One Sword Slays Demons; So It Was Him

"Under Lord Pingshan's command, Qi Xi comes to knock at the gates!" A wild laugh boomed, rolling across all of Lingtian Pass. Countless cultivators within the city lifted their heads toward the colossal, multicolored rhinoceros, their eyes brimming with despair. As it plunged downward, the defensive light barrier enveloping the great fortress let out a piercing, grating screech. Weaker cultivators fainted on the spot, overwhelmed simply by the shock waves of the sound. Such sheer might, such boundless fury—it truly shook the soul! Yet! A hearty laugh rang out, dispelling the terror instilled by the beast's roar in an instant and restoring a sense of security to the hearts of the multitude. "Fellow Daoist Qi Xi, such impudence is hardly the way of a guest!" It was the voice of Castellan Lingtian. With those words came a sudden transformation in Lingtian Pass's grand formation. The previously static curtain of light sprang to life, draping across the sky like a sheet of cascading water. The multicolored rhinoceros pressed down with crushing force, but the water barrier merely dipped. The further it sank, the tougher and more resilient it became. Surging like waves from every direction, the light barrier moved to envelop the beast's colossal frame. *It is precisely because it contends not that none under heaven can contend with it!* Only at this moment did Commander Qi Xi realize his foolishness in hoping to shatter Lingtian Pass's grand array with a single thunderous blow. How could the protective formation of such a monumental stronghold be broken by him alone? It would take at least four more experts of his caliber, if not more, to forcefully shatter it through raw brute strength. *Today, a direct assault is impossible.* In a split second, Commander Qi Xi made his decision. His four hooves kicked furiously as he surged upward. The surrounding water streams wrapped around him like heavy chains, trying to drag him down. Undaunted, the multicolored patterns on his hide seemed to come alive, continuously dispersing the dragging force. Even so, his escape was far slower than his god-like descent from the heavens. Castellan Lingtian was certainly not going to watch him leave unchallenged. "Rise, swords!" The cheerful cry carried the weight of an imperial decree. From the east, south, west, and north of the vast water curtain, four swords of ancient, primitive design emerged at once. Droplets of water rolled off their blades as they began to glow with brilliant radiance. "Go!" One of the swords broke free of the barrier and swelled to thousands of feet in size. The giant blade swept skyward, instantly shattering ten thousand li of dark clouds into ragged gray tufts that scattered in all directions like windblown dandelions. Its tip tilted, then cleaved downward in a sudden stroke. *Boom!* A deafening roar shook heaven and earth. A brilliant burst of seven-colored light exploded, blanketing the entire horizon. Before the turbulence even settled, a shrill shriek tore through the air. "Flee!" A tiny black speck, barely visible to the naked eye, shot out from the heart of the storm and fled eastward in utter disgrace. Dressed in azure robes, Castellan Lingtian stood above the Castellan's Estate, watching the sight with regret. In the end, his mastery over formations was insufficient; he could not control all four profound swords at once, leaving the strike short of total victory. Even so! "You may escape, but the others won't!" He pressed his fingers together like a sword and made a sweeping gesture in the empty air. The colossal blade split into four smaller swords that shot toward the four cardinal directions. Mid-flight, they split once more, producing three additional flying swords. Seven flying swords in total—each locked onto an invading Demon Emperor. *Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!* The shrieks of parting air resounded continuously. Shechamo, who was locked in combat with Qin Baixiang, showed absolute terror in his eyes. Paying no heed to Qin Baixiang's incoming attack, he shuddered violently. *Whoosh!* A streak of spiritual light burst from his body, teleporting thousands of li away in the blink of an eye. An instant later, a small sword pierced right through the flesh he had abandoned. Qin Baixiang sneered coldly. "Discarding your physical body to escape—you got off lightly." At the same time. Over in the northern district, the two Demon Emperors besieging Xiao Shiniang felt the icy grip of death closing in as two flying swords bore down upon them. Without hesitation, the two demons revealed their true forms amid the billowing smoke. One possessed white feathers and a golden crown, sporting two feet and a pair of wings like a giant rooster. The other was covered in hundreds upon thousands of fissures and slits, presenting a grotesque, bizarre appearance. Disengaging herself from the fight, Xiao Shiniang raised an eyebrow as she recognized their true forms. "Gold-Crowned White Pheasant!" "Thousand-Cleft Wailing Worm!" Having revealed their true forms, the two Demon Emperors reacted differently. One shrieked and soared into the sky, while the other panicked and tried to burrow into the earth. The one taking flight was too slow and was beheaded with a single strike. The one diving into the ground was blocked by the formation; the sword impaled its body, and after a brief struggle, thousands of sword-lights burst from its fissures. Both suffered total destruction of body and soul, leaving not even a Nascent Soul behind! Only the boundless magic power released from their shattered Nascent Souls coalesced into a raging spiritual energy storm, sweeping over Lingtian Pass. The formation's water curtain rippled, swallowing the tempest within a few breaths. It was as if nothing had ever happened. Watching this, Xiao Shiniang swallowed hard, her eyes filled with dread. "Is this the formation personally laid down by the Mingyuan Sect all those years ago?" In her astonishment, she spread her divine sense toward the southern district. There, darkness had reigned, dotted with faint azure glow. But after a flash of sword-light, the dark night was banished, and the glow fell away. "Did one escape?" Xiao Shiniang murmured. In her line of sight, a streak of deep black light fled Lingtian Pass in desperation, leaving a trail of blood in its wake. Then she turned her gaze again. Reaching across a thousand li toward the western district of the fortress, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, exuding terrifying might. A sword-light clashed ceaselessly against a magnificent black roc whose wings spanned the horizon. With just a single glance, Xiao Shiniang's pupils contracted. "Was Alchemy Grandmaster Luo Chen facing a powerhouse like that just now?" ... West of Lingtian Pass. The moment the flying sword arrived, Luo Chen knew he was no longer needed. Yet he did not retreat. He remained suspended in midair, his divine sense firmly locked onto the Thunder Prison Divine Roc. "If I want to leave, none of you can stop me!" the Thunder Prison Divine Roc bellowed. His thirty-foot-tall frame shook violently, unveiling his massive true form amid boundless arcs of lightning. Facing the flying sword born of the grand array, he showed no fear, extending a claw to snatch it. *Crackle! Pop!* Countless lightning bolts danced along his body. The flying sword shuddered repeatedly, shearing away great swaths of electricity. After several clashes, its brilliance dimmed until it no longer posed a threat to him. Seeing this, the Thunder Prison Divine Roc let out a wild laugh. Yet his laughter ground to an abrupt halt when one of the three remaining profound swords hovering in the distance slowly began to rise! He gave Luo Chen a profound look, then shot into the high heavens without the slightest hesitation. With his departure, the turbulent Lingtian Pass seemed to fall silent in an instant. Castellan Lingtian felt a trace of regret. Lightning-attribute demon beasts possessed peerless speed and clearly excelled in body refinement. If only Junior Brother Zhang were here; before him, every lightning cultivator under heaven was vastly inferior. Exhaling a breath of turbid air, he manipulated the array, allowing the three remaining profound swords to submerge quietly back into the formation. Outside the walls, an endless sea of demon beasts surged like a tidal wave, rolling forward relentlessly. He chuckled softly, instantly grasping Commander Qi Xi's plan. Eight Demon Emperors were meant to forcefully breach the formation, followed by a surge from the demon army to overrun Lingtian Pass in one fell swoop. One had to admit, it was far too simple, reckless, and crude. "Cultivators of the city, sally forth and slay the demons!" With that command, the eastern gates swung wide. Countless cultivators poured out like a flood, charging toward the demon beasts swarming the plains. ... At the western wall. Luo Chen drifted down from the sky, landing atop the ramparts with a contemplative look. *Did the Thunder Prison Divine Roc recognize me?* *Perhaps he did, perhaps he didn't, but that hardly matters. What matters is that Mount Cangwu has joined this war—the largest clash between humans and demons in the Eastern Desolation since ancient times!* He remembered clearly that when the roc introduced himself, he had said, "under the Primordial Monarch of Mount Cangwu!" Clearly, the title "Primordial Monarch" was not some flattery-laden Daoist title like Jiuling Yuanjun's; it referred to Primordial Monarch Qixia, who had purportedly fought the Heaven Refining Demon Lord a thousand years ago! If she was involved, could the Mingyuan Sect truly achieve its ambition of unifying the Eastern Desolation? Luo Chen could not say. Nor did he know what kind of injuries Primordial Monarch Qixia had suffered in that life-and-death struggle that claimed the Heaven Refining Demon Lord's life. Had she recovered after a thousand years? *In any case, a peerless figure of that stature wouldn't pay any mind to a nobody like me.* Exhaling a long breath, Luo Chen surveyed his surroundings. Zeng Yilong and Yang Pingdu were leading disciples of the Luotian Sect, guarding him from all sides. "It's over. You may stand down." Zeng Yilong asked with concern, "Martial Uncle, are you injured?" Though their cultivation was insufficient, they had clearly witnessed the grandeur of the clash. Castellan Lingtian had repelled the multicolored rhinoceros with a single sword strike, and the sword-light split from that strike had taken all of the Thunder Prison Divine Roc's boundless magic power to wear down. Yet Luo Chen had been holding off such an enemy all by himself. Naturally, they could not help but worry. To this, Luo Chen waved his hand dismissively. "It's fine. The beast was rather polite and didn't fight to the death; I am completely unharmed." The disciples took this as modesty, but their hearts eased nonetheless. Many harbored stereotypes regarding alchemists, assuming that despite their high cultivation realms, their combat methods were mediocre among peers. Luo Chen was famed as an Alchemy Grandmaster, so people naturally held such preconceived notions about him. If he had still gone by the Daoist titles of Fire Spirit Lord, Demonic Lord Qingyang, or even Desolate Hermit, low-tier cultivators would never have thought so. Yang Pingdu asked tentatively, "Castellan Lingtian just gave orders that a horde of beasts is assaulting the eastern district, commanding the city's cultivators to sally forth and slay them. Shall we join?" The corner of Luo Chen's mouth twitched. "No need. Just guard our own patch of ground in the west." With that, he drifted away. ... Inside an underground cavern in Fire Ridge. Commander Qi Xi sat cross-legged, both hands pressed against the back of a woman. Exhaling sharply, he barked, "Out!" The black-robed woman shuddered as though struck by a heavy hammer. Under the impact of his boundless magic power, a wisp of sword qi spurted from her body. Standing nearby, another woman in dark gold attire shrank back, her pupils contracting as she scrambled to dodge the wisp of sword qi. It struck the ground, burying itself deep within the bedrock. *Spurt!* The black-robed woman spat a mouthful of blood, though her complexion visibly improved. "Wuguang, are you all right?" Anming asked with concern. Wuguang wiped the blood from her lips, sighing in relief. "I'm fine. I managed to keep my life thanks to my clan's innate demon art, but alas, Youying is gone." Anming sighed. "Not just Youying—Chengguan and Luhao perished as well. Had I not sensed things going awry and retreated immediately, my fate wouldn't have been much better. Shechamo was strong enough, yet even his physical body was destroyed. I saw him sever his own tail like a gecko, abandoning his body to flee." Terror lingered in Wuguang's eyes. "Is the human formation truly so invincible?" Unlike many active Demon Emperors, Wuguang and Youying had dwelt in the depths of the Million Mountains all their lives. Had Lord Ditian not summoned them, they might never have clashed with human powerhouses. She had heard of human cultivators mastering a hundred arts and wielding endless techniques, but she had assumed that applied only to offensive methods. Never had she imagined a fortress array could possess such terrifying might. Anming remained silent, casting an unobtrusive glance at Commander Qi Xi. Upon the horn atop his brow was a deep sword mark. It had nearly severed the horn entirely! Commander Qi Xi had withstood a full, undivided sword strike on his own! Seeming to sense his subordinate's gaze, Commander Qi Xi slowly opened his eyes as he regulated his breathing. His face was dark, his tone solemn. "It is not your fault. I was reckless in this battle." Wuguang, having just been saved by him, could not help but speak up. "Commander..." Commander Qi Xi cut her off, turning his gaze toward Anming. "Where is Shechamo?" Anming replied, "He didn't return with me. He only said that the price of intervening on your behalf was too steep, and that the favor he owed you is now considered settled." Commander Qi Xi showed no reaction to these words. It was only natural that Shechamo would not return. With his physical body gone and only his Nascent Soul remaining, appearing before them would leave him at their mercy. As for the remaining favor... "Settled, then!" Commander Qi Xi let out a melancholic sigh. After this battle, three of the ten Demon Emperors under his command were dead, and one was injured. Though six remained, they were not entirely obedient to his orders. Thus, among the Nine Commanders, he had instantly fallen to the bottom rank. *I was too eager for glory.* *Lingtian Pass's formation requires at least four commander-level Demon Emperors to withstand, and at least five or more to breach by force.* *To take it without paying a disastrous price, one can only grind away with patient effort, wearing down its might bit by bit.* *The prime credit for taking the fortress won't fall to me, but it won't fall to any of them either!* After turning the matter over in his mind, he instructed, "Anming, head to the front lines and bring back the low-tier demons assaulting Lingtian Pass... Given Castellan Lingtian's methods, I doubt many are left, but bring back as many as you can!" By the end, his spirits had noticeably dampened. Anming took the order and turned to leave. "Watch your own safety!" Anming paused her steps. "Thank you for your concern, Commander!" She departed once more. Shortly after she left, a flash of lightning crackled within the cavern. "Qi Xi, how did you end up in such a sorry state?" A flash of anger crossed Commander Qi Xi's face. "If you had faced that sword directly, you might not have survived either! Besides, if you hadn't applied so little pressure at the west gate, how could Castellan Lingtian have activated the grand array with such ease to slaughter three of my Demon Emperors?" At the thought, a faint, lingering sharpness throbbed from his horn, stoking his fury even further. "I considered our relationship solid. When you sought our clan's Thunder Marsh method back then, I lent it to you for perusal. Today, entrusted with my request, why did you hold back?" Lei Yu hunched his massive frame, thoroughly disliking the cramped cave. Faced with his friend's interrogation, he frowned, well aware that he had indeed fallen short. He could only offer an excuse: "The one guarding the western district was strange." "Strange? Strange how?" "I don't know." "You!" Commander Qi Xi pointed a trembling finger at Lei Yu in rage. Lei Yu rumbled in a muffled voice, "Consider this a debt I owe you; I will repay it in the future! But right now, I have urgent business and must return to see Hall Master Qingshuang, so I came specifically to bid you farewell." Irritation surged within Commander Qi Xi, and he waved his hand dismissively. "Go!" Without another word, Lei Yu hurried out of the cavern and soared into the sky. Reaching the clouds, he looked down into the distance. Across the plains outside Lingtian Pass, wind and rain were dyed with blood in a completely one-sided massacre. To the east of Fire Ridge, billowing demonic qi rolled in, centered around a great golden banner. "Huang Man is here too! Qi Xi will have an even harder time now." A pang of guilt stirred in his chest, yet the image of that white-robed figure kept flashing through his mind. Suddenly! The Thunder Prison Divine Roc halted mid-flight. That calm, detached face, unfazed by honor or disgrace, overlapped with another face in his memory—one that had been timid, ingratiating, and humble. "So it was him!" Beneath the clear sky, a bolt of thunder crashed.