Chapter 189: Sword God Xu Yan, the One Who Slays You

Chapter 189: Sword God Xu Yan, the One Who Slays You

Xu Yan reached out to grab the storage bag on the stone table. Suddenly, there was a loud bang, and the crimson stone coffin shattered. A crimson hand reached out from the coffin, grasping towards his wrist.

"Young man, it's impressive that you were able to kill Hu Tu and make your way here. I, the one sitting here, am exactly what you need!" A cold voice echoed.

Xu Yan's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this, and the hand he had extended did not retract. Instead, it firmly grasped the storage bag, and at the same time, his wrist was also seized by the crimson hand.

A surge of eerie, cold energy emanated from the crimson palm.

The palm glowed with a faint crimson fire, as if it would corrode flesh and refine the essence of one's flesh and blood, consuming it.

Xu Yan's hand clutched the storage bag, and a cold light flashed in his eyes. A sword radiance emerged on his wrist, resembling a revolving sword wheel that encased the crimson palm.

The sword wheel spun, seemingly about to sever the crimson palm.

"Eh!"

A surprised voice emanated from within the shattered crimson stone coffin.

The hand that had grasped Xu Yan's wrist hastily withdrew, but the sword wheel, like a bracelet, remained wrapped around his wrist, spinning ceaselessly.

"What is this?"

With a thunderous boom, the stone coffin completely shattered, and a crimson figure stood upright.

A bizarre blood-red aura swirled around the figure, and its other hand struck out, aiming to crush the sword wheel.

Xu Yan coldly harrumphed, and the sword wheel abruptly expanded, spinning to envelop the figure within it.

"Good boy!"

The crimson figure showed no fear, and with a loud bang, it was engulfed in raging blood-red flames. An eerie, corrosive aura permeated the air, transforming into something akin to viscous blood that covered the sword wheel.

A sizzling sound filled the air.

Xu Yan's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he became more cautious.

The sword wheel melted under the coverage of the blood flames, but Xu Yan did not continue his attack. Instead, he frowned as he observed the crimson figure.

The figure had long crimson hair, and although its face appeared aged, it gave off the impression that it was filled with blood, making it exceptionally crimson.

The eerie aura lingered constantly, accompanied by a faint and unusual scent of blood.

"Could it be that you are the true Hu Tu Magic Lord?" Xu Yan asked in surprise.

"I am Blood Killing King of the Demon Sect, and Hu Tu is merely my disciple," the Blood Killing King replied, his eyes glowing a faint crimson.

"Blood Killing King?" Xu Yan furrowed his brows, unfamiliar with the name. However, since this person was Hu Tu Magic Lord's master, he must be a formidable figure within the Demon Sect.

"Your disciple, Hu Tu, is dead. I had a pact with him—if I killed him, his lifetime collection would belong to me. Therefore, I shall take this storage bag," Xu Yan said as he hung the bag at his waist.

The Blood Killing King's brows knitted together, a hint of displeasure in his voice. "Young man, have you never heard of me?"

He, the Blood Killing King, was a notorious figure within the Demon Sect. In the past, he had slaughtered an entire city, refining the essence of blood to step into the Grand Master realm.

He had also, amidst the siege of numerous powerful experts, continued his blood refining, even killing several peak Grand Masters. Eventually, with this blood refining, he broke through the bottleneck of the peak Grand Master realm, further enhancing his strength.

With the disappearance of the Demon Lord, the Demon Sect fell into disarray. The Blood Killing King fought with several other giants for the leadership position, sustaining severe injuries. He then encountered an ambush and suffered additional wounds, forcing him to feign death and lie dormant until now.

Hu Tu Magic Lord was his disciple, tasked with finding blood food to sustain his vitality, allowing him to survive until the present.

Anyone with some knowledge of the Demon Sect or the inner realm's martial arts world would undoubtedly be aware of the Blood Killing King's infamous reputation.

Xu Yan glanced at him and said indifferently, "I have no interest in learning about old wastes like you. It's normal if I haven't heard of you."

Old waste? The Blood Killing King let out a hideous laugh. "Delicious blood food, and you dare to despise me? I've never encountered such audacity in my life. Living long enough, one truly experiences everything!"

A terrifying power, akin to viscous blood, surged within him.

Xu Yan replied coldly, "Living for so long and yet having such weak strength—are you ashamed to be so arrogant? Is it that hard to admit you're a waste?"

Xu Yan had no affinity for the people of the Demon Sect, especially those who cultivated slaughtering and life-taking techniques.

The Blood Killing King's terrifying strength and the crimson aura that enveloped him indicated the countless martial artists he must have refined to attain such power.

"Kneel before me!" The Blood Killing King roared in anger, and with a thunderous boom, the might of a Half-step to Heaven-Man suppressed Xu Yan.

Xu Yan stood there calmly, unaffected by the might. A faint sword intent gradually emanated from his body, and as mountains and rivers materialized, it abruptly transformed into the Life and Death Sword Wheel.

"It's perfect timing to use you to hone my sword path!"

The sword wheel split into two, and the two sword lights of life and death surged towards the Blood Killing King.

At this moment, the Blood Killing King's expression changed drastically. Xu Yan was unaffected by his Half-step to Heaven-Man might, and he wondered if this young man had reached the Half-step to Heaven-Man stage.

Moreover, he suddenly realized that Xu Yan's aura was unusual, neither that of a Grand Master nor a peak Grand Master.

Boom!

A large hole exploded in the barren mountain, and two figures flew out.

One figure was crimson as blood, with a terrifying blood-red aura that resembled viscous blood waves, striking fear into the hearts of onlookers.

In his hand was a curved hook that was also crimson, exuding an eerie aura.

Xu Yan held a long sword, and with a single strike, the Life and Death Sword Wheel emerged majestically. The cycle of life and death was relentless, and the attacks continuously changed.

The Blood Killing King fought with increasing alarm. Each time he crushed the bizarre sword wheel, another one would immediately appear.

From the initial sword wheel, which seemed somewhat illusory and imperfect, the subsequent ones became increasingly solid and powerful.

Moreover, the cycle of the sword wheel made it unpredictable in offense and defense, and the attacks became increasingly tricky. At one point, he sensed a hint of death intent from one of the sword lights.

Just as his fierce attack was about to land, it was blocked by another sword light, an endless and relentless defense. But just as he thought it was merely a defensive sword, it transformed into a sword of death in an instant.

It nearly severed his arm!

As the battle progressed, Xu Yan's understanding of the sword wheel deepened. The Life and Death Sword Wheel continued to improve, and at one point, it spun like a Taiji, presenting itself before him.

The sword lights gradually transformed into one black and one white, and the black and white continually alternated, as if giving birth to a new sword intent.

However, it still lacked that final touch to comprehend the true intent of life and death.

"Today is a day of great harvest. I obtained the storage bag, gained entry into the Life and Death Sword Wheel, and now I've met you, Blood Killing King. Remember this: the one who slays you is Sword God Xu Yan!"

Xu Yan's Life and Death Sword Wheel abruptly split into two, transforming into two terrifying sword lights that enveloped the Blood Killing King within them.

The sword lights instantly converged, and in the alternation of life and death, they slashed towards the Blood Killing King!

"To think you could kill me, you're too arrogant, boy!" The Blood Killing King's eyes shone with a cold light, and with a thunderous boom, blood light soared into the sky. The raging blood fire dyed half the sky red.

The curved hook was crimson, as if it could tear through the sky.

At this moment, the might of a Half-step to Heaven-Man reached its pinnacle.

Even the ultimate secret technique was unleashed.

The Sword Wheel spun, and the Life and Death Sword relentlessly shredded the invisible spiritual entity, transforming into a Sword of Death that eradicated the spirit completely.

And thus, the Blood Killing King perished!

After slaying the Blood Killing King, Xu Yan fell into deep thought. Although the Blood Killing King had only reached the Half-step to Heaven-Man stage, Xu Yan speculated that a true Martial Heaven Man might not be much stronger.

"Does the Inner Realm truly have a Martial Heaven Man?" Xu Yan wondered curiously.

Up until now, there had been no news of a Martial Heaven Man in the Inner Realm. Even knowledge about the Half-step to Heaven-Man stage was extremely scarce, known only to a few top-tier forces and peak Grand Masters.

It seemed that the Inner Realm did not possess a true Martial Heaven Man.

"If I could spar with a Martial Heaven Man, my Life and Death Sword Wheel would surely become more refined." Xu Yan thought with a hint of regret.

Soon, his excitement returned as he thought of the treasure bag.

He untied the bag from his waist, channeled his true qi, and opened the bag. Inside, he found a stack of spirit tickets, a small pile of spirit crystals, and various bottles and elixirs.

"Fire Demon Lord Hu Tu is indeed wealthy!" Xu Yan exclaimed with delight as he roughly counted the valuables, thrilled to be rich once again.

The treasure bag resembled a toad, and when hung at the waist, it looked like a small toad perched there. The opening of the bag was like the toad's mouth, which could be opened by channeling true qi.

With his newly acquired riches, Xu Yan did not linger. He departed from the barren mountain where Hu Tu had resided and set off toward Canglan Island.

In a city, he located a transmission point for messages to Jianzun Cliff and sent a message to Xie Lingfeng, inviting him to meet at Canglan Island.

"To avoid a major conflict and martial arts dispute in the Inner Realm, we must find a way to cultivate the Great Wilderness martial arts. Only then can the Great Wilderness replace the Inner Realm." Xu Yan pondered.

However, he had not yet devised a perfect method for Inner Realm martial artists to transition to cultivating the Great Wilderness martial arts. While it was possible to cultivate true qi, it did not guarantee a complete transition.

"The Martial Arts Scholars of the Seven Stars Academy are experts in the Inner Realm martial arts. Perhaps if I teach them the Great Wilderness martial arts, they can research a method for transition.

"Or I can further understand the essence of the Inner Realm martial arts from them and devise a compromise between the two." Xu Yan contemplated silently.

After Xu Yan's battle at Evergreen Pavilion, no one dared to set foot on Canglan Island. Although some passersby on the Cang River gazed at the island with longing, they were intimidated by Xu Yan's might and kept their distance.

It was only when Peng Yuan from the Seven Stars Academy arrived with seven Martial Arts Scholars that Canglan Island saw new inhabitants.

Days had passed since their arrival, and Peng Yuan and his companions spent their time poring over a book, studying it intently. They would often take notes, their eyes shining with enthusiasm despite the dark circles beneath them.

Their passion for martial arts research knew no rest.

"Martial Arts Scholar Xu has arrived! Please take a seat!" Peng Yuan and the others exclaimed excitedly as they spotted Xu Yan, hurrying to pull a chair for him.

Xu Yan held the title of Martial Arts Grand Scholar at the Seven Stars Academy, hence their respectful address.

News of the battle at Evergreen Pavilion had spread, and they were well aware of Xu Yan's achievements.

"Thank you, Martial Arts Scholar Peng," Xu Yan replied with a smile and a polite bow.

Peng Yuan and his companions were hand-picked by Xu Yan from among the many Martial Arts Scholars. They were true enthusiasts of martial arts, evident from the dark circles under their bright and eager eyes.

"There's no time to waste in martial arts research," Peng Yuan said, his eyes shining with fervor. "Martial Arts Scholar Xu, let's begin with the Great Wilderness martial arts, shall we?"

"Of course, let's not waste any time," Xu Yan agreed, taking out a small booklet.

It contained cultivation techniques for the foundational stages of the Great Wilderness martial arts, from Refining Skin to Refining Qi and Blood.

"This is a foundational and introductory cultivation manual for the Great Wilderness martial arts. Martial Arts Scholars, please take a look. The Great Wilderness martial arts differ from the Inner Realm martial arts, and many Inner Realm warriors wish to transition to cultivating the Great Wilderness martial arts but lack a method to do so.

"All of you have dedicated your lives to studying the Inner Realm martial arts. Now that you understand the Great Wilderness martial arts, perhaps you can research how Inner Realm martial artists can transition to cultivating the Great Wilderness martial arts." Xu Yan explained.

Peng Yuan and the others listened with solemn expressions. The emergence of the Great Wilderness martial arts posed a significant threat to the Inner Realm martial arts world. All signs indicated that the Great Wilderness martial arts were superior, and every martial artist sought greater strength.

Once the Great Wilderness martial arts spread, the major forces in the Inner Realm would feel threatened. Their power stemmed not only from their heritage but also from their exclusive and more potent martial arts cultivation techniques compared to those in the outside world.

This was the very reason why the top-tier forces were so formidable.

However, the Great Wilderness martial arts threatened to undermine their foundations. The battle at Evergreen Pavilion had been so shocking that these forces were cautious and had not taken any action yet.

But once they recovered from the initial surprise and felt the weight of the threat to their traditions and survival, they would surely join forces and fight back, seeking a glimmer of hope!

To reduce or avoid a major conflict over martial arts, the only solution was to introduce a transition method. If the strong cultivators from the major forces could successfully transition, they would still retain their advantages.

After all, a more powerful cultivation technique was evidently more important than mere tradition.

"Martial Arts Scholar Xu, rest assured. We will do our utmost, not only for others but also for ourselves. We will definitely find a way to research and develop a transition method," Peng Yuan assured solemnly.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end