial Sword inheritance can truly exert its force."

"Once proper Imperial Sword exerts its force, Ink Painting's kind of 'side door unconventional path' Imperial Sword will not withstand a single blow."

"Not bad."

"Then this is considered understood—"

A senior elder summarized, "Ink Painting's Imperial Sword is fake, he fundamentally doesn't know sword methods, nor does he know any Imperial Sword. The essence is still utilizing his advantage in divine sense to perform 'divine sense control of objects'."

"Approximately so—"

"I still have a bit that I don't understand, where does the power of his Imperial Sword come from? He doesn't know sword methods, has no sword techniques, no sword energy, no sword intent, and the spirit sword is of inferior quality—"

"The spirit sword exploded."

"Can an explosion have such great killing power?"

"Not only that."

A direct descendant of a prominent family, a sword cultivation elder who had studied sword arrays, stepped forward and said, "Inside the sword, Ink Painting drew a sword array."

"This kind of sword array is a variation of the array style, specially made, and can directly derive sword energy by transforming spirit stones."

"And not only that—"

"Ink Painting, this boy, definitely also used a specially made spirit sword."

"This kind of spirit sword is cheap in material, easy to break and explode, and once it bears too much sword energy, the fragments of the exploded sword blade itself have considerable killing power."

"A self-destructing sword array, plus a self-cracking spirit sword, this is the true power of this 'Imperial Sword'."

The crowd of elders exclaimed upon hearing this.

"So, in the end, this is still the method of an 'array master', and not a sword cultivator's method?"

"Only the form is a sword, the core is still an array method."

"The sword is just a container, carrying a 'self-destructing' sword array, originally intended for 'self-explosion'."

This kind of conception was strange and practical.

Some proper, infatuated sword cultivators, elders who loved swords like their lives, severely scolded Ink Painting for self-detonating spirit swords, calling it a waste of heaven's resources and a profanation of the sword way.

But most elders were still shocked in their hearts.

Ink Painting, this child, in the way of array methods, truly possessed a 'god-like talent' that was unrestrained and boundless.

A genuine Array Master Leader, his name was not without reason—

Even quite a few elders secretly felt a sense of 'regret for talent'.

Of course, no matter how much they sighed with regret for talent, the things that needed to be done still had to be done.

An elder sighed helplessly, "Let's research, let's think of a way to restrain him a bit—"

They had said this sentence so many times these past few days that they were a little numb—

In the hall, the elders of each sect were busy researching Ink Painting's 'Imperial Sword', staying up all night.

And in the Slaughter Ink Order, it was equally 'lively' and extraordinary.

"What is Tai Xu Sect considered?"

"Exactly."

"Also just stepped on the head of Da Luo Sect, becoming the first of the Eight Great Sects."

"A mere Ink Painting, just a person fishing for fame, can't even lift a sword, still learning from others in the debate?"

"A mere Ink Painting, indeed can't lift a sword, but he can 'control' it, and instantly kill that person with one sword, who was it?"

"Who was that person from Da Luo Sect?"

"Seems to be surnamed Ye? Called Ye Yuanao—"

"Don't know, haven't heard of him, perhaps also a person 'fishing for fame'?"

"Ignorant and inexperienced?"

"Speaking of which, was there someone in the alliance yesterday who claimed to be 'Ye Yuanao', and said he wanted to 'take Ink Painting's head with one sword'?"

"Seems there was such a matter."

"In today's debate, it seems there was another person whose head was taken by Ink Painting with one sword—is this person also called 'Ye Yuanao'?"

"Surely not?"

"Could it be, perhaps—the two Ye Yuanao are the same person?"

"Is this actually happening?!"

"Absolutely impossible! Be careful, Da Luo Sect will sue you for spreading rumors and slandering—"

"Exactly, absolutely impossible. What kind of person is Ye Yuanao? A renowned sword way heaven's favorite of Da Luo Sect, claimed to be the number one Imperial Sword user among dry learners."

"Claimed to be the number one Imperial Sword user among dry learners, then was killed by another Imperial Sword user, with one sword?"

"Tsk tsk, I don't know what to say—"

"It seems the one who killed him was still an array master?"

"A sword way heaven's favorite, killed by an array master, with one sword?"

"Can this be a sword way heaven's favorite?"

"Exactly, 'a mere Ink Painting can't even be killed, still delusional about claiming to be a heaven's favorite?' Who said this?"

"Alright, alright, these are all minor matters. In my opinion, selecting an alliance master who can take on great responsibilities is the big matter."

"Not bad."

"Speaking of which, our alliance master, didn't he say he wanted to be crowned king today?"

"Right."

"Our alliance master?"

"Was killed by one sword?"

The arrogant words of the past, sentence by sentence, all became 'historical records'.

As if the flying sword, spinning rapidly, stabbed back at Ye Yuanao himself, sword by sword.

The group of heaven's favorites in the Slaughter Ink Alliance, finally seizing the opportunity, repeatedly 'screened' Ye Yuanao's words, mocking him with strange words, publicly executing him.

Ye Yuanao was infuriated to the point of madness, but could only play dead, not daring to say a word.

In his own cultivation room, he tied a straw man.

On the straw man, he stuck the crooked image of Ink Painting that he had personally drawn.

He no longer said things like, "the heaven's favorites of the four sects and eight doors are completely blinded by hatred, regarding 'killing Ink Painting' as a trivial matter—"

"Those dominated by hatred are not capable of great things—" and so on.

He was wrong.

Hatred is precisely the greatest driving force for a person.

Lying on a mat and tasting gall is the greatest capacity for great things.

Ye Yuanao began to use Ink Painting's straw man to practice the Da Luo Flying Sky Imperial Sword Technique.

He planned to make 'executing Ink Painting' his lifelong pursuit.

Revenge was his 'ambition' in this life.

Several flying swords rose into the air, one sword after another, stabbing into Ink Painting's crooked face in the distance.

Stabbing out several grinning faces, with a hint of a strange smile.

And at this moment.

Tai Xu Sect.

A group of junior brothers and sisters took turns offering Ink Painting wine, their eyes filled with respect.

Through this battle, their reverence for Ink Painting was like a surging river, continuous and unending.

And with this victory in the debate, Tai Xu Sect, at least currently, firmly held the position of 'first among the Eight Great Sects'.

In the past, Tai Xu Sect was at the bottom of the Eight Great Sects.

Tai A and Chong Xu had also been severely injured in vitality, their rankings plummeting, once on the verge of falling out of the Eight Great Sects.

But now, with the merger of the three sects, they had instead gained a blessing from disaster, and were now on the verge of climbing back to the top of the Eight Great Sects.

Not only the ordinary disciples, but also the elders of Tai Xu's Three Mountains were equally grateful to Ink Painting.

If not for the restrictions of their status and dignity, they would all have raised their wine cups and offered Ink Painting a toast.

And the good news wasn't just that.

After Ink Painting again used 'Imperial Sword' to win two Earth-level debates.

The situation had already unknowingly changed.

After pondering, the heads of the three sects unexpectedly discovered that Tai Xu Sect actually had another, albeit remote, but real opportunity:

The opportunity to be ranked among the Four Great Sects.

In the Debate Assembly, not only Tai Xu Sect was fighting, but the other Four Great Sects were also fighting very hard.

The Four Great Sects were originally not a single entity, and there was also competition between them; each wanted to be first.

Outwardly, they might be united.

But once it involved true competition for fame and fortune, the Four Great Sects fought fiercely, not being polite to each other at all, and no one would give an inch.

Between the heaven's favorites, no one was willing to yield to anyone else, and they wouldn't be resolved without a fight.

Therefore, through the intense Earth-level debate, and after the heaven's favorites killed each other, the ranking among the Four Great Sects was actually not that different.

And because of the 'internal fighting' among the Four Sects, consuming each other and draining points from each other, their advantage over Tai Xu Sect was also not significant.

Now, there were only two Earth-level debates remaining.

As long as Tai Xu Sect could win these two debates consecutively, then among the Four Great Sects, except for the first-ranked Heavenly Sword Sect, if any of the other three sects lost two matches, Tai Xu Sect would have a direct chance to rise in rank.

This condition was a bit harsh.

And, it not only depended on luck, but also on the 'complexion' of others, whether they could be on the same level.

But this was also the only hope Tai Xu Sect currently had.

To be honest, having this hope was already good.

Other sects, wanting this opportunity, wouldn't even have a chance.

As for the situation in the subsequent Heaven-level debate, there were too many variables, so they wouldn't consider it for the time being.

Just looking at the current situation, winning two consecutive matches, Tai Xu Sect had a certain possibility of being on the same level as the Four Great Sects. This possibility made the heads of Tai Xu's Three Mountains burn with anticipation.

And at this point, they didn't hope for anything else, only for 'luck' to be a little better.

They hoped that Tai Xu Mountain, blessed by their ancestors, could give Tai Xu Sect an opportunity to be promoted to the Four Great Sects.

Let Tai Xu Sect in the next two debates, encounter two 'soft persimmons'.

Or, not 'soft persimmons' was also fine.

Ink Painting and the others were already strong enough; as long as they didn't encounter top-level heaven's favorites, they could still fight and had a high win rate.

The possibility of winning two consecutive matches still existed.

Under such anticipation, the list of opponents for Ink Painting and the others in the next debate was also determined through the Debate Heaven Instrument.

When everyone in Tai Xu Sect saw this debate list, their faces all changed, and their hearts also turned cold:

"Qian Dao Sect, Shen Linshu."