The Dao of Reincarnation (89-92) (Patreon)

Chapter 89: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 1)

Darkness. Absolute blackness.

Su Chen returned once more to the Reverse Fate Space. He opened the Reverse Fate Scripture.

[Eighth Life: You were an ordinary cowherd in the Dragon Firmament Dynasty. Hidden beneath that humble exterior was the last surviving descendant of a fallen clan from the Central Continent. Unwilling to accept an ordinary fate, you resolutely chose to embark on the path of cultivation.]

[You studied alchemy under the grandfather who raised you and found the art fascinating. After achieving proficiency, you severed all worldly ties, left the village, and rose to prominence. At the Dragon Firmament Dynasty's Alchemy Assembly, you claimed first place and became the youngest sixth-grade alchemist in history. You then joined the Prison-Suppressing Sacred Land, seized a Heavenly Fire, and journeyed to the Central Continent. There, your mastery of the Eight Desolations Alchemy Method stunned the entire gathering, outshining every genius of your generation. In your youth, the alchemy world of an entire domain marveled because of you.]

[Despite the Pill God Hall's earnest pleas to stay, you decisively returned to the Prison-Suppressing Sacred Land to further your studies.]

[You narrowly escaped death and annihilated your greatest enemy, yet you sensed the Heavenly Fire's nether qi growing stronger within you. Given enough time, it would devour your cultivation completely. Unwilling to let this life end so pathetically, you aspired to reach ninth-grade alchemy and witness even greater heights. While helping the sacred land build its alchemical foundation, you searched tirelessly for a way to neutralize the nether qi ravaging your body.]

[After passing all your knowledge to your disciples, heaven finally rewarded your persistence. You uncovered a method to resolve the nether qi. Leading a group into the extraterritorial void, you fought for the opportunity. Had you succeeded, the sacred land would have gained a ninth-grade Alchemy Saint, a figure who could dominate the Eastern Desolation for ten thousand years!]

[Alas… fate did not fully favor you this time. You succeeded in seizing the Heavenly Fire, but a spatial turbulence flung you into a minor world. Your injuries refused to heal. In a desperate final attempt to refine the Nine Yang True Flame, you failed and suffered a devastating backlash. Such was destiny. You left behind final words, hoping to leave one last favor for the Prison-Suppressing Sacred Land, before perishing with regret inside that isolated minor world.]

[In this life, you were the darling of your era—yet ultimately its abandoned child. You shone brilliantly for a moment, but you never altered the great tide of the age.]

[Evaluation: Nine Stars (Blue)]

[Reverse Fate Points: 9000]

Su Chen gave a bitter laugh. How utterly ridiculous. A Nirvana Realm cultivator and eighth-grade alchemist, yet unable to find the medicinal ingredients to refine a pill that could heal his wounds—dying alone in some forgotten minor world.

There was no changing it now. He had to accept reality.

[Talent: 0 (+)]

[Comprehension: 0 (+)]

[Family Background: 0 (+)]

[Dao Heart: 400]

After a moment's thought, Su Chen made his decision.

Talent +5000

Comprehension +3500

Family Background +500

All in.

He turned to the ninth page. His consciousness vanished.

…

In a blood-red world, Su Chen opened his eyes to a crimson haze. His head throbbed as though it would split open; every inch of his body felt torn apart, the pain relentless. His robes hung in tatters, reduced to ragged strips. Around him rose mountains of bones. Broken weapons and shattered blades littered the ground.

Memories of this life flooded in.

In this incarnation, he bore the surname Zhou—Zhou Chen—an outer disciple of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. Both his parents had been elders of the sect, but they had perished in battle.

The Sun-Devouring Sacred Land… the name sounded vaguely familiar to Su Chen. His expression turned strange.

"Holy shit!"

It hit him. He had reincarnated into the Western Regions. Back when the Western Regions invaded the Southern Barbarian Lands, one of the leading holy lands had been none other than the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land!

This place was no righteous sect. Its ways were indistinguishable from those of demonic cultivators—an otherworldly version of a demonic cult. Right now, he was participating in the outer sect trial. Only those who survived could enter the inner sect.

Sixteen years old in this life, he possessed seventh-layer Spirit Vein cultivation—enough to have a chance at the inner sect… if not for the fact that Zhou Chen had offended an inner disciple. Inside the secret realm, that disciple's lackeys had hunted him down.

Fortunately, Zhou Chen had mastered a profound Turtle Breath Technique and possessed an extraordinary talent. Even after taking several heavy stabs, he had stubbornly refused to die and somehow clung to life. Otherwise, Su Chen would have respawned immediately.

He tried to move. Fresh agony surged through him, accompanied by the sickly stench of rot.

"The stat allocation for this life… truly a catastrophic start."

Su Chen gave a wry smile. Staggering to his feet, he began searching for hemostatic grass. Fortunately, memories from his previous life as an eighth-grade alchemist remained sharp. Within moments, he located a first-grade spirit herb that matched the plant's habits. He swallowed it whole without hesitation. Only then did the pain ease slightly.

At least his life was no longer hanging by a thread. Full recovery would take time. The current conditions were far too poor for him to refine any proper pills.

"Hm…?"

Su Chen's expression turned odd. He realized this body held something unusual. It lacked any obvious special constitution or bloodline. Five thousand points in Talent could not possibly have vanished without effect. Unwilling to give up, he continued probing his physical condition.

Two days later, he finally discovered it: an extremely subtle seal hidden deep within his body. Locked inside was a tremendous power, brimming with a primal, barbaric aura—as though it hailed from a distant, forgotten epoch.

"Primordial Relic Body… I never expected that in this life I would turn out to be a descendant of the Primordial Remnant Clan!"

Su Chen was genuinely shocked. The Primordial Era lay so far in the past that only fragments remained in legend: an age when countless dazzling physiques were born, myriad races vied for supremacy, intermarried freely, and gave rise to an endless array of extraordinary constitutions.

Because there were simply too many, later generations lumped them together under one name: Primordial Relic Bodies.

The Primordial Remnant Clans were the descendants of those supreme beings from that era. Yet as epochs turned and eras passed, one mighty lineage after another had declined. Only a pitiful few still retained any trace of their former glory.

Su Chen frowned. He had no idea who had placed this seal, or why. Still, he chose to break it. The restriction had been set by someone at the Void Refining realm—child's play for a man who had reached Nirvana twice and now enjoyed extraordinarily high Comprehension. In less than a day, he had unraveled nearly all of its secrets.

"Whoever set this seal… they clearly had no intention of harming me."

The process of removing the seal went unexpectedly smoothly. Primal power surged through his limbs and bones. His cultivation soared in an instant, reaching the threshold of the Spirit Sea realm. The originally blue-grade Spirit Vein shimmered with faint gold before transforming into the phantom of a ferocious beast.

"Taotie… one of the Four Evils, the Taotie bloodline!"

When Su Chen beheld that terrifying colossal creature—its every breath drawing in vast tides of spiritual Qi that roared like the cries of an infant—he felt a profound tremor run through him. With the sound of shattering glass, his cultivation officially stepped into the Spirit Sea realm. Under the surging tidal wave of qi, the wounds in his body healed almost completely.

The massive disturbance inevitably drew attention. Su Chen sensed several powerful auras swiftly approaching from different directions within the secret realm. He immediately restrained his aura. The commotion gradually subsided. His pitch-black pupils resembled bottomless abysses as he gazed into the distance, devoid of any emotion.

"In this life… what a pity it would be not to walk the demonic path. Ye Wushang… rest assured. It won't be long before I personally take your head. For now, I'll start by collecting a little interest."

Chapter 90: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 2)

Han Shi's face turned livid. He had just received terrible news.

"Boss… Zhou Chen's body… It's gone!"

One of his lackeys spoke in a trembling voice, as though he had seen a ghost.

"Of course, I know the damn body is gone! I'm not blind!"

Han Shi snapped irritably. "The real question is—where the hell did it go?"

The lackey ventured, "Boss, maybe some demon beast ate it?"

Han Shi stared at him like he was an idiot.

"A demon beast that only eats Zhou Chen's corpse and leaves everything else untouched?"

He narrowed his eyes. "That commotion just now… Zhou Chen wasn't fully dead. We were tricked!"

At that moment, one of the underlings' pupils dilated in sheer terror. He pointed behind Han Shi with a shaking finger and stammered, "B-Boss… It's Zhou Chen… It's Zhou Chen!"

A chill crawled up Han Shi's spine. Still, a man who had made a name for himself among the outer disciples of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land was not about to stand there and die without a fight.

"Rending Void Palm!"

He whirled and unleashed his strongest technique with every ounce of strength he possessed. Yet the move he prided himself on was effortlessly caught in a single hand.

Han Shi turned his head. Those eyes—pitch-black, bottomless—stared straight into him, as though they would devour his very soul.

Terrifying. He had never seen eyes like that.

"Zhou… Chen…"

Fear drenched Han Shi in cold sweat. He could not comprehend how Zhou Chen had appeared behind him without the slightest sound or warning.

Su Chen tightened his grip. Agonizing pain shot through Han Shi's wrist. His face paled; he dropped to one knee.

Su Chen looked down at him coldly. "Tell me where Han Fei and Xie Liuli are."

Han Shi raised his head and gave a miserable laugh. "Zhou Chen… do you really think I'll tell you?"

Su Chen's expression remained calm. He lifted five fingers and gave a gentle squeeze.

In Han Shi's horrified, disbelieving gaze, the man's head exploded.

Han Shi died. Even in death, he could not believe Zhou Chen would kill him so ruthlessly.

Seeing their boss fall, the remaining lackeys panicked and scattered in every direction. They never stood a chance.

Su Chen stripped every last resource from their corpses. Han Fei and Xie Liuli—both were Zhou Chen's enemies.

Han Fei served as Ye Wushang's blade, the one who had nearly ended Zhou Chen's life. Xie Liuli was a venomous beauty who had lured Zhou Chen into a death trap, leading to his encirclement and near demise.

Yes… perfectly in line with demonic sect behavior.

Zhou Chen had simply been too naive.

"The secret realm isn't that big… and there's still a month left. I don't mind playing with you all for a while."

A faint, inscrutable smile curved Su Chen's lips. The roles of hunter and prey had just reversed. He only hoped the two of them would last long enough to make it interesting.

…

One week later.

A graceful woman clad in seductive foreign garments fled through the dense jungle, as though pursued by some ancient ferocious beast.

"Damn it… How could that person still be alive?"

Xie Liuli's face was deathly pale as she recalled the horrifying scene from moments ago. The thirty Spirit Vein geniuses she had painstakingly recruited—dead in a single exchange! And the one who killed them was Zhou Chen!

Suddenly, she glimpsed a familiar silhouette ahead. Before she could dodge, a hand clamped around her throat.

"Zhou… Chen… let me go… I'll do anything for you… I can be your servant, your slave… whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Please, just let me live!"

Xie Liuli begged desperately. She did not want to die.

Su Chen gazed at the renowned beauty without a flicker of hesitation. With a crisp twist, he snapped her neck. The woman once celebrated across the outer sect fell lifeless to the ground like a discarded rag, her beauty extinguished. Only one conspirator remained.

After learning of Xie Liuli's death—and of Zhou Chen's inexplicable resurrection—Han Fei immediately went into hiding. He was no fool. Something was clearly wrong.

"As long as I survive until the outer sect trial ends… whether that kid is human or ghost, Senior Brother Ye will never let him live!"

Han Fei thought viciously. Not only had Zhou Chen killed his younger brother Han Shi, but he had also slaughtered the woman Han Fei had just claimed for himself. Now Han Fei himself was reduced to skulking like a cornered rat. How could he not hate?

Suddenly, Han Fei sniffed the air. His heart stuttered.

"The smell of blood… why is there blood here…"

A very bad premonition gripped him.

Outside the cave, a familiar voice rang out.

"Little rat, I've found you."

The wall collapsed with a thunderous crash. Han Fei caught sight of the face he least wanted to see. And then… he died instantly.

After dispatching his final enemy, Su Chen sat quietly and waited for the outer sect trial to conclude. At last, the trial ended. A thousand disciples had entered the ruins. Fewer than ten walked out alive.

Such was the cruelty of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land: a relentless process of raising venomous insects, where only the strongest king gu could emerge to lead the sect to greater power.

Su Chen stepped out of the trial ruins. The elder stationed outside registered a flash of surprise upon seeing him alive. The surprise quickly gave way to approval. Ruthless enough. Strong enough. That was the only law of survival in the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land.

"You have passed the assessment. One month from now, you may enter the inner sect to cultivate."

Su Chen gave a slight nod. The greatest strength of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land lay in its fairness. The path of advancement was utterly impartial—even those blessed with divine or sacred physiques had to claw their way up from the bottom through bloodshed.

But before entering the inner sect, Su Chen still had one matter to attend to. He returned to his former residence.

"Brother, you're back?"

A delicate girl of fourteen or fifteen years rushed forward the moment she saw him. The worry on her face vanished, replaced by pure delight.

Su Chen smiled and nodded. Her name was Zhou Hanchan—his younger sister, the only family he had left in this life.

"Your big brother passed the inner sect assessment. From now on, I'll take you into the inner sect to eat well and live comfortably!"

He reached out and gently pinched her soft, bun-like cheeks, grinning as he spoke.

Zhou Hanchan's eyes sparkled like stars. She threw herself happily into his arms.

"Brother, you're amazing!"

Su Chen took out several spirit stones and pressed them into her hand. "Today, go buy some demon beast meat. We'll make a big feast to celebrate my entry into the inner sect."

Zhou Hanchan nodded eagerly like a pecking chick. The mention of food instantly transformed her into a little glutton. She dashed off at once to purchase the meat.

The moment she left, the black-and-white clarity of Su Chen's pupils was swallowed entirely by inky darkness. The surrounding space seemed to freeze. Every blade of grass, every leaf, every bird—all motion halted.

"As expected… the Primordial Taotie Physique."

A figure shrouded entirely in black mist appeared before Su Chen.

"Nirvana Realm… no, this one has already stepped half into the Saint realm. A quasi-Saint!"

Su Chen's pupils contracted sharply.

"Who exactly are you, and why are you here inside the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land?"

He asked warily.

In response to Su Chen's question, the figure in the black mist suddenly dropped to one knee and spoke with deep respect.

"Primordial Remnant Clan, Zhou Yi, pays respects to the Sovereign!"

Chapter 91: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 3)

"Primordial Remnant Clan?"

Su Chen understood at once. This must be the assistance brought by those five hundred points in Family Background. And it came in the form of a quasi-Saint.

Zhou Yi nodded solemnly. "With the awakening of the Primordial King Bloodline, Sovereign, you are naturally the master of our Primordial Remnant Clan."

Su Chen asked, "How many clan members remain in the Primordial Remnant Clan today?"

Zhou Yi's gaze dimmed. "Fewer than thirty…"

Su Chen frowned.

"So few?"

A single clan reduced to less than thirty survivors… An ominous premonition settled over him.

Zhou Yi nodded. "At our peak, the Primordial Remnant Clan numbered far more than this. Back then, the entire Sun-Devouring Sacred Land lay under the control of my Zhou Clan!"

When he spoke of past glory and present decline, Zhou Yi's voice filled with bitter hatred. "And it was all because of Zhou Hao! That ungrateful wretch! After he became the Sacred Lord of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land, he coveted our clan's supreme treasure. During the war in the Southwestern Domain, he betrayed the Primordial Remnant Clan, inflicting devastating losses upon our bloodline and stripping us of control over the sacred land. For more than two thousand years, he has never ceased hunting our line… until today, when only fewer than thirty of us remain!"

Zhou Hao… Su Chen had heard that name before. In the war between the Southwestern and Southern Domains, this figure had been a legendary prodigy, bearer of a divine physique. Countless Southern Barbarian Lands geniuses had fallen beneath his blade.

Su Chen never imagined that behind that inter-domain conflict lay such deep scheming. He fell silent. His premonition had been spot on. Out of nowhere, he had become an enemy of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land's Sacred Lord.

Zhou Yi sensed Su Chen's concern and continued, "Sovereign need not worry. We possess secret arts to conceal our aura. Even if Zhou Hao himself came in person, he would detect nothing. As long as you refrain from exposing the Primordial Body, the day will come when we reclaim the sacred land's authority!"

Su Chen paused, then asked, "Do we have any Saint Ancestors overseeing us?"

Zhou Yi shook his head. "The Saint Ancestors fell during the Southwestern Domain war."

Su Chen: "…"

Zhou Yi pressed on. "Sovereign, someone approaches. This jade token contains the inheritance of the Primordial King Bloodline, along with our clan's aura-concealing technique. You must cultivate diligently. One day, you will surely lead us—the remnants of the old and the young—back to seize control of the sacred land!"

A black token appeared in Su Chen's hand. Ancient script was etched across its surface. He stored the token away.

Outside the courtyard, Zhou Hanchan had already returned with the demon beast meat. The brother and sister prepared a feast from the meat, cooking it into a variety of delicious dishes and enjoying a hearty meal together.

Listening to Zhou Hanchan chatter about trivial matters and outer sect gossip, Su Chen felt a long-absent warmth and tranquility. The corners of his mouth lifted unconsciously.

When night fell and Zhou Hanchan retired to her small room, Su Chen finally took out the token to study it. He dripped a drop of blood onto the surface. A beam of light surged from the token and shot straight into his mind.

"An ancient-era cultivation method…"

Su Chen was mildly surprised. The technique recorded in the black king token was called the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art. Its grade surpassed every cultivation method he had ever encountered… though it appeared to be an incomplete volume, capable of cultivation only up to the Saint realm.

"Devour the heavens… devour the earth… devour people. Truly domineering! Even with its flaws, if it can lead me to become a Saint, then even death would be worth it!"

Su Chen did not hesitate. The Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art matched his life's Primordial Taotie Physique perfectly. It would be a shame not to cultivate it.

Thirty years of dazzling glory, or a hundred years of mediocrity. Su Chen's choice had always been… thirty years of glory!

One month later, Su Chen successfully advanced to inner disciple status. As his dependent, Zhou Hanchan entered the inner sect alongside him.

Not long after Su Chen joined the inner sect, the sect assigned him a mission.

"Interesting…"

The task was straightforward: hunt down a demon beast. But among the listed participants was a name Su Chen knew all too well.

Ye Wushang!

Ye Wushang was a veteran inner disciple with deep seniority, on the verge of being promoted to a true disciple. The grudge between him and Zhou Chen was rather melodramatic. Ye Wushang coveted Zhou Hanchan as a concubine and wanted to seize the inheritance left behind by Zhou Chen's parents.

Naturally, Zhou Chen had refused. He was no fool. Although the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land leaned toward the demonic path, it still enforced basic rules: inner disciples were not permitted to casually attack outer disciples. Moreover, as the child of fallen elders, Zhou Chen had drawn at least some attention and protection.

So Ye Wushang had decided the simplest solution was to eliminate Zhou Chen entirely—removing every obstacle. Now that Su Chen had entered the inner sect, that layer of protection no longer existed.

Ye Wushang could hardly wait. His cultivation had already reached the Spirit Soul realm.

Su Chen accepted the mission without hesitation. If Ye Wushang was so eager to die, Su Chen had no qualms about escorting him on the journey.

Several days later, the hunting team set out fully prepared. Besides Su Chen and Ye Wushang, the squad included two other inner disciples.

"Junior Brother Zhou, we meet again."

Ye Wushang was an exceedingly effeminate man. Though he wore a smile, everything about him screamed the cunning of a venomous snake.

Su Chen's face remained expressionless.

Seeing himself ignored, Ye Wushang's expression darkened. "Junior Brother Zhou, demon beasts are ferocious and treacherous. I do hope you won't end up dying in one's jaws!"

The other two inner disciples watched the exchange with keen interest. A feud between the two was, for them, nothing but good entertainment.

Su Chen gave a faint smile. "Ye Wushang, I hope your life proves as tough as your tongue."

Ye Wushang froze. That line should have been his. His face twisted into an ugly scowl. He let out a cold snort, his icy gaze fixed on Su Chen, killing intent laid completely bare.

The four of them departed from the sect.

Chapter 92: First Steps on the Demonic Path (Part 4)

One week later, the four of them reached their destination. Their target was a demon beast known as the Windwing Dragon Bat. Its demon core was required by one of the sacred land's elders for refining a pill.

The moment they arrived, chaos erupted.

Ye Wushang struck at Su Chen without warning. At the same instant, one of the other inner disciples attacked Ye Wushang, while the remaining one turned on his companion. The coordination was flawless.

Yet Su Chen moved against all three at once.

"Spirit Soul realm!"

All three were stunned. The cultivation Su Chen revealed had already surpassed the Spirit Sea realm!

The two unsuspecting inner disciples had no time to react. A single palm from Su Chen turned them into bloody mist. The monstrous phantom manifesting behind him opened its maw and devoured their essence and blood in one gulp.

Ye Wushang hastily summoned his magical artifact. It shattered on impact, but the desperate defense barely blocked Su Chen's killing blow.

"How is this possible? You should have only just entered the Spirit Sea realm!"

Ye Wushang's eyes were filled with horror.

Su Chen offered no reply. Villains died because they talked too much. He directly activated the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art and consumed Ye Wushang entirely.

Three days later, Su Chen had fully refined all three of them.

"Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art… no, this should be called a demonic art."

Even with thousands of years of mental fortitude, he felt a momentary daze. To feed on the myriad things of heaven and earth, on all living beings—it was far too tyrannical.

After devouring the three, Su Chen sensed a slight enhancement in his innate talent. But there were drawbacks as well. His internal qi had become mottled, a chaotic mix of conflicting attributes and varying strengths. It would take time to slowly purge the impurities.

The demon beast hunt posed no real challenge to Su Chen. Once he located traces of the Windwing Dragon Bat, he struck decisively, killed it, and retrieved the demon core.

Upon returning to the sacred land, Su Chen reported the deaths of the three inner disciples. He claimed internal conflict had broken out during the hunt, and the demon beast had taken advantage to kill them. With his own low cultivation, he had merely picked up the spoils.

The supervising elder showed no concern whatsoever. He nodded indifferently, accepted the demon core, and let the matter drop. Inner disciples were plentiful in the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land. A few deaths drew no real attention.

It took Su Chen two full months to cleanse the impurities from his body and restore his cultivation to normal.

"Time to find the next target."

Su Chen murmured to himself. This time, he began investigating the Western Regions' Prodigy Ranking. Among the five domains, the Western Regions ranked third in overall foundation. Even after suffering heavy losses in the war against the Southern Barbarian Lands, its position remained unshaken. Geniuses abounded.

Su Chen set his sights on the prodigy ranked ninety-ninth: Mu Yingyi, bearer of the Thousand Strength Physique, born with immense divine strength capable of tearing apart variant beasts. The force behind him was merely a minor power presided over by a Profound Connection realm expert—no one would care if he died.

Su Chen headed to the mission hall, accepted an assignment, and used the pretext of carrying out sect duties to leave the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land in search of his prey.

…

Two months later.

Deep within a secret realm.

Mu Yingyi emerged from the realm's exit, basking in the crowd's admiration and congratulations. A satisfied smile played across his face. This journey had yielded far more than he had dared hope for. On the Prodigy Ranking, he was certain to climb several places higher—enough to live up to his family's high expectations.

What Mu Yingyi failed to notice was the single figure among the onlookers quietly watching him. Once Mu Yingyi departed, that figure vanished as well.

In the midst of rolling mountains, within a narrow canyon. Mu Yingyi suddenly halted. Without turning, he spoke calmly toward the rear. "You've followed me for so long. It's rather impolite to keep hiding. Skulking in the shadows is hardly the conduct of a true man."

A black-robed figure slowly materialized. The mysterious person was, of course, Su Chen.

Su Chen felt no surprise that Mu Yingyi had detected his presence. He had never intended to conceal himself in the first place.

When Mu Yingyi saw the black-robed figure emerge—face completely obscured—he let out a mocking laugh. "So it's just some rat who dares not show his true face."

With a flick of his sleeve, twelve sharp swords materialized around him, orbiting like silver moons. Sword qi shimmered with cold brilliance.

"This place will be your grave!"

Mu Yingyi's expression was one of supreme confidence. Since he had deliberately lured the stranger out, he naturally had full assurance of victory. The twelve swords pierced straight through the black-robed figure, carving the nearby mountain peak into countless fragments.

Terrifying waves of sword qi caused every demon beast in the vicinity to tremble in fear. Yet after landing such a devastating strike, Mu Yingyi found no joy in it. His expression gradually grew grave.

Afterimage… that had been nothing more than an afterimage!

"The way of the sword… is not used like that."

A calm, indifferent voice sounded from directly behind him.

Mu Yingyi whipped around. A perfectly round sword light, resembling a descending moon pulled by irresistible gravity, cleaved toward him with heart-stopping force. He swiftly formed hand seals. Layer upon layer of array patterns emerged around him.

"I admit I underestimated you. But I am no soft persimmon anyone can squeeze!"

Within the array, sword qi surged forth like a tilted galaxy. A colossal silver-moon greatsword took shape, ringing with ethereal, clear chimes.

The two silver radiances collided. Entire mountain peaks were flattened by the unleashed sword qi.

When the dust settled, Mu Yingyi lay weakly amid the rubble, watching the black-robed figure approach step by step.

"You… who exactly are you? If you kill me… the Mu Clan will never let you go!"

Before he could glimpse the true face beneath the hood, darkness swallowed Mu Yingyi's vision, and he fell unconscious.