Chen Fan ran at full speed, heading straight for Black Mountain.
About half an hour later, he arrived at the foot of Black Mountain.
His speed could not be called slow, but the path up the mountain was exceptionally difficult.
Chen Fan looked up at Black Mountain and saw a black willow atop its peak, blotting out the sky and holding up heaven and earth.
The Black Willow had rooted itself throughout the entire mountain, changing Black Mountain's terrain and vegetation. No matter which direction Chen Fan took uphill, he faced dense vegetation and undulating ridges.
"Are you, you damned tree demon, afraid of me?"
"Why not clear a path and fight me fair and square?"
Chen Fan shouted, hacking through thorns and brambles as he charged toward the peak of Black Mountain.
"You may call me Willow Lord."
"The battle has already begun, yet you remain unaware!"
A rumbling voice came from Black Mountain's summit, deafening as rolling thunder from the heavens!
The moment Willow Lord finished speaking, Chen Fan felt the earth shake and the mountains sway. Thick trunks, like horned dragons, burst from underground and wrapped directly around his legs.
Bloodfiend True Qi burst from Chen Fan's body. Possessing terrifying corrosive power, it directly corroded the willow roots winding toward him into a pool of black water!
The whole of Black Mountain was deathly silent. There were no demons, no wild beasts—not even a bird in sight.
Seeing several dried beast corpses on the ground, Chen Fan understood that every living creature on Black Mountain had become nourishment for Willow Lord!
Even this vegetation was under its control. If it wanted to destroy these plants, it would take no more than a single thought.
Chen Fan swung the Meteorite Iron Blade in his hand. Terrifying blade qi carried boundless Killing Intent, cutting down everything in its path!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Countless black roots burst from the ground, while innumerable black willow branches descended from the sky, blanketing heaven and earth. Roots and branches closed in around Chen Fan together, forming layer upon layer of airtight nets, seeking to trap him to death within!
Chen Fan circulated the Blood Fiend Art, and terrifying Bloodfiend True Qi erupted from his body, directly shattering the net of heaven and earth closing in on him!
"Don't bring out such petty tricks and make a fool of yourself."
"I originally thought your true body would be terrifying, that your strength would far surpass mine, a human martial artist who had only just entered the Divine Aperture Realm."
"But ever since I entered Black Mountain, you have exhausted every method to trap me at the foot of the mountain and keep me from climbing up. From that alone, you are nothing more than this."
"You fear that once I reach the mountain, I'll tear you out by the roots. You're afraid of me!"
"Hahaha!"
Chen Fan laughed wildly, wielding the Meteorite Iron Blade to cut through every obstacle before him, then raced toward Black Mountain's peak!
When he reached the mountainside, countless humanoid tree demons formed from black branches, leaves, and roots, along with all manner of demons and monsters, appeared before Chen Fan and lunged at him!
"Get the hell out of my way!"
Chen Fan coated the Meteorite Iron Blade in Bloodfiend True Qi and unleashed Heaven and Earth One-Blade Slash. Gathering Blade Intent, he hacked out slash after slash. Terrifying blade qi swept through all directions; mountains and rivers shattered wherever it passed, and the countless woven demons and monsters were all executed!
Blade in hand, Chen Fan climbed toward the summit one step at a time. He did not know how long he had fought, nor how many demons and monsters woven from Willow Lord's roots and branches he had slain.
His eyes had already gone red with slaughter. He only felt that the number of these demons and monsters never seemed to decrease. Moreover, the closer he came to the summit, the stronger they became.
Now, Chen Fan felt as though countless demons and monsters at the peak Divine Treasury Realm were attacking him. Even as a Divine Aperture Realm martial artist who had opened thirty-six acupoints, he was gradually finding it too much to bear.
He understood. Willow Lord intended to keep draining his strength, then kill him in one stroke once he was utterly exhausted!
"The time is about right. Once I turn the tens of thousands of people in Ping An County into my nourishment, my strength will soar. Then killing you will be as effortless as blowing away dust!"
Willow Lord looked down from above. An aged face emerged from its trunk as it watched Chen Fan slaughtering endlessly beneath its feet, a cold and cruel smile appearing on its face.
"There isn't much time left!"
"There isn't much time left for me!"
"Damn it!"
Willow Lord knew time was running out, but Chen Fan also knew that Willow Lord had not left him much time.
His purpose in coming here was only secondarily to kill Willow Lord. His primary task was to save the tens of thousands of people in Ping An County.
If all the people of Ping An County died, what meaning would there be even if he killed Willow Lord in the end?
Ping An County.
The Black Willow Branches continued to spread, drawing ever closer to the people. Huang Chengyue and the other Brocade Guards, along with the county yamen's constables and runners, as well as the county soldiers and their captains, organized every able-bodied person to take up weapons and chop apart the Black Willow Branches spreading toward them.
By the time these Black Willow Branches reached this place, their power had already greatly weakened. Though being entangled by them still posed a mortal danger, any ordinary adult armed with a weapon could fully cut through these tough yet flexible willow branches!
Lu Xuening still sat cross-legged atop the Ping An County yamen's roof, with the sword she carried laid across before her.
Strands of Sword Qi permeated the air around her. Every Black Willow Branch that tried to approach her was chopped into pieces by the Sword Qi!
Huang Chengyue was also standing guard for her. Should she become entangled by the Black Willow Branches, he would immediately intervene and wake her from her closed-door cultivation state!
"The Black Willow Branches are spreading over here! What should we do?"
"Could it be that Lord Chen Fan has failed?"
"Mother, I don't want to die! Sob, sob, sob."
"I'm so scared!"
"..."
The Black Willow Branches continuously pressed closer to the crowd. Although everyone worked together to cut down the spreading branches, they could not chop as quickly as the branches spread.
For a time, panic and grief spread through the crowd.
"What is Swordheart Clarity?"
"Master said that Swordheart Clarity is a profound realm of the Sword Dao attained when one's swordsmanship reaches a certain level—when the heart becomes clear and transparent, allowing one to distinctly perceive the mysteries and essence of swordsmanship."
"Swordheart Clarity means not being deluded by any worldly thing, understanding all things, and knowing safety, danger, fortune, and misfortune. As the saying goes: Prove the Dao with the sword, and the heart becomes clear; clad in blue, upright and open, one walks while singing a long song!"
"I have a Swordheart, long sealed beneath dust. When will the dust be gone and its radiance emerge, illuminating ten thousand miles of mountains and rivers?"
"Today, I attain Swordheart Clarity!"
Lu Xuening gave a sharp shout. Sword-shaped marks burst from her eyes, Sword Qi surged around her body, and the acupoints within her opened with a crackling pop like beans exploding in a hot wok!
She circulated the cultivation method taught by her master, guiding the heaven and earth's primordial qi into her acupoints. It traveled through the acupoints and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians before flowing into her dantian!
Her dantian trembled slightly, and a strand of pure True Qi was born within it, rapidly growing stronger!
Lu Xuening sat cross-legged atop the county yamen roof. At this moment, large swathes of Black Willow Branches had already spread before her.
With a single thought from her, the thirty-six acupoints around her body flickered like thirty-six stars.
Strands of terrifying True Qi burst forth from her body, transforming into peerless Sword Qi that completely shredded the Black Willow Branches!
Then she rose to her feet, using her acupoints to commune with the heaven and earth's primordial qi. Endless Sword Qi erupted, cutting down every Black Willow Branch within several miles!
"She succeeded!"
"Xue Ning has comprehended Swordheart Clarity and entered the Divine Aperture Realm!"
"Brother Lu Fang, this old Huang has not failed your trust. I've raised our daughter into someone worthy!"
Huang Chengyue looked at the radiant Lu Xuening, and tears streamed down his aged face!
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