Chapter 182 The Heaven-Slaying Sword

"Hiss—"

Jian Wushuang staggered back several yards, his back slamming heavily into a broken stone pillar before he could stop himself. A sweet taste filled his throat, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood drew a grim arc in the air before splattering onto the dust-covered ground.

"Bastard, it's you!"

Jian Wushuang's voice became sharp and piercing due to intense pain and extreme anger. He clutched his aching shoulder with one hand and propped himself up with the other, barely steadying his frame. When he looked up, his originally closed eyes were now bloodshot, staring fixedly at the black-clothed figure ahead; the resentment in his gaze was almost tangible.

His Meridians had suffered damage in several places from that palm strike, and his internal organs had also taken a heavy impact. If some instinctive protective Qi hadn't automatically triggered at the critical moment to offset part of the force, he would likely be a dead man by now.

Mu Changge stood ten feet away with his arm around You Li. Seeing Jian Wushuang's disheveled state yet his ability to still stand, he clicked his tongue inwardly.

"As expected of the Child of Fortune, he's still not dead."

That palm strike hadn't used his full strength, but it was enough to heavily injure or kill an ordinary Mid or Late Spirit Severing stage Cultivator. Attacking while Jian Wushuang was fully focused on comprehending Sword Intent and completely defenseless should have been a certain kill. Yet, the opponent only spat some blood, and after swallowing a Medicinal Pill, he could actually slowly stand up and even draw his sword, as if the injury hadn't affected his combat power much.

"This is fucking ridiculous. Beyond ridiculous."

Mu Changge remained expressionless, but he gained a more direct understanding of the tenacity of this world's "Child of Fortune." This could no longer be explained by simple Physical Body strength or protective Magic Treasures; it was some kind of unreasonable "Luck protection," or rather, the favoritism of this world's will for specific individuals.

Jian Wushuang had now fully straightened his body, his right hand gripping the sword hilt so tightly that veins bulged on the back of his hand. The healing Medicinal Pills he had just swallowed were dissolving in his body, their cool medicinal power flowing through his Meridians and quickly repairing the damage. While secretly circulating spiritual energy to speed up his recovery, he glared with sinister eyes, full of anger and killing intent, at the man he hated to the core.

"It really is you, Mu Changge!"

Jian Wushuang's voice trembled slightly with emotion, but each word was squeezed out from between his teeth:

"You actually dare to practice a Demonic Technique! Junior Brother Mu, you're dead! If word of today's events gets out, not only will the Wandao Sword Sect purge you, but there will be no place for you in the entire Eastern Region! You won't get out; this Secret Realm will be your burial ground!"

Mu Changge looked at Jian Wushuang's blustering appearance and couldn't help but let out a light laugh. The laughter was soft but carried a casual mockery:

"I appreciate the Saint's concern. However—"

He intentionally elongated his tone and raised his right hand, the one that had just delivered the palm strike. The heart-palpitating, pitch-black Devilish Qi that had been swirling around his palm receded like a tide, replaced by a layer of pure, vast, and grand Righteous Path energy emitting a pale golden glow! The golden light was pure and warm, a world of difference from the cold and evil Devilish Qi from before, and even more pure than the spiritual energy of ordinary Righteous Path Cultivators!

"—this Junior Brother of yours isn't practicing some Demonic Technique..."

Mu Changge turned his palm, letting the golden light circulate in his hand, his tone flat as if stating a simple fact:

"It is a bright and honest Righteous Path Cultivation Technique, genuine and authentic."

Jian Wushuang watched as the palm transformed from sinister Devilish Qi to radiant golden light. His pupils shrank suddenly, and his eyes nearly popped out. Waves of shock crashed in his heart, and countless thoughts exploded in his mind:

"How is this possible? Devilish Qi and spiritual energy are two completely opposite and incompatible powers! Once a Cultivator chooses a path, it's hard to change. If a Demonic Path Cultivator forcibly practices a Righteous Path technique, the two will clash, leading to Qi Deviation! But he... how can he switch so freely? And that golden light... that Aura is clearly the purest spiritual energy of a Righteous Path Cultivator! This... this defies common sense!"

He stared fixedly at Mu Changge's palm, which switched effortlessly between gold and black. An absurd yet spine-chilling thought emerged:

"Could it be... he can harness both Devilish Qi and spiritual energy simultaneously? No, that's impossible! Since ancient times, the Righteous and Demonic Paths have been irreconcilable; that's an iron law of the cultivation world! But this scene before me..."

Jian Wushuang forcibly suppressed the shock in his heart, knowing now was not the time to dwell on this. He secretly accelerated his spiritual energy circulation, boosting the pill's effect while continuing to talk to stall for time:

"Junior Brother Mu, I advise you to stop now while there's still time."

He tried to make his voice sound calmer, even adding a hint of "sincerity" as if thinking of Mu Changge's well-being:

"You have extraordinary talent and are a pillar of the Sect; why ruin yourself? If you stop now, once we leave the Secret Realm, I will guarantee in my name as the Saint to plead for you before the Sect Head and the Elders. Seeing your talent and that this is your first mistake, the Sect might show leniency and spare your life. If you persist in your ways and remain unrepentant, you will be cutting yourself off from the Sect and the Righteous Path! At that time, there will be no place for you in heaven or on earth!"

He spoke with apparent sincerity, as if truly pained for a fellow disciple who had gone astray. However, deep in his eyes flickered cold killing intent and calculation—he was stalling, waiting for his injuries to recover a few more degrees and for his chances of winning to increase (originally he wasn't afraid, but the sudden appearance of this beautiful woman gave him an inexplicable sense of dread).

Hearing this, Mu Changge shook his head slightly, the half-smile on his face deepening. He released his hand that had been lightly resting on You Li's waist, gesturing for her to wait in a safe spot nearby. At the same time, a flash of light appeared in his other hand, and the Dark Iron Giant Sword he had obtained from the Sword Burial Abyss Secret Realm, as wide as a door, was now in his grip.

The giant sword had no edge, but it possessed a domineering Aura as heavy as a mountain, capable of splitting anything.

"Saint, I know what you're thinking right now."

Mu Changge flicked his wrist, pointing the giant sword diagonally at the ground, the tip drawing a shallow mark on the rocky floor. He looked up at Jian Wushuang, his gaze calm as a deep pool, yet seemingly able to see through one's heart:

"Stalling for time, wanting to recover from your injuries?"

He smiled faintly, a smile devoid of warmth:

"If you were at your Peak, with your personality of wanting to skin me alive and grind my bones to dust, I don't believe you'd have the patience to chatter with me here. You're saying all this only because you know that in your current injured state, you aren't certain of taking me down, or even... certain of escaping with your life."

Word by word, he sliced through Jian Wushuang's pretense, hitting the core.

Jian Wushuang's expression instantly turned extremely ugly. His feigned "sincerity" vanished completely, replaced by the embarrassment of being exposed and an even more intense killing intent. He stopped talking, knowing that further words were useless.

"In that case..."

Jian Wushuang slowly raised his longsword, the blade shimmering with a cold, eerie light under the Secret Realm's illumination. He took a strange starting stance—the sword tip slightly lowered, pointing at the ground, his wrist hooked inward at an almost distorted angle. His entire Aura instantly became elusive, somewhat feminine and treacherous.

"Then, let our skills do the talking."

Before his voice faded, Jian Wushuang moved.

There was no earth-shaking commotion, no vast sword light. His figure vanished from the spot like a ghost, leaving only a faint afterimage. In the next instant, a speck of cold, deep-blue light appeared silently three feet in front of Mu Changge's throat!

Fast! It was unnervingly fast! The angle was incredibly tricky and vicious, aiming straight for the vitals! Moreover, this strike carried no sound of wind; even the sound of breaking through the air was almost inaudible, like a venomous snake's tongue—sinister and lethal.

This was precisely one of the opportunities Jian Wushuang had obtained in the Sword Burial Abyss Secret Realm—the movement techniques and sword skills from that bizarre sword manual that required "to practice this skill, one must first castrate oneself." It was unconventional, known for its speed and treachery, with feminine and ruthless sword paths focusing on vital points, combined with an equally strange and elusive movement technique, making it hard to defend against.

However, facing this silent, lethal strike, Mu Changge seemed to have anticipated it.

He didn't even look at the cold speck of light aimed at his throat. He simply held the door-like Dark Iron Giant Sword horizontally in front of him.

"Clang—!!!"

An incredibly piercing sound of metal clashing rang out! The deep-blue sword tip struck the thick blade of the giant sword with precision, erupting in a shower of brilliant sparks.

Jian Wushuang felt a counter-force from the sword that was beyond imagination. The seemingly clumsy giant sword was as steady as a rock in Mu Changge's hand. His sinister and treacherous strike couldn't even make the giant sword shake! Furthermore, a vast, heavy, and Unstoppable Sword Intent surged back along the blade, numbing his hand and causing his blood to churn. The injuries he had just suppressed nearly flared up again.

"How is this possible?"

Jian Wushuang was horrified. Although this strike hadn't reached full power due to his unhealed injuries, it still contained over seventy percent of his strength and was perfectly timed with that strange movement technique. Forget the Nascent Soul Stage; even a Mid Spirit Severing stage Cultivator, even if prepared, would find it extremely difficult to block so effortlessly!

He didn't know that the "Unstoppable" Sword Intent Mu Changge had comprehended in the Sword Burial Abyss emphasized Aura and the Physical Body. No matter how many changes or how much treachery, he remained unmoved, breaking all tricks with sheer force. Moreover, Mu Changge's true combat power was far beyond the simple Late Nascent Soul Stage on the surface.

"Saint, why is your sword so weak and lacking in power?"

Mu Changge's voice rang out calmly, carrying an undisguised sense of amusement and mockery. With just a slight flick of his wrist, a surge of irresistible, overwhelming force erupted from the door-like Dark Iron Giant Sword, like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting, slamming into Jian Wushuang along the point of contact!

"Step, step, step!"

Jian Wushuang felt a massive, uncontrollable force surging through his sword. His entire right arm went numb instantly, his palm split open, and blood trickled down the hilt. He groaned, his body sliding back several steps uncontrollably, each step leaving a deep gouge in the hard ground. The blood he had barely suppressed with the pills churned once more.

He tightly gripped the vibrating sword hilt, feeling the numbness in his palm and the wail of the blade. Waves of shock crashed in his heart. He knew that the previous moves, though not at full power due to his injuries and mental state, were not something an ordinary person could handle. But this Mu Changge handled them far too easily! That seemingly clumsy giant sword in his hand possessed a terrifyingly natural and effortless control, and it contained a "momentum" that was condensed to the extreme—heavy as a mountain yet sharp and Unstoppable—making his exquisite and treacherous sword moves feel like they had crashed into an immovable iron wall.

"This guy's combat power is ridiculously high!" Jian Wushuang was both shocked and angry, feeling a faint sense of unease. The opponent's spiritual energy was clearly only at the Late Nascent Soul Stage, but the power, speed, and understanding and application of the Dao of the sword he displayed were completely beyond what should be possible for that Realm!

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

Mu Changge seemed to see through his thoughts and did not press his advantage. Instead, he stood there leisurely, his sword sheathed, a smirk playing on his lips. His gaze swept over certain parts of Jian Wushuang's body with pointed meaning as he chuckled: "Is that 'Peerless Cultivation Technique' that your Junior Brother carefully prepared for you working out well? Look at this footwork, this sword path of yours, Saint... it is truly... graceful and refined, quite unique."

Mu Changge enunciated the four words "Peerless Cultivation Technique" with extreme clarity, carrying an indescribable mockery.

"!!!" It was like a thunderclap exploding in his mind! Jian Wushuang's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpricks, his whole body shook violently, and the hand holding his sword trembled so hard he almost dropped it! He jerked his head up, staring fixedly at Mu Changge. His face, already pale from injury and anger, instantly drained of all color, turning white as paper. His lips trembled, unable to even form a complete sentence:

"You... you... Mu Changge! It was you!!!"

All his doubts coalesced in this moment! Why was that Cultivation Technique so devilishly strange, making him feel that some parts were inexplicably awkward? Why did it require the use of "that thing" to Cultivate? And why did his personality and mindset gradually shift towards the feminine and treacherous after Cultivating it? And there was that most unspeakable price, the one that made him ache to his core in his midnight dreams...

So all of this was not some fortuitous Opportunity at all! It was a trap! It was an incomparably vicious trap, painstakingly set for him by the devil before his eyes! The "Opportunity" he regarded as a treasure and paid a heavy price to Cultivate was actually a poisoned bait casually tossed out by the other party! And he, like a fool, had swallowed it happily, even for this... for this...

At the thought of the decisiveness and pain of castrating himself, and at the thought of the strange feelings and physical changes that surged within him after Cultivating this technique, boundless humiliation, rage, and regret erupted like magma, instantly shattering Jian Wushuang's sanity! His entire body trembled uncontrollably, not from fear, but from extreme anger and hatred that threatened to burn his very insides to ash!

"Pfft—!" Overcome by anger, Jian Wushuang, who was already heavily injured, could no longer suppress his churning blood and Qi, and violently spat out another mouthful of blood, staining the ground in front of him crimson. His teeth chattered, nearly cracking, and the veins on his hand holding the sword bulged and spasmed from excessive force. His eyes were bloodshot, completely scarlet, like a dying beast, locked onto Mu Changge. The resentment and killing intent in his gaze were almost tangible, ready to erupt!

"Mu, Chang, Ge!!!"

Jian Wushuang squeezed these three words from the depths of his throat, each word soaked in blood and hatred. His face was twisted and deformed by extreme rage and the treacherousness born from Cultivating that evil technique, looking hideous and terrifying. The Sword Qi around his body, which had been relatively pure, now fluctuated violently and uncontrollably, faintly revealing an evil, cold, and sharp Aura that was completely incompatible with his identity as the Saint of the Wandao Sword Sect.

"You! Are! Courting! Death—!!!"

The roar sounded like the howl of a wounded beast, echoing through the valley! Jian Wushuang completely cast aside all scruples and calculations, with only one thought in his mind—to tear the person before him into pieces and grind his bones to dust!

He no longer suppressed his injuries, no longer cared about gains or losses, and no longer even thought about the Secret Realm Opportunity! The Spiritual Qi around his body erupted in an unprecedentedly violent manner. His long sword burst forth with a bone-chilling cold light, the blade vibrating violently and emitting a shrill, sharp hum, as if it could not bear the burden! A terrifying, cold, resolute Sword Intent carrying an Aura of destruction shot up from his body into the sky!

"Sword That Slashes the Heavens!"

Jian Wushuang gripped his sword with both hands, pouring all his essence, Qi, and spirit, along with his monstrous hatred and insane killing intent, into this single strike! The cold light on the long sword condensed to the extreme, transforming into an incredibly refined, destructive Sword Qi blade only about a zhang long, yet it seemed capable of splitting the sky! The space around the Sword Qi blade twisted slightly, emitting a groan of being overwhelmed, and the destructive Aura locked onto Mu Changge, leaving him with nowhere to hide!

This was Jian Wushuang's ultimate strike, unleashed in anger and without reservation! It condensed his understanding of the Dao of the sword, nearly all his Spiritual Qi, and all his current madness and hatred! Its power was so strong that it far exceeded his usual limits, even faintly touching the threshold of a strike from a Cultivator at the Peak Soul Transformation Realm!

Feeling the suffocating, sharp killing intent and destructive sword pressure rushing towards him, the playful look on Mu Changge's face finally faded, and his expression became incredibly solemn.

"It seems he is getting serious..." he thought to himself. The power of this strike already posed a substantial threat to him. Although his combat power was strong, his true Realm was still only at the Late Nascent Soul Stage. Compared to this hate-filled strike from Jian Wushuang at the Late Soul Transformation stage, a head-on collision was by no means a wise move. Moreover, the commotion here was too great; if it dragged on, it would inevitably attract other Prodigies who had entered the Secret Realm, and then there would be even more variables.

In a flash of thought, Mu Changge had already made his decision. He did not choose to take it head-on, nor did he dodge. Instead, he turned to his side and called out softly: "You Li."

The woman in black robes and silver hair, who had been standing quietly not far away, appearing as if she were one with her surroundings, heard the call. A faint smile that could make the world lose its color slowly bloomed on her stunningly beautiful face. Her amethyst-like eyes reflected Mu Changge's figure, as if he were her entire world.

There were no words, nor any earth-shattering explosion of Aura. You Li's figure moved slightly, transforming into a dark, fragrant breeze that drifted towards Mu Changge, gently yet with lightning speed.

In the interval while building up his attack, Jian Wushuang caught a glimpse of this scene from the corner of his eye, and alarm bells rang in his heart! He had never been able to see through this stunning woman from the very beginning. She had no fluctuations of Spiritual Qi, and when standing still, she seemed to meld with her surroundings; had he not seen her with his own eyes, he would have barely noticed her existence. He dared to assert that this stunning woman was far more powerful than any of the Grand Elders he had seen in his Sect. This feeling of returning to simplicity and merging with the world was unnerving!

"Not good!" Jian Wushuang instinctively felt that something was wrong and wanted to stop it, but his entire strength and focus were poured into the "Sword That Slashes the Heavens" at this moment, leaving him powerless to do anything else. He could only watch helplessly as that dark shadow merged into Mu Changge's body without any obstruction!

There was no earth-shattering commotion, no violent energy fluctuations. The moment their figures merged, Mu Changge's Aura suddenly changed! An indescribable, vast pressure, like a sleeping primordial Vicious Beast awakening, slowly spread from within him! There was no Spiritual light shining around him, but those eyes that had originally been deep were now pure, vertical pupils swirling with cold purple light, revealing an inhuman indifference and divinity. His entire temperament became incomparably profound, as if he had formed some mysterious and unfathomable connection with this space and the rules of this world.

Mu Changge just raised his hand casually and gripped the heavy black iron sword. The movement was still simple, even unremarkable, just like the most basic horizontal slash practiced by a beginner.

Then, he swung it towards the "Sword That Slashes the Heavens" that was slashing towards him, seemingly capable of splitting the heavens, in a light, understated manner.

There was no flashy sword light, no deafening roar. Only a gray, hazy sword shadow, condensed to the extreme, flashed and vanished from the tip of the heavy sword.

However, the moment this inconspicuous gray sword shadow left the tip of the sword, everything in front of it—the air, the light, and even that incomparably sharp "Sword That Slashes the Heavens" Intent and Sword Qi blade—seemed to have been gently wiped away by an invisible hand, silently annihilating and dissipating!

Jian Wushuang's "Sword That Slashes the Heavens," which had condensed all his Spiritual Qi and endless hatred, was as fragile as a soap bubble in the sun before this gray sword shadow. It did not even stir up a ripple before it completely disintegrated and crumbled, turning into the most basic Spiritual Qi particles and dissipating between heaven and earth.

"What?" Jian Wushuang's eyes were wide with disbelief; he simply couldn't believe his eyes! His full-power strike, which he was confident could severely injure or even kill a Mid Spirit Severing stage Cultivator, had actually... just vanished without a sound? It had been wiped out by that seemingly casual, effortless sword strike from the other party!

But what made his Soul flee in terror even more was that the gray sword shadow, which appeared slow but was actually fast to the extreme, did not dissipate after wiping out his "Sword That Slashes the Heavens." Instead, it continued with undiminished momentum, drifting eerily towards him.

There was no biting Sword Qi, no terrifying momentum, yet Jian Wushuang's Soul was screaming in madness! A bone-chilling shadow of death, which seemed capable of freezing the Soul, instantly enveloped him completely! He had no doubt that if he were touched by this gray sword shadow, even if it just grazed him, he would be completely wiped from the world just like that "Sword That Slashes the Heavens"!

Run! Must run! Can't block it! Absolutely can't block it!

Unprecedented palpitation and fear gripped Jian Wushuang's heart, almost suffocating him. He had never felt death so close to him!

At the critical moment of life and death, the instinct to survive overwhelmed everything! The dignity of a Saint, deep hatred—everything was cast to the nine heavens at this moment! Relying almost entirely on muscle memory and the desire to survive from the depths of his Soul, Jian Wushuang let out a frantic roar at the critical moment and flipped his empty left hand!

In his palm, light suddenly appeared!

A small nine-story tower, only an inch high, with solid-looking gilded light flowing all over its body, and mysterious, unfathomable ancient runes slowly moving and rotating like flowing water on the tower body, appeared out of thin air!

Although the tower was small, it emitted a vast Aura as majestic as a mountain, capable of suppressing the heavens. On the front of the tower, the three ancient seal characters "soul suppressing tower" were clearly visible, written in a dashing, dragon-like style. Each stroke seemed to contain the principles of the Dao, emitting a vast divine light that made one's mind involuntarily want to submit and bow down!

"soul suppressing tower, protect me!" Jian Wushuang roared hoarsely, using all his strength to toss the small tower in his palm upwards!

"Hum—!" The gilded small tower expanded in the wind, instantly transforming into a three-zhang-high, brilliant golden nine-story pagoda phantom. The runes on the tower shone brightly, casting down layers of golden light curtains as thick as reality, like the sturdiest barrier, firmly enveloping Jian Wushuang's figure!

Almost at the same instant the golden light curtain formed, the seemingly slow gray sword shadow drifted over eerily.

"Sss..." A sound, so slight it was almost inaudible, like a hot knife cutting into butter, rang out.

The expected destructive Breakthrough did not happen. That gray sword shadow, capable of easily wiping out Soul Transformation and even stronger Cultivators, did not pierce directly through the solid golden light curtain cast down by the "soul suppressing tower" when it touched it. Instead, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, sinking into some kind of viscous and tough resistance!