Chapter 890: The Death of Tai Xu

"You want to kill me?!"

"How dare you kill me?!"

Yi had completely lost his mind, his thoughts a chaotic mess driven to insanity. He let out a wild, maniacal laugh.

"Xuan Wuji couldn't kill me, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't kill me—what makes you think you can?!"

"Hun Qi?"

"Do you even have a Hun Qi? Do you dare to kill me?"

"Even if you have one, my soul has already dissipated—you can't even touch me!"

"Hahaha..."

Yi cackled wildly and arrogantly.

The "Dun Shen Bi," even if not one of the lost divine artifacts from the Yi Wen Bei, was undoubtedly a supreme divine object. Otherwise, Yi would never have used it as his ultimate life-saving trump card. His will was hidden solely within the "Dun Shen Bi." In the entire world, only those proficient in spiritual system attacks had the slightest chance of breaching its defenses. Soul attacks were utterly ineffective! What could this blind man in front of him use to kill him? Some spatial treasure? Or perhaps the "Chou Shen Zhang"? What utter nonsense! Even Xuan Wuji, with his Tianji Technique that could commune with the heavens and affect souls, was powerless against the "Dun Shen Bi"! Xu Xiaoshou was out of options, and Xuan Wuji had no strategy left. Even if Yi couldn't escape this sealed realm, he wouldn't die—he just needed to wait for Rao Yao Yao's support, and he could turn the tide in an instant. True, Xuan Wuji had sealed the heavens, but after all this time, Rao Yao Yao and the others must have noticed something was wrong by now.

"I just need to wait... I just need to wait..."

Yi's inner voice echoed relentlessly. He tried to force himself to calm down. But for a Tai Xu expert who had been beaten to the point of his physical body shattering and his soul nearly destroyed, leaving only a faint wisp of will, "heavily injured" was an understatement. This was on the brink of death! How easy was it to stay calm? Lei Shuang Xing remained utterly serene, merely listening to Yi's heart-wrenching roars in front of him. After a long moment of contemplation, it seemed as if he had finished gathering his energy, and he drew the "Chou Shen Zhang" from his cane...

"Killing you requires nothing else—just one sword strike."

In the previous century, the way of the sword was on par with the path of refining spirits, encompassing all things and with perfected principles. Although ancient sword cultivators had nearly gone extinct in the modern era, it didn't mean the ancient sword arts had been lost. On the contrary, those who could still inherit the ancient sword arts in this age of spirit refining were all extraordinarily talented individuals. If placed in the previous century, they would have shone even brighter. Ba Zun An was one such person. Even in these difficult times for sword arts, he had mastered the nine great sword techniques. As Ba Zun An's successor, Lei Shuang Xing, who had grown up by his side, couldn't possibly have learned just one of them.

Lei Shuang Xing commonly used the Illusion Sword Technique because it was slightly stronger and more convenient for him. However, of the nine great sword techniques, eight required the use of eyes. Although Lei Shuang Xing was blind, among the all-encompassing ancient sword arts, there was still one that suited him perfectly—the Heart Sword Technique! When the six senses were sealed, the wielder refined the sword with their heart, observed the world through the sword, and killed invisibly. In other words, the Heart Sword Technique was the strongest and most fitting sword art for Lei Shuang Xing. His mastery of it was the highest. He didn't use it normally because the timing wasn't right, and his opponents were too weak. But now, facing Yi...

Unfortunately for Yi, the Heart Sword Technique was the most direct form of spiritual attack among the nine great sword techniques.

With a soft "chi," Lei Shuang Xing gripped the "Chou Shen Zhang" with both hands and gently inserted it into the space. It was just like that day in the Ba Gong, when Ba Zun An used a mere branch to point at the seven hundred in white and unleashed "Mu Xia Shen Fo." Lei Shuang Xing thrust his sword into the space and suddenly lifted his head. An invisible wave of spiritual energy rippled through the void like a mental domain, instantly enveloping everyone present.

A resonant "keng—" sword hum echoed in the hearts of all those there. Xu Xiaoshou's mind wavered, and towering figures appeared in his thoughts—figures so immense they could prop up the heavens: Ba Zun An, Ai Cang Sheng, Ban Sheng Zang Ren, Lang Bei Sheng Ren... An inexplicable panic surged within him. It felt like facing a sovereign; his knees trembled involuntarily, nearly buckling. Notifications flashed in his information panel:

"Suppressed, Passive Value +1."

"Interfered with, Passive Value +1."

"Influenced, Passive Value +1."

But as these colossal giants emerged, Xu Xiaoshou's soul suddenly stirred—his spiritual awakening cleared away all the panic-inducing illusions.

"Huan Mie Yi Zhi (Charge Value: 0.11)."

The spiritual influence triggered the "Huan Mie Yi Zhi's" spiritual awakening. After awakening, his soul stirred again, but was once more affected by Lei Shuang Xing's Heart Sword Technique, bringing back those colossal giants. This unusual phenomenon caused another spiritual awakening, increasing the charge value of "Huan Mie Yi Zhi" further. The cycle repeated... Xu Xiaoshou was alarmed. Thankfully, his "Huan Mie Yi Zhi" had evolved—if the charge value increased, it could trigger spiritual awakening immediately. Otherwise, based on its pre-evolution state, it would have required the charge value to reach 1 before activating, and during that buildup, he, Xu Xiaoshou, would have been completely controlled by something like Lei Shuang Xing's Heart Sword Technique.

"What a powerful sword technique!"

As the only one still clear-headed, Xu Xiaoshou could observe how everyone else reacted under Lei Shuang Xing's strike. Without exception, all present—even Wu Ji Lao Zu—were affected. In Lei Xi Er's mind appeared the image of a daoist nun in robes, holding a duster. Wu Ji Lao Zu saw vague figures like Bai Mai San Zu, Mo Di Hei Long, Dao Qiong Cang, and the Eighth Sword Immortal. Yi was hit the hardest. Without a physical body to protect him and only the "Dun Shen Bi" to shield his soul, his will was most vulnerable to the Heart Sword Technique's impact. In that moment, his mind manifested childhood nightmares, cultivation heart demons, and his greatest lifelong fears!

"Ahhh—"

From within the "Dun Shen Bi," Yi's agonized screams of torment rang out. He endured it, wailed in pain. He wanted to resist, but with only a thread of spiritual will left, he couldn't possess or evade. All he could do was face his inner fears head-on.

"Mu Xia Shen Fo!"

"This sword can fully release the greatest fear in a person's heart—it's terrifying!"

Xu Xiaoshou watched as Lei Shuang Xing's single strike completely dominated everyone around him, and he began to feel a lingering fear. He was a Sword Dao Wang Zuo, and so was Lei Shuang Xing. But compared to his own half-baked Sword Dao Wang Zuo, Lei Shuang Xing was superior by leaps and bounds!

"Are the nine great sword techniques really this powerful?"

Xu Xiaoshou had once sparred with the third of the Zang Jian Zong's three swordsmen. Back then, Gu Qing San used the Wujian Technique, but he only knew a fraction of the three thousand great paths. Relying on his passive skills, Xu Xiaoshou had won. So, deep down, he had always been a bit disdainful of the nine great sword techniques.

"Once my passive skills are fully mastered, who in the world could withstand a single punch from me?"

That had been Xu Xiaoshou's previous mindset. But now, he realized he might have been wrong. The world was vast. Being invincible in physical form was useless. There were many like Yi, who specialized in spiritual or soul paths, or other unorthodox spirit refiners. At the Wang Zuo level, his passive skills only had "Soul Reading" and "Huan Mie Yi Zhi" that could be effective against someone like Yi. But even so, they couldn't kill him! If he, Xu Xiaoshou, could master something like the Heart Sword Technique from the nine great sword techniques, perhaps he could fight and kill Yi single-handedly.

"Sword Technique Mastery..."

Xu Xiaoshou thought of "Sword Technique Mastery." He had previously used it to create many sword moves. But now, compared to the nine great sword techniques, those were just minor tricks. Xu Xiaoshou felt that if he ever got the chance, he had to ask Ba Zun An about how to cultivate the nine great sword techniques. Skills never burdened one. Currently, his "Sword Technique Mastery" only allowed him to understand and imitate sword moves he had seen, but like other mastery-type passive skills, it didn't directly provide the foundational methods for the nine great sword techniques. He had to learn them himself to truly master them. The time it would take was another matter, but whether to start learning and take action depended on his own resolve. Now, Lei Shuang Xing's single sword strike had solidified Xu Xiaoshou's goal. If he truly wanted to follow the path of ancient sword cultivation, mastering the nine great sword techniques was essential!

"Fear... wailing..."

"Resentment... helplessness..."

Lei Shuang Xing gripped the "Chou Shen Zhang" with both hands, his powerful will continuously radiating, completely locking down Yi's will within the "Dun Shen Bi." He murmured, his words like a lingering chant that tormented Yi's crumbling will, plunging it into endless darkness.

"The divine and buddhas must exist, to wither the weak and decayed..."

"The divine and buddhas must not exist, to remove all obstacles..."

At a certain moment, a radiant light burst from Lei Shuang Xing's body. His clothes fluttered without wind, and his figure slowly rose into the air. Then, with a resounding clang, he drew the famed sword "Chou Shen Zhang" from the space! Back in that battle in the Ba Gong, Ba Zun An had used the Heart Sword to slay seven hundred in white and sever Gou Wu Yue's heart demon. As he had said, "With one sword, I sever the divine and buddhas in your heart." The Heart Sword Technique could cut down heart demons and shatter one's will. For Lei Shuang Xing, Yi was no Gou Wu Yue, and there was no past bond between them. Yi had harmed Lei Xi Er. As her brother, how could Lei Shuang Xing simply help Yi extract his incomplete Dao realm heart demon, make him face it, and then overcome it? What he wanted was Yi's death!

"With one sword, I grant you the divine and buddhas in your heart and sever your weak will!"

Lei Shuang Xing struck with his sword, but there was no dazzling sword light. Yet, in that instant, unseen waves rippled through the void. Wu Ji Lao Zu and Lei Xi Er suddenly emerged from their mental influence, witnessing Lei Shuang Xing's strike—utterly calm and without ripples—yet it filled their hearts with dread. As for Yi...

Yi's spiritual world, already unbearable under the torment, was an abyss of utter darkness. But now, a dazzling light pierced through. This light illuminated his past life, magnifying the nightmares he had never dared to face, and laid bare the sins and darkness he had committed.

"Finally..."

"Is it ending...?"

Yi suddenly fell silent, confronting it all. He recalled his unspeakable past life. Everyone is born into the world, alive and unique. Some spend their lives searching in vain, achieving nothing. Others emerge with extraordinary talent, leading the way. Regardless, while a person is alive and experiencing the world through their own will, they are the protagonist of that world! From a young age, Yi had felt, "I am the protagonist of this world." Among his peers, he was unbeatable. Every enemy that came his way, every confrontation, seemed like stepping stones arranged by fate, helping him reach higher and grasp more. Until he joined the Yi Bu. The world expanded from a small Zhong Yu to the five domains. In the five domains, there were far too many geniuses. Just in the competition for the Ten Zun Seats, Yi encountered hordes of monstrous talents unlike any humans—Kui Lei Han, Ba Zun An, Dao Qiong Cang... Yuan Fo Tu, Bei Huai, Kong Yu Hen... Each one was a genius among geniuses, an oddity among oddities. They had all reached the pinnacle of their respective paths and looked down upon the world from on high.

"I was just an ordinary person after all..."

Yi sighed. He had risen to power by relying on the Imitator, invincible in intelligence, and claimed the position of head of the Yi Bu. But because of the Imitator, he had altered his own path. Perhaps from that moment, everything had gone wrong.

"I couldn't even enter the Ten Zun Seats, so how could I master my own life, control the cycle of fate, or even... be the protagonist?"

Yi felt resentful. Resentment was something everyone had. Yi had considered that he might die one day. After all, the world had too many geniuses. But he never imagined that when that day came, he wouldn't die at the hands of those he revered as divine and buddhas, but at the hands of a mere Wang Zuo junior. And yet, it didn't seem out of place. Just as the obstacles he had overcome in his growth—each one larger and stronger—had been completely eliminated by his own efforts, a new era was arriving, and new figures were entering the stage. Those like him, with misguided lives, might be the first to be eliminated, sacrificed, or turned into stepping stones.

In his final moments, Yi let go of everything and saw reality. He saw the white-haired, fierce-eyed blind man standing calmly. He saw Xu Xiaoshou gripping his four swords, lurking in the shadows without stepping forward. He saw Lei Xi Er's divine demon pupils spinning rapidly, her expression indifferent as she stared at him until the very end. The light of the Heart Sword finally overwhelmed everything, destroying all scenes. The "Dun Shen Bi" couldn't block this sword because it was Yi's own will that had collapsed, his inner divine and buddhas self-destructing and cutting him down. Yi didn't resist fearlessly. After letting go, he finally understood. It wasn't the Heart Sword that destroyed him, but the forward march of the era. It wasn't light illuminating his final moments, but the innate goodness that everyone possesses at birth—a redemption.

"Mu Xia Shen Fo..."

In his last moment, Yi thought of those at the pinnacle of the heavens, the Ten Zun Seats. He had never dared to admit it before—the six departments were actually somewhat weaker than the Ten Zun Seats. Now, after facing his true heart, he could see what he couldn't before. Lei Shuang Xing's sword heralded the splendor of the new era's fresh blood, just like Ba Zun An in the past. This young man who had ended him, at such a young age, had unleashed such a sword... The Heart Sword Technique's first realm, "Mu Xia Shen Fo"—how many spent their lives unable to master it?

"So, the new era has already arrived..."