Demon Shadow Slash: Dark Night!

The sword spirit's words stung deep in Li Guanqi's heart. Even though his body had reached its limit, he kept biting his lip, his eyes fixed deathly upon her. Twitching slightly, his limbs worked to push him slowly back up once more! Bang! The heavy pressure mounted again, as though it knew neither limit nor end. Li Guanqi's body slammed into the ground once more, blood trickling down his forehead. Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times! Just like that, Li Guanqi lost track of how many times he had fallen. Each time, the spiritual pressure radiating from the sword spirit surged yet again. The crushing force had long surpassed even the pressure of the Soul Formation Realm. His consciousness began to fray, and his primal energy was all but depleted. Only pure, unyielding willpower kept driving him to rise again from the ground each time he fell. He could endure being looked down upon by others—but not by the sword spirit. "Ahhh!" A roar like that of a wild beast tore from Li Guanqi's throat. Boom! An unyielding will spread wildly across the lake of his heart. Why?! Why?! Why look down on me?! The silent roar reverberated through his mind without end. A domineering sword intent that could reign supreme over the world rose up from the earth! In an instant, Li Guanqi's sword intent ripped an opening through the sword spirit's pressure, and his body sprang up from the ground! Immediately following, a Seven Fiends sword strike slashed straight toward the sword spirit! Boom! Amidst the shriek of thunder, Li Guanqi unleashed his most powerful sword strike at the sword spirit! Yet that sword beam was effortlessly caught between two fingers she extended. At this moment, Li Guanqi was still immersed in his boiling emotions, his aura violently turbulent. That terrifying sword intent, however, had grown all the more grounded and resolute. Seeing the smile on the sword spirit's face, Li Guanqi snapped in fury instead, "What are you smiling at!" With a flick of her hand, the sword spirit gently lowered the sword in his grip and asked softly, "With what state of mind did you swing this strike just now?" Li Guanqi rolled his eyes at her in annoyance, then recalled his thoughts at the moment he struck. Speaking honestly, he said, "Just now... all I thought was..." "No matter how strong you are, I will still draw my sword!" "Even if... I can't hurt you in the slightest!" A slight smile curved the sword spirit's lips, and she said softly, "Very good!" "As a sword cultivator, even when facing an opponent you know is invincible, you must never lightly give up." "Your head may be severed and your blood may spill, but your unyielding pride must never bend or bow!" "Once you bend your back and bow your head, your sword bones will collapse!" "For us sword cultivators, what does it matter even if a Daluo Golden Immortal stands before us?" "You must always possess the resolve to draw your sword!" Only then did Li Guanqi realize that his previously unstable sword intent had actually become rock-solid! Back then, a large part of why he had dared to draw his sword against that female Soul Formation cultivator was that the woman had already been wounded. Had she still been at her peak, he might not have dared draw his sword against her at all. After all, from the very beginning within the barrier, he had played dead. He had known that if discovered back then, certain death awaited him! Yet if it were his present self, even if discovered and even if the woman were uninjured, he would definitely draw his sword! His state of mind before and after had completely changed. The sword spirit's lips curved faintly, a sharp glint flickering in the depths of her eyes. To her, the current Li Guanqi had already understood what this was about. Since that was the case, they could proceed to the next step. Yet inwardly, Li Guanqi felt utterly disgruntled. Looking at the sword spirit's teasing smile, he grumbled to himself, She looks so pretty, but if you tore open her chest, her heart would be pitch-black! Yeah... black-hearted to the core! After all, anyone would feel aggrieved after having such terrifying pressure unleashed on them for no reason, pinned to the ground and humiliated time and again. Admittedly, there had been a moment when the sword spirit's aura truly made him feel powerless. That powerlessness stemmed entirely from the vast gulf between their strengths—a gulf so immense that even the formidable chasm of the Nascent Soul realm seemed as insignificant as an ant. Yet his unyielding nature had compelled him to stand up and draw his sword! By now, he understood her well-meaning intentions, but it still left him feeling as miserable as if he had eaten shit. Seeing his expression, the sword spirit said nothing more. She had to steel Li Guanqi's resolve in his Great Dao! Tyrant Sword! Such a rare, peerless sword intent—she would not allow Li Guanqi to squander something so precious. Therefore, before an unknown, formidable enemy ever appeared, she had to provoke him in advance to solidify his sword dao resolve. Only then would Li Guanqi's heart of the sword never shatter when he faced powerful foes in the future. Holding a longsword, the sword spirit stood before him like a valiant female general of an imperial dynasty. Slowly, Red Lotus was raised. The sword spirit turned her head toward Li Guanqi and said softly, "Watch closely. This strike is very powerful!" Hearing this, Li Guanqi's eyes widened. With his divine sense and mind's eye fully opened, he stared intently at her every movement. The sword spirit's body gradually turned translucent, laying bare the pathways and methods through which her primal energy coursed through her meridians. Her expression grew slightly solemn, her brows brimming with heroic valor. Boom! With a slight shift of her body, a beam of sword light a hundred zhang across slashed through the air! The terrifying sword light cleaved the Dao platform beneath their feet clean in two! A chilling intent that seemed bent on slaughtering the world materialized within the illusion! Sweeping outward, the sword light seemed to carry a power capable of destroying heaven and earth! Boom! A violent roar resounded. Li Guanqi swallowed hard and murmured, "What is this strike... called?" The sword spirit tilted her head playfully and muttered, "What was it called again... called..." "Oh, right! Demon Shadow Slash: Dark Night!" Hearing this, Li Guanqi's eyes flashed with sharp brilliance. This strike was easily comparable to a peak Earth rank sword art! Moreover, it was exceptionally clean and direct, pursuing nothing short of ultimate lethality! Li Guanqi took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and replayed everything the sword spirit had just demonstrated in his head. Gradually, as the primal energy surged within him, it followed the circulation pathway the sword spirit had used almost to the letter, only at a slower pace. Suddenly! As the primal energy fluctuated violently, Li Guanqi slashed out with his sword! Boom! A three-zhang sword glow slashed forth in an instant! Yet this strike failed to shatter even the cyan bricks of the Dao platform, let alone cleave it in two as the sword spirit had done. Even so, the power of this strike was already far stronger than Seven Fiends! Li Guanqi clenched his fists in excitement and slashed out another strike following the same circulation of primal energy! Only this time, he did not open his eyes immediately. Instead, he immersed his mind in the shifts of sword momentum, contemplating the spirit and essence of the strike. Watching him, the sword spirit could not help but nod slightly. Li Guanqi's comprehension was exceptionally high—a fact even she had to acknowledge.