Battle in the Rainy Night

"What kind of monster is this?"

Disgust showed on Xia Konghan's face. The Heavenly Flood Dragon Sword in his hand trembled lightly, its clear, ringing cry echoing through the rain-soaked alley.

Boom!

The concrete rubble formed when the Demon Ghost had crashed through the wall exploded with a roar, countless shattered stones and clouds of dust shooting into the sky!

The Demon Ghost struggled to its feet. Its six pitch-black pupils fixed dead on Xia Konghan, while its twisted flesh squirmed without end. The wound carved open by the sword light was closing and regenerating at a visible speed.

"Be careful. This monster's body is extremely tough."

From afar, Ning Qingqing suddenly called out a warning.

Xia Konghan did not even spare her a glance. His azure sword angled toward the ground as rainwater streamed down its blade, his expression cold and proud.

"Wow, he's way too arrogant."

Ning Qingqing muttered softly, then quietly shifted to Liu Qingni's side. "What now? Should we wait for an opening to strike, or watch for the time being?"

Liu Qingni fixed her gaze on the battlefield and replied in a low voice:

"Let's wait and see. Xia Konghan is very strong. This is the perfect chance to test this Demon Ghost's limits. If even he has trouble suppressing it, we'll look for an opportunity to act."

Before her words had faded, the Demon Ghost smashed through the ground amid the ruins. Its enormous body tore through layers of rain curtains, stirring up another foul wind as it pounced at Xia Konghan.

"Get lost!"

Xia Konghan snorted coldly. The Heavenly Flood Dragon Sword slashed forward without hesitation, and surging sword intent erupted in an instant. An attack like a towering wave came crashing down!

Like breaking waves, endless and unceasing, layer upon layer!

The Demon Ghost seemed startled by Xia Konghan's formidable sword intent. It hesitated for just a moment, and was immediately slashed open, blood spraying out.

"You dodged pretty quickly."

Xia Konghan held the Heavenly Flood Dragon Sword horizontally. A streak of blood flashed across the blade, gathering at its tip before dripping down in crimson droplets.

"What a... sharp... treasured sword!"

Suddenly, an icy voice rang out from within the rain curtain. Xia Konghan and the other three all shuddered inwardly, their faces changing in shock.

That had actually been the Demon Ghost speaking.

The Demon Ghost glanced at the sword scar across its chest. With a sweep of its huge hand, it lightly wiped it away.

"What exactly are you? Tell me, and I'll leave you an intact corpse!"

Xia Konghan shouted sternly, his expression grave. He had roamed the martial world for many years, yet had never seen such a monster—something that seemed as though it should not exist beneath heaven and earth.

"What am I?"

"Why, I am... human!"

The Demon Ghost grinned. Clearly, its speech was becoming increasingly distinct, as if it were reclaiming its own wisdom and Spirituality.

"What a wonderful world. So marvelous. Everything is complete, everything exists."

"A world like this ought to belong to us."

The Demon Ghost threw back its head and laughed, raising its four arms high as it greedily savored the sensation of rain falling upon its body. Everything here was new and strange to it.

"Nonsensical ravings... You're trying to stall for time."

Xia Konghan's gaze turned cold. Inner force surged around his entire body, and two illusory lotus flowers appeared over his shoulders. The rolling power of his inner force even forced the torrential rain to slant to one side.

"Two-Flower Innate Realm. He's actually reached this level already."

From afar, Liu Qingni's heart shook.

Worthy indeed of being the foremost among the younger generation of the One-Heart Sword Pavilion. After losing to Su Chang'an, he had not fallen into despair. Instead, he had broken through after destruction and rebuilt himself, ascending to the Two-Flower Innate Realm.

She seemed to have guessed why Xia Konghan still remained in the imperial capital.

He was likely waiting for Su Chang'an to be released from prison, so he could wash away his former humiliation.

"Insignificant insect, you are not bad. If you submit to me now, I may consider allowing you to become my subordinate and follow me into battle."

The Demon Ghost spoke as its aura became increasingly powerful and bloodthirsty. As time passed, it seemed to be growing stronger and stronger.

Or rather, it was actually recovering its former state.

Clang!

The sound of metal striking metal rang out endlessly, and even the massive rainfall across the street shook violently!

The answer to the Demon Ghost was a cruel sword light like a surging tide—violent to the extreme, vicious to the extreme, and ruthless to the extreme.

Azure Water Serpent-Slaying Sword Armament Form!

From afar, Liu Qingni's pupils widened as she watched the sword light pour forth like spilled mercury, whistling as it raced onward.

Swift as lightning, it broke the sound barrier in an instant, throwing up a cloud of steaming white vapor.

Though it was not aimed at her, she still felt as if, in the next moment, she would be cleaved in two by a single sword stroke.

Let alone the Demon Ghost facing Xia Konghan directly. An extreme chill spread through its entire body, and the shadow of death weighed upon its heart like a ten-thousand-zhang mountain.

It had not felt this sensation in a very long time!

The time that had left the deepest mark on it was when it had looked upon the great [Military Governor] from far away. That terrifying figure had made it feel as though it had fallen into hell.

"Roar—!"

Its hairs stood on end as the Demon Ghost let out a terrifying roar. The ground shattered with a boom, collapsing into a huge pit crisscrossed with dense, spiderweb-like cracks.

The Demon Ghost raised all four arms toward the sky, twisted gray flames igniting across them. Borrowing the immense recoil, its enormous body charged straight at Xia Konghan with even greater ferocity.

Boom!

A horrifying crash erupted, and a terrifying visible shockwave radiated in every direction.

Every building along the entire street was instantly shattered at that moment, countless bricks and fragments shooting everywhere.

Amid the violent sonic booms, Xia Konghan remained expressionless. The Heavenly Flood Dragon Sword moved like a roaming dragon, darting continuously around the Demon Ghost and leaving one terrifying sword scar after another across its body.

After forcefully enduring Xia Konghan's Azure Water Serpent-Slaying Sword Armament Form, one of the Demon Ghost's arms had been sliced directly in half, hanging limply at its side like a boneless strip of chicken.

"Nothing but the advantage of a weapon!"

The Demon Ghost sneered. Every joint in its body transformed into savage weapons, blasting toward Xia Konghan.

Wherever it passed, the air exploded instantly and the rain evaporated. White currents of air like raging tides swept madly in every direction.

"Those two are both monsters!"

Ning Qingqing pulled Liu Qingni backward, her lovely face filled with astonishment.

Though she too was in the One-Flower Innate Realm, more of her skill lay in killing people.

Compared to a swordsman like Xia Konghan, her ability to harm monsters was far inferior.

Sword cultivators had always dominated the world through their ultimate killing power. What was more, Xia Konghan's cultivation, swordsmanship, and weapon were all at the very pinnacle.

The next second!

Madness filled the Demon Ghost's pupils. At the moment it forcefully endured one of Xia Konghan's slashes, flesh and blood exploding from its chest—

"Die!"

It aimed at Xia Konghan's head and smashed out an iron fist like a hurricane!

The air exploded, mist surged upward, and rippling rings spread outward. In the next instant, Xia Konghan raised his sword horizontally to block.

Boom!

But the incomparably violent force was like cannon fire, nearly unstoppable.

As though he had been struck by a Divine Might Cannon, Xia Konghan was sent soaring into the sky amid flying sparks and a shrill howl.

Yet before all this could settle,

Amid thunderous crashes, the Demon Ghost laughed wildly and thrust out three arms at once, punching into the sky again and again. Its fist winds left afterimages, its berserk aura sweeping outward.

Ning Qingqing's expression changed. It was too fast. In merely the blink of an eye, the battle had shifted.

She was just about to rush forward to help,

When suddenly,

A long dragon's roar echoed through the rainy alley!

"That is... Flood Dragon-Slaying..."

Sword light descended. Between heaven and earth, it was as though a flood dragon had burst from the abyss of the deep sea and soared into the sky.

In that instant, the Demon Ghost's heart trembled. It felt as if a flood dragon were staring directly at it, boundless with ferocious Baleful Intent.

But in the next instant, the Demon Ghost's black pupils shook, dispersing the spiritual intimidation rushing toward it.

What entered its sight

Was a rising azure greatsword a hundred meters long!