Evan "Nine Mysteries" Lin!
The moment the three words left the young man's mouth, Chief Sword Master Dai's face changed dramatically.
Sword Master Wang and Nathan Lin were forced to stand motionless by the ocean-like waves of invisible sword qi surrounding them.
"Master Lin from Seacrest!"
"Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin, the one who broke two Misty Rain Swords!"
"They're actually the same person!"
Selina Zhu's mind went blank. She stared dazedly at the youth ascending skyward on swords, murmuring to herself.
At this moment, the youth in everyone's eyes seemed almost divine, his aura overwhelming and majestic.
The swords beneath his feet were legendary weapons that ordinary people could only dream of but never obtain.
In Jinnan, people treat obtaining a single Southriver Sword as a legendary achievement, worthy of endless praise and respect. But right now, those Southriver Swords looked more like dogs wagging their tails and begging for favor, desperately trying to please the youth before them!
The youth continued his ascent, stepping steadily from sword to sword, rising into midair.
His figure was ethereal and striking, full of cool indifference.
"Hurry, notify the Sect Master!"
Chief Sword Master Dai gripped his sword hilt tightly. The blade in his hand was the Enlightenment Sword—a weapon rarely drawn except at the most crucial moments.
Seeing Evan "Nine Mysteries" Lin appear so suddenly in the Thousand-Sword Burial Ground—and remembering the Deputy Chief Sword Master, already slain by Evan—made rage surge in Chief Sword Master Dai's heart.
He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to rise from the ground, using his sword sheath to support his body as he stood up and then drew his blade.
The Enlightenment Sword was unlike the sharpness of the Southriver Sword or the blue brilliance of the Misty Rain Sword. Instead, it radiated a sense of ancient simplicity and understated power.
Sword Master Wang heard Chief Sword Master Dai's shout and tried to get up, intending to escape the Thousand-Sword Burial Ground and report to the Sect Master and the four elders.
But after only a few steps, his legs buckled—he couldn't move at all, and even his body felt beyond his own control.
"I don't care if you're Master Lin from Seacrest or Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin! If you dare step into my Southriver Sword Sect, you'd better be ready! Today, I, Dai, will demand justice for my fallen junior and the two broken Misty Rain Swords!"
Chief Sword Master Dai sprang to his feet and drew his sword, unleashing the power he'd been holding back as he shouted across the distance at the youth.
At the same time, qi force erupted wildly from his body, his Daoist robe billowing as layers of energy barriers formed around him—he radiated sharpness from head to toe.
"Evan 'Nine Mysteries' Lin! Take my sword!"
Chief Sword Master Dai roared, stomping hard on the ground to launch himself toward Evan Lin, using all his strength for a direct assault.
But before he could even charge at Evan Lin, everyone saw the youth who had been ascending on swords finally come to a stop in midair.
No one could see his face clearly; all they could do was look up at his back.
From the void above, a faint voice drifted down.
"This should be the place."
The youth murmured softly, paying no attention whatsoever to Chief Sword Master Dai's shouts behind him!
Chief Sword Master Dai's fury grew; his face darkened as he forced all his qi force into the Enlightenment Sword. The blade gleamed with even greater sharpness, and with a flash of sword light, he prepared to strike.
Evan Lin suddenly raised his right hand, reversed his grip on the Dustleave Ancient Sword, and let it fall tip-first toward the ground.
The Dustleave Ancient Sword stabbed straight into the earth. At that exact moment, all the invisible sword qi outside the Thousand-Sword Burial Ground began to boil, growing wildly agitated.
It was as if those sword qi had suddenly gained life. With the first howl of wind, countless strands of invisible sword qi surged into the Burial Ground!
The raging sword qi swept in, instantly severing all the qi force Chief Sword Master Dai had built up. He spat out a mouthful of blood, staring blankly at the scene before him, eyes filled with shock and confusion.
Within the Southriver Sword Sect, everyone knew that the invisible sword qi outside the Thousand-Sword Burial Ground had always protected the countless divine weapons buried below. Yet now, the swords inside the Burial Ground all snapped taut, turning their blades toward the youth in midair—and with a thunderous crash, clashed head-on with the invading sword qi!
All around, people cowered on the ground, trembling uncontrollably—the spectacle before their eyes had already surpassed anything they could imagine.
"This can't be right! How could this happen? Isn't the sword qi outside the Burial Ground supposed to be left behind by the broken divine swords inside, guarding the mound? Why are they fighting each other now?"
For a moment, Chief Sword Master Dai forgot to move.
Sword rain and sword qi collided in the air, unleashing waves of piercing sword cries that shook the heavens and changed the color of the sky.
Only the youth standing in midair remained untouched, his clothes unruffled amid the fierce sword light. No matter how the sword beams flashed past his temples, he stood tall and unmoved, like a mountain peak.