The Beast of Malice (Continued)

On the other side, facing the Beast King Anye blocking their way, Zheng Jingyuan knew that the two sides were vastly different in strength, but in order to open up a path for his disciples, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and charge forward, not seeking victory, but only hoping to delay for a while.

However, one person is no match for the King of Monsters. Even in the past, the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect relied on the Evil-Slaying Sword Formation, which required the combined strength of four people and four divine weapons, to kill the Beast King Anye. One person has never won against an enemy.

Now that Wan Yebai has taken the Demon-Slaying Sword, the Four Divine Weapons are only three, missing one. It is no longer possible to arrange the Evil-Slaying Sword Formation. Fortunately, thanks to the thousand-year-old tradition, the sect's predecessors have already devised a replacement method. Zheng Jingyuan then found two of the strongest elders, and the three of them, each wielding the Ghost-Slaying Sword, the Yao-Slaying Sword, and the Monster-Slaying Sword, formed an array and surrounded the enemy.

"Oh, a three-person sword formation?"

The Beast King Anye summoned a Suanni Bone Saber, its shape enormous and terrifying, the blade slightly curved, resembling a spiked dragon bone, exuding a chilling killing intent. He swung the blade like a wall, blocking the surging Sword Qi, and immediately felt that it was not as powerful as before.

"Thank goodness, you've finally come up with an innovative approach. Although it may seem like the same old thing in a new guise, you've finally managed to pry open those stubborn minds and stop being so old-fashioned. May I ask, what is the name of this formation?"

"Evil-Butchering Sword Formation"

Zheng Jingyuan combined the power of the three of them, unleashing a thunderous Sword Qi that split the earth, warding off evil and destroying demons with overwhelming might.

Even with the power of the Beast King Anye, the Suanni could not easily block it. He gathered his energy in his Suanni Bone Saber and unleashed a fierce strike. Although he dispersed the Sword Qi, the arm holding the blade was still affected by the residual force, leaving a scorch mark from lightning. The remaining Evil-Slaying Sword Intent on the blade further prevented his body from recovering.

"What an unoriginal name. I shouldn't have asked."

The Beast King Anye unleashed a slash that sounded like the Hundred Beasts' Furious Roar, shaking the mountains and forests. The heavy and fierce Suanni Bone Saber slammed into the blade of the Monster-Slaying Sword. The divine power combined with divine skill was unparalleled in its ferocity, instantly causing the ground to sink three zhang deep. Although the elder of the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect who received the attack had his Cultivation Body by a sword formation, he still felt his Qi and Blood flowing backward, his meridians damaged, and his body on the verge of disintegration.

But he knew he absolutely could not retreat. If he did, the Beast King Anye would charge into the crowd and wreak havoc, Evil-Slaying Sword Sect would have no chance of turning the tide. So he activated a forbidden technique, stimulated his Cultivation Body, forced down the blood rising in his throat, and spurred his sword forward. With a skillful and unpredictable move, the One Sword pierced through the Beast King Anye's shoulder, leaving a bloody hole.

The other two, with the same determination and undaunted by casualties, displayed strength beyond their own limits, holding off the Beast King Anye. Under their fearless attacks, the three even gained a slight advantage.

Maybe... we can win?

The same thought crossed the minds of all three. If they were facing an enemy they had never defeated before, they might not have thought this way. However, the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect had a history of killing the Beast King Anye many times in the past, but they had not been able to eliminate it once and for all because of its immortality.

Since their predecessors could do it, even if they couldn't surpass them, there was always hope of keeping up with them. So the three of them gritted their teeth and squeezed out their potential again, making the sword light even brighter, the Sword Qi energy crisscrossing, and the power of the sword formation increasing once more.

As expected, the Beast King Anye fell into a disadvantageous position, and his defeat became more obvious. The sword marks on his body accumulated at a visible speed. Under the impact of the Evil-Butchering Sword Formation, he kept retreating, as if trying to break away. The three of them quickly held him firmly.

Just a little more effort and we'll win!

Each time the three unleashed even greater power, the Beast King Anye's signs of defeat grew stronger, as if just one more straw would break the camel's back. However, when the three truly pushed themselves to the limit, the opponent only fell into a deeper slump, and the accumulated advantage did not translate into a decisive victory.

Always just one step away, just a little bit stronger...

"Ugh! Pfft—"

One of the elders finally succumbed to the immense strain beyond his limits, his body collapsed, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his entire body emitted muffled thuds as his skin exploded, blood and flesh splattered, and he died on the spot!

Elder Feng!

Zheng Jingyuan and another Elder Yue exclaimed in shock and came to the side of the standing dead Elder Feng. They found that his meridians were shattered, his internal organs were broken, and his body was in complete chaos. It was unbelievable that he could still fight for so long in such a state.

"My old friend, I won't let your sacrifice be in vain!"

Elder Yue clenched his fists, a realization dawning on him, and he resolved to use his ultimate move to perish together with his enemy.

However, when he looked up, he saw that the Beast King Anye not only did not take the opportunity to attack, but instead stood there picking his ear with his fingers, looking completely bored.

Noticing Elder Yue's gaze, the Beast King Anye smiled and said, "Finally couldn't hold on any longer. It lasted longer than I expected. Human willpower is truly a wondrous thing, capable of pushing one's limits time and time again. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to be inexhaustible."

"Could it be... that you did this on purpose!" Elder Yue was both shocked and furious.

"Yes, I've heard that humans can unleash power that breaks through limits at crucial moments, such as when a mother risks her life to protect her child. The stronger the will, the more extraordinary the performance. So I asked you guys to verify it. Martial artists' wills are supposed to be stronger than ordinary people's, right? The results are really interesting."

"You--"

Elder Yue, his eyes blazing with fury, gritted his teeth until they bled. "How dare you humiliate us in this way!"

"We're all enemies, so what's with all this talk of humiliation? Don't you find it ridiculous? In the end, it's because you lack self-awareness. Otherwise, how could you have fallen for it? You think a Grandmaster and two insignificant nobodys can beat me? Are you kidding me?" The Beast King Anye didn't hold back his mockery.

Zheng Jingyuan quickly pulled Elder Yue back to prevent him from acting impulsively, saying, "Regardless, at least we bought enough time for our disciples to leave safely."

"Oh, you mean this? I never really cared about stopping you. If you want to leave, then leave. I never intended to stop you from the beginning. In fact, I'd much rather you escaped. If you all die here, I'll lose a good opponent to keep playing with."

"You bastard—you're a damn fool!"

Even knowing that the other party was intentionally provoking him, Elder Yue could not suppress the rage burning through his blood. He roared, broke free from Zheng Jingyuan, and unleashed all his power, risking his life to shatter the jade with One Sword strike.

"With a sword drawn, stars race across ten thousand miles, slaying all!"

Abundant True Qi filled the heavens and earth, and surging Sword-Ray rose from the ground. Elder Yue merged with his sword, transforming into an unparalleled Sword-Ray, charging forward relentlessly towards the vicious and powerful enemy.

"Haha, finally you're starting to look decent. Well then, I'll show you one move— Crimson Serpent Devours the Soul!"

The Beast King Anye smiled, but his sword intent was chillingly cold. The Suanni Bone Saber glowed with a dazzling red light, like a ghostly beast devouring souls, and lashed out, shattering the Sword-Ray that Rogue Person and sword as one. Elder Yue turned into a shower of blood and flesh, and the Yao-Slaying Sword rolled back and fell to the ground, emitting a mournful sword cry.

Under the residual force of the Sword-Ray, the Beast King Anye staggered back several steps. He glanced at his bloodied right hand, smiled, switched the swords to his left and right, and said, "It seems that extreme emotions can also unleash power beyond limits. Thank you for your cooperation; this has once again confirmed one of my questions."

Zheng Jingyuan's hands trembled with anger. He knew that the other party was deliberately using these words to humiliate him, just as they had just mocked the three of them for their efforts in risking their lives to safely send the disciples out, implying that the other party didn't care at all.

Did the Beast King Anye really never have the intention to stop the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect? Zheng Jingyuan didn't know. Perhaps the other party said that on purpose, making the three people's efforts seem worthless.

This King of Monsters is completely different from the Purple-Pupiled Spirit King of the Southern Martial World. He has no ambition to dominate the world, is not a hero, always acts alone, has no unified power, acts as he pleases, and wreaks havoc on the world. Beneath his seemingly barbaric and rough face lies a sinister, eccentric, malicious, and rotten heart.

"I've had my fill of fighting today, so let's call it a day," the Beast King Anye waved to Zheng Jingyuan. "Take the belongings of your two companions and leave quickly. I won't kill you. Remember to work hard to cultivate the next generation, and don't let the Evil-Slaying Sword Sect die out like this. Otherwise, where will I find opponents with such endless resilience as you?"

However, Zheng Jingyuan stood still, not moving an inch, and the killing intent emanating from him grew stronger and stronger.

"Oh, what a surprise. You seem like a very rational person. Are you going to follow the example of your two foolish fellow disciples and try to fight a losing battle?"

"Some things are more important than life itself—I will never allow you to insult their will!"

Zheng Jingyuan raised his sword to the sky, unleashing the same ultimate move. A surging Sword-Ray rose from the ground, and he charged towards his opponent as one with his sword.