Ghost Sword Devours Immortals (continued)

Unless one becomes invincible upon entering the martial world, one must prioritize mastering the skill of escape. Those who do not know how to escape have long been eliminated by the treacherous martial world.

Of course, Spirit Transformation stage experts are incredibly resilient, adaptable to all kinds of harsh environments, and have a variety of escape methods, making them extremely difficult to kill. In addition, with their special martial arts skills, it is difficult for pursuers to completely block all gaps.

If his injuries hadn't been so severe, Yan Jinghong could have dug a pit and buried himself underground, sealing his acupoints and blocking his breath. This was a common life-saving method used by Spirit Transformation. No matter how sharp the pursuers' eyesight was, they couldn't see what was happening underground. Furthermore, spiritual sense would encounter great resistance when penetrating the ground, and its scanning range and sensitivity were far inferior to those on the surface.

Yan Jinghong's internal cultivation Internal Cultivation is called "The Scripture of Longevity and Nature". It is said that the Yellow Emperor created this Cultivation Method after consulting with Guangchengzi. The so-called natural way is always clear, the way of yin and yang is always still, and the way of being human is always consistent. This Cultivation Method has the shadow of Daoist School, but it does not belong entirely to Daoist School. Moreover, it has miraculous effects in healing injuries and suppressing toxins.

This is one of the reasons why he dared to swallow the poison pill given to him by Su Yingtao. Not to mention that he is immune to all poisons, there are very few poisons in the world that can be effective against him. Even this strange poison pill is only half as toxic as those of other Spirit Transformation experts.

After recuperating in the cave for ten minutes, Yan Jinghong pulled herself back from the brink of death and stopped her injuries from worsening, going from being on the verge of death to being extremely weak.

Just as he was about to continue his healing efforts, a sinister aura suddenly enveloped him, completely swallowing up his already faint light. Suddenly, the sounds of ghostly laughter arose all around him. As Yan Jinghong was about to get up and escape, the surrounding void distorted and matter shifted, a technique known as the Shifting of Heaven and Earth.

A sudden pull brought Yan Jinghong back to her senses, and she found herself in a dark and quiet valley. Looking up, she saw a young man with a sword staring at her with cold eyes.

"The Five Ghosts Transport Technique succeeded. As expected, the rumors that the Eternal Barrier's power was weakened were true."

Yan Jinghong asked doubtfully, "It seems that you are the mastermind of this murder, but I don't know you. Is there any grudge between us?"

"Of course you don't know me. When my family was used as a sacrifice by you, they were just a few insignificant little people. Why would a dignified Spirit Transformation Grandmaster, a renowned hero, bother to remember their names? To you, they may just be one of many sacrifices, not worth your attention. But to me, they are my one and only family. You ruined my life."

"... Feel sorry."

"An apology without even knowing the reason is utterly insincere," Xia Guanxue shook her head. "Fine, let you die knowing why. Three and a half years ago, a demon tide far exceeding anything seen before broke out in Tange City. To save more citizens, you diverted the demon tide towards the wealthy area, successfully buying time. It was a truly great decision. Sacrificing ten percent to save the remaining ninety, you made another heroic choice."

"I'm sorry, I had no other choice at the time."

"I wouldn't say something as foolish as ignoring those Demon Beasts and letting them invade the city. I know perfectly well that, from a broader perspective, your choice saved more people, and it's beyond reproach. You were even forced into it. The real culprit behind the monster tide is someone else. Over the years, I've vaguely uncovered some clues, but—"

Xia Guanxue clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and forced back his emotions, saying, "To me, the lives of my parents and sister are more important than all the citizens of Tange City combined! As their child and as their elder brother, I have a duty to avenge them. Whether it's you or the mastermind behind it all, I will not let you get away with it!"

"I'm sorry, and although you may not want to hear it, I still have to say it: even if I had to do it all over again, I would make the same decision. It's not that I have any prejudice against your family; it's just that I have no other choice."

"I know, because you're a hero. Heroes should be selfless and put the common people first—that's why I hate heroes!"

Xia Guanxue drew his sword, pointing it diagonally. Mist surged and spread out from him, and the burgeoning Sword Qi burned like ghostly fire around him. The surroundings were eerie, with Yin Qi figures and howling ghosts, as if a monster might emerge from the darkness at any moment, chilling everyone to the bone.

The Hundred Ghosts Devour Immortals Formation!

The Youming realm reappeared, and the natural energy was absorbed. Yan Jinghong's Cultivation Body was immediately suppressed, and he couldn't help but sigh. He had just lured Shentu Chuang into his fourth sister's formation, and now he was trapped in someone else's formation. It was truly a matter of Heavenly Dao.

"First you poisoned him, then you arranged for two Spirit Transformation to intercept him, and finally you even set up an array to deal with a critically injured and dying person. Do you have to be this cautious?" Yan Jinghong glanced to the side and found that he could hardly see the scenery ten meters away, as if a black curtain was enveloping him.

Xia Guanxue said coldly, "It's true that I don't need to be careless when dealing with others, but I dare not be careless in the slightest when dealing with you. This Ghostly Gloom Sword Art was specially practiced for today in conjunction with the formation. I hope you can enlighten me."

With a flick of his sword, he sped out like a whirlwind, his body swirling with Yin Qi, as if a hundred ghosts were walking alongside him. In the Mengmeng darkness, who knew how many demons and monsters lurked?

Yan Jinghong made a sword-finger gesture with her left hand, and then swung her sword in a sword circle with her right hand, carefully guarding her small area. She used three parts to deflect, three parts to split, three parts to draw, and one part to block, turning into a state of complete defense without offense.

However, the defensive sword techniques that could withstand the Vicious Qi Evil Spider were insufficient against Xia Guanxue, whose cultivation was weaker. The shining sword circle forced back the surging dark mist, but the mist had no physical form. After dissipating, it gathered again and surrounded Yan Jinghong once more, over and over again, without end, constantly consuming Yan Jinghong's physical strength.

Putting aside Yan Jinghong's worsening injuries and the suppression by the formation, the Vicious Qi Evil Spider's attacks, though powerful, were mainly hard and rigid, naturally making it vulnerable to the sword circle. In contrast, the Ghostly Gloom Sword Art was primarily based on feints, with eight out of ten moves being feints, lacking any real force, and thus having nowhere to deflect the attack.

Yan Jinghong wasn't unaware of this, but with his current weakened Cultivation Body, this was the only sword move he could use that relied purely on skill. Even if other moves could block Xia Guanxue, they would consume more of his internal energy than the sword circle.

"The Jade Tent, Bow at Midnight!"

Xia Guanxue's sword strikes like a dragon, swift as lightning. Wisps of mist swirl with the sword wind, and the sword light flashes continuously. What was supposed to be One Sword feint suddenly solidifies, transforming into a meteor that hurtles through the sword circle and pierces the opponent's vital heart.

It was too late to return the sword, but Yan Jinghong, a veteran of countless battles, remained calm in the face of danger. He gathered a point of Sword-Ray with his left hand and pointed it at the wisp of Youming Sword Qi. With a clang, Xia Guanxue's sword was knocked back two inches, leaving a sword mark on Yan Jinghong's chest, but it did not hit any vital organs.

The ultimate move failed, but Xia Guanxue didn't care. In fact, if Yan Jinghong had been killed so easily, he would have suspected that the person in front of him was an imposter.

Over the past four years, in addition to practicing martial arts diligently, Xia Guanxue has also collected information about Yan Jinghong through various channels, analyzed his personality and style, and studied the flaws in his moves. It can be said that he understands Yan Jinghong even better than he understands his parents. He can recite Yan Jinghong's birthday, tastes, and martial arts moves off the top of his head. All of this was for today.

"To be honest, although I arranged all the plans, I didn't expect them to go so smoothly. You actually took that poison. Because you judged it to be something a hero should do, you did it without hesitation. You're a terrifying guy... In a sense, you're even more inhuman than the Vicious Qi Evil Spider. Do you even have a shred of humanity left in you?"

Amidst the questioning, Xia Guanxue intensified his attack. The pitch-black Sword Qi combined with the mist generated by the Hundred Ghosts Devour Immortals Formation, swirling and indistinguishable. His footwork was light and elusive, and the sword Sword Qi spread in all directions, making Yan Jinghong feel as if he were in an icy prison. The howls of a hundred ghosts echoed in the dark environment, and the sword's cry seemed to transform into fine needles, seeping into every inch of skin.

The mist split into scattered clumps, constantly impacting the sword circle in a relay-like manner. Each impact left a sword mark on Yan Jinghong's body, while the dispersed mist would retreat to the back and regroup to launch another attack.

To deal with Spirit Transformation expert, Xia Guanxue adopted the most cautious approach. Instead of aiming for a fatal blow, she used attrition tactics to gradually wear down Yan Jinghong's stamina and True Qi, leaving him no chance to break through.

He had already endured nearly four years, so he didn't mind waiting a little longer.

"Yan Jinghong, didn't you set your sights on being a hero? A life for a life, that's the law of nature. I'm avenging my family, you should be sacrificing yourself for me, not looking at yourself like this! What kind of hero are you!"

Xia Guanxue exerted pressure on Yan Jinghong both mentally and physically, continuously eroding his will.

Under normal circumstances, Spirit Transformation cultivator's will is as firm as diamond and will not be provoked by the words of outsiders. However, Yan Jinghong was exhausted at this moment and was disturbed by the ghostly howls of the Hundred Ghosts Devour Immortals Formation. His consciousness gradually became blurred and numb, and he could no longer maintain the defense of the sword circle. He looked like he was about to collapse.

The time had come, Xia Guanxue resolutely unleashed her ultimate move, raising her sword to the sky. The Ghostly Gloom Sword Qi was eerie, and the surrounding gloomy wind and mist seemed to be summoned, gathering together and condensing into a huge evil ghost. The evil ghost was covered with ghost faces, as if it were pieced together from many Ghostly Monsters, constantly emitting disturbing and soul-soothing sounds.

"The Scarlet Ghost Howls amid Bamboo Groves!"

With a slash of her sword, the demon swung its fist, a fist as large as a wheel, which smashed into the sword circle. After a slight pause, it forcefully shattered the sword light, annihilating it. Just as it was about to kill Yan Jinghong on the spot, Xia Guanxue's face showed an expression of revenge.

"Pointing Stance, Cloud Peak Falling Stone!"

Suddenly, a sharp Sword Qi, carrying a long, tail-like beam of light, pierced diagonally into the demon's arm. Instantly, a thunderous roar and a torrent of light erupted, the Sword-Ray swirling back, and the demon's arm shattered in response. Less than 30% of its remaining force struck Yan Jinghong, causing him to cough up blood and collapse to the ground, utterly powerless to resist.

"Su Yingtao, what are you doing here?"

Xia Guanxue's joyful expression suddenly froze. Being stopped at the crucial moment left her with a feeling of something stuck in her throat. She turned her head and glared angrily at the prisoner who had stopped her.

"I'm the one who should be asking you, what exactly happened? Why is it different from what we agreed on? First, we were to suppress Yan Jinghong's Cultivation Body with poison, and then we would both attack him at the same time and fight him fair and square, without any regrets. Why did you change the plan on your own and even let a notorious villain like the Vicious Qi Evil Spider get involved and associate with evil? Where is our sense of righteousness and honor?" Su Yingtao questioned.

"Righteousness and justification? Those things are completely unimportant! What matters is whether we can get revenge. What you and I need is the result, not the process. Do you think a single poison pill can bridge the gap between us and Yan Jinghong? You're incredibly naive! After seeing today's battle, don't you understand? Even if three more of us came, we still wouldn't be able to kill Yan Jinghong."