This was another valley, though several times larger than the one Yang Kai had seized earlier. Mine tunnels riddled the cliff walls, and long swords of various colors shuttled in and out of them, extracting minerals.
Three Silver Swords each occupied one corner of the valley, with countless ore piles stacked before them as they devoured the energy within.
Yang Kai stood on the hillside with Lang Qingshan at his side. Behind them were the several hundred miscellaneous swords. Though their own numbers were also in the hundreds, compared to the enemy's lineup, the disparity was absolute.
The enemy had ten times their numbers. If it truly came to a fight, their few hundred swords wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between the opponent's teeth.
"My Lord, that Silver Sword in the middle should be the strongest. The ones on the left and right are a bit weaker. Judging by its coloration, the middle one should also be capable of projecting sword radiance," Lang Qingshan said from beside him.
Yang Kai grunted. Lang Qingshan wasn't wrong—these three Silver Swords varied in strength. The difference in color intensity made it obvious at a glance; the middle one was indeed stronger, its hue even more refined and dense than Yang Kai's own. The other two Silver Swords, while not as powerful as Yang Kai, were probably still above Lang Qingshan.
Of course, this assessment was based purely on the sturdiness of the blade body and the sharpness of the edge. When it came to actual combat, who was stronger wasn't necessarily set in stone.
Yang Kai had only recently ascended to the Silver Sword tier and had already slain one that could project sword radiance, relying on his own years of accumulated combat experience. These Silver Swords held their territory and strengthened themselves by devouring energy from ore—impressive enough, but how much of that power they could actually bring to bear in a fight was anyone's guess.
"How does my Lord wish to proceed? Please give your orders!" Lang Qingshan asked in a grave voice.
Yang Kai squinted as he observed the scene for a moment before slowly speaking. "Qingshan, are you confident you can hold that middle Silver Sword in check?"
The three Silver Swords each occupied a corner, giving Yang Kai the perfect opportunity to break through them one by one. The middle one was the strongest—facing it head-on would likely result in a drawn-out battle. But if he could kill the other two first, dealing with it afterward would be far easier.
"I am!" Lang Qingshan responded without a shred of hesitation.
"Then be careful. Once I've dispatched the other two Silver Swords, I'll come to your aid!" Yang Kai instructed, then turned to address the several hundred swords he had brought along and bellowed, "Charge!"
The fighting power these several hundred miscellaneous swords could bring to bear was limited. Rather than that, they would be better used as a distraction to draw attention. Even if the entire group was wiped out, Yang Kai wouldn't feel the slightest twinge of regret.
The several hundred swords hesitated timidly. On the faces of the twenty-odd Black Iron Swords leading the pack, expressions of terror were plain to see.
They possessed their own rudimentary intelligence and naturally understood what would happen if they charged straight in.
Seeing this, Yang Kai twisted his blade and shattered the two Black Iron Swords at the front. "Charge down, or I'll kill every last one of you!" he said coldly.
This bit of killing the chicken to scare the monkey had its effect. The remaining swords, though still visibly uneasy, didn't dare delay any further under Yang Kai's authority. Led by those Black Iron Swords, they surged down into the valley.
The moment they moved, the swords in the valley immediately took notice. The three Silver Swords ceased devouring the ore's energy and turned to look in their direction.
"My Lord, I'm going!" Lang Qingshan declared, then made straight for the strongest Silver Sword in the middle. He barreled forward, unstoppable in his path—his body was now of the Silver Sword tier, and swords below that level simply couldn't contend with him. He carved a corridor straight through the enemy ranks, leaving nothing but shattered sword fragments in his wake.
Seeing that the valley swords' attention had been drawn, Yang Kai set off at an unhurried pace. He didn't charge down into the valley directly, but instead ran toward another peak.
Down below, the clanging of blades was ceaseless. One by one, their several hundred swords were being destroyed. Streams of luminous energy flowed forth and poured into the bodies of their slayers, strengthening their power.
Watching this unfold, it wouldn't be long—less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense—before the entire group was wiped out. Yang Kai had anticipated this long ago and paid it no mind. He quickly reached the summit of the peak.
Leaning forward to look down, he saw a Silver Sword below focused on the battlefield, utterly unaware that danger loomed overhead.
Yang Kai vaulted into the air and slashed straight down at the Silver Sword. Wind screamed past, and sword radiance flickered from the tip like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, brimming with killing intent!
By the time the Silver Sword sensed something was wrong, it was already too late. Yang Kai's blade struck its hilt directly, and the piercing sword radiance tore through its body, shattering it to pieces.
A single strike, and the Silver Sword's life was extinguished.
This was partly due to the valley battle having captured its attention, allowing Yang Kai to launch a surprise attack, but the decisive factor was the sword radiance itself. The Silver Sword had already been slightly inferior to Yang Kai in the first place—when struck by his sword radiance, what good ending could there possibly be?
Even Yang Kai himself had nearly been cleaved in two the last time he was hit by sword radiance!
Without missing a beat, Yang Kai immediately rushed toward the other Silver Sword after destroying the first. A dense stream of light surged into his body from behind, making his own sword radiance even more refined and formidable.
Within the valley, chaos reigned. Countless swords rushed to intercept him. Yang Kai flicked his blade, sword radiance pulsing unpredictably as it continued to harvest the lives of sword after sword.
Wherever he passed, the wind carried the cries of the defeated. Trails of luminous energy followed in his wake, weaving dazzling arcs of brilliance.
That remaining Silver Sword, witnessing Yang Kai's ferocity, was clearly shaken badly. It no longer dared hold its ground and instead charged toward the Silver Sword in the center, obviously seeking its protection.