Inside Zhenwu City.
Martial artists all over the city were in heated discussion.
They were guessing when the Blade Demon would show up.
But almost at the same moment, powerful figures like the Thunderblade Master and the Daychaser Sword King all suddenly stirred, their eyes turning toward the distance.
"He's here!"
They had all fought the Blade Demon before, so they were naturally familiar with his aura. And since he wasn't hiding it at all, they sensed his approach from afar.
In a flash—
A series of powerful figures shot into the sky, all rushing toward Zhenwu Mountain.
The people in the city saw this too. Everyone's expression sharpened, and then a wave of excitement spread.
If even the usually reclusive Daychaser Sword King and the others had suddenly appeared, it could only mean one thing: the Blade Demon had arrived.
No hesitation whatsoever.
Martial artists from all over surged toward Zhenwu Mountain. With Zhenwu City having expanded again and again, the mountain was now very close. Some powerful cultivators could even witness distant battles from within the city. Still, they rushed to the scene, eager to witness this once-in-a-century showdown up close.
A blind old man slowly stood up. Seeing the storytelling stall empty out in an instant, he couldn't help but laugh quietly.
Shaking his head, his empty eyes turned in the direction of Zhenwu Mountain, curiosity flickering in his heart.
"I wonder… could this Heavenly Sword Daoist be an old acquaintance of mine?"
He had watched the Blade Demon fight the Daychaser Sword King before and knew the Blade Demon wasn't the one. But now that he was back, it could only be to confirm the identity of the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
"A pity. The Blade Demon is certainly a once-in-a-generation genius… but still lacking by just a little." The blind old man sighed and shook his head. There was a faint trace of sorrow in his voice. His hollow eyes stared blankly ahead, eerie and still, lost in thought. He didn't head for Zhenwu Mountain—he simply stayed in the stall.
A massive tide of martial artists gathered.
Even Inner Origin Realm experts, who were rare on normal days, were everywhere now. But they all kept a low profile. After all, there were even Heaven-Man Realm experts in the crowd. One by one, these experts walked on air while the rest dashed across the ground.
Even the martial artists living in wooden huts across the mountain range sensed the disturbance and rushed toward Zhenwu Mountain.
Under the gaze of the crowd—
An old man with disheveled hair arrived barefoot.
The world fell silent.
Everyone's eyes filled with awe. This was the Blade Demon—a legend forged with the blade in his hand. He had taken down over half the names on the Heaven-Man List. Many peerless experts here had tasted defeat at his hands.
Even General Shenyu felt his heart tremble just watching. The blade intent coming from the Blade Demon had a strange, twisted aura—it felt like it would split him in two. He secretly felt lucky. Thankfully, he'd chosen the path of the spear and was part of the court. The Blade Demon wouldn't target him. Otherwise, just imagining facing such a terrifying opponent made his scalp tingle.
Some observant people noticed—
The blade hilt at the Blade Demon's waist was nearly invisible now. It was barely the size of a thumb, no longer resembling a hilt at all, more like a small iron lump. It had no straps or fasteners but still clung firmly to his waist.
The Daychaser Sword King looked astonished.
"He's… even stronger than when we last fought. Incredible. He's probably just one step away from reaching the pinnacle of the Blade Path."
He understood well.
The Blade Demon walked the path of forgetting the blade through battle—losing himself in countless duels to reach the state where everything could become his blade.
It sounded simple, but it demanded an unimaginably deep foundation. Every great leap forward after a battle was not thanks to the battle itself, but to the Blade Demon's own depth. Others could hardly copy such a path.
All eyes fell on the Blade Demon.
But he seemed unaware.
Once he appeared at the foot of Zhenwu Mountain, his gaze never left the Sword Stele.
Compared to three months ago—
He had grown even stronger. But the Sword Stele remained as mysterious and profound as ever. He had a guess, but couldn't confirm it. His dark pupils were filled with solemn intensity.
He walked slowly, step by step, tugging at the heartstrings of everyone watching.
Until he stood a hundred feet from the Zhenwu Sword Stele.
"Senior Blade Demon…" Luo Wentian spoke, then immediately fell silent. He had sensed that the Blade Demon had entered a strange state.
Disciples of the Zhenwu Sect all clenched their fists tightly, nervous.
The man's reputation preceded him.
Since his reappearance, the Blade Demon had stirred up storm after storm. Every day brought new tales of his exploits. And now, he had come knocking—about to challenge the greatest legacy of the Zhenwu Sect, the Heavenly Sword Daoist!
Zhuang Chen, Li Ling, and Ning Qi were among the crowd.
Zhuang Chen and Li Ling's faces were flushed with excitement.
Especially Zhuang Chen. Just moments ago, he'd been discussing the Heavenly Sword Daoist and the Blade Demon with Ning Qi. But before he could finish, the Blade Demon had arrived. Without hesitation, he dragged Ning Qi along to witness the fight.
Ning Qi gazed at the Blade Demon near the Sword Stele, his expression calm, his brows slightly raised.
He could tell—
The Blade Demon was indeed stronger than he'd been months ago. But he was still one step short of reaching the pinnacle of the Blade Path. Maybe just one opportunity would be enough.
"Is he really trying to use mastery of the Blade Path to break through into the Martial Sage Realm?" Ning Qi's eyes glimmered with thought.
He felt it wasn't that easy to break into the Martial Sage Realm through blade mastery alone. But perhaps he could observe and gain some inspiration.
Under the gaze of the crowd—
The Blade Demon fell silent in front of the Zhenwu Sword Stele.
"What's he doing? Why isn't he challenging yet?"
Many began to murmur.
But people like the Daychaser Sword King looked uncertain and shocked. They seemed to sense something, a rising unease deep in their eyes.
As the discussions continued—
A blade intent filled with overwhelming demonic energy erupted from the Blade Demon, swirling the skies. That blade intent coiled around the Sword Stele. Its aura was mighty enough to dominate the mountains and rivers, but it somehow felt just a step lower than the stele.
This time—
Even those of lesser cultivation faintly sensed something was wrong.
The Canghai Sword Sect master gaped in disbelief.
"The Heavenly Sword Daoist… has really taken that step?"
He hadn't left Canghai Pearl Island in years. If not for the Blade Demon's challenge, he wouldn't have come to Zhenwu Mountain. He'd heard of the Heavenly Sword Daoist, but this was his first time experiencing his presence so directly.
The crowd's hearts shook.
The Blade Demon floated in the air, hair whipping wildly in the wind. He threw back his head and roared—
"Heavenly Sword Daoist, please enlighten me!"
In his dark eyes, everyone could feel his blazing battle will and wild anticipation.
Everyone held their breath. Just from his words alone, they could sense how different the Blade Demon was this time. In all his previous fights, he had never spoken a single word beforehand. But now he said, "Please enlighten me"—that alone said everything.
All eyes turned to the Zhenwu Sect's rear mountain. Everyone knew that was where the Heavenly Sword Daoist lived in seclusion.
Ning Qi's gaze flickered.
With his current level, he could strike from afar and no one would even notice. Defeating the Blade Demon wouldn't be difficult.
But he didn't want to be flashy.
With a thought, a black-robed figure soared into the sky from behind the mountain.
After stepping into the Heaven-Man Realm, the Formless Qi Body technique had been further refined. It could now display seventy to eighty percent of Ning Qi's strength and act from greater distances with more agility. But right now, the black-robed old man's expression remained as cold and emotionless as ever.
Many people were seeing the Heavenly Sword Daoist for the first time and gasped softly.
At that moment—
The Blade Demon and the Heavenly Sword Daoist stood facing each other. An invisible pressure rolled out like a tidal wave. For a moment, it seemed as though a thunderous roar rang through the void. Wisps of sword intent hovered around the Heavenly Sword Daoist, causing the expressions of many peerless swordsmen to tighten. They had already noticed something.
The usually silent Blade Demon seemed like a chatterbox now. He laughed madly to the sky—
"Good! I saved you for last, and you didn't let me down!"
But the Heavenly Sword Daoist remained calm and silent as ever.
Just as people were pondering the Blade Demon's words—
A terrifying blade intent surged into the sky. The power of the world gathered, twisting into formless vortices. That demonic power filled the air—this was the Blade Demon's signature: the Three Demonic Blades.
"Human-Demon Blade!" A chilling voice echoed through the void.
Blade and man became one—the Blade Demon transformed into a demonic blade.
A black blade slashed upward, as if to cleave the sky itself, carrying an aura meant to destroy all.
Many experts were shaken.
Most of them weren't even worthy of this blade. Even the Thunderblade Master had been defeated by it. But now, the Blade Demon used it from the very start—and it was even stronger than during his battle with the Daychaser Sword King.
The Sword King narrowed his eyes. Back then, it had taken everything he had, unleashing his full Solar Sword Intent just to hold his own.
He was curious how the Heavenly Sword Daoist would respond.
But the Heavenly Sword Daoist still stood with his hands behind his back.
His expression unchanged, he raised one finger—sword intent surged in every direction. In a flash, a Heavenly Sword formed from thin air.
It looked ordinary at first glance—but upon closer look, it was terrifying.
Some saw unparalleled sharpness.
Some saw endless flow, like a great river.
Some saw tyrannical might, like heavenly thunder.
One sword, all things revealed.
Ning Qi smiled lightly.
The Heavenly Sword Daoist raised his finger—
The Heavenly Sword fell like divine judgment from the Nine Heavens.
In the pupils of those watching—
The demonic blade rising against the current shattered inch by inch, vanishing into nothing.
The Heavenly Sword descended.
Three feet in front of the Blade Demon—
It too dissipated.
A cold voice from the Heavenly Sword Daoist rang out—
"Show me your strongest technique."
Everyone was stunned.
Just one move—and the outcome was already clear.
The Daychaser Sword King was overwhelmed. Even though he had mentally prepared himself, he still couldn't help but be shocked. His voice was strained—
"The pinnacle of Sword Dao… all things can become a sword…"
He wasn't the only one.
Many peerless experts on the Heaven-Man List all saw it too. Each of them felt like a tidal wave had crashed through their minds.
None of them had expected the Heavenly Sword Daoist to have truly reached such a realm.
It was said in past eras that this pinnacle was one of the conditions to become a Martial Sage!
"Could it be… has the Heavenly Sword Daoist already reached the Martial Sage Realm?"
The thought startled everyone—then they shook their heads.
In the past two thousand years, aside from the Great Yan Martial Sage, no other Martial Sage had been born. It seemed impossible.
The crowd's hearts were in turmoil.
But the Blade Demon felt a pressure unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
This was the realm he sought.
At that moment—
His gaze toward the black-robed Daoist turned fanatical, as if seeing a ray of hope.
He realized—
His earlier probing had been a mistake.
The Blade Demon took a deep breath. Blade intent burst forth from his entire body with no restraint.
In that instant, the void around him, the earth beneath his feet, and even his own flesh—
All began to radiate terrifying blade intent, rising toward transcendence.
"This blade unites Heaven, Earth, and Man—named Annihilation. It's not yet perfected. Please enlighten me, Daoist!"
The Blade Demon's voice was low, the demonic glow flickering in his pupils, as if he was enduring immense pressure.
The Daychaser Sword King trembled, then gave a bitter smile.
Back then, he had sensed the Blade Demon still had a stronger move. Now, it was clear—he had been right. The Heavenly Demon Blade wasn't the strongest. The Annihilation Blade, forged from the fusion of Human, Earth, and Heaven Demonic Blades, was the true essence of the Blade Demon's path.
This was his blade path—the slash he relied on to break into the realm where all things become blade.
If this blade reached perfection, it would mean the Blade Demon was on the verge of entering the pinnacle.
Under the suffocating pressure brought by the Heavenly Sword Daoist—
The Blade Demon seemed to teeter on the edge of madness, forcibly elevating his blade path to its peak. This terrifying slash made everyone hold their breath, staring in stunned silence, as endless blade intent surged from every corner of the heavens and earth, ultimately merging with the Blade Demon.
If not for the faint trace of imperfection still present, this would have been a blade of the ultimate realm.
Everyone saw—
Even the Heavenly Sword Daoist's expression changed slightly. The aloof indifference in his eyes gave way to a hint of solemnity.
Ning Qi watched calmly.
He nodded to himself in secret.
He was observing the Blade Demon's blade path with admiration. This man truly was an extraordinary genius.
The fusion of Heaven, Earth, and Man was orthodox, and once merged with the demonic blade intent, it became brutally lethal. In some ways, this slash had already come infinitely close to the pinnacle level of both blade and sword intent.
It had brought him unexpected insight.
This Annihilation Blade was powerful enough for the Blade Demon to stand toe-to-toe with any Heaven-Man Realm expert.
Unfortunately, his opponent was Ning Qi.
Inside Zhenwu City, the blind old man lifted his head, an expression of clear amazement on his face.
"What a fine youngster. A pity, such a pity... If only he'd appeared a few thousand years earlier, he would've been a great general."
Then he turned his 'gaze' to the Heavenly Sword Daoist. Something about this man felt strangely familiar—but he wasn't any old friend he could recall.
He continued to 'watch'.
The Blade Demon's Annihilation Blade had fully taken shape.
The black demonic blade, infused with the essence of Heaven, Earth, and Man, radiated overwhelming might.
The Heavenly Sword Daoist moved.
His body stirred.
Boundless sword intent manifested upon him. This time, all things in heaven and earth—mountains, rivers, every flower and blade of grass on Zhenwu Mountain—converged into sword intent.
Back then, even the Daychaser Sword King had used this move.
But compared to what the Heavenly Sword Daoist was doing now, it was like a child's play.
The Daychaser Sword King stared in awe, as if witnessing a sacred revelation.
This was the realm he had dreamed of. Even after 160 years of hard cultivation, he couldn't come close.
The mighty sword intent surged skyward.
Heavenly Swords began forming around the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
One became three. Three became nine. Nine became one hundred and eight—perfectly matching the count of the Heavenly Gang and Earth Fiend stars.
One hundred and eight Heavenly Swords crossed the sky like one hundred and eight blazing suns.
The brilliance was unforgettable. Many would carry this image for the rest of their lives.
Everyone used to believe that the Heavenly Sword Daoist specialized in lethal sword intent.
But now, they saw something else.
Within those one hundred and eight Heavenly Swords, they saw all kinds of sword intents—too many to name.
The Daychaser Sword King even thought he saw his own Solar Sword Intent within them, leaving him shaken. Others had similar reactions.
The Heavenly Sword Daoist stood with hands behind his back. Then he raised a single finger.
The many Heavenly Swords merged into the Heaven-Qi Sword Formation and rained down in full force.
The Blade Demon's eyes trembled.
His terrifying Annihilation Blade looked so small before this great formation of Heavenly Swords.
But he was unyielding.
His wild hair flew as he swung the demonic blade to meet the onslaught. Under the tremendous pressure, he broke through again—the hilt at his waist nearly vanished from sight.
In an instant—
Heaven and earth lost their color.
Everyone stared blankly at the scene.
The demonic blade was like a trapped dragon, imprisoned in the center of the Heavenly Sword Formation.
It was constantly worn down, sword and blade intent exploding in that confined space, as if trying to erase the void.
Some saw it—the void there truly twisted.
It wasn't an exaggeration. That space had actually warped.
Those who understood the significance of this couldn't help but gasp inwardly.
But it was plain to see—
The demonic blade was fading.
No matter how the Blade Demon exploded with strength, it was useless.
Though he shattered a portion of the Heavenly Swords, even more continued to rain down with power, trying to suppress him completely.
"Is the Blade Demon… going to lose?"
That thought rippled through everyone's heart—both excited and regretful.
The Blade Demon had never lost before.
Few had even caused him real trouble.
But now, he was about to be defeated by the Heavenly Sword Daoist.
His fame, earned through countless battles, would end up setting the stage for someone else.
The swordsmen were elated.
Disciples of the Zhenwu Sect had wild light flashing in their eyes.
Crack!
A faint, clear sound rang out.
The demonic blade finally shattered inch by inch, crumbling into dust.
The Blade Demon… had truly lost!
Every gaze turned in stunned silence to the black-robed Daoist.
Many might have speculated about this outcome before—but none had expected the Heavenly Sword Daoist to win so decisively.
Though not a crushing defeat, it was undeniably a clear and overwhelming victory.