Chapter 4532

Kai carved the talisman marks from memory, each stroke precise and deliberate. As he continued, the previously subdued sword puppets suddenly turned frenzied, lunging forward like ferocious beasts.
Jian Lao led several Weapon Refining Sect elders, fighting with all their strength. The long sword in Jian Lao’s hand swept through the air, forming a protective barrier to keep the sword puppets from reaching Kai. His face flushed red as he swung his sword with increasing desperation. The other elders also fought valiantly, striking down the relentless sword puppets.
With each puppet they defeated, the sword intent in the Sword Washing Pond grew stronger.
Puff! Jian Lao suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the barrier of sword light shattered under the relentless assault. His eyes turned scarlet, and he let out a fierce shout. His sword grew larger in his grip, and his body ignited like a flame. With a powerful slash, he obliterated countless sword puppets.
Yet, more and more puppets continued to appear, as if they were endless. Jian Lao and the elders were surrounded, their lives hanging by a thread.
At that critical moment, Kai completed the final stroke, and the talisman mark took shape.
Buzz! The mark descended into the center of the formation, releasing a burst of golden light. The ground shook, and eight beams of golden light shot out from the mark, converging in a brilliant display.
The golden radiance illuminated the entire Xijian Pond. The sword puppets shrieked in agony as the light touched them, instantly reducing them to ashes that dissolved into pure sword intent.
In mere moments, every sword puppet in the pond had vanished.
Jian Lao and the elders stared in disbelief at the scene before them.
“So many sword puppets… all gone?” Jian Lao murmured, stunned. The formation at the bottom of the Xijian Pond had always contained sword puppets, but nothing like this had ever happened before.
The sword puppets had always existed alongside the formation. But now, the Five Elements Bagua formation had completely eradicated them! The sheer dominance of this formation was astonishing.
Kai felt the immense power of the formation and the countless strands of sword intent surging through the Sword Washing Pond. His excitement grew. Sitting within the radiant light, he began desperately absorbing the sword intent. At the same time, the Dragon Slaying Sword also drew in the sword intent, creating whirlpools around him. The energy from all directions flowed into Kai’s body and the Dragon Slaying Sword.
Jian Lao and the others watched in awe as Kai absorbed the sword intent with abandon.
“Jian Lao, will Mr. Chen suffer backlash from absorbing so much sword intent?” an elder of the Refining Sect asked anxiously.
“I don’t think so. He’s already absorbed thousands of years’ worth of sword energy from the Sword Washing Pond before. Mr. Chen will be fine,” Jian Lao reassured, shaking his head.
The group continued watching, stunned by Kai’s frenzied absorption of the sword intent.
Just then, a voice echoed in Kai’s sea of consciousness.
“Master…”
Kai looked around and saw the sword spirit, Zhongli. The figures of Jian Lao and the others had vanished.
“Master, you’re inside the Dragon Slaying Sword now,” Zhongli explained.
“Zhongli, have you… fully recovered?” Kai asked excitedly, stepping towards her.
Zhongli nodded. “Yes.”
She gently stroked Kai’s face. “Master, did you miss me?”
“Of course I did. I came to the Refining Sect just to help you recover,” Kai said, grasping her hand.
Zhongli flowed softly into his arms.
With his beloved at his side, Kai realized it had been a long time since he practiced dual cultivation.
Meanwhile, Jian Lao and the others remained silently watching Kai, unaware that he was already immersed in dual cultivation.