Outside the ancient village, in a desolate area, flashes of sword light flickered, and bursts of terrifying fluctuations continuously spread outwards.
Most of the villagers stood at the edge, watching the battle in the arena with great interest.
In the arena, Li Xiaotian held a long saber, facing an old man who also wielded a long saber.
However, Li Xiaotian was relentlessly attacking, while the old man opposite him used his saber techniques to deflect Li Xiaotian's attacks.
Furthermore, the old man handled the situation with ease, appearing very relaxed.
The old man was a powerhouse of the Gu family, the current patriarch, Gu Wentian, and the father of Gu Qing.
"Tsk tsk, this Li Xiaotian is indeed worthy of being called the number one person of this era. The fact that he has comprehended our Gu family's Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique to this extent in such a short time is truly astonishing."
At the edge, an old man squatted on a large rock, smoking his pipe and commenting.
"However, he hasn't fully grasped it. The form is there, but the spirit is missing. There's still some way to go."
Someone beside him interjected, shaking his head slightly with a hint of disdain.
"Ahem, Third Uncle, Young Friend Li has only been practicing the Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique for less than half a year, and during this period, he has had no one to guide him. To comprehend it to this degree is already quite remarkable."
Gu Qing said, feeling a sense of admiration. When he practiced the Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique back then, he had elders to guide him and peers to spar with, and even then, it took him three years to reach the level Li Xiaotian had achieved.
Entry-level!
Indeed, Li Xiaotian's current Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique could only be considered entry-level. But do not underestimate this entry-level. Many in the Gu family had been stuck at this stage for generations, never even entering the threshold.
After all, the Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique was created by the Gu family's invincible ancestor. It was an invincible saber technique. Merely learning a superficial aspect of it would allow one to look down upon most saber users in the world.
"Buzz!"
In the arena, the long saber in Li Xiaotian's hand hummed. With a solemn expression, he looked at Gu Wentian opposite him and spoke.
"Senior, be careful. This is the seventh saber!"
"Heh heh, Young Friend Li, there's no need to worry. Feel free to unleash it."
Gu Wentian said with a smile, his aura stable, not at all like someone who had just been fighting.
"Boom!"
The long saber in Li Xiaotian's hand suddenly erupted with a terrifying aura. The sharp saber energy caused the surrounding temperature to drop instantly.
"Buzz buzz buzz!!!"
The long saber emitted bursts of humming, and around the saber, space rippled like the surface of water.
"Crack! Crack!"
A series of explosive sounds rang out, piercingly sharp.
At the same time, the villagers watching at the edge instinctively retreated. Gu Qing and other villagers whose strength had reached the peak of the Emperor level stood at the very front, unleashing their auras to resist the terrifying pressure emanating from Li Xiaotian's saber strike.
"The seventh saber! Does Li Xiaotian's internal energy seem inexhaustible?"
Gu Qing's Third Uncle exclaimed involuntarily, his expression filled with shock.
It was known that each strike of the Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique was stronger than the last. The power of each saber strike was the sum of the previous ones, and likewise, the energy required was also the sum of the previous ones.
And Li Xiaotian had unleashed seven consecutive saber strikes. The energy consumed by his body must have been immense.
Yet, Li Xiaotian's aura remained strong at this moment, showing no sign of weakening, which indicated that his internal energy was vast.
"Boom!"
At this moment, Li Xiaotian's saber strike had been unleashed. Wherever it passed, space tore open a narrow rift, and a surge of violent air current rushed out from it.
As Li Xiaotian's long saber drew closer, Gu Wentian unhurriedly raised the saber in his hand and said to Li Xiaotian.
"Young Friend Li, watch closely. The Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique is not just about learning to strike, but also about using the saber to overcome the saber!"
Gu Wentian held his long saber and casually swung it upwards. There was no energy fluctuation during this movement, giving a very weak impression.
"Clang!"
A sharp sound of metal collision rang out, making people's ears buzz.
But then, an incredible scene unfolded.
Li Xiaotian's saber was surrounded by shattered space, with terrifying energy overflowing, giving a sense of doom.
On Gu Wentian's side, the scenery remained as it was, everything appearing calm, completely unaffected by the fluctuations generated by Li Xiaotian's seventh saber strike.
It was as if space had been divided, with one side being a doomsday and the other a beautiful landscape.
"This!?"
Seeing this, Li Xiaotian was startled and stared intently at Gu Wentian's saber.
It was just a very ordinary saber, not a divine weapon, yet Gu Wentian used it to block his attack.
One must remember that Li Xiaotian's saber was a Heavenly-grade weapon!
No! But then, Li Xiaotian frowned deeply, staring fixedly at Gu Wentian's long saber.
At first glance, the saber appeared extremely ordinary, with no energy fluctuations. But if one sensed it carefully, it induced a sense of dread.
All the energy was contained within, with not a trace leaking out, which was why it appeared ordinary.
Li Xiaotian analyzed in his heart, filled with shock. The saber was ordinary, but because Gu Wentian's control over energy was so precise, not a single wisp of energy was wasted.
However, this alone could not block his seventh saber strike. Li Xiaotian shook his head slightly. Although Gu Wentian was a veteran powerhouse, his strength was comparable to Granny Yue'e.
But it was impossible for him to block his seventh saber strike so easily. This was not him doubting Gu Wentian's strength, but his confidence in his own strength, including his confidence in the Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique.
With this thought, Li Xiaotian focused his mind, sensing Gu Wentian's saber carefully. Gradually, his eyes lit up.
The saber in Gu Wentian's hand was vibrating rapidly. Although it appeared stationary, the amplitude of its vibration was very small, and its speed was extremely fast, which gave people the illusion of stillness.
Moreover, the scene around Gu Wentian seemed unchanged, but Li Xiaotian was certain that if anyone were to intrude into that space at this moment, they would be torn to shreds by the terrifying saber energy.
"Swish!"
With this thought, Li Xiaotian waved his hand and threw a stone towards Gu Wentian's side.
"Rumble!!!"
Instantly, the space behind Gu Wentian was shrouded in dense saber energy, and the space shattered into small pieces.
And that stone, in an instant, turned to dust.
"Not bad!"
Seeing this, Gu Wentian nodded. Without any visible action from him, the space behind him instantly returned to calm.
"Using the saber to overcome the saber? Absolute control over power?"
Li Xiaotian asked, frowning again. There was still something he hadn't figured out about this saber strike.
"Hmm?"
Hearing this, Gu Wentian's eyes lit up, and he showed a look of admiration. He knew Li Xiaotian's talent was extraordinary, but experiencing it firsthand still made him unable to help but be amazed.
One must know that his Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique had long reached the perfect level, and this was after tens of thousands of years of refinement.
But the fact that Li Xiaotian could discern this from just one exchange truly astonished him.
"Young Friend Li, have you ever considered that the Heaven-Slaying Saber Technique is actually just one saber strike?"
With this thought, Gu Wentian asked, wanting to see if Li Xiaotian could still surprise him.
"Just one saber strike?! How is that possible!!!"
Li Xiaotian exclaimed in surprise, a flicker of confusion and doubt in his eyes. The Thirteen Strikes of Heaven-Slaying were actually just one strike?
But each strike had a different power, and each was stronger than the last. How could it be just one strike?
Furthermore, if it were truly just one strike, what would be its power?
The first strike? Or the thirteenth strike? Or was it controlled by the user themselves?