The instant they stepped into Misty Forest, dense demonic qi surged toward them like an icy tide. The dark-red sky was veiled by black canopies, leaving only scattered specks of light filtering through gaps in the branches and falling upon the decaying leaves below, illuminating patches of green-glowing demonic fungi—this was one of the most perilous demonic forests in the eastern region of the Spirit Realm. Every plant within had been eroded by demonic qi, transformed into "demonized creations" capable of actively attacking cultivators.
"Everyone, be careful. The demon vines here can sense fluctuations in Sword Intent. Once we get close, they'll burst from underground and entangle their targets." Chu Feng circulated his Lightning Element Sword Intent, and pale-purple lightning condensed into a barrier around him. "My lightning can temporarily disrupt the demon vines' senses, but the range is limited. Maintain formation and don't leave the barrier."
Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword tightly. The silver-red sword patterns along its blade glimmered faintly—nourished by the demonic qi of Black Wind Abyss, the damage to the blade had already been repaired by seventy percent. He could now clearly sense the flow of demonic qi around them. He suddenly stopped and pointed toward the bushes on the left. "There's the aura of a Wood Spirit Body over there."
Everyone looked in the direction he indicated. Within the black bushes lingered an extremely faint thread of pale-green spiritual light. The light clung to a broken demon vine, whose severed end actually carried a fresh green hue—this was the trace left by a Wood Spirit Body purifying demonic qi. Su Qingyuan had clearly left it behind.
"Qingyuan really came through here!" Joy rose in Ling Yun's heart, and his pace unconsciously quickened, only for Xiao Zhan to grab him. "Kid, don't rush! This demon forest is full of traps. That demon vine was broken recently—she might have left only a short while ago. We'll follow the spiritual light. Don't startle the snake in the grass."
Ling Yun calmed down and nodded his thanks. The group followed the trail of pale-green light. Demon vines occasionally burst from the ground along the way, only to be driven back by Chu Feng's lightning or severed by stone spikes condensed from Li Yan's Earth Element Sword Intent. Zhang Wei periodically released Water Element Sword Intent as well, nourishing everyone's meridians and easing the sluggishness caused by the demonic qi—the Sword Alliance squad worked in seamless coordination, clearly tempered through countless border battles.
When they reached Deadwood Valley deep within the forest, the pale-green light suddenly grew stronger, and faint sounds of fighting drifted from the valley. Ling Yun's heart tightened. He leaped up and landed atop a demonized ancient tree some thirty meters tall—inside the valley, more than a dozen Blood Fiend Hall demonic cultivators surrounded a green-glowing Soul Awakening Grass. Leading them was a middle-aged cultivator in purple robes. He held a curved demonic sword wrapped in black chains, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the late Sword Master Realm—stronger even than the scar-faced Branch Master from before.
"It's Wu Tao, the deputy Branch Master of Blood Fiend Hall's eastern sub-branch—the 'Soul Locking Sword'!" Chu Feng also leaped onto the ancient tree, a trace of gravity flashing through his eyes. "His Soul Locking Sword can bind a cultivator's Sword Soul, preventing Sword Intent from circulating. He's the mortal enemy of Sword Alliance cultivators!"
Ling Yun observed carefully and found several spiritual herbs cut down beside the Soul Awakening Grass. The pale-green spiritual light was emanating from those herbs—Su Qingyuan must have encountered Wu Tao's ambush while gathering Soul Awakening Grass here and had been forced to flee.
"These bastards dare bully Ling's friend!" Xiao Zhan roared, resting his broad-backed saber on his shoulder as golden lightning flared wildly around him. "Ling, Captain Chu, let's go down and slaughter them!"
"Wait." Ling Yun stopped him. "Wu Tao's Soul Locking Sword is troublesome, and there may be an ambush in the valley. We'll split into three groups. Captain Chu, use your Lightning Element Sword Intent to draw his attention. Brother Xiao, circle behind from the left and use your saber intent to cut his chains. I'll strike from the right and use Chaos Sword Intent to devour his demonic qi, leaving him unable to wield the Soul Locking Sword. Li Yan and Zhang Wei, set up defenses outside the valley to prevent other demonic cultivators from reinforcing them."
Everyone nodded and immediately moved according to the plan. Chu Feng was the first to leap from the ancient tree. His Lightning Element Sword Intent condensed into a lightning bolt several meters high and cleaved straight toward Wu Tao. "Wu Tao, your day of death has come!"
Wu Tao's face changed. He swept his Soul Locking Sword, and black chains wrapped around the lightning, only to be scorched by its demon-breaking power with a sizzling sound. "It's Chu Feng of the Sword Alliance! You still have the nerve to come to Misty Forest to die!" He circulated his demonic essence, and the chains swelled as they lashed toward Chu Feng. "Today, I'll let you taste the might of the Soul Locking Sword. Your Sword Soul will become nourishment beneath my blade!"
As Chu Feng and Wu Tao became entangled in battle, Xiao Zhan launched a surprise attack from the left, his broad-backed saber splitting out golden lightning. "Savage Lightning Saber Art - Chain Severing Slash!" The lightning severed Wu Tao's chains, and the saber intent bore down directly on his back. Wu Tao was forced to turn and block. The Soul Locking Sword collided with the saber, and golden lightning exploded against black demonic qi, the shockwave blasting the surrounding demonic cultivators away.
Ling Yun seized the opportunity and leaped from the right. The Sky-Rending Sword carried Chaos Sword Intent as black-gold Sword Qi stabbed toward Wu Tao's demonic sword. "Five Elements Demon Devouring Slash - Lightning and Fire Version!" He had fused Chu Feng's Lightning Element Sword Intent with his own Fire-Attribute Sword Intent. Pale-purple and crimson streams of light flowed through the Sword Qi; it could not only devour demonic qi, but also detonate demonic essence.
"What? Chaos Sword Intent!" Wu Tao's pupils shrank sharply. He had heard that the Mortal Realm possessed a cultivator with a Chaos Sword Body, but he had never expected to encounter him here. He immediately circulated his demonic essence, and the chains on the Soul Locking Sword swelled again, attempting to wrap around Ling Yun's blade. Yet they were instantly devoured by the black-gold Sword Qi—the Chaos Sword Body could directly absorb the demonic qi within the soul-locking chains!
"Impossible!" Wu Tao's face turned deathly pale. He spun around to flee, but Chu Feng's lightning bound his limbs, while Xiao Zhan's saber had already come to rest against his neck.
"Speak! Where did Su Qingyuan go?" Ling Yun stepped forward, pressing the Sky-Rending Sword against Wu Tao's dantian. Chaos Sword Intent stood ready to detonate his demonic essence at any moment.
Wu Tao trembled from head to toe, not daring to conceal anything. "She... she fled toward Myriad Sword Cave! The Chief Branch Master of Blood Fiend Hall ordered us to capture cultivators with Wood Spirit Bodies alive, to use her Wood Spirit Origin to refine the core of the Myriad Soul Banner, so we didn't strike to kill..."
"Myriad Soul Banner?" A cold glint flashed through Ling Yun's eyes. He had heard of this vile artifact back in the Mortal Realm, but he had never imagined Blood Fiend Hall intended to use Su Qingyuan's Wood Spirit Origin to refine its core. "Where is your Chief Branch Master? How many demonic cultivators are in Myriad Sword Cave?"
"The Chief Branch Master... the Chief Branch Master has already taken men to Myriad Sword Cave. He said he was going to search for ancient Sword Souls to strengthen the Myriad Soul Banner..." Wu Tao's voice grew quieter and quieter. "Aside from us, there are two more patrol squads of demonic cultivators in Misty Forest. They'll be here to reinforce us soon..."
Resolve flashed through Chu Feng's eyes. "Ling Yun, kill Wu Tao first, then head for Myriad Sword Cave immediately—Fellow Cultivator Su has her Wood Spirit Body protecting her, so she won't be in danger for now. But there are too many demonic cultivators in Myriad Sword Cave. If we're late, it'll be too late!"
Ling Yun nodded. The Sky-Rending Sword pierced Wu Tao's dantian, and Chaos Sword Intent devoured his demonic essence. Wu Tao collapsed to the ground, dead. At that moment, dense footsteps sounded from outside the valley. Blood Fiend Hall's patrolling demonic cultivators had arrived.
"Li Yan, Zhang Wei, retreat!" Chu Feng shouted. Lightning Element Sword Intent condensed into a bolt of lightning and blasted apart the demon vines at the valley entrance. "We're going to Myriad Sword Cave!"
The group raced toward the depths of the forest along the pale-green spiritual light Su Qingyuan had left behind. The Sky-Rending Sword trembled lightly in Ling Yun's hand, its silver-red sword patterns growing brighter and brighter—Sword Elder's voice sounded within his dantian. "Myriad Sword Cave is the place in the Spirit Realm where Sword Soul Origin is most concentrated. It can not only repair the Sky-Rending Sword, but also holds the inheritance of the Ancient Sword Venerable—the clue to the Heaven and Earth Sword Box. Blood Fiend Hall wants to seize the Sword Souls and strengthen the Myriad Soul Banner. We must find Su Qingyuan and obtain the inheritance before they do!"
Ling Yun gripped the Sky-Rending Sword tightly, determination shining in his eyes. The demonic qi of Misty Forest grew fainter behind them, while a pure Sword Soul aura drifted faintly from ahead—Myriad Sword Cave lay before them. There were not only traces of Su Qingyuan there, and Sword Soul Origin capable of repairing the Sky-Rending Sword, but also Blood Fiend Hall's scheme and vital clues to the truth behind the Ling Family's Annihilation. A clash between the righteous path of the Spirit Realm and the demonic cultivators was about to unfold in Myriad Sword Cave.
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