The Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff charged with ferocity. The Mohist Grandmaster did not meet the attack head-on, but instead retreated. In truth, he had not engaged in combat for so long that he had almost forgotten he was once a Mohist knight who roamed the world in his youth. As he retreated, the Grandmaster flicked his fingers, and the sword box behind him opened. Streams of flying swords shot out from all directions like streaks of rainbow light, attacking Man Yuan.
He was not a sword cultivator, nor did he possess a Sword-Nurturing Lake, and his refined core artifact was not a flying sword, but this did not diminish his identity as a Mohist swordsman.
The box behind him was called the Seven Treasures Sword Box, containing seven renowned swords. These swords, though only mid-refined, had made this Mohist Grandmaster nearly invincible among his peers for many years. More importantly, around each of the seven flying swords, which had transformed into flying rainbows, appeared dense golden imperial edict characters. His status as Grandmaster was recognized by heaven and earth.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft~~~"
At the moment of engagement, the flying swords were sharp. The Demon King Man Yuan immediately suffered, his body being pierced by the swords, leaving behind numerous sword wounds. However, the physical foundation of this thirteenth-realm demon king was too solid. Furthermore, he had absorbed most of the demon race's fortune and refined a drop of the Demon Ancestor's vital blood. The Mohist Grandmaster's attacks could only break his skin, not truly cripple him.
Conversely, Man Yuan swung the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff. With a force that could overturn mountains and overturn seas, his strike reached the Grandmaster in an instant.
"Boom!"
The Water and Fire Staff struck a azure formation. In an instant, the Grandmaster's body was forced to shift and retreat with a single blow. But as he retreated, he stomped his foot fiercely. Instantly, frost formations erupted forward, engulfing Man Yuan's entire body. The world suddenly grew much colder. Man Yuan's figure, holding the iron staff, was frozen, his lower body completely turning into a sheet of frost.
"Oh?"
The demon king looked down, his smile growing more ferocious and arrogant. He shook the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff, and the flames deep within his body surged, melting away the snow on the ground in an instant. Wildfires even erupted, catching many human soldiers and players off guard, burning them to death. Man Yuan looked up as the seven renowned swords from the Seven Treasures Sword Box arrived from the sky.
He swung the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff fiercely. With a "clang, clang, clang," he continuously knocked the flying swords away, but the injuries on his body grew more numerous. After all, the Mohist Grandmaster's fourteenth realm was not made of paper!
"Come on!"
Man Yuan raised his iron staff and delivered another mountain-crushing strike.
The Grandmaster supported it with one hand, and countless golden edict characters condensed into a mountain, forcefully bearing Man Yuan's blow. But after the staff strike, many of the golden characters were extinguished. There was no genuine difference in strength between the two sides. The only difference was that the Mohist Grandmaster possessed the power of heaven and earth's edicts, along with many Mohist techniques and arts, while Man Yuan had a solid thirteenth-realm peak cultivation, a physical foundation comparable to a fourteenth-realm demon, and his path was close to fire, lawless and unrestrained.
All the players on the battlefield were stunned. This was a true divine battle where mortals suffered. Flames spread, and the battlefield below the mountain had turned into a sea of fire. Countless human cavalry and players scattered and fled. Even a nearby Sword-Zhen Pavilion was affected, its walls turning red from Man Yuan's raging flames.
Lin Zhao stood on the desolate Xueyu Tianchi, frowning as he looked at Man Yuan's massive divine form in the distance. The Mohist Grandmaster's personal presence should have been enough, but... who could say for sure? After all, the Mohists were not known for their offensive prowess like the military strategists. A fourteenth-realm Mohist would certainly not be able to compare in combat power to a fourteenth-realm military strategist or a fourteenth-realm sword cultivator.
"Shu Zhi!"
He turned and checked Shu Zhi's injuries. Fortunately, her realm had not fallen, and Shu Zhi had managed to withstand the blow. Otherwise, Xueyu Tianchi might have been split in two by the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff.
"What kind of demon is that?"
Shu Zhi murmured.
"Thirteenth-realm peak, Man Yuan."
Lin Zhao frowned and said, "A true demon king. Below the Demon Ancestor, this is the demon king."
As he spoke, he looked to the west, his heart filled with worry. Xueyu Tianchi had one demon king, Man Yuan. What about the Ghost Realm? Would there also be a thirteenth-realm demon king there? If so, Xiao Jiu'er and Miss Lin would be in extreme danger.
Just then, the ground suddenly trembled. Man Yuan slammed into the Grandmaster's edict characters, forcing the Grandmaster to retreat repeatedly. At the same time, he suddenly opened his hand and, disregarding the injury to his fingers, grabbed one of the Grandmaster's flying swords. Then, with all his might, he squeezed. The flying sword vibrated and, with a "boom," exploded into flames, breaking into two pieces. Man Yuan then threw his head back, swallowed the two pieces of flying sword, and chewed them down.
A mid-refined flying sword was lost just like that. Man Yuan was truly a great menace!
The Mohist Grandmaster, holding a personal sword, retreated with a swaying figure. Streams of edict characters surrounded him, exuding an immortal aura. He frowned, realizing the terrifying extent of this great demon's power. But he had no room to retreat. If he retreated now, the human world would likely suffer.
"Come on!"
Man Yuan swung his iron staff, sending the remaining five flying swords flying. He then delivered a heavy punch. The fist energy gathered, forcing the Grandmaster, along with his sword, to retreat. However, his arm was also pierced by a flying sword, bleeding profusely from the massive wound. Yet, the great demon ignored it, constantly swinging his staff, punching and kicking, overwhelming the Mohist Grandmaster in terms of momentum.
Lin Zhao was stunned.
Who would have thought that a thirteenth-realm great demon could suppress a human fourteenth-realm expert?
Not long after, another flying sword was caught and crushed. By now, the Mohist Grandmaster's face was quite pale. In fact, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
However, on the human lands between heaven and earth, only the Mohist Grandmaster had stepped forward.
As for those at the thirteenth realm, they were all forbidden from descending by imperial decree. Facing the demon king Man Yuan, a thirteenth-realm cultivator would easily be killed. Even Huo Piaoyao, ranked among the top ten in combat power at the Military Strategist Ancestral Hall, had been defeated. What hope did other thirteenth-realm cultivators have?
...
Snow Ridge, on a mountain peak.
An old gentleman leaning on a cane finally reached the mountain peak. He was breathless, dressed in a grey long gown, with a wine gourd he was reluctant to drink from hanging at his waist and a cloak on his back for shelter from the wind and rain. Although his face was old, it was ruddy.
"Can't do it, can't do it..."
He repeatedly tapped his knees and said, "I'm old, I can't even climb this mere Snow Ridge."
As he spoke, he looked north, towards the sight of the Mohist Grandmaster resisting the demon king Man Yuan. The old gentleman frowned and muttered to himself, "How many years has it been since the Mohist Grandmaster last practiced his sword? His swordsmanship is sparse and ordinary, lacking any killing intent. Compared to him, my Xiao Zhao's swordplay is truly masterful. Alas..."
He wore a pained expression and said, "The situation you've created, and I, an old man, have to clean it up. Isn't that frustrating?"
The old gentleman ignored the great battle before him and turned towards Xueyu Tianchi. He knew everything that had happened before, including seeing Lin Zhao's expression when the flying sword Haoran showed cracks. Instantly, the old gentleman showed a look of heartache and said, "The Han Niu Sword is Sui Han's personal sword. The righteous sword intent nurtured by Sui Han's full of Confucian knowledge... it could only withstand two of that demon's strikes. But it's not Xiao Zhao's fault. Without him, perhaps the military strategist sage Huo would have already perished."
Thinking of this, the old gentleman became angry. He gently picked up the willow branch he was using as a cane and struck it down heavily, saying in a deep voice, "Beast, do you really think you are invincible in the human world?"
As the willow branch landed, a golden ripple enveloped the mountains, and golden characters appeared everywhere. The anger of a Confucian fourteenth-realm expert had already stirred the celestial phenomenon.
"..."
After Man Yuan forced back the Mohist Grandmaster with a staff strike, his expression became hesitant. He mentally recited, "Master, can this one be killed as well?"
The Demon Ancestor chuckled, "He's an old man whose body is half in the grave. He won't last much longer. Let this battle conclude for today. You go to the Ghost Realm, awaken Liu Bai, and deal with Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua."
"Yes!"
Man Yuan let out a grim laugh, picked up the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff, and without a second word, left. He transformed into a ball of flame that tore through the sky, heading straight west.
On Xueyu Tianchi.
Lin Zhao watched Man Yuan depart, his heart filled with even greater unease.
To the west, that was where Xiao Jiu'er and Lin Wanhua were.
At this moment, he only wished he were a thirteenth-realm sword immortal! No, perhaps even thirteenth-realm wasn't enough. He needed to be a fourteenth-realm sword immortal!
...
Kusong River, a tributary.
Xu Zhan dragged his sword and traveled downstream along the river. After walking for a long time, he looked up and saw that although the river surface ahead seemed calm, it was filled with dense sword qi and demonic energy. This was clearly the battlefield where Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua were fighting. However, one side of the battlefield was already enveloped by the small world of the thirteenth-realm great demon Ning Yuan Sheng, invisible to outsiders. The demon race's intention was clear: to kill these two peak twelfth-realm human sword cultivators was the demon race's greatest gain this time!
"..."
Xu Zhan's heart trembled slightly. He gave a wry smile. He was a Mohist sword cultivator, not a scholar of the human world, so he didn't adhere to the principle of a gentleman never shirking his duty. But... could he truly stand by and watch the talents of the younger generation, Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua, perish here? He, Xu Zhan, couldn't do that. After all, he was a human cultivator, and he had been called "Senior Xu Zhan" by Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua at the Mountain Peak Villa.
"My dear daughter..."
Xu Zhan's gaze softened. He turned and looked in the direction of Tianji City, his nose stinging. He said gently, "Daddy might not be able to return this time. You must take good care of yourself from now on... Don't be willful, don't lose your temper anymore. When Daddy was around, he could indulge you. When Daddy is gone, who will indulge you?"
As he spoke, this twelfth-realm Mohist great cultivator stepped forward. He raised his fingertip, and drop by drop of blood drew a complex inscription in the air. He had to break Ning Yuan Sheng's domain, and then use another formation to send Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua away. There was so much to do, but he had to do it.
Xu Zhan walked forward step by step, a wry smile on his face. To exchange his life, Xu Zhan's life, for the lives of Su Qingjiu and Lin Wanhua, this was a sure profit! Oh, right, the Sect Master Senior Brother had said that Mohist disciples were not allowed to do business.
Never mind, Xu Zhan would only do this one business deal in his life.
...
He glanced back at the human world. He hadn't drunk enough wine at the Mountain Peak Villa yet~~~
——————
Eighth update complete. Please cast your recommendation votes for Sword Immortal Xu...