The Test

The Sword Body was cultivated externally, while the Sword Heart was tempered within.

The Sword Body and Sword Heart were states that every sword cultivator dreamed of attaining.

These states had nothing to do with cultivation level. Only by comprehending the will and rules of the sword to an extremely high level could one attain them.

A Sword Body of purity, a Sword Heart of clarity!

Jian Wuya had qualified as one of the Seven Peaks Sword Disciples precisely because he had cultivated a Clear Sword Heart. He had not, however, cultivated a Sword Body.

In the entire Sword Emperor Sect, only Jian Wuxin, the First Peak's Sword Heir and the Sword Emperor Li Jiuzhou's personal disciple, had cultivated both a Sword Body and a Sword Heart. He was the foremost among the Sword Emperor Sect's disciples today!

Today, however, Jian Wuxin had not appeared. He was in secluded cultivation at Jie Sword Cliff, attempting to break through to the Heaven and Earth Realm.

Thus, Li Jiuzhou was shaken to see that Qin Lang had actually cultivated both a Sword Body and a Sword Heart. His gaze was filled with admiration and approval as he looked at Qin Lang.

Venerable Jianjue's heart surged, and his gaze burned with excitement. His fondness for Qin Lang was almost written on his face.

By now, Qin Lang's sword presence had climbed to its peak. He thrust both hands forward. In an instant, a rainbow of sword light seemed to appear over his body, breaking through every obstacle and crashing into the Demon Sword.

Swords howled and rang out. Sword intent filled the sky and enveloped the Demon Sword, as though it meant to merge with it.

The Demon Sword continued to rise, reaching eight inches!

Yet at that moment, the Demon Sword's blade began to tremble incessantly, its demonic sword howl like the roar of a demon god. In an instant, heaven and earth darkened, and the void rumbled.

Qin Lang seemed to see an unrivaled demonic figure appear beside the Demon Sword, holding the sword in one hand. With one strike, heaven and earth were destroyed!

"Bang!"

An explosive report rang out, and the rainbow of sword light shattered. Demonic will erupted madly at that moment. Qin Lang let out a muffled grunt, then staggered backward, drenched in blood. The tremendous force even left a deep gouge in the ground.

"Pfft!"

After steadying himself, Qin Lang spat out a mouthful of blood. His face was deathly pale, and a trace of disappointment and dejection appeared in his eyes.

He had failed.

Even after displaying extraordinary talent and attaining the states of Sword Heart and Sword Body, he still could not make the Demon Sword submit.

Yet at this moment, everyone looked at him differently. Drawing the sword eight inches was already an earth-shaking feat. Throughout the Sword Emperor Sect's history, those who could accomplish it were probably few enough to count on one hand.

Qin Lang was a resolute man. He raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, then turned and returned to his seat. Though he had failed, he had done his utmost and had no regrets.

"Don't take it too hard. Cultivating a Sword Body and a Sword Heart has already made the trip worthwhile," Ning Xuanyuan said to Qin Lang. Qin Lang nodded, then took his place behind him.

As the crowd marveled, their gazes turned to Ning Xuanyuan. He was the only one who had yet to make a move and attempt to subdue the Demon Sword.

Everyone held a trace of anticipation for Ning Xuanyuan. After all, the Evil Emperor Inheritance had fallen into his hands. From that perspective, he had the best chance of making the Demon Sword acknowledge him as its master.

Even so, no one dared say for certain whether that was true. Several heavenly geniuses had all failed, and Ning Xuanyuan's chances of success did not seem great either.

"Your Highness Xuanyuan, would you like to try?" Li Jiuzhou looked toward Ning Xuanyuan as well.

In fact, Ning Xuanyuan was part of the reason he had brought out the Demon Sword. Of course, an even greater reason was that he had sensed signs that the Demon Sword was about to emerge into the world.

He could no longer suppress it.

If the Demon Sword wished to emerge, no one could suppress it. Rather than let matters go on, he might as well reveal it to the world and see what happened.

Ning Xuanyuan let out a soft breath, his gaze settling on the Demon Sword. Then he stood and said, "In that case, I might as well try."

Since it was a weapon left behind by the Evil Emperor, he naturally had to try to claim it. He also wanted to see just how "stubborn" this unruly Demon Sword really was.

Across the vast area, countless gazes fell upon Ning Xuanyuan.

When he landed in the square, the violent demonic will enveloped and engulfed him, eroding his mental will and suppressing his fleshly body.

Ning Xuanyuan lifted his foot and walked toward the Demon Sword. Yet he had only taken one step when endless pitch-black demonic light suddenly burst from the sword, transforming into the figure of a demon god that stood with its head against the heavens and its feet upon the earth.

"What?!"

Everyone's pupils contracted sharply. The others were somewhat less affected; after all, they had never entered the Demon Sword's domain and did not know what would happen within it.

But Su Mo and the others were horrified. They had all tried to conquer the Demon Sword and had naturally seen that demon god's figure. Yet what they had seen was only an illusion. The figure of the demon god had appeared directly in their minds, utterly invisible to the naked eyes of those outside.

But why had such a phenomenon appeared with Ning Xuanyuan?! The demon god's figure had actually manifested in the open!

What did this mean?

Ning Xuanyuan himself was stunned for a moment, equally taken aback by the phenomenon.

What was going on?

"Screech!"

A demonic sound pierced heaven and earth, and everyone who heard it was shaken and turned pale. The Sword Emperor Sect disciples around the square all spat out mouthfuls of blood, their breathing disordered and their faces deathly pale.

Only Li Jiuzhou, the six peak heads, Yun Lou, Yan Ying, and a handful of others in the area did not cough up blood. Even their attendants suffered the same fate as the disciples below.

"Whoosh!"

Li Jiuzhou, who had remained seated on his throne, suddenly rose to his feet. With a light sweep of his sleeve, a powerful surge of spiritual power spread out in an instant, enveloping the entire square.

The six peak heads' expressions also changed, and they hurriedly strengthened the seal.

Li Jiuzhou stared fixedly at Ning Xuanyuan in the square, his gaze burning. Even with his temperament, his heart was now lashed by towering waves. He had spent many years studying the Demon Sword, yet had never seen it produce such a terrifying phenomenon.

Could Ning Xuanyuan truly be the one chosen by fate, the Demon Sword's true master?

In the square, Ning Xuanyuan looked up at the demon god's figure. He could feel the terrifying demonic sound piercing straight through his body. Yet he experienced an exceedingly strange sensation. Faintly, it seemed that a force of demonic rules was flowing through his body.

"What is this?" A strange look flashed in Ning Xuanyuan's eyes, and he continued forward. The sensation immediately grew stronger. The demonic sound rang out with earth-shaking force, reverberating within him.

"So that's how it is." A smile touched Ning Xuanyuan's lips, but then his expression grew somewhat odd. "Damn it, can't you just acknowledge me as your master? Do you have to kick up a fuss before you're satisfied?"

Shaking his head, Ning Xuanyuan continued forward with a smile.

In this world, only he could make the Demon Sword acknowledge him as its master. But the Demon Sword had its own pride, and he had to pass its test before he could become its new master.