[Fantasy Martial Arts] The Legend of the Evil God (Complete) - Chapter 21

In Chapter 1 of Volume 9 , Jun Tianxie noticed two things the instant

the double

sword strikes.

First, Xi Chunyu's swordsmanship seemed to have improved considerably. Otherwise, even though he had just woken up and was weak, he shouldn't have been unable to dodge the sword.

Second, being stabbed by a sword is very painful (duh).

This was no joke. Just looking at Xi Chunyu's cold and ruthless eyes, he knew that this sword strike was definitely meant to kill. If he didn't quickly find a way, he would never feel anything again!

Fortunately, his Nirvana True Qi activated its protective power the moment the sword entered his body. The sword only penetrated an inch before being blocked by the protective true qi, unable to advance further. He quickly rolled to the lower right of the bed to avoid the sword's relentless pursuit.

"Thump!"

Jun Tianxie tumbled to the ground, bedsheet and all, but Xi Chunyu's sword energy relentlessly pursued him like a vengeful ghost. He cursed her inwardly, thinking her heartless and cruel, plotting to murder her husband. Desperate, he slammed his palms on the ground, using the force of the counterattack to spring into the air and leap towards the wall. Simultaneously, he flicked his right hand, throwing the bedsheet at Xi Chunyu to obstruct her view and increase his chances of escape.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

The sword energy intensified, sword light crisscrossing. Xi Chunyu's swift sword strike shredded the bedsheet into dozens of pieces, the fabric fluttering like snowflakes. Jun Tianxie's delaying tactic was utterly ineffective against Xi Chunyu's sword momentum. He had barely sprung to his feet when he was surrounded by sword energy and shadows, fully displaying Xi Chunyu's astonishing swordsmanship after her breakthrough. Unfortunately, he had no time to appreciate it.

At this point, Jun Tianxie had no other choice. He made a lotus-blooming gesture with his palms, shooting out invisible Nirvana Sword Qi from his fingertips. The Qi traced an arc along a mysterious and unpredictable path, attacking Xi Chunyu.

Xi Chunyu coldly snorted, "A desperate struggle!" He wielded his sword as a shield, his true Qi swirling and surging like an umbrella, deflecting all of Jun Tianxie's sword Qi. The Phoenix Wing Sword transformed from the sword net into a long rainbow, aiming straight for Jun Tianxie's chest.

"Damn it! This is really going to kill me!"

Ignoring the churning blood within his body, he stepped forward with his right foot, sending out two highly concentrated bursts of energy from his palms. The point of convergence was the tip of the "Phoenix Wing Mother-Child Sword," producing a "clang!" Xi Chunyu was horrified to find that the sword was as if it were sandwiched between two mountains, unable to move even an inch, unable to advance or retreat.

Cold sweat beaded on Jun Tianxie's forehead as he forced a smile. "Sister Xi, perhaps there's some misunderstanding between us? Why don't you put your sword away first, and we can have a proper chat?"

Xi Chunyu didn't answer him, but instead flicked the hidden spring on the hilt. With a clang, the "child sword" detached from the blade, her movements like a phoenix descending to earth, dancing in the air. Yet, the sword's power was like a falling meteor, sharp as an arrowhead, precise and focused—the variations in her moves were a masterpiece.

Jun Tianxie, realizing the profound meaning behind the name "Phoenix Wing Mother-Child Sword," had no time to change his attack. He could only desperately dodge, but still couldn't avoid the bloodshed. A searing pain shot through his left shoulder as a large chunk of skin and flesh was sliced off.

"Damn it! You bitch, you're serious!"

Blood splattered from his wound, causing Jun Tianxie to finally cry out in pain. Due to his poor physical condition and adhering to the principle that even a powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake, he had been yielding to Xi Chunyu's attacks step by step. However, the latter was taking advantage of the situation and becoming increasingly aggressive. If he continued to give in, someone would die!

"You think you can get away with this after I've given you a little respect! Don't think that just because your swordsmanship has improved a little, you can be so presumptuous in front of the young master. You're still a long way off!"

The sword strike ignited Jun Tianxie's anger, and his malice grew. His fingers flew like a nimble monkey through the forest, weaving through Xi Chunyu's overwhelming sword energy and shadows. He wanted to close the distance first, then seize the sword from Xi Chunyu's hand. Let's see how a toothless tiger can be vicious then?

Xi Chunyu saw through Jun Tianxie's intentions. She took a small step back, her jade wrist circling inward, her expression cold as if she could disregard life and death. The sword light, like water unleashed from a pool, surged back and concentrated at a single point on the blade, the force of which even seemed to suck away the surrounding air, creating a vacuum barrier.

"This...this is?!"

For some reason, Xi Chunyu's mind was consumed by the single thought of killing Jun Tianxie. This "pure" will propelled her swordsmanship to another level, her progress immeasurable. Jun Tianxie, unaware of the underlying reasons, still judged her skill by the standards of six months ago, and it was only natural that he would suffer repeated losses.

The sword's edge formed a vortex in the vacuum. Xi Chunyu pointed her sword to the sky, creating an aura of absolute dominance. Jun Tianxie felt as if he were falling into a bottomless abyss; the closer he got to her, the closer he got to death.

Jun Tianxie was horrified, for he hadn't expected Xi Chunyu's cultivation to have reached the level of "Transmitting Force and Locking Soul," capable of using the true energy of her sword to create illusions. Had he not recently experienced the baptism of Rakshasa's "Primordial Spirit Illusion Lock," he would have been completely flustered.

—Illusory Flower!

Jun Tianxie's figure gradually "melted" like snow meeting sunlight, vanishing into the void. However, Xi Chunyu seemed oblivious to the fact that her target no longer existed, continuing her sword thrust with the same unchanging style.

"I guessed right, she was being controlled by consciousness."

Jun Tianxie appeared to Xi Chunyu's right, as if swallowed and then spat out by the void. He lightly touched her waist with a finger, like the wind rustling through the trees, causing her delicate body to tremble, her eyes turning from bright to dim, before she slowly collapsed.

"Evil Path Nirvana" inherently possesses the characteristic of dissolving all true energy techniques; if used properly, it could be used to temporarily break the restrictions of mind-controlling spells.

Jun Tianxie caught the unconscious Xi Chunyu, carried her to the bed, then sealed his acupoints to stop the bleeding and bandaged his wounds. The process caused him to grit his teeth and wince in pain.

"Damn it! She managed to injure me to this extent. This feisty girl's swordsmanship has progressed by leaps and bounds. Should I be happy for her or sad?"

No mind-controlling technique can escape the discerning eye of "True Nature's Clear Vision." Xi Chunyu must have experienced a major upheaval, after which someone with ulterior motives "seized the opportunity," using the Demonic Sect's Bewitching Technique to control her consciousness and plant the order "Kill Jun Tianxie." And in that time and space, it's obvious that only one person would do such a thing—

"Sword Marquis" Lou Xueyi! You've pushed me too far; don't blame me for being ruthless!

Casting a chilling killing intent at someone who didn't exist, Jun Tianxie then shifted his gaze to Xi Chunyu, who was sleeping soundly. Her curvaceous figure was clad in close-fitting clothes, and her alluring breasts rose and fell with her breath. Even in her sleep, she possessed a captivating charm that stirred the imagination. For Jun Tianxie, who hadn't tasted meat in a long time, it was like placing a piece of fat meat in front of a lion that hadn't eaten for three days.

If the place and time were different, Jun Tianxie would have taken advantage of her without hesitation, indulging in passion before deciding whether to kill her or erase her memory. Unfortunately, he was under someone else's roof and had many concerns. First of all, how to clean up the mess was a problem. Unless he didn't care about being hunted down by the White Path Alliance, he could only watch the fat meat that was within his grasp but couldn't eat it, not even steal a bite, which was incredibly frustrating.

However, he was soon secretly pleased with his foresight. A series of extremely subtle footsteps indicated that someone was approaching his room, and the person's skill was undoubtedly extremely high. Judging from the way they landed, it was probably a woman. Someone in the "Butterfly Alliance" with such skill and matching her status… Jun Tianxie was already anticipating her arrival.

The door seemed to be pushed open by two invisible hands, revealing the profound skill of the newcomer. Jun Tianxie's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing the newcomer's face, confirming his guess.

A fragrant breeze wafted in, and a stunningly beautiful woman, voluptuous, mature, and alluringly elegant, floated into the room. Her shrewd and capable demeanor, coupled with her jade-sculpted, perfect body, gave her a goddess-like, sacred aura, solemn and unapproachable.

Jun Tianxie secretly applauded: "No wonder the two pillars of the righteous path, 'Flying Knife' Li Wuyou and 'Holy Sword' Feng Xuling, turned against each other for 'Phoenix Butterfly' Wu Caixian. This woman truly has the charm to topple kingdoms!" As

soon as Wu Caixian entered the room, she turned her gaze to the unconscious Xi Chunyu, her delicate body trembling as she exclaimed, "Chunyu?!"

Jun Tianxie watched as Wu Caixian rushed to the bedside as if ignoring his presence, while he was thankful that he hadn't been lustful at first sight, otherwise he would be unable to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.

Wu Caixian held Xi Chunyu's hand, checking her pulse and breath. Finding she was only unconscious, everything else was normal. Relieved, she turned to Jun Tianxie and asked,

"Did you knock my disciple unconscious?"

Jun Tianxie replied in the most humble tone, "Yes, but it was because Sister Xi suddenly attacked me as if she had lost her mind. To protect myself, I had no choice but to use acupressure to knock her unconscious. Please forgive my offense, Alliance Leader Wu."

A strange glint flashed in Wu Caixian's eyes, her voice indifferent, as if she always maintained a distance, as she said, "How can I believe you're telling the truth?"

Jun Tianxie knew his calm demeanor had at least successfully reduced Wu Caixian's initial intention to kill him. Now, it was just a matter of persuading her. He shrugged and said...

"Alliance Leader Wu should know more about Sister Xi's condition than I do. I can only say that the other party's mind control technique is extremely sophisticated. Normally, there are no abnormalities, and the killing intent only erupts when they see the 'set' target. Unfortunately, I am the one who was set as the target."

Wu Caixian said indifferently, "In that case, how could you have survived until now?"

Jun Tianxie cursed inwardly, "Indeed, the most poisonous heart is that of a woman." In his mind, the ins and outs of the matter were as clear as an unfolded map. Wu Caixian must have known all along that Xi Chunyu was bewitched, but in order to help her beloved disciple regain her senses, she did not hesitate to sacrifice him, the "target" who had come to her door. Anyway, the "Butterfly Alliance" was a forbidden place for men. When the time came, she could just arrange a trivial crime for him, and no one could hold her accountable.

It's easy to imagine that Xi Chunyu's appearance in his room was also arranged by Wu Caixian. She originally thought killing an unconscious person would be effortless, but despite her calculations, Wu Caixian overlooked the fact that the "relationship" between Xi Chunyu and herself was far more complex than she imagined. Xi Chunyu's hatred for Jun Tianxie even surpassed Lou Xueyi's mind control techniques, making her willing to disobey orders to ensure Jun Tianxie witnessed her death at his hands, which ironically saved her life.

Jun Tianxie, of course, neither would nor needed to explain the intricacies of this to Wu Caixian. His mother was right; the more beautiful the flower, the more thorns it often has. It seemed the latter was indeed a thorny rose!

"What...what happened?"

Xiao Yao appeared outside the door, looking utterly bewildered. Jun Tianxie interpreted the message of "failed rape, enraged" in his eyes, making him so angry he almost wanted to punch him in the nose. Although, given the situation, anyone would have made the same judgment.

"When Sister Xi came to see me just now, she suddenly felt unwell, so I had to give her my bed. Just as I was about to go out to fetch a doctor, Alliance Leader Wu came in."

Of course, the truth was not like that, but Jun Tianxie's version of events was the most considerate and face-saving one for Wu Caixian and Xi Chunyu. Even though Wu Caixian still had no intention of letting Jun Tianxie off the hook, she had to admire how quickly this kid could change his tune.

Jun Tianxie then turned to Xiao Yao and said, "So Brother Xiao is here too? That's great! Do you know where my brother is? I can't find him anywhere."

Xiao Yao hesitated for a moment before replying, "Brother Ding's injuries are much more serious than yours; he hasn't woken up yet."

Jun Tianxie's body trembled violently, and he immediately grabbed Xiao Yao's arm, shouting, "Where is he? Take me to see him!"

Xiao Yao glanced at Wu Caixian with difficulty, but she simply said calmly, "Take these two boys with you! I only made an exception to let two men heal within the alliance because of your master. Now that one of them has woken up, there's no reason for you to stay any longer."

Hearing Wu Caixian's words, Jun Tianxie knew that she had given up her plan to kill them on the spot, and hurriedly nodded.

"Alliance Leader Wu is right. We've bothered them for too long, and we can't possibly trouble them any further! Let's leave now!"

Pulling a bewildered Xiao Yao along, they fled the scene like refugees, leaving behind the beautiful Wu Caixian, like a jade-like Guanyin, and the unconscious Xi Chunyu on the bed. Wu Caixian's misty eyes shone with a strange light, and after a long pause, she sighed softly:

"Alas! Chunyu, I have done my best to restore your sanity. Whether it succeeds or fails in the end, you cannot blame me..."

"Falling in love with a man you shouldn't have is destined to taint your youthful and vibrant life with misfortune..."

The sigh, like a prophecy, vanished in an instant, like a bubble rising to the surface of water.

"What's wrong with you? You're running for your life. It's not like someone wants to kill you."

Once they were sure they were safe, Jun Tianxie, as if infected with a plague, flung Xiao Yao's arm away.

"You still dare to talk! You almost got me killed this time!"

Xiao Yao was completely bewildered. "What are you talking about?"

Jun Tianxie, still furious, said, "Why do you think Wu Caixian was so kind as to break the taboo and let us stay to recover? It's not because she still has feelings for your master! It's because her beloved disciple has been brainwashed by Lou Xueyi, and only by killing me can she recover! Do you understand now?"

Xiao Yao was shocked. "Is that so?!"

Jun Tianxie grunted. "The only way you can atone for your sins now is to quickly take me and Shenzhao and leave the 'Yi Die Alliance' as far away as possible. Don't wait until Wu Caixian changes her mind, or it will be too late."

Xiao Yao stopped and shook his head. "Now that I know about this, I can't just leave."

Jun Tianxie scoffed. "What can you do if you stay?" "If you were to question Wu Caixian with what I just said, she would absolutely not admit it! Haven't you been turned away enough already?"

Xiao Yao frowned and said with distress, "But with Alliance Leader Wu's weakness in Lou Xueyi's hands, she will inevitably become hesitant and might even be forced to collude with him. The White Path Alliance, already in a turbulent period, absolutely cannot afford another loss like Alliance Leader Wu's."

Jun Tianxie rolled his eyes at Xiao Yao and said, "The White Path Alliance is actually a product of accumulated sand, its structure is very fragile, easily broken by wind and water. Only stubborn people like you would cling to a hollowed-out tree."

Xiao Yao smiled bitterly, "You rarely speak so sharply, could it be that you really have something on your mind?"

Jun Tianxie's words were actually directed at Jun Tianjiao's persistence, but of course he wouldn't tell Xiao Yao the real reason, waving his hand and saying:

"I'm just offering honest advice, whether you listen to me or not is up to you! You can stay if you want, just tell me where Shenzhao is."

Xiao Yao said, "What are your plans after you leave here?"

Jun Tianxie originally wanted to say "It's none of your business," but after thinking about it, he decided to answer:

"I'll go to the Taishi family to find some information."

Xiao Yao glanced at Jun Tianxie in surprise, because he had never expected the latter to give him an "honest" answer. Could it be that this kid had changed his ways today?

In fact, Jun Tianxie had discovered some doubts during his mental illusion before regaining consciousness, in a conversation with the mysterious personality who called himself "Tianxie," and decided to go to the Taishi family to solve all these mysteries.

"Even if you really are another clone of mine, I will eliminate anyone who threatens the young master's existence without mercy!"

The appearance of the third personality was even more threatening to Jun Tianxie than the existence of "Yu Tianxie," forcing him to abandon other plans and focus all his efforts on finding a way to eliminate this spiritual anomaly, otherwise he would be unable to eat or sleep peacefully.

Jun Tianxie shrugged and said to Xiao Yao, "As for you," "Po Yu" has already decided to launch a full-scale counterattack against "Mingyue Sect," isn't he? Are you still wasting your time here?"

Xiao Yao was startled by Jun Tianxie's words and said, "How did you know...?!"

Before he could finish speaking, he realized the reason, and his handsome face darkened as he said, "Did 'Phoenix' tell you?"

Jun Tianxie sneered, "If you don't trust people with the blood of the Jun family flowing in their veins, then don't recruit them in the first place."

Xiao Yao knew that his attitude had displeased Jun Tianxie, and after sighing, he said:

"You misunderstand. It was your sister who volunteered to join us,"

Jun Tianxie said coldly. "Would you truly trust someone from the Demonic Sect, or were you just using Tianjiao's hatred for Old Ghost as your pawns?"

Xiao Yao smiled and said, "You should know the answer to that question better than I do. Is your sister the kind of person who would willingly be used?"

These words left Jun Tianxie speechless. Xiao Yao, the chief diplomat of "Prison Break," was capable of holding his own against Jun Tianxie in their sharp tongues. This alone demonstrated the true value of the "Romantic Blade," which extended beyond mere martial arts. Jun Tianxie could only grunt in dismay.

"You're fighting a war you can't win. Sister Tianjiao was blinded by hatred, which is why she followed you in such a foolish act!"

Xiao Yao's eyes flashed with a strange light, and he asked casually, "And what about you? What are your feelings for your father?"

Jun Tianxie blinked, tilting his head to reveal a childlike innocence, yet also a cruel and wicked smile.

"You, surnamed Xiao, never think you can understand or analyze me. My true thoughts are beyond your or anyone else's comprehension. Don't think that just because we've spent some time together, you can treat me like a brother. If necessary, I can betray you without hesitation! The only reason we haven't fallen out is because we need each other. Don't forget that."

Xiao Yao felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at Jun Tianxie and turned away. Although it was only for a moment, he truly felt the overwhelming power of "Evil Star," and it made him recall his decision at the "Demon Extermination Conference" to defy the majority and save Jun Tianxie's life, even to cooperate with him. Was it right or wrong?

Chapter Two: The Taishi Family –

Through the Ages, Thousands of Heroes Have Passed By.

Entering the martial world is like entering a deep, uncharted sea. In this vast world, countless new stars rise every day, and just as many talented individuals perish. The task of compiling biographies for these fleeting heroes and villains, ensuring their names are remembered even in death, has always been the arduous and far-reaching responsibility of the historians of the Taishi family.

For thousands of years, despite the changing dynasties and shifting landscapes, the Taishi family's work in compiling martial arts chronicles has never ceased, like the unwavering orbit of stars, providing a complete commentary on the rise and fall of the martial world in every era.

Because the work of the Taishi family is so noble, in this constantly war-torn martial arts world, only the Taishi family has never been drawn into the vortex of grudges and disputes. Their impartial and transcendent stance has always been respected and admired by people in the martial arts world. Even when the flames of war to purify the mortal world swept across the land, the Taishi family was the only pure land at that time. The power of the Six Paths Holy Emperor never set foot in the family.

The four words "Taishi Family" are like a golden signboard in the hearts of people in the martial arts world. However, the reason why people respect the family is not because its members have unparalleled martial arts skills or imperial titles, but because of the family's contributions and sacrifices to the martial arts world!

In the ancient capital of Tianlan, the sky was blue with twilight, and the autumn wind rolled up the curtains.

Taishi Danqing, the current head of the Taishi family, was dressed in flowing robes. His face was as handsome as jade, and his bearing was imposing, making him appear like a celestial being from a painting. At his desk in the small study, Taishi Danqing sat upright in his favorite sandalwood chair. Before him lay numerous writing implements and books, and he turned the pages of martial arts history one by one.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

A knock on the door interrupted Taishi Danqing's reverie in the sea of history. He narrowed his eyes in displeasure. Everyone in the family knew their master's habit: he absolutely hated being disturbed while reading! And the only person in the entire family who dared to repeatedly violate this rule was Taishi Danqing's beloved daughter—Taishi Zhen!

Of the 132 people in the entire Taishi family, only Taishi Zhen was someone Taishi Danqing could do absolutely nothing about.

Tai Shi Danqing put down the half-read "History of the Divine Fist Sect," sighed, and looked up at the door, asking, "Zhen'er, what's the matter this time?"

The red sandalwood door was gently pushed open by a snow-white, translucent arm, revealing a delicate, unadorned face, beautiful and charming, like morning dew, untouched by worldly dust. Her deep black eyes, like stars in the sky, shone with wisdom and cunning.

A light blue martial arts outfit clung to her curvaceous body, radiating youthful vigor yet maintaining an elegant grace. Her voice was as clear and melodious as a nightingale's song.

"How boring! How come Father always knows it's me before I even say a word?"

Taishi Danqing's eyes shone with a kind light as he smiled helplessly. "Who in the entire family, besides this little rascal, would come knocking on Father's study door at this time? Tell me! What is it this time?"

Taishi Zhen playfully stuck out her tongue, her bright eyes blinking as she said, "An interesting person has come, and I want Father to come with me to see him."

"Oh?" Taishi Danqing raised his gray-white brow bone. "Someone you find interesting? That's quite rare! I haven't heard you say that in a long time, even I want to meet the person you're talking about."

Taishi Zhen giggled. "Actually, this person is, in a way, an old acquaintance of Father's."

"An old acquaintance of mine?"

“Yes! He visited the family six years ago, and Father even made an exception and let him stay in the Scripture Pavilion for a year. I remember it caused quite a stir of resistance within the family back then.”

Taishi Danqing’s expression suddenly changed: “You mean Jun Tianxie?!”

Taishi Zhen hadn’t noticed the change in Taishi Danqing’s expression and turned his face to the side, saying: “Yes! Father still remembers this person.”

Taishi Danqing took a deep breath and asked: “Where is he now?”

Taishi Zhen said: “He’s still waiting outside the gate. Does Father want to see him?”

Taishi Danqing stood up with a cold expression.

“Is that even a question?”

The Taishi family was located on the banks of the Qingyin River, a branch of the Duonao River. In the morning, a gentle breeze wafted through the swaying willows, carrying a hint of moisture. The ancient and quiet courtyard, bathed in the golden sunlight, had light and shadow layered and intertwined, adding to its mystery and seclusion.

Jun Tianxie stood alone opposite the moss-covered steps of the gate, his face showing slight impatience. However, this didn't reflect his true feelings; it was merely an act to conform to the "needs" of the situation.

"I didn't expect that after six years, that little girl has grown into a stunning beauty. She seems to remember me well; getting her shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

His mind swirled with lewd and wicked thoughts. After all, old habits die hard. He had come for his own unsolved mystery, but the moment he saw a beautiful woman, his attention was irresistibly drawn to her.

"Where is he?"

A dignified voice rang out from inside the door, followed by the scholarly figure of Taishi Danqing appearing before Jun Tianxie, with Taishi Zhen frantically winking at him behind him.

The moment Taishi Danqing saw Jun Tianxie, his eyes flashed with a chilling light, piercing through space and instantly creating a tense, almost explosive atmosphere. Anyone with eyes could see this was no "welcome" to a guest from afar.

Taishi Zhen felt a sense of foreboding, wondering what "grudge" existed between her father and Jun Tianxie that would make the usually kind and gentle man in her memory so ashen-faced.

Jun Tianxie responded to Taishi Danqing's sharp gaze expressionlessly; no one knew what he was thinking. Just as Taishi Zhen was worrying about the strange atmosphere, Jun Tianxie uttered something that almost made her faint on the spot:

"You old scoundrel!" Jun Tianxie cursed.

“You little bastard!” Taishi Danqing responded immediately.

For a moment, Taishi Zhen thought she had misheard, until she confirmed that the three curse words really came from her father, who had never uttered a single swear word in his life.

“You’re not dead yet!”

The two of them exclaimed in unison, their words carrying an ambiguous meaning. Then, they embraced each other with the fervor of old friends who hadn’t seen each other for years, looking as intimate as could be.

Tai Shi Zhen's jaw nearly dropped in astonishment. Pointing at the two, he stammered, "You...you...what...what's going on...?"

The two first burst into laughter, then Tai Shi Danqing pulled Jun Tianxie by the shoulder and turned to Tai Shi Zhen, giving his daughter a warm smile. "Sorry, I startled my dear daughter. Father was just too excited to see this mischievous boy in so long that he lost his composure."

Still reeling from the shock, Tai Shi Zhen hesitated for a moment before replying, "Father and...Jun Tianxie are such good friends, so why did you look like you wanted to eat someone alive just now?"

Tai Shi Danqing was taken aback, thought seriously for a moment, and tilted his head, asking, "Was I?"

Jun Tianxie shrugged. "Don't ask me, I don't know."

"..."

Taishi Zhen was speechless. She wasn't unaware that as a meticulous historian of the martial arts world, Taishi Danqing would inevitably have some personality flaws. However, before Jun Tianxie appeared, she had never imagined that her father's lack of common sense would be so severe.

Seeing Taishi Zhen's slumped shoulders and pale face, Taishi Danqing asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Daughter, why do you look so pale? Did you eat something bad?"

"I'm not talking to you anymore!"

Watching her beloved daughter stomp her feet and run away, Taishi Danqing was filled with confusion and bewilderment.

"What's wrong with Zhen'er today? Why is she acting so strangely?"

To this question, Jun Tianxie adhered to the principle that even an upright official can't settle family disputes.

"Don't ask me, I know nothing."

The small study was filled with the smoke of incense, and the wooden shelves on the walls were piled high with countless books. The air was thick with the scent of books; it was a place almost completely isolated from the outside world, a sanctuary belonging solely to Taishi Danqing.

There were no chairs in this small room. Jun Tianxie and the room's owner sat facing each other on cushions across a tea table, with mountains of books piled above them.

"Six years have passed, and it's still the same as before,"

Taishi Danqing said calmly, his gray eyebrows lowered, his expression gentle and serene. "Since its construction, this study has never been entered by anyone other than you and me, not even Zhen'er."

Jun Tianxie nodded. "It seems you have indeed kept your promise to that old ghost."

"What I have promised, I will never go back on my word." Taishi Danqing's voice suddenly turned cold, his eyes piercing as he stared directly at Jun Tianxie.

"But what about you? You promised never to set foot in the Taishi family again, so why have you returned?"

Taishi Danqing's gaze was sharp as a knife, his expression completely different from when he faced Taishi Zhen, making one wonder which one was his true self.

Jun Tianxie shook his head and sighed softly, "I had no choice, I was forced to return."

Taishi Danqing's expression vanished, his eyes turning ashen, "No matter what, you shouldn't have returned."

Jun Tianxie said calmly, "You've already done what you shouldn't have done, so what do you plan to do? Kill me?"

A trace of inexplicable bitterness flashed in Taishi Danqing's eyes, "No, I won't do that."

From Jun Tianxie's expression, it was impossible to tell whether he felt relieved by those words.

"I came here this time only to ask you something."

"What is it?"

"The forbidden history... the Six Paths Dynasty...!" Jun Tianxie's voice suddenly became ethereal and indistinct.

Taishi Danqing was shocked upon hearing this, his gentle and dignified face twisting slightly.

"You mean... the Six Paths Realm... the Six Paths...!"

Jun Tianxie took a deep breath, finishing the sentence that Taishi Danqing had been stammering out.

"The Six Paths Holy Emperor!"

The four words "Six Paths Holy Emperor" seemed to possess an invisible magic, turning the two people in the small study deathly pale, a tremor that seemed to steal their breath.

The two sat facing each other in silence for a long, long time.

"Why do you want to know about the Six Paths Dynasty?" Taishi Danqing hesitated for a long time before finally speaking.

Of course, Jun Tianxie couldn't say that a strange new personality had suddenly appeared within him and told him this, otherwise Taishi Danqing would kick him out even if he didn't consider him crazy. He gave a bitter smile and said, "I encountered someone who claimed to be a shikigami of the Asura Path in the Six Paths. That madman's martial arts were so good that he rebelled. Even if I used all my strength, I had little chance of winning. If he hadn't run away after a few exchanges, I certainly wouldn't be here talking to you now."

Taishi Danqing frowned and said, "With your martial arts and wisdom, even if you couldn't win, you should have been more than capable of protecting yourself and escaping."

Jun Tianxie said, "What if the other party had mastered the 'Manas Consciousness'?"

"That's impossible!" Taishi Danqing was shocked.

"But this is an absolute fact, something I experienced firsthand, there's no mistake!" Jun Tianxie couldn't help but shudder when he recalled his fight with Rakshasa.

Taishi Danqing's face turned frighteningly pale. After a long silence, he slowly said, word by word, "So, the legend is actually true." "

What legend?"

"Six Paths of Reincarnation, a Holy Age for a Thousand Autumns; Shikigami Protect the Way, the Holy Spirit is Immortal!" Tai Shi Danqing uttered these sixteen words, which sounded like a chant, in an almost trembling voice.

"What does this mean?" Jun Tianxie frowned.

Tai Shi Danqing said, "The so-called Six Paths are the Heavenly Path, the Human Path, the Asura Path, the Hungry Ghost Path, the Animal Path, and the Hell Path. People in the 'Six Paths Realm' believe that all beings suffer, and the five paths are turbid and evil. Only the 'Heavenly Path,' directly governed by the Holy Emperor, is the place of salvation. The only way to make the Heavenly Path descend to the mortal world is to annihilate the other five paths, so that the cycle of reincarnation in the Six Paths will cease, and the true paradise can be maintained forever. The task of destroying the five paths is carried out by the five great Shikigami directly under the Holy Emperor. Legend has it that each Shikigami has the power to fight against a thousand."

Jun Tianxie gasped and said, "Leaving aside the other four paths, annihilating the Human Path, doesn't that mean killing all the living people in the world?" What insane doctrine is this?!

Tai Shi Danqing solemnly said, "The ideal of the Six Paths Cult is to destroy this filthy world and rebuild a paradise on the void where only the followers of the Holy Emperor exist. It is precisely because of this mad and indiscriminate doctrine that the Six Paths Cult is regarded as heresy by the world and ultimately suffers destruction."

Jun Tianxie asked, "What about this Holy Emperor?"

"The Holy Emperor of the Six Paths!" Tai Shi Danqing said solemnly, "According to the historical records of the Tai Shi family, more than three hundred years ago, he single-handedly created the Six Paths Dynasty, replacing the 'Celestial Dynasty' which had a history of two hundred and nineteen years. His cultivation was unprecedented and unparalleled, approaching the realm of a celestial immortal. Under his command, no general ever survived more than three times!"

"It sounds even more powerful than that old ghost." Tai Shi Danqing smiled bitterly: "

If the records of the aristocratic families are not exaggerated, the martial arts of the Six Paths Holy Emperor are indeed beyond imagination. In the battle that determined the destruction of the Six Paths Dynasty, the righteous army and various martial arts factions mobilized a total of nine thousand elites to besiege the Holy Emperor and the five shikigami. It is said that the battlefield was so tragic that it made heaven and earth grieve! Not to mention that each of the five shikigami possessed skills that rivaled those of ghosts and gods, the Six Paths Holy Emperor himself was known as the invincible 'Sword of Eternity'! The sword energy could reach ten zhang away, killing people invisibly within a hundred paces. Under his sword might, no one could get within three zhang of him." Upon hearing the phrase "Sword of Eternity, "

Jun Tianxie's heart skipped a beat, but he concealed it perfectly, showing no outward sign of his reaction.

Taishi Danqing continued, "At that time, the only one who could rival the Six Paths Holy Emperor was the founding emperor of the Xuanwu Dynasty, then known as the 'God of War,' Xuanwu! In that battle, Xuanwu used his protective Heavenly Gang to withstand six moves of the Holy Emperor's Sword of Eternity, allowing Yu Xuanji, the founder of the Jade Dynasty, to find an opening and strike the Holy Emperor's brow with the 'Sword of the Son of Heaven,' shattering his Holy Spirit Body. The shikigami, deprived of the Holy Emperor's Six Paths Divine Power, perished one by one. Although the final result of that battle was victory, the price paid was incredibly heavy! Of the nine thousand elite experts, only Xuanwu and Yu Xuanji survived! The pile of corpses was so high that it moved all who witnessed it! And the so-called survivors of these two peerless masters suffered a fate worse than death."

"What happened?" Jun Tianxie hurriedly asked. Taishi

Danqing said quietly, "The swordsmanship of 'God of War' Xuanwu and 'Emperor' Yu Xuanji is unparalleled in their time, having reached the initial stage of understanding the secrets of the Heavenly Dao. However, before the martial arts of the Six Paths Holy Emperor, which are like the divine power of the universe's creation... it's like the difference between an adult and an infant! Although Xuanwu later became the ruler of a country, all his cultivation was destroyed in that battle, and he died suddenly only two years after ascending the throne! As for Yu Xuanji, although he lived for sixteen more years, his eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were all destroyed, and his limbs were paralyzed. Spending the rest of his life in a sickbed was worse than death!"

"Is there really such incredible martial arts in the world?!"

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Jun Tianxie's temple. What Taishi Danqing had just said was so shocking that he could barely breathe. He finally understood why the current dynasty was so determined to completely suppress the past history of the "Six Paths Dynasty." "

The way of martial arts is vast and boundless, and no one knows where the true limit lies..." Taishi Danqing calmly broke the awkward silence in the room: "After that battle, the power of the Six Paths Dynasty was completely destroyed, but the martial arts world was also severely weakened. After a hundred years of decline, it wasn't until the rise of Ding Yichen, the 'Heavenly Sword and Absolute Blade,' that the four forgotten words 'Number One Under Heaven' were brought up again."

Jun Tianxie said in a deep voice: "If what you say is true, the Six Paths Realm was destroyed more than three hundred years ago, then what about the Rakshasa who appears before me, claiming to be a shikigami of the Asura Path?" "

In the Six Paths Realm, there's a saying about the reincarnation of holy spirits and the immortality of the soul. It's believed that the human body is merely a vessel in this world, and as long as the primordial spirit remains, one can reincarnate infinitely! And once the Holy Emperor descends back to the mortal realm, it will be the day the Six Paths Realm reigns supreme once more!"

"A vessel in this world! That 'Heavenly Evil' used the same idea. What is the connection between these two?"

A flicker of fear finally crossed Jun Tianxie's eyes, fleeting like a shooting star, but it didn't escape the notice of Taishi Danqing, whose eyes, seemingly hazy but actually as deep as a black hole in the void.

Chapter Three: Conferred God Reincarnation.

Silence filled the room like the burning sandalwood incense. The two had sat facing each other in silence for over an hour, one because he had nothing left to say, the other because he didn't know what to say.

"I just want to know if, in the past three hundred years, have any aristocratic families recorded any trace of activity in the Six Paths Realm?" "Jun Tianxie pondered for a long time before finally speaking.

Taishi Danqing didn't answer immediately, hesitating for a long time before finally saying,

"Absolutely not. I'm afraid they themselves know they are the target of everyone's attacks, so they have been hiding it very well all along!"

Even without looking at the expression on Taishi Danqing's face, Jun Tianxie knew that the other party was lying, but he couldn't understand why the former would lie. In addition, since he was under someone else's roof, he had to suppress the urge to ask further.

"Have you asked everything you wanted to ask?" Taishi Danqing said after a long sigh.

Jun Tianxie hesitated for a moment, but still nodded and said, "Yes."

"Alright, now it's my turn to ask you." Taishi Danqing said in a deep voice, "Why would the beings of the Six Paths Realm, who should live in the deepest part of the dark world, risk being discovered to appear before you? Do you know the reason?" Jun Tianxie shrugged with a

bitter smile: "I want to know the answer to this question more than anyone else!"

Tai Shi Danqing's eyes gleamed, seemingly trying to discern whether Jun Tianxie was hiding anything from his expression, but ultimately to no avail. "

You didn't come here just to look up information, did you?" Tai Shi Danqing changed the subject, saying, "Although we've only known each other for a year, I'm confident in my judgment of character. You're the kind of person who's inherently selfish and ruthless, willing to do anything to achieve your goals! Although I agreed to exchange the 'Peerless Demon Blade' manual for a year of free access to the Tai Shi family's library, that doesn't mean I ever liked you!"

Jun Tianxie grinned, "That's quite heartless. Even disregarding your exchange with Old Ghost, my year in the library wasn't just about eating for free! Who categorized and cataloged all those books in your house, piled higher than mountains?"

Tai Shi Danqing grumbled, "If it weren't for your small contribution, I would never have let you come back this time." "

Is that so?" Jun Tianxie smiled meaningfully, "Your daughter doesn't seem to think that way. At least she seems much more affectionate towards me than her father."

Speaking of his most precious daughter, Taishi Danqing's face immediately turned ashen, and he said in a deep voice,

"Don't you dare try anything with my daughter!"

Jun Tianxie shrugged, "Your daughter is so beautiful, a graceful lady. It's only natural that a gentleman would pursue her!"

Taishi Danqing's eyes flashed with fierce light, and he snorted, "Even if my daughter is a lady, you are definitely not a gentleman! If you dare to lay a finger on her, even the King of Hell can't protect you!" Jun Tianxie's

expression remained unchanged, and he said casually, "You make it sound like I'm a useless second-generation rich kid who only relies on my father's protection. After more than a year together, you should know my temper and abilities. Give me what I want, and then we can all continue to live in peace. Isn't that better?"

There was not a trace of threat in his tone, but combined with Jun Tianxie's deep and vast arrogance, even without the slightest hint of killing intent, he possessed an aura that no one could underestimate. "

Are you threatening me?!"

Jun Tianxie calmly replied, "Calling it a threat is too strong. I'm just reminding you to reconsider my proposal. A complete breakdown in relations won't benefit anyone."

Taishi Danqing's eyes flashed with a sharp light, then swept away, and he sighed,

"What do you want? Tell me."

Abandoning his earlier oppressive arrogance, Jun Tianxie smiled slightly and said easily,

"Wouldn't it have been much better if you'd done this earlier? Actually, Father, your worries are unnecessary. We've been friends for many years. Would I harm you? Besides asking you about the history of the Six Paths, I also want to ask you something: do you think anyone can cultivate the seventh consciousness (Manas) before the age of thirty?"

Taishi Danqing's expression changed. "That's impossible!"

Jun Tianxie shrugged. "But that self-proclaimed Asura Path Shikigami, Rakshasa, did it. My 'Supreme Six Senses' were utterly defeated because my spiritual power was a level higher than his." "

Impossible!" Taishi Danqing murmured. "Even 'Xuanzong' Xiaowentian and Jun Yanhuang only began to break through the Six Senses and touch the realm of the seventh consciousness after they reached the age of fifty. That Rakshasa couldn't possibly be stronger than them...!"

“Unless it is…!” Taishi Danqing suddenly seemed to realize something and exclaimed in shock, “Reincarnation of the Gods?! Could there really be such a technique in the world!”

Jun Tianxie looked at him with interest and leaned forward, asking, “What is ‘Reincarnation of the Gods’?”

Taishi Danqing frowned and said, “I have only read about it in the text recorded in the ‘Huangji Jingshi Dian’. When one’s cultivation surpasses the realm of the six senses and reaches the eighth sense, Alaya consciousness, the physical body and primordial spirit can become immortal and exist eternally with heaven and earth! Even at the Manas consciousness level, one can cultivate a ‘soul body’! This is what Taoists call the ‘primordial embryo’ or ‘primordial spirit.’ Even if the physical body disappears, the primordial spirit can exist in another form until it finds a suitable physical body again.”

Jun Tianxie frowned and said, “You mean to say that the Rakshasa that appears before me is a dead person from more than three hundred years ago who has been reincarnated as a soul? How could such an absurd thing be possible!”

"Not entirely," Taishi Danqing shook his head. "The Manas consciousness cultivated by the shikigami is not 'pure.' When the physical body perishes, the 'soul' cannot be completely preserved. Only the most refined martial arts memories remain. When the next generation of shikigami appears, they can directly inherit more than 80% of the Six Paths Divine Power. The Six Paths Realm calls this 'Godly Reincarnation!' I always thought this was just something the Six Paths Clan made up to deceive people, but apart from that, I can't find any reasonable explanation."

Jun Tianxie was not intimidated by Taishi Danqing's shocking statement. Instead, he pondered and said,

"Is there such a thing as a free lunch? There are gains and losses. Otherwise, the Six Paths Realm wouldn't have embarked on the path of destruction more than three hundred years ago. There must be some crucial issue involved."

Although Taishi Danqing didn't like Jun Tianxie, he had to admire the latter's calm and clear-headedness. He slapped his knee and said:

"That's right! The 'souls' of the five shikigami cannot be inherited by everyone, and those who undergo the 'God-Consecration Reincarnation' ritual will lose their fertility for life. Therefore, for over three hundred years, the Six Paths Mandala, symbolizing the hope of the Holy Emperor's resurrection, has never been fully occupied. If the 'Six Paths Reincarnation' cannot be activated, the beings of the Six Paths will never see the light of day again."

"Most importantly, to awaken the 'Manas Consciousness' with the power of the Six Paths, one must exchange their own lifespan. The more divine power is consumed, the sooner one's life will end. As you said, is there anything in this world that can be gained without effort? There is no shortcut to martial arts. To obtain unparalleled cultivation, one must pay the corresponding price."

After listening to Taishi Danqing's explanation, Jun Tianxie finally felt a little relieved, but he still vaguely felt that something was amiss.

"You mean, as long as the five shikigami of the Six Paths Realm aren't all present, the Six Paths Holy Emperor can't be reincarnated? Is that the case?"

Taishi Danqing nodded. "You could say that."

"Impossible to be reborn..." Jun Tianxie pondered, his fingers interlaced, but a different thought lingered in his mind.

"That red-haired man called Rakshasa did repeatedly mention the term 'reincarnated spirit child' when he appeared before me. Could it be that my third personality is connected to the Six Paths Holy Emperor...? Sigh! It seems there's more to worry about than one thing!"

Taishi Danqing said, his face ashen. "If what you say is true, and the Six Paths Realm and the shikigami truly reappear in the mortal world, it will be a catastrophe for both the righteous and evil factions! Because for the Six Paths followers, anyone who doesn't believe in the Six Paths doctrine is a heretic and should be condemned." Those who are condemned to the hellish realm of the Six Paths of Reincarnation will never be reborn, which is the so-called "those who walk different paths cannot make plans together!" During the "Great Purge" of the Six Paths Dynasty, tens of thousands died. Although it is not recorded in official history, every time I read the forbidden chapters of the "Imperial Supreme Scripture," this bloody past is chilling to contemplate!

Jun Tianxie had no interest in history, but the terror of the Rakshasa left a deep impression on him. He felt a thorn in his side regarding the Six Paths Realm, wanting to get away as quickly as possible. He proactively asked:

"What do you intend to do?"

Taishi Danqing said decisively, "First, we must unite the scattered forces in the martial arts world to form an anti-evil alliance. We will first eliminate the Six Paths Cult and their shikigami, and then, before the current successor of the Six Paths Holy Emperor performs the 'Consecration and Reincarnation' ceremony, we will kill him in one fell swoop! We must prevent this from happening in the first place. If the Six Paths Mandala were to ignite in unison, then no one would be able to save us!"

Jun Tianxie said with a rather surprised tone, "Oh! I never knew you were so decisive."

Taishi Danqing said in a deep voice, "You don't know how terrifying the Six Paths Cult is, that's why you speak with such an indifferent attitude."

"I didn't know how terrifying the Six Paths Clan was?" Jun Tianxie retorted indignantly, "I was the one who was utterly defeated by the shikigami, not you!"

Taishi Danqing said solemnly, "The Six Paths Shikigami are only one aspect of the Six Paths Clan's strength. What was most terrifying about the Six Paths Dynasty back then was the 108 'familiars' who embodied the 108 afflictions of human existence! Including the Holy Emperor, each shikigami directly commanded eighteen familiars, all of whom were empowered by the Six Paths Divine Power. Not only were they highly skilled in martial arts, but they were also fearless in battle, their frenzied killing intent often capable of striking down a hundred enemies at once, or even killing a single warrior." An enemy whose power far surpasses his own! He seemed utterly oblivious to fear.

Jun Tianxie smiled bitterly, “The Six Paths Sect’s tricks are truly endless, what else haven’t they come up with?”

Taishi Danqing gave him a meaningful look and said earnestly, “Actually, the Six Paths Shikigami and familiars aren’t what I’m most worried about. What I fear is that even if we can destroy the gods and demons of the Six Paths Sect, we still won’t be able to grasp the whereabouts of the Holy Emperor’s successor…”

For some reason, Jun Tianxie felt uneasy under the other’s gaze, but he showed no outward sign, laughing heartily,

“Are you senile? Didn’t you just say that with five Shikigami missing, the Holy Emperor’s reincarnation was nothing to fear? Why are you worrying about it again so soon!”

Taishi Danqing’s deep eyes seemed to be burning with two will-o’-the-wisps, sending chills down one’s spine.

"I hope so."

Jun Tianxie didn't want to dwell on this topic any longer. He had already achieved his goal for this trip. He stood up and said,

"Thank you for your frankness. I will lend a hand in dealing with the Six Paths Clan, depending on the situation. As for your daughter, you can rest assured. Her feelings for me are nothing more than pure childhood affection. I can assure you that I will not overstep any boundaries."

For Jun Tianxie, this was an unprecedentedly sincere promise. Unfortunately, Taishi Danqing knew the former's character all too well. It wasn't that Jun Tianxie was an untrustworthy person, but in his view, promises were far less important than his own interests.

"Do you think I should believe your promise?" Taishi Danqing asked calmly.

Jun Tianxie had already stepped out of the room when he heard this, he paused, remained silent for a moment, and then said calmly,

"I will not make any promises to you; that would be an insult to our intelligence. I can only say that unless forced by circumstances, I will never break the promise I made to you. This is the only promise I can make."

"I will remember your words," Taishi Danqing said.

Jun Tianxie slipped out, leaving Taishi Danqing alone inside, and slowly extinguished the lamp.

A vast expanse of towering ancient forest stretched for nearly a thousand miles. Within the area of the "Sea of Trees," it was a place rarely visited by humans. This space within the sea of trees seemed detached from the flow of time and space outside, its scenery unchanging through generations. "Hundreds of years in the human world are but a day in the sea of trees" perfectly described this place.

Ding Shenzhao moved with the gait of a wild beast searching for prey, merging his body into the atmosphere of the forest. For him, being here felt like returning "home." From birth, he had lived a solitary life, surviving alone in the harshness of nature. Wandering and solitude were as natural to him as breathing.

Only after meeting Jun Tianxie did he learn how to interact with others and develop feelings and care for things outside himself. But this exception only applied to Jun Tianxie; to others, Ding Shenzhao saw them no different from wild beasts in the wilderness.

After the appearance of Ye Meixie, this situation might have been broken, but after giving his true feelings, he was cruelly betrayed. As a result, Ding Shenzhao's heart became even more tightly closed and cold. Now, even in his dreams, he rarely thinks about the childhood promise he made with his girlfriend, and a girl named Xiaolian.

He doesn't regret it; growth always comes with a price.

A strange feeling, like a faint electric current suddenly striking the void, stirred his mind, which was now close to a state of meditation. The feeling was both familiar and strange, and he knew who had come, and that the other party had known his presence from the moment he entered the forest.

A strange man covered in tree bark and withered grass emerged from the forest, which seemed to divide the sea in two. Ding Shenzhao looked into the other's eyes, and the deep, dark light was like two icebergs, freezing the passage of time. The man felt both majestic and kind, as gentle as a spring breeze, and as irresistible as a hurricane.

Without needing any further verbal confirmation, he could tell that the person before him was his only remaining blood relative in this world! He knew the other knew it too.

"You've come."

The man smiled, a smile that seemed jarring and ugly on his face, which resembled the bark of a thousand-year-old tree. But Ding Shenzhao felt no fear. It was a feeling akin to a child under the protection of his father—a familial affection filled with boundless worship, admiration, and filial piety. It was different from the "friendship" Jun Tianxie had given him, yet equally warm and intimate.

"I've been waiting for you. You've finally returned."

"I've returned." Ding Shenzhao nodded.

"It seems you already know your origins." The man said.

"Yes." Ding Shenzhao nodded. "And ancestor, how should I address you?"

"A title is merely a label," the man said. "And as a descendant sharing my bloodline, if possible, I hope you will call me 'Father'! Because I have always regarded you as the child between Yunniang and me, destined to be apart."

Without hesitation, Ding Shenzhao knelt down.

"Father."

The man trembled, his face showing a mixture of joy and sorrow. Even with his over a century of spiritual cultivation, the fact that he so openly displayed his emotions revealed the depth of his inner turmoil.

He let out a long roar that reverberated for miles.

"I never imagined that I, 'Heavenly Sword Absolute Blade' Ding Chenyi, would ever hear someone call me 'Father' in this lifetime!"

Chapter Four: The Way of the Heavenly Sword

. Ding Chenyi, carrying Ding Shenzhao, continued deeper into the dark, damp sea of trees. Amidst the dense roots and tangled grass, the former's voice reached the latter's ears clearly and distinctly.

"The pair of grass-bound rings I gave you are divine weapons I infused with the 'Sword Soul' and 'Blade Spirit' respectively using the 'Sword Nurturing Technique.' As long as you carry them, I can sense your condition wherever you go. However, this connection was broken a few days ago. At that time, I knew that something must have happened to you. Later, your friend Jun Tianxie came to the Tree Sea to find me. After he left, a man who called himself 'King Yama' Jun Tianxie also came. His martial arts are very high; he is the most skilled person I have seen in the hundred years I have been in the Tree Sea! We fought, but because both sides had reservations, we could not determine a winner. From the father and son, I indirectly learned about your situation. That was the first time I hated myself for going astray in cultivating 'Ascension in the Daytime,' which prevented me from leaving this Tree Sea and from going out to save you!"

Ding Shenzhao felt a surge of emotion upon hearing this. Ding Chenyi's concern for him was overflowing, even more so than that between a true father and son.

Ding Shenzhao lowered his head in shame, not wanting Ding Chenyi to see his expression. "

It is my incompetence that I failed to protect the weapon you painstakingly forged, Father, and even caused you to lose it."

Ding Chenyi laughed and said, "The weapon is lost, so be it! Actually, the reason I passed on that pair of swords to you was simply because I was worried that you wouldn't be able to protect yourself. Having an extra pair of weapons always provides more protection. When your martial arts progress to a certain level, you will understand that divine weapons are ultimately just external possessions. Relying too much on external things will only lead to stagnation in your cultivation. Losing the Jade Ring is not necessarily a bad thing for you." Gazing at Ding

Chenyi's tall and straight back, as imposing as a pine tree, Ding Shenzhao felt an overwhelming surge of admiration. This was a truth only those who had reached Ding Chenyi's level of martial arts could understand, a truth that could only be grasped intuitively, not explained in words.

Ding Chenyi suddenly turned, his eyes, shining like the brightest stars in the night sky, gleaming with an extraordinary light, meeting Ding Shenzhao's gaze like two sharp arrows. His face was as calm as still water in an ancient well.

"My child, do you know what the way of the sword is?"

Ding Shenzhao was taken aback, pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I've never thought about that question. For me, the method of using the sword is simply how to defeat the opponent; nothing else needs to be considered."

Ding Chenyi smiled and said, "Concentration leads to spiritual focus. My cultivation has reached the point where I have a sword in my hand, but no sword in my heart; the myriad things of heaven and earth are not bound by a single sword. Only then can I speak these words." "But there's still one step away from reaching the 'Sword Saint' level, where the heart is the sword and the sword is the heart. To reach the 'Heavenly Sword' level, where everything can be a sword and all techniques are saber techniques, there's still a long and arduous road ahead."

These words captivated Ding Shenzhao. Before this, he had never imagined that the way of the sword could be so profound. Only today had Ding Chenyi opened another door for him.

"What is the Heavenly Sword?"

Ding Chenyi laughed heartily, his eyes flashing with divine light. He said with delight,

"I'm afraid only I can truly answer this question for you. However, the way of the Heavenly Sword is ineffable. The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao. The process from 'Swordsman' to 'Sword Saint' can be achieved through arduous practice, but for a 'Sword Saint' to break through to 'Sword God,' there is no other way but sudden enlightenment!"

Ding Shenzhao was astonished: "If it cannot be spoken, then how can you teach it?"

Ding Chenyi smiled leisurely: "It cannot be spoken, but it can be understood intuitively." Just as Ding

Shenzhao was about to press for further explanation of how to understand it, Ding Chenyi's eyes suddenly blazed with an unusual light. An irresistible aura, like a raging storm, surged from his body. His voice, though not loud, was as powerful as thunder, resounding:

"When the spirit and will unite, and the will unites with the heavens, the power of heaven and earth becomes my weapon. This is the 'Heavenly Sword'! Just like this sword!"

Ding Chenyi suddenly unleashed a sword strike with his bare hands, his palm pointing directly at the heavens. Sword energy shot into the sky, instantly pulverizing any fallen leaves, tree trunks, birds, or other creatures that touched the sword light! The sword energy radiated outwards in a crown from him, toppling ancient trees one by one. Even the thick, perpetually dark clouds over the sea of trees were forced open by the sword energy, allowing a ray of dawn to appear at the bottom of the tree sea, which had never seen sunlight for centuries.

Ding Shenzhao was dazzled, his blood surging, unable to control himself for a long time. A sword strike combining with the primordial energy of heaven and earth possessed such supreme power! When would he ever be able to master this god-like martial art?

Ding Chenyi seemed to know Ding Shenzhao's thoughts at that moment. He looked at him and smiled,

"My child, you don't need to be surprised by my swordsmanship. One day, your achievements will surpass mine."

Ding Shenzhao frowned slightly upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Since Father's cultivation is so profound, does Luo Fan intend to confine himself to this tree sea where the sun never shines, and not venture into the martial world to contend for supremacy?"

Ding Chenyi smiled slightly and said, "Contend for supremacy? I gave up on this pointless idea a hundred years ago."

He looked up at the sky with a reminiscing expression and said softly, "Back then, with just my sword and saber, I made all the heroes of the world bow their heads. Although I gained the empty title of the number one master in the world, my martial arts cultivation stagnated after that. I could not find a worthy opponent. After much deliberation, I finally realized that human enemies were no longer an option. If I wanted to reach a higher level, I had to defy the heavens!"

"So I resolved to abandon everything and live in seclusion in this remote forest, to explore the Dao of Heaven and Man. When I was just one step away from reaching the Daoist ideal of physical ascension to immortality and breaking through the void, I was thwarted by an unresolved knot in my heart. Not only did I fail, but my qi and blood went astray, and I almost died from qi deviation. Although I eventually survived, my body underwent a mutated process. During the process of merging with the primordial energy of heaven and earth, because I absorbed a large amount of the earth's spiritual energy from the forest, my meridians automatically merged with the roots of the trees that stretched deep underground. I became a 'freak' who was half human and half tree!"

A bitter smile appeared on Ding Chenyi's face as he continued, "

Because my meridians are connected to the tree roots, I no longer need to drink water or eat. I have truly entered the realm of 'abstaining from grains' as described by the immortals. Moreover, my physiological functions have become as slow as those of a plant. Even if I am injured, I can recover automatically in a short time. I am practically half immortal, which is the real reason why I have been able to survive in the sea of trees for more than 200 years. However, such a body has a major drawback: I cannot survive outside the sea of trees. Once I leave this place, I will age and die within half a day." Ding

Shenzhao was speechless. What sounded absurd to others was, in Ding Chenyi's words, a torturous way of achieving "immortality"—a true hell on earth, worse than death.

Ding Chenyi's expression remained largely unchanged, his tone calm and unhurried, as if the earth's spiritual energy had transformed not only his meridians but also his personality.

"Having lived alone in the Tree Sea for so many years, I've come to terms with everything. If it weren't for the lingering regret I felt for Yunniang, I would have already dissolved into my own essence. Until that day I met you in the Tree Sea, the innate bloodline I shared made me immediately recognize you as my descendant. Perhaps after more than a hundred years of torment, heaven finally took pity on this immortal being, allowing us, father and son, to be reunited." Ding

Shenzhao was deeply moved. Ding Chenyi's concern for him was genuine and couldn't be faked.

Suddenly, a thought struck him, and he asked, "Father, you just said you fought against Jun Tianxie's father, 'Yan Huang' Jun Nitian. What exactly happened in that battle?"

Although he hadn't witnessed Jun Nitian's fighting, his innate, extraordinary eyesight allowed him to intuitively sense the opponent's extraordinary cultivation, just as he had seen through Jun Tianxie's true strength at a glance. If Jun Tianxie's cultivation was an unfathomable pool, then Jun Nitian's was a tornado soaring through the sky, possessing the power to destroy everything!

Ding Chenyi snorted coldly, his eyes flashing with a chilling, sword-like light.

"Jun Nitian's martial arts are indeed the highest I've ever seen, but within this sea of trees, no one can defeat your father!" "Even if Jun Nitian is strong, I'm confident I can kill him within ten thousand moves. However, I'll inevitably suffer internal injuries, and I won't be able to recover within ten years. That's a price I'm unwilling to pay right now. He feels the same way, and he's not confident he can defeat me either. So our battle is practically over before it even begins."

Ding Shenzhao said emotionally, "Father gave up the chance to fight Jun Nitian for my sake..."

Ding Chenyi smiled calmly, "That's alright. As long as we're all alive, there will always be a chance to compete. By the way! Where's your friend, the one who's inseparable from you? Why didn't he come with you this time?"

Ding Shenzhao replied, "We're acting separately this time. He went to the Taishi family to research some information, while I returned to the Tree Sea to find you, hoping to break through my current cultivation level."

Ding Chenyi's eyes suddenly shone brightly, his gaze seeming to penetrate Ding Shenzhao's heart as he said,

"You've recovered your mind quite some time ago. Why didn't you think of coming to find me before? Why did you change your mind now?" Ding Shenzhao shuddered, lowering his head dejectedly. "

As expected, nothing can be hidden from you, Father. I originally intended to return before I could reclaim my weapon from my enemy, but after encountering a person who claimed to be a shikigami from the 'Six Paths Realm,' he single-handedly defeated me and Tianxie. This battle completely changed my shallow, narrow-minded thinking. In the dog-eat-dog world of martial arts, only strength is the only law of survival. And to improve in the shortest time, I must return and learn from you, my invincible father."

Ding Chenyi laughed loudly, "Invincible! That's true, haha!" He suddenly stopped laughing, his face solemn, and looked at Ding Shenzhao. "These words, your 'good friend' taught you to say, didn't she?"

Ding Shenzhao was stunned. "Father, how did you know... Heh!" "By the time he realized his slip of the tongue, it was too late to catch up."

Ding Chenyi smiled and shook his head silently, but inwardly he sighed.

"Alas! Silly child, when it comes to scheming, there is a world of difference between you and Jun Tianxie. He didn't dare to appear before me directly, so he took advantage of your desire to protect your friend, creating this situation that I couldn't refuse. In the end, it only increased his bargaining chips."

"Should I warn him? But this child has unreserved trust in Jun Tianxie. Even if I give him a well-intentioned reminder, he'll probably ignore it and might even think I'm trying to sow discord between them. Never mind! Let's not talk about it for now."

With a gentle smile, Ding Chenyi said softly, "Your friend was afraid that you were too thin-skinned, that you would suffer a loss outside but not dare to come back to your father for help. So he tricked you, this wanderer, into coming home, and also to comfort this lonely old man's longing for his family."

Ding Shenzhao, who was still uneasy, seemed reassured after hearing Ding Chenyi's words. He said apologetically,

"Actually, Tianxie didn't need to do this. I will definitely come back." Ding

Chenyi smiled slightly and said, "Wait until you are willing to come back. Who knows how many years that will take? By then, won't I be waiting until my hair turns white?"

For someone who has lived for nearly two hundred years, such a statement was of course a self-deprecating joke. However, it also helped to shorten the distance between the "father and son" through this relaxed conversation. After chatting about everyday things, Ding Chenyi began to seriously teach Ding Shenzhao martial arts.

"The swordsmanship and saber techniques you learned before were some notes I left with Yunniang before I left. They were techniques I gleaned during my prime, reflecting on every life-or-death duel and close-quarters battle, the flashes of inspiration I had in the clash of blades. The essence of these techniques lies in the four words 'strike first!' Knowing the enemy's moves means securing what is necessary, attacking what is necessary to kill. Once the sword is drawn, there is no turning back, no resistance. This is the 'Heavenly Sword and Saber' technique your father used 150 years ago to conquer the world and become invincible!"

Ding Shenzhao listened, completely captivated, imagining his ancestor's heroic figure, wielding his sword and saber with unparalleled skill, filled with both envy and joy.

Ding Chenyi paused, then added, "Heh!" Actually, these sword and saber techniques, which others had praised to the skies and which I myself was quite proud of, only became clear to me after I entered the Sea of Trees to delve into the Dao of Heaven and Man. I was shocked to realize that what I had understood before was all elementary and trivial. The Dao of martial arts is like the vast sky, boundless and limitless. The so-called invincible loneliness and the idea of competing with the heavens are all utter nonsense!

Ding Shenzhao was utterly astonished. A martial artist of Ding Chenyi's level could not be imagined or predicted by ordinary people. Even though he was mentally prepared and possessed a composure far superior to most, he was still greatly surprised by the latter's words.

Ding Chenyi glanced at Ding Shenzhao, his faint smile carrying a profound and leisurely meaning, and said:

"The world believes that 'Heavenly Sword and Absolute Blade' is my signature technique, the essence of my martial arts. Little do they know that over a hundred years of seclusion and cultivation have already pushed my swordsmanship to a higher realm, which is what I will impart to you today: 'The Way of the Heavenly Sword, where all things become swords!'" "

Ding Shenzhao murmured, 'The Way of the Heavenly Sword: all things become swords…'

Ding Chenyi suddenly extended his right palm, facing Ding Shenzhao, and said, 'Wielding a sword and a knife, pursuing the ultimate, whether or not one has a weapon in hand is no longer the point. As long as there is a sword in one's heart, then all things in heaven and earth can become swords, even the rustling of wind and the movement of grass can become knives. I only comprehended this way sixty years ago.'

As Ding Chenyi explained, near his wrist, the veins that seemed to have merged with the roots of the ground, gleaming with an eerie green light, suddenly extended from the surface of his skin like vines. These root-like things intertwined and gradually combined to form an object that was neither a sword nor a knife. Although it looked abrupt and ugly, Ding Shenzhao could feel from it an aloof and unparalleled sharpness.

'This is…?!'"

Sensing his son's surprise, Ding Chenyi smiled slightly and said, "With a sword in one's heart, everything can be a sword. With essence, blood, and flesh as the hilt, and soul and spirit as the edge, this divine weapon, forged within my body for sixty years and completed with the vast earth energy of the forest sea, I name it 'Qiong Cang'!" Ding

Shenzhao stared in disbelief, marveling at it, and couldn't help but ask,

"Qiong Cang... is this divine weapon a sword? Or a knife?"

With a proud smile, Ding Chenyi slowly said, "You can call it a sword, or you can call it a knife. This 'Qiong Cang' contains the essence of my life's martial arts, the ultimate expression of sword-forging techniques, far surpassing the 'Grass-Connecting Ring' technique I forged back then. If I were to use 'Qiong Cang' without any reservations during my battle against Jun Nitian, I would take your friend's father's head within three hundred moves!"

Then, a complex, thoughtful expression appeared on his face, as if he were talking in a dream: "However, I can also see that Jun Nitian is holding back. If he were to fight me with all his might, the outcome would be uncertain..." Ding

Chenyi's calm tone was filled with deep respect, which Ding Shenzhao found incredible, and he felt even more regretful that he would not be able to witness that thrilling battle firsthand.

"As a martial artist, one should have at least one enemy like Jun Nitian in one's life..."

Ding Shenzhao made a silent wish in his heart, a wish to "compete with the heavens," a decision that would play a pivotal role in his future journey to becoming an unparalleled master.

A strange light flashed across Ding Chenyi's zombie-like, withered face, and the corners of his mouth slightly turned up. Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly showed an expression of listening intently. After a few moments, his eyes flashed with a sharp killing intent like a sword, and he coldly snorted:

"There are actually people who dare to trespass into the Sea of Trees, they really don't know what death is!" Ding

Chenyi suddenly grabbed Ding Shenzhao's wrist and said coldly in a tone that left no room for refusal:

"The newcomer's martial arts are not weak. He can be your test subject. Come with me! From today onwards, you are my official successor, Ding Chenyi, the 'Heavenly Sword and Absolute Blade.' Within a year, I will transform your martial arts skills and make them advance by leaps and bounds! You will become the new generation's invincible master!" "

Ding Shenzhao was involuntarily pulled along by Ding Chenyi, his mind still reeling from the latter's words of surprise, when suddenly a thought struck him.

What if the person coming was Jun Tianxie?

Chapter Five: The Infinite Eagle

A young man in white walked silently and intently deep into the sea of trees.

His handsome and youthful face still retained a hint of childishness, and his gentle, slightly shy smile easily won people's favor. From his luxurious and elegantly tailored clothes, it was clear that the young man came from a wealthy and noble family. Why would he come to this desolate and dangerous place alone? It was truly a matter of pondering.

"The place Master mentioned should be here..."

The young man in white looked at the shade of the trees overhead, which never saw the sunlight, and with a carefree smile, he possessed an untamed air. He tilted his head slightly and whispered:

"Someone that even Master couldn't defeat, I really want to see just how high his cultivation level is?" "Compared to the 'King of Hell' Jun Nitian, I wonder how he even is…"

"You'll never know the answer, kid!"

A pale gray figure suddenly appeared before the white-robed youth. Because the movement was so fast, he initially thought he was seeing things, until he confirmed that the strange pale gray figure was accompanied by another boy, then he knew he wasn't mistaken. The

white-robed youth exclaimed happily, "Such superb movement! You must be the 'person' Master spoke of!"

Although it was a nonsensical statement, Ding Chenyi, possessing wisdom exceeding a century, wasn't fixated on appearances. He looked at the white-robed youth coldly and said,

"Are you from the 'Underworld'?"

The white-robed youth grinned, his smile like the warm sun breaking through layers of dark clouds in winter.

"Senior's discerning eye is correct. This junior is indeed the leader of the Five Demon Sons under the Lord of the Underworld—Ziying."

"You are the leader of the Five Demon Sons—Ziying?!" Ding

Shenzhao had heard of Ziying's name from Jun Tianxie, but he hadn't expected the other party to be so young, and completely devoid of any demonic energy. Instead, he was a gentle, natural, and dashing scholar, as radiant as sunshine.

Ziying's gaze shifted from Ding Chenyi to him, as if he had only just noticed Ding Shenzhao's presence.

"Please forgive my poor eyesight, I didn't recognize this young brother...?"

Ding Shenzhao said coldly, "Who I am is not important, what's important is that you will die by my hand soon." Knowing that the newcomer was not Jun Tianxie, he had no need to show any mercy.

Ziying laughed heartily, "This young brother has quite a strong killing intent! However, my purpose here is to challenge Senior Ding. There's always a time and place. If you want to fight me, you should at least wait until I've finished sparring with Senior Ding."

Ding Chenyi said coldly, "Boy, what arrogance! Do you think you'll have any chance of surviving after fighting me?" "

Zi Ying laughed, "That's exactly why I came here. To challenge a powerhouse like you, senior, is the dream of every martial artist."

As if intrigued by Zi Ying's words, Ding Chenyi rolled his eyes, which were more gray than black, and sneered,

"Boy, you're probably only so bold because you're fearless. If you knew that I owed the founder of the Underworld a favor, and the only condition was that I would allow each future ruler of the Underworld to challenge me once, and I would only give them one chance to lose but not die, and that your chance has already been used up by the fat guy last time, would you still dare to challenge me like you are now?" Zi Ying

was stunned and said, "I've never heard my master mention this matter. I even came out to challenge you, senior, secretly without telling the Demon Master. If I am unfortunately defeated and die, then it is my fate and I can't blame anyone else." "

Ding Shenzhao stared in astonishment at the other man's clear, black and white eyes—clear, pure, without a trace of impurity or falsehood. If he could find even a hint of concealment within them… his feigned composure would be nothing but self-deception… If he could find even the slightest evidence that he was lying, Ding Shenzhao would not hesitate to strike Ziying and take his life.

But there was none."

Not only was Ding Shenzhao's conversation with Ziying flawless, but Ding Chenyi's was as well; otherwise, he would have attacked the latter long ago.

—Ziying, the leader of the "Five Demons"! This man is either an extremely honest saint or a super-duper liar!

Ding Chenyi seemed to have made a decision. Suddenly, he swung his hand and sliced off two branches, one thick and one thin. He closed his eyes, held them silently for a moment, and then placed them in Ding Shenzhao's hand.

"You will fight in my place."

"Me?" Upon hearing this, both Ding Shenzhao and Ziying were stunned.

"Senior…!" Ziying was about to protest when Ding Chenyi waved his hand to stop him, saying, "Only by defeating him will you be qualified to fight me."

Ding Shenzhao took the branches and immediately felt two strange warm currents flowing along the tree trunks into the meridians of his arms. The feeling was like when he first held the Jade Ring, and a long-lost confidence of invincibility welled up in his heart, a confidence he had not regained since losing his sword.

Ziying, clearly sensing the change in Ding Shenzhao's outward aura, raised an eyebrow and exclaimed, "Such powerful sword energy! Young brother, you must be Senior Ding's disciple, right? Truly, a great teacher produces a great student."

Ding Shenzhao replied calmly, "No! I am his son."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of satisfaction flashed in Ding Chenyi's eyes, while Ziying looked utterly astonished, clearly unable to comprehend how Ding Chenyi, at his age, could have such a young son.

"I have no past grievances with you, nor any recent enmity..." Ding Shenzhao lowered his head, the branches intertwined, the sword energy around him growing ever stronger, his face appearing almost otherworldly in the shade. "But you trespassed into the 'Forbidden Sea of Trees,' the forbidden territory of the Ding clan, and that is why I must take your life today!"

"I know who you are!" Ziying raised an eyebrow and shouted, "You are the rising young master of the martial world in recent years—'Sword and Saber' Ding Shenzhao!" "You have another identity: the 'Tearful Star of Slaughter,' who wiped out eleven sects and killed countless people!"

"Correct answer! You can die in peace now."

Ding Shenzhao flicked his wrist, and a dark, gray shadow swept out. The branch in his hand had lost its shape, transforming into a mountain-like, heavy killing intent that reached his opponent's throat in the blink of an eye.

Ziying sighed helplessly: "This battle was not my wish, but it was unavoidable!"

He swiftly reached for his waist, and instantly a dazzling white-hot electric snake appeared in his hand. Only someone with Ding Chenyi's keen eyesight could see clearly in that split second that the electric snake was actually a hundred-chain Burmese iron sword, about two fingers wide and as thin as a cicada's wing. The blade reflected a jewel-like brilliance, and the tip had two fine blades sharpened on either side, as sharp as the fangs of a venomous snake. Ding

Chenyi himself was a master swordsmith, and naturally he could tell that such a soft sword was no ordinary weapon. He couldn't help but regret not having given "Qiong Cang" to Ding Shenzhao earlier.

Ziying laughed and said, "This is a divine weapon that the Demon Master commissioned Master Gui to forge for me with a thousand taels of gold and twelve young and beautiful maidens. It is designed to suit my martial arts style and is called 'Infinite Blade'! It has the sharpness to cut iron like mud and sever hair with a breath. Brother Ding, please be careful." Ding

Shenzhao snorted coldly, ignoring Ziying's well-intentioned warning. His sword strikes became even more rapid and fierce, the gray shadows like deathly light emanating from the depths of hell, leaving no trace.

Ziying suppressed his flippant smile, flicking his wrist to thrust. The Infinite Blade split into five sword petals like a sun-crowned lotus, the sword light striking first despite being delayed! The blade snaked through the gray shadow, splitting and merging, and after several sharp "sizzling" sounds, the branch in Ding Shenzhao's hand was shredded!

The firefly-like silver chain of light didn't falter, swirling and coalescing in the void as if becoming tangible, then suddenly seeming to pierce through space and time, the sword light converging and merging into one, magically piercing towards Ding Shenzhao's chest.

This move, combining offense and defense, was exquisitely beautiful. If the person facing this attack wasn't his only caring blood relative, Ding Chenyi would have exclaimed, "Good!" "Come on, now he's terribly worried."

Ding Shenzhao didn't even glance at Ziying's sword that could kill him. He lunged forward sideways, his left hand holding a tree branch that transformed into a bolt of lightning. The tree trunk was an ordinary object, unlikely to cause harm, but with Ding Shenzhao's internal energy infused into it, combined with the century-old power Ding Chenyi had previously imbued into the tree, its sharpness was forced out through the front of the trunk. The powerful energy compressed the air into a beam, radiating a sharpness no less than any divine weapon, easily piercing through Ziying's protective aura.

It was a suicidal attack!

Ding Chenyi secretly cheered. This was indeed the only option under these circumstances, a desperate measure. In terms of fighting to the death, the pampered leader of the Five Demons could never compare to the "Tearful Killer," who teetered on the brink of death every day. If the opponent valued his life more than Ding Shenzhao, he would inevitably have to retract this deadly move.

Sure enough, Ziying grunted and his figure flashed backward, as fast as if he hadn't moved at all. Ding Shenzhao, undeterred, thrust tree branches at his opponent with a whooshing sound, each move a self-destructive, suicidal attack!

"Damn it! Don't think you're the only one willing to fight to the death!" "

Zi Ying seemed enraged by Ding Shenzhao's fighting style. He unleashed an arc of sword light, which swirled into a circle, instantly forming a gleaming sphere of light in the void. With a low shout of 'Open!', a torrent of sword waves shot out in all directions as the sphere of light exploded. The powerful sword energy seemed endless and far-reaching, slicing Ding Shenzhao, who seemed to have walked right into a trap, to pieces!

Ding Chenyi, however, praised at this moment: 'Good!'

A sense of alarm surged in Zi Ying's heart. Ding Shenzhao before him had actually been completely pulverized by the 'scattering of flowers' sword energy! This was absolutely illogical. At the same time, a chilling killing intent surged towards his abdomen without warning. Without thinking, he acted instinctively, retreating, turning, and returning in one fluid motion. His Infinite Blade returned in time to defend, forcefully blocking Ding Shenzhao's sword that had almost severed him at the waist.

'Shifting Shadows!'" "This kid's movement technique is actually so advanced?!"

Zi Ying was unaware that Ding Shenzhao's teleportation skill was entirely learned through observation and "stealing" from Jun Tianxie. Although it was only "Dreamy Illusory Flower" at 60% power, it was enough to fool Zi Ying, who was fighting for the first time.

Since he had the upper hand, there was no need to let him off the hook. Taking advantage of the moment when Zi Ying was caught off guard and hadn't regained his footing, Ding Shenzhao used a tree branch as a sword and unleashed more than a dozen attacks, each aimed at a position Zi Ying had to defend, leaving Zi Ying drenched in sweat.

"I underestimated him... I didn't expect this kid to be so strong! He's probably no less than one of us Five Demons!"

Although in a disadvantageous position, Zi Ying remained calm. His Infinite Blade unleashed streaks of rainbow light, dazzling and invisible. Gradually, in Ding Shenzhao's eyes, his opponent became only a hazy outline, difficult to see clearly, causing him to hesitate when making a move.

"You've had your fun, haven't you? Now it's time to see my skills!" "

Ziying seized this fleeting moment and launched a counterattack. His sword flashed, the sword shadows intertwined and flowed endlessly, yet they were all feints! If others used so many feints in battle, they would probably have finished off their opponents with a single sword strike. However, Ziying's Infinite Blade had the characteristic of 'leaving a trace after passing through.' Although it was a feint, the sword light could be concentrated and not dispersed. The real and the illusory were intertwined, seemingly real yet illusory, confusing the opponent's senses and judgment. It was extremely powerful."

The "Infinite Blade" is forged from hundreds of chains of Burmese iron, its blade extremely flexible. When not in use, it can be wrapped around the waist like a belt; when in use, it unfolds in the wind, reaching a length of over seven feet. Ziying had painstakingly mastered this weapon, achieving a mastery of both soft and hard strikes, maneuvering with incredible skill, as if it were his own arm. Combined with his "Infinite Moves," this allowed him to ascend to the throne of the Five Demon Princes at the young age of twenty-five.

Ding Chenyi's eyes were sharp, observing both their attacks and defenses. He discovered that their martial arts styles were remarkably similar: neither had fixed moves, relying entirely on their own creations in battle, instinctively seeking out their enemy's weaknesses and striking at the crucial moment to break through.

Ding Shenzhao's ability to reach this level can be attributed to his excellent martial arts bloodline and his wild upbringing, but the fact that Ziying, trained by the Demonic Sect, possesses such high potential surprised Ding Chenyi, who was watching the battle.

"The younger generation is indeed formidable... It seems that besides my son, Long Bufei, and Jun Tianxie, even this young man named Ziying has the qualifications to become a grandmaster. Is it truly a case of the old waves pushing the new waves forward...?"

The Infinite Blade cut through the air with a sharp tearing sound. Ziying seemed to be enveloped in a ball of cold light, and countless sharp points surged towards Ding Shenzhao like a tidal wave, like snow breaking and an ice river bursting its banks.

Ding Shenzhao remained motionless, the branch in his hand retracting itself as he concentrated all his power into an invisible wall of energy in the void, directly blocking Ziying's sword strike that unleashed a barrage of lightning. A flash of silver light appeared, and the two figures overlapped and then separated. Ding Shenzhao remained expressionless, his remaining branch already reduced to dust and annihilated. In contrast, his opponent, Ziying, was in a much more dire situation. His once pristine white robe was now stained with blood, his face ashen, and his body trembling precariously, as if he were about to fall backward at any moment.

Ding Shenzhao's expression was icy as he looked at Ziying and slowly said, word by word, "This battle should have been won by you. Did Luo hold back at the last moment?"

Ziying smiled bitterly, "Relying on the advantage of weapons is not a fair victory. Besides, you are not my purpose in coming here, so why must we fight to the death?"

Ding Shenzhao slowly shook his head and said coldly, "Being merciful to the enemy is being cruel to yourself. You showed me mercy, but I will not hesitate to kill you."

Ziying smiled slightly, forcibly suppressing the weakness and dizziness caused by excessive blood loss, but his eyes remained calm and fearless.

"Even if you kill me, I will not regret my decision. Sticking to the path I believe is right is my lifelong principle!"

Ding Shenzhao looked at Ziying silently, his expression slowly thawing like an iceberg. Suddenly, he turned to Ding Chenyi and said:

“Father, I want to ask you a favor,”

Ding Chenyi said. “Go ahead,”

Ding Shenzhao said, pointing at Ziying. “I hope you can spare this man.”

Ding Chenyi seemed to have expected his son to say this, and was not surprised at all. “Why do you want me to let him go?”

Ding Shenzhao said. “Because I want to fight him again on a fair scale.”

Ziying’s face flushed red. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not doing this to beg for your mercy!”

Ding Shenzhao said calmly. “And don’t get me wrong either, I’m not doing this to save you.”

Ziying was taken aback. “Then what is it for?”

Ding Shenzhao’s cold eyes flashed. “It’s because the fact that you didn’t use your true strength to fight me makes me feel insulted! And only by killing you in your full strength can I quell this anger.”

Ziying said angrily. “Since you say so, there’s no need to wait until I’m healed. Let’s settle this now!”

"Hey! Don't get so excited, take a nap, kid!"

Ding Chenyi suddenly attacked without warning, his sword finger striking Zi Ying's brow from a distance. The latter shuddered and fell to the ground.

Ding Shenzhao looked troubled and said, "Father, you want to..."

Ding Chenyi smiled slightly and said, "Silly child, do you think your father doesn't understand your intentions? You were actually planning to let him go, but you deliberately put on an act for your father. I've eaten more salt than you've drunk water, do you think I'd be fooled by such a simple trick?"

Ding Shenzhao blushed for once and said, "As expected, I can't hide anything from your discerning eyes, Father. However, I do hope to have a fair fight with this person again."

Ding Chenyi took a few steps with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "Don't worry, this kid won't die. Consider him lucky."

"Thank you, Father."

"No need to thank me. Having such an opponent is a good thing for you." Ding Chenyi looked up at the sky and murmured, "The Demonic Sect has actually managed to cultivate such a person with a bright nature. Can this be considered as rising above the mud unsullied...?" It was impossible

to tell whether his tone was sarcastic or sentimental. Although his expression was as calm as the deep water of an ancient well, his eyes gleamed with a cold light, like frost on a blade.

"Even in the face of battle, you couldn't completely sever your emotions. Do you know that this is the reason for your defeat?"

Ding Shenzhao lowered his head and said, "Your son will heed your teachings, Father."

"When the sword heart arises, there is no self, no one else. These words are easy to say, but to maintain a calm and serene mind in the face of actual combat is easier said than done." Ding Chenyi looked at Ding Shenzhao and said, "You still need to learn this much."

"Your son will try his best and not disgrace the Ding family."

Ding Chenyi looked at Ding Shenzhao's face, which was so similar to his own in his youth—resolute and cold—and the words he truly wanted to say remained unspoken.

"Alas! Child, the closest friends are often the most formidable enemies. I hope that one day you will understand this truth yourself."

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