Chapter 82 — Ten
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 6 of 10
The Nether King and the others, men of vast experience, needed no words—they lunged forward together. Tian Buhui and the rest shouted in fury, but it was too late to aid him. Yet though Master Daoyan's body was frail, leaning on the water qilin with his left hand, with his right he raised the Immortal-Slaying Sword and swept it forward—and in an instant the white light surged like a tidal wave, rolling over mountains and seas. The Poison God and the others met it with all their strength; the two forces collided with a thunderous roar.
The Yuheng Hall, already half ruined, now saw even its remaining broken walls and crumbling pillars collapse with a crash, and in an instant dust filled the air. The Nether King and the others could not help but stagger back a step, all four faces changing color—the power of the Immortal-Slaying Sword was truly inconceivable.
Yet even so, Master Daoyan, shrouded in the radiance of the Immortal-Slaying Sword, spat out a great mouthful of blood with a "pff." But he paid no heed at all, forcing himself up onto the water qilin's back. The water qilin gave a great roar, bared its fangs and claws, and flew into the sky.
Between heaven and earth, suddenly only that thread of Immortal-Slaying light remained, flickering with brilliant radiance, growing ever brighter. Accompanied by waves of chanting, that incomparably radiant seven-colored sword of qi appeared once more in the sky, ceaselessly dividing into single-colored swords of qi, streaming with color.
The demonic cultists all paled. The Poison God stamped his foot fiercely and said urgently: "This formation's power is truly too great—we cannot match it by force. We withdraw first."
The Nether King, though watching Master Daoyan's tottering form, could not for the life of him understand how a man so gravely wounded he should be at death's door could still activate such an earth-shaking formation that consumed so much of his vital essence. But since the formation had been activated, its power was no small matter, and in the end he dared not stake the lives of the demonic disciples on a gamble. With a long sigh, he leapt into the air, signaling his disciples to retreat.
Bili pulled Zhang Qingyue, about to fly off, when suddenly a figure flashed before them—it was Xueqi, blocking their way, the Tianya Divine Sword in her hand blazing with blue light. Xueqi said coldly: "Junior Brother Zhang is of our Canglan Sect. Let him go at once!"
How could Bili let that be? "Leave him with you so you can kill him?" she cried furiously. "Kill me first, then!"
With that she said no more; Shangxin Hua struck through the air.
By now the Shixian Sword Formation had already shrouded the summit of Jietian Peak, and heaven and earth were gradually darkening. Some of the Hades Sect cultivators saw Bili locked in combat with Lu Xueqi and at once turned back to help her; the righteous side rushed in as well, and in an instant all was chaos again.
Zhang Qingyue's heart was a torment beyond bearing; he felt a savage, murderous thought howling and shrieking through his mind, a terrible yet seductive sensation of annihilation—of slaughtering countless lives—filling his every thought.
The Black Iron Staff seemed to answer its master's will as well: red, azure, and gold light wheeled and shifted in turn, but plainly the red was growing ever more dominant.
Facheng, watching from the side, grew desperate. Ever since he had first seen Zhang Qingyue at Kongsang Mountain that day, he had regarded him with special favor because of that secret from years past, and now he was determined at all costs not to see Zhang Qingyue fall into the demonic path. In a flash he lunged for the Black Iron Staff in Zhang Qingyue's hand.
Bili was frantic, but pinned down by Lu Xueqi and the others, she could only cry out sharply, "Xiaofan, look out!"