Slay Ghost God

"Brother Jiang, are you really Brother Jiang?!"

Relying on his youth and vigor, Jiang Mingshan spent the entire night using his excavation Law Artifact, hoping to test if the "Earth Virtue Blessing" could work again.

Unfortunately, such a good thing didn't happen.

Although the new Law Artifact given by Senior Brother Hu did not require the consumption of True Qi, it was still tiring to operate with full concentration. He yawned and was about to take a break when a female disciple dressed in the robes of the Divine Sword Sect flew over on her sword and blurted out a question.

Who are you?

Jiang Mingshan looked at the round-faced young female cultivator and, realizing he didn't recognize her, couldn't help but ask in bewilderment.

"Senior Brother Jiang, it's me. Back when we were at the Sword-Viewing Stone, it was you who guided me in observing the sword intent within the stone."

Jiang Mingshan recalled for a moment and remembered.

"Oh, it's you. Aren't you Fellow Daoist Mei, who possesses the family's swordsmanship? I didn't expect you to have successfully mastered it."

Mei Yue nodded repeatedly, "I am very grateful for your guidance back then. If it weren't for your help, I'm afraid I still wouldn't have been able to comprehend the sword intent of the Sword-Viewing Stone. But I never expected that after leaving Divine Sword Mountain, you would actually join the Mysterious Peak Sect."

"Sigh, there's no other way. What else can I do but become Rogue Cultivator? There's no future in being Rogue Cultivator."

Jiang Mingshan sighed with emotion, "It's only been a month or two, but it feels like several years have passed."

"My senior brother's appearance has also changed drastically."

Jiang Mingshan was stunned for a moment, then looked down at his current appearance.

A layer of bluish stubble had sprouted on his chin, and his skin was much darker than before, dry and rough, as if it had been polished by the wind and stone dust in the mountains. His hair was also not well-groomed, with a few strands falling on his forehead, making him look like a vagrant who had been lingering in the wild for many days. Compared with the rather handsome Rogue Cultivator when he left Divine Sword Mountain, his temperament was like that of a completely different person.

However, he was also quite carefree, laughing and saying, "After all, you're not a sword cultivator anymore, so you don't need to worry about your image. Just focus on your cultivation. The swordsmanship of the Divine Sword Sect is extremely powerful, so don't let this fortuitous opportunity slip by."

"Back then, my senior brother was ranked among the top in Sword-Inquiring Pass..." Mei Yue still felt very regretful.

The two chatted and exchanged pleasantries for a while before the swordsman Mei took his leave.

Jiang Mingshan also sighed softly.

When he went to the Divine Sword Sect for the assessment, he neither encountered bullying from inner disciple nor any so-called "connections." In fact, the senior sword cultivators who were assessing him at the time quite admired him. And among that batch of contestants, apart from one with the Nine-Origin Sword Physique, the others were simply no match for him.

The entrance exam wasn't particularly difficult. While some sword cultivators are quite extreme and demanding, it wasn't that difficult from the very beginning.

Without any external interference, I fought my way through the beginner sword trials to the sixth trial, "The Sword-Forgetting Pass." The test in this trial is that after entering the illusion, you will lose all your swordsmanship memories and be without a sword in your hand. You are required to rediscover "why you wield the sword" in the illusion. If you come out with only killing in your mind, you will fail the trial.

Then I failed.

After losing his sword body and sword intent, he was directly corrupted by the Sha Qi within the sword, and then went berserk. If he hadn't been stopped by the disciples of the Divine Sword Sect, he would have killed at least one or two of his fellow disciples.

Thinking of this, Jiang Mingshan smiled self-deprecatingly.

That's probably why the other person remembers me so vividly.

Failure without any apparent reason is truly frustrating.

On a purified barren mountain, Hu Mang finished studying the "Divine Light of Earth Virtue" and was gazing at the Grand Gate Mountain. Although the surrounding Demonic Qi had not been completely purified, the magnificent scenery of Grand Gate Mountain could already be vaguely seen.

Grand Gate Mountain is not a single peak standing alone, but rather consists of three adjacent main peaks connected together. The three peaks stand side by side like three giants, majestically supporting a patch of sky.

The central peak is the most precipitous, piercing straight into the clouds. Its broad, flat summit resembles a natural altar, gleaming with an ancient, dark red luster under the setting sun, where traces of ruins can be faintly seen.

The left peak is like a sword, with steep cliffs that are almost perpendicular to the ground. The exposed rock layers show an interlacing pattern of iron blue and brownish-red, as if the wound left by the heavens and earth after splitting the mountain with the Divine Sword Sect.

The right peak, however, is quite different. Its shape is long and rounded, covered with a thick layer of withered yellow grass and trees, like an old beast lying on the ground, calm and peaceful.

Between the three peaks, a narrow ridge, like a natural stone bridge between heaven and earth, spans the sea of clouds, connecting these three distinctly different mountain peaks. On the ridge, one can vaguely see the traces of a long row of stone steps leading directly to the platform at the top of the central peak.

"Legend has it that Grand Gate Mountain was the abode of ancient High Antiquity cultivators, and it was one of the first areas to be sealed when Extraterrestrial Heavenly Devil invaded."

As Hu Mang was admiring the view, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Legends aren't necessarily true," he said without turning his head.

"Among the High Antiquity cultivators of that time, one of them was the founding ancestor of our Divine Sword Sect."

"Oh, so it seems it's true," Hu Mang seamlessly switched sides.

It was only at this moment that he noticed that the person who came was one of the "good-for-nothings" that Lu Shuichan had mentioned, the Tribulation-Crossing Divine Sword Wei Du'e.

However, judging from his appearance alone, he doesn't look like a "good-for-nothing" at all.

His face was lean and wiry, with clean and sharp features. His cheekbones were slightly high, his jaw was straight, and his eyes were long and narrow but bright. It was as if two small swords were hidden deep in his pupils, usually concealed, but when he looked closely, you could see the sharp and cold light reflected from them.

A short white mark on his right eyebrow, like an old wound, adds a touch of ruthlessness to his scholarly face, like a perfectly placed crack in an ancient painting, which in turn adds a touch of realism and tension to the whole picture.

If I had to say, he bears a resemblance to Hu Mang back when he wasn't trying to look young.

This is a ruthless character who has killed many people with his sword.

"Senior Brother Wei," Hu Mang greeted, bowing respectfully.

"Junior Brother Hu."

Wei Du'e returned the greeting.

"I just saw that Junior Brother has mastered the Divine Light of Condensing Peaks to its fullest extent, evolving it into the Divine Light of Earth Virtue, is that right?"

"That's true."

Upon hearing this, Wei Du'e's somewhat arrogant demeanor subsided by a third, and he sighed:

"Junior Brother Hu, you are truly a prodigy! You've cultivated this divine light to such a level in less than three months since you began your studies. Did you already have some achievements before you even started?"

Hu Mang smiled but did not answer.

However, Wei Du'e merely used this as a pretext to get straight to the point.

"That's right, Junior Brother Hu. Once the demonic aura is completely eradicated, it will be the responsibility of our Divine Sword Sect. We will sweep away all kinds of Devil Creature and spirits on Grand Gate Mountain, and use our sect's Divine Sword Sect Techniques to re-imprint the sword seal, thus resealing the void rift."

"However, Grand Gate Mountain High Antiquity cultivators. Legend has it that when the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Devil invaded, the High Antiquity sword immortals drew their swords to slay the demons. They not only cleansed the demon caves along the way, but also directly fought their way to the lair of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Devil, personally killing the invading Devil Master on the spot."

"I would not be so reckless as to venture into the outer void. Rather, the High Antiquity sword immortals who cleansed the Demon Cave must have left behind traces of their swordsmanship. I intend to invite you, junior brother, to join me in this journey. With the Divine Light of Earth Virtue clearing the way, we can enter the Demon Cave before our fellow junior brothers and senior brothers, and escape before our master seals it away."

Wei Du'e paused for a moment, and seeing Hu Mang listening silently, said, "I know this journey is dangerous, and I also know that this is not the duty of a disciple of the Mysterious Peak Sect. Therefore, when we storm into the Demon Cave, all the treasures of the Demon Cave, except for swordsmanship, will belong to my junior brother."

After listening, Hu Mang pondered for a moment and said, "I need to report this matter to my fellow disciple, Senior Brother Lu."

Seeing that Hu Mang did not show any objection, Wei Du'e smiled slightly.

"In that case, I eagerly await good news."

"I didn't expect this little good-for-nothing to actually have some ambition; he actually wants to practice Slay Ghost God?"

After informing Lu Shuichan of this, the Five Dwarfs of Mystic Peak were quite surprised.

What is "Slay Ghost God"?

"A powerful sword technique passed down from the founding ancestor of the Divine Sword Sect. Legend has it that the ancestor once used this sword technique to slay a Ghost Immortal."

"What does this have to do with the sealed demon cave?"

"It is said that the patriarch of the Divine Sword Sect once left behind a sword technique legacy in this demon cave, instructing his descendants that if they felt their sword skills were sufficiently refined, they could enter the demon cave to slay demons and test their swordsmanship."

"I see. But how did you know, Senior Brother?"

"I've heard that he's not the only Divine Sword Sect disciple who participated in the trials. Almost every time he went, the seal would crack, and we Mysterious Peak Sect members would have to clean up their messes. It's hard not to understand what's going on."

"Senior brother, should I go?"

Lu Shuichan stroked his chin, looked Hu Mang up and down, and then chuckled.

"If that little dwarf Chunwuzi were here, he would never let you go, no matter what. And if it were Old Daoist Ge, don't be ridiculous, Old Daoist Ge would never be here."

"And what about you, senior brother?"

"What's it to me? I'm not from Spring Thunder Ridge. I'm just a bored guy leading a team."

Lu Shuichan said casually, "I just wanted to remind you that this seal needs to be sealed on time. If you don't come back, don't blame me for sealing you inside."

Hu Mang gave the other person a deep look.

"I understand now, senior brother."

Almost seven days later, sharp sword lights appeared one after another in the sky above Heavenly Gate Mountain.

Wei Du'e first appeared, then drew his sword.

When the black-sheathed longsword was drawn, it emitted only a very faint hum, like a thread trembling in the wind; but in that instant, the entire sky seemed to darken for a moment.

The sword light struck the demonic mist like a hot knife cutting into solidified grease, splitting the thick black mist in two and revealing the rock strata of the mountain below.

The Demonic Qi touched by the sword light melted and dissipated rapidly, like ice and snow scorched by the blazing sun, emitting a hissing sound, like countless venomous snakes simultaneously emitting their dying cries.

The sword mark stretched all the way from the mountainside to the foot of the mountain, cleaving a huge gap in the demonic mist that shrouded Heavenly Gate Mountain.

At the same time, the other sword cultivators also made their moves.

In an instant, the sky above Grand Gate Mountain was filled with the brilliant light of swords.

Some sword lights cascaded down like waterfalls, washing away the vast expanse of demonic mist; some sword lights meandered and coiled like swimming dragons, annihilating the black energy surging from the cracks; some sword lights fell densely like a torrential rain, shattering each node where Demonic Qi condensed.

The sword cultivators moved back and forth in the mist, their white robes fluttering and their swords flashing, like a group of white blades cutting and churning in a black ocean, tearing and shattering the Demonic Qi that had been lingering for days.