Above the Ninth Heaven, the shattered grotto-heaven drifted amidst the black tides. In the depths of the ruins, a hunt targeted at Qin Ming was about to begin.
In the night mist, several peerless figures advanced from different directions. Each radiated an awe-inspiring spiritual presence; out in the outside world, any one of them was a prominent dignitary whom people would revere with deep veneration.
Wrapped in a black robe that outlined a graceful figure, Laylaya was known as the God Hunter—an exceedingly perilous woman. She halted when she was just under three li from Qin Ming, standing atop a severed peak and looking down upon the scene from on high.
It was precisely because of her presence that Qin Ming felt as though a sharp sword were constantly pressed against his back, like needles on his spine that he could not shake off.
Grand Wizard Karon approached from the front, his brown hair hanging loose over his shoulders. As he drew near, the spiritual substance of heaven and earth began to stir, and even the barren mountains resonated with each step he took.
Draped in a silver robe, he seemed to walk bathed in starlight, exerting an immense pressure on those around him.
Yet the first to strike was not him, but the red-robed man approaching from the flank. Even across a distance of two to three li, the scent of blood seemed to drift through the air.
At that moment, he suddenly accelerated, flashing across the earth like a bolt of blood-red lightning. With a wave of his hand, dozens of bone spears shot forth with shrill shrieks, piercing through the night sky. Like meteorites crashing from beyond the heavens, they blazed violently, trailing long fiery plumes behind them.
Qin Ming shifted his position. Even though his sword baleful aura was unrivaled, he would not squander his strength in vain, vanishing from his spot instantly.
In a flash, that patch of ground collapsed as dozens of bone spears plunged into the earth, churning up vast amounts of soil and rock that crashed in all directions like surging waves.
The power of the bone spears was terrifying—were they intent on boring entirely through the ruins?
The ground beneath Qin Ming's feet abruptly ruptured into a web of massive fissures. A fifteen-meter-tall skull burst forth, followed by the colossal skeleton of its body. It was an ancient beast, bone spines on its back thrusting skyward as it swung a crushing skeletal claw toward Qin Ming.
*Clang!*
Sword baleful aura flashed across the sky. The ancient beast's massive skull was sheared clean off at the neck, crashing to the ground in a thunderous boom that shook the earth.
The gigantic claw did not halt, continuing its strike, but it was caught and shredded by the sword baleful aura. As the sword radiance cleaved through its spine, the ancient beast finally collapsed back onto the earth.
Qin Ming's expression shifted slightly. This was a crumbling grotto-heaven, bound to contain the bones of countless formidable beings. The red-robed man opposite him could actually summon them?
"He is the great Spiritualist Cole!"
"Another legendary powerhouse! To think he has been traveling alongside us!"
Before the magnificent black pagoda, several onlookers grew excited. They were witnessing the emergence of multiple legendary figures, each possessing an astonishing background and a glorious past.
Spiritualist Cole's red robe fluttered in the wind. Halting several hundred meters away, the ground beneath his feet rapidly fractured. Densely packed white skeletons scrambled out, forming an army of white bones that crowded around him.
"The Spiritual Domain has not even manifested yet. Lord Cole is merely testing the waters. If he goes all out, he can annihilate an entire nation single-handedly!"
The people from the outer domain watched with fervent gazes, filled with both adoration and awe toward this legendary figure.
Sure enough, a transformation occurred around Cole. Centered on him, a vast sweep of blood-red light expanded outward, resembling the bloody sunset recorded in ancient tomes.
Instantly, the entire army of skeletons seemed to come alive, undergoing sacralization and shining resplendently. Some of those bones likely belonged to gods; after all, this was an ancient grotto-heaven.
Spiritualist Cole stepped forward and raised a bone staff, swinging it ahead. Every skeletal creature mirrored his motion in unison. In that instant, they moved as a single entity. Boundless bloody baleful aura surged, and together they unleashed an eye-searing, terrifying red beam that crashed forward.
Qin Ming looked solemn. He sensed that if he deployed only seven kinds of sword baleful auras, he very well might not be able to stop it.
Just what kind of monsters had he encountered? Each of these combatants was more uncanny than the last. Without a doubt, all of them would be considered old monsters in the outside world.
As expected, he was forced to deploy eight sword baleful auras. A boundless surge of sword qi swept across the front, colliding violently with the terrifying bloody light. The entire battlefield erupted with deafening roars, shaking as if struck by a massive earthquake.
"If he is indeed a young man, he possesses the talent of a Heavenly God!" Spiritualist Cole remarked, giving his appraisal of 'One Sword.'
Thereafter, he stood silently amid the army of white bones, refraining from attacking again.
Two li away, atop a low hill, a grey-robed man suddenly swooped toward the center of the field, drawing a greatsword. In an instant, wind and thunder roared along his path, the ground split apart, and sand and stones flew—all shaved away by the sheer force of the sword qi.
Like an immortal descending from the heavens, his grey robe flapped as he fused into one with his greatsword. The sword radiance shone with ultimate brilliance; even if the sun and moon hung in the sky, they could not rival its luster.
Like a heaven-splitting divine rainbow, he tore through the night sky and swept across in a straight line!
Qin Ming turned grave. Those sent to hunt him were all formidable grandmasters; a sword posture like this demanded his caution.
With a sharp clang, Qin Ming's pure yang flying sword radiated divine light, its momentum soaring straight toward the heavens as if intent on sundering the Ninth Heaven in a single strike to intercept the dreadful incoming sword radiance!
*Clang!*
The sword chime shook the heavens!
The instant the two collided, a storm of sword qi erupted, sweeping outward in all directions with them at the epicenter.
The ground was etched with a dense network of massive fissures torn open by sword qi, looking as though the entire area might sink.
A nearby knoll was blasted apart, rubble hurtling through the sky before the knoll fully collapsed.
Each of them had unleashed only a single strike, yet the knoll had been leveled by the aftershocks!
The grey-robed man swept past holding his sword. It was merely a single clash; he did not linger for a decisive duel.
Anyone could see that this was an extraordinary master of the sword dao, capable of clashing head-on against eight kinds of sword baleful auras without breaking, withdrawing on equal footing. In this domain, such a feat was enough to stun the world!
"Did my eyes deceive me? 'One Sword' used eight kinds of sword baleful auras just now? Is he human or immortal? Could he be the reincarnation of a Sword God or Sword Demon?"
When Qin Ming had cleaved Cole's Spiritual Domain with the sword baleful aura, the crowd had not seen it clearly. Only now, during his clash in the sword dao against the grey-robed man, did people realize the truth.
"Eight kinds of sword baleful auras! It is truly like the bright moon hanging in the sky; our generation looking upon it is like gazing at a deity!"
Over by Yujing, many young sword cultivators were trembling with excitement, finding it hard to believe. What astonishing natural talent was this?
No one knew better than them how arduous it was to achieve such a feat—it was like a mortal crossing a heavenly chasm.
With such attainments, whether this person was an old monster or a youth, he was qualified to enter Yujing to receive inheritances and take renowned masters as his teachers.
"He is merely one step away from Reaching Nine Perfection!" Even some Earth Immortal old monsters revealed expressions of shock.
"Yet did you see? That grey-robed man is equally terrifying in the sword dao, no weaker than 'One Sword.' The two appear evenly matched!"
Over by Yujing, the crowd wore solemn expressions.
Meanwhile, before the towering black pagoda, the crowd was equally astonished. They had recognized the grey-robed man's identity. To them, he was a godlike existence who had stood tall in the sword dao for centuries, looking down upon all quarters.
"He is Marcus the Sword Master."
Before the black pagoda, everyone felt it was surreal. A living legend walked among them. This expert's attainments in the sword dao were simply too profound, fully earning him that title.
Rumor had it that the Sword Master was born with an innate sword dao physique, his meridians distinct from ordinary people. They were exceptionally suited for circulating sword qi, capable of producing indestructible sword radiance and nurturing supreme sword intent.
Without question, the cultivation system of the outer domain where the black pagoda resided was vastly different from Yujing's.
"That man completely blocked a strike from the Sword Master—how monstrous!"
Just as Yujing was shocked that an outlander could withstand eight sword baleful auras, the people by the black pagoda were also deeply shaken. The stone man on the field could actually stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Sword Master!
"Fighting in the third realm is like wearing shackles for the Sword Master; it is difficult for him to unleash endless sword radiance!"
"That stone man is also in the third realm!"
"The Sword Master is different. His sword dao physique grows stronger the more it is nurtured, constantly undergoing metamorphosis. Right now, he is likely only fielding the 'sword seed' he cultivated in his youth."
Beneath the night mist, amidst the grotto-heaven remnants, Qin Ming stood upon the shattered ground, gazing at the brilliant sword light that had sliced through the sky. He murmured, "Very strong. Quite interesting!"
He noticed that his opponent did not follow the path of refining sword baleful auras. Instead, he had nurtured a sword seed imbued with the essence of flesh and blood, as well as chilling sword intent. Once unleashed, it was indeed astounding.
*When a sword seed matures to the end, what will it become? A supreme sword core? If it is accidentally destroyed midway, will the cultivator suffer severe backlash as well?* Qin Ming mused.
This was not his path, but it moved and inspired him. Refining sword baleful aura was merely his external skill, while comprehending the profound truths of the sword dao was his internal mastery. For instance, the Longevity sword intent unrecorded in the text of the World-Abiding Scripture: he had unleashed only a single strand thus far, yet it was already remarkably terrifying.
Though clearly an energy of the wood attribute, it carried an intent capable of cleaving through any obstacle, inquiring after longevity with a single sword in hand.
Qin Ming felt that as his comprehension of the sword dao deepened, there would still be room for improvement.
At this moment, Qin Ming regarded himself as a true sword cultivator on the immortal path, completely immersed in the state.
He scanned the surroundings. He distinctly sensed a fifth person, yet that presence had not shown itself.
Grand Wizard Karon spoke, "The three of you have tested him. What are your impressions? Is he an unrivaled Earth Immortal old monster, or a youth?"
Of the four who had revealed themselves, he was the only one who had not yet struck.
"Very strong. He carries a fresh, vigorous vitality, yet I cannot believe a young man could possess attainments in the sword dao that so defy reason!"
"Even if he is an old monster, he has hope of breaking through to the eighth realm, paving his path with the sword to become a Heavenly Immortal!"
"After all, he has fused and refined eight top-grade sword baleful auras, incorporating the variations of the Great Five Elements. The combination is exquisite—a path leading straight to the heavens."
They exchanged opinions secretly.
Even though their cultivation systems differed, they had heard of Yujing's methods and knew well what refining eight sacred baleful auras signified. Even if used purely to temper the body, such physical strength could crush all foes.
Grand Wizard Karon said, "With eight supreme sword baleful auras fused in one body, his foundation is immensely deep. His future path might even be broader than the Sword Master's."
Then his expression turned severe. "Since karmic ties have been forged, eliminate him completely. Even if Yujing offers top-tier rare treasures to ransom his life, we must not agree. Once our hunt succeeds, execute him on the spot!"
"My only concern is that he might also be an old monster who has merely projected a portion of his foundation via spirit wandering. If we slay him here, he may rise again like spring grass in the outside world."
"No matter. All eight of his sword baleful auras are present here, representing his greatest foundation. Crushing them completely is equivalent to tearing his sword dao foundation apart. Even if his true body lives on, half his path will be ruined!"
...
Qin Ming stood quietly on the field, his eyes deep as waves of killing intent rose within him!
Here, he had activated the source-level spirit field he had comprehended from the golden and red bamboo groves of Black-White Mountain. Using his body as an array, he linked with heaven and earth, clearly intercepting their voice transmissions.
These people were plotting to kill him right to his face?
A frosty chill settled deep in Qin Ming's eyes. He felt it entirely necessary to reciprocate—forget the longevity leaves, he would simply slaughter them all to end the trouble once and for all!
In fact, he had sensed it early on: their deliberate cooperation in hunting him together had already signaled their desire to break the tacit understanding and strike to kill.
Grand Wizard Karon smiled warmly and said, "Friend, you have refined eight top-grade sword baleful auras into your body. With such peerless talent, you may well become a Heavenly Immortal of the sword dao, possessing a promising future. Why don't we exchange insights amiably?"
He wore an approachable, friendly expression.
Qin Ming nodded. "Very well!"
Immediately afterward, he erupted without warning. Harnessing the wind to accelerate, he shot toward Grand Wizard Karon, who stood two to three li away!
Plotting his death to his face while maintaining such a gentle smile disgusted him to the extreme.
Simultaneously, thunder and fire ignited beneath his feet, causing his speed to surge once more. Qin Ming resembled a comet streaking through the night sky, his momentum immense, the sword radiance dazzling to the utmost and lethally dangerous.
Grand Wizard Karon was exceptionally powerful. The moment Qin Ming approached at extreme speed, the silver robe upon Karon's body flared with intense silver light, blazing like radiant flames. He floated into the air, and behind him, a vast ocean of silver particles surged. As he cast his spell, it churned violently, blasting toward Qin Ming.
The entire world turned silver, as bright as day and blindingly luminous.
Before the black pagoda, a large crowd of youths gasped. They knew what that was—Grand Wizard Karon's signature technique: Inverted Galaxy.
The stream of silver particles gathered together, resembling stars condensed into river water bursting through a dam. Exceedingly sacred, its destructive power was terrifying.
One could see the earth twisting, irradiated by the mysterious stream of particles before collapsing and sinking as if about to be destroyed.
Space grew blurred and indistinct; the area became chaotic and exceedingly perilous.
Yet Qin Ming charged upstream, a lone figure with a single sword. Vast pure yang sword qi paved his way, forcibly sundering the sweeping storm of silver particles.
Tearing open the night sky with a single sword, treading on thunder and fire while riding the astral wind, he arrived in the blink of an eye.
This sight stunned everyone over by the black pagoda. One of the Grand Wizard's supreme techniques had failed to block the terrifying sword radiance and had been cleaved apart instantly?
Karon gave a cold snort as silver light boiled inside him. Resembling a silver sun, he erupted with even more dreadful power, flicking his wrist to cast a silver chain of law toward Qin Ming.
He had compressed the Inverted Galaxy into a rope-like tether, making it even more perilous and lethal, aiming to bind his foe.
In an instant, Qin Ming's eight sword baleful auras bloomed in multicolored brilliance. Eight beams of sword radiance stood side-by-side, piercing the night curtain before slashing forward.
Amidst ringing chimes of metal, he severed the silver chain of law, plowing through the sea of silver particles to slash toward the Grand Wizard's body.
"Detestable!" Qin Ming muttered. He felt it—the black-robed woman of shadowy contours had once again unleashed an invisible arrow of dao rhyme.
These arrows shadowed him relentlessly and could only be met head-on.
Qin Ming recalled a portion of his sword radiance, blocking the arrows with his multicolored sword baleful auras.
Grand Wizard Karon's prowess was astonishing; his body actually disintegrated into a stream of silver particles, flowing out from the indestructible sword baleful aura before reforming in the night sky.
Then, with a wave of his hand, a sea of silver fire rained down, seeking to engulf Qin Ming.
Simultaneously, the Sword Master struck, his sword light shaking the heavens as he lunged from two li away. A divine rainbow beam hundreds of meters long surged forth, seemingly intent on slicing through all obstacles.
Spiritualist Cole also charged forward with his army of skeletons, generating a hazy, blood-colored space that sought to swallow Qin Ming whole.
In an instant, Qin Ming cleaved through the silver sea of fire with his Pure Yang sword baleful aura. In that split second, he concentrated the eight-colored sword baleful auras, clashing violently against the greatsword in the Sword Master's hand dozens of times.
Afterward, he slashed toward the bloody space, causing it to violently convulse as if countless deceased souls were roaring, shattering the night curtain with ear-splitting noise.
God Hunter Laylaya repeatedly mimed drawing a bow and releasing arrows. Though the crowd could not see her bow or arrows, all could sense terrifying pressure erupting.
Hunted by four supreme masters, Qin Ming stood alone with his sword, parrying to the east and slashing to the west. Sword qi soared to the sky as he fought all four legends single-handedly, the sword qi gouging the surrounding ground several meters deep.
A stone cliff not far away was pulverized entirely, swept away by a single strike!
By the black pagoda, everyone was petrified, slack-jawed with shock. Those were four legendary figures, each cloaked in radiant halos and accompanied by endless tales.
Yet a sword cultivator from Yujing was fighting all four of them single-handedly, matching them blow for blow without being suppressed. What a terrifying sight this was!
If this sword cultivator had been an emerging youth from their own side, this single battle would undoubtedly have deified him, marking the rise of a new legend!
Meanwhile, the onlookers from Yujing looked grave, their hearts weighed down. They could see that all four experts dared to clash head-on with eight-colored sword baleful auras—how terrifying were these foes?
If the fight dragged on, they feared 'One Sword' would eventually be slaughtered by the four masters!
Amidst the fierce struggle, Qin Ming suddenly rode a five-colored divine light—the manifestation of his sword baleful auras—which bore him into brief flight as he shot swiftly toward God Hunter Laylaya.
This woman's invisible arrows were a constant disruption and posed a significant threat; Qin Ming clearly intended to eliminate her first.
However, as he advanced, the God Hunter unleashed a torrent of arrows. One invisible strand of dao rhyme after another fell toward him, barring his advance and slowing his speed.
Laylaya instantly pulled open the distance, and the others behind him closed in.
"Twilight of the Gods!" Spiritualist Cole murmured like an incantation. Centered on him, an apocalyptic dusk seemed to arrive, laden with decaying dao rhymes that swallowed Qin Ming.
"Get lost!"
Qin Ming swung his sword, and the eight-colored sword baleful auras spread like phoenix plumes, sweeping across this mystical twilight domain, dispersing the decaying power eroding his flesh and blasting swathes of the skeletal army into dust.
With a strike that sundered the void, Qin Ming cleaved through the Twilight of the Gods domain and broke free.
He had already sensed that lingering within it for too long might sever his lifespan; none of these opponents were easy to deal with.
Amidst ringing metallic chimes, Qin Ming traded blows with the mighty Sword Master eighty-one times in rapid succession, sword radiance filling the sky.
Suddenly, he swooped down, charging toward Grand Wizard Karon nearby.
"In truth, the one you want to eliminate most is me—I saw through your true goal long ago!" Karon's mental fluctuations rippled across the area. Within the storm of silver particles he unleashed, a silver ring materialized, rotating toward Qin Ming with chilling momentum.
It was the silver chain of law closing upon itself, transforming into a divine particle ring—an elevated, far more potent manifestation that would spell disaster if it bound its target.
Qin Ming seemed to merge into one with the sword light, moving at an inconceivable speed. Uniting the eight sword baleful auras into one, he struck with all his might, actually shattering the silver divine particle ring.
Instantly, the area shook violently, the ground ravaged by the impact of silver beams.
The Grand Wizard shuddered violently, thrown off balance by the chaotic storm of silver particles.
Qin Ming closed in, slashing out with his sword.
Furthermore, he deployed the Heavenly Demon force field, disguised and reshaped as a sword domain, warping space to briefly immobilize the Grand Wizard.
"Ngh!"
Grand Wizard Karon struggled frantically as his body began to disintegrate into particles.
However, Qin Ming's sword domain—the Heavenly Demon force field—ultimately took effect, stiffening his body and delaying his movements by a beat.
With a wet tear, the fused eight-colored sword baleful aura cleaved open the Grand Wizard's silver robe, rendering the shimmering runes upon it useless.
Amidst a splash of blood, Qin Ming nearly cut the Grand Wizard in half at the waist.
Befitting a legendary figure, Karon managed to break free from the sword domain at the last moment, his entire body dissolving into silver particles that shot toward the sky.
At the critical juncture, Qin Ming's eyes flashed like lightning. The eight-colored sword baleful aura churned; after severing the waist, it forcefully locked onto a portion of the silver particle stream and dragged it back.
In the night sky, the silver particles reformed into the Grand Wizard's human shape as he let out a muffled groan.
Before Qin Ming's pure yang flying sword, the stream of silver particles was suppressed by the sword baleful aura, reverting to its original form—a bloody, severed kidney.
Before the black pagoda, many onlookers turned to stone. One of the Grand Wizard's kidneys had been excised! They could hardly believe their eyes.
Without a word, Qin Ming unleashed the brilliant eight-colored sword baleful aura, obliterating the kidney into mist!
All of this occurred in the spark of a flint. The God Hunter's invisible arrow, the Sword Master's resplendent sword light, and the Spiritualist's Twilight of the Gods all closed in simultaneously, nearly grazing Qin Ming's body. Yet at the final moment, he either narrowly dodged them or deflected them with his sword baleful aura.
Like a swimming dragon, he flashed past.
Right at this instant, sudden crisis struck. A black streak cut across the night sky, wreathed in the stench of death, closing in silently on Qin Ming's head.
The fifth person had appeared. Having waited for the perfect opening after the other four sealed off all of Qin Ming's paths, this figure had lain in wait along his inevitable trajectory to strike a lethal blow.
It was a blade as black as ink. It had emitted no killing intent prior, but the moment it touched Qin Ming's head, boundless murderous aura erupted, violent and unstoppable as a tsunami.
A woman fully concealed in black robes had struck without warning.
Yet the woman's pupils suddenly contracted. Her entire body stiffened, losing the strength to hold the blade, and she felt hot blood splash up, blurring her vision.
In this final moment, confusion filled her gaze. Why had she misjudged her opponent's trajectory? She had struck prematurely, short by a single body length.
Yet she had clearly seized the optimal opening just now.
Furthermore, after making the mistake, why had she been unable to dodge quickly? Her body had momentarily locked up, slipping out of her control.
Deeply unwilling, she knew her journey in the third-realm battlefield had come to an end. The light in her eyes faded.
In truth, Qin Ming's real target had never been the Grand Wizard; his goal all along was to lure out the fifth person. An expert skilled in stealth and assassination posed too great a threat to leave alive.
Just now, his sword domain had done its work. Through his deep study of the Great Dream Divine Mushroom, he had comprehended an illusory spirit field, and from Su Moran's secret field manual, he had grasped the mental illusion field.
Moments ago, he had combined both fields and reshaped them into an illusory sword domain. While it could not thoroughly bewilder an expert of this caliber, a sudden outburst was more than enough to induce a split second of mental daze.
Thus, the woman had miscalculated Qin Ming's path.
Afterward, she had been briefly bound by the sword domain—the Heavenly Demon force field.
Qin Ming had cleaved straight through her with a single sword, blood splashing down to blur her eyes.
"Could she... be the one known as the 'Blade of the Death God'?" Before the black pagoda, turmoil broke out. Many widened their eyes, their minds reeling in shock.
"It truly seems to be her!" Some were terrified, finding the outcome hard to accept.
This woman was likewise a legendary expert, hailed as a blade in the hands of the Death God who had harvested countless masters' lives.
Yet the moment she took the field, she had been swiftly defeated and slain, concluding her run in the third realm.
With a whoosh, Qin Ming rode his sword light into the distance, breaking out of the surrounding masters' encirclement.
The Grand Wizard's face was chillingly cold. The wound at his waist had already stopped bleeding on its own. Silver particles churned violently across his body as he spoke in a heavy voice, "Beware of his sword domain. It can corrode the spirit and bind space. We must give our all and eliminate him swiftly!"
He was issuing a warning while also urging urgency, worried that other experts from the opposing faction might arrive.
"Understood," the Sword Master nodded.
Spiritualist Cole spoke, "If we join forces, under normal circumstances, this 'One Sword' is dead without a doubt!"
He unleashed the Twilight of the Gods, charging forward.
At the same time, the Sword Master, the God Hunter, and the Grand Wizard made their moves, erupting with full power in hopes of quickly ending this terrifyingly talented sword cultivator.
Qin Ming swept across the field riding his sword baleful auras, speaking aloud, "You call me One Sword, yet you seem to have forgotten the words that follow. My full name is 'Slaying Through the Thirty-Six Heavens with a Single Sword'—and naturally, I can slay right through you!"
Chapter 446