337: Devour the defeated, elevate your essence!

To be able to enter the World Society, led by Overlord's disciple Frost of the Qin, was already the best future for Arrogant Heaven.

"Now, take me to a place. I want the sword of defeat and ruin!"

"Defeat and ruin? That cursed broken sword?" Madam Ao was a little surprised. That useless thing had been sealed for nearly a hundred years and had no value whatsoever, except for harming people.

"Exactly, the sword of defeat and ruin!"

"Alright, Gang Leader, follow me!" Madam Ao didn't dare to ask more and quickly led the way: "Gang Leader, please follow me."

"Someone, drag this corpse away and chop it up to feed the dogs! Take the Young Master down for treatment!"

"Yes, Madam!" A servant immediately responded.

"Gang Leader, please follow me!"

The two passed through intersecting lava tunnels. The deeper they went, the more intense the chilling Evil Qi in the air became, even faintly overpowering the scorching heat of the underground fire.

Finally, they stopped before a seemingly ordinary stone wall. The wall was covered with dark red moss, cold to the touch.

Madam Ao, following an ancestral secret method, tapped the stone wall a few times in specific spots, some light, some heavy.

"Zazazaza—"

A heavy mechanical sound rang out, and the stone wall slowly slid open to one side, revealing a narrow entrance just wide enough for one person to pass through.

A cold wind, far more frigid than outside, carrying the scent of decay and destruction, howled out from within the cave, sending shivers down their spines.

There were no lights inside the cave, only a faint, dim glow in the depths, seemingly from the netherworld, flickering indistinctly.

Lu Jiuyuan stepped in. Madam Ao hesitated for a moment, then gritted her teeth and followed him.

The passage was not long, ending in a small stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber was a stone coffin, locked with iron chains.

Lu Jiuyuan pointed his finger, and the iron chains instantly shattered. He pushed open the coffin lid, revealing a sword inside.

This sword bore a six or seven-tenths resemblance to the peerless good sword, but the characters 'Gong Yi' were engraved on its blade.

It was precisely that forbidden weapon, the sword of defeat and ruin, whose forging process had killed nine sword-smiths, and whose Evil Qi was potent enough to backlash its master!

Although it had been sealed for over a hundred years, the dormant Qi of defeat and ruin within it had not weakened; instead, it had become even more refined and terrifying.

"Indeed... Divine Stone for Mending the Sky, Black Cold."

A fervent glint flashed in Lu Jiuyuan's eyes.

He could clearly feel the slight tremor from the Guhong Sword in its sheath, a craving it felt when encountering high-level materials.

He recalled that back then, his precious Guhong had suffered a tiny scratch when clashing with Lord of Baiyun City Ye Gucheng's treasured sword. He knew then that while his precious sword was miraculous, its material was merely chromium-vanadium steel.

Had it not devoured the ling shuang sword, the dragon soul blade, and the phoenix blood sword, its material would no longer be sufficient.

"Gang Leader, this sword is malevolent; touching it brings ill fortune..." Madam Ao felt the almost solidified malevolent Qi and couldn't help but warn him, her face turning pale.

Lu Jiuyuan seemed not to hear, walking directly to the sword of defeat and ruin.

He extended his hand, not directly touching the hilt, but hovering it above the blade, meticulously sensing the terrifying energy contained within and the unique essence of the Divine Stone for Mending the Sky.

"A fragmented sword soul, sealed within the Small Dragon Seizing Golden Blade... No matter, what I want is your body, not your heart, nor your soul!"

He no longer hesitated; with a thought, his mind moved.

"Clang—!"

The Guhong Sword unsheathed itself, hovering before Lu Jiuyuan. The blade hummed clearly, and a reddish-gold stream of light flowed along its edge. Imperial Dragon Qi and phoenix blood flame energy intertwined, emitting a grand and mighty aura, yet also carrying a hint of devouring desire.

As if sensing a threat, the sword of defeat and ruin suddenly vibrated violently!

The Evil Qi in the stone chamber instantly surged, and gray-black Qi whirlwinds formed out of nowhere, like countless spectral tendrils, coiling and lunging towards Lu Jiuyuan and the Guhong Sword! The blade's dim luster flared, emitting a piercing shriek!

"Hmph! A masterless, soulless malevolent weapon, dare to show your might?"

Lu Jiuyuan snorted coldly. Although his Supreme Dharma Body had not fully materialized, the immense spiritual Divine Might surged out like a tide, forcefully suppressing the restless Evil Qi.

He pointed a finger at the Guhong Sword:

"Devour it!"

Upon receiving the command, the Guhong Sword's light flared!

The reddish-gold light transformed into a substantial torrent of flames, not attacking the sword of defeat and ruin, but like a silkworm cocoon, wrapping it layer by layer!

"Buzz buzz buzz—!!!"

The sword of defeat and ruin struggled frantically. Gray-black Evil Qi and reddish-gold flames fiercely clashed, emitting a grating, corrosive sound.

It resisted, it roared, it was gone!

And the reddish-gold flame cocoon, formed by the Guhong Sword, suddenly converged, all its light and contained energy returning to the sword body.

"Zheng—!"

A long, clear sword cry, like a Dragon's roar and a Phoenix's song, echoed through the stone chamber, pierced through the stone walls, and spread throughout the world.

All the Divine Weapons in the world trembled.

The brand new Guhong Sword floated in the air. Its body still retained its magnificent style, but it shimmered with flowing light and vibrant colors. Within the reddish-gold sword light, a profound, dark black undertone subtly appeared, making its radiance less dazzling and more subdued and profound.

At the tip of the blade, a cold glint seemed capable of cutting through the Void Realm, its sharpness even greater than before.

It had successfully devoured the Origin of the Divine Stone for Mending the Sky and Black Cold from the sword of defeat and ruin, achieving a leap in its essence!

Its sharpness, its toughness, its spirituality, and even the upper limit of its capacity to bear Lu Jiuyuan's power, were now incomparable.

Lu Jiuyuan reached out and grasped the hilt.

A feeling of complete control surged through him. At the same time, he clearly perceived the even more immense power and potential within the Guhong Sword.

"Good!" A sharp glint flashed in Lu Jiuyuan's eyes; he was extremely satisfied with the gains from this trip.

Severed Meridian Sword Qi data recorded, sword of defeat and ruin Origin devoured, Guhong Sword quality skyrocketed.

He sheathed the sword, and the sharpness that could dim the heavens and earth instantly retracted.

Lu Jiuyuan stayed at the Sword Worship Villa for a few more days, consolidating the newly acquired data, slowly transforming replication into absorption, and then integrating it into his own system.

On this day, outside the villa, three figures arrived one after another, breaking the tranquility of the mountains.

The first to arrive was a short, pointy-faced, monkey-chinned old man with two long whiskers and greedy light flickering in his eyes.

His lightness skill was superb; he ghost-like bypassed the guards and headed directly towards the direction of the Sword Forging Pool, where the Sword Qi was most intense, muttering all the while:

"Sword Qi soaring to the sky, treasure light faintly appearing... Good sword! What a good sword! A peerless good sword! It should be fated with this old man! Hehehe..."

It was Sword Greedy, known by the moniker "Sword Greedy," who loved swords as if his life depended on it, especially fond of collecting famous swords from all over the world!

But he was fated to lack swords; any sword he acquired would break. Over the years, he hadn't a single sword in his possession, with no sword to use.

He had been eyeing the peerless good sword for a long time!

Almost immediately after, another figure silently infiltrated the villa.

This person was dressed in black, with a face as stern as ice, and his eyes contained an unyielding hatred and obsession. It was Bu Jingyun.

His purpose was clear; he also hastened towards the Sword Forging Pool.

He needed power to defeat Overlord, and he needed a Divine Weapon that could truly unleash the full extent of his swordsmanship.

He was determined to obtain the peerless good sword.

A moment later, the third figure appeared at the villa's entrance.

This person was dressed in red, holding an eerie long sword. There was a red scale at the guard, and the blade faintly glowed with a reddish luster. It was the huo lin sword.

"The huo lin sword rages on the southern peak, while the Snow Drink Blade lies cold in the northern depths!"

This referred to two Divine Weapons, the huo lin sword and the Snow Drink Blade!

With a hint of arrogance and unconcealed ambition in his brows, it was Broken Wave.

Feeling the Sword Qi within the villa that caused the huo lin sword in his hand to tremble slightly, his goal was not to obtain the peerless good sword, but to destroy it.

In this world, one Divine Sword, the huo lin sword, was enough. As for all other so-called Divine Swords, it was better to destroy them!

Inside the Sword Forging Pool, underground fire surged, and scorching heat waves were oppressive.

Hundreds of similarly shaped black long swords were plunged into the Sword Pool. Their blades reflected the dancing light of the underground fire, emitting a chilling Sword Qi.

However, only one among them was the true peerless good sword!