Chapter 919: Sword Immortal + Divine Sword = Holy Emperor?

"The heart of the Dao is not firm; it must be punished!"

Dao Qiong Cang turned his attention to the Dong Yu Jian Xiu. This time, he didn't deliver a fatal blow, but merely administered a light punishment.

Thus, the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen trembled, and rays of rosy light descended, purifying all the negative states of the sword cultivators before slamming them forcefully to the ground. One by one, they crashed down, crying out in agony.

"Lord Dao is wise!"

The nearby spirit refiners quickly helped up their friends and comrades, fearing that these people might speak out of turn after being smashed. One added, "Lord Dao has lifted the influence of qi deviation from you and used holy light to strengthen your Dao heart. You must not act recklessly."

The Dong Yu Jian Xiu, how could they dare act recklessly?

After scrambling to their feet, they bowed in fear, anxious and uneasy: "We almost fell under the influence of that cursed sword and nearly lost our lives. We thank Lord Dao for his life-saving grace."

Some sword cultivators, obsessed with famed swords, stared at the situation around them and fell into deep thought.

"A famed sword?"

"As I recall, only the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu, lost for hundreds of years, could influence all sword wielders to this extent..."

This shocked some: "Mo Jian? Are you saying that broadsword up there is the fourth sword on the list of twenty-one famed swords?"

"It's possible!"

"If this Mo Jian is so powerful without a wielder, how strong must the top three famed swords be?"

Everyone fell silent.

So, the reason a semi-saint intervened was the fourth on the famed sword list, the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu?

Rumors began to spread.

In the high sky, the sacred thought projection of Dao Qiong Cang, after locking onto the Mo Jian, shifted his focus to the black dragon scales.

He was about to act, to seize this strange object as well.

But the Mo Jian had delayed him.

In that time, the heartbeat from within the Sheng Di dragon scales had accelerated to its peak and then abruptly stopped.

"Thump!"

With the final muffled heartbeat ceasing, everyone felt their souls tremble, sensing an ominous premonition.

"This dragon scale has mutated again!" Huang Yang Zhen Ren, standing nearby with his strong Taixu spiritual sense, could see strands of black demonic qi beginning to emanate from the dragon scales.

"How terrifying. Last time the dragon scale mutated, it produced a Mo Jian. What will come this time?" Jiang Long Shou Hong Dang's face was filled with shock, and he involuntarily retreated a bit.

In the distance, the dragon scales fell into high-frequency vibrations.

Black demonic qi dispersed with the vibrations, spreading across the nine heavens in an instant.

The sacred thought projection of Dao Qiong Cang remained unmoved, raising his immortal sleeve once more. The Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen responded, sending down purifying rosy light to eradicate the demonic qi.

A "hiss" sounded.

This time, the expected positive result did not occur.

The moment the rosy light touched the demonic qi, it was instantly dyed black.

The blackness climbed along the rosy light, seeping into the heavenly mechanisms of the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen.

The once pure and bright white heavenly mechanisms were instantly defiled, turning completely black.

Night descended!

"My heavens..."

The spirit refiners of Dong Tian Wang Cheng and Yun Lun Shan Mai gazed at the surrounding world, suddenly enveloped in swirling demonic qi and darkness, and all fell into panic.

The Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen had temporarily replaced the world within a hundred thousand li, becoming everyone's spiritual anchor.

But now, the rosy light failed to purify the demonic qi and was instead corrupted.

Thus, the entire world turned into a hell on earth.

Sinister!

Eerie!

After the heavenly mechanisms were corrupted, the demonic qi began to infiltrate everything.

In the black world, the ground spewed demonic qi, the tips of leaves in the forests dripped black liquid, and even people were affected by their inner panic, their expressions becoming demonic as they babbled incoherently.

"It's all demonized..."

Rao Yao Yao never imagined that the Sheng Di dragon scales, containing only a wisp of power from the Mo Di Hei Long, could influence everything outside Xu Kong Island to such a degree.

She pondered briefly and realized the limitations of Dao Qiong Cang's intervention across two domains.

The power of the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen was limited. If he expended sacred energy to help the countless innocent spirit refiners, it would weaken his ability to deal with the Mo Di Hei Long's power.

The Mo Di Hei Long was at the Sheng Di level, while Dao Qiong Cang was only a semi-saint, already at a disadvantage in cultivation. How could he afford to be distracted by mortals?

"Teng Shan Hai, guard the Xu Kong Island rift. Notify me immediately if there's any other movement." Rao Yao Yao then gripped the Xuan Cang Shen Jian and leaped to the side of Dao Qiong Cang's sacred thought projection.

"What are you trying to do?" Teng Shan Hai was terrified.

A clash at the sacred level—you, a mere Qi Jian Xian, going over there—what can you accomplish?

Are you only thinking of others and not your own safety?

Rao Yao Yao calmly took out a drop of sacred blood, parted her red lips, and swallowed it on the spot.

"Do something... within my power!"

She said no more, closing her eyes and slowly raising the Xuan Cang Shen Jian.

"Buzz!"

Void sword intent spread across the demonic-qi-filled dark world. With the aid of sacred power, it tore open a bright edge, visible in the eyes of the demonized people.

"Hong Chen Jian..."

Rao Yao Yao pointed her toes and leaped into the air, like a carp gracefully jumping into a lake, her figure merging into the void.

"One Sword: Refine the Heart!"

The Xuan Cang Shen Jian transformed into ripples spreading from the center of a lake, striking at the countless spirit refiners infected by the demonic qi. In the depths of their souls, it directly clashed with the Mo Di Hei Long's black dragon power.

Rao Yao Yao specialized in the Qing Jian Shu among the Jiu Da Jian Shu.

The first realm of Qing Jian Shu, Hong Chen Jian, was a trial of the heart.

This sword did not harm the spirit refiners at all. Under the influence of sacred power, it divided the Mo Di Hei Long's black dragon power into obstacles on the path of heart refinement for each spirit refiner.

As long as the spirit refiners could overcome this obstacle, they would not only eliminate the black dragon power's influence instantly but also elevate their heart realm significantly.

Unfortunately...

Though the idea was good, Rao Yao Yao overlooked the gap in power levels.

Even the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen had been corrupted by the black dragon power. Her "Hong Chen Jian," enhanced by sacred blood, was negligible in sacred aura compared to even a fraction of the array.

"Pfft!"

In merely half a breath, Rao Yao Yao's figure was shaken back from the void, and she spat out blood, her eyes filled with horror.

On the path of heart refinement, her sword could not convert even a trace of the black dragon power, let alone help all the spirit refiners.

Useless!

"Rao Yao Yao, don't force it. This is a clash at the sacred level, and you haven't yet stepped into that realm." A faint sacred sound echoed in her ear.

Rao Yao Yao turned her head to look at Dao Qiong Cang's sacred thought projection.

She knew he was advising her.

But she wouldn't listen.

"The Mo Di Hei Long went to great lengths to send out its dragon scales; there must be some scheme involved. And the heavenly seals of Sheng Shen Continent target everyone—you, as the lord of the main hall, might have exceptions, but can you unleash your full semi-saint power?" Rao Yao Yao analyzed calmly.

After a pause, she continued via telepathy: "You've used the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen to seal space and prevent the Sheng Di remnant thoughts from escaping, already expending much power. If you also divert energy to handle the troubles of the mortal spirit refiners, how much strength will you have left to deal with the Sheng Di dragon scales?"

The sacred thought projection of Dao Qiong Cang fell silent, seemingly struck by her words.

Looking at the Yun Lun Shan Mai battlefield, everyone thought his intervention as a semi-saint was effortless and glorious.

But in reality, the difficulties Dao Qiong Cang faced were only known to someone of Rao Yao Yao's status.

"You conserve your strength to deal with the dragon scales; I'll handle the spirit refiners' troubles." Rao Yao Yao wiped the blood from her lips. The sacred blood's power surged wildly with time, and her words carried strong confidence.

The sacred thought projection of Dao Qiong Cang paused briefly before stopping her: "Act within your limits. Remember, your life is more important than everyone else's combined."

A flash of impatience crossed Rao Yao Yao's eyes: "Don't say such things to me!"

With that, she ignored the semi-saint Dao Qiong Cang and leaped into the air again, raising the Xuan Cang Shen Jian high overhead.

Sacred blood was, after all, just semi-saint essence blood.

A Qi Jian Xian, frankly speaking, was only at the Taixu realm.

After her previous "Hong Chen: Refine the Heart," Rao Yao Yao clearly understood the gap between Sheng Di power and forces below the sacred level. That gap was insurmountable for outsiders in a short time.

But Rao Yao Yao was different.

She lifted her gaze slightly, her eyes devoutly fixed on the Xuan Cang Shen Jian, murmuring: "I'm counting on you..."

The Xuan Cang Shen Jian, one of the five great divine artifacts of chaos, was the treasure suppressing the destiny of the Sheng Shen Hall's headquarters on Gui Zhe Sheng Mountain. It had been brought out for this action to handle emergencies like this.

If anything in this world could counter Sheng Di power, it would only be the destiny power nurtured within the Xuan Cang Shen Jian for thousands of years, enhanced by multiple semi-saints and even Sheng Di.

The destiny power of Sheng Shen Hall!

Which also represented a portion of Sheng Shen Continent's destiny!

Rao Yao Yao stood in mid-air, her demeanor solemn. She released the sword from her hand and crossed her fingers in front of her chest.

"Xuan Cang, awaken!"

With a clear shout, the Xuan Cang Shen Jian, though not held, began to spin rapidly before her.

As it spun, strands of destiny power flew out like golden sparrows, like the first rays of dawn lighting up the night, flashing with hope in the eyes of the demonized spirit refiners.

In the hundred-thousand-li dark world, the ground was filled with frenzied spirit refiners clawing and howling.

The sky held a graceful female sword immortal drawing her sword and breaking the deadlock.

The sword immortal's command shaped destiny.

The divine sword danced, summoning dragon roars.

"Roar—"

In no time, the vast destiny power released by the Xuan Cang Shen Jian transformed into a five-clawed golden dragon, soaring upward and directly breaking through the black seal of the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen.

At the same moment, brilliance burst from Rao Yao Yao's eyes. She seized the rapidly spinning Xuan Cang Shen Jian with one hand, her robes rustling in the energy waves.

"Wu Qing Jian..."

The resounding dragon roar faded as she gripped the sword, and the destiny golden dragon, with her shout, shifted from roaming the heavens and merged into her body.

"Slay the demons!"

With a horizontal slash, this sword, empowered by destiny, pierced through the void and ruthlessly struck the black dragon power deep in the souls of all spirit refiners.

No persuasion.

No conversion.

At this moment, Rao Yao Yao chose no indirect methods; she would not let the spirit refiners overcome the black dragon power on their own.

Because she realized, the mortal spirit refiners could not overcome the black dragon power alone.

And with the destiny golden dragon's empowerment, her sword needed no detours.

"Boom!"

The sword struck.

Gold replaced black.

The hundred-thousand-li dark world was supplanted by brilliance, and the Shi Ji Sheng Ling Zhen regained its light.

The demonized spirit refiners' eyes also shifted from black to golden light, finally restoring their rightful clarity.

"What just happened?"

"What's going on..."

Everyone spread their hands, feeling changes within themselves, though they couldn't quite explain or describe them.

"So, this is the second realm of Qing Jian Shu, Wu Qing Jian?" On the other side, Teng Shan Hai's single eye widened in astonishment.

Rao Yao Yao's sword was too magnificent.

Using the second realm of Qing Jian Shu, Wu Qing Jian, she directly made the countless spirit refiners forget their demonic desires in the depths of their souls.

Then, everyone regained clarity!

What terrifying sword mastery...

Teng Shan Hai could hardly believe that Rao Yao Yao, at the same Taixu realm as him, could unleash such a sword.

"So, is this the gap between the Qi Jian Xian and ordinary Taixu cultivators?"

A bitterness rose in Teng Shan Hai's heart.

The Qi Jian Xian, hailed as the highest combat force below semi-saints on the continent, had never impressed Teng Shan Hai much before.

He always felt that among the Qi Jian Xian, only figures like You Tu and Hua Chang Deng could rival semi-saints in the Taixu realm due to their exceptional strength—that was just individual prowess.

But those were exceptions!

The others couldn't match their achievements.

Yet today, Teng Shan Hai witnessed a different splendor.

Rao Yao Yao rarely fought at full strength.

Teng Shan Hai hadn't even known that her comprehension of Qing Jian Shu had reached the second realm.

They say that with a sword, a Jian Xian can rival a semi-saint.

But the enemy here is the Sheng Di dragon scales!

Though Rao Yao Yao's sword destroyed the black dragon power by borrowing the destiny from the Xuan Cang Shen Jian, that destiny power still required the wielder to harness it—something Teng Shan Hai couldn't do.

Rao Yao Yao's sword was essentially declaring to the world: "Jian Xian" plus "divine sword" equals "Sheng Di power"?

"It worked..."

After the sword strike restored the world's clarity, an inexplicable gleam appeared in Rao Yao Yao's eyes.

Her previous "Hong Chen: Refine the Heart" hadn't destroyed the black dragon power, but through direct confrontation, she had clearly understood the gap between herself and the Sheng Di—this was invaluable experience.

This "Slay Demons" sword solidified her Dao heart.

The path of ancient sword cultivation wasn't perfect only for Ba Zun An.

He wielded four swords and suppressed a hundred eras.

With the divine sword Xuan Cang, I, at Taixu, can rival the Sheng Di dragon scales!

At this moment, Rao Yao Yao's Dao heart stabilized, and the confidence she had unconsciously lost over the decades returned.

The three towering mountains on her sword path—You Tu, Hua Chang Deng, and Ba Zun An—seemed to begin crumbling.

"Crack!"

Rao Yao Yao heard the sound of her own bottleneck breaking.

Her eyes brightened, knowing that with this step, she might qualify to touch the third realm of Qing Jian Shu and the sword path of a semi-saint!

But just then, Dao Qiong Cang's deeply solemn voice echoed in her ear: "Rao Yao Yao, where's the destiny golden dragon?"

"Hmm?" Rao Yao Yao was startled.

She had just unleashed that sword, borrowing the destiny power of the Xuan Cang Shen Jian.

Logically, after the strike, the destiny golden dragon should return to the sword's body to nurture itself, without any loss.

But upon checking...

"The destiny golden dragon is gone?"

Rao Yao Yao's heart skipped a beat.

That was the destiny power nurtured by Sheng Shen Hall for a thousand years—nearly a tenth of it!

How could it not return?

How could it be gone?

How could it possibly be gone?!

Rao Yao Yao's face turned ashen in an instant, then drained of all color as her body began to tremble.

"Where did the destiny golden dragon go?"