My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

Chapter 170: Chapter 170: Invite the Grandmaster to Test the Sword in the Dense Forest

The Black Flood Dragon’s body gradually stabilized, and it was then that An Jing frowned and looked into the distance.

Above the vastness of heaven and earth in the distance, an old man in white stood on the top of a lush giant tree, his robe fluttering gently with the wind. His aged face was etched with the traces of time, and his lips held a faint smile that seemed both present and absent.

The old master of the Five Poison Sect, Feng Lingyue.

He led the Five Poison out of the Demon Sect and defeated the grandmaster of Heavenly Sect, Duanmu Xinghua.

From head to toe, he exuded an air of unrestrained freedom and elegance. An Jing had seen many masters, but few had the same carefree nonchalance as him.

Xiao Qianqiu, who had withdrawn from the world for many years of arduous practice, had long since lost the vitality of life. Sitting aloof on that mountain without a care for worldly fame and fortune, he’d cast aside all human emotions and desires. It seemed he had acquired a touch of immortal energy, but he was still inevitably the Sect Leader of the Zhenyi Sect, the State Preceptor of Great Yan, unable to escape from the shackles of that human vitality.

So, he appeared somewhat strange to others—neither human nor immortal, like a stone statue placed on an altar.

When looking back on Feng Lingyue’s life, he also became famous at a young age. Later, within the Demon Sect, he accomplished great military feats, took charge of the Demon Sect’s Five Poison, and his natural talent and cultivation even surpassed that of Jiang Shang, the Sect Hierarch of the Demon Sect in his youth.

Jiang Shang was the predetermined Sect Hierarch. The proud and lofty Feng Lingyue naturally felt disgruntled with this arrangement. Within the Demon Sect, he formed alliances and his ambition became glaringly obvious. Jiang Shang certainly did not turn a blind eye and suppressed him with thunderous measures.

It was thought that this would make Feng Lingyue come to his senses, but instead, it only stimulated his ambition and honed his state of mind, causing his cultivation to grow day by day until, decades after Jiang Shang ascended to his position, Feng Lingyue did something that shocked the entire Great Yan Martial World.

He led the Five Poison to break away from the Demon Sect and establish the Five Poison Sect.

At that time, the event caused a huge uproar in the Great Yan Martial World. One must know that the Demon Sect in Great Yan was thriving, its prestige comparable to the National Religion—the Zhenyi Sect—and the fragmentation of the Demon Sect was naturally an earth-shattering affair.

Afterwards, the Demon Sect regarded the Five Poison Sect as a thorn in their eye, a thistle in their flesh, and the Heavenly Sect even deployed most of their masters to try and kill Feng Lingyue.

The result was that Heavenly Sect suffered heavy losses, and Duanmu Xinghua nearly died at Feng Lingyue’s hands.

At the moment when Jiang Shang was preparing to take matters into his own hands, Ye Ding of the Zhenyi Sect also began to descend the mountain.

The atmosphere in the Martial World at that time was extremely tense; the Zhenyi Sect and the Demon Sect, one righteous and one evil, almost represented over half of the Great Yan Martial World. Should war break out, it would have created earth-shattering waves.

In the end, Jiang Shang chose not to act. After all, behind the Zhenyi Sect was the Human Emperor. If the Demon Sect truly went to war, their chances of victory were not great. But the Five Poison Sect remained like a thorn deeply lodged in the hearts of all within the Demon Sect.

Now, more than thirty years have passed. The Five Poison Sect has already become one of the seven major factions in the Great Yan Martial World that could summon the wind and call the rain, and Feng Lingyue, after the retreat of the Demon Sect from the Great Yan Martial World, no longer meddled in worldly affairs.

In the eyes of many in the Martial World, Feng Lingyue had already become a martial myth, an insurmountable peak.

A character who wandered between righteous and evil, much like the Five Poison Sect itself, received mixed praise and criticism in the Martial World.

Some say that the Five Poison Sect is a branch of the Demon Sect and thus belongs to the category of crooked paths and evil ways. Others say that the Five Poison Sect’s cultivation techniques are profound, deep, and grand, and that Feng Lingyue was an extremely accomplished individual for leading the Five Poison out of the Demon Sect.

“We meet again.”

With a face as calm as still water, An Jing inwardly frowned slightly.

“Yes, we meet again.”

Feng Lingyue exhaled gently.

He had great admiration for the Ghost Swordsman before him. For some reason, he could see a bit of himself in him.

What differed was that he had once faced the Demon Sect, while the other faced the Zhenyi Sect.

The Black Flood Dragon slowly rose and hovered in the air. An Jing stood at an elevation equal to Feng Lingyue’s. “I didn’t expect such a great figure as Elder Feng to willingly become a chess piece of the true Zhenyi Sect.”

“A chess piece?”

Feng Lingyue shook his head, “Perhaps so, but in this vast world, how many can truly hold the chessboard? Those who are not the chess players are inside the chessboard, only to be manipulated and directed by others.”

In this vast world, how many can truly be the chess players? Even if one reaches the Master Realm, can one really do as one pleases and act without any restraint?

This world has its rules, Feng Lingyue has indeed become a martial myth, but he still can’t be the one who makes the rules.

“That’s rather disappointing to me.”

An Jing laughed heartily, “I’ve heard old man Lou say that in his youth, Elder Feng was also a person who feared neither heaven nor earth.”

Feng Lingyue fell into a deep silence upon hearing this, then slowly said, “This old man fears neither Heavenly Sect nor Jiang Shang, but I cannot ignore the Sealing Demon Platform of the Demon Sect. I cannot ignore the thousands of disciples of the Five Poison Sect. Under the overwhelming tide of these great forces, the Five Poison Sect cannot help but fear.”

“The legacy of the Five Poison ancestors can be interrupted by anyone, but it cannot be broken by this old man. That was my promise to the Five Poison ancestors in the beginning.”

How could he not wish to be a man who stands tall between heaven and earth? But alas, the heavy burden of the Five Poison Sect was already pressed upon his shoulders.

It was an inevitability imposed by the great situation, against which he was powerless.

Eight short words, yet they carried a torrent of helplessness that others, who had not experienced it firsthand, could not truly understand.

How could he alone contend against the great Demon Sect?

Whether the Demon Sect or the Zhenyi Sect, both had thousands of years of heritage, and what about Feng Lingyue himself? How could he resist such colossal entities?

“I understand.”

An Jing nodded, speaking softly, “Elder Qingfeng, since you have come, please show yourself.”

“Whoosh! Whoosh!”

Only the sound of the wind could be heard as a graceful figure descended from afar, his gray hair shining like silver threads, his complexion ruddy, and his eyes devoid of any emotion.

This person was none other than Elder Qingfeng, a long-residing elder in the Great Yan Martial World and a top expert famous for many years.

“I hear you’re from the same generation as Lou Xiangzhen’s grandsons.”

Elder Qingfeng looked at An Jing and said with a deep voice, “Originally, I was not willing to make a move against you, even if it would raise some dust. After all, many in this world would mock me behind my back. However, the Zhenyi Sect has offered a benefit I cannot refuse.”

An Jing burst into laughter, “If you want to kill someone, just do it cleanly and swiftly, there’s no need for such excuses that only serve to increase the jest.”

Elder Qingfeng took a deep breath, “I won’t kill you, just capture you.”

The Zhenyi Sect had made it very clear, they wanted a living Ghost Swordsman.

An Jing’s smile faded and his expression suddenly grew a bit colder, “Falling into the hands of the Zhenyi Sect, how is that different from death?”

He had killed so many experts from the Zhenyi Sect; the hatred between them was already indelible. If he were to fall into the hands of the Zhenyi Sect, how could he possibly end up with a good fate?

Elder Qingfeng shook his head, no longer wanting to waste words. With his left hand behind his back and his right hand outstretched, he said, “Come, let this old man witness the elegance of a contemporary Sword Immortal and offer you one last shred of dignity.”

An Jing looked at Feng Lingyue and said, “Elder Feng has also seen the prowess of the Black Flood Dragon. So, if my mount, the Black Flood Dragon, doesn’t make a move, there’s no need for Elder Feng to take action, right? Wouldn’t that save us some effort?”

Others might not know that the Black Flood Dragon was soulless, but An Jing was very aware.

If he had to control the Black Flood Dragon while fighting Elder Qingfeng, he would inevitably be stretched too thin.

Feng Lingyue glanced at the Black Flood Dragon. The memory of the intense battle with the creature was vivid in his mind; the Black Flood Dragon had nearly transformed, revealing impressive strength. Now that it had stabilised, its power would surely have grown further.

Since his main task was to stall the Black Flood Dragon, and he could save some effort doing so, why not?

“Alright.”

With that thought, Feng Lingyue nodded slightly and said, “As long as this exotic beast doesn’t take action, neither will I.”

“Then let me experience the strength of a Grandmaster level expert.”

An Jing looked towards Elder Qingfeng, his eyes carrying a trace of frigidness.

Neither of them spoke, but the atmosphere between heaven and earth seemed to solidify, an immense pressure as if to even stop the wind itself.

An Jing felt his heart sink; the pressure was even stronger than when he confronted the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva.

Elder Qingfeng possessed Master Cultivation, and despite many years of practice, he remained at the Second Qi Grandmaster level, struggling to make further progress.

But compared to the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva, his cultivation was deeper and more vast, like a boundless sea.

One should know that in the Buddhist community, the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva held a position equivalent to a Bodhisattva. If promoted to the Grandmaster level, he would naturally be weaker than an average Grandmaster in the same realm.

Although An Jing’s cultivation wasn’t high back then, he also had the Ghost Transformation Secret Technique and Beast. As a result, the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva suffered heavy damage.

In the realm of the Grandmaster, one merges the body and mind, and internal strength is already transformed into surging True Qi.

“Sssshh!”

An Jing drew one half of his Evil Suppressing Sword from its scabbard.

Lou Xiangzhen had once favored Zhong Binru over An Jing. Why was this?

Because An Jing’s sword wasn’t pure enough. A swordsman’s brilliance and life often reside in the sword he holds in his hand.

Moreover, Lou Xiangzhen always felt that An Jing’s sword Dao was vast, containing the aura of engulfing all things.

Though he seemed detached from worldly contests, An Jing’s heart aspired to swallow the whole world.

A sword intent that’s too vast can also be a bad thing, beyond the control of humans. Ants moving mountains will ultimately be just a dream, impractical.

But what if one day ants really could move mountains?

That would surely be the biggest miracle in the world!

The wind suddenly rose.

It swept through the treetops, scattering a carpet of petals, marking the remnants of spring.

An Jing’s body leaped up as a cyan sword light finally shot up into the sky. The sword drew three indistinct flowers in the air, striking towards Elder Qingfeng’s glabella like a serpent flicking its tongue.

“What a fast sword.”

The elder Qingfeng’s eyes held a hint of admiration before he flicked his finger.

“Ding!”

A crisp sound rang out, and the Evil Suppressing Sword’s blade was directly deflected by a surge of hidden force, causing An Jing’s arms to sour from the vibration.

Boom!

An Jing’s figure burst forth violently, and the Evil Suppressing Sword in his hand also revealed a towering chill.

The Evil Suppressing Sword, mottled throughout, was covered with the traces of years, and the fresh blood on it was still slowly flowing, flickering with a faint light under the sunshine.

Swish!

An Jing swung his arm, carrying an overwhelming chill as he furiously swept towards the elder Qingfeng with a terrifying momentum!

The elder Qingfeng looked on without a ripple on his face as he watched An Jing, whose momentum was frightening, and turned his body to dodge this sharp cold light.

“Three Flowers Merged, Half-step Master?”

Feng Lingyue’s eyebrows rose slightly upon seeing An Jing make his move.

He still remembered the last time he saw An Jing; his cultivation was but at the Heavenly Flower Realm. Now, in just a few days, he had quietly reached the Half-step Master Realm.

Compared with the shackles between a Half-step Master and a Grandmaster, advancing from the Heavenly Flower Realm to a Half-step Master wasn’t so easy to break through either.

Elder Qingfeng’s eyelids twitched as well, but although there was only a step between the Master Realm and the Half-step Master, the gap was huge.

Even Lin Yiyang, a half-step master high-level swordsman as strong as a Sword Immortal, had to admit defeat when facing the Universal Benefit Bodhisattva.

Therefore, the elder Qingfeng did not feel a sense of crisis; his heart still held confidence.

An Jing’s face was more solemn than ever before; this was the first time he was fighting against a Grandmaster in their prime.

Whoosh!

With a rainbow of light vibrating the air, it pierced through from the void.

Nine-character Sword Technique! Bing Character Secret!

An Jing gripped the Evil Suppressing Sword tightly, his robe waving, and the sword in his hand swung out again, intricately like an antelope hanging its horns, ineffably refined.

Several streaks of sword light danced in the air, nearly sealing off all of elder Qingfeng’s paths of retreat.

What a fast sword!

Elder Qingfeng’s eyes darkened, and his True Qi surged out, slapping his palm forward.

Bang!

Several streaks of sword light collided fiercely with that palm print in midair, immediately generating a mass of air force vitality at the center.

Only after retreating dozens of steps did An Jing finally stabilize his footing.

Seeing this, elder Qingfeng was a bit surprised, but not enough to lose his composure; after all, he had used only about fifty or sixty percent of his strength. He believed that with his full strength, he would undoubtedly be able to kill An Jing.

Elder Qingfeng’s eyes darkened as he said, “Wanting to challenge the Grandmaster Realm as a Half-step Master, there have been a few since ancient times, but they are few and far between, and in the present age, not a single person has managed to do it, not even Lin Yiyang, the White-clothed Sword Immortal.”

“Then I’ll just be one of those few,” An Jing replied coldly, then swung the Evil Suppressing Sword, the pitch-black sword wind blowing into the sky before blending into the air, as if disappearing in an instant.

The sword light can disappear out of thin air?!

“What a bizarre way of the sword,” elder Qingfeng said as he flipped his palm and slapped it towards An Jing. This massive palm print turned into a green canopy as if the sky had collapsed, rushing toward An Jing.

The might of the Grandmaster was already at its peak.

Boom!

Waves of True Qi surged in all directions, and wrinkles appeared in the air, wave after wave, like a mountain-toppling and sea-overturning surge.

“So powerful!”

An Jing flew backward several dozen feet. There indeed was a profound gulf between Grandmaster and Half-step Master. If An Jing hadn’t tempered his bones to perfection and kept strengthening them with his growing cultivation, he might have already been severely injured by this strike.

“This Ghost Swordsman is truly formidable. No wonder he has become a thorn in the side of the Zhenyi Sect,” elder Qingfeng thought to himself.

Little did he know, elder Qingfeng was even more astonished. After all, there was such a large difference in cultivation between them—like the difference between heaven and earth.

Shrinking Land into Inches, in an instant, Elder Qingfeng appeared behind An Jing and sent his palm towards the back of An Jing’s head.

“Not good.”

An Jing felt a chill surge up and quickly used the Soaring Nine Heavens Body Technique, dodging in succession to hurriedly evade Elder Qingfeng’s move.

But no matter how fast he was, how could he be faster than Elder Qingfeng?

Elder Qingfeng’s body shook again as a cyan light erupted from his palm.

Six Extremes Misty Rain Palm! Soul-breaking!

Although that palm did not strike An Jing, the violent gale scraped across his body.

Pfft!

A spurt of fresh blood shot out as An Jing was sent flying backwards.

“The strength of a Grandmaster really is terrifying, I must quickly use the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra.”

Taking a deep breath, An Jing knew that if a swordsman couldn’t even launch an offense, he was basically without any chance of victory.

With that thought, An Jing began to recite the Great Sun Tathagata Mantra.

“Buzz! Buzz!”

A golden light emerged from behind him and transformed into a tide of gold, with An Jing standing at the center, similar to a golden sun.

Suddenly, a golden Buddha faintly appeared behind him, head bowed and eyes lowered in majestic splendor, radiating great compassion and wisdom. Meanwhile, An Jing’s Qi mechanism was climbing steadily.

When Buddhist mantra reinforcement was applied to the body, it was as though gods or demons had possessed him.

The Inner Strength flowed continuously, like an endless flame that would not be extinguished.

“Is this that Buddhist Martial Art?”

Upon seeing this, Elder Qingfeng felt a skip in his heart.

“Such a formidable martial art.”

Even though Feng Lingyue was witnessing it for the second time, he couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, feeling the profound and unthinkable nature even with his Second Qi Grandmaster’s Cultivation.

It was unheard of for the Buddhist sect to have such a Seal Technique.

An Jing’s eyes carried a faint hint of golden light as he looked calmly at Elder Qingfeng in front of him.

“Why must you harm yourself with such powerful moves?”

The surging Qi mechanism was like roaring waves, erupting inside Elder Qingfeng’s body at that moment, sweeping through heaven and earth. The strong True Qi even vibrated the air.

Feeling the overwhelming True Qi exploding from inside Elder Qingfeng, An Jing took a deep breath, his face turning solemn.

An Jing stood quietly, holding the Evil Suppressing Sword, with the golden Buddha behind him radiating an overwhelming sense of pressure, enough to make one’s heart tremble with fear.

Elder Qingfeng’s lips curled upward, and then he suddenly clenched his palms.

Boom!

Elder Qingfeng’s body radiated a cyan glow, standing firmly on the earth like an Immortal descending from the heavens, his aura unstoppable and fervent.

An Jing, seeing the imposing Elder Qingfeng, became even more serious. Elder Qingfeng’s strength was definitely the most formidable opponent he had faced so far.

Thud!

While An Jing’s body tensed up, the eyes of Elder Qingfeng burst with intense battle desire. Without any more hesitation, he stomped his foot, shaking the ground, and his figure eerily disappeared into thin air.

Buzz!

An Jing suddenly gripped the Evil Suppressing Sword tightly. Swinging his arm, a powerful force Qi overflowed, carrying enough strength to shatter mountains.

It was precisely the moment when An Jing’s Evil Suppressing Sword sliced down that Elder Qingfeng’s figure, just like a celestial, abruptly emerged from what had been nothingness, delivering a palm strike.

Rumble!

The blade of the Evil Suppressing Sword directly clashed with the handprint of Elder Qingfeng’s Immortal Monarch’s palm, colliding with the force of a meteor streaking across the sky.

Visible ripples erupted in just a moment, causing the air to buzz and tremble continuously.

The terrifying recoil, like a tsunami, struck forth, jolting An Jing’s body with such force that he was thrown several meters backward.

Stabilizing himself, An Jing threw the Evil Suppressing Sword into the air, which seemed to create an illusion as it split into two Evil Suppressing Swords.

Ripples formed around the two swords, which then transformed into two giant swords.

Two giant swords appeared across the sky, a truly spectacular sight.

The Unity Sword Technique! Sword Control Technique!

An Jing stood tall between heaven and earth. Behind him, the golden Buddha shimmered, his eyes suddenly brightened fiercely, a violent surge of Force Qi erupted, and the two Evil Suppressing Swords fell like shooting stars.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Sword Light of the shooting stars streaked across the sky, where it passed, the air seemed to shatter.

“Such powerful swordsmanship, such formidable Sword Dao!”

Old man Qingfeng’s eyes revealed a glint of brilliance as he sucked in a cold breath, then he suppressed the shock in his heart and converged the True Qi all over his body into his Fist Force.

Six Extremes Misty Rain Palm! Overwhelming!

The body of old man Qingfeng merged with the universe, radiating a green halo all around, his hands even more so like glaze jade, as if containing a might that could shake the heavens and the earth.

In the blink of an eye, he fiercely slapped forward with his palm.

The glaze radiance surged out completely, transforming into a mountain of green crystal.

The Sword Light surged tumultuously, shaking mountains and rivers.

The moment the two forces collided, the Qi Mechanism began to spill out wildly, followed by booming noises that were deafening, and the resulting air waves scattered, shattering the surrounding trees into dust.

“Tap, tap, tap, tap…”

An Jing’s footsteps retreated repeatedly, his face a bit pale, his Internal Strength was somewhat chaotic.

The Six Extremes Misty Rain Palm was not as simple as it appeared on the surface. The terrible impact seemed soft, but in reality, it was domineering beyond measure, causing turmoil in the Dantian.

“Drip! Drip!”

The body of old man Qingfeng also retreated. His eyes and brows carried a hint of gravity, and a trickle of blood slowly flowed down from his palm, falling to the ground.

Feng Lingyue frowned; the Ghost Swordsman had actually managed to injure old man Qingfeng.

To fight as a Half-step Master against a Grandmaster, and even to injure a Grandmaster expert, he would be considered among the top Half-step Masters of this world.

When Lin Yiyang severely injured Universal Benefit Bodhisattva in the past, that Universal Benefit Bodhisattva had only recently become a Grandmaster and hadn’t even achieved the position of One Qi.

Whereas old man Qingfeng was a bona fide Second Qi Grandmaster.

“From now on, I won’t give you the slightest chance anymore,” said old man Qingfeng, his eyes growing colder as he looked at the golden light behind An Jing.

Boom!

Suddenly, a powerful surge of True Qi swept from the body of old man Qingfeng, like ferocious giant waves, rushing towards the distance.

An Jing immediately felt a tremendous pressure, like a mountain rushing towards him, and at the same time, the Internal Strength within him also surged out.

Thump, thump, thump, thump!

The entire dense forest sounded like two huge waves crashing, emitting intense sounds, creating clusters of Qi Mechanism tides that spread out to the surroundings.

“You’re just a Second Qi Grandmaster,” An Jing said as the astonishing Sword Light in his hand wildly spread out, the surrounding air swirling open and surging towards the distance.

The chilling aura seemed to tear the air apart, and even Feng Lingyue, standing at a distance, felt a cold sharpness invading her body, chilling her from head to toe.

“Is his Sword Dao growing stronger?” Feng Lingyue muttered to herself upon seeing this.

Throughout history, swordsmen have upheld decisiveness in battle; any top swordsman’s strikes have left mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Only through constant triumph can a swordsman’s tenacious heart be cultivated.

Indomitable!

As long as the sword is drawn, there is a feeling of certainty of victory!

This is the exceedingly strong belief of a swordsman!

Lou Xiangzhen was once defeated by the Sword God and fell into decline for decades because his fighting spirit dissipated. This was also why Lou Xiangzhen was worried when An Jing dueled with Heavenly Sword at that time.

Why Heavenly Sword Cui Daoxian was defeated by Qiu Wanxia was partially because Qiu Wanxia’s Sword Dao was extremely high and Cui Daoxian was careless. On the other hand, Cui Daoxian had lost his fighting spirit due to An Jing, making his Sword Skill less sharp.

And today, facing a Second Qi Grandmaster against a One Qi Grandmaster, with almost no chance of victory in the eyes of the world, in such an adverse situation, An Jing’s indomitable confidence was ignited, and his Sword Dao continued to grow.

The vast and profound Sword Intent was also becoming increasingly solidified.

If An Jing won today, the mysterious and profound momentum would also gather around him.

Old Man Qingfeng saw An Jing’s sword slash coming and thought to himself, “What a fierce Sword Skill.”

However, in an instant, he quickly suppressed the shock in his heart, changed the handprint on his palm, and the Inner Strength around him suddenly became turbulent, with specks of green light converging toward Old Man Qingfeng’s palm.

Then Old Man Qingfeng struck forward with a palm, shaking the sky.

Bang!

The two exchanged another move, and then their figures crossed again.

Old Man Qingfeng stretched out his five fingers, and his attack was as relentless as the tide, never-ending.

Boom!

A palm blasted out, filled with a terrifying green light that made one’s heart tremble with fear.

Seeing the green Hand Force coming, An Jing’s body shook, and then he disappeared from the world.

Old Man Qingfeng looked cold and indifferent. After striking empty air with one palm, a green long knife suddenly appeared in his hand and stabbed towards the back.

Clang!

A sound of metal clashing, almost explosive, echoed through the air, and then a metal storm spread wildly to the distance.

An Jing had unconsciously reached Old Man Qingfeng’s back.

After the heavy clash of their swords, An Jing felt a numbness in his arm, and his body subconsciously moved back.

Boom!

After Old Man Qingfeng’s matching strike, he appeared entirely unchanged and palm-struck An Jing with the intent to kill.

An Jing moved back, his momentum very unstable, and he stepped back into the distance. That palm came bombarding, with an overwhelming intent to show no mercy.

Hum! Hum!

The Evil Suppressing Sword emitted a light humming sound, as if conjuring numerous sword shadows that rushed forward.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The multitude of sword shadows were directly shattered by the green Hand Force, and the remaining force came at his face, almost tearing him apart.

Tap! Tap! Tap! Tap!

An Jing’s footsteps rapidly retreated backward, with terrifying sounds of air explosions bursting beneath his feet.

“Gurgling~”

After being struck by that palm, An Jing immediately felt his blood boiling, almost spitting out a mouthful of thick blood.

An Jing endured the pain in his internal organs, and his Inner Strength surged crazily, converging on the Evil Suppressing Sword.

The next moment, the heavens and the earth were filled with starry river lights, cascading behind An Jing.

Unity Sword Technique! Sword Drawing Skill!

An Jing’s hand holding the Evil Suppressing Sword shone like a brilliant galaxy, bursting with blinding light, almost illuminating the entire world.

The Sword Light thundered, flowing like a starry river.

Hum! Hum!

The Sword Light travelled through the world, dashing towards Old Man Qingfeng with fury.

Old Man Qingfeng’s eyes were deep, and he stepped forward.

Six Extremes Misty Rain Palm! Earth Splitting!

In an instant, a destructive might was unleashed, an overwhelming force that seemed unstoppable.

“Old Man Qingfeng has to fight for his life against the Ghost Swordsman?” Feng Lingyue couldn’t help but feel a sense of amazement upon seeing this.

Six Extremes Misty Rain Palm!

Though it was a True Martial level Martial Arts technique, the power of the last two moves was not inferior to those of the Heavenly Martial level palm techniques, and it was also Old Man Qingfeng’s ultimate skill that he seldom used during friendly bouts.

It was only used desperately in life-threatening situations.

This showed that the Ghost Swordsman, who was at the Half-step Master Realm, had pushed Old Man Qingfeng to this extent.

The overwhelming hand force that shook heaven and earth assaulted him, causing mountains and rivers to drastically change, and An Jing, under that terrifying momentum, felt as insignificant as a mayfly.

Boom!

The sword shadow that resembled the starry river collided with the earth-shaking hand force, instantly stirring up a wave of Qi mechanism like an ocean’s surging tide, towering several zhang high.

Boom, boom, boom, boom!

The aftershocks brought by the wave of Qi mechanism were even more terrifying than the clash between the two, and An Jing was directly engulfed by the oncoming Qi mechanism.

“Ah!”

As the Qi mechanism wave collided against An Jing’s body, he felt as if all his internal organs were about to shatter, expelling a stream of blood in a spray.

His body then fluttered like a withered leaf caught in the wind, tumbling through mid-air, while the golden Buddha behind him dimmed, flickering in and out of existence as if it could vanish at any moment.

Elder Qingfeng wasn’t having an easy time either. His internal blood churned and his face turned deathly pale.

Normally, at this point, the Ghost Swordsman would be running on empty, his defeat inevitable, but there still seemed to be a lingering force around him.

The duo locked gazes, and the world fell silent, save for the howling wind.

“I still have one last sword.”

An Jing’s voice was somewhat calm. He looked at his Evil Suppressing Sword, “Today, please allow me, Grandmaster, to test my sword!”

Today, please allow me, Grandmaster, to test my sword!

As An Jing’s words fell, the heavens echoed with the sound of the sword’s chant, a clear and peculiar tone that made the heart resonate in unison.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Two strokes of the Evil Suppressing Sword flew out, sword Qi crisscrossing wildly, creating a sword Qi world within a li’s distance.

Unprecedentedly sharp, it chilled the soul.

The next moment, sword Qi crisscrossed the sky, turning into a violent downpour.

Dense and numerous, it occupied all of the sky above.

The Hundred-step Flying Sword merged with the Sword Control Technique, harking back to the fierce sword Qi from the vast land and skies.

Elder Qingfeng’s brow furrowed sharply as all the True Qi within surged, gathering all the green light into his palm.

“This aura is too strong, and yet, it’s not enough…”

The determination in Elder Qingfeng’s heart solidified as he even consumed his own essence blood. He was absolutely determined to maintain an undefeated position, leaving no room for error.

In an instant, a violent wind and flying pebbles uprooted the grass and trees around.

Smoke Rain Six Absolute Palm! Swallowing Heaven!

Elder Qingfeng opened his mouth, his eyes also turning bloody red as he struck down with his hand. A huge, green handprint appeared in the sky, falling like a mountainous weight.

The ferocious Gang Wind howled, filling the dense forest within several li’s of range.

Boom!

In that moment, it was as if the earth trembled, and the entire dense forest was stirred into rolling waves, even transmitting vibrations beyond the woods, bursting into countless Qi mechanism waves on the official road.

How terrifying was this collision?!

Gang Wind ripped through the air as the sword Qi whistled towards it.

Feng Lingyue held her breath, watching with a hint of solemnity in her eyes.

Boom! Boom!

This was An Jing’s one powerful strike, and also his peak strike to date!

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The heaven and earth seemed to explode, Gang Wind and sword Qi intertwined together, rising to meet the descending handprint.

Shocking and splendid!

Gradually, the sword Qi was crushed and ground down by the handprint, then disappeared continuously.

Seeing this scene, Feng Lingyue let out a slight breath, her heart feeling a bit complicated.

A trace of joy appeared on Elder Qingfeng’s face as well.

He had never thought he would feel joy from defeating a Half-step Master.

Crack!

Just at that moment, the qi mechanism wildly scattered, surging towards all directions, turning into rolling waves that pulverized everything in their path to dust.

In just the blink of an eye, the entire dense forest was a mess, torn asunder with wounds all around.

As the qi mechanism continued to disperse, two figures emerged from the dust and smoke ahead.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

The Old Qingfeng stood upright, his tattered robe fluttering noisily in the fierce wind, his expression one of immense relief.

An Jing’s face was as pale as a sheet of paper, half-kneeling on the ground, blood continually flowing from his mouth, the Evil Suppressing Sword planted in the ground supporting his body, otherwise, he would have already collapsed.

The golden Buddha that had been behind him had long since vanished without a trace, replaced by the onset of severe aftereffects.

“Cough cough cough… cough cough…”

An Jing coughed lightly, blood not only streaming from his mouth but also bringing with it a sense of dizziness, his eyelids heavy as if they weighed a thousand pounds.

“You’ve lost,” said the Old Qingfeng, taking a deep breath.

“Is that so?”

An Jing slowly raised his head, his pitch-black eyes looking at the Old Qingfeng in front of him, his lips curved in a wry smile.

Seeing the smile on An Jing’s face, the Old Qingfeng’s eyebrows furrowed tightly into a ‘川’ shape; suddenly, his expression changed dramatically.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A series of rhythmic sounds followed.

The Old Qingfeng, horrified, clutched his heart; he felt nothing else at that moment, aware only that his heart had begun to pound uncontrollably.

All the blood in his body began to circulate rapidly in time with the beats of his heart.

Thud!

The next moment, he knelt on the ground.

“I…. I…”

The Old Qingfeng clutched his heart tightly, lying on the ground, his palm desperately trying to lift upwards, but the more effort he put into it, the more wildly his heart throbbed.

He tried to speak, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get out a complete sentence.

“What is this…”

Feng Lingyue watched on, her face filled with horror. What on earth was happening?

The Old Qingfeng felt his heart turn into a marching drum, beating faster and faster, to the point it felt as though it would leap out from his mouth.

His features twisted grotesquely, bloodshot eyes, his palm seeming to reach out towards An Jing.

“You… you…”

In the end, however, his arm never lifted, and he violently spewed forth a fountain of blood towards the space in front of him, blood shooting up to a formidable height, as if ejecting all the blood in his body.

“Thud!”

The Old Qingfeng’s body fell heavily to the ground.

“Elder Feng, you will keep your promise,” An Jing looked towards Feng Lingyue calmly.

“Of course…”

It took a good while for Feng Lingyue to snap out of her stunned state.

“Good, then I take my leave.”

An Jing commanded the Black Flood Dragon to come to his side, then staggeringly climbed onto its back.

“Roar!”

The Black Flood Dragon let out a low growl and walked off into the distance.

A dark shadow flashed by, and, in an instant, the Black Flood Dragon had disappeared from Feng Lingyue’s sight.