Chapter 108: Witnesses of the Times (Part 5)

The people of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land were overjoyed.
"Senior Brother Mu has emerged from seclusion! Senior Brother Mu is the fourth-ranked prodigy on our Southern Region's Prodigy Ranking! With him taking action, he will surely defeat this arrogant fool!"
"Can Senior Brother Mu really defeat him...?"
"He definitely will! Senior Brother Mu is the number one among the younger generation of our Heavenly Sword Holy Land!"
"..."
The many prodigies of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land placed all their hopes on Mu Wunian.
However... they had to admit that this arrogant fool who dared to challenge the younger generation of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land was simply too powerful...
Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, a vast sword aura paved a path to the heavens. At the other end of the path, a young man wearing a feathered crown strolled towards them, an ancient sword hanging at his waist. The crimson markings on it seemed to breathe, and the sword seemed to possess a life of its own!
Mu Wunian, the current Holy Son of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land, had already broken through to the Profound Realm before the age of twenty, and even wielded the legendary divine sword left behind by the Imperial Sword Dynasty, the Returning Dust Sword!
Legend has it that this sword was forged from the swordsmanship and body of the Imperial Sword Dynasty's founding emperor. The method of forging the sword has long been lost. The first sword master, Shen Daoyuan, once used this sword to fight five Quasi-Saints, killing two and severely injuring one, before ultimately dying from exhaustion. The Returning Dust Sword's whereabouts became unknown.
Ten years ago, Mu Wunian appeared out of nowhere, and the Returning Dust Sword reappeared.
Mu Wunian looked down, his sword-like brows revealing an unparalleled arrogance.
Mu Wunian, high above, surveyed the crowd. Looking at the defeated disciple of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land at Su Chen's hands, he coldly snorted, "A bunch of trash! After cultivating for so long, you can't even handle an outsider? I had to personally intervene."
His gaze then fell on Su Chen, and he said contemptuously, "So it's you who dares to challenge the younger generation of my Heavenly Sword Holy Land?"
Su Chen raised an eyebrow, somewhat incredulous that this person was truly the most outstanding disciple of this generation from the Heavenly Sword Holy Land.
The curtain falls!
Mu Wunian, thinking Su Chen was afraid, turned and said, "The dignity of my Holy Land cannot be easily insulted. If you lose to me, I need you to shatter your sword heart. Do you dare to make this bet?"
Su Chen looked at the confident Mu Wunian and chuckled, "If you lose, I need...that sword!"
Su Chen pointed to the Guichen Sword at Mu Wunian's waist, causing Mu Wunian's expression to change, but he still agreed, "Alright, if you can beat me, this sword is yours. If you lose, you must shatter your sword heart and never wield a sword again!"
Mu Wunian had absolute confidence in his strength!
Su Chen nodded, a hint of seriousness appearing in his expression. Mu Wunian's swordsmanship was at most slightly stronger than the true disciples of other Holy Lands, but when Mu Wunian grasped the sword at his waist, Su Chen felt a terrifying sword aura emanating from Mu Wunian.
Within the Returning Dust Sword, the sword comprehension of his sixth incarnation, Shen Chen, and Shen Daoyuan, has been integrated, reaching another level. Under the blessing of the two sword paths, Mu Wunian underwent a transformation. A golden sword aura emanated from Mu Wunian's body, his hair danced wildly, and the sword aura crisscrossed.
Su Chen leaped from his white horse, his green robes fluttering, the long sword at his waist drawn. Calm as still water, devoid of any unusual phenomena, it resembled an ordinary mortal weapon, yet it made Mu Wunian feel as if facing a formidable enemy.
This sword intent... was ever-changing and intricately complex.
In an instant, their sword energies clashed, their sword intents clashing, forming a terrifying sword energy barrier around them. The dense, interwoven sword energies made it impossible to discern the situation within, but everyone knew it was bound to be a fierce battle.
Mu Wunian couldn't understand why his terrifying divine abilities were always so easily neutralized by Su Chen's simple sword strikes—slashes, cuts, parries—each strike seemingly ordinary, yet containing extraordinary power.
"Why...why is this happening..."
In her anxiety, Mu Wunian poured all her vital energy into the Guichen Sword, hoping to win by harnessing its power. Seeing this, Su Chen's eyes widened in disappointment. He held the sword horizontally before his chest, and then the heavens shifted, revealing an unbelievable scene to everyone.
Within the Heavenly Sword Holy Land, all the swords seemed to resonate, bowing in a certain direction—a sight that defied belief.
"This...this is the Dao of Sincerity!"
"How is this possible? How could this young man have reached this level of swordsmanship at such a young age? Even that Sword Madman wasn't like this..."
"We all underestimated this young man! Just who is this?"
"..."
The swordsmanship was flawless. With this single strike from Su Chen, everything in the world seemed to lose its color, leaving only a gray hue. With a tearing sound as if space itself were shattering, color returned to the world, except for a disheveled figure covered in blood lying on the ground.
Mu Wunian was utterly bewildered... He had actually lost...
"It must be the sword in your hand... You must have relied on the advantage of the sword!"
Mu Wunian roared in despair.
However, as his words fell, he saw the 'divine sword' in Su Chen's hand, which he considered far superior to the Guichen Sword, slowly dissipating.
Su Chen said regretfully, "Swords bought with a single spirit stone are indeed of poor quality. Luckily, I won a sword; it can serve as a substitute."
To Mu Wunian's disbelief, Su Chen raised his hand and waved it, the Guichen Sword falling from the ground into Su Chen's hand. Mu Wunian didn't even have time to react before he heard Su Chen's words:
"I won the bet. Now this sword is mine."
"Also, your swordsmanship is dishonest... You rely too much on external objects, and your thoughts are too numerous."
Su Chen sheathed the Guichen Sword and prepared to leave the Heavenly Sword Holy Land.
His purpose had been achieved: single-handedly crushing the younger generation of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land. Although he hadn't killed a single one, for a young and impetuous swordsman, it was tantamount to breaking their edge, snapping their spine, and forever tarnishing their sword hearts.
Cripple the younger generation of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land!
Su Chen, riding his white horse with Hu Miaomiao in tow, planned to leave the Heavenly Sword Holy Land directly.
At that moment, turning back, the void ahead suddenly cracked open, revealing another scene: a sword platform, upon which sat a young man, his gaze calmly fixed on Su Chen. This single glance sent a chill down Su Chen's spine.
He seemed to see Cao Tianming from back then, that genius devoted to the sword...
The people of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land greeted the young man with utmost respect, saying, "Holy Son!"
The young man nodded, looking at Su Chen: "You and I are not from the same era. If I were to attack you, it would be bullying the weak, and even if I won..."
"But you must know, my Heavenly Sword Holy Land is not without those who have reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship. You alone are not qualified to break the backbone of my Heavenly Sword Holy Land's swordsmanship!"
"Wang Chen, convey these words to Wang Yunfei. Ten years from now, I will definitely travel to Zhongzhou to personally seek guidance from Wang Yunfei!"
After speaking, the space healed, and the young man never made a move.