Chapter 881: Severing a Thousand Blades!

Hundreds of miles away from Beast God Mountain.

True Lord Xuanjian gazed from afar at the mountain gate of this dominant force in Liang Kingdom.

Once the Liang-Yue War fully settled, Beast God Mountain and the entirety of Liang Kingdom would fall under the control of his Heavenly Sword Sect.

Yet, as he stared at the looming Beast God Mountain, True Lord Xuanjian felt no surge of anticipation or joy.

Only a heavy weight of caution and solemnity settled in his heart.

As a top-tier sword cultivator, he had long reached the state of ‘Sword Heart Clarity’.

The intuition born from his sword heart, combined with the faint premonitions of divination, stirred a vague sense of heavenly secrets. These days guarding outside Beast God Mountain, he often felt his sword heart warning him, accompanied by an inexplicable sense of looming danger.

It hinted at a great terror lurking within Beast God Mountain.

If not for the presence of True Lord Yangming, a Nascent Soul giant, even if he and True Lord Hunyuan defeated Liang Kingdom, they would at most seize some resources and territory. They wouldn’t dare venture deep into Liang Kingdom’s lands.

After all, without overwhelming strength, breaking through the mountain gates of Nascent Soul forces like Beast God Mountain or Barebody Sect was near impossible.

Beast God Mountain, in particular, boasted immense power and deep foundations.

If they went all out, endlessly spawning third-rank and fourth-rank Beast Kings, it would be disastrous.

Should their Nascent Soul-level fighters be tied down, those Beast Kings charging into their army would spell catastrophe.

Worse still, Liang Kingdom harbored a mysterious and unfathomable Demonic Mastermind of the Demonic Path.

High in the clouds, the Golden-Winged Roc bore Qian Zhuyan, disguised as the ‘Lord of Dameng City’. Its golden eyes gleamed as it surveyed Beast God Mountain below, sizing it up like prey.

Its fourth-rank demonic aura spread unrestrained, making no effort to conceal its presence.

On one hand, it needed this demonic aura to mask Qian Zhuyan’s disguise.

On the other, Lu Changsheng had instructed it not to hide its demonic energy.

Beast God Mountain specialized in the art of beast control.

Years ago, True Lord Tiancang had used secret techniques to detect both him and the Golden-Winged Roc’s aura.

Given the vastness of Beast God Mountain, True Lord Nine Spirits surely knew such secret methods as well.

Through divination, Lu Changsheng had sensed a faint premonition. If he and the Golden-Winged Roc did not head to Beast God Mountain, the unfolding situation might be affected.

Thus, he deduced that True Lord Nine Spirits had likely set up numerous measures within Liang Kingdom to track and observe his and the Golden-Winged Roc’s general movements.

Meanwhile, deep within Beast God Mountain.

True Lord Nine Spirits and Mo Luo tirelessly cast secret techniques, tossing rare natural treasures into a deep abyss blood pool. They nurtured a fourth-rank Dragon Crocodile, its roars echoing as it grew.

After prolonged enhancement, the Dragon Crocodile’s body had grown significantly taller.

Its shimmering black-purple scales had turned a dark crimson, glinting with a dull scarlet sheen, as if coated in blood not yet dried.

Its blood-red eyes burned with slaughter and brutality, devoid of any trace of intelligence.

Demon beasts at third-rank typically gained some level of sentience.

Fourth-rank shapeshifting Demon Kings even possessed intelligence rivaling human cultivators.

Yet this fourth-rank Dragon Crocodile showed no hint of awareness, resembling a war machine crafted solely for carnage.

Watching the Dragon Crocodile grow stronger, its aura climbing, True Lord Nine Spirits occasionally glanced toward the clouds beyond Beast God Mountain.

Despite the vast distance and layers of grand arrays separating them, he could still sense the Golden-Winged Roc’s aura.

Moreover, through secret techniques and the connection with his spirit pet, the Gold Mane Lion King, he had roughly gauged the Golden-Winged Roc’s strength.

Clad in a black cloak, Mo Luo gazed at the Dragon Crocodile in the abyss blood pool with eager anticipation.

He longed to see True Lord Yangming clash with this beast.

Could Yangming slay this Dragon Crocodile? At what cost, and how many trump cards would he need to reveal?

Half a month later, in southern Liang Kingdom.

A top-tier third-rank Immortal City under Barebody Sect’s control was surrounded by a cultivator army led by Caiyun True Lord.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

In the sky, massive war vessels floated ominously.

Spirit light cannons on the ships fired devastating beams, hammering the city’s grand array with destructive force.

Though the city’s array could briefly reach fourth-rank strength when fully activated, it couldn’t withstand the relentless barrage from so many war vessels, flying swords, and the cultivator army.

In less than half a day, the city’s array flickered erratically, and cracks began to appear in the city walls.

Lurking in the shadows, True Lord Qianren paid no heed to the city’s plight. His cold gaze fixed on Yun Wanshang, clad in a colorful palace dress, overseeing the battle from the clouds. A chilling smirk crept across his face.

Though Yun Wanshang was merely a newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivator, successfully assassinating a Nascent Soul True Lord during wartime would add a significant mark to his record and reputation.

Moreover, as he eyed her tall, graceful figure bathed in shimmering colorful light, a flicker of heat sparked in his gaze.

It wasn’t desire for her beauty.

With wars raging across many regions of the Southern Desolation, numerous Nascent Soul cultivators had their bodies shattered in battle. As a result, Nascent Soul Bodies were in high demand on the black market, their prices soaring.

Among high-ranking cultivators, female cultivators were already fewer in number than their male counterparts.

Most female cultivators also placed great importance on their appearance.

Thus, a Nascent Soul female cultivator like Yun Wanshang, with her exceptional beauty and figure, held immense value.

True Lord Qianren planned to strike swiftly and decisively, aiming for a one-hit kill to avoid damaging this Nascent Soul Body as much as possible.

That way, he could fetch a high price for it.

“Boom!”

With a deafening roar, the city’s grand array shattered, and the walls exploded into rubble.

“The Immortal City is breached! Charge!”

Leading Core Formation cultivators from Jiang Kingdom and Yue Kingdom shouted as they stormed into the city.

From the clouds, Yun Wanshang’s focus shifted further to the city below, ensuring no one escaped or caused unexpected trouble.

“Now!” Seizing the moment, True Lord Qianren, hidden with divine abilities and artifacts, struck without hesitation.

As a Nascent Soul True Lord skilled in stealth and assassination, his mastery of the power of the void was astonishing.

He appeared behind Yun Wanshang in an instant.

A dark short blade in his hand sliced through layers of void, emitting a piercing buzz as it aimed for her.

At the same time, countless tiny fragmented blades materialized from the void in all directions.

This was his soul-bound treasure, the Thousand Blade Demon Knife.

A single strike could split into a thousand blades, instantly forming an unparalleled killing array.

Using this soul-bound treasure, he sealed the surrounding void to prevent Yun Wanshang’s Nascent Soul from escaping.

“Not good!”

Though Yun Wanshang had been warned by Lu Changsheng that Nascent Soul cultivators from Liang and Yuan Kingdoms might target her, True Lord Qianren’s stealth and assassination skills were exceptional. She hadn’t detected him at all.

Facing this sudden assault, she could only hastily form a Protective Shield and activate a fourth-tier talisman in her possession.

However, without the buffer of a Nascent Soul Domain, her hastily formed Protective Shield shattered instantly. The colorful robes on her body dimmed rapidly, torn with gashes.

Fortunately, the fourth-tier talisman activated, forming a golden Protective Shield around her.

Yet this lower-grade fourth-tier talisman’s barrier could only hold for two breaths under True Lord Qianren’s onslaught.

In this critical moment, a Golden Small Cauldron flew out from the crown of Yun Wanshang’s head, hovering above her. It cast down a golden light curtain, enveloping her entirely.

“What’s happening!”

“A Nascent Soul cultivator is attacking Caiyun True Lord!”

“Weren’t the Nascent Soul cultivators from Liang and Yuan Kingdoms held back by True Lord Yangming, True Lord Xuanjian, and True Lord Hunyuan? How could one show up here?”

The Jiang Yue cultivators storming the city sensed the overwhelming aura and Nascent Soul fluctuations from the sky. Their expressions turned to shock as they cried out.

“Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill! Kill!”

As True Lord Qianren made his move, chilling killing intent surged within the city, as if rising from Nine Nether Hell.

These were the Core Formation assassins of Qisha Sect.

They had long lurked within the city, biding their time.

Now that their True Lord acted, they didn’t hesitate, charging at the Core Formation cultivators who had rushed into the city.

Their primary targets were to heavily injure and capture Changsheng True Lord, Master Miaoge, and the Young Lord of Immortal City of Damengze, Lu Lingxiao.

Lu Changsheng, facing this wave of killing intent, let out a faint smile. He sent a mental message to his wife, Lu Miaoge, and daughter, Lu Wangshu. “Miaoge, Wangshu, let’s move.”

When the assault on this Immortal City began, he had already detected True Lord Qianren hiding in the shadows through the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror.

He had to admit, as a Nascent Soul cultivator from Qisha Sect, Qianren’s stealth abilities were extraordinary.

Without the Sun-Moon Yin-Yang Mirror and careful observation, even Lu Changsheng might not have noticed him.

Considering that a Nascent Soul cultivator skilled in stealth and assassination would have heightened senses and superior escape skills, Lu Changsheng didn’t act immediately.

He even refrained from overly warning Yun Wanshang.

He feared that True Lord Qianren might sense something amiss, get spooked, and choose to flee.

Now, it seemed his guess was spot on.

Not only had True Lord Qianren set up an ambush here, but most of the Qisha Sect cultivators he brought from Yuan Kingdom were also present.

As his words fell, Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge unleashed their divine abilities, the Great Sun Annihilation Divine Light and the Taiyin Ferrying Robe.

“Radiant Great Sun, Annihilation of the Solar!”

“Pure Solitary Moon, Ferrying Through Calamity!”

Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoge clasped hands, standing side by side. A brilliant golden divine light erupted from them, while a pristine white robe, resembling a cloak, coalesced around their bodies.

Taking advantage of this moment, Lu Changsheng used his Three Treasure Incarnation to stand in for his true body. He tossed out a stack of talismans to form a Talisman Array, while his true body moved to aid Yun Wanshang.

Upon hearing her father’s mental message, Lu Wangshu instantly threw out a stack of pre-prepared talismans. The Life Talisman at her brow shone brightly as she joined her father in casting the Talisman Array.

Both had cultivated the Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra, and with a systematic set of talismans, forming a Talisman Array together was no challenge.

One simply led, while the other assisted.

In the clouds, True Lord Qianren noticed the Golden Small Cauldron Yun Wanshang had summoned. It was clearly a superior defensive Spirit Treasure, and suspicion flickered in his mind.

Wasn’t she just a newly ascended Nascent Soul cultivator?

Where did she get such an exceptional defensive Spirit Treasure?

Moreover, the Protective Shield she had hastily formed earlier felt off.

It didn’t seem like something a cultivator who had just broken through to Nascent Soul could muster.

“It seems this woman has stumbled upon great fortune. She likely inherited the legacy treasures of a Nascent Soul cultivator and condensed a top-tier Earthly Nascent Soul!”

True Lord Qianren’s killing intent surged. His murderous aura roared like a tidal wave, crashing toward Yun Wanshang to disrupt her soul consciousness and magical energy flow.

At the same time, the unparalleled killing array formed by the Thousand Blade Demon Knife exploded. Its killing light shimmered like strands of immortal power, blazing and dazzling.

“Not good!” Though Yun Wanshang had condensed a top-tier Earthly Nascent Soul, she was in poor condition. Having been caught off guard by True Lord Qianren, she was at a severe disadvantage, struggling to resist.

Just as she pondered how to break through Qianren’s assault, a warm, magnetic voice resonated in her ear.

“Caiyun, don’t panic. Your husband is here to save you!”

True Lord Qianren didn’t catch this mental transmission.

But in that instant, he felt a prickling danger at his back, a chill running down his spine.

“True Lord Yangming, weren’t you supposed to be at Beast God Mountain?”

True Lord Qianren exclaimed as he saw the surrounding void gradually solidify, as if gripped by a massive Yin-Yang Hand.

Clad in a black robe and cloak, holding an unparalleled killing sword, the Lord of Dameng City stepped out from the void. Qianren cried out in shock.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he abandoned his attack on Yun Wanshang.

He flung out a handful of dark star sand, faint black light swirling around him, forming a howling gale. Using his soul-bound treasure, he tore through the void to escape.

Though confident in slaying a newly ascended Nascent Soul like Yun Wanshang, he had no desire or courage to face a Nascent Soul giant like Lu Changsheng.

“Trying to flee?”

When Lu Changsheng moved to kill a Nascent Soul cultivator, his first priority was to prevent their escape.

Thus, as he unleashed the divine ability Yin-Yang Qi Great Capture, he simultaneously deployed the Spirit Treasures Yin-Yang Diagram and Starrealm Compass to further seal the void.

Yet True Lord Qianren, as a Nascent Soul cultivator of Qisha Sect, possessed extraordinary escape and stealth techniques.

The dark star sand around him intertwined with the eerie light of his cloak, somehow breaking free from the suppression of Yin-Yang Qi Great Capture.

But the Nine Calamity Sword had already struck.

A sword light that seemed to sever sun, moon, and stars pierced through the void of heaven and earth, completely blocking True Lord Qianren’s retreat.

It even slashed at his Protective Shield, causing it to screech and flicker, its light dimming and fluctuating.

“True Lord Yangming, as a Nascent Soul giant, how can you stoop so low? Bullying the weak, hiding in the shadows, and ambushing an early-stage Nascent Soul cultivator like me!”

True Lord Qianren’s Nascent Soul magical energy surged as blood trickled from his lips. He couldn’t help but feel that the strength of this True Lord Yangming before him was utterly terrifying.

With just one strike, his Protective Shield and Nascent Soul Domain had been utterly shattered.

Yun Wanshang, witnessing the sudden eruption of this unparalleled sword light, felt her heart tremble.

She knew that if such a sword light struck her, her body would likely be destroyed on the spot.

Without overthinking, she activated a fourth-tier talisman Lu Changsheng had given her.

Then, forming hand seals, she conjured a chain of radiant light to block and restrain True Lord Qianren, preventing his escape.

“True Lord Yangming, I beg you to show mercy. Spare my life, and I’m willing to offer a ransom!”

True Lord Qianren’s face paled as he roared, burning his Nascent Soul essence in a desperate struggle to tear through the Starrealm Compass’s seal and suppression.

Yet Lu Changsheng’s Nine Calamity Sword hummed and vibrated. One after another, stalks of Nine-Leaf Sword Grass materialized around him, rooting into the void of heaven and earth. They formed an endless torrent of devastating sword energy, slashing toward Qianren.

True Lord Qianren fought with his life to break free.

The light of his robe and cloak dimmed, torn to tatters. His body was drenched in blood, splattering everywhere.

“Sigh, my divine abilities and Spirit Treasures are still lacking.”

Seeing True Lord Qianren break through his seal and escape into the Great Void, Lu Changsheng sighed inwardly, growing increasingly dissatisfied with his soul-bound treasure, the Yin-Yang Diagram.

If his Yin-Yang Diagram were flawless and a mid-grade Spirit Treasure, no matter how exceptional Qianren’s divine abilities or artifacts, he wouldn’t have been able to escape.

The Misty Dust Banner appeared in his hand. Using the starlight marker of the Starrealm Compass, he pursued into the Great Void, determined to hunt down and slay True Lord Qianren once and for all.

“Another Nascent Soul cultivator!”

“True Lord Yangming!?”

“Wasn’t the City Lord headed to Beast God Mountain?”

“What terrifying sword light. Is this the power of a Nascent Soul giant?”

“A single blade of grass severs sun, moon, and stars, annihilating all things in the world. What kind of sword technique holds such horrifying sword intent!”

High-ranking cultivators in the Immortal City gazed at the terrifying sword light tearing through the sky and the ripples of battle. Their expressions were a mix of shock and awe.

This army had gathered nearly half of the high-ranking cultivators from Jiang and Yue Kingdoms.

Whether in strength or insight, they far surpassed ordinary cultivators.

Yet it was precisely because of this that they could clearly perceive the sheer terror of True Lord Yangming.

“This sword intent!” Lu Qingshan stared at the blooming Nine-Leaf Sword Light in the sky. A destructive, all-consuming sword intent surged, his eyes gleaming with an inexplicable tremor.

If he could comprehend this sword intent, his own sword Dao would surely advance by leaps and bounds!

“What exactly is the relationship between Father and this Lord of Dameng City?” Lu Qingshan’s heart trembled. He could tell this sword intent wasn’t the same as the Great Luo Sword Embryo technique or intent his father once wielded.

Seeing True Lord Yangming appear and force True Lord Qianren into a desperate retreat with a single clash, the morale of the Jiang and Yue Kingdom cultivators soared.

Meanwhile, the cultivators of Liang and Yuan Kingdoms were stunned.

Especially the Core Formation cultivators of Qisha Sect.

They had followed their True Lord’s orders to capture Changsheng True Lord, Master Miaoge, and True Lord Yangming’s son in this battle.

Yet now, in the span of a single exchange, their True Lord had been driven into a pitiful escape by True Lord Yangming.

“Run! Run! Run!”

These Qisha Sect cultivators didn’t hesitate. Well-versed in the art of assassination, they knew that if a strike missed and the opportunity was lost, they had to flee immediately.

“Trying to escape?” Yun Wanshang saw Lu Changsheng and True Lord Qianren vanish into the Great Void. Knowing she couldn’t pursue, and wasn’t in a condition to, she unleashed her Nascent Soul magical energy, targeting the fleeing Qisha Sect cultivators.

Though she wasn’t in peak form and couldn’t match other Nascent Soul cultivators, dealing with a few Core Formation cultivators was well within her ability.

From a distant warship, True Lord Incinerating Wither witnessed this scene, his heart quaking.

He hadn’t expected True Lord Yangming, this harbinger of doom, to still be here.

Dragging his heavily injured body, he moved to prevent the cultivators of Liang and Yuan Kingdoms from escaping.

Though his injuries were severe, leaving him with only the strength of a peak Core Formation cultivator, his presence was still significant.

With two Nascent Soul cultivators overseeing the battlefield and sealing off the Immortal City, they exerted immense pressure.

Especially since True Lord Incinerating Wither had once been a Nascent Soul True Lord of Liang Kingdom.

At that moment, hundreds of miles away, the void suddenly collapsed, accompanied by a earth-shaking explosion.

A world-ending surge of Nascent Soul magical energy swept across all directions, forming a terrifying vortex storm that twisted and tore the void apart.

Yun Wanshang and True Lord Incinerating Wither acted immediately, blocking the shockwave from spreading toward the Immortal City.

“This… is a Nascent Soul self-detonation!?”

Some recognized the aura of the explosion’s fluctuations, realizing it was a Nascent Soul cultivator’s self-detonation.

It was likely True Lord Qianren detonating his Spirit Treasure or physical body to create an opportunity for his Nascent Soul to escape.

Just moments ago, True Lord Qianren seemed to have broken free from True Lord Yangming’s seal and escaped into the Great Void. Yet in the blink of an eye, he was forced to detonate his treasures or body. It was utterly shocking.

“I wonder if True Lord Qianren managed to escape.”

“Could True Lord Yangming have been injured by Qianren’s self-detonation?”

As many speculated, a tall, imposing figure clad in a black robe and cloak, wielding a blue-gray longsword, stepped out from the void—True Lord Yangming.

Let alone injured, not even his robes were torn, merely slightly disheveled.

“True Lord Qianren has been slain. Will you not surrender and submit at once?”

A calm, commanding voice echoed clearly across the land.

In an instant, despair gripped the hearts of all cultivators from Liang and Yuan Kingdoms, their spirits sinking to the depths.

Meanwhile, those from Jiang and Yue Kingdoms who hadn’t witnessed True Lord Yangming’s power before now gained a clear understanding of the Lord of Dameng City’s strength.

Just moments ago, True Lord Qianren had overwhelmed Caiyun True Lord. Yet against True Lord Yangming, he was forced into a desperate escape after a single clash.

And not long after, the sound of a Nascent Soul body or magical energy self-detonating rang out, his Nascent Soul Spirit Body’s fate unknown.

Such strength was utterly terrifying!