The Mid-Grade Sword Artifact: Seven Stars Sword.
Han Yi had obtained this sword artifact from a Ninth Layer Qi Refining cultivator among the Twelve Tribulation Cultivators outside Daofu City. When the Yin Thunder Talisman struck, it sent the sword flying, but it remained undamaged.
Its grade was slightly inferior to the Shadowless Sword Han Yi had purchased from the Nine Dragons Merchant Guild.
However, the power of a sword technique depended on two factors: the quality of the sword artifact itself and the cultivator's skill, cultivation level, and mastery of swordsmanship.
Since reaching Peak Perfection in his Sword Control Technique, Han Yi had yet to fully wield a sword in battle. This was the perfect opportunity.
Moreover, with his Divine Soul fused to the Grand Void Body, he was immune to death, allowing him to fight without restraint.
If Han Yi remained timid and refused to risk everything even after achieving immortality, what was the point of cultivating at all?
Most importantly, the Grand Void Token might be exchanged for spiritual treasures that enhanced Root Bone—a dream he had long cherished. He was willing to expose his full strength to obtain it.
Three blazing suns hung high in the sky. As they began to dip westward, their scorching light and heat gradually diminished.
Zuo Lie abruptly stood up. "They're here."
At that very moment...
A sword's cry pierced the air, erupting from the mountain forests several kilometers away. Accompanying the resonant clang was a white-robed cultivator standing atop a golden longsword.
"It's not Yang Yu," Zuo Lie said gravely. "It's Qiu Ying."
Han Yi recognized him too. This Sword Immortal wasn't the one they'd encountered before; it was the second Sword Immortal.
In Shu Prefecture, Sword Immortals were the stuff of legends. Yet, upon entering the Cave Heaven World, Han Yi had witnessed two in such a short time. It was truly an eye-opening experience.
"Although Qiu Ying and Yang Yu both hail from Sword Cliff, they're rumored to be rivals. This should be quite a spectacle."
As if on cue, another sword's cry exploded from the opposite direction, its battle-ready tone a clear challenge to the first Sword Immortal's call.
This time, the Sword Immortal standing atop a Spirit Sword was the one Han Yi had seen upon his initial arrival in this world.
However, both Sword Immortals understood that this wasn't the time for infighting. Their nascent sword intents vanished as quickly as they'd appeared, and their figures accelerated, hurtling deeper into the heart of the Cang Seven Division.
Simultaneously, figures emerged from the forests surrounding the Cang Seven Division, one after another. Each deployed their unique methods, flashing toward the settlement.
Amidst the fray, Han Yi spotted Xie Jingshan of the Spirit Battle Sect, the cultivator known for wielding nine battle flags. This time, Xie was suspended in mid-air, standing atop two of his flags, his speed nearly matching that of the two Sword Immortals.
Beside him were Changsun Anjing, the Duke of Anguo from Great Qian; Fu You of the Southern Dipper Divine Palace; and seven or eight other unknown cultivators. All formed the vanguard, moving at breakneck speed.
Han Yi estimated that only by unleashing the full power of his Peak Perfection Light Body Technique could he keep pace with them.
"Let's go," Zuo Lie urged. "All twelve Legendary Qi Refining experts are here—practically every one in the Black Demon Race's territory. If we fail to secure victory here, more Legendaries will flood in, not just from the Black Demon Race but from all eleven other regions of the Demon Race. By then, even Peak Qi Refining cultivators won't stand a chance. Forget about snatching a Grand Void Token Fragment."
Zuo Lie took a step forward, then abruptly halted, turning to Han Yi. "Fellow Daoist Han," he said, "every Grand Void Light Pillar appearance ignites a fierce battle for Grand Void Tokens."
"Even if we ultimately fail to seize it, participating in this venture will make the journey worthwhile."
"As for you, Fellow Daoist Han, your cultivation realm is too low. Take care of yourself."
With that, Zuo Lie strode forward. His figure flickered, and in an instant, he had covered dozens of meters. Another flicker, and he vanished into the throng of cultivators, each employing their own methods.
Their brief companionship had come to an end.
Han Yi didn't follow. Instead, he surveyed the cultivators in their varied robes, battle intent burning fiercely in his eyes. Just then, a voice called out from nearby.
"Junior Brother Han?"
Han Yi turned to see He Fengdi from White Tiger Peak.
"Senior Brother He."
He Fengdi didn't approach but clasped his hands in a respectful salute before rushing toward the mountainous terrain.
From this point onward, it was every cultivator for themselves.
Han Yi finally moved. With a single stride, the forest behind him blurred into a silent retreat, not even disturbing the wind. In that soundless step, he had covered a hundred meters.
His gaze remained fixed on the Legendary Qi Refining treasure, now streaking deeper into the mountains.
ROAR!!
At that very moment—
CRACK!
Countless roars erupted from within the mountains, shaking the heavens and earth as the mountains crumbled.
Black Demons—legions of the Demon Race—poured forth from the depths of the mountains.
Humans and demons: ancient enemies, destined for eternal conflict.
Even without the Grand Void Token, these cultivators and demons would have been locked in mortal combat.
Bang!
A Black Demon, towering over four meters tall with hands as large as prayer cushions, slammed a cultivator—who had flashed too late to fully evade—into a bloody mess, turning him into a Blood Demon. The cultivator's blade scraped across the Black Demon's flesh, leaving only a shallow cut that closed at an alarming rate.
The Black Demon's formidable Demonic Body boasted both impenetrable defenses and terrifying regenerative abilities.
At that moment, a silver crescent blade arced through the air, gently pressing into the Black Demon's torso. It passed through him completely, cleaving the creature in two as it silently collapsed.
The silver crescent was merely a blade of light, wielded by a female cultivator who appeared to be a young girl.
Incongruous with her petite frame was the colossal sword she dragged behind her—taller and larger than she was.
The silver greatsword rested on the ground without seeming heavy, yet it sliced through any surface like tofu, leaving clean, effortless cuts.
"Trouble. Even the Holy Maiden of Jade Capital Mountain has arrived," Zuo Lie, who had been charging ahead, muttered, his expression darkening. He had remained composed at the mention of a Sword Immortal, but the sight of this blade-dragging girl visibly unsettled him. His forward momentum subtly shifted away from her path, a clear sign of his extreme wariness.
"The Holy Maiden of Jade Capital Mountain?"
A voice startled Zuo Lie, nearly causing him to brandish his Magic Artifact in alarm. But in the next instant, he recognized Han Yi's voice.
"Fellow Daoist Han, your speed...?"
Earlier, during their journey from the Crimson Radiance Tribe to the Cang Seven Division, Zuo Lie had assumed that Han Yi, with his Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement cultivation, couldn't possibly move quickly. With plenty of time to spare, he had slowed his own pace to accommodate Han Yi.
Now, Han Yi's speed matched his own.
Han Yi had merely flashed past the area when he heard Zuo Lie's voice and called out in surprise. Realizing it wasn't the time for detailed explanations, he simply cupped his fists in greeting before surging forward, accelerating even further.
"Fellow Daoist Han... What? You can go even faster?"
Zuo Lie was stunned. Han Yi's sudden burst of speed now surpassed his own full sprint by at least thirty percent, rivaling the legendary Qi Refining cultivators. He was only slightly slower than the two Sword Immortals and the Spirit Battle Sect cultivator riding his war banner.