When he saw that this slash couldn’t cut through You Tianhong’s sword curtain, he didn’t hesitate to try again.

“The second attack, Splitting Mountains and Seas!”

A streak of indomitable sword qi shot through the air.

Su Yi didn’t pause in the slightest. He attacked in rapid succession.

“The third attack, Plucking Suns and Moons!

The fourth attack, Demarcating Purity!

“The fifth attack, Wandering the Ten Directions!”

One strike after another, all containing the profundity of the Rejoicing Sword Sutra, appeared after another. Su Yi was free and unrestrained, like an immortal dancing with his sword. Sword shadows overlapped, filling the air above Ocean View Plateau. 

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With each slash that descended, You Tianhong’s hundred-foot sword curtain took devastating damage. In just a few blinks of an eye, it burst apart.

You Tianhong’s expression changed dramatically, and he repeatedly retreated.

But how terrifying was Su Yi’s sword qi? It enveloped him on all sides, quickly cutting off all possible escape routes.

It was at that moment that—

The Great Qin’s Sword Monarch Tianhong bellowed, and startling cold light shot out of his eyes. He suddenly raised Silversnow, man and blade practically forming a single, uninterrupted line.

In the end, he seemed to fuse with the entirety of Nine Millet Mountain. His aura linked with heaven and earth, and he drew upon his mind, qi, and essence to unprecedented extremes. 

“Netherworld Lightning Killing Strike!” With a shout that shook the heavens, You Tianhong swung his sword into the sky, unleashing a startling, several-hundred-foot streak of vast white sword qi. 

In this attack, he set aside all concern for his own body. He had no fear of death!

It was just one attack, but it concentrated all of You Tianhong’s power into his sword. He was like a fearless warrior; he would succeed in killing his foe even if it killed him, or he’d die trying!

Rumble!

From Ocean View Plateau, it looked as if heaven and earth were collapsing in on themselves. Explosive, destructive currents of sword qi swept forth, scattering in all directions.

The shape of the mountain couldn’t take the pressure, and it suddenly caved in and split. A large chunk fell down the mountainside, rocks pouring down like rain. 

The distant onlookers felt their eyes sting as the mountain shook beneath their feet. They couldn’t help but feel astonished. 

The Earthly Immortals standing closest to the battlefield had to circulate their cultivations to disperse the resulting shockwaves.

When You Tianhong saw that his attack was breaking through Su Yi’s layered sword qi, he was just about to sigh in relief when—

Whoosh!

Su Yi struck again without hesitation.

The Rejoicing Sword Sutra’s sixth attack, Severing Melancholy!

“This is bad!” You Tianhong’s heart shook. He sensed how dangerous this attack was, but it was too late to dodge. Furthermore, the fundamental nature of the Netherworld Lightning Killing Strike wouldn’t allow him to even consider fleeing.

If he did, the power he’d condensed, more than he’d ever called upon before, would inevitably fall apart.

“Break!” You Tianhong’s eyes bulged, and he went to meet the attack head-on.

Boom!

An unprecedented blast went off above Ocean View Plateau.

Like two volcanos crashing into each other. 

Su Yi’s slash was the core killing strike of the Rejoicing Sword Sutra. It cleaved emotional blockages, and broke through everything in its path!

Not even You Tianhong could stop it!

When these two disparate Sword Daos clashed, Su Yi’s sword broke through the Netherworld Lightning Killing Strike without losing power. It continued directly toward the energy barrier shielding You Tianhong, cutting through it and slashing into his chest.

Clang!!

The sound of metal against metal rang out, and a heart-protecting mirror burst apart. It blocked that otherwise fatal attack, but only just barely.

However, the impact nevertheless struck You Tianhong, who coughed up blood as his chest caved in. The force sent him flying several dozen feet back, and the color drained from his face. 

Meanwhile, the aftershock spread across Ocean View Plateau.

Rumble!

Nine Millet Mountain shook; it seemed it couldn’t handle the impact. Shockingly, the force continued downward, cutting it directly in two!

The two halves fell to the ground with a bang. The plateau had been a favored destination for poets and scholars since antiquity, but now, it no longer existed!

Countless onlookers were wide-eyed and dumbstruck.

“Is that power even human?” 

Many were so astonished that their scalps went numb.

That attack felt as if it struck their very minds, especially when they saw it cleave into You Tianhong. All of them could tell that, if not for the heart-protecting mirror, You Tianhong would have already died!

This was unquestionably overly terrifying. 

A peak Grain Avoidance, Origin Dao cultivator wielding an ancient spiritual sword and a sword intent was attacking with everything he had, yet he couldn’t overpower a young Grandmaster?

If they weren’t seeing it with their own eyes, who’d dare believe it?

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The instant Ocean View Plateau collapsed, Su Yi and You Tianhong drew their swords, stood in the skies, and stared each other down.

However, one was injured, while the other wasn’t missing so much as a hair on his head. It was obvious who’d come out ahead!

“Good! Very good! To think you’d push me this far! Su Yi, you have every reason to be proud! However…” You Tianhong took a deep breath, and his eyes blazed with fury. His hair fluttered around him, and his vast aura gathered around him; it seemed he was preparing to go all out. “Today shall be the day you die!”

His voice still echoing through the air, You Tianhong raised Silversnow into the air. At the same time, he chanted an obscure incantation, the words classical yet grand.

Boom!

A seal seemed to burst apart within Silversnow. It suddenly burst with limitless light, and a snow-white hornless dragon wrapped around the blade. The dragon threw back its head and roared, stirring up the skies.

Even upon closer inspection, the snow-white hornless dragon looked alive. It had a divine bearing, and as soon as it appeared, its terrifying majesty spread out around it, bursting every cloud within ten thousand feet.

“This…” The Grandmasters present quivered in astonishment, like ants gazing upon a celestial dragon.

“A wisp of a horned dragon True Spirit’s soul essence!?” Hong Shenshang, Yun Zhongqi, Shi Fengliu, and the other top experts went rigid, and their eyes flashed with uncertainty. 

This was undoubtedly You Tianhong’s trump card, as well as his greatest killer move! It was highly likely that this was the grand stroke of fortune he’d encountered deep within the Sea of Chaotic Spirits, too! 

“As expected, there’s a soul essence within the Lightning Edict.” Su Yi’s eyes flashed with a strange light. This method of refining a sword was different from the one he’d used to create the Abstruse God Sword, but it had a similar end result.

You Tianhong couldn’t possibly have achieved this! 

“I went into seclusion for eight years, all for the sake of refining this sword and nourishing this wisp of soul. Although I’ve yet to achieve full success, it’s already enough to kill the likes of you!” 

Before this cold declaration even finished echoing through the sky, You Tianhong roared.

“Bound Dragon Formation, condense!” He waved his ancient sword, Silversnow, ruthlessly through the air.

Boom!

Nine streaks of vast, white sword qi shot forth explosively, each a hundred feet long. They gathered in midair, forming a snowy sword formation.

The terrifying hornless dragon, meanwhile, became the eye of the formation.

The formation rumbled and boomed, flashing with limitless divine light and illuminating the remainder of Nine Millet Mountain. Heaven and earth seemed dim by comparison. 

“Hurry up and retreat!” The Grandmasters and Xiantian Martial Ancestors could no longer concern themselves with watching the battle. They immediately fled down Nine Millet Mountain.

That destructive energy was just too terrifying; their souls practically left their bodies in sheer panic. All of them had sensed the potentially fatal threat.

Even the Earthly Immortals took to the skies and created distance. When they gazed upon the Bound Dragon Formation, they felt a chill course through their hearts. He’s using the soul essence of a hornless dragon as the eye of the formation!? 

The sheer lavishness was enough to startle even gods and ghosts!

“Go!” You Tianhong waved his sleeves.

Boom!

The sword formation let out a series of deafening booms as it started circulating, casting dense layers of illusory swords. They charged toward Su Yi alongside the hornless dragon.

In the face of this terrifying killing strike, Su Yi merely laughed and muttered to himself, “This strike is worth drawing my sword for, albeit barely…”

The Abstruse God Sword appeared silently in Su Yi’s hand.

His aura instantly transformed. He was now as free and unfettered as an immortal, and his sword light dazzled the world!

Boom!

He stepped into the air, sword swinging. The blade was as dark and ethereal as the night sky, and it carried streaks of inscrutable Dao Light as it cut through the air.

That was metal, wood, water, and fire spiritual Dao Light. They corresponded to the power of the four beasts, and they fused perfectly with Su Yi’s qi, mind, and essence as he unleashed a ninety-foot streak of sword intent. 

The sword intent was dazzling, its divine splendor radiant to the extreme.

Boom!

The Bound Dragon Formation descended from the skies with a mighty blast. Su Yi’s sword slammed into it, sending it tumbling back with a burst of hazy light.

The white hornless dragon seemed infuriated. It roared, the sound shaking the heavens and mixing with the dense, snow-white sword qi as it charged once more.

To the onlookers’ astonishment, Su Yi didn’t retreat. On the contrary, he advanced, leaping ahead to meet the dragon head-on.

From a distance, he was like an immortal dancing with his sword, intent on slaying a dragon!

Rumble~~

Sword qi scattered, and currents of destructive energy swept forth. The skies fell and the earth cracked. Countless onlookers were rooted to the spot, their minds completely blank. 

You Tianhong’s expression was turning increasingly unsightly. 

He’d only just barely grasped the mysteries of the Bound Dragon Formation, and using it was a struggle. Even so, its power was enough to threaten even Origin Palace cultivators.

Yet now, even after all this time, he couldn’t take Su Yi down!

Furthermore, when Su Yi’s sword met the Bound Dragon Formation head-on, You Tianlong felt the aftershock.

The reason was simple. The hornless dragon’s soul essence was the eye of the formation, so if You Tianhong wanted to unleash the formation’s power, he had to guide and control the draconic soul essence.

However, the moment he lost control, the entire formation would instantly fall apart.

This was why it was called the “Bound Dragon Formation.”

“Die!” You Tianhong went all out, and his hair and beard bristled with fury. He leaped into the Bound Dragon Formation, using every last drop of power at his disposal to control the hornless dragon’s soul essence.

The formation’s power instantly surged.

“Had you managed to tame that hornless dragon’s soul essence, it might well have been enough to scare me a little, but… You’re just barely holding on.” Su Yi shook his head.

He no longer hesitated, and he couldn’t be bothered to tangle with his opponent any further. He suddenly took a deep breath and slashed down.

“Die!” The Spirit-Devouring Edict instantly appeared on the Abstruse God Sword, like a black hole in the starry sky. Immediately afterward, a vast, illusory yet utterly terrifying bird flapped its wings and soared.

Boom!

The vicious bird blazed with the demonic flames of the netherworld. Its claws suddenly grabbed hold of the hornless dragon, then tugged!

Splurt!

The snow-white hornless dragon was ruthlessly torn in half, then devoured.

This vicious bird was none other than the Netherflame Demon Sparrow soul essence that Su Yi had sealed within the Abstruse God Sword, one of the nine inauspicious birds of the Netherworld!

When they witnessed this terrifying scene, the onlookers’ hair stood on end, and their faces filled with astonishment. 

Practically simultaneously—

Su Yi swung the Abstruse God Sword, like wind cutting through the clouds. He crushed the Bound Dragon Formation in a single attack, leaving a perfectly straight, thousand-foot sword scar in the sky. 

You Tianhong hovered above the newly-formed rift, but it was as if he’d lost his soul. His face was pallid, his eyes were wide, and he opened his mouth as if to speak, only for his body to split down the middle and plummet down to earth. 

In one slash, a demon sparrow swallowed a dragon, and a sword broke the Bound Dragon Formation and cut down You Tianhong!

Just like that, the Great Qin’s Sword Monarch Tianhong, a peak Grain Avoidance expert, fell in battle.

“Chilong” or “hornless dragons”  are a variant on your standard, horned dragons. For the most part they seem like a different but closely-related creature, but they can also sometimes just be immature dragons, ie dragons that haven’t yet grown their horns. Depends on the author. In this novel, it seems they’re a related species rather than immature dragons.