The old man’s expression shifted the moment he heard Ye Fan’s words. "What do you want with the Wudang Sword Saint?" he asked.

This result was truly unexpected. Ye Fan hadn’t anticipated the old man would actually know of the Sword Saint; otherwise, he wouldn’t have answered that way.

"Nothing special," Ye Fan said. "I’m just here to settle a score with him."

The old man’s heart stirred. "You should leave," he said. "The Wudang Sword Saint is no longer here. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve come seeking his swordsmanship."

"I can tell you that he’s already dead. If you want to learn swordsmanship, you had better look elsewhere." The old man’s reply was straightforward, but he had misunderstood Ye Fan’s intentions.

"You jest, Senior," Ye Fan replied. "I’m not here to learn the sword; I’m here to settle a score. Settling a score is fundamentally different from learning swordsmanship."

The old man set down his fishing rod. "Oh? What score could you have with him that you’ve waited a thousand years to settle?"

"Of course, it’s the score from the Spirit Suppressing Domain," Ye Fan said. "They suffered and guarded it fiercely. Meanwhile you, despite having clearly met the standard to be one of the Spirit Suppressing People, sat back and reaped the benefits in the Human Clan’s secular world. You refused to set foot in that domain out of the fear in your heart. That is the score. I am here to collect this debt on behalf of all the Spirit Suppressing People who died in battle!"

Ye Fan leveled his sword at the old man, now certain that this was the Wudang Sword Saint.

The old man stood up at once, his powerful aura beginning to radiate from his body. "So that’s how it is," he said indifferently. "Then you shouldn’t have come. I no longer concern myself with the affairs of the world. Don’t try to burden me with such moral duties. I cannot bear them."

"I know you can’t bear them," Ye Fan countered, "but let me ask you one thing. You fled the war all those years ago and have lived with guilt for a millennium. Now you guard this Clear Lake, living each day in terror, not knowing when you’ll die, like a man without a soul. Do you truly have no regrets?"

"Regrets?" the Wudang Sword Saint scoffed. "Even if I have them, it is no sin. At least I have lived a thousand years longer than those short-lived fools who rushed to their deaths!"

Humans, after all, fear death. Even a top swordsman like the Wudang Sword Saint was no exception. His answer was a great disappointment to Ye Fan.

At that moment, Ye Fan declared, "Then I summon you now in the name of the Spirit Suppressing Domain to join the fight and protect this crumbling homeland!" He took out the token Zhuang Zhou had given him.

But the Wudang Sword Saint merely said, "I am old. I don’t want to go again. Please leave. In consideration of your purpose for the Spirit Suppressing Domain and the Human Clan, I will spare your life."

Ye Fan, however, just laughed, a wild and arrogant sound. "Since you’re living a life that is neither human nor ghost, perfectly willing to wait for death by this lake, then allow me to end your suffering once and for all!"

"Ignorant junior, you dare to attack me?" the Wudang Sword Saint rebuked him.

"Draw your sword," Ye Fan said. "More words are useless. They say your swordsmanship is unrivaled, but I doubt it."

"Hmph! Boy, I gave you a chance to live. Since you don’t cherish it, you have only yourself to blame! Over the last thousand years, countless ignorant juniors like you have come, ordering me to go to the Spirit Suppressing Domain. Their corpses now lie silent at the bottom of this Clear Lake!" the Wudang Sword Saint said coldly.

Ye Fan became furious. So, I’m not the only one who has tried to uphold this duty over the centuries. He killed all of them. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

He shouted, "I might have felt some guilt about killing you before, but now, I feel none at all!" He immediately attacked with the Yuanhong Sword.

"Break!"

A powerful Sword Qi shot forward.

The Wudang Sword Saint leaped into the air. Under the force of Ye Fan’s strike, the surface of Clear Lake exploded, sending a plume of water a hundred meters into the sky. As the water rained back down, the Wudang Sword Saint made his move. He cast off his rain cape and straw hat, revealing an ancient, rusted sword. Despite its age, its aura remained incredibly sharp. Without a doubt, it was an exceptional blade.

He now stood upon the surface of Clear Lake, facing Ye Fan.

Wasting no more words, Ye Fan raised the Yuanhong Sword and charged.

"Returning to the Sect Sword!"

As his sword slashed down, the Wudang Sword Saint unleashed the Wudang Thirty-Six Sword to block the attack. Their great battle, destined to shake the world, had begun.

Endless Sword Intent surged between them. Forget ordinary people; even a Saint-level expert caught between the two would be torn to shreds.

"Wudang Thirty-Six Sword!"

"Cross and Diagonal Sword Technique!"

This was a clash of the Sword Dao. While this level of swordplay might not be considered top-tier in the Martial Arts World, in the Human Clan’s secular world, it was the absolute pinnacle.

The Wudang Thirty-Six Sword was nearly flawless. Each strike possessed a unique advantage, and every move was capable of dominating a foe and delivering a killing blow. A thousand years ago, he had used this very technique to sweep across the world, earning him the title of the world’s number one swordsman. Now, the Wudang Thirty-Six Sword had reappeared. If the rest of the world knew, it would surely be shaken. The Wudang Thirty-Six Sword was the ultimate goal for countless swordsmen, who pursued it their entire lives just for the chance to master it and become a premier swordsman.

Each of the Wudang Thirty-Six Sword’s strikes appeared simple, but within that simplicity lay complexity, and within that complexity was a fierce, murderous power.

Even Ye Fan had to admit his admiration for the Wudang Thirty-Six Sword. However, he was far more confident in his own Slaughter King Sword, Yuanhong.

"Slaughter Sword Dao!" Ye Fan bellowed, and a bloody aura filled the sky, surging with palpable energy.

But the Wudang Sword Saint was dismissive. "How presumptuous. You walk the Demon Path and think a mere Demon Sword can defeat me? You are far too naive." He continued to press his attack with the Wudang Thirty-Six Sword.

"And how would you know that this is a Killing Sword?" Ye Fan retorted with disdain. "If not for this sword and its ancient master, do you think you could have clung to life for a thousand years?"

The bloody aura was potent, carrying with it an endless killing intent. When the full pressure of the Slaughter Sword Dao bore down, the Wudang Sword Saint’s Wudang Thirty-Six Sword was instantly suppressed.

The Wudang Sword Saint was shocked. This was the first time in his entire career that his swordsmanship had been overpowered, and it infuriated him. In response, a stream of light flew from his Wudang Sword. The blade was sentient—a Spirit Sword. This was a concept Ye Fan understood well, for his own Yuanhong Sword was just such a weapon.

"Worthless!" Ye Fan shouted. "Break!"

The immense pressure of the Slaughter Sword Dao slammed down, exploding over Clear Lake. When the tumult subsided, the Wudang Sword Saint’s right hand was trembling. It wasn’t just trembling—it was bleeding. Blood flowed steadily from his arm, and he felt a wave of agonizing pain.

The Wudang Sword Saint never imagined that this young man could actually injure him. It was something he had never anticipated.

Ye Fan looked at him with contempt. This self-important old fool who thinks he’s the best in the world needs to be taught a harsh lesson. The Wudang Sword Saint is a self-righteous man who sees himself as a transcendent being, but everything he has done is unforgivable to the Spirit Suppressing People and to me.

"You are not worthy of the title ’Sword Saint’!" Ye Fan said coldly.