,/.

Sword God Mountain, Sword Testing Platform.

Sword intent surged around Sword Demon as he faced Chen Cang from afar.

On the Sword Testing Platform, Sword God Mountain's disciples suffered defeat after defeat. No one could last more than three strikes against Sword Demon's disciples!

By this point, Sword God Mountain's disciples had gone from fury to silence.

No one stepped forward to accept the challenge again.

Those who had lost were all stronger than them.

"Does Sword God Mountain have no one left? What a disgrace to the orthodox sword path under heaven!"

Sword Demon chuckled softly.

More than a dozen sword cultivators watching from afar all fell silent.

Not one Sword God Mountain disciple could withstand three strikes from Sword Demon's disciples!

The gap was far too great.

The Great Elder said furiously, "Sword Demon, your sword inheritance was merely stolen from Sword God Mountain. What right do you have to question Sword God Mountain's sword path?"

Sword Demon shot him a cold glance. "You useless trash, what right do you have to speak? You call yourself an elder of Sword God Mountain, yet you have not even mastered Sword God Mountain's sword path. You have learned only its outward form!"

"You!"

The Great Elder trembled from rage.

Yet he could not utter a single word.

Though he was in the Emperor Sword Realm, he had form without substance. He was not much different from those sword cultivators outside.

The other elders felt ashamed.

If they could have cultivated an Emperor Sword instead of possessing only form without substance, Sword God Mountain would not have fallen so low!

Sword Demon continued with a cold sneer. "The sword path of my Devil Palace did indeed originate from Sword God Mountain. Yet in your hands, Sword God Mountain has disgraced the name of the orthodox sword path under heaven. From now on, that title should belong to my Devil Palace!"

"My Devil Palace is the true inheritor of the orthodox sword path under heaven!"

Sword God Mountain's disciples were fit to burst with rage, yet there was nothing they could do.

Several elders trembled in fury, wishing they could fight Sword Demon to the death.

But!

Their strength did not allow it!

Every one of them was choked with frustration.

"What are you so arrogant about? You only came to challenge us because our Senior Brother isn't here!"

One of Sword God Mountain's disciples said indignantly.

"That's right! Devil Palace is shameless, coming to take advantage of our weakness. If you have the guts, challenge our Senior Brother!"

"Exactly! You really know how to pick your time. You only came while our Senior Brother was away. When our Senior Brother was here, we never saw you come!"

Sword God Mountain's disciples all echoed in fury.

Sword Demon raised a brow.

"Oh? Sword God Mountain has a prodigy too?"

Chen Cang remained calm. "Shaokong went out and has yet to return. If you are unwilling to wait, then consider this battle a loss for Sword God Mountain. If you are willing, then wait."

Sword Demon laughed softly. "What harm is there in waiting? I would also like to see how Sword God Mountain's prodigy compares to my disciple!"

If he withdrew now, Sword God Mountain might have conceded defeat, but its reputation would not be destroyed.

Instead, people would think that Sword Demon had only come to challenge them while Sword God Mountain's prodigy was absent, seizing an opening in their weakness.

It would not be honorable!

Though Sword God Mountain would be affected by this defeat, its true inheritor prodigy had not lost, nor had he even fought, while Sword Demon would be retreating.

That would instead make Sword God Mountain's prodigy seem formidable, as though Sword Demon had lost his nerve.

The title of orthodox sword path under heaven would remain with Sword God Mountain.

Naturally, Sword Demon would not leave just like that.

The sword cultivators watching from behind also breathed a sigh of relief, their hearts gaining a little more hope.

Sword God Mountain still had a prodigy.

If Sword God Mountain truly crumbled at a single blow, that faith in their hearts would likely collapse.

"Chen Cang, where is the abandoned princess?"

Sword Demon asked.

"There is no one here whom you seek."

Chen Cang's expression remained calm.

"She has ties to my Devil Palace. Entrusted by another, I have come to take her back. Are you truly determined to hide her?"

Sword Demon naturally did not believe Chen Cang.

"As far as I know, the Yan Kingdom abandoned princess's mother has already left the Devil Palace, and she herself was cast out of the Yan Kingdom Imperial Family. She belongs neither to the Devil Palace nor the Yan Kingdom Imperial Family."

"Even if she truly is in Sword God Mountain, she is a Sword God Mountain disciple. What right does your Devil Palace have to demand her?"

Chen Cang sneered coldly.

His gaze gradually sharpened as he stared at Sword Demon. "Do you think that your so-called Number One Sword Under Heaven title allows you to run wild in Sword God Mountain?"

Sword Demon watched him silently. After a long while, he said, "Chen Cang, your Emperor Sword is complete, and you have nurtured it for many years. Why not make a trip to the Ancient Central Continent? There may be an opportunity for a breakthrough there."

"In today's world, only the Ancient Central Continent offers even a sliver of hope to break through the shackles of the Emperor Realm. There is no such opportunity in any of the four corners of the world!"

Chen Cang fell silent at those words.

After a long while, he said, "No one from Sword God Mountain may enter Central Continent by even half a step!"

Sword Demon fell silent.

He thought of that rumor.

"So the rumor is true. No one from Sword God Mountain may set foot in Central Continent. Whoever enters will surely die!"

Chen Cang remained silent.

Sword God Mountain's decline was related to this.

Unless someone from Sword God Mountain could enter Central Continent and shatter this rule with overwhelming strength.

But who could accomplish that?

Ling Rushuang's talent was monstrous enough to defy heaven, yet unless she could break through the Heaven Sword Realm, she would be unable to do it.

And in today's world, only the Ancient Central Continent held a sliver of opportunity to break through the Heaven Sword Realm.

Once one entered Central Continent, if one failed to break through, one would likely be killed.

"Those in the Heaven Realm cannot leave Central Continent. Does Central Continent now have anyone in the Heaven Realm?"

Chen Cang asked.

The Heaven Realm!

Above the Emperor Realm lay the Heaven Realm.

"I don't know."

Sword Demon shook his head.

Everyone waited for Bai Shaokong's return.

After a long while, Sword Demon spoke again. "I wish to meet the person who wounded my junior brother."

Chen Cang shook his head. "He is not in Sword God Mountain. He has gone wandering."

Who had wounded Sword Maniac with a single sword strike, nearly killing him.

Even Chen Cang did not know.

Naturally, he could not produce the person.

He could only use this to brush the matter aside, while conveying that Sword God Mountain did not have only one Emperor Sword Realm cultivator.

Sword Demon continued to remain silent.

Su Fan paid no attention to the sparring on the Sword Testing Platform.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged within the Forbidden Art Graveyard.

He was using the Heavenly Enlightenment Technique and had entered a state of enlightenment.

At last, it was time to break through to the Emperor Sword Realm.

To leap directly from the middle stage of the Void Sword Realm to the Emperor Sword Realm was difficult even with the Fate-Defying Heavenly Ladder.

Su Fan's enlightenment this time was meant to solve that problem.

He intended to cross the late stage and completion of the Void Sword Realm in one stride, reaching straight for the Emperor Sword Realm.

Enlightenment, endless enlightenment!

The further one advanced in cultivation, the more difficult breakthroughs naturally became.

Every minor breakthrough was an immense rise in strength.

To achieve such a vast leap in a single breakthrough was not easy, even with a forbidden art.

At last!

He had no idea how many times he had entered enlightenment.

Su Fan once again began to feel sick of enlightenment.

It was even stronger than the last time.

"Sigh! They say that even dragon meat becomes tiresome if you eat too much of it. Enlightenment is the same. Too much enlightenment becomes tiresome too!"

Su Fan sighed.

Still, he had finally enlightened himself to a method.

He could break through directly to the Emperor Sword Realm.

After reaching the Emperor Sword Realm, it would truly be difficult to keep breaking through like this.

He could only advance one minor realm at a time.

"Next comes the breakthrough."

The Emperor Sword Realm was the forging of an Emperor Sword.

What was an Emperor Sword?

It was the emperor among swords. Beneath an Emperor Sword, all swords submitted; none could defy it!

This was the strength of Sword God Mountain's sword path, and the foundation upon which it had once ruled sword cultivators under heaven!

Any sword cultivator beneath the Emperor Sword Realm would find it difficult even to draw a sword against an Emperor Sword Realm sword cultivator!