Chapter 147: Blade Demon And Sword King, The Inexplicable Great Terror
Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes.
The Blade Demon slowly approached.
The scenery of the Setting Sun Sword Sect was breathtakingly beautiful, with silver waterfalls cascading down. Since the rise of the Sun Chasing Sword King, the sect had ascended at an astonishing speed, already faintly holding the position of the world’s number one Sword Dao Holy Land. Within it were sacred places such as the Sword Burial Pool and Sword King Peak.
In the past.
The Setting Sun Sword Sect rarely received outside guests.
But now, the Blade Demon’s challenge was a grand event, so they naturally could not show weakness. They allowed many martial artists to watch from the periphery. The congregation marveled at the foundation of the Setting Sun Sword Sect while anticipating the upcoming great battle.
No matter how the Blade Demon viewed it.
The Sun Chasing Sword King was currently the highest-ranked swordsman on the surface.
Fifth on the Heavenly Human Ranking!
This was a peerless expert truly standing at the pinnacle of Great Yan. Even counting those hidden old monsters, it was the same.
The Blade Demon stood below Sword King Peak. His pitch-black pupils looked over, rippling slightly. He sensed that a extremely powerful Sword Intent was lurking there. If he was not mistaken, it should be someone who had walked a similar path to his own.
Battle intent rose from his body as he realized that this Sun Chasing Sword King was stronger than imagined.
Saber Intent shot into the heavens, sweeping through layered clouds. An invisible vortex condensed. Countless people were horrified by this demonic Saber Intent, especially those who had watched every battle since the Blade Demon’s emergence without missing a single one—they were all extremely excited.
They were the Blade Demon’s loyal followers and could clearly see that the Blade Demon was stronger than when he had first emerged.
This thoroughly confirmed everyone’s guesses: the Blade Demon’s emergence this time was to test his blade against the world’s experts, aiming to reach the supreme realm.
The congregation of the Setting Sun Sword Sect all gathered at Sword King Peak.
They were shocked in their hearts and bowed in unison, shouting loudly:
“Please, Old Ancestor, emerge from the mountain!”
Countless gazes converged above Sword King Peak. This Sword King Peak also had various mysterious legends. It was said to be the place where the Sun Chasing Sword King comprehended the sword. Originally, it was just an ordinary mountain peak, but over time, every flower, every grass, every tree, every stone had been imbued with powerful Sword Intent, hence it was called Sword King Peak.
In the past, the congregation had not been sure if this legend was exaggerated by the Setting Sun Sword Sect to boost their own prestige.
But what they saw today.
Made them realize their own shallowness.
As the unified call of the Setting Sun Sword Sect fell, everyone saw the previously silent Sword King Peak come alive. Strands of Sword Intent rose into the sky, converging and taking form, displaying a myriad of phenomena like a great sun, leaving people dumbfounded.
A faint voice sounded:
“All of you, step back.”
The congregation looked intently and saw a figure opposite the Blade Demon. That elder had brows and eyes like swords, a majestic stature. Standing there casually gave a sense of devouring mountains and rivers. One who took “Sun Chasing” as their title was naturally no ordinary person.
The Sun Chasing Sword King looked at the Blade Demon opposite him, his gaze falling on the sword hilt at his waist, with caution.
He sighed softly:
“The world truly hides dragons and crouching tigers. First there was the unprecedented Heavenly Sword True Person, and now Your Excellency has appeared out of nowhere, invincible wherever you go. Your blade must be close to completion.”
The congregation was all astonished.
The Sun Chasing Sword King had also mentioned the Heavenly Sword True Person, and his words seemed to hold particular admiration for him.
The Blade Demon spoke slowly, his voice somewhat hoarse:
“Still a bit short. You’re not bad either.”
The Sun Chasing Sword King laughed heartily, feeling a sudden joy of meeting a kindred spirit.
“How about deciding victory with three moves?”
“Good.”
The Blade Demon’s voice remained as flat as ever, but everyone was astonished in their hearts. Since emerging, the Blade Demon had rarely spoken, only saying a few words after his battle with the Divine Wind Saber Master. But now, before it even began, he was calmly conversing with the Sun Chasing Sword King, showing his regard for him.
The congregation all secretly anticipated it.
They widened their eyes, even relaxing their breathing, afraid to disturb the great battle of the two peerless experts.
In an instant.
The wind and clouds changed.
The Sun Chasing Sword King pointed out with one hand, and majestic Sword Intent condensed, forming a brilliant great sun hanging high in the sky. Even from a great distance, everyone could perceive that astonishing sense of oppression. The myriad things of the world—divine mountains, great peaks, ancient rivers, deep seas—how could they compare to the boundless vastness of the great sun.
The Sun Chasing Sword King was named Sun Chasing not to chase the sun down like Kuafu, but to pursue his own Sword Intent becoming as vast and borderless as the great sun.
With this move, it immediately shocked countless people. Such Sword Intent was rare in the world. The Sun Chasing Sword King had not acted for a long time, clearly having made further progress.
Ripples appeared in the Blade Demon’s pitch-black pupils, battle intent rising in his heart as he lightly stroked the sword hilt.
A terrifying demonic nature rose and swept. The Blade Demon at this moment was like an incarnation of the Demonic Blade. Someone recognized it—this was the peerless strike that defeated the Divine Wind Saber Master: the Human Demon Saber!
With just one move, the two peerless experts had already left the others far behind.
The congregation finally understood.
The peerless experts in the top five of the Heavenly Human Ranking had already reached different realms, surpassing others by more than a level.
The brilliant great sun descended from the sky, carrying majestic pressure, while the pitch-black Demonic Blade surged upward against the flow, with an invincible aura of slashing everything.
Like fierce fire boiling oil.
From various places in the void came scalp-numbing sizzling sounds. The great sun sought to devour the Demonic Blade, while the Demonic Blade sought to cleave the great sun. Terrifying Sword Intent and Saber Intent were contained within. Even the slightest leakage of fluctuation would be enough to reduce the Setting Sun Sword Sect to ruins.
But strangely, the two only mutually eroded each other, with no excess fluctuations spilling out.
A moment later.
The great sun and Demonic Blade dissipated together. Myriad winds and clouds brushed past, shocking everyone in their hearts. This was the first person who could match the Blade Demon evenly. The people of the Setting Sun Sword Sect cheered in their hearts, revering their own Old Ancestor even more.
But the Sun Chasing Sword King’s expression was slightly complex.
Only he knew that in that exchange of moves just now, he had lost. Though the loss was not much, a loss was a loss. The opponent’s realm in Blade Dao was clearly higher than his own, and that Demonic Blade’s Saber Intent was a notch stronger than his Sun Chasing Sword Intent.
He took a deep breath and said:
“It seems I underestimated Your Excellency.”
“I have comprehended for one hundred and sixty years and have a strongest sword. Please appraise it, Your Excellency.”
Battle intent shot into the sky in his eyes.
He had previously thought of deciding with three moves, but now it seemed unnecessary—it would just waste time. Better to be straightforward.
“Just as it should be!” The Blade Demon’s hoarse voice rang out. In an instant, his wild hair danced chaotically. Everyone could see his posture was completely different from before, clearly treating the Sun Chasing Sword King as a wholly different opponent.
The Sun Chasing Sword King laughed toward the heavens.
With his laughter, Sword King Peak behind him suddenly blazed with light. The flowers, grass, trees, flying sand, and rolling stones on it all seemed to ‘come alive.’ Strands of astonishing Sword Intent burst forth from all things. This scene was utterly terrifying, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
“All things can be swords? This is the highest realm of Sword Dao! Legend has it this is the Sword Saint Realm. Could the Sun Chasing Sword King have reached this level?”
Someone’s hands and feet trembled as they pointed out the mystery in horror, immediately causing an uproar among the congregation.
The Blade Demon also gazed intently.
He saw through the mystery, divine light blooming in his eyes, eager to try.
The Sun Chasing Sword King’s laughter spread in all directions as he spoke candidly:
“I sat in seclusion on Sword King Peak for one hundred and sixty years. Though I could not glimpse the supreme Sword Realm, I have made some small gains. However, it relies on the home advantage. Please do not mind, Your Excellency.”
The congregation pondered this.
They saw that the Sun Chasing Sword King’s ‘all things can be swords’ was not yet complete and relied on Sword King Peak. This place had been influenced by his Sword Intent day after day, allowing flowers, grass, and trees to generate Sword Intent.
But no matter what, this was already a realm unattainable by swordsmen of the world.
At this moment.
Countless Sword Intents gathered on the great sun, making it even more brilliant, several times stronger than before.
The Sun Chasing Sword King’s expression was utterly serious, his entire body enveloped in the great sun, as if incarnated from it. Only his vast laughter echoed from within. He did not care about winning or losing; he was simply thrilled to have a perfectly matched opponent today to go all out against.
The Blade Demon stroked the sword hilt at his waist. For the first time, he drew that ‘iron lump,’ now less than half a palm in width. He raised the ‘blade’ and slashed down, his voice carrying ultimate demonic nature.
“This blade is named Heavenly Demon.”
He had three blades: Human Demon, Earth Demon, Heavenly Demon.
Now facing the Sun Chasing Sword King’s sword that exhausted one hundred and sixty years, the Earth Demon Blade could not cope, so he used the Heavenly Demon Blade.
In an instant.
All things fell silent. In the void, it seemed endless Saber Intent erupted, making this blade’s demonic nature even deeper. The invisible vortex twisted everything. The Blade Demon’s figure had merged into it, his terrifying aura overshadowing the Setting Sun Sword Sect.
All onlookers trembled in fear, the scene before them like the end of the world.
The great sun hung in the sky, every strand of light a terrifying Sword Intent. The Demonic Blade slashed out, twisting the void, as if birthing a demonic world to devour everything. No Sword Intent light seemed able to escape this terrifying prison.
The two expanded further.
Covering everything.
Countless people were horrified, instinctively widening their eyes. At this moment, even the followers of the Heavenly Sword True Person could not help doubting: could the Heavenly Sword True Person truly match the two before them? They had witnessed that world-shaking scene of thirty-six Heavenly Swords crossing the sky, but it still seemed inferior to the great sun and Demonic Blade before them.
The dark vortex engulfed the great sun, like a heavenly dog devouring the sun.
The world plunged into darkness.
The congregation closed their eyes, only feeling waves of aftershocks passing around, making them tremble.
Finally.
All fluctuations dissipated. Everyone strained their eyes to look and saw the Sun Chasing Sword King still standing in place, while the Blade Demon seemed about to turn and leave.
“What’s the situation? Did the Blade Demon lose?”
This thought had just arisen in the congregation’s minds.
The Sun Chasing Sword King showed a wry smile on his face and shook his head helplessly:
“Your Excellency’s Blade Dao is the strongest of this age. Even with the power of Sword King Peak, I lost by a level. It is my inadequacy.”
At these words.
The congregation was in turmoil at heart. The people of the Setting Sun Sword Sect were like mourning the death of their parents. Clearly, the Sun Chasing Sword King had lost. Though not as badly injured and defeated as those before, a loss was still a loss.
The Blade Demon paused, as if reminiscing:
“You are stronger than that person twenty years ago. He only withstood half a move of my Heavenly Demon Blade.”
Everyone was horrified.
Who could that person from twenty years ago be? It must be the former third on the Heavenly Human Ranking, Wu Wei Ke!
Only now, hearing this secret from the Blade Demon’s mouth, did they know that Wu Wei Ke had not even withstood half a Heavenly Demon Blade and had perished under the Blade Demon’s hand. Yet the Sun Chasing Sword King had taken this blade intact, though defeated—the superiority was clear at a glance.
The Sun Chasing Sword King only sighed lightly.
He had no intent to compare excessively with others.
“The next battle, is it with the Heavenly Sword True Person?” he asked curiously.
He already knew the name of the Heavenly Sword True Person. As a fellow peerless swordsman, just from the True Martial Sword Stele, he knew this Heavenly Sword True Person was no simple figure, not beneath him. And the Blade Demon before him went without saying—he had just lost to him. A battle between such two peerless experts even made him anticipate it.
The Blade Demon nodded:
“Correct. Earlier, I visited True Martial Mountain. His Sword Intent left me without certainty.”
The Sun Chasing Sword King’s eyes gleamed: “Good. I will come to watch then.”
The question and answer between the two experts stirred gigantic waves in everyone’s hearts. The previous mystery was finally revealed: the Blade Demon had indeed gone to True Martial Mountain first. And with the Sun Chasing Sword King saying he would watch, the anticipation was raised to the extreme.
The Blade Demon nodded.
He stepped into the air and departed.
The words the Sun Chasing Sword King had at the tip of his tongue were swallowed back.
He had originally wanted to ask if the Blade Demon had an even stronger blade, because from the previous Heavenly Demon Blade, he sensed there was still more to it. But in the end, he did not ask. Though he and the Blade Demon felt some mutual appreciation, this ultimately involved the other’s secrets.
Moreover.
If there was a stronger blade, he might see it soon.
From the Blade Demon’s words just now, it was not hard to hear that even after witnessing his strongest sword, the Blade Demon still felt the Heavenly Sword True Person was stronger than him.
He was not unconvinced; he was simply more curious about that Heavenly Sword True Person he had never met.
Watching the Blade Demon depart.
What happened today spread throughout the world like thunder.
The Sun Chasing Sword King was defeated, the Blade Demon victorious again!
At this point.
The Blade Demon’s aura was unmatched by anyone. Some even felt that even General Yanwu and the Listening Wind Elder might not necessarily defeat him.
The Blade Demon grew stronger with each battle, with only one left.
Heavenly Sword True Person.
This was also a peerless expert who appeared out of nowhere. If his previous battle record was dazzling, compared to the Blade Demon now, it paled far too much. After all, the Blade Demon had nearly challenged half the Heavenly Human Ranking, including several in the top ten.
This final battle.
Drew immense attention.
Countless people swarmed toward True Martial Mountain. Even the Imperial Court, Demonic Sect, and Southern Border forces, locked in fierce combat, turned their gazes here. After all, this was nearly the strongest battle below Martial Saint. Such an existence, though not as decisive as a Martial Saint, still held great influence.
Looking at the three powers, each had only two or three such experts.
…
Under such fervor.
The disciples of the True Martial Sect were overwhelmed, just handling the martial artists flooding into True Martial City daily took much energy. But their hearts were immensely proud, for these people came because of the Heavenly Sword True Person. This was their glory.
All external affairs were left to Luo Wentian.
Ning Qi himself remained unperturbed.
He only needed to consider one thing: how much strength to use to defeat the Blade Demon.
“The Great Yan Martial Saint’s situation is unclear. Best not to be too ostentatious. Need to win, but not a crushing victory. Just reveal the realm of Sword Intent.” The content on the silver pages obtained from Wu Jianghe made Ning Qi somewhat wary.
The Martial Saints soon to emerge from the Demonic Sect and Southern Border were enemies, but the Great Yan Martial Saint was not necessarily benevolent. If the world’s Martial Saint Method was truly erased by him, this would be delivering himself to the door.
If he prematurely exposed combat power close to Martial Saint, it would invite unnecessary trouble.
Ning Qi felt it best to use his strength from before breaking through to the Heavenly Human Realm.
He shook his head slightly, casting aside distracting thoughts. He did not waste more mind on this, instead pondering his own cultivation.
After stepping into the Heavenly Human Realm.
To continue growing naturally meant condensing the Three Flowers of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
“Condensing the Three Flowers of Essence, Qi, and Spirit: temper the body to condense the Essence Flower, temper Gang Qi to condense the Qi Flower, temper Divine Intent to condense the Spirit Flower.”
“How to temper? By resonating with Heaven and Earth Power. It’s somewhat similar to the Heaven and Earth Millstone Gang Tempering Method and Divine Forging Method I created before, just not as exquisite as mine.”
“But cultivating the three flowers together is no easy task. Precisely because of this, many choose to cultivate a single realm. Even so, it takes ten or even decades for some progress. With the foundation of my Heaven and Earth Millstone secret technique, my progress is far beyond ordinary, but still very slow.”
“At this rate, when can I achieve Three Flowers Perfection?”
Ning Qi frowned slightly.
These days, aside from sublimating the Unity of Heaven and Man Secret Technique, he had been attempting Heavenly Human Realm cultivation. He had improved the Heaven and Earth Millstone Method to temper Essence, Qi, and Spirit simultaneously, but progress was still very slow.
At this rate.
It would probably take seven or eight years to reach Heavenly Human Perfection.
This speed was dozens of times faster than others, but for Ning Qi, it was still too slow. With the crises from Southern Border and Demonic Sect unresolved, he needed to elevate his strength as much as possible in the shortest time.
“In the past, at the Gang Yuan Realm, my Heaven and Earth Millstone Gang Tempering Method and Divine Forging Method progressed by leaps and bounds because I prematurely contacted higher level powers. Now tempering the three flowers with Heaven and Earth Power naturally has less effect.”
“In other words, I need a stronger ‘motive force’?”
Strands of spiritual insight continuously rose in Ning Qi’s mind, various ideas flashing by. After stepping into the Heavenly Human Realm, his comprehension had advanced further. In a blink, he had a target.
“Heavenly Thunder Method!”
“Previously, using the Heavenly Thunder Saber, I comprehended the Heavenly Thunder Method, which can draw heavenly thunder from above for my use. Heavenly Thunder Power is strong and domineering. If fully controlled to temper Essence, Qi, and Spirit, the effect would be outstanding. But ordinary heavenly thunder may not exceed much. For efficiency, I must go above the High Heavens!”
Ning Qi exhaled lightly.
“The Thunder Forbidden Zone above the High Heavens is very terrifying, but if only drawing thunder from the edge without entering, it should be fine. After all, my current strength is far greater than before.”
The more he thought, the more feasible Ning Qi found it.
He made up his mind.
After sublimating the Unity of Heaven and Man Secret Technique and advancing his strength further, he could attempt drawing heavenly thunder to temper Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Thinking this, he inexplicably felt relieved.
Lately, after stepping into the Heavenly Human Realm, the more he perceived Heaven and Earth Power, the more he felt a great terror lurking in the void. Such a situation was never recorded in other Heavenly Human Realm classics. Previously, when controlling Heaven and Earth Power with the Unity of Heaven and Man Secret Technique, he had not felt this.
Ning Qi did not know if it was his perception being too acute or because his control of Heaven and Earth Power far surpassed other Heavenly Human Realms that allowed him to detect it.
But he knew this was absolutely not an illusion.
“If Heavenly Human Realm experts cannot perceive it, then Martial Saints should be able to. Could this great terror in the void be related to the Martial Saint Realm?”
Ning Qi could not guess.
But he thought he needed to grow stronger as quickly as possible.
