Mom's Nursery Rhyme, Dad's Wooden Sword, Final Wish

A violent wave of weakness suddenly surged through Qi Dao. It felt as though his muscles were being torn apart.

He could only plant his sword into the ground and grip the hilt with both hands, barely managing to keep himself upright.

Seeing this, the burly man curled his lips into a cold smile.

Sure enough, how could a state that allowed a mere one-ring Soul Master to unleash power nearly rivaling a Soul Ancestor come without limitations?

He had appeared to be talking with Qi Dao just now, but in truth, he had deliberately been stalling for time, waiting for this state of Qi Dao's to fade.

Once that happened, the three of them would be nothing more than fish on the chopping block.

After finally encountering such a monstrous genius, how could he possibly let him die so easily?

He had to make him struggle in agony until he begged to be killed!

Hehahahaha~

"Kid, looks like you can't hold on anymore!!"

The burly man instantly changed his expression, resting his mountain-cleaving blade on his shoulder as he said blandly, "Third, why aren't you going to seize this little genius's parents?"

"Before he dies, let's have some fun with him!"

The tall Third Brother gave a sinister chuckle and looked toward Qi Dao's parents in the distance.

Qi Dao's mother helped his father up from the ground. He looked extremely weak, his face pale and his breath feeble.

"Cough~" Qi Dao's father coughed up a mouthful of bloody phlegm.

"A-Ah Rou, it seems our family of three won't be escaping this disaster today."

Qi Dao's mother's eyes stung.

"It's all right. If our family dies together, we won't be lonely on the road!"

"What a pity. I was still hoping that brat Ah Dao would take me to the God Realm to enjoy a good life!"

"Looks like we won't be going to the God Realm after all~"

Qi Dao's mother smiled through her tears, as though her fear of death had completely vanished in that instant.

"It's all right. Enjoying a good life somewhere else is the same."

Qi Dao could hear his parents' conversation. His pupils trembled as he turned to look at them.

He could already see the calm acceptance of death on their faces.

The family of three met each other's gazes in midair. Smiling, Qi Dao's mother raised her dagger to her throat.

Qi Dao's mind went blank.

He could no longer hear the sounds around him. In his mind, he seemed to see scenes from the future.

Qi Dao's mother would pierce her own throat with the dagger, and blood would spurt from her neck. Qi Dao could see the lingering attachment and regret on her face before she died.

Then there would be his father, who would lie beside his mother's corpse and sever his own meridians.

His parents' words still echoed in his ears.

Before Qi Dao's eyes, scenes from his life, from birth until now, suddenly flashed past like a revolving lantern.

It was as though a voice rang out beside his ear.

Incomparably familiar!

Qi Dao remembered. It was the nursery rhyme Qi Dao's mother had specially learned for him when she had first become a mother.

It contained her deepest maternal love for her child.

In the blink of an eye, his father's figure flashed through the scene. He had personally carved Qi Dao a wooden sword, which Qi Dao had treasured and played with constantly.

It was also then that Qi Dao had made his first promise, half in jest and half in earnest.

He would become the god of the sword, and he would take his father and mother to the God Realm to enjoy a good life.

His words from that year still rang in his ears. Before his wish was fulfilled, how could he let his parents die with regrets!

Whoever tried to stop him from fulfilling that wish, he would kill them!

Even if he faced a god, he would still draw his sword and press forward!

Qi Dao suddenly came back to his senses. Everything he had just thought of had occurred in but a single instant!

At that moment, a subtle flash of inspiration surged into his heart.

Countless truths of the sword flooded into his mind.

The corners of his mouth twitched once, then again, quivering slightly as though he had gone mad.

It seemed like he was smiling, yet also as though he had fallen into some sort of frenzy.

This was the feeling.

Communion between man and heaven, man and sword as one!

He understood. He had understood!

He pulled the Peerless Sword from the ground and casually swung it downward, its blade pointing at the earth.

An invisible streak of sword radiance shot from the sword tip. The instant it touched the ground, it cleaved a crack several feet long into the earth.

Qi Dao looked at his father and mother, and a brilliant smile appeared on his faintly twitching lips.

"Dad, Mom!"

"Until my promise is fulfilled, all you need to do is live well. Leave the rest..."

"To me!"

Qi Dao's parents stared blankly at him. For some reason, the thought of dying together quietly faded from their hearts.

Across from them, the gaunt man's expression twisted savagely. He looked at Qi Dao as though he wanted to eat his flesh and drink his blood.

The tall Third Brother was full of disdain.

Tch, after babbling so much, did he think that would keep him alive?

But the burly man's gaze fell upon the cracked ground beneath the Peerless Sword. A vague unease rose within him.

Something wasn't right. He had clearly been unable to stand steadily just moments ago.

Yet the next second, he met a pair of indifferent eyes.

As inspiration struck, Qi Dao spoke calmly.

"You just asked me what other wish I had!"

"Now, I'll tell you..."

The burly man grew increasingly uneasy. This kid is truly strange. I should kill him immediately, before anything else happens.

Was a dignified Soul Ancestor with the optimal soul ring configuration really supposed to fear a one-ring Soul Master who had already exhausted himself?

Ridiculous!

With that thought, his heart settled. He shouted, "Stop playing tricks!"

"Go die!"

Before his words even faded, his fourth soul ring flashed.

At the same time, he raised the Blood-Red Mountain-Cleaving Blade with both hands.

He slashed out, and rolling waves of blood-red energy surged forth. A massive blade radiance instantly cleaved toward Qi Dao.

The other two were startled.

What was the boss doing? Why had he suddenly attacked?

That wasn't like him!

Just as the two believed Qi Dao would be cleaved in half by that blade radiance—Bzz!

A sword cry resounded through the heavens.

The blade radiance was shredded by invisible sword intent.

From the blood-red waves of energy, a figure slowly emerged, chanting softly.

"I have a wish!"

Qi Dao took one step forward. It was as though some kind of shackle had been undone, and his aura immediately rose to a new level.

Behind him, sword intent raged.

"I once vowed that when my swordsmanship became divine, I would take my parents to ascend to heaven in broad daylight."

Qi Dao took three steps in succession. With every step, his aura rose another level.

In communion with heaven, Qi Dao entered the realm of unity between man and heaven in a single step!

Surging energy poured madly into his body from every direction.

The sword intent behind him transformed from a stream into a river, then from a river into a vast sea.

At last, sword light shot into the sky, and boundless sword intent tore apart the clouds.

"I will not die, and they..."

"Will not die either!!"

Qi Dao looked at the three dumbstruck men and slowly raised the sword in his hand.

"I draw upon the power of heaven and earth to forge this sword strike!"

"And there will be only one strike!"

"This sword shall serve as your..."

"Funeral!"

The moment his words fell, Qi Dao swung his sword.

Qi Dao's parents saw only a streak of silver-white light suddenly flash forth, vanishing in an instant!

When the sword light disappeared, the three burly men were still standing where they had been, yet none of them moved. Their faces remained frozen in shock.

"This..."

"What is going on?"

The dagger in Qi Dao's mother's hand slowly lowered, while his father looked ahead as well.

But immediately afterward, they witnessed a horrifying sight.

The three men's bodies suddenly split in two, blood gushing out.

Dead!

They were all dead!