Chapter 494 - 475: Destroying the Body and Abandoning the Sword

Chapter 494: Chapter 475: Destroying the Body and Abandoning the Sword

’The Star River Sword Array imitates the movements of celestial bodies, the rising and falling of the sun, moon, and stars. Its power is truly immense, and once someone is trapped, escape is nearly impossible... But the rate of True Essence consumption is just too much, even for me!’

Only in actual combat could one truly appreciate the wondrous uses of the Star River Sword Array, which always revealed something new with each use.

Bai Zichen was beginning to understand that there was good reason why the Star River Sword Monarch had been able to defeat several Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the same Realm with this array.

One only needed to control the direction of the Sword Array and use Sword Control to command the stars, and any enemy within it could only watch helplessly as they were crushed.

Not even a Tier Five Flying Sword could break through the array to escape, let alone other Nascent Soul True Monarchs.

As for its flaws, it came back to the same old problem: the immense difficulty of controlling twelve Flying Swords at once.

Even with the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box, twelve Flying Swords were pushing him to his absolute limit.

He had no choice but to clutch a Top-Grade Spirit Stone in one hand, frantically converting the Spiritual Power within.

At the same time, the phantom of a Fire Dragon flew out, soaring back and forth over Luofeng Mountain, gulping down mouthfuls of Fire Element Spiritual Energy to convert into True Essence as quickly as possible.

’The Hundred Demons Blood Sea Technique truly lives up to its reputation in the Cultivation Realm as the number one technique for survival. Blood God True Monarch gave up on clashing with me head-on with the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword, and in doing so, he’s become even more difficult to deal with.’

Bai Zichen’s gaze was like a torch, but the Blood Sea was teeming with the silhouettes of Blood Beasts, making it impossible to locate the Blood Shadow.

The Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword was indeed far more powerful than Blood God True Monarch’s Bloodline Divine Techniques, but it had one drawback: its Sword Master knew nothing of the Sword Dao, reducing his efficiency when Controlling Flying Swords to less than a tenth of its potential.

When facing the Star River Sword Array, he was completely suppressed and unable to break free.

By instead relying on the Blood Sea for evasive combat, he could create thousands of Blood Shadows. No matter how many died, his true body remained unaffected.

And in just a short while, thousands more would rise from the Blood Sea.

This tenacious fighting style turned the battle between them into a protracted war of attrition.

Blood God True Monarch had no intention of fighting his way out of the Star River Sword Array. He merely wanted to use the unique properties of his Hundred Demons Blood Sea Technique to wait until the Sword Array could no longer be maintained, at which point he could escape.

In fact, as long as the Star River Sword Array weakened enough for him to sense the preparations he had made beforehand, he could still be reborn from just a few drops of blood.

Seven days later, Bai Zichen was hunched over, looking much older and weaker.

Maintaining the Star River Sword Array seemed to have drained his Primordial Qi, leaving him on the verge of complete collapse.

The Blood Sea beneath the starry sky was no better off. The surging sea from seven days ago had now run dry, with only a few shallow pits still containing any blood.

The two had gone from competing with Divine Techniques to a battle of True Essence reserves. Now, it was a contest of sheer willpower.

The chubby little Nascent Soul Xiaobai struggled out of the Mud Ball Palace, took a deep breath, and spat its last mouthful of Lifebound True Essence onto the star of thunder and lightning.

Across the starry expanse, bolts of Thunder Radiance shot into every corner, purifying the very last drop of blood.

The Blood Shadow, with nowhere left to hide, let out a piercing shriek filled with resentment and venom.

"Just as I thought. You die when the Blood Sea dries up..."

Bai Zichen straightened his back. After seven days and nights, a few strands of white had appeared at his temples, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes had deepened.

Maintaining the Star River Sword Array for a full seven days was an act that had depleted his Heart Power and damaged his very foundation.

But he was willing to pay such a price to ensure Blood God True Monarch’s death.

After all, he was young and had a long life ahead of him. He could afford to pay this price.

In comparison, allowing a Demon Cultivator who could break through to the Late-Stage Nascent Soul Realm at any moment and wielded a Tier Five Flying Sword to escape was a much more terrifying prospect.

If Blood God True Monarch reached the Late-Stage Nascent Soul Realm, every Sect in the Cultivation Realm that had a feud with the Blood Sea Sect would lose sleep.

Taking a deep breath, he pointed towards the Star River Sword Array. The Twelve Stars in the void lit up instantly, transforming into twelve pillar-like beams of Sword Light that blasted toward the final Blood Shadow.

A blood-red Nascent Soul leaped out as Blood God True Monarch’s physical body was fed directly to the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword.

Then, the Tier Five Flying Sword unleashed a strike even more powerful than its first.

The entire starry sky shook violently. The Twelve Stars, like twelve pillars of light, had two of their number shattered by the desperate strike.

A corner of the Star River Sword Array collapsed, shattering the harmonious atmosphere of the twelve stars moving as one across the sky.

A hole appeared in the once-boundless starry sky, leaking an aura completely different from that of the Sword Array.

The blood-red Nascent Soul, clutching the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword, used an Instant Teleportation to appear at the gap in the Star River Sword Array. Just as it was about to teleport away again, several beams of Sword Light from the remaining stars shot down from behind.

Each beam was immensely powerful, infused with the celestial might of the stars, enough to make anyone despair at the thought of opposing it.

At the same time, starlight began to flood the gap in the Sword Array, which was about to mend itself.

"Go!"

The blood-red Nascent Soul didn’t hesitate for a moment. It threw the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword, lodging it in the gap and halting its closure for a split second.

At the same time, the Nascent Soul was struck by several beams of Sword Light. It let out a shrill howl as half of its body collapsed.

"Qingqiu Mountain has betrayed me... You just wait! One day, I will refine you into a blood corpse!"

The blood-red Nascent Soul activated another Secret Technique. Its form shriveled like a deflating doll as its tunneling speed multiplied severalfold, and it vanished in an instant, too fast to pursue.

Bai Zichen was stunned. He couldn’t believe Blood God True Monarch had escaped even after all that. The Hundred Demons Blood Sea Technique’s reputation as the world’s best life-saving method was truly well-deserved.

Even after paying such a heavy price, he had still failed to kill Blood God True Monarch in one fell swoop.

Still, with his body destroyed, his Tier Five Flying Sword abandoned, and his Nascent Soul having taken several heavy blows, the True Monarch probably wouldn’t survive for long.

’What did he mean by that last sentence? Was he trying to say Qingqiu Death Sea had set him up and led him into a trap... or was it a deliberate lie, throwing out a powerful enemy to keep me from having the time to pursue the real mastermind?’

’But during our trade before Two Realms Mountain, that Transformed Demon Fox’s attitude was perfectly amicable. I saw no reason for them to act against me later.’

Bai Zichen wanted to give chase, to capture Blood God True Monarch for a thorough interrogation and Soul Search to find out who the real mastermind was.

But when a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator abandoned their physical body to flee using Nascent Soul Instant Teleportation, their Escape Light moved so fast that ’quick as lightning’ would be an understatement.

Even if he were willing to burn more of his True Essence, his Sword Control speed could hardly surpass a Nascent Soul’s Blood Escape.

’He tossed aside a Tier Five Flying Sword so casually because he’s certain no one can tame it, and that it will return to the Sect’s Blood Sea on its own in a couple of days... Well, I’d like to see if I can tame this Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword.’

Watching the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword struggle in the gap of the Star River Sword Array, he decided to deal with the Flying Sword first.

As long as he could tame the Tier Five Flying Sword, letting Blood God True Monarch escape was a small matter.

What did it matter if it was a Demon Sword? As long as the Flying Sword cooperated, he could control it freely, and it would become another trump card in his arsenal.

Bai Zichen reached for the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword. The sword transformed into an agile streak of blood-red light, darting back and forth.

Even under the suppression of the Star River Sword Array, it still resisted with all its might.

"I know you have Spiritual Wisdom and can understand me... Since you could tolerate a Sword Dao imbecile like Blood God True Monarch, why not acknowledge me as your master? Your life will be much better. Even if you can’t return to the Blood Sea, I can use Top-Grade Spirit Stones for your daily upkeep. I’ll master the Sword Light Splitting Realm sooner or later, so I won’t be an unworthy master for you."

Brute force was ineffective, so Bai Zichen spoke persuasively, laying out his reasoning.

"I’m not yet two hundred years old, making me the youngest among those in the Cultivation Realm qualified to glimpse the path of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. I also have the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box to house you. I’m afraid ten thousand years in the Blood Sea wouldn’t bring you as much progress as a thousand years with the Pure Qi in my box."

With a CLICK, the Sword Box opened, revealing thirty-six wisps of Pure Qi that coalesced into a hazy cloud.

His previous words had clearly had no effect, but the moment the Sword Box appeared, the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword grew still.

"You can stay in the Sword Box for a few years first, without acknowledging a master... Once you’ve confirmed the effects of the Pure Qi, you can allow me to begin the Refinement process."

Bai Zichen knew that no Flying Sword could refuse the Sword Box, and he immediately used it as the centerpiece of his temptation.

The Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword rotated its blade, giving him the strange impression that the Flying Sword was scrutinizing him.

The Demon Sword remained still, as if in contemplation. After a long moment, a clear Sound Transmission echoed in Bai Zichen’s mind, giving him a great shock: "Who on earth are you to possess such a legendary Treasure? When that Upper Realm Sword Immortal returned to the Upper Realm, how could he not have taken this with him, leaving it behind in the Human World instead?"

"If you can agree to three conditions, I will acknowledge you as my master right now, no need to wait for years!"

"Let’s hear them!"

Bai Zichen suppressed his shock. It wasn’t just because the Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword could use Sound Transmission, but because it seemed to have seen the Supreme Qingwei Sword Box before.

But thinking about the timeline, that Upper Realm Sword Immortal appeared during Ancient Times, and the Demon Realm’s invasion of the Human World happened around the same period. It was entirely possible they had crossed paths.

"First, all the slots in the Sword Box must be reserved for me. The other flying swords are not allowed to share the Pure Qi..."

"Second, since I’ll be away from the Blood Sea, you must provide me with Blood Food. Every year, you must drench me in the Essence Blood of a Nascent Soul Cultivator..."

"Third, if you want me to act, you must offer a tribute—one Top-Grade Spirit Stone for each time..."

’With conditions like these, who is the master...’

Bai Zichen shook his head. It seemed Blood God True Monarch must have agreed to similar terms to get the Demon Sword to work for him.

’For it to not even turn its nose up at someone with such a low Sword Dao Realm, it’s really not a picky eater.’

Then again, once a Flying Sword reached the Tier Five level, unless it was trapped in a very special environment, it was unlikely to be unable to sustain its own rank, as it could absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power on its own.

In fact, their requirements for a Sword Master were less strict than those of a Tier Four Flying Sword.

Instead, because their Sword Spirit was fully awakened, they tended to treat any Sword Master—unless it was a Cultivator they grew alongside—as a partner, not a true master.

"You’ve never been in the Sword Box, so you don’t know the wonders of its Pure Qi. This is the Clear Spirit Qi produced during the Creation of Heaven and Earth in a world. With it surrounding you, what need is there for Blood Food or Spirit Stones? Moreover, the Pure Qi regenerates after use; it will never be depleted. There’s no need to occupy all the slots."

It was a Tier Five Flying Sword, after all, so Bai Zichen explained patiently.

"There are already twelve Flying Swords in the Sword Box. I can allow you, after using up the Pure Qi in your own slot, to immediately move to a second one. You won’t have to wait for the Pure Qi to regenerate like the other Flying Swords."

"What sort of worthless trash deserves to be in the same Sword Box as me? With me in your hands, you can throw all those other swords away!"

The Abi Heavenly Prison Demon Sword transformed into a black-and-red Blood Dragon, as if it had made a difficult decision after deep consideration.

"Forget the other two conditions, but the first one is a must. Otherwise, I will expend my Origin Power to break through your Sword Array and return to the Blood Sea, and you won’t be able to stop me!"

The Demon Sword’s coarse voice echoed in Bai Zichen’s mind, which also proved one thing: when it was with Blood God True Monarch, one couldn’t expect it to exert any extra effort, let alone do something like expending its Origin Power.

Otherwise, the Star River Sword Array might not have been able to hold out.