WHAT! I Have To Kill Heaven's Son To Live!

The four subordinates of the scarred man moved instantly, their figures blurring as they unleashed a coordinated assault, swords flashing and Spiritual Qi crackling through the air.

Yang Lie stood motionless, his eyes narrowing as a calm, deadly focus settled over him. "So predictable," he murmured.

With fluid grace, Yang Lie drew his sword in a single, seamless motion. The Sword hummed as he deftly blocked each attack, his movements flowing like a river in full control of its course.

Parrying strike after strike with effortless precision, he moved as if dancing between raindrops, dodging deadly slashes with uncanny agility.

In an instant, he distanced himself from his attackers, his eyes calm but alert as he prepared to counter.

Just then, his senses flared. His Physique instinctively recoiled, sensing the deadly danger. A surge of violent Spiritual Qi roared toward him from behind—Yellow Aura entwined with Sword aimed straight for his neck.

"Eat my Refinement-Stage Sword Aura, bastard!" the scarred man bellowed, his voice brimming with triumph.

Yang Lie spun at the last possible moment, his reflexes a razor-thin margin from disaster.

The sword aura grazed his cheek, drawing a crimson line as the burning energy seared the air around him. Blood trickled down his face in a thin stream, warm against his skin.

The ground behind him, several meters wide, shattered into a jagged crater under the devastating pressure of the scarred man's strike, dust and splinters flying as though a storm had been unleashed.

"Damn it!" Yang Lie's thoughts raced, his heart pounding. "When did that bastard manifest his Sword Aura? If I'd been a second slower... my neck would've been on the ground."

"Ha! You survived my strike imbued with Sword Aura!" the scarred man sneered, triumph twisting his expression into a mask of contempt.

"But the next strike will split you in half!" He raised a hand and gave a sharp signal. Four figures surrounding Yang Lie moved with deadly precision, circling to attack from behind.

Yang Lie exhaled slowly, his grip tightening around his sword. His eyes flashed with cold resolve. "You're right... I underestimated you. You're not an Inner Sect disciple for nothing. But..."

His lips curled into a dangerous smirk. "I think it's time I get serious."

In a single heartbeat, a torrent of pure Spiritual Qi surged from his Initial Dantian nestled within his lower abdomen.

"What are you fools waiting for? That bastard's up to something—attack him now!" the scarred man roared, desperation lacing his command.

But it was already too late.

Spiritual Qi erupted from Yang Lie in a thunderous wave, swirling around him like a raging tempest before transforming into a radiant Golden Aura that began to coil gracefully around his sword.

A radiant glow enveloped his body as he activated the Physique he had awakened just days earlier within the Mystic Evergreen Forest.

His skin and bones thrummed with Spiritual energy—the legendary Peerless Sword Body. The very air around him crackled and quaked.

Golden threads of energy spiraled from his sword, transforming into a blinding aura of pure cutting power—Golden Sword Aura.

"W-W-WHAT!?" The scarred man's mocking grin faltered, his eyes widening in disbelief. His voice, once filled with scorn, now trembled with terror.

"P-P-Peerless Sword Body... and... G-G-Golden Sword Aura!?" His thoughts spiraled into chaos, terror gripping his heart.

Behind Yang Lie, the four disciples froze mid-attack, their confidence shredded by fear. Murmurs of panic rippled through them as they exchanged frantic glances, their courage dissipating like mist under a rising sun.

From a distance, a shadowed figure concealed among the towering branches of the trees gasped, his eyes narrowing with intense focus.

In his hand, a Shadow Recording Stone pulsed faintly, capturing every moment of the unfolding battle.

"Terrifying… Truly terrifying.," he whispered, a chill running down his spine. "No wonder he's drawn so much attention within the sect. Even at the Sect Disciple Selection Ceremony, there were whispers among the Elders—some, even the Great Elders, entertained thoughts of making him their personal Direct Disciple."

He paused, his grip tightening around the stone. "Though tradition forbids it until one officially becomes an Inner Sect disciple, their eagerness speaks volumes."

His gaze sharpened further as Yang Lie's golden radiance illuminated the grove. "So, it's true… he possesses the Peerless Sword Body," the figure murmured in awe.

"A Heavenly Physique that appears once every ten thousand years, the very same as that of the Supreme Dao Sect's founder—crafted for those destined to master the sword. It is a rare gift that amplifies one's affinity with the sword a hundredfold, or perhaps even more, depending on the individual. And that... Golden Sword Aura…" His throat went dry as he drew a deep, measured breath to steady himself.

"In the long history of the Supreme Dao Sect, spanning hundreds of thousands of years, only two individuals have ever awakened the Golden Sword Aura. Three others have wielded the Golden Saber Aura, and only a single person —the Sect Master's own daughter in the current generation—has awakened the Golden Spear Aura. Now, Yang Lie stands as the third to manifest the legendary Golden Sword Aura."