"My Void Scroll!"

As the sound of tearing silk echoed, the surrounding void rippled like the surface of a placid lake.

The white clouds and the void twisted and distorted.

Uneven mountain rocks emerged from beneath their feet.

A mountain breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of green grass and lush vegetation.

Only then did they realize they were standing on a mountaintop, not in mid-air.

The carriage must have fallen into the Magic Altar’s trap long ago, becoming trapped within and landing on this mountain under the Array’s influence.

And now, the three Demons whose forms and locations had been concealed by the Array were finally revealed.

"Tree Demon!" Seeing his Treasure destroyed and the Magic Altar broken, the toad, which had been pinning down the Five-Pointed Flying Sword, roared in pain:

"Stop dawdling! Attack, now!"

"..." The Tree Demon’s main body swayed, the face pieced together from bark showing reluctance. Then, it grit its teeth.

"I’ll risk it!"

Wood Divine Light!

Its body trembled. As it consumed its own life-source tree heart, a ball of green light shot toward Zhu Ju.

"SWOOSH!"

The moment the divine light landed, the Five Elements Ring was forcibly stripped from his control.

Zhu Ju’s brows twitched slightly.

This method was different from the toad’s Secret Technique that had pinned his Five-Pointed Flying Sword. This one directly clouded his Spiritual Soul Perception.

No!

It wasn’t clouding it; it was severing it.

It was as if...

Something had directly cut the connection between him and the Five Elements Ring.

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword was merely suppressed by a strange force; the connection was still there, and he could even feel it gradually breaking free from its restraints.

Comparatively, the Tree Demon’s method was far more domineering, though he imagined it couldn’t be sustained for long.

The divine light wrapped around the Five Elements Ring like a rope, ignoring the suppression of his Divine Soul and Magical Power, and violently yanked it away from Zhu Ju.

The Magic of this world...

was truly profound!

With his Flying Sword and protective Treasure both neutralized, he could only watch helplessly as the last Demon charged straight at him.

"BAA!"

The Yellow Sheep Demon let out a strange cry.

Compared to the other two massive and bizarre-looking Demons, the Yellow Sheep appeared completely ordinary.

But for a Demon, being ordinary was the most extraordinary thing of all.

Only by using one’s own Divine Soul Power to suppress the crazed, rampaging thoughts within could a Demon Body stabilize.

This Yellow Sheep had to be the strongest of the three. Though not yet a Second Decline True Man, it was only half a step away.

"Sect Leader, be careful!"

Facing the charging Demon, Xiao Meng and Jiang Qiu attacked in unison.

The Demon-Slaying Sword and the Invisible Sword shot through the air, their Sword Qi letting out a sharp shriek as they slashed down viciously at the Yellow Sheep.

It was common knowledge that Treasure Artifact True Men had frail Physical Bodies. If a Demon got close, death was certain.

If something happened to Zhu Ju...

There was no way they would survive!

With their lives on the line, the two of them held nothing back. Magical Power surged from their bodies, and the Sword Light of their Flying Swords flared brilliantly.

"CLANG..."

A collision rang out.

Both of their faces paled, the Spiritual Light of their Flying Swords dimming, while the Yellow Sheep was only momentarily stunned before charging again.

Like a streak of yellow light across the sky, it crossed a hundred meters in an instant, its horns aimed straight for Zhu Ju’s heart.

’It’s over!’

The color drained from Xiao Meng and Jiang Qiu’s faces, their eyes filled with despair.

"WHOOSH!"

The air suddenly darkened.

A massive hand, shimmering with five-colored light, appeared before the horns and pressed down gently on the charging Yellow Sheep.

Five Elements Palm!

Zhu Ju’s expression was solemn. The giant palm in his Sea of Consciousness rose and fell as a full thirty percent of his Essence, Qi, and Spirit was drained in an instant.

"BANG!"

The horns and the palm collided.

The charging streak of yellow light came to a dead stop.

The Yellow Sheep’s face was filled with astonishment. A complex mix of emotions flashed in its eyes before they all melted into agony as it threw its head back and roared.

"BAA!"

It felt as if it had crashed into a solid steel plate. A cracking sensation spread through its horns, which it believed could pierce through anything.

It seemed...

if there was even an ounce more force, its horns would shatter on the spot.

’How is this possible?’

’My horns can shatter Treasures!’

"SWISH!"

A saber flash was gone in an instant.

The Yellow Sheep’s strange cry was cut short as its head separated from its neck, blood spewing from the wound.

Ghost God Limit!

The Sheep Demon...

was dead!

"Haaah..."

Zhu Ju gripped the Cross and Vertical Saber in his right hand and held the Yellow Sheep’s head in his left. He took a ragged breath and looked toward the two remaining Demons.

The Five Elements Palm was incredibly powerful, but its drawback was that it was completely uncontrollable and consumed a massive amount of Magical Power upon use.

Fortunately, it had been a decisive blow.

Had he used his Saber Technique, he still would have been able to take it down, but it would have been nowhere near as clean and swift.

"CROAK!"

Seeing the Yellow Sheep’s death, the toad Demon let out a strange cry. Its massive body spun around abruptly, and a cloud of black smoke enveloped it as it shot into the sky.

It had abandoned its companion and fled.

With one companion dead and the other fleeing, the Tree Demon’s ’face’ showed panic. It plunged its roots into the mountain rock beneath it.

"RUMBLE RUMBLE..."

The mountain rock shattered.

Its root system spread rapidly downward as its body began to sink into the mountain, attempting to use its innate Talent to escape through the earth.

Unfortunately.

It was too late!

"SWOOSH!"

The Five Elements Ring, now back under his control, trembled once and instantly appeared above the Tree Demon’s main body.

The five rings contracted inward.

With a series of "CRACK CRACK CRACK" sounds, the tough Demon Body was squeezed and twisted by the Five Elements Ring.

"AHH!"

The Tree Demon screamed in pain, its Magical Power completely sealed, and its body was pulled out from the rock.

The Five-Pointed Flying Sword arrived in a flash of lightning, like a five-colored streak of twilight, piercing a thousand wounds into the Tree Demon’s body.

Then, with a final, twisting force...

"BANG!"

The Tree Demon’s body exploded. The shattered bark on the ground twitched a few times, then lost its last trace of life.

The Tree Demon...

was dead!

Glancing at the toad, which had already flown several miles away, Zhu Ju narrowed his eyes. He then pulled out a Flying Talisman and slapped it onto his body.

"You two stay put. I’ll be right back."

"SWOOSH!"

The Flying Talisman flared with divine light, enveloping his body in what felt like a gentle breeze. With a light leap, he could soar into the air.

After a moment of adjustment, Zhu Ju transformed into a wisp of wind and chased after the toad.

"CROAK!"

"CROAK! CROAK!"

The toad Demon cried out repeatedly. It glanced back, a look of terror on its face, and hastily said:

"Fellow Daoist, must you be so aggressive? This toad admits defeat. You can have all the spoils from my two companions."

It was not a Demon with the ability to fly. Its escape using the black smoke was not fast, and he was caught up in a blink of an eye.

"SWOOSH!"

Without a word, Zhu Ju flicked his finger, and the Five-Pointed Flying Sword shot forth like lightning.

"CROAK!"

The toad was terrified. It once again spat out a jet of dim yellow light to freeze the Flying Sword, but by then, the Five Elements Ring was already descending.

The yellow light from its mouth was clearly not enough.

"BANG!"

The Five Elements Ring slammed into its body repeatedly, leaving the toad dazed and disoriented. Before it could recover, a flash of saber light streaked past.

Its consciousness plunged into endless darkness.

The toad...

was dead!

Three True Man Realm Demons, all dead in a matter of moments.

Zhu Ju hovered in mid-air and collected the bodies into his Qiankun Bag. He didn’t leave right away, but instead turned to look into the distance.

On a faraway mountaintop, a massive aura flickered in and out of existence.

"A Second Decline True Man?"

"Sword Intent?"

Such Sword Intent couldn’t help but remind him of a certain Treasure Artifact True Man from the Sword Sect.

However, the other party seemed to have no hostile intentions. He merely glanced in their direction from afar before turning to leave.

"Strange."

"What is he doing here?"

Shaking his head gently, Zhu Ju didn’t dwell on it. He used the Flying Talisman to return to Xiao Meng and Jiang Qiu’s side.

"Sect Leader!"

"Sect Leader, are you alright?"

"I’m fine." Zhu Ju shook his head, not mentioning the person he had just spotted. He glanced at the ground.

"Clean this up. We’re leaving."

*

*

*

「Half a month later.」

Talisman Hall.

Hall Master Jiang Qiu sat cross-legged in the center of a Magic Altar, his face etched with apprehension. Beside him lay a palm-sized, transparent Flying Sword.

"Sect Leader."

He swallowed hard and explained:

"Although the Invisible Sword is still a High Grade Treasure Artifact, after centuries of use and repeated damage, its Spirituality has greatly diminished."

"If I want to use it to advance to the True Man realm, I must re-infuse it with Spirituality, which is equivalent to a simplified re-refining process."

"Mm," Zhu Ju nodded. "Can it not be promoted back to a Spiritual Artifact?"

"It cannot," Jiang Qiu shook his head. "In this day and age, I’m afraid it’s no longer possible to refine Spiritual Artifacts."

"However, even as a Pseudo-Spiritual Artifact, if I truly manage to advance to the True Man realm, I believe I won’t fear even a Second Decline True Man while wielding it."

At that time.

The Sword Sect would have two members with the combat power of a Second Decline True Man!

"Begin," Zhu Ju said. "I will act as your Guardian."

"Thank you for your trouble, Sect Leader." Jiang Qiu took a deep breath, tapped the spot between his eyebrows, and a phantom Flying Sword abruptly materialized above his head.

The Invisible Sword!

The legacy he cultivated was the Invisible Sword itself.

"CLANG!"

As the Invisible Sword Dharma Aspect appeared, the transparent Flying Sword at his side leaped and hummed, emitting a sharp, ringing sound.

It was as if it was longing for something.

"Go!"

Jiang Qiu’s eyes narrowed. The Invisible Sword Dharma Aspect swept out, gathering up the various materials that had been prepared long ago.

"RUSTLE RUSTLE..."

As his Magical Power surged, the various materials merged with the Invisible Sword Dharma Aspect, undergoing a strange transformation.

Hard ores softened like clay; transparent precious jades burst with dazzling light.

’Hm?’

Zhu Ju’s brows twitched, his eyes turning grave.

’Spirituality!’

He sensed a powerful fluctuation of Spirituality in the process of the Dharma Aspect merging with the Spiritual Materials. It seemed this was the fundamental principle.

There was no True Flame, no sacrificial refining Method...

The Dharma Aspect and the Spiritual Materials seemed to reach the same frequency at a certain moment, allowing them to merge in perfect harmony.

This was clearly a unique aspect of this world’s Cultivation Methods.

’It’s profound, but also very dangerous.’

’If the breakthrough fails, not only will a significant amount of materials be wasted, but the Cultivator will also be severely injured.’

’A light injury would mean a regression in Cultivation. A heavy one would mean instant death. It’s almost as risky as trying to establish a Dao Foundation without a Foundation Establishment Pill.’

As these thoughts raced through his mind, a brilliant light shone in Zhu Ju’s eyes, not missing a single change in the breakthrough process.

"Come!"

Jiang Qiu roared.

The eager transparent Flying Sword leaped up and merged with the Invisible Sword Dharma Aspect, an unprecedented wave of Spirituality surging forth.

"Nngh!"

Jiang Qiu’s face contorted, his eyes wide, as Magical Power flooded out of him, forcing the fusion of the Dharma Aspect and the Flying Sword.

Time ticked by.

At a certain moment.

Zhu Ju’s gaze shifted, and an Illusory Copper Bell suddenly appeared above his head.

"DONG..."

A melodious bell toll echoed.

Jiang Qiu’s body shuddered. The savage expression on his face gradually relaxed, and then his body began to tremble slightly.

"DONG!"

"DONG..."

The Soul-Shocking Bell rang out again and again.

"PFFT!"

Jiang Qiu’s eyes snapped open. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and the Invisible Sword fell to the ground with a CLATTER.

The breakthrough had failed!

...

「Two days later.」

Xiao Meng, the Hall Master of the Mountain-Shattering Hall, sat cross-legged in the same spot Jiang Qiu had occupied, laying out all her materials one by one.

"Are you sure you want to attempt the breakthrough now?"

Zhu Ju looked directly at her.

"Hall Master Jiang’s breakthrough failed. With that cautionary tale right before your eyes, are you certain you won’t be affected?"

"The materials are all gathered. It wouldn’t be too late to try again in a while."

He wanted to witness more Great Mages breaking through to the True Man realm to give him ideas for solving the trouble with his left hand.

But he didn’t mind waiting a few more days.

Although Jiang Qiu hadn’t died from his failed breakthrough, he was severely injured and would take years to recover.

Any normal person would feel some apprehension seeing that.

"There’s no need," Xiao Meng shook her head. "Sect Leader, I am different from Senior Brother Jiang. He relied on the Invisible Sword for his breakthrough, so the sword took the lead."

"I am different. I am the primary agent, and the Demon-Slaying Sword is secondary. His experience is of little use to me."

"Besides..."

"Momentum is everything. You charge on the first drumbeat; on the second, your will falters; by the third, it’s gone. I’ve been Nurturing Sword Intent for years. How could I not understand this principle?"

"Very well, then." Zhu Ju didn’t try to persuade her further. He took a bottle of Elixirs from his person and handed it to her.

"Hall Master Jiang’s breakthrough failed partly because the Invisible Sword was too powerful for him to control, and partly because his Magical Power couldn’t keep up. This bottle of Elixirs can provide you with some Magical Power. Put one in your mouth now, and swallow it when your Magical Power runs low."

"Thank you, Sect Leader." Xiao Meng’s eyes lit up, and she immediately did as he instructed.

"Emerge!"

A brilliant Demon-Slaying Sword Technique Dharma Aspect emerged from her Ancestral Acupoint, coiling around her and drawing the numerous Refining Materials into it.

Soon after.

The Demon-Slaying Sword, passed down through the Mountain-Shattering Hall, leaped up and merged with the Dharma Aspect.

"Nngh!"

Xiao Meng’s brow furrowed, and a look of pain crossed her face, but the process of the Dharma Aspect and materials merging did not stop.

Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.

As time went on.

Xiao Meng’s body began to tremble, sweat soaking her clothes and revealing her graceful figure.

The Flying Sword above her also grew more and more solid.

’Huh?’

Zhu Ju, who had been ready to intervene at a moment’s notice, showed a look of astonishment. His eyes grew brighter and brighter, and a joyful expression appeared on his face.

A change...

was occurring silently.

As the Demon-Slaying Sword and the Dharma Aspect merged, the Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi grew turbulent, and Xiao Meng’s Divine Soul began to transform.

Her Physical Body was tempered and cleansed by the Primordial Energy drawn in by the Demon-Slaying Sword. Her Magical Power became more agile, active, and abundant.

A True Man!

She had actually succeeded!