Chapter 555 538: Destined to be the Demon King

Wang Meng felt a sense of kinship. Although Wang Meng followed the Divine Statue Stream, his Sword Technique was that of a genuine Classical Sword Cultivator. He took no shortcuts, reaching his realm only through countless refinements.

Mortals have a saying: practice makes perfect. It was the same for Sword Cultivators. The Bu Qingyun before him must have undergone inhuman sword training to reach this state where great skill appeared clumsy.

Lin Jinghao's Sword Technique was the epitome of flamboyance, while Bu Qingyun's was the epitome of simplicity. They formed a sharp contrast, yet were equal in power.

BANG...

Their Sword Qi clashed, and they were both thrown back more than ten meters before stabilizing themselves.

Lin Jinghao's expression was one of excitement. "Brother Bu, we could go at this for three days and three nights without a winner. How about we get serious? That way, we won't hold up the people after us."

Lin Jinghao loved a good spectacle and wanted to get a good look at Mingren's and Wang Meng's matches.

Bu Qingyun didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Sometimes he just couldn't figure Lin Jinghao out. He was like this ten years ago, and he was still the same now, completely disregarding the occasion or his status. It was something the disciples of the Cyan Cloud Sect couldn't comprehend. But there was no doubt about Lin Jinghao's strength. Ten years later, he had matured, and his power was terrifying.

"Bring it on."

SHING...

The Cyan Cloud Sword stood vertically before him. He achieved the Unity of Man and Sword, his Sword Qi condensed, and his Elemental Power unfurled with immense might.

Bu Qingyun was about to use his Sword Formulas!

Lin Jinghao smiled, thoroughly excited. The Curse Talismans on his Cyan Dragon Holy Statue began to flash in sequence, and the Demon Sword in his hand ignited with a cyan light.

A massive Sword Array formed. The Elemental Power in the space was unscrupulously devoured by the two of them, splitting into two clearly distinct forces.

The deficit of Elemental Qi created a vortex, pulling in the surrounding Elemental Qi, yet it seemed unable to satisfy their appetites.

The massive Demon Sword rose into the air as the Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon coiled upwards, its divine might blanketing the world.

The Cyan Cloud Sword remained as still as an ancient well, carrying the unchanging pride and dignity of Human Cultivators for ten thousand years. His heart and sword were one.

The sky went blank for a moment, then a fissure suddenly tore open, and the two immense powers poured out at the same time.

Nine Luminaries, Scour the Azure Lands!

—Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Sword!

A torrent of Sword Qi, accompanied by the surging Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon, blasted forward. The Nine Luminaries Trapping Heaven Formation manifested at the same time.

—Cyan Cloud Venerable Shines in the Heavens!

—Qingyun Opening Heaven Sword!

A sword strike, simple and unadorned, yet it captured everyone's gaze. This was the pinnacle of Sword Technique, for there was nothing but the sword.

In Bu Qingyun's life of Cultivation, there was only the sword.

HUMMM...

RUMBLE...

'Were they evenly matched?'

This question lingered for only a few breaths before the Qingyun Opening Heaven Sword cleaved through Lin Jinghao's aura.

Gods, this is heaven-defying!

Who could have imagined that Bu Qingyun was this strong!

The Qingyun Opening Heaven Sword had reached the apex of sword arts. Although Lin Jinghao had the Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Body, by insisting on a clash of swords with Bu Qingyun, he could only sigh in vain.

BOOM...

The Qingyun Opening Heaven Sword broke through the Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Sword, and the Nine Luminaries Trapping Heaven Formation was simply torn apart.

There is no perfection, only the ultimate.

'With a sword in my heart, I can shatter the world.'

This was the ultimate state for a Sword Cultivator, and Bu Qingyun pursued nothing but this ultimate state, with single-minded focus.

Because he was focused, he was composed.

Bu Qingyun's reserved nature wasn't due to weakness, but because he was too strong. He was not on the same path as Jii Wanli and the others; it was meaningless to compete with them.

In this chaotic Cultivation Realm, Bu Qingyun remained focused on his sword, just as the Cyan Cloud Sect remained focused on Cultivation.

Reaching this point was not luck, nor was it a coincidence. It was inevitable.

Amidst the spreading Elemental Power, Lin Jinghao was hit.

This single strike truly extinguished the arrogance of countless Demon Cultivators. Such was the might of a Classical Sword Cultivator.

Simple and unadorned, yet indestructible. Standing there, Bu Qingyun made everyone feel a sense of powerlessness.

Jii Wanli, however, smiled. On the surface, it was a smile of admiration, but inwardly he was overjoyed.

'Bu Qingyun is exactly the type I'm best at dealing with. Having him take out Lin Jinghao is a heaven-sent gift. This will force Vast Sea to turn and support me.'

'No one needs a loser.'

'And my Golden-Winged Roc Body is the perfect counter to this simple, unadorned type.'

"Lin Jinghao is too flashy. He played himself right into a corner. Why would he try to have a sword fight with his Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Holy Statue?"

Zhang Xiaopang pursed his lips. Lord Fatty could now critique Lin Jinghao and Bu Qingyun without restraint. The thing was, when he made such comments, those who heard him simply nodded in understanding. After all, he was the Holy Hall's Zhang Xiaojiang, a top-eight contestant. They were on the same level; others could only listen.

Fan Hong was looking quite pleased with himself. Instead of staying in the Dharma Flower Sect's area, he had run over to the Holy Hall's section to join the fun. This left Fan Ru rather speechless. 'How did I end up with a kid like this?'

Fan Hong and Zhang Xiaojiang had hit it off right away, two peas in a pod.

"He's got the Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Body, he thinks he's omnipotent. Of course he's not going to take it lying down."

"Don't be ridiculous," Hu Jing said. "Against a Sword Cultivator like Bu Qingyun, any other method would have led to a faster defeat. This was his only choice."

It was helplessness. It was just like watching Wang Meng's sword strikes—they looked so ordinary, yet they were impossible to dodge. Talisman Arrays and the like were broken with a single touch. There was nothing to be done. Lin Jinghao must have felt the same helplessness.

Strategically, Lin Jinghao hadn't made any mistakes. But the most terrifying thing for a genius is to encounter another genius who trains as hard as a fool. Such a person is a madman among geniuses.

'There's one of them right next to me,' she thought, 'but I never expected Bu Qingyun to be the same.'

It would be a lie to say he felt nothing, but Bu Qingyun remained composed. The heart of a Sword Cultivator is cold. He began practicing the sword at the age of three. One thousand strikes, ten thousand strikes... ten million strikes. Soon, he lost count. Sometimes, he felt he was going mad. Other times, he couldn't tell if he was a sword or a man...

This kind of Cultivation was a completely different matter from gambling on Holy Statues.

Once you chose the path of classical Cultivation, there was no turning back.

But Bu Qingyun had endured.

The Elemental Qi slowly dissipated, revealing Lin Jinghao lying sprawled on the ground. Bu Qingyun pointed his sword, and a wave of Sword Qi swept out, blasting a gash in the ground not far from Lin Jinghao.

"Get up," Bu Qingyun said. "That strike wasn't enough to take your life."

Lin Jinghao sat up and rubbed his chest. "That really hurt. Brother Bu, your sword is as ruthless as ever. Can't even let me rest for a minute."

Bu Qingyun's pupils contracted slightly. While he hadn't thought that last strike could kill Lin Jinghao outright, he hadn't expected him to be this unscathed.

"Having witnessed such a marvelous Qingyun Opening Heaven Sword, I must offer something in return. Brother Bu, you'd better not disappoint me."

Lin Jinghao stood up. In an instant, the world grew dim. The light seemed to vanish, and a terrifying aura descended, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

In the darkness, Lin Jinghao seemed to exude a kind of light, but it definitely was not light.

Black flames churned, roaring and rampaging. It was a call from the depths of hell. The Demon Flame roared—it was the roar of a dragon.

Finally, even Dragon Emperor Tu Mu's expression froze. 'This is...'

The legendary existence that could rival a Dragon Emperor. To be precise, it was the antithesis of the Dragon Race.

BZZZZZ~~~~~

A black Giant Dragon with a world-destroying aura coiled into the sky, its Demon Attribute running rampant, a wanton devourer of all that could be devoured.

It was a Demon Attribute that seemed to seek the annihilation of all things. From within the coils of the black Giant Dragon, Lin Jinghao emerged.

The Demon Crown Prince wore a smile brimming with a demonic charm, making him look exceptionally devilish and handsome. His body was covered in black runes.

"To be honest, I'm not a big fan of this look. It really doesn't fit my desire to be a good guy."

Even as Lin Jinghao cracked his deadpan joke, no one could bring themselves to laugh.

The ultimate form of a Dragon Race Holy Statue of legend.

—Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon Body!

Legend had it that there was once a rebellion within the Dragon Race. One dragon, in pursuit of the power to slay gods, began to devour other dragons. While it gained tyrannical power, it also received the Dragon Race's greatest curse, becoming a terrifying Demon Dragon.

Although a Holy Statue was merely an imprint, Lin Jinghao had undoubtedly awakened the Dragon Race's most terrifying power.

The Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon was a transformation using the Cyan Dragon as a medium. This was Lin Jinghao's true purpose for going to the Dragon Tomb.

He discovered this legend, this possibility, and then the madman actually went and tried it... and succeeded.

Mingren showed no surprise. If Lin Jinghao didn't possess the Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon Body, he wouldn't even be considered his rival.

To reach the ultimate, one had to be defiant. One had to be a monster. One had to be mad!

Mingren's smile was almost identical to Lin Jinghao's. Of course, there was one other person—Wang Meng.

Under the influence of the Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon, the auras of both Mingren and Wang Meng actually surged forth.

In another corner, Dragon Maiden Linglong's pure Dragon Emperor bloodline also reacted.

Four auras... resonated with each other.

Damn, damn, damn! This is insane!

The Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon Body, the Holy Light Demon Collapse Body, a Dragon Emperor Body, plus an unconfirmed Half-Dragon Emperor... The Cultivators were going wild.

Things really were getting out of hand!

Bu Qingyun's expression was as composed as ever, but this composure was completely different from before.

The Nine Luminaries Cyan Dragon Holy Statue was strong, but it couldn't be considered monstrous. The Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon Body, however, was on a completely different level.

This was a monstrosity that, like the Holy Light Demon Collapse, should not exist.

Thrilling!

Lin Jinghao had been provoked by Mingren. Geniuses can't stand being provoked.

Bu Qingyun sighed softly. The Sword Momentum of his Cyan Cloud Sword tried to push back the sky-filling Demonic Qi, but this time it was swallowed by the boundless Demonic Qi.

Amidst the world of Demon Flame, the Cyan Cloud Sword maintained its essence. A Sword Formula chant began—it was the heirloom Sword Formula of the Cyan Cloud Sword Sect.

Heart and sword are one. My heart is the sword alone.

Neither happy nor sad, I walk the path of Daoist Slaughter.

Cyan Cloud Sword Sect—Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Root!

Countless rays of sword light burst brilliantly from Bu Qingyun, seeming to pierce through the soaring Demon Flame. The sword light converged into a single beam—the King's Sword.

With the Sword Formula complete, Bu Qingyun jabbed forward with both hands, and the Cyan Cloud Sword shot out.

—Divine Sword Control!

The ultimate technique of the Cyan Cloud Sword Sect! All the Sword Cultivators trembled. Bu Qingyun had actually reached a realm that even Ancient Sword Cultivators dreamed of.

A sword strike under Heart Spirit Control was no longer bound by the Law of Space as it shot toward Lin Jinghao.

A monstrous expression appeared on Lin Jinghao's face. He reached out his right hand, piercing through the dense Demon Flame.

BZZZZZ~~~~~

The resplendent Cyan Cloud Sword was stopped. Bu Qingyun's expression was incredibly grave. He bit the tip of his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood, his Sword Qi surging once more.

The Cyan Cloud Sword radiated light, trying to break free from the demonic palm.

But after struggling for a few moments, it was forcefully suppressed by the demonic palm.

BOOM...

The Sword Qi was crushed and dispersed.

CLANG. The Cyan Cloud Sword fell to the ground.

It was as if Bu Qingyun's heart had fallen to the ground with it. In an instant, all the color drained from his face.

His Divine Sword Control had been broken.

A heaven-defying Demon Dragon Body!

Demon Ba finally relaxed, laughing without restraint. 'That unreliable brat finally did something reliable.'

The ultimate Demon Dragon Body was the pinnacle that a Demon Cultivator could achieve.

'The future belongs to the No Illusion Demon Sect!'

The Demon Flame dissipated, and Lin Jinghao returned to normal. But having used the Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon Body, he could no longer pass for a good guy.

Some people are destined to be Demon Kings.

Bu Qingyun was defeated, and it was a crushing defeat. But no one dared to doubt or mock him any longer. The Nine Luminaries Demon Dragon Body... following the Holy Light Demon Collapse, another monster had appeared.

First match of the semifinals: Lin Jinghao of the No Illusion Demon Sect is victorious.

Now, as all the Cultivators looked at Lin Jinghao, no one thought of him as wild and unrestrained, nor did they see him as unreliable. At this moment, Lin Jinghao was, without a doubt, the new leader of the Demon Cultivators' generation—a worthy Demon Lord.

A new era for Demon Cultivators had arrived. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote for recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)