Long Chen raised a golden battle saber toward the heavens, its once-mighty form now marred with damage, showing signs of being broken.

This was Guo Ran’s battle saber, which had once destroyed countless divine weapons during the battle against the Celestial race. However, it was now too badly damaged to do anything.

Yet, as Long Chen grasped it in his hand, countless stars materialized above it. The stars danced and swayed, forming a colossal image of a saber.

BOOM!

Long Chen swung his saber downward, mirroring Yue Zifeng’s movements. The blade then cleaved through the battlefield with unparalleled force.

As the saber fell, everyone cried out in shock, including Yue Zifeng. This attack encompassed the Dragonblood warriors who were still engaged in combat.

The saber struck the ground, creating another bottomless ditch in it and annihilating countless experts of the Black Rock Nine Underworld Python race.

As the dust settled, a sense of bewilderment washed over the battlefield. Many Dragonblood warriors now hovered in the air in dumbfounded silence. Their enemies had vanished, yet they were completely unharmed, untouched by the devastating strike.

“What…?”

With just one blow, everyone stood in stunned silence. A V-shaped pattern of ditches marred the ground now, stretching beyond the horizon. The destructive force it unleashed rivaled that of Yue Zifeng’s attack, yet it selectively targeted enemies while leaving allies unharmed. The disparity in control between the two techniques was as vast as heaven and earth.

“Boss truly lives up to his title. Zifeng admits defeat,” sighed Yue Zifeng.

Long Chen laughed. “If it weren’t for my recent enlightenment, I wouldn’t have been able to imitate your technique.”

Had the Earth Cauldron not brought him to the nine star trial, allowing him to comprehend the secrets of the nine stars, Long Chen would have not been able to execute this attack.

Previously, to imitate Yue Zifeng’s attack, he would have needed to inject his astral energy into a divine weapon capable of enduring his astral energy without shattering. However, following his enlightenment into the true essence of his astral energy, Long Chen no longer relied on brute force to control it. Instead, he could now channel it with utmost finesse.

In other words, he had reached a level of mastery that balanced both strength and softness. That was why this attack did not harm Guo Ran’s damaged saber, and why the Dragonblood warriors were not injured. Even Long Chen felt proud of himself for being able to achieve such a result.

“Zifeng, you have a recent misconception,” stated Long Chen as he returned this saber to Guo Ran.

“Boss, please enlighten me,” replied Yue Zifeng hastily.

“You lost to Luo Changsheng, and you’re not willing to accept that loss. As far as I recall, you’ve never truly been defeated by someone in the same realm since you began your cultivation journey. Am I correct?” asked Long Chen.

Yue Zifeng nodded. As the Dragonblood Legion’s fourth captain, Yue Zifeng had fought alongside Long Chen for years. From the mortal world to the immortal world, he had never faced true defeat against someone from the same realm.

“This is your first defeat, so it’s a huge setback for you. Your pride is urging you to quickly get a win back against him. You’re like a gambler eager to recoup your losses, so much so that you’re willing to stake everything on turning the tables. That was why your last attack was indomitable and mighty, full of destructive will. However, I am telling you that the true Sword Dao is not a path of destruction,” said Long Chen.

Yue Zifeng nodded solemnly, acknowledging the truth in Long Chen’s words. Long Chen’s analogy served as a wake-up call for him. He realized that his pride was driving him to seek victory at any cost, to restore his sword-heart. However, he was wrong. His sword-heart had to be clear, without a speck of dust.

He could understand Long Chen’s underlying message. His recent full-power attack was, in essence, a form of defeat. It indicated the loss of confidence in his Sword Dao, as if he required Long Chen's validation before facing Luo Changsheng again.

Even Yue Zifeng couldn’t prevent his mental state from changing after experiencing defeat. He hadn't even been aware of this subtle change until Long Chen's insightful words brought it to light. He immediately calmed himself down.

“As a sword cultivator, your conviction must remain unshaken. Don’t get distracted by the chaos of the world,” remarked Long Chen as he pointed at Yue Zifeng’s sword.

Yue Zifeng’s heart shook, and he tightened his grip on his sword. A smile crossed his face. “Many thanks for your pointers, Boss. Luo Changsheng? Hehe…” Yue Zifeng laughed. All of a sudden, this name no longer felt so important to him.

“Other than that, let me ask you. Who told you the name, Wavecutter?”

“It did.” Yue Zifeng pointed at his sword.

Long Chen nodded. “Although I don’t understand the Sword Dao, there is one thing that I am sure of. Just knowing the name of this technique is not enough.”

“What?” Yue Zifeng was baffled.

“Don’t ask me. I don’t know either. You should ask it. This name cannot be for nothing,” said Long Chen, pointing at his sword. “Alright, that’s all I know. You should comprehend the rest on your own.”

Long Chen patted Yue Zifeng’s shoulder. He had Guo Ran and the others clean up the battlefield, leaving Yue Zifeng standing there alone, dazed.

When Long Chen went with Guo Ran to investigate the underground ores, Yu Qingxuan couldn’t help but ask about Yue Zifeng.

“Long Chen, will Zifeng be alright?”

“Don’t worry, Zifeng’s comprehension is beyond all our imaginations. I can’t say too much, or I might say something wrong. Let’s focus on this treasure. Guo Ran said that there was definitely treasure here. Well, his nose is sharper than a dog’s, so I’m sure he’s right.”

“Hahaha!”

Just then, they heard Guo Ran’s rambunctious laughter from deep underground.

“Saint Line Immortal Gold! And a top-grade one at that! I, Guo Ran, have never misjudged! Now you believe me, right? Hahahaha!”

Upon Long Chen's arrival, he was greeted by the sight of ore fragments as large as a human head scattered around. Guo Ran and Xia Chen’s eyes were shining brightly.

“Boss, we’ve struck gold! This is the best kind of divine material to refine Saint items! Fuck, last time we were at a disadvantage in terms of weapons. This time, I’m going to create the strongest Saint items!” declared Guo Ran, clenching his teeth determinedly.

“Don’t clench your teeth so hard that you break them. Creating Saint items will require us to at least get to the Divine Venerate realm. Otherwise, we won’t be able to inscribe the runes,” said Xia Chen immediately, dampening Guo Ran’s excitement.

“What’s there to worry about? We’re going to undergo tribulation very soon. After our tribulations, we’ll be Divine Venerate!” replied Guo Ran, undeterred.

“Tribulation? Fuck, I forgot about it!”

Long Chen suddenly slapped his leg. He had actually forgotten about a very important thing.