My disciples are all villains.

Without the Formation veins, the coffin was just a coffin. A man on his deathbed had nothing to fear. Gong Yuandu had made his stance clear. After the Formation veins faded away, he said in a voice that resounded throughout the Evil Sky Pavilion, "Cultivate the sword in the Daoist way…"

'Cultivate the sword in the Daoist way?' The others exchanged glances among themselves.

In the cultivation world, there were countless cultivation methods practiced by the various sects, but they were means to the same end. In principle, the cultivators would utilize the Primal Qi from their sea of Qi or their surroundings and condense it into energy. The difference laid in the beliefs of the various sects. The Confucian, Buddhist, and Daoist sects had differing opinions, therefore, there were many different cultivation methods. The Daoist sects had the greatest achievements in the way of the sword. Hence, cultivators who loved the sword would usually pick a Daoist cultivation method.

Jiang Aijian, Yun Sect's Luo Shisan, Luo Changqing, Sword Freak Chen Wenjie, and even Leng Luo and Pan Litian were of Daoist roots. They shared the same origins, but their interpretations of it were different. For this reason, the Daoist sects branched into even more sects. Some specialized in escaping, some in defense, and some in offense. Those who were inspired would come up with new paths of cultivation for the sword as well. Gong Yuandu was one of these people.

"Debate about swords?" Pan Litian laughed. "I thought you're going to fight us to the death."

The coffin was silent.

Duanmu Sheng took a deep breath and said, "Then, I have no business being here. Old Fourth is skilled in talking and squabbling, but I'm not."

'Why is a formal debate a squabble to you?'

Little Yuan'er said, "Oh, I'm not good at squabbling as well. I don't want to grow up into a woman who squabbles and hurls insults on the streets."

"…"

Leng Luo and Pan Litian looked at the coffin. They wondered what Gong Yuandu thought about this.

Pan Litian smiled and said, "I, for one, think that if we're going to have a debate about the sword, Little Yuan'er can best you."

"I agree," Leng Luo nodded.

"Me too," Zhou Jifeng and Pan Zhong said in unison.

Little Yuan'er was puzzled.

Bzzt!

The coffin vibrated slightly and made a strange sound. At this moment, a weak surge of Primal Qi condensed into energy around the coffin. Energy blades that resembled icicles hovered around the coffin and revolved around it before suddenly disappearing without a trace. It was clear that Gong Yuandu was annoyed. He said in a deep voice, "Naturally, a debate of the swords is not just verbal. It has to be put into practice as well."

"Oh?" Pan Litian was puzzled. "You're saying we're going to debate while we fight?"

"Naturally."

The others were slightly taken aback. They instantly put their guards again.

'This person must be mad!'

'He seems insane.'

Gong Yuandu said, "However, it won't be a fight to the death. A cultivator gains control over Primal Qi by progressing through Body Tempering to Mystic Enlightening. At the Dao Shaping stage of the Divine Court realm, the cultivator would be able to master the path of cultivation… Using the Dao Shaping method to control the Primal Qi of the Mystic Enlightening realm. The path of swords originated from the debate of swords."

Pan Litian laughed before he said, "I think I understand now. We're supposed to spar in the Mystic Enlightening realm without avatars or weapons, am I right?"

To put it bluntly, they would limit their cultivation bases while they compete in their understanding and skills of the swords. This was the best solution for both sides. Moreover, Leng Luo and Pan Litian's cultivation bases had yet to recover. Although Duanmu Sheng and Little Yuan'er's cultivation bases were profound, if both sides were to fight to the death, they still would not be able to gain the upper hand. After all, their opponent was a man who was about to die and had nothing to lose.

"Naturally…" As soon as Gong Yuandu finished speaking, the coffin did a backflip. It was now lying flat on the ground. One end of the coffin was longer, and it was lying in a slanted position. The taller side faced the others.

There was a black character on its surface. It seemed to be a script that was a combination of the characters for 'Imperial order'. It was unsettling to look at.

"We'll have a debate before determining the winner… Go ahead." Gong Yuandu's voice traveled out in a wave of soundwave and resounded in the entire Evil Sky Pavilion.

Hua Wudao waved his hand as he turned and said, "The juniors won't have to take part in this… At their levels, it's like pitting their insights about the path of the sword against each other. Watch and learn…"

The others cupped their fists.

Pan Litian and Leng Luo exchanged a look.

"I'll go…" Leng Luo took several steps forward after he spoke.

When he stepped into the range, energy blades that resembled icicles of varying shapes appeared around the coffin again. The irregularly shaped blades looked strange. "The origin of the path of the sword attracts Primal Qi and condenses it into energy in the form of blades. Primal Qi in the Mystic Enlightening realm can only form two energy blades at most."

As soon as Leng Luo finished speaking, all but two energy blades around the coffin vanished.

Leng Luo raised his right hand with his palm facing the skies. "Quality over quantity…" A relatively thick and huge energy blade appeared in his palm. It was also in the Mystic Enlightening realm.

When Hua Wudao saw this, he said, "This is the collision between the principles of the way of the sword… Let's see who will emerge the victor in this round."

In the next second, the energy blades at the sides of the coffin spun and shot out.

Leng Luo's energy blades shot out as well.

At this moment, the others saw the difference.

Due to the irregular shapes, the energy blades changed their trajectories while they sailed through the air. They sailed toward Leng Luo.

The coffin flipped up in a full circle at this moment. With merely the cultivation base in the Mystic Enlightening realm, Gong Yuandu dodged the attack.

Leng Luo moved swiftly and dodged one of the energy blades.

Bam!

The other energy blade changed its trajectory as well.

It was slightly surprising.

Leng Luo raised his hand. He caught the energy blade between his index and middle fingers.

The energy blade vanished.

Silence descended on the scene.

The others were baffled. They could not tell who had won. Then, they turned to look at the black coffin.

There was no extravagant battle, powerful fluctuation of Primal Qi, or cunning schemes. There was only the way of the sword.

"I've lost." Leng Luo cupped his fists. He did not want to explain himself nor did he have to.

Everyone could see that Leng Luo had been slightly careless. Carelessness or underestimating the enemy were fatal weaknesses.

When Leng Luo caught the energy blades with his fingers, he confirmed that even if he were to deal with this opponent seriously, at most, he would only be able to take a few blows. If the results were going to be the same, it was better to be direct and concede.

"…" Hua Wudao had to take on the role of explaining again. "Indeed, Senior Leng had executed the act of catching the energy blade with his fingers perfectly. Unfortunately, a Mystic Enlightening realm cultivator who had just completed Body Tempering could never catch energy blades with his bare hands. If this had been a fight between two Mystic Enlightening realm cultivators, the energy blade would have slashed his neck. Senior Leng is skilled in Dao Invisibility instead of the sword."

The others nodded.

"As expected of the greatest genius sword user of the northern capital… Energy blades of irregular shapes. I'm truly impressed…" Leng Luo stepped backward.

Pan Litian stepped forward. He first took a sip of wine from the gourd he carried around before tossing it toward Pan Zhong. "Catch." Old Pan was carefree enough to toss his weapon aside casually. "I'm not Leng Luo… He's too green, too inexperienced…"

Leng Luo remained silent. A defeat was a defeat. There was no need to justify nor explain. He was no stranger to trash talk, and he was not bothered by it.

Gong Yuandu said, "Old beggar?"

"Yes."

"On the path of the sword, the Mystic Enlightening realm gives rise to Yin and Yang, which then turns into Taiji, and in turn, the Four Phenomenon. It goes on and on, in a never-ending cycle…" Gong Yuandu said.

Pan Litian said, "If it's only the Mystic Enlightening realm, there can be only two energy blades at most. It can't even make the Four Phenomenon, let alone go on forever."

Gong Yuandu was just about to speak when Pan Litian continued to say by raising his voice, "I've gone to the south and the north, and I've seen enough sword elites. Are you trying to use energy blades to form a Sword Formation, thereby, forming the Four Phenomenon and eventually a never-ending cycle?"

"Interesting." Gong Yuandu was delighted.

"I told you… I'm not Leng Luo." Pan Litian looked at Leng Luo from the corners of his eyes as though he was gloating.

Gong Yuandu said, "Show me how you're going to deal with it then…"

Beneath the coffin, a Taiji radiant circle that spanned more than two meters appeared.

Yin and Yang intertwined. Energy blades emerged.

Leng Luo applauded. "To have accomplished this at the Mystic Enlightening realm… Old Pan, you should yield."

"Hm?" Pan Litian looked at the radiant circle on the ground and appeared shocked. He was knowledgeable and no stranger to this method. However, he had never seen any sword genius putting this to practice. Many of the studies of the sword had lost their original objectives and values. Who, under the heavens, did not care about the power and ability to kill when cultivating the sword?