Demon Breaking Pill Aids in Exposing Crimes and Shaking Qingyun

The Blood Fiend Hall envoy's demonic spear thrust forward with a piercing sound that tore through the air. The skull phantom at the spear tip opened its gaping maw, spewing strands of soul-corroding demonic qi. Wherever it passed, the bluestone ground of the Qingyun Platform was eroded into tiny pits. Ling Yun dared not meet it head-on. He tapped the ground with his toes, using the Wind Element Sword Intent from Murong Shuang to push himself back. The Sky-Rending Sword drew a black and gold arc before him, its sword energy colliding with the demonic qi and instantly devouring it—this was the first time the Sky-Rending Sword, after awakening its demon-devouring trait, displayed its power to actively consume demons.

"Oh? Your sword can devour demons?" A flicker of surprise flashed in the envoy's eyes, followed by a cold laugh. "Mere mortal iron, daring to show off before a divine artifact of the Blood Fiend Hall!" He twisted his wrist, and the skull phantom on the demonic spear swelled, transforming into a demon shadow about ten feet tall, lunging fiercely at Ling Yun. The demonic qi surrounding the shadow was enough to make an ordinary Great Swordsman Realm cultivator lose their senses instantly.

Ling Yun circulated his Chaos Sword Body, the six-colored Sword Intent orbs spinning rapidly within his dantian. Sword Intents of the Gold, Fire, and Earth elements formed a shield, while the Water and Wind element Sword Intents transformed into tassels that wrapped around his sword. A pale green protective soul halo emanated from the Soul Protecting Pill that Su Qingyuan had previously gifted him, shielding his Sword Soul from corruption. "Clear Sword Heart!" he grunted, a hint of pale white appearing in his eyes, instantly discerning the demon shadow's weakness—in the center of the shadow's chest, a wisp of demonic qi flowed sluggishly, precisely the point of power fluctuation when the envoy activated his demonic spear.

"Five Elements Demon Devouring Slash!" Ling Yun leaped forward, the Sky-Rending Sword, carrying the Sword Soul origin from Sword Mound Mountain, thrusting directly at the demon shadow's chest. The moment the black and gold sword energy collided with the demon shadow, the Gold and Fire element Sword Intents detonated the sluggish demonic qi at that point. With a deafening "boom," the demon shadow scattered, and the envoy was forced back three steps by the shockwave, the skull phantom on his demonic spear dimming slightly.

"Ling Yun, catch!" Just then, Su Qingyuan's voice came from the east side of the Qingyun Platform. She held a white jade porcelain bottle, enveloped by the spiritual light of her Wood Spirit Body, flying towards Ling Yun like a green meteor. Inside the bottle was the newly refined Demon Breaking Pill, its faint bitter aroma actually causing the surrounding demonic qi to retreat automatically.

Ling Yun reached out and caught the porcelain bottle, unhesitatingly pouring out a dark red pill and swallowing it. The Demon Breaking Pill dissolved in his abdomen, instantly transforming into a cool medicinal force that surged through his meridians and into his dantian, merging with his Chaos Sword Body. The bottleneck he had been stuck at in the mid-Great Swordsman Realm shattered. The six-colored Sword Intent orbs in his dantian expanded explosively, especially the Water Element Sword Intent orb, which changed from pale blue to deep blue—he had broken through to the late Great Swordsman Realm!

"Impossible! You broke through during combat?" The envoy's face contorted in disbelief. He activated his demonic spear again, demonic qi surging from the formation eye stone tablet in the southeast corner of the Qingyun Platform, flowing along the spear. The skull phantom at the spear tip lit up once more. "Soul Devouring Array, lend me your demonic essence!"

The "Sha" character pattern on the formation eye stone tablet illuminated, and black demonic patterns spread across the ground, coiling towards Ling Yun. If he were ensnared by the demonic patterns, not only would his Sword Soul be absorbed, but he would also become a "sacrifice" to the Soul Devouring Array. At that moment, Murong Shuang arrived with Elder Bai of the Purple Haze Sword Sect and three other elders from neutral sects. Elder Bai's purple Sword Intent transformed into a sword net, blocking the spread of the demonic patterns. "Envoy of the Blood Fiend Hall, openly using a demonic array in Qingyun City, do you take our Seven Great Sword Sects as mere decorations?"

The cultivators from other sects also reacted—the rumors spread by the Zhao Family about Ling Yun colluding with demonic cultivators were instantly debunked. It was the Zhao Family who had truly colluded with demonic cultivators! They drew their swords, their Sword Intents intertwining into a net, surrounding the cultivators of the Zhao Family and the Blazing Fire Gate.

Ling Yun looked at the unfolding situation, knowing it was time to reveal the truth. He took out a jade slip he had found at Sword Mound Mountain, infused it with his Sword Intent, and the slip instantly transformed into a golden light screen, hovering in the center of the Qingyun Platform. The light screen clearly recorded the crimes of the Zhao Family's ancestors colluding with the Blood Fiend Hall three hundred years ago and betraying ancient sword cultivators, as well as the current conspiracy of Zhao Kun and Zhao Hao cultivating the Sword Devouring Art, slaughtering the Ling Family, and preparing to use the Soul Devouring Array to refine all cultivators in the Qingyun Region.

"This is a jade slip left by an ancient sword cultivator. The script is an ancient language lost to the mortal realm. Among the elders present, Elder Bai has studied ancient texts and can verify its authenticity!" Ling Yun's voice, carried by his Sword Intent, resonated throughout Qingyun City. "The Ling Family's annihilation was precisely because they possessed a fragmented sword manual recording the Zhao Family's crimes; Zhao Hao using a forbidden move in the life-and-death arena, and Zhou Xiong colluding with the Blood Fiend Hall to intercept me, were all to conceal this truth!"

Elder Bai stepped forward, examining the text on the light screen with shock. "That's right! These are indeed ancient characters, and the content recorded matches the fragmented scrolls in the Purple Haze Sword Sect's Scripture Depository! The Zhao Family has concealed their crimes for three hundred years and colluded with the Blood Fiend Hall, attempting to subvert the Qingyun Region!"

The cultivators below the light screen erupted in an uproar. Those who had supported the Zhao Family now turned against them. The faces of the Zhao Family and Blazing Fire Gate cultivators turned pale, forced to retreat by the surrounding Sword Intents. Zhao Hao, hiding in the crowd, tried to slip away, but was ensnared by Murong Shuang's Wind Element Sword Intent. "Zhao Hao, do you think you can still escape?"

Seeing that the tide had turned, a ruthless glint flashed in the envoy's eyes. He abruptly turned, his demonic spear thrusting towards the formation eye stone tablet in the southeast corner. "Even if I die, I'll take you all with me! Soul Devouring Array, detonate!" He intended to detonate the formation eye, taking all the cultivators on the Qingyun Platform with him.

"You wish!" Ling Yun leaped forward, the Sky-Rending Sword carrying his breakthrough Sword Intent, thrusting directly into the envoy's back. The black and gold sword energy pierced the envoy's black robe, completely severing the demonic essence within him from the demonic qi of the formation eye stone tablet. The envoy spat out a mouthful of black blood, his demonic spear slipping from his grasp. His body collapsed limply to the ground, his life extinguished.

Upon landing, Ling Yun immediately circulated his Earth Element Sword Intent, completely shattering the formation eye stone tablet in the southeast corner. The moment the stone tablet broke, the demonic qi around the Qingyun Platform dissipated slightly, but the formation eye stone tablets at the other three corners continued to emit demonic qi—the Soul Devouring Array was not yet completely destroyed.

Elder Bai walked to Ling Yun's side, his eyes full of praise. "Ling Yun, you not only exposed the Zhao Family's crimes but also prevented the envoy from detonating the formation eye. You have made a great contribution. Next, we must quickly destroy the other three formation eyes to prevent the Zhao Family from having any further schemes."

Su Qingyuan and Murong Shuang also approached Ling Yun. Su Qingyuan handed him the remaining Demon Breaking Pills. "There are three more Demon Breaking Pills. Distribute them to the other elders; they will enhance their ability to resist demonic qi." Murong Shuang added, "I have already contacted the disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect. They are setting up defenses outside Qingyun City to prevent any Zhao Family members from escaping."

Ling Yun took the Demon Breaking Pills and distributed them to Elder Bai and the other elders, a determined glint in his eyes. "The Inter-Regional Sword Convention begins tomorrow. The Zhao Family will surely make a final struggle at the convention. We will destroy the remaining formation eyes tonight, and at the convention tomorrow, we will settle the crimes of the Zhao Family and the Blood Fiend Hall once and for all!"

Night fell, and the lights of Qingyun City flickered on, but it was no longer as bustling as usual. Ling Yun, Su Qingyuan, Murong Shuang, Elder Bai, and others split into four groups, heading towards the other three formation eye stone tablets of the Qingyun Platform. The black and gold halo of the Sky-Rending Sword shone brightly in the night, guiding their way—a reckoning for the survival of the orthodox path in the mortal realm was about to officially begin at tomorrow's Inter-Regional Sword Convention.