A tiny red flower swayed amidst the falling ice crystals.
The sword spirit gazed at it, as if seeing the most beautiful thing in the world. Its eyes were fanatical, and the sword body trembled, shaking off the frost and snow.
After countless years of longing, its wish was about to be fulfilled – it would soon be reborn as a human!
"What demon god Fuxi? After I reincarnate with my past life's memories, I will forge a new era, one that belongs solely to me!"
The Gan Jiang sword spirit roared, and dark green mist surged towards the other shore flower.
It intended to absorb the other shore flower now, and the flower had no means of resisting, as its large pistils were still frozen.
The sword spirit moved swiftly, as if it would succeed in the next second. But then, from somewhere unknown, a strong gust of wind suddenly blew.
The wind was heavy, carrying a terrifying sense of fragmentation and destruction. Everything in its path was obliterated, even the sword spirit's spiritual form dispersed, forcing it to halt its advance.
"Who's there!"
The sword spirit was shocked and angered. It found it hard to imagine that after that strike, there could still be anything in this space that could threaten it.
So, it quickly consolidated its form and darted towards the other shore flower.
It didn't care what strange things were here; it was the closest to the other shore flower.
No one could be faster than it, the sword spirit thought.
Whoosh!
A dark shadow flashed by.
Wishes were beautiful, but reality was always cruel.
Someone was indeed faster, as the wind was caused by the movement of a person. The other shore flower, mere inches away, vanished. The sword spirit stared in disbelief, then roared in fury:
"Who did that!"
Filled with rage, it retreated into the Gan Jiang sword, scanning its surroundings.
Then, the sword spirit immediately discovered a silhouette at the end of the wind's trajectory.
The figure moved with extreme speed, ascending vertically. Each stride was immense, as if walking on level ground. A powerful aura emanated from its body, and in its right hand, it gripped a halberd entwined with a golden dragon.
Everything in its path – shattered rocks and ice crystals – was ruthlessly crushed.
And in its left hand, it clutched a delicate red flower.
"Other shore flower, give me back my other shore flower!"
Finally locating the flower, the sword spirit let out an enraged roar. The Gan Jiang sword instantly leaped into the sky, unleashing a blinding sword light towards the figure above.
The frost was bone-chilling, and the sword energy was sharp.
Seeing this, Qiong Qi immediately unleashed his Samadhi true fire.
Although this strike was not as powerful as the one that had frozen everything, it still possessed the killing power of the Domain Lord stage. The ice essence contained within it could freeze blood, so he had to treat it with caution.
Sensing the sword energy attacking from below, the person swung their halberd, stirring up a gust of wind that made Qiong Qi, who was controlling the fire, tremble with fear.
He wondered what rank of divine weapon this halberd was, as the wind it generated was so immense it could perhaps reverse the flow of a waterfall!
Boom!
Finally, the heavy halberd collided with the sword light, erupting in an incredibly loud roar.
The power of destruction clashed with the sword light and exploded.
The terrifying force sent the person's body flying upwards, and without regard for injury, they used the momentum to ascend a thousand meters, reaching the same height as Qiong Qi.
Qiong Qi, standing on the frozen rock, was stunned. This was even possible?
"Another human, at the fourth stage, truly a monstrous talent!"
Qiong Qi cursed inwardly. This person was clearly a Lord, yet their surging power was so immense.
He would have needed his innate abilities to block that sword strike, yet this person had met it head-on and was largely unharmed. Truly monstrous!
"This place is about to collapse. Let's escape together."
The person, with a full beard, transmitted their voice with a steady tone.
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Yan Yu forced himself to gather his senses and looked up, seeing the tall figure.
Clad in armor, wielding a halberd.
Among the people he had met, only the young general liked to dress like this, so this must be Ji Chang.
Ji Chang stepped forward, appearing before Qiong Qi with a grave expression.
Having led troops in battle for years, slaying countless ferocious beasts in the Western Mountains, he knew how deeply these great demons hated humans.
The other party might be willing to fight alongside Yan Yu, but not necessarily accept him.
"Let's run together."
"This place is collapsing. If we keep wasting time with him, neither of us will be able to leave."
Qiong Qi was taken aback:
"What?"
He looked at Ji Chang, who had arrived uninvited, then at the Gan Jiang sword rushing up from below, his face filled with panic.
Run together, or none of them would escape?
If he wanted to escape, he would have long ago abandoned Yan Yu and teleported to the exit. Although, he admitted he had considered it just moments ago... but why was he drawing the sword towards him? Was this forced alliance?
"Thief, die!"
Another sword light slashed towards Ji Chang. The latter instantly swung his halberd, placing his left arm against the shaft and exerting half his strength. Under the pressure, an endless destructive force erupted.
Boom!
Another terrifying collision, and the space roared. Ji Chang grunted, his body instantly sent flying high up, and the frost spread across his halberd.
Ji Chang suppressed the sweetness in his throat, using the Dao of Destruction to shatter the ice essence.
"You won't escape!"
Seeing that his sword energy couldn't defeat this human, the sword spirit accelerated its main body and charged directly.
It left a dazzling, icy white streak in the space, freezing everything it passed through.
Qiong Qi, running upwards, sensed the danger and quickly used his Samadhi true fire to melt the ice. Immediately afterward, the sword flashed past him.
Qiong Qi's fur stood on end, filled with extreme fear. He hadn't even noticed the sword's movement, and thankfully, it wasn't targeting him. Otherwise, he would have lost at least half his life!
Clang, clang, clang…
Sparks flew, and countless collisions echoed in the air.
Ji Chang, surrounded by an unknown energy ring, fought the Gan Jiang sword with his halberd. Every impact caused the space to tremble.
They seemed evenly matched, but in reality, Ji Chang was severely injured.
His armor was crisscrossed with countless gashes from the sword's edge, and blood poured out like a spring.
This was unavoidable. No matter how strong Ji Chang was, he was still a fourth-stage Lord, and his cultivation had been broken while his body was controlled by a demon god.
He possessed exceptional talent, forging a path through his generation, and it was already remarkable that he had lasted this long.
Blood trickled from Ji Chang's lips. This sword already possessed the power of a peak Domain Lord. If this continued, he would surely be defeated!
Crack, crack…
The collisions between them caused the frozen earth of the surrounding mine to crack, threatening to collapse. Yet, the Gan Jiang sword relentlessly pursued, and Ji Chang could only passively defend.
"If you keep chasing me like this, aren't you afraid I'll destroy the other shore flower!"
Ji Chang held the other shore flower in his hand and pointed it at the Gan Jiang sword, hoping to buy time. However, the opponent's offensive did not abate; it only became more ferocious.
"Are you an idiot?"
"The other shore flower is an object that transcends the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the ultimate of life and death. How can it be destroyed by an attack? With your intelligence, you're a disgrace to humanity!"
The Gan Jiang sword taunted mentally, attacking furiously. Ji Chang couldn't fend it off, and his injuries worsened.
Thump!
With a resounding thud, another collision occurred, and the bones in Ji Chang's right wrist fractured. Sword energy then drilled into his arm, severing countless muscles and tendons.
Blood seeped from his pores. Ji Chang's right arm was practically useless, held together only by skin.
Even so, he forcefully used his power to envelop his muscles and tendons, then swept his halberd, batting away the sword that was aimed at his heart.
Clang!
The sword spirit, surprised by Ji Chang's remaining strength during the collision, miscalculated and was sent flying dozens of meters away.
Screech!
As he barely managed to stop himself and was about to attack again, Qiong Qi charged forward, batting him into the side of the mine wall with a claw, embedding him deeply.
"Let's go together!"
Qiong Qi, carrying Yan Yu in his mouth, approached Ji Chang.
After an incredibly complex internal struggle, he had finally chosen not to abandon Yan Yu and to fight alongside Ji Chang.
Seeing Qiong Qi's action, a hint of a smile finally appeared on Ji Chang's pale face.
He took advantage of the opening, switched his halberd to his left hand, glanced at the other shore flower in his right, and his expression became even more resolute.
Ji Chang and Qiong Qi advanced together, continuing upwards.
Bang!
Rocks exploded as the Gan Jiang sword broke free from the wall. The sword spirit watched Ji Chang and Qiong Qi's retreating backs, burning with anxiety.
Their battle had taken them tens of thousands of meters upwards; they were close to the surface.
Once they left this mine, he could still pursue them, but he feared they might have reinforcements.
The juniors of this generation were terrifyingly strong. If they called for escorts of fifth-stage, or even half-step Human King realm powerhouses, his chance of reincarnation would be completely lost.
Thinking of such a consequence, the sword spirit immediately unleashed its full power.
Then, the frost on the Gan Jiang sword was suddenly dispersed by an intense aura of cutting.
This sword, etched with tortoise shell patterns, was imbued with the rust of history and bloodshed. It permeated the space, heavy and oppressive. The invisible sword intent slowly accumulated, its sharp cutting force growing stronger, shredding everything it touched.
Hum…
Even before the sword was unsheathed, Ji Chang and Qiong Qi above felt a sense of dread.
Yes, dread. This sword intent was too terrifying. Without even testing it, they knew they couldn't withstand it.
But where could they escape to? They were still ten thousand meters from the surface, which would take at least ten seconds to reach.
And at this moment, the Gan Jiang sword had stopped gathering power.
Stopping was also a beginning.
"With one strike, who can contend."
The sword spirit chanted silently. This was a phrase its former master, Heavenly Venerable Xiaoyao, often uttered after killing someone.
So, it was chanting it now.
Because it had already locked onto the human and beast above.
The next second, the sword would be unleashed.
But at that very moment, it suddenly sensed a sword intent.
The sword intent seemed to come from the surface, and it wasn't targeting him. Yet, as the sword spirit of Gan Jiang, it involuntarily felt a profound sense of fear.
It was like the fear Heavenly Venerable Xiaoyao experienced before being struck down by the heavenly tribulation.
Thus, the sword spirit began to tremble uncontrollably.
And the angle of its sword strike shifted slightly.
Therefore, its sword strike went wide.