This rock person proved to be too formidable to catch the sword with his bare hands. Tian Wei closed his eyes as the sword hurtled back towards him with astonishing speed.
Under the command of his will, the sword came to an abrupt stop right in front of him. The sudden halt generated a recoil force that swept backward.
The energy from the sudden stop manifested as a dazzling wall of a million static sparkles and charges.
The air crackled and trembled with a mix of golden hues, emanating from the sword's excess chi energy. This wall expanded backward toward the rock person with nearly imperceptible speed, carrying the potential to annihilate everything in its path.
The sword reversed its direction, pointing back at the rock person once more.
Tian Wei raised his second finger, which had completely transformed into a golden hue, along with his body emitting a faint golden glow.
Using both his index finger and the second finger, he lightly tapped the hilt of the sword.
"Second sword," he breathed.
The shockwave produced by the tap surpassed the power of a single finger, rendering it child's play in comparison.
The labyrinthine network of canyons, spanning hundreds of kilometers, trembled under the force of the energy wave.
Fissures and crevices spread outward for kilometers, as if the very earth itself was being reshaped. The sky churned and flashed, unsettled by the surge of powers beneath it.
Ominous clouds gathered and huddled together, preparing for a retaliatory storm.
The sword darted through the sparkling air, akin to the earlier wall of static energy from the recoil. Several chains of rocks rushed toward Tian Wei, but they were instantly vaporized by the traveling wall of static recoil force.
A colossal chain materialized, composed of jagged icy boulders as large as a person.
It crashed through the receding wall of static energy and collided with the sword, as if carrying the boundless power of an immortal.
The sheer impact of the force was nothing short of apocalyptic. A wave, reminiscent of a water ripple or an ocean wave, traveled across the rigid rock earth.
Wherever it passed, the land moved as though it were liquid, as if a destructive ripple energy was coursing through it. The wave extended a few kilometers before recoiling and then explosively expanding outward in a sphere of shimmering golden energy, intermingled with dust, mist and ice.
The canyons near the epicenter of the force were obliterated, leaving a radius of at least 10 kilometers completely leveled. The force exerted was nearly ten times that of the "first sword."
The rocks and canyon walls within this radius disintegrated into fragments, caught in the devastating aftermath.
A deafening sound followed, leaving Xuan Yi and Qing Fu with ringing ears and disorienting high-pitched noises.
They were surrounded by the familiar protective golden chi dome, yet even within this impenetrable shield, they felt the destructive wave and the sound threatened to tear their eardrums apart.
The chilling cold seemed to have filled the air and gnawed on their skin.
The chain, still entangled in a small explosion of energy with the sword, began to tremble, revealing tiny fractures that propagated along its length.
Tian Wei propelled himself forward with remarkable speed, his movement causing the air to tremble and rumble. His hand grasped the sword with determination, instantly charging it with power.
The chain shattered apart as he swung in a long arc, unleashing a sweeping golden arc of chi towards the rock person.
The impact carried a force that threatened existence itself, causing fragments to break apart upon contact, leaving a small scar on the rocky chest.
"My skin is rock!" a thunderous voice boomed above all the noise.
The rock person charged through the air towards Tian Wei, tearing through the atmosphere with monstrous speed. He deftly evaded some attacks while purposefully enduring others.
"My armor is impregnable!" he roared, blocking yet another onslaught of attacks.
The rock person spun, extending his hand and fingers like a predatory cat ready to strike.
"My claws are as sharp as iron spears," he declared as he swung his hand, unleashing sharp shards of ice and stone towards Tian Wei.
Tian Wei deftly blocked with the sword, causing a series of flashes, explosions, and shockwaves.
Meanwhile, Xuan Yi and Qing Fu watched in awe from within the glittering, nearly transparent golden shield surrounding them.
"This feels like a battle among immortals. Why do I now find myself surrounded by powerful enemies?" Xuan Yi whispered in horrified disbelief.
Until now, the troubles Xuan Yi had encountered were minor issues, like speaking rudely to an old merchant or refusing to attend clan cultivation lessons.
None of those transgressions had ever resulted in anything more than a reprimand or, at most, being forced to practice the clan's God's Arrow skill a thousand times—a skill he had never even learned.
He was just an ordinary person who had ventured far from home, a mere boy until a few hours ago when he encountered a sword and its terrifying wielder.
Ever since that moment, it seemed as though he had been swept up in a relentless torrent of near-death experiences, one after another, with no respite to catch his breath.
Xuan Yi found himself caught in a whirlwind of events, each more dangerous than the last, dragging him along like an unstoppable force.
It was all too otherworldly.
Qing Fu, on the other hand, was utterly overwhelmed and unable to process everything that was happening.
Her life was already a chaotic mess, but she never anticipated finding an ally in this dire situation who had the power to unleash devastating forces capable of leveling canyons. Well, perhaps not specifically for her, but at least fighting alongside her.
Xuan Yi and Qing Fu simply stood watching with bated breath.
Engaging such a foe was beyond their capability, and even being in close proximity was enough to obliterate them.
Under the protection of Tian Wei's golden shield, they witnessed in reverent awe at gods locked in battle.