This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

A soft exclamation broke the silence brought by the trampling of iron hooves. Following the hooves, the rumbling of wheels drew near, and first appeared two banners: one with the character for blood, the other with the character for war.

"This Yong'an of the Great Qian Dynasty is quite interesting. There are really some fearless people here who dare to break through their cultivation realm by borrowing our battle intent? Are you really not afraid of death?"

The voice was soft as a gentle breeze and drizzle, but to the ears of Yong'an City it sounded like a thunderclap. The second voice that followed was filled with chilling killing intent, a sharp and confrontational retort.

"You barbarian, you don't actually think I wouldn't dare keep you here, do you? You think you can kill this boy right under my nose? Heh, you think you've got guts?"

"Zhan Aotian, since I dared to come here, I'm not afraid of you. I was personally invited by your Martial Emperor. If you dare to kill me, don't blame me for trampling the Great Qian Dynasty with my mighty iron hooves. If you want to fight me head-on, do you think I'm afraid of you?"

"That makes things easier. Let's have a battle right here beneath Yong'an City and see if your wild iron hooves are stronger or my War General's iron swords are tougher."

"I'm not afraid of you. I won't stop until I've beaten you to a pulp."

No one expected that a war would break out right outside the gates of the Great Qian Kingdom. The last time a war was fought here was when the Dali army reached the walls of Yong'an City. On that day, Xiao Jianxian swung his sword, causing mountains to crumble and the earth to split, flames to erupt, and burying hundreds of thousands of soldiers in an instant.

At this moment, countless people's memories were drawn back to a century ago, to the extraordinary figures who could have accomplished such a world-shaking feat.

Now, before the War General's Mansion has even entered the capital, it has already faced a bloody battle in the wilderness.

As the smoke and dust completely dissipated, the scene behind the flag was revealed.

Behind the blood-red flag, a massive carriage appeared, upon which sat a middle-aged man dressed in a large fur coat. At each of the four corners of the carriage, four guards drew their swords, pointing them to the opposite side.

On the other side, warhorses neighed, and a figure fully encased in armor appeared, the battle banner beside him identifying him.

Zhan Aotian, the only War General of the Great Qian Dynasty, has been stationed in the Northern Region for nearly a century, thus halting the advance of the wild hordes north of the Northern Region.

Behind him stood a dense forest of warhorses, each brimming with a chilling aura. Even from a great distance, the overwhelming killing intent emanating from them felt like a sharp pain cutting through the skin.

In the midst of this life-or-death struggle between the two groups, the boy who should have been trampled to death stood between them.

The boy's broken sword was still raised in the air, pointing the way he had come. It seemed that the entanglement between the War Commander's Mansion and the Wilderness had been completely separated into two groups with this sword strike.

Many people didn't understand what had happened, but a small number of people figured it out.

"What's this? Could it be what I'm thinking? Is this boy courting death?"

Someone exclaimed, staring in disbelief at the young figure at the very center of the murderous aura.

"That boy didn't die? How did that happen?"

Numerous questions began to arise, and this incongruous scene instantly attracted a lot of attention.

"That boy is drawing battle intent into his body; that's suicidal. He won't live long."

Someone explained it as follows:

What is "Battle Intent Entering the Body"?

"It involves drawing upon the overwhelming malevolent energy of the War General and the Wilderness, introducing it into one's own body, and using this as a means to embark on the path of cultivation. There are quite a few people who use this method, but most of them end up exploding and dying. The fighting spirit itself is illusory, but that malevolent energy is very real. Often, the host cannot withstand the invasion of the malevolent energy, and either goes insane or dies."

"I see. Then how come this boy is still unharmed?"

A host of questions arose, but Daji laughed as she listened. She then transmitted her voice to Xiao Xingchen again.

"The condensation of the Divine Embryo by your fighting spirit not only means that you are embarking on a path that has never been seen before, but also that your future path will inevitably be fraught with peril. All living beings in the world are confined to the realm of Heaven and Earth, but only the Divine Embryo can transcend Heaven and Earth. The day the Divine Embryo is born will be the countdown to the great calamity. Now, have you made your decision? Do you wish to condense the Divine Embryo?"

"I still don't understand what you're saying. Do you mean that once I condense my divine embryo, a calamity will befall me?"

Xiao Xingchen had already felt the starlight of battle intent filling his entire body. For some reason, upon closer inspection, he discovered that the abundant battle intent within him didn't all come from the outside; a large portion actually originated from deep within his own body. This already puzzled him, and now Daji's words had further awakened him.

"Yes, the birth of a divine fetus is intolerable to heaven and earth. This is a path that no one has walked before. Once you embark on it, it means that there will be a new type of sword immortal, called the Battle Sword Immortal. The battle sword is unstoppable. Once it is fully mastered, it can cleave the heavens and shatter the earth. However, the hardships you will experience along the way will also increase exponentially. I'm giving you another chance to consider. Do you really choose to walk this path?"

"Do I have any other choice?" Xiao Xingchen smiled helplessly. In this situation, he had no choice but to accept his fate. He couldn't just let himself be trampled by iron hooves, could he?

He didn't understand what Daji was saying—the sword immortal, the calamity. He only knew the present: if he didn't do something, he would truly have to go back to the womb and be reborn.

"Yes, if you don't want to go down this path, I will naturally take you away and let you live a peaceful life as an ordinary person. I can do that too."

Daji's voice was filled with solemnity and seriousness, which made Xiaoxingchen realize that the choice he was facing might be an extremely difficult one, a crucial turning point in his life.

What do you think I should choose?

He left this choice to Daji, which startled her, and she sighed.

"We need a swordsman,"

"Alright, then help my divine embryo take shape,"

"Aren't you going to ask why?"

“No need. Since you need it, I’ll take the gamble. Although I know the sword you speak of means a near-death experience, I don’t believe in fate, and besides, I want to find my way home.”

Xiao Xingchen didn't press Daji about who "we" were, nor did he continue to inquire about Zhan Jianxian's whereabouts. Becoming a sword immortal and possessing his own power was, after all, his deepest desire.

The first eight transmigrators died before becoming sword immortals, so I, the ninth one, must taste what it's like to be a sword immortal for them.

Moreover, Daji is mysterious. Even she speaks to him so cautiously, so this Sword Immortal must be strong. How could he let go of such an opportunity?

"Alright, since you've agreed, I will assist you on your path of swordsmanship."

Mysterious symbols suddenly appeared in Daji's eyes, and the language mark in Xiao Xingchen's mind also surfaced.

The language seal began to emanate the same mystery as in Daji's eyes, and this mysterious symbol spread throughout his body through the language seal.

A fighting spirit and a sense of mystery intertwined, both converging towards the area below his heart.

With fighting spirit as its soul and mystery as its body, a small, infant-like form slowly began to materialize.

To an outsider, Xiao Xingchen appeared completely different; he simply stood there, seemingly dazed. However, a dramatic transformation was already taking place within his body.

As the divine embryo took shape, Xiao Xingchen was unaware that when the Martial Emperor extracted the human sword, the star that had exploded in his mind had appeared in his eyes, seemingly replacing his pupils and becoming his new eyes.

This startled Daji, who was controlling the mysterious fusion of the divine embryos. For some reason, she felt a surge of immense power flash by just now.

Even as the Demon Emperor, she was deeply shaken by that power—a profound and boundless desolate force. This made her even more certain that the young man before her was the one she was searching for.

He was poisoned by the Qi of destiny, and his fighting spirit took shape upon entering his body. Even his power entered his spiritual realm without being rejected in the slightest.

It's important to understand that the repulsive force between different powers is extremely intense. For anyone else here, the sheer killing intent alone would have been enough to burst them apart. However, that killing intent seemed to have found its nemesis, automatically filtered by Xiao Xingchen's body. The power that invaded his body was entirely pure fighting intent, which led to the remarkably smooth formation of his divine embryo.

This was beyond Daji's expectations. She had prepared for the worst, as a divine fetus was equivalent to transcending the world of Heaven and Earth, a taboo in this realm. Yet, with Xiao Xingchen, everything seemed to fall into place naturally.

"Who is he?"

Daji couldn't help but ask herself, what kind of freak had she encountered?