Sword Qi

Beneath Yitian Peak. An unknown domain. Desolate and sinister. In the center of a raised platform lay a bottomless abyss. Three forces intertwined within it—the Human Clan's ancient restriction, the Azure Dragon ancient restriction, and the Divine Rune ancient restriction—merging into an impenetrable seal. *Whoosh!* A blood coffin rose from the depths of the pit. *Bang!* A sound suddenly rang out from the blood coffin, and its lid shook violently. In an instant, the seal blazed with dazzling brilliance as profound runes flashed into sight one after another. Yet in several places, the runes dimmed almost as soon as they appeared, visibly weakened. The blood coffin rattled ever more fiercely, its lid hammering in deafening bursts. Within it lay the true body of the ancient demon. *Buzz...* Pounded by the blood coffin, the ancient restrictions buckled. The compromised points tore wider, and fractures began spreading across the barrier. "Heh heh..." A sinister laugh echoed from within the blood coffin. Though not loud, it sounded eerily chilling in a place like this. The blood coffin slammed into the seal with frantic violence. *Boom! Boom!* Cracks spiderwebbed through all three ancient restrictions. Their binding power plummeted, showing faint signs of failing to hold down the blood coffin any longer. "Heh heh... Ha ha ha..." The laughter from the blood coffin grew louder, ringing with wild liberation and madness. The blood coffin shoved higher and higher. "How dare you!" The laughter cut off abruptly, replaced by a roar of supreme shock and fury. A sudden upheaval struck. Space violently shuddered. A profoundly mysterious ripple surged forth, followed by an astounding power crashing down—infinitely sharp, like sword qi. This power came from Yitian Peak. Above, the outer mountain of Yitian Peak was shaking violently, its entire mass seeming to transform into a divine sword. This sword qi had been sealed within the peak itself, awakened the moment it sensed the ancient demon's true body about to break the seal. With peerless, awe-inspiring majesty, the sword qi descended from the heavens, striking straight toward the blood coffin! "Ah!" The ancient demon's true body flew into a furious rage. He had plotted for so many years, finally drawing people in to unravel the ancient restrictions from the outside and drastically weaken the seal so he could break free. Who could have guessed that whoever set the formation had prepared a backup plan, leaving behind this earth-shattering sword qi? *Smack!* The blood coffin jerked violently. A hand reached out through the opening, clutching the edge of the coffin. The hand was withered, its desiccated skin clinging tightly to bone. Devoid of flesh, it was little more than a skeleton wrapped in a layer of hide, resembling the limb of a dried corpse. Immediately after, an endless deluge of true demonic qi poured outward, tearing through the seal. At the same time, blinding crimson light flared from the blood coffin, and a tremendous suction erupted without warning. In that instant, Qin Sang and the others were all caught in its pull. Only the Nine Phoenix King, standing farther from the ancient restrictions, escaped in time by using the Heavenly Phoenix True Feather, avoiding the calamity. Yet the sword qi moved faster still, arriving in the blink of an eye. As if jolted by lightning, the desiccated hand shrank back. With a sharp crack, the coffin lid snapped shut, accompanied by an unwilling roar of rage from within. *Boom!* The sword qi struck the blood coffin dead-on. *Crack!* Fractures webbed across the blood coffin. Dense crimson light burst forth, desperately holding off the sword qi. *Thud! Thud! Thud!* Figures tumbled into the space one after another. The Flood Dragon King, the Grand Shaman, the Demon Lord, and the rest were not spared; the ancient demon dragged them all in together. Among them were Qingzhu and the ancient demon's split soul. *Bang!* Qin Sang crashed heavily onto the ground, every bone in his body aching. Stowing Yagu back into the corpse puppet bag, he had not even gotten a clear look at his surroundings when a fleeting glance revealed the Demon Lord and several others close by. His heart plummeted. When he clearly recognized the rest of the figures, his blood ran cold, and his whole body froze stiff. The ancient demon, the Demon Lord, Lingzhuzi, Qingzhu, and the two newly revealed successors of the Four Sages Palace—every master who had taken part in the battle atop Yitian Peak had been pulled inside. To the other side, a woman and a cicada stood pressed close together, both radiating vigilance: the Grand Shaman and Old Devil Fang. And across from them stood two figures he had never seen before, their auras not a shred weaker than the Demon Lord's, unmistakably experts of the same caliber. Catching sight of the tortoise shell on the burly man's back, Qin Sang immediately realized that these two were most likely Transformation stage great demons brought in by the Nine Phoenix King. No wonder the Nine Phoenix King had remained stationed outside the Spirit-Suppressing Domain. The Canglang Ocean's demon race possessed so many top-tier masters. Among these people, the weakest were at the peak of the Mid-Nascent Soul stage, and the majority were great cultivators. The elite of all three races were practically all gathered here. Qin Sang drew in a sharp breath of cold air. A solitary firefly surrounded by several bright moons shining at once. Flattened against the ground, he wished he could shrink into a speck of dust. Fortunately, he had two companions nearby who shared his plight. Qin Sang had never expected other Core Formation cultivators to appear here. The young man and woman were shivering amidst the cluster of grand figures. Seeing Qin Sang, both looked back with surprise and bewilderment, sizing him up from head to toe. The Demon Lord and the other top masters reacted with astonishing speed. Realizing they had tumbled into an unknown space, they sensed the suction vanish and instantly darted outward, intent on fleeing this dangerous ground first. Yet the moment they moved, the crimson radiance erupting from the blood coffin congealed into a crystal wall of blood, forming a barrier that trapped everyone inside. The Demon Lord and the others attacked the crystal wall with all their might, yet could not shake it in the slightest. Their expressions changed dramatically. Spinning around, they glared fixedly at the blood coffin in the center of the cavern. The sword qi and the blood coffin were locked in a stalemate, exuding ripples that sent shivers down everyone's spines—a power far beyond what any contemporary cultivator could possess. None of them had the leisure to spare a glance for Qin Sang and the two juniors. "What is sealed inside that blood coffin is the ancient demon's true body!" Fairy Nangui said, her tone heavy. She understood far more about this place than anyone else. "The demon almost broke free, and that sword qi is likely another hidden seal!" She glanced toward the Grand Shaman and the Flood Dragon King, fury rising in her chest. She knew full well that the ancient demon's near escape was inextricably linked to these two factions; the ancient restrictions of all three races had been tampered with. Not only the Witch Clan, but even the demon race had infiltrated this place. The Four Sages had laid so many preparations in the Inner Hall, and now it was practically riddled full of holes like a sieve. "The Flood Dragon King? What a surprise to see you appear in the Inner Sea, Fellow Daoist," Lingzhuzi said, having recognized him, his mind swirling with suspicion. The Flood Dragon King's standing within the Demon Sea's demon race was no lower than his or the Demon Lord's; he was one of the few recognized Transformation stage great demons. When the two races invaded the Demon Sea, frequent clashes had erupted, and they had crossed paths with the Flood Dragon King numerous times. Since ancient times, only human cultivators had controlled the teleportation formations, preventing the Demon Sea's demon race from entering the Inner Sea. His appearance here was an exceedingly dangerous sign. The Flood Dragon King backed away slowly until his back pressed against the crimson crystal wall. Forcing a strained smile, he offered a greeting, "Long time no see, Fellow Daoists." Aside from the two successors of the Four Sages Palace, every human cultivator present was an old acquaintance. He had calculated everything so well: make off with the dragon corpse and plunge the Canglang Ocean's cultivation world into chaos, killing two birds with one stone. He had never imagined an upheaval would strike at the final moment, dragging them in as well—and worse, leaving them surrounded by enemies on all sides. Recognizing the Four Sages Palace's successors and noticing the murderous glint in Fairy Nangui's eyes, the Nine Lives Black Tortoise hesitated before saying, "Although I had an agreement with you in the past, I am not a member of your Four Sages Palace..." He seemed to share some historical ties with the Four Sages Palace. "Slay the ancient demon first!" Fairy Nangui snapped, glaring fiercely at the Nine Lives Black Tortoise. They would dispose of the ancient demon before settling scores with the demons. Since the Flood Dragon King dared to sneak into the Inner Sea, he would not be leaving alive.