Undying Life

Chapter 505: Too Ruthless

Now they had two jade tokens, needing only one more. Following the direction Old Seventh had fled, Zhong Shan and Jian Ao flew swiftly.

Of course, finding Old Seventh was mostly a matter of luck, as they had no idea where he had gone. As they flew, Jian Ao suddenly accelerated like a sharp sword, testing Zhong Shan's speed.

And how fast was Zhong Shan? With his shadow body, his speed was unmatched, perhaps even faster than most Empyrean Realm experts.

"Whoosh!"

Two gusts of wind swept across the Yin-Yang Border Mountain. Jian Ao's speed reached eighty percent of his maximum, yet he still couldn't gauge Zhong Shan's limit.

Jian Ao, a sword cultivator known for their speed, couldn't shake off Zhong Shan. Shaking his head, Jian Ao slowed down. Neither had gone all out; both had their own secrets, and this small competition was enough to get a sense of each other's abilities without being too serious.

They flew past countless mountains, and just as Jian Ao was about to give up, a brilliant white light erupted in the distance. Infinite sword energy sprayed in all directions like an endless rain of swords descending upon the world.

Another peerless sword cultivator.

Above, endless sword energy revolved around a massive circle, as if a vast power was forcing the sword energy into submission. Below was an expanse of the vast sea, momentarily frozen as countless ice spikes shot skyward, seemingly intent on destroying everything, transforming the entire world into a domain of swords.

Zhong Shan and Jian Ao halted together, their eyes fixed on the center of this sword domain, where three figures stood out as black dots.

One was Old Seventh, who had encountered a blockade. Evidently, he had resisted earlier but had been forced to relinquish his jade token under the overwhelming sword intent.

The other two figures, one of whom Zhong Shan recognized immediately, were Han Jiguang, the former Great Emperor of the Da Guang Imperial Court. After the fall of the Da Yu Imperial Court, he too had been overthrown. However, Han Jiguang had survived.

Unexpectedly, Zhong Shan encountered him here.

Han Jiguang, clad in a purple robe, stood quietly to the side. Even without taking action, his aura projected a powerful presence. Any sword energy approaching within a hundred feet of him shattered.

The other figure was a white-robed man, dressed in snow-white garments with a layer of frost on his face. He wielded a long sword that was transparent like a glass sword. Despite its ordinary appearance, in the hands of such a peerless expert, it was anything but ordinary.

"Ice Soul Divine Sword?" Jian Ao's eyebrows raised.

As Zhong Shan and Jian Ao noticed the group in the distance, the people there seemed to suddenly notice them as well.

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The white-robed man was in the midst of collecting Old Seventh's jade token when Han Jiguang made a move.

With a wave of his hand, Han Jiguang shot a blue beam towards Zhong Shan and Jian Ao.

The blue light moved incredibly fast. Initially, Zhong Shan thought it was a magical treasure, but as the blue light approached with terrifying speed, he realized it was merely a beam of light.

Reacting quickly, Zhong Shan and Jian Ao dodged the attack, their movements fluid and precise.

Han Jiguang and the white-robed man seemed unfazed. The white-robed man completed the collection of Old Seventh's jade token and turned his attention to Zhong Shan and Jian Ao.

"Han Jiguang," Zhong Shan called out, his voice carrying across the battlefield.

Han Jiguang's eyes narrowed as he recognized Zhong Shan. A cold smile spread across his face as he replied, "Zhong Shan, long time no see."

Zhong Shan nodded slightly. "Indeed. It seems fate continues to intertwine our paths."

The white-robed man, with an icy demeanor, interrupted, "You two know each other? Interesting. But today, none of that matters. Hand over your jade tokens or face the consequences."

Jian Ao stepped forward, his sword radiating an intense aura. "You think you can just demand and we'll comply? You underestimate us."

The tension in the air thickened as the four powerful figures prepared for a confrontation. The battlefield was set, and the clash of titans was imminent.

The speed was overwhelming, leaving no time to react as the blue light enveloped Jian Ao and Zhong Shan. They both immediately shielded themselves.

"Whoosh~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

A sudden gust of wind blew past, and around Zhong Shan and Jian Ao, countless ice crystals appeared.

No, it wasn't just ice crystals; a massive cubic block of ice, each side a hundred zhang long, formed around them, encasing them completely. This wasn't just any ice block; even diamond couldn't match its hardness.

It was infinitely sturdy.

The Extreme Light Crystal Wall!

Zhong Shan immediately recognized it from his past research. This was one of Han Jiguang's strongest techniques, the Extreme Light Crystal Wall. When deployed, it became an indestructible shield that Han Jiguang had used to defeat countless opponents. It could be used not only as a shield but also for confinement. It was rumored that anyone below the Empyrean Realm, if trapped inside without external help, could never escape and would eventually die, even their soul frozen within.

The Extreme Light Crystal Wall?

Zhong Shan raised an eyebrow and, in a flicker, appeared outside the crystal wall.

What kind of constitution did the shadow body possess? Not to mention that shadow clones could become shadows, invisible and formless; even Zhong Shan's shadow body itself was invisible and formless. How could such an entity be confined by the Extreme Light Crystal Wall?

Seeing Zhong Shan emerge effortlessly from the crystal wall, Han Jiguang's pupils contracted with disbelief. Inside the crystal wall where Zhong Shan had been, there was no hole left behind.

What? Han Jiguang's eyebrows furrowed.

As he pondered, a deafening explosion shattered the air.

"Boom~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!"

The Extreme Light Crystal Wall shattered into pieces, with endless sword energy bursting out in all directions, shooting towards the sky like a surge of sword aura.

Jian Ao stood like a towering sword, poised above the sea.

Han Jiguang frowned even deeper. He knew the Extreme Light Crystal Wall's strength well. It had shattered? Just the sword aura had broken it? Even newly entered Empyrean Realm experts couldn't break it so easily.

Yet, compared to the breaking of the wall, what happened earlier was even more bizarre.

Too strange. The Extreme Light Crystal Wall was incredibly dense; nothing but light could pass through it. How did he get out so easily?

Zhong Shan? Was it him?

Han Jiguang recognized Zhong Shan instantly, his eyes flashing with a peculiar light.

Who was Zhong Shan? Han Jiguang knew better than anyone. The Da Guang and Da Yu Imperial Courts had almost been destroyed by this previously unknown figure.

At that time, Zhong Shan had only been in the Golden Core stage. A Golden Core stage cultivator had brought down two great imperial courts.

The Heaven Collapse Plan, with its five steps and the Fourfold Heaven Collapse, had established him as a peerless military strategist, rising like a comet in the vast expanse of Shenzhou. It was no small feat. Facing the Da Guang Imperial Court, although Han Jiguang had voluntarily given up, without Zhong Shan, he wouldn't have abandoned it so early.

Now, Zhong Shan's cultivation level was beyond Han Jiguang's discernment.

At least at the Imperial Realm. How had his cultivation increased so quickly? Too quickly, too monstrously. Could he be a reincarnation of some great power from a previous life? It must be. Otherwise, it would be impossible to cultivate so rapidly.

Upon realizing the nature of Zhong Shan's abilities, Han Jiguang's eyes grew wary.

In the distance, Old Seventh, having handed over his jade token, soared into the sky, disappearing into the black clouds, forfeiting his chance at the legacy.

Moments later, two figures appeared not far from Zhong Shan and Jian Ao.

"The Ice Soul Divine Sword?" Jian Ao eyed the transparent sword with a peculiar gleam.

"Sword Master Jian Ao, do you remember this sword?" The man wielding the Ice Soul Divine Sword had a similarly strange look in his eyes.

"You are Cang Lan Demon Lord? The Ice Soul Divine Sword has acknowledged you as its master again?" Jian Ao remarked with a hint of nostalgia.

"Indeed, and it is fortuitous that you are here. I have some matters to discuss with you," Cang Lan Demon Lord said.

"Hmm?" Jian Ao showed a slight confusion.

"Sword Master Jian Ao, you wielded this Ice Soul Divine Sword thirty thousand years ago, didn't you?" Cang Lan Demon Lord asked.

"Correct! Although my past life's memories have not fully returned, there are records left by my former self. In my past life, I wielded this very Ice Soul Divine Sword, the foremost divine sword of the Netherworld Heaven," Jian Ao nodded.

"The foremost divine sword of the Netherworld Heaven, indeed. At that time, you were also the master of the Netherworld Heaven, the premier sword cultivator. Not just in the Netherworld Heaven, but across Shenzhou, you were the number one sword cultivator. It was said that you and the Ice Soul Divine Sword were inseparable. It was rumored that becoming an immortal wasn't too difficult for you, with at least a fifty percent chance. Why then did you abandon this sword and even go as far as to take your own life?" Cang Lan Demon Lord inquired.

Suicide?

Zhong Shan and Han Jiguang both looked at Jian Ao in surprise. The top sword cultivator of Shenzhou committed suicide? How absurd!

Gently, Jian Ao extended his right hand. Cang Lan Demon Lord handed over the Ice Soul Divine Sword.

As soon as Jian Ao grasped it, the sword emitted a dazzling ten-colored light, as if rejoicing at reuniting with its old master.

Cang Lan Demon Lord's eyes widened. Even with his full power, he could only evoke an eight-colored light, yet Jian Ao easily surpassed him, displaying two additional colors. This meant Jian Ao's affinity with the sword was far greater than his own.

Jian Ao stroked the sword and shook his head, handing it back to Cang Lan.

"The Ice Soul Divine Sword, aside from the 'Earth, Fire, Wind, Water' swords of the Eternal Realm, there is no other sword in Shenzhou that can compare. In fact, it rivals any one of the four swords. But it is not my path," Jian Ao shook his head.

"Not your path?" Cang Lan Demon Lord furrowed his brows in confusion.

"If one uses this sword for too long, they become dependent on it. For anyone seeking long-lasting cultivation, one must understand this: oneself must be primary, and objects secondary. No matter how powerful an object is, it is still an object. If oneself is not strong, one will never be truly powerful. In my past life, I relied too much on this sword, causing my path to deviate. I became a slave to the sword, not its master. I was no longer fully myself. Though I could dominate Shenzhou, once I reached the sword's limits, I hit a dead end from which I could never escape," Jian Ao explained.

"Your own sword path?" Cang Lan Demon Lord still appeared puzzled.

"A path where I am the master, not swayed by external objects. But my past self was already corrupted by this sword, unable to change. The only solution was to be reborn, to clear all memories, habits, and characteristics, and to retrain in swordsmanship with a pure and untainted self. Only a sword path that belongs solely to oneself is the strongest sword path," Jian Ao elucidated.

To change his cultivation path, Jian Ao committed suicide and chose to reincarnate? What if he failed to reincarnate and his soul dispersed? The three men looked at Jian Ao in shock. This man was incredibly formidable and ruthless towards himself.