The unicorn horse's hooves struck the demonized Gobi, producing dull clops. Every step shattered the thin layer of demonic frost congealed on the ground. Ling Yun sat upon its back, his fingertips lightly tracing the cracks on the Sky-Rending Sword as Sword Elder's voice slowly echoed within his dantian. "Though the spiritual energy of the Spirit Realm is ten times richer than that of the Mortal Realm, it is mixed with demonic essence. When cultivating, you must use the Chaos Sword Body to filter it, lest your Sword Soul be contaminated."
He nodded in acknowledgment while circulating the foundational cultivation method of the Qiankun Sword Canon, drawing the sparse spiritual energy around him into his body. Sure enough, a faint trace of black demonic essence lurked within it. The moment it entered his meridians, it tried to corrode his Sword Intent. Fortunately, the Chaos Sea of Qi promptly began to circulate, breaking the demonic essence down into harmless energy and merging it into the six-colored Sword Intent beads. In merely half an hour, thirty percent of his previously lost cultivation had recovered.
"Up ahead is Black Wind Pass, the only route to the Sword Alliance headquarters and a place where the Blood Fiend Hall's branch cultivators often lurk." Lin Yue reined in his horse, his voice abruptly turning grave. "Everyone, stay alert. The Blood Fiend Hall's demonic cultivators excel at ambushes. If we encounter them, form the Seven Star Guard Formation immediately!"
The patrol's ten Sword Alliance cultivators immediately spread out. Seven held longswords and formed a circle, while the other three nocked arrows, their tips glimmering with silver-white spiritual light that suppressed demonic qi. This was a defensive formation specifically designed by the Sword Alliance against demonic cultivators. It could gather the Sword Intent of seven people into a unified barrier, its defensive power far surpassing that of any lone fighter.
Ling Yun also tightened his grip around the Sky-Rending Sword as Chaos Sword Intent quietly circulated within him. Vigilantly, he watched the rock walls on both sides of the pass. The cliffs of Black Wind Pass were pitch-black and riddled with honeycomb-like holes. Demonic qi seeped out in thin strands, gathering into a faint black mist above the pass and obscuring the dark crimson sky.
Just as the group entered the center of the pass, black demonic flames suddenly erupted from the holes in the rock walls. More than a dozen black figures shot out from the mist, their demonic swords wreathed in Soul Corroding Demonic Qi as they lunged at the patrol. They were Blood Fiend Hall demonic cultivators. Their leader was a middle-aged cultivator in black robes embroidered with three "Baleful Intent" sigils, and his cultivation had actually reached the early Sword Master Realm, placing him on par with Lin Yue.
"Brats of the Sword Alliance, today I'll bury you all here!" The black-robed cultivator sneered and swept his demonic sword horizontally. Black Sword Qi slashed toward the patrol's Seven Star Guard Formation. When it struck the formation barrier, it let out a sizzling corrosive hiss, and the silver-white barrier instantly dimmed.
"They're Blood Fiend Hall's Soul Corroding Sword Cultivators! Their Sword Qi can contaminate Sword Intent—don't take it head-on!" Lin Yue roared, golden Sword Intent flaring from his longsword. "Transform the Seven Star Formation into the Big Dipper Sword Wheel!"
The seven Sword Alliance cultivators shifted positions at once. Their Sword Intent no longer gathered into a barrier, instead becoming a spinning sword wheel that diverted the demonic cultivators' Sword Qi to either side. At the same time, seven silver-white streams of Sword Qi shot from the wheel, piercing toward the foremost demonic cultivators.
Seeing this, Ling Yun leaped into the air. The Sky-Rending Sword carried both Gold and Fire Element Sword Intent as it cleaved toward a lone demonic cultivator. That cultivator was merely at the middle Great Swordsman Realm and had no time to react. His demonic sword was severed by the Sword Qi, and his dantian was pierced through by Chaos Sword Intent. A thread of pure demonic essence escaped from his body, and Ling Yun instinctively absorbed it. The Fire Element Sword Intent bead in his dantian instantly brightened somewhat.
"Boy, you dare kill my men!" Seeing his subordinate slain, the black-robed cultivator's eyes flashed with viciousness. He turned and lunged at Ling Yun, the demonic qi on his sword surging wildly before condensing into a black ghost claw. "Soul Devouring Ghost Claw!"
The ghost claw came with a piercing shriek, clawing straight for Ling Yun's Sword Soul. His pupils constricted as he immediately activated Clear Sword Heart, instantly seeing through the ghost claw's weakness. At its wrist, the flow of demonic essence was clearly sluggish. That was precisely the gap in power created when the black-robed cultivator used his secret technique.
"Simplified Five Elements Demon Devouring Slash!" Rather than retreating, Ling Yun advanced. Earth Element Sword Intent condensed into a shield that blocked the ghost claw's frontal strike, while Gold Element Sword Intent transformed into a slender sword and precisely stabbed the sluggish point at its wrist. With a clang, the Gold Element Sword Intent collided with the demonic essence and instantly detonated the stagnant point. The ghost claw collapsed with a bang, and the black-robed cultivator was blasted three steps back by the shockwave, black blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"I never expected a boy from the Mortal Realm to possess such strength!" A flicker of surprise crossed the black-robed cultivator's eyes. Then he drew a black token from his robes and infused it with demonic essence. "Brothers of the Blood Fiend Hall, come support us at once!"
The token released a grating demonic cry, and dense hoofbeats suddenly sounded outside the pass. More than twenty Blood Fiend Hall demonic cultivators had arrived, including three early Sword Master Realm cultivators. Their strength far surpassed that of the patrol.
Lin Yue's face instantly turned deathly pale. "I didn't expect them to have set such a massive ambush! Ling Yun, break out now and report this to the Sword Alliance headquarters. We'll hold them off!"
"No!" Ling Yun refused at once. "If I leave, you won't be able to stop so many demonic cultivators. Let's join forces instead. I'll break their formation, and you can attack while they're exposed!"
The moment his words fell, Sword Elder suddenly spoke within his dantian. "Use the Chaos Sword Body to draw upon the demonic qi in the pass, then use the Sword Alliance's Big Dipper Sword Wheel to detonate it. Demonic qi can harm people, but under the Chaos Sword Body's control, it can temporarily become a weapon!"
Ling Yun's eyes lit up. He immediately shouted to Lin Yue, "Captain Lin, have your men pour their Sword Intent into my body. I have a way to drive them back!"
Although Lin Yue had doubts, there was no other choice at this point. He immediately gave the order. "Everyone, channel your Sword Intent into Ling Yun's body!"
Seven streams of silver-white Sword Intent surged into Ling Yun's dantian at once, merging with the Chaos Sea of Qi. He leaped into the air and formed seals with both hands. The Chaos Sword Body drew in the black mist above the pass, condensing the demonic qi within it into a black pillar. "Big Dipper Sword Wheel - Demonic Flame Version!" he shouted, slashing the pillar of demonic qi fused with the Sword Alliance's Sword Intent toward the Blood Fiend Hall cultivators' formation.
The black pillar carried silver-white flowing Sword Intent. Wherever it passed, the demonic cultivators' demonic qi was instantly detonated. The black-robed cultivator's expression changed drastically. He tried to flee, but the pillar grazed his shoulder, causing his demonic essence to collapse instantly and his cultivation to fall to the late Great Swordsman Realm. The other demonic cultivators suffered even more grievous casualties. Seeing the tide turn against them, the remaining dozen or so fled at once.
"Pursue them!" Lin Yue immediately led the patrol in pursuit. Ling Yun followed close behind, the Sky-Rending Sword slashing out repeatedly and killing another three lone demonic cultivators.
Half an hour later, after the patrol had cleared the battlefield, Lin Yue walked over to Ling Yun, his eyes filled with admiration. "Ling Yun, you not only possess a special physique, but you're also skilled in tactics. You truly are a rare talent! If the Sword Alliance headquarters had a few more cultivators like you, why would we fear the Blood Fiend Hall?"
Ling Yun sheathed the Sky-Rending Sword and smiled as he shook his head. "Everyone's Sword Intent worked well together. I only provided some guidance. By the way, does the Sword Alliance headquarters have a method for tracking cultivators? I want to find a friend from the Mortal Realm. Her name is Su Qingyuan, and she possesses a Wood Spirit Body."
Lin Yue nodded. "The Sword Alliance headquarters has a Soul Breath Mirror. As long as a cultivator's soul breath has been recorded, it can sense her location. But demonic cultivators have been highly active in the Southern Region recently, so the Soul Breath Mirror's range has shrunk. It can only detect soul breaths within a hundred li of headquarters."
"That's fine. As long as there's hope." A flicker of anticipation rose in Ling Yun's heart. The cracks on the Sky-Rending Sword seemed to give off a faint silver-red gleam from the demonic essence and Sword Intent it had absorbed earlier. The journey through the Spirit Realm was fraught with danger, yet hope and opportunity lay hidden within it as well.
As the sun set, the patrol finally emerged from Black Wind Pass. On the distant horizon stood an enormous city, its walls built from rocks glowing with golden light and covered in runes that suppressed demonic qi. It was Golden Sword City, where the Sword Alliance headquarters stood. Ling Yun looked at the city, determination flashing through his eyes. Su Qingyuan, I will find you. Blood Fiend Hall, the grudge from the Mortal Realm has yet to be settled. In the Spirit Realm, we'll settle the score slowly!
Before you continue