After serving the big pot of rice, it was almost noon. Shen Hao wasn’t just doling out food on the way; he also spotted three fist-sized Cloud Swords. Two of them he’d already marked the general locations of earlier—though a day had passed, they hadn’t moved much. The third was a new find today.

Unlike the Dark Cloud Swords inside Caiyuan Village, all these Cloud Swords Shen Hao had set his eyes on were plain white.

He weighed the newly acquired Yanji Saber in his hand—it was exactly the same as the previous one. Once refined, it felt just as comfortable in his grip.

"I wonder what type of Cloud Sword it’ll be this time?"

Taking advantage of the fact that no Sect Cultivators had entered yet, Shen Hao adjusted his state and reached out for the Cloud Sword for a second time.

The same bizarre sensation of being sucked into another space hit him, and then, looking around, all he saw was a boundless white sea of clouds. Layer upon layer, except for a wide-open area in the center where Shen Hao stood; he was like a man standing in a sky well encircled by clouds.

This time, Shen Hao was much more confident than before. With a piece of Top-Grade Soft Armor, he could withstand even a Primordial Pill level attack—his defense had just skyrocketed several-fold for no apparent reason. Of course, the soft armor was vest-shaped, covering less than half his body, and his head was unprotected. If he lost his head, he lost everything.

"Buzz!"

Another light sound. Shen Hao’s skin prickled with goosebumps on instinct, and he quickly shifted his position, but he didn’t sense that razor-sharp attack from earlier.

When he turned around, he saw, to his surprise, that there was now another person behind him.

Golden long robe, golden crown on his head, jade-white belt at his waist, a drawn long sword in hand, its crimson tassel swaying gently.

Only, the man’s face was obscured as if by a thin veil of cloud and mist; the only thing visible was a sword-shaped crimson mark glowing faintly on his brow.

"So this time it’s a Cloud Sword Incarnation?"

Shen Hao’s mind stirred with excitement. Since advancing to the Gathering Spirit Realm, he had yet to clash with another person, let alone face an opponent nearly at his current limit.

The other raised his sword horizontally, pointing it at Shen Hao from afar, then flicked the tip up and down three times.

A sword ceremony?! Shen Hao had read about this Sword Cultivator ritual in ancient books—so old that almost nobody used it nowadays.

Then he recalled the name of this place... Sword Emperor’s Tomb... Was this Incarnation before him a projection of the Sword Emperor himself?

That thought ended there—a cold flash came first, followed by a cascade of sword blossoms.

The killing intent was hidden entirely within the opponent’s elegant sword techniques; each strike was enchanting, the sword blossoms vivid enough to draw your attention to their details without thinking.

But if you dared be distracted, you’d fall right into their trap—the very next instant, the blade’s cold tip might slash across your throat.

Shen Hao used to think highly of his own Combat Techniques—with his Yanji Saber, he rarely met his match. His style was big and bold, relying on sheer force; that was because most Saber and Combat Techniques in the Xuanqing Guard came from the military—nothing subtle or intricate, and most of the Xuanqing Guard weren’t suited for delicate forms anyway.

The swordsmanship the Cloud Sword Incarnation displayed before him dazzled Shen Hao utterly. For the first time, he truly understood the phrase "as subtle and sublime as a hornless antelope." At the same time, he was frustrated to find his proud Battle Saber Techniques looked as laughable as a toddler’s first steps in front of this level of swordplay.

Shen Hao felt completely suppressed—barely sixty percent of his full strength could come forth. If not for that Top-Grade Treasure Armor, he’d be bleeding already.

What now?

Anxiousness welled up inside Shen Hao. He could hold out for a long time thanks to the Treasure Armor, but his True Qi would eventually run dry—and the Cloud Sword Incarnation clearly had all the time in the world, enough to outlast a hundred of him without breaking a sweat.

But now he was totally dominated—how could he possibly finish this fast?

The Earth Escape Skill was utterly suppressed by the Cloud Sword Domain—once drawn into this space, there wasn’t a trace of Earth Spirit Qi to sense. No Earth Escape at all, meaning Shen Hao’s greatest mobility advantage was completely chopped away.

Palm Thunder could still be used, but that’s a close-range Magic—it only works if you land your palm and trigger it on contact. With the incantation pressed down, he simply couldn’t get close enough to even touch the enemy.

Every Talisman in his Storage Bag was suppressed by the Cloud Sword Domain too. Completely useless, as good as scrap paper.

And Shen Hao’s Saber Technique... forget it.

Which left only one move.

With a thought, Shen Hao’s brow and Sea of Consciousness began to vibrate at a special frequency. Instantly, a chain of invisible force seized toward the Cloud Sword Incarnation, targeting its Soul.

The Soul Suppressing Skill—the one Art Shen Hao could still use freely, unhindered by the Cloud Sword Domain.

The result? Shen Hao was delighted to see that, once the Soul Suppressing effect locked onto the Incarnation, the previously flawless swordplay paused—even though it broke free in a split second, there was clearly a moment of halted movement.

And that was only a half-hearted attempt—seeing such results, how could Shen Hao hold back? Instantly, he hurled a string of Soul Suppressing Chains at his opponent like he was spending money nobody else wanted.

No matter how fast you are, as long as you’re within the range of the Soul Suppressing Skill, there’s no escape from the chains; the only difference is whether you get caught and how quickly you break free. Of course, if the Soul Strength gap is too wide, one chain is enough to lock you down completely.

But though Shen Hao was thrilled, he was also baffled. By right, the Soul Suppressing Skill only works on living beings with Souls—yet this was a Cloud Sword Incarnation. Could that mean there really was a Soul hidden inside?

Questions aside, his hands didn’t stop. The barrage of Soul Suppressing Chains thoroughly disrupted the Incarnation’s elegant and precise swordplay, and Shen Hao’s brutish combat style began to drive it back, step by step.

After the time it takes two incense sticks to burn, the Yanji Saber swept in a horizontal slash across the Incarnation’s neck. There was no feeling of tearing flesh, but much like a real person, the Incarnation split in two and collapsed to the ground, dissolving into the surrounding clouds.

Just as before, the clouds began to churn. This time, though, they condensed into a booklet floating before Shen Hao.

Cultivation Technique? Or a Skill?

This time, Shen Hao didn’t rush to grab it. Instead, he moved closer and took a deep sniff—finally, he caught a faintly familiar scent.

The smell of a Soul! There was definitely a Soul hidden inside this Cloud Sword!

Shen Hao hesitated for a moment. This time, his Black Beast Tattoo didn’t react at all—no surge of beastly hunger like before. He’d only detected the scent after judging and sniffing carefully himself.

To devour, or not?

Devour. Let’s try it. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Decision made, Shen Hao wanted, for the first time, to actively use the Devouring Ability. Until now, he had no idea if he could even trigger it at will, so this was mostly experimental.

"Hiss..."

The first attempt—no effect. The second—he used more force. The third—he inhaled sharply...