Everyone was utterly shaken. The Sword Immortal, whose might had cowed the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths and intimidated the starry universe, had lost the great clash. Even his bonded Immortal Sword had shattered. Yet no one found it surprising: his opponent was the Thunder Emperor, one of the Ten Evils whose glory eclipsed past and present. Merely fighting him was already the stuff of legend.
The Sword Immortal's hands were empty. The Immortal Sword he had cultivated alongside his very life was now a thing of the past. He looked briefly dazed, as though unable to believe it was real.
Ji Hao gave him no chance whatsoever. Using his hand as a sword, he raised it and brought it down across the Sword Immortal's neck. Immortal blood spurted, and a head bearing an expression of utter disbelief flew high into the air. Blood stained half the sky red.
"Dim, lackluster immortal blood. A Crippled Immortal is still a Crippled Immortal. What a waste-not the slightest use. I can't even extract a few drops of immortal Dao blood essence," Ji Hao said disdainfully. With a sweep of his hand, the heavens darkened. Lightning and light shone together as he moved to gather the Sword Immortal into his palm.
"Hrk!"
The Sword Immortal coughed blood, terror gripping his heart. He felt death drawing near. His divine soul, seated cross-legged within his brow, sensed disaster and tried to abandon his body and flee.
No one knew what secret method he used, but his divine soul transformed into an Immortal Sword, pierced layer upon layer of space, and hurtled into the distance at incredible speed.
As for his broken body, it lost all power once his divine soul left it and was gathered into Ji Hao's palm.
"Hey, don't run! The blood I