The morning mist atop Sword Mound Mountain had yet to disperse when Ling Yun tucked the jade slip containing the Zhao Family's crimes into his robes. The Sky-Rending Sword hung slanted at his waist, its black-gold glow even stronger than yesterday's—last night, he had used the Chaos Sword Body to draw upon Sword Mound Mountain's Sword Soul Origin, fully awakening the Sky-Rending Sword's "demon-devouring warning" trait. Whenever dense demonic Qi lurked nearby, the sword patterns would automatically light up, like an invisible compass pointing out the tracks of demonic cultivators.
"The disciples of the Seven Great Sword Sects have already gathered in Qingyun City. The Zhao Family and Blazing Fire Gate have likely set up the Soul Devouring Array there long ago." Su Qingyuan portioned the refined Soul Protecting Pills into porcelain bottles and handed them to Ling Yun and Murong Shuang. "These were made from Sword Mound Mountain's Soul Awakening Flowers. They are three times stronger than the previous Soul Protecting Liquid and can temporarily resist the Soul Devouring Array's demonic Qi erosion."
Murong Shuang accepted the bottle. Her Wind Element Sword Intent stirred faintly as she sensed the flow of people coming from the eastern horizon. "We must leave at once. Elder Bai of the Purple Haze Sword Sect once promised to help us. If we arrive too late, the Zhao Family may win over the other sects first."
The three immediately set off. Ling Yun wrapped himself in Chaos Sword Intent, concealing the Sky-Rending Sword's warning glow to avoid exposing their trail too early. The official road grew increasingly crowded with cultivators, most of them disciples from various sects heading toward Qingyun City. They traveled in twos and threes, discussing who would claim victory at this Inter-Regional Sword Convention. When Ling Yun was mentioned, some admired his feat of defeating Zhou Xiong, while others, deceived by the Zhao Family, called him a "heretic colluding with demonic cultivators."
When they reached Falling Sword Bridge on Qingyun City's outskirts, the Sky-Rending Sword suddenly trembled, its black-gold glow flaring brightly—dense demonic Qi was concealed beneath the bridge arch ahead. Ling Yun raised a hand to signal Su Qingyuan and Murong Shuang to stop. A thread of Gold Element Sword Intent gathered at his fingertips as he said quietly, "There's an ambush."
The moment his words fell, five black demonic shadows shot out from beneath the bridge. At their head stood an old man in purple robes, gripping a curved demonic sword. His cultivation had actually reached the late Great Swordsman Realm—he was Zhao Lie, the Zhao Family's First Elder and Zhao Kun's younger brother.
"Ling Yun, hand over the jade slip you found at Sword Mound Mountain, and this old man will let you die swiftly." Zhao Lie's voice was cold and sinister as demonic Qi gathered around him into phantom serpents. "The Inter-Regional Sword Convention is the Zhao Family's home ground. Bringing those accusations inside is nothing but walking straight into the net."
Ling Yun sneered as the Sky-Rending Sword left its sheath, the intent of the Five Elements Demon Devouring Slash instantly gathering. "Zhao Kun is dead. The Zhao Family's end is not far off, yet you still want to struggle like a cornered beast?" He sprang into the air, his blade carrying a black-gold radiance as it cleaved toward Zhao Lie's demonic sword. This strike contained not only the sharpness and scorching heat of gold and fire, but also Sword Mound Mountain's Sword Soul Origin, which was the bane of demonic Qi.
Zhao Lie did not dare be careless. He held his demonic sword horizontally before him, and demonic Qi condensed into a serpent-shaped barrier. Clang! The instant their blades collided, the gold-fire Sword Intent ignited the sluggish points within the demonic Qi. The serpent barrier exploded with a deafening boom, hurling Zhao Lie backward. Sword Qi tore open his purple sleeve, and black blood seeped from the wound—an omen of demonic Qi backlash.
"Get them!" Zhao Lie roared. The four Zhao Family cultivators attacked at once, their demonic Qi forming four Soul Devouring Swords that shot toward Su Qingyuan and Murong Shuang. Murong Shuang immediately invoked her Wind Element Sword Intent, turning azure currents into an invisible sword shield that blocked the Soul Devouring Swords. Su Qingyuan activated her Wood Spirit Body, and pale green spiritual light spread across the bridge, preventing the demonic Qi from drawing near.
Ling Yun seized the chance to close in. The Sky-Rending Sword swept out, severing Zhao Lie's demonic sword in a single slash. Its tip pressed against his brow. "Speak. Where in Qingyun City is the Soul Devouring Array?"
A vicious glint flashed through Zhao Lie's eyes. He suddenly bit through his tongue and spat a mouthful of blood essence into his palm, intending to detonate his own demonic essence. "Want to know where the Soul Devouring Array is? Dream on!"
"Not good!" Ling Yun immediately circulated Earth Element Sword Intent, forming a cage around Zhao Lie while using his Chaos Sword Body to absorb the leaking demonic essence. "He's going to self-destruct. Stop him!" Su Qingyuan reacted with lightning speed. The radiance of her Wood Spirit Body transformed into vines that bound Zhao Lie's limbs, leaving him unable to move. Murong Shuang then sealed his dantian with Wind Element Sword Intent, stopping the circulation of his demonic essence.
Zhao Lie was completely restrained, his eyes filled with resentment. "The Zhao Family will never let you go! The Blood Fiend Hall's envoy is already in Qingyun City. He will use the Soul Devouring Array to refine every person who opposes the Zhao Family!"
Ling Yun did not spare him another glance. He handed him over to the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect disciples who arrived shortly afterward, then turned to Su Qingyuan and Murong Shuang. "We must go. The appearance of the Blood Fiend Hall's envoy is more dangerous than we expected."
The three hurried across Falling Sword Bridge and entered Qingyun City—this most prosperous city of cultivators in the Mortal Realm was now shrouded in an invisible layer of demonic Qi. Zhao Family and Blazing Fire Gate banners hung all along the streets. Though excitement showed on the cultivators' faces, a trace of apprehension lurked in their eyes. Qingyun Platform, the Inter-Regional Sword Convention's main venue, stood at the city center. Beneath its foundation, black demonic patterns flickered faintly—the very formation cores of the Soul Devouring Array.
"The Soul Devouring Array has formation cores at the four corners of Qingyun Platform. They are powered by cultivators' blood essence. Once activated, it will drain the Sword Souls of every cultivator in Qingyun City." Sword Elder's voice sounded within Ling Yun's dantian. A phantom sword image revealed Qingyun Platform's layout. "You must destroy all four formation cores before the convention begins, or the consequences will be unimaginable."
Ling Yun nodded and said to Su Qingyuan and Murong Shuang, "Qingyuan, go to an inn and refine Demon Breaking Pills capable of destroying demonic formations. Murong Shuang, go see Elder Bai and have him contact the other righteous sects. Prepare to expose the Zhao Family's scheme at the convention. I'll go to Qingyun Platform to investigate the formation cores and find a way to destroy them."
The three immediately split up. Disguised as an ordinary cultivator, Ling Yun slipped into Qingyun Platform's spectator stands. Guided by the Sky-Rending Sword's warning glow, he soon found the formation core at the southeastern corner—a black stone stele carved with the Blood Fiend Hall's "Baleful Intent" pattern. Four black-robed cultivators stood around it, feeding the formation core with their own blood essence.
Ling Yun quietly approached, gathering a thread of Earth Element Sword Intent at his fingertips. It spread along the ground toward the base of the stone stele as he attempted to destroy the formation core's foundation. At that moment, an icy gaze suddenly locked onto him. On Qingyun Platform's elevated stage, a black-robed cultivator overlooked the entire venue. The "Baleful Intent" pattern on his robe was deeper than those of the other Blood Fiend Hall cultivators, and the demonic Qi around him had nearly become tangible. He was the Blood Fiend Hall's envoy, and his cultivation had reached the early Sword Master Realm.
"An interesting Chaos Sword Body." The envoy's voice carried an eerie smile as he struck at Ling Yun from afar. A black demonic palm carrying soul-corroding power hurtled straight toward Ling Yun's back. Ling Yun reacted swiftly, twisting aside to evade it while severing the earth-element veins beneath the stone stele with Gold Element Sword Intent. The demonic Qi of the formation core immediately weakened by several degrees.
"You dared sabotage the Soul Devouring Array. You're dead." The envoy leaped down from the raised platform, condensing a black demonic spear in his hand. Demonic Qi gathered at its tip in the shape of a skull. Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword tightly as the intent of the Five Elements Demon Devouring Slash gathered once more—this was his first time facing a demonic cultivator of the Sword Master Realm, and it was also the crucial battle for exposing the Zhao Family's conspiracy.
The cultivators on Qingyun Platform noticed the disturbance and crowded around, their discussions rising one after another. Ling Yun looked at the approaching envoy, then at Murong Shuang in the distance as she contacted the other sects, and at the alchemical spiritual light rising from the direction of the inn. Determination flashed in his eyes. "Today, I will not only destroy your Soul Devouring Array—I will also let everyone know of the Zhao Family and Blood Fiend Hall's crimes!"
The Sky-Rending Sword's black-gold glow surged. Sword Mound Mountain's Sword Soul Origin intertwined with Chaos Sword Intent, forming a five-colored sword wheel around him—a confrontation that would decide the survival of the Mortal Realm's righteous path had quietly begun on Qingyun Platform.
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