My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 288 - Houjin Attacks, Zhong Mountain Shakes

Chapter 288 -288 Houjin Attacks, Zhong Mountain Shakes

The once renowned Sword God who had made a name for himself across the world, now lay on the ground, his breathing becoming extremely weak.

Compared to the Sword Demon, his Sword Dao was indeed sharper, but the sharper something is, the more painful it is when it breaks. The Sword Demon, protected by the Snow Mountain Holy Body Technique, could still stand, but at this moment, Sword God Liu Moyuan could only lie on the ground struggling against death.

The entire Zhong Mountain was as silent as death, and it was unknown how long had passed before a faint sound emerged, which then resonated through heaven and earth, shaking the mountains and rivers.

“My God! Did the Ghost Swordsman really defeat the Sword God?”

“Another top swordsman has fallen to the Evil Suppressing Sword.”

“Looking back and forth over five hundred years, it’s very difficult to find another swordsman as formidable as this one.”

…

Everyone’s hearts were trembling, after all, this was the Ghost Swordsman who had fought two battles in succession.

The Ghost Swordsman had first defeated the Sword Demon, already enough to make a name for himself in the world, and then he overpowered the Sword God. How many in the world could achieve such a remarkable record?

Keep in mind that both the Sword God and the Sword Demon were the top swordsmen of their era, having reached the peak. Despite that, both were defeated by the Ghost Swordsman who was still young, and it seemed that his peak had not yet come.

No one knew what the future held for the Ghost Swordsman, or what heights he would reach when he entered his peak, but for the next fifty years, there would be no swordsman capable of challenging him – that was an unquestionable fact.

Some even believed that the Ghost Swordsman had the potential to reach for the Seventh Realm of Sword Dao, that enigmatic and elusive realm no one had yet achieved.

Jia Shiwu’s expression was complex as he muttered to himself, “So this is what the world’s top swordsman amounts to.”

Sword Dao is most prevalent in Yan Country, where there are the most swordsmen, so they hold in the highest esteem the title of the world’s top swordsman. Yet, no one had taken on this title for over a hundred years, and those who did were but fleeting wonders.

And with the Ghost Swordsman’s current age, who could shake his status in the next fifty years?

At such a young age, he had reached what many could not achieve despite a lifetime of effort; for everyone, this was another heavy blow.

Zuo Biwen didn’t even know what to say anymore and just looked at the young man in white before him.

Zhao Chongyin’s face, usually as calm as still water, couldn’t maintain its composure as he frowned deeply.

Master Su couldn’t help but say, “This man is extraordinary.”

Although his cultivation was still above An Jing’s, even above many others in the world, his heart was still full of amazement at the achievements of the young man before him.

Today, this Ghost Swordsman.

Has officially become the world’s top swordsman.

Possibly the youngest world’s top swordsman in the rolling history of time, with no precedent and likely no successors.

An Jing also took a deep breath, his mind involuntarily recalling words once said by Lou Xiangzhen.

Life is absurd and solitary, the Heavenly Dao is arduous and noble; with a palm as a sword, when the Heavenly Rainbow falls, severing the Sect Leader’s pagoda, toppling the emperor’s crown, be the great Sword Immortal who stands unmatched by anyone in the world just once.

At this moment, numerous experts in Sword Dao had sparks flashing in their eyes, their hearts resounding with an inexplicable shock. Despite being from the Demon Sect, An Jing’s prestige had now reached a pinnacle within the Jianghu.

This prestige, within the Yan Country’s Jianghu, was matched only by Xiao Qianqiu who sat atop Zhenyi Mountain, the State Preceptor of the Yan Kingdom Court, and the first master within the Great Yan Martial World.

And the experts from Yu Heng Sword Sect also flew in, reaching the front of Sword God Liu Moyuan, and upon finding he was still breathing, they breathed a sigh of relief, gave An Jing a fist salute, and then supported the Sword God as they headed to where the Yu Heng Sword Sect was gathered.

An Jing turned his head towards Crown Prince Zhao Chongyin and asked, “Your Highness The Crown Prince, may I claim the Dulu Sword now?”

Instantly, everyone turned their gaze in that direction.

Zhao Chongyin had adjusted his emotions and said with a smile, “Please.”

A word that was brief and to the point, neither joyful nor sorrowful.

But in his heart, Zhao Chongyin thought: An Jing, oh An Jing, this Dulu Sword is not so easily obtained.

An Jing walked towards the giant cauldron on the altar, his heart also filled with curiosity about the Dulu Sword, renowned as the world’s first sword.

The Qi Force had just rushed towards the cauldron, only to be suppressed by the Sword Qi from the Dulu Sword within.

A famed sword with spirit, naturally emanating Sword Qi, how fearsome could this sword be?

An Jing’s pace was neither fast nor slow.

There was no trace of abnormality within the giant cauldron, but as An Jing approached within a significant range, the Evil Suppressing Sword suddenly started to emit a series of light humming sounds, and at the same time, a clear chirping sound emerged from within the cauldron.

This seemed to carry a hint of warning.

Swordsmen contend with swordsmen, and swords themselves also have contests.

The Sword Demon slowly rose to his feet, murmuring, “The Dulu Sword also chooses its master.”

As he stood up, he suddenly noticed a pair of cold eyes staring at him—the owner of the gaze was none other than Master Su.

The Sword Demon felt a chill in his heart: “A true expert!”

Although he had long known there was a powerful figure beside Crown Prince Zhao Chongyin, his eyes still narrowed involuntarily. If he was not mistaken, this person was of the Five Qi Grandmaster Level.

The Sword Demon, who had roamed the Jianghu for many years, had naturally encountered Five Qi Grandmasters.

To exert such pressure on him, it could only be the cultivation level of a Five Qi Grandmaster.

At this moment, as their gazes met, the Sword Demon dared not make any rash moves.

“Sh!”

An Jing took another step forward, and the giant cauldron reflected a fierce Sword Qi.

If the Sword Qi unleashed during the previous battle came from the swordsmen, the Sword Qi now was emitted by the sword itself, essentially even sharper.

Right as this fierce Sword Qi was about to touch An Jing, stars once again appeared behind him.

Immortal Dao!

When the sky was filled with stars, the fierce sword qi dissipated into nothingness in an instant, as if winter snow met the warm sun.

An Jing kept walking forward, as sword qi continuously refracted from the giant cauldron, getting faster and sharper, but without exception, it melted away as it neared him.

“Buzz! Buzz!”

The Dulu Sword within the giant cauldron kept releasing its own sword qi, as if it wanted to stop An Jing from getting closer.

The hum of the Evil Suppressing Sword grew louder and more ear-piercing.

Within the crowd, Tianpeng Ancestor wondered to himself, “What kind of Sword Dao has this Ghost Swordsman cultivated, to be able to melt the Dulu Sword’s sword qi?”

Being one of the top swordsmen in the world, he was very familiar with blades. The Dulu Sword, known as the World’s First Sword, ranked first not only on the lists made by Jianghu, but also in the annals of history, and its reputation was well deserved.

The sword qi it unleashed was exceptionally powerful; any swordsman who wielded the Dulu Sword would undergo a qualitative transformation.

Moreover, the sword qi emitted by the Dulu Sword would devour its master, so swordsmen who obtained the Dulu Sword either seldom used it or met an early death.

This revealed the peculiar nature of the Dulu Sword’s sword qi.

That the Sword Dao of the Ghost Swordsman could directly melt the unique sword qi of the Dulu Sword was somewhat unbelievable.

Zhao Chongyin’s brows were knotted in puzzlement.

He had thought that An Jing, after fighting two battles, would have no strength to resist the Dulu Sword’s qi, but unexpectedly he had dispelled it so easily.

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, An Jing arrived in front of the giant cauldron.

The cauldron was still shaking, releasing a large amount of sword qi.

That was a longsword, its hilt made from the horn of a true dragon from ages past, and even after a thousand years, it still radiated a faint dragon might. The Dulu Sword’s material was peculiar, like stone yet not stone, with a simple style, and on the blade that bore a fine crack, two characters prominently engraved—Dulu.

A resolve shone in An Jing’s eyes as he reached for the hilt of the Dulu Sword.

The moment he held the Dulu Sword, a surge of overwhelming sword qi rushed along his arm towards his body.

“Hmm!?”

An Jing hadn’t expected the Dulu Sword’s sword qi to invade his body directly. Such sharp sword qi could damage the internal organs, and even someone at the Master Realm might suffer a heavy blow.

Just then, the “Nameless Heart Scripture” began to circulate, drawing the sword qi into his dantian to dissipate.

The next moment, the swords of all swordsmen present let out a clear tremble, shaking violently.

Then swords flew up to the sky in droves, with sword qi crisscrossing in all directions.

Such a wondrous scene was unprecedented.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Around the center of the giant cauldron, a succession of explosive sounds resonated.

Until the noise gradually faded away, the swords all returned to their scabbards.

People looked towards the giant cauldron and saw An Jing holding the world’s first sword, Dulu Sword, and the formerly rampant and unrestrained sword qi also vanished in a flash.

“What a good sword!”

An Jing gently caressed the blade of the Dulu Sword and, smiling at Zhao Chongyin, said, “Thank you, Crown Prince, for the sword.”

Zhao Chongyin replied indifferently, “It’s your own skill.”

Unable to hold back, Yang Chong remarked, “The World’s First Swordsman deserves the World’s First Sword.”

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Jia Meixian also looked at the unparalleled swordsman in white, feeling as if in a dream, thinking back to the man she once saved at the foot of the mountain—was he indeed this invincible Sword Immortal of today?

Zuo Biwen said with emotion, “There is now one more supreme expert in the world, and this expert is only in his early twenties.”

Having defeated both the Sword God and Sword Demon, and now obtaining the Dulu Sword, once this feat spreads, even the Five Qi Grandmasters of various forces will need to be cautious.

Jia Shiwu nodded slightly in agreement with Zuo Biwen’s view.

Everyone knew that with the current strength of the Ghost Swordsman, acquiring the Dulu Sword was like adding wings to a tiger. The Demon Sect had lost Jun Qinglin, their Five Qi Grandmaster, but this Ghost Swordsman had also fully matured.

Zhao Chongyin also understood the reasoning behind this, but he could not backtrack or do anything self-destructive.

The Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang whispered, “Your Highness Crown Prince, the auspicious hour for the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony is almost upon us.”

“Good.”

Zhao Chongyin took a deep breath and declared, “Let it begin.”

The Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang glanced at Xu Qianyue.

Xu Qianyue stepped forward, voice deep from his dantian, and proclaimed to those around, “On matters of state, in sacrifice and military, if there is anyone around the sacrificial platform who spits, coughs, talks, laughs, or makes noise, be it royalty, nobles, ministers, officials, or anyone else, they will be named and reported.”

Because of the Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony, the Crown Prince Zhao Chongyin, who carried out the sacrifice on behalf of the Human Emperor, had started fasting three days before, and a large number of animals, such as cattle and sheep, were slaughtered.

The night before, Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang personally inspected the divine tablets, offering vessels, and sacrificial offerings; the music department was ready as well.

Hearing Xu Qianyue’s words, everyone from Yan Country wore solemn expressions, with no one speaking.

When the appointed hour arrived, the clock rang out and Zhao Chongyin walked toward the center of the sacrificial platform, coming to a stop at the center as the bell ceased and music drummed.

“Dong!”

The ceremony officially began, and at this moment, ritual acts like burning the southeast calf and hanging the heavenly lamp were performed. The misty smoke and flickering candlelights created a profound mystical atmosphere.

The sequence of procedures was incredibly complex, involving the welcoming of divine spirits, the offering of jade and silk, the procession with offerings, the initial sacrifice, the intermediate sacrifice… until the final step of “looking at the burnings.”

Zhao Chongyin burned the sacrificial offerings as lingering tones filled the air.

At this moment, Zhao Chongyin was exercising the Great Yan Emperor’s divine authority, performing the rite of Heaven Sacrifice.

What is the Heaven Sacrifice? An Jing knew that all this was a charade played by feudal emperors to demonstrate the idea of ‘the divine right of kings,’ a method to show the Emperor’s divine authority for the purpose of upholding and promoting the divine power to maintain imperial power.

Perhaps there are Immortals in this world, but they must be exalted, beyond all understanding.

The blazing flames rose high, and the black smoke shot straight into the sky, as if out of place against the surrounding clouds.

Atop Zhong Mountain, almost all eyes were fixed on the burning of the sacrificial offerings and the thick black smoke.

Zhao Chongyin stepped back slowly, coming to stand beside An Jing.

Side by side, neither of them spoke, both calmly watching ahead.

After a long while, Zhao Chongyin spoke, “When we first met, I thought we could be good friends.”

Their first encounter was in Bo City on Lingnan Dao.

In An Jing’s heart, the Crown Prince suited the throne better than the Second Prince; he was refined and affable, full of integrity yet with deep schemes, making him more suitable than Zhao Mengtai.

An Jing asked, “When did this ‘thought’ disappear?”

Zhao Chongyin replied, “The moment you joined the Demon Sect.”

Could it be that Zhao Chongyin was already aware of Zhao Qingmei’s true identity?

Did the Great Yan Emperor also know?

An Jing’s heart stirred, but he maintained a calm demeanor, “That truly is a pity.”

Zhao Chongyin pointed at the Dulu Sword in An Jing’s hand, and asked, “Do you know why this Dulu Sword is named so?”

An Jing countered, “Why?”

Zhao Chongyin, indifferent to whether An Jing was truly unaware or pretending not to know, calmly said, “The Dulu Sword was forged by the famed craftsman Li Laojun at the behest of the Great Qin Emperor. Dulu, dulu, if the world were a deer, one man alone would claim it.”

An Jing laughed, “A fine Dulu Sword indeed.”

Zhao Chongyin said, “This Dulu Sword was originally prepared for myself.”

An Jing replied, “The Human Emperor has the Emperor’s Sword in hand; Your Highness does not need this one.”

Zhao Chongyin, with hands clasped behind his back, said indifferently, “That is the Emperor’s Sword of the Taiping Human Emperor, not mine.”

An Jing ran his hands over the hilt of the Dulu Sword, feeling its iciness, “It seems that the Crown Prince is also a master of the Sword Dao, only a Sword Dao master would cherish the World’s First Sword.”

Zhao Chongyin declared, “I can see the Sword God, the Sword Demon, and your sword, but you cannot see my sword.”

For top swordsmen, whether they can see the sword in their hands, the sword in their hearts seems to be a standard for a top swordsman. However, a sword is sometimes not a tangible object but an intangible presence.

An Jing looked at Zhao Chongyin, “It seems Your Highness’s sword resides in your heart.”

Zhao Chongyin coldly said, “Since childhood, I have been practicing the sword of the Emperor, to pacify the world, bring peace to the people, strategizing behind the scenes, and securing victory from afar. If one were to embody the sword, and get blood spattered within five steps, it would be unbecoming of an Emperor.”

An Jing chuckled lightly, “So you never intended to relinquish the Dulu Sword from the very beginning.”

“Correct.”

“What does Your Highness plan to do now?”

Zhao Chongyin did not answer An Jing’s question but pointed to the Sword Demon in the distance, “That’s a thief from Houjin. Today it would be fitting to kill him in sacrifice to the heavens.”

All the martial arts masters present were shaken.

The Sword Demon was a man from Houjin, and his arrival at Zhong Mountain with ill intent naturally warranted death!

The Sword Demon’s pupils shrank slightly, and he gripped his Blood Tears Sword tightly, “The Yan Country’s Heaven Sacrifice Ceremony indeed requires a sacrifice. Wouldn’t it be even more touching to sacrifice the Crown Prince’s head to the heavens?”

“Today I will take the Crown Prince’s head and complete this sacrificial rite.”

These words sparked shock and anger among the people of Yan Country.

“Audacity!”

Xu Qianyue drew her longsword, looking coldly at the Sword Demon.

As the Great Yan Emperor’s imperial guard with a sword at hand, her strength was beyond question; even if she rarely made a move in the world and any traces of her actions were erased, no high-level expert dared to underestimate her.

The three hundred Imperial Guards and the Xuanyi Guard of the Great Heavenly Gang all turned their gaze in this direction.

“Boom!”

Just then, a sudden change occurred. From within the crowd surged a wave of True Qi, blasting several of Yan Country’s martial arts experts into a mist of blood.

The scene instantly became chaotic, and everyone was astounded and turned to look back.

Had the forces of Houjin arrived!?

An Jing narrowed his eyes, looking in the direction of the noise.

A bald old man wielding a giant blade was seen standing on the blood-red earth. His giant blade dragged along the ground, making ‘sizzling’ noises that were harsh and shrill, as if something was grinding against a person’s heart.

Giant Blade!

In the world, there were not many experts who used giant blades, and even fewer who had made a name for themselves.

The man spoke indifferently, “Killing the Crown Prince as a sacrifice to the heavens today would indeed immortalize His Highness in history.”

Mu Yuan Great Dharma King!

An Jing naturally recognized him; they had once had a fierce battle at Dongluo Pass.

An absolute powerhouse seated atop Snow Mountain in Houjin, who had once left Snow Mountain to help Zongzheng Huachun conquer the world.

That giant blade had once rescued Zongzheng Huachun from Jun Qinglin’s hands, and it was no exaggeration to say that without Mu Yuan Great Dharma King, there would be no Houjin of today.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Jia Shiwu’s face drastically changed: “Mu Yuan Great Dharma King!?”

Who was Mu Yuan Great Dharma King?

He was the second-highest expert in Houjin, beneath only Zongzheng Huachun, the strongest master of Snow Mountain.

And now, he had infiltrated the territory of Yan Country.

As Mu Yuan Dharma King stepped forward, a series of noises rang out among the crowd, as Mu Xuan, Mu Li, and numerous other Houjin experts also made their appearances.

At this moment, the Sword Demon, Mu Yuan Great Dharma King, and the other two Dharma Kings were all present on Zhong Mountain, making a total of four master-level experts from Houjin.

Each of them had cultivation that was well beyond the initial entry to the Grandmaster realm; their strength was formidable.

“This is bad! The experts from Great Snow Mountain are attacking Zhong Mountain.”

“So many experts have come; it’s clear they came fully prepared.”

…..

The swordsmen atop Zhong Mountain were all shocked and dismayed; they had come purely to attend the Dulu Sword Meeting and had not expected that the experts from Great Snow Mountain would have been lying in wait on Zhong Mountain.

Their hearts trembled. With so many powerful experts, could the Crown Prince really withstand them?

Especially since the Sword God was gravely injured and the Ghost Swordsman seemed to be on the edge of exhaustion, how could the situation be turned around today?

“Very well, I didn’t expect so many people from Houjin to infiltrate here.”

Zhao Chongyin’s face underwent a sudden change, indescribably dreadful.

He was no fool and had sensed the conspiracy, but even now he could hardly believe it.

An offering to the heavens was intended to sacrifice the Crown Prince!

Who else could do such a thing, other than my heaven-defying second brother?

Only he!

Only Zhao Mengtai could commit such an audacious and ludicrous act!

At the foot of the mountain, the guards were under Pingding Marquis, who sided with Zhao Mengtai during the party struggles, and furthermore, Zhao Mengtai himself had cultivated many experts.

Anger surged in Zhao Chongyin’s heart; he could have never imagined his own brother allying with the barbarians of Houjin to kill him.

But soon, he regained his composure.

Minister of Rites Zhu Yongfang began to panic, “What… what on earth is going on?”

As a court official and a high-ranking minister, he had never faced a Grandmaster-level expert in person; the overwhelming pressure made it nearly impossible for him to breathe.

“Relax your minds.”

In contrast to Zhu Yongfang’s slight panic, Yue Tingchen appeared to be completely calm, even unflustered.

At this moment on Zhong Mountain, a stark confrontation had formed.

On one side was Zhao Chongyin at the center, Xu Qianyue, and many other experts from Yan Country protecting him; on the other side were Mu Yuan Great Dharma King and the other Houjin experts as the core.

The air was filled with the scent of blood, originating from the martial artists of Jianghu who had just died, now transformed into lonely wandering spirits.

An Jing stood to the side, calmly watching the scene. While others were unaware of Zhao Chongyin’s backing, he was well aware that the elderly man standing behind Zhao Chongyin could be considered the top expert on Zhong Mountain.

Moreover, having fought two battles in a row, his essence, Qi, and spirit were all exhausted. Even if his True Qi could recover using the “Nameless Heart Scripture,” his energy was depleted.

Besides, Zhao Chongyin harbored lethal intentions toward him, so why should he help Zhao Chongyin against the Houjin people?

Given Zhao Chongyin’s nature, even if he took action, Zhao Chongyin might not feel grateful for his aid.

“Shick!”

Another sharp blade light swept through, and three guards were seen flying out heavily, followed by a figure appearing before everyone’s eyes.

It was a swordsman, his longsword cold and ruthless, imposing a nameless pressure, with silver-gray hair dancing in the wild wind.

At just a glance, he gave off a terrifying impression.

Xu Qianyue’s eyebrows raised, “The Tianpeng Ancestor?”

“Precisely.”

The swordsman said with a smile.

Though smiling, the temperature around him seemed to drop even further.

One of the four most mysterious swordsmen in the world.

His appearance undoubtedly made the situation more critical and caused Zhu Yongfang’s complexion to turn even paler.

Zuo Biwen’s lips quivered, and his heart thudded erratically.

“Indeed, such a good brother I have.”

Zhao Chongyin’s gaze was deep with a chilling cold; he knew his brother was resolute in his desire to see him dead, hence the many experts sent here.

“Since you all seek death, I, the Crown Prince, shall accommodate you today.”

Having said that, Zhao Chongyin turned to look at the Old Su beside him.

The hunched-back Old Su who had always seemed to be on the verge of death took two steps forward, positioning himself in front of Zhao Chongyin, and then stood up straight.

The moment Old Su, who appeared to have been bent over his whole life, stood up straight, even though it was such a simple change of posture, it carried an indescribable aura that made Zhong Mountain tremble.

Though not tall, especially when compared to the robust men from Houjin on horseback, the moment he stood straight, he gave off a peculiar illusion.

It was as if at that moment Old Su resembled a stone statue from a tributor hall, shining so brightly it was blinding, forcing one to avert their eyes.

In that instant, the True Qi within him was like a vast ocean, unfathomable, having reached the human body’s limits.

An awe-inspiring aura surged forth; even the wind and snow that had paused earlier seemed to start dancing again, and the withered trees trembled and shook while other creatures within Zhong Mountain uttered their cries…

….