,/.

Su Fan was preparing to break through when his expression suddenly changed.

Leng Zhuī was dead!

"The man in black?"

Leng Zhuī had been hired by the man in black to kill him.

He had then been sent by Su Fan to investigate the person behind it all.

Now, Leng Zhuī was dead.

Most likely, he had died at the hands of the man in black.

"Silencing him?"

Su Fan sneered. Leng Zhuī had most likely been murdered by the man in black to silence him.

"You won't be jumping around for much longer."

After breaking through, Su Fan would head down the mountain and drag out the person behind the scenes.

"This breakthrough will take a little longer. It needs to be slowly nurtured..."

A faint glow surged over Su Fan's body.

The outline of the Fate-Defying Heavenly Ladder emerged.

His lifespan was burning away.

Su Fan was consuming his lifespan to nurture the Fate-Defying Heavenly Ladder and nurture the Void Sword.

The heavenly ladder slowly solidified, its steps gradually becoming distinct.

For this breakthrough, he had to solidify the steps leading directly to the Emperor Sword Realm before he could set foot upon them.

Only then could he ensure that he would break through to the Emperor Sword Realm in one breath.

Otherwise, if he solidified and broke through one step at a time, it would be easy for it to collapse and cause the breakthrough to fail.

This time, Su Fan used time as his foundation, slowly solidifying the steps.

The longer it took, the more lifespan he naturally consumed.

The Fate-Defying Heavenly Ladder formed slowly, but the benefit was that the ladder remained stable. As it slowly took shape, it was less likely to collapse.

Su Fan did not care about lifespan, so long as he could break through directly into the Emperor Sword Realm.

As the heavenly ladder slowly formed, the Void Sword was also transforming, turning the insubstantial into the tangible.

Throughout the process, Su Fan continuously fused various forbidden arts into it, strengthening the Emperor Sword.

Besides the Heaven-Shattering Sword Intent and the Life-Ending Sword Intent, the Emperor Sword now possessed many other sword intents, all derived from forbidden arts.

"Once I break through to the Emperor Sword Realm, reaching the Heaven-Slaying Realm won't be difficult either."

Su Fan was thrilled beyond measure.

There were differences between those in the Emperor Realm, and those differences could be immense.

Likewise, there were differences between those in the Emperor Sword Realm.

Once Su Fan broke through, he would be among the strongest in the Emperor Sword Realm.

He might even be the strongest Emperor Sword Realm cultivator since ancient times.

He cultivated forbidden arts!

They were already incomparably powerful, not to mention that he cultivated more than one forbidden art. Furthermore, every one of them had been continuously enhanced, long since surpassing the original limits of their power.

Defense, speed, concealment, offense... all manner of forbidden arts armed his entire body.

He had achieved an all-around strength unseen throughout the ages!

Time passed, one day after another...

For the sake of a steady breakthrough this time, Su Fan was not impatient in the slightest and did not mind spending a few extra days.

Bit by bit, he condensed the Fate-Defying Heavenly Ladder.

At present, he had only condensed one and a half steps.

Sword Testing Platform.

Sword Demon was growing somewhat impatient from waiting.

"Chen Cang, could it be that your so-called prodigy is avoiding battle?"

How long had it been already?

Yet he still had not returned.

Most likely, he had lost his nerve and retreated.

Chen Cang smiled faintly. "What's the rush? Shaokong went to Tianwu King Prefecture earlier. He has always been calm and unhurried, so it is only normal that he needs some time to return."

After a pause, he added, "If you are tired of waiting, you can choose another time to come back."

He would be delighted if Sword Demon left and chose another time to return.

Once Ling Rushuang broke through, even if Sword Demon made a move, Ling Rushuang would be able to receive it. As for his disciple, before Ling Rushuang of the Emperor Sword Realm, he would not even be able to draw his sword!

Sword Demon snorted coldly. "Then we'll wait."

If he left now, it would be easy for people with ulterior motives to spread word that Sword Demon and his disciple were guilty of a weak heart and did not dare face Sword God Mountain's prodigy.

In that case, his trip would have been for nothing.

Whether Sword God Mountain truly had a prodigy who had yet to return from outside was something the major powers could not possibly conceal.

Bai Shaokong finally returned.

He was loud and carefree, possessing none of a sword cultivator's aloof pride or icy severity. Compared with Sword Demon's disciple, he already lost in bearing.

Sword Demon's disciple was proud and cold, standing like an upright sword.

Anyone who saw him would grow solemn by several degrees. This was a true sword cultivator!

"Master, I'm back!"

Bai Shaokong carried a sword over his shoulder and bowed to Chen Cang.

Chen Cang's mouth twitched. This disciple was becoming more and more lax, with none of a sword cultivator's bearing whatsoever.

But!

Other than Ling Rushuang, he possessed the strongest talent in the sword path.

"It's good that you're back. Go and test yourself against Sword Demon's disciple."

Chen Cang nodded.

He sighed inwardly. Bai Shaokong had failed to break through to the Void Sword Realm by just a little.

Otherwise, this battle would surely be won.

Sword Demon's disciple had perfected the Spirit Sword Realm and already had one foot in the Void Sword Realm.

His realm was roughly equal to Bai Shaokong's.

The outcome of this battle truly concerned Sword God Mountain's reputation.

Chen Cang's expression grew solemn as well.

With their realms so similar, victory or defeat would better reveal their true strength!

"Alright, Master!"

Bai Shaokong nodded.

He took the sword from his shoulder, planted it on the ground, and looked toward Sword Demon's disciple.

"Bai Shaokong of Sword God Mountain seeks your guidance!"

"Jian Qiu. Please!"

Sword Demon's disciple spoke few words.

"You came to challenge me. Make your move."

Bai Shaokong said lazily.

"Then pardon my offense!"

Jian Qiu raised his hand and thrust out with his sword.

Light blossomed, and in an instant, sword light arrived like lightning!

Whoosh!

Bai Shaokong's body flickered, darting away like a sword.

Chen Cang's eyes lit up. What movement technique was that?

He had never taught him such a thing!

Jian Qiu moved as well, layers upon layers of sword light swimming like fish, sealing off every direction.

Every streak of sword light seemed to possess a spirit of its own.

Vaguely, they seemed on the verge of vanishing into the formless.

Bai Shaokong's expression also turned solemn, no longer bearing that lazy and casual manner.

Clang!

His sword left his hand. With a single strike from Bai Shaokong, countless sword blossoms scattered in an instant, like fallen leaves swept up by the wind. The sword blossoms whirled as they drifted, sweeping outward.

Before Bai Shaokong, not a single Sword God Mountain disciple had withstood three strikes from Jian Qiu.

Yet now, the two were evenly matched in battle!

For the moment, victory and defeat could not be decided.

The battle continued. Bai Shaokong wished to use this fight to comprehend the intent of the Void Sword and break through to the Void Sword Realm.

Jian Qiu, in truth, had the same intention.

The battle grew increasingly fierce.

The auras of both men rose without pause.

The sword cultivators watching were utterly entranced. This was the true sword path.

Though their realms were higher, in terms of attainment in the sword path, they were actually inferior to these two juniors!

Sword God Mountain truly deserved to be called the orthodox lineage of sword cultivation beneath heaven!

Bai Shaokong was a true Sword God Mountain sword cultivator, possessing the strength to battle across realms!

The fight on the Sword Testing Platform continued until nightfall, yet there was still no victor.

Only, the swords of Bai Shaokong and Jian Qiu seemed to grow increasingly illusory, as though they could vanish into the formless at any moment.

"Sword God Mountain has another fine seedling. That is truly rare."

Sword Demon sighed with emotion.

Chen Cang frowned. Sword Demon was not anxious at all, as though he was utterly confident that Jian Qiu would win.

Could it be that Jian Qiu had not yet used his full strength?

If that were truly the case, Bai Shaokong would likely be defeated.

At that thought, Chen Cang's heart sank.

He watched silently, carefully observing Jian Qiu. Suddenly, a guess arose in his mind.

He could not help but feel shocked.

Jian Qiu's talent was actually this formidable?

Suddenly, Chen Cang's expression changed drastically as he abruptly looked toward the back mountain!

More precisely, he was looking toward the Sword Abyss!