Chapter 241: No, I Am Not the Holy Saint of the Demon Sect
Luo Wusheng certainly didn't intend to waste the recognition value he had painstakingly accumulated here.
Well, actually, even if he used it all up, it wouldn't be a big deal. Given how quickly the recognition value was surging right now, he could probably regain a good amount just by swinging his sword again and harvesting another wave.
Even if he couldn't fully replenish it, the difference wouldn't be too significant.
However, considering that after using it, he would need to recharge [Phantomless 2.0] again, leaving him with a period where he had no trump cards available, he was reluctant to waste this powerful new hand on these sword cultivators in front of him.
After all, there was no real need. This was merely a dispute over interests, not a fight to the death, and the opposing side wasn't strong enough to threaten his life.
Under these circumstances, a fully unleashed [Phantomless 2.0] was enough as a deterrent, allowing him to keep his trump card for any unexpected situations.
And indeed, his current display of power had successfully intimidated the opposing crowd.
Further reinforcing his invincible aura with words, Luo Wusheng slowly let his gaze wander over the enemy ranks.
A group of disarmed Golden Core sword cultivators couldn't cause any trouble. As for the Nascent Soul cultivators…
The expressions of the five Nascent Soul cultivators weren't looking great, especially that tall, imposing man who was already injured.
The Golden Core cultivators supporting him had all completely lost their combat ability, and his own condition was far from ideal. This greatsword team had essentially been eliminated from the fight for the Soulblade Specter.
Some hesitation appeared in the eyes of members from the other teams as well.
But the temptation of a Heaven-grade Soulblade Specter was simply too great.
Such an entity only appeared once in many years, and whenever one was discovered, it always led to fierce competition among various factions. Having come this far with their cultivation, they were unwilling to simply give up and walk away empty-handed.
The white-haired elderly Nascent Soul cultivator, now surrounded by only five swords, took in a deep breath of turbid air. His half-closed old eyes fully opened as he continuously scrutinized Luo Wusheng, who seemed like a heavenly demon descended upon the world.
"Your true strength is not as great as you are currently displaying."
The elder's hoarse and dry voice rang out, "If you truly had such power, you wouldn't need to concern yourself with us at all. You could have simply entered Daybreak Mountain and taken the Soulblade Specter without us being able to stop you… You are bluffing."
"At most, you can only unleash a single devastating strike."
Hearing this, the indifferent smile on Luo Wusheng's face didn't change in the slightest.
"You're welcome to test that theory."
He could see through the old man's scheming at a glance. Though the elder spoke those words, he hadn't moved forward even a step—clearly hoping that the other Nascent Soul cultivators would test Luo Wusheng's strength first.
And Luo Wusheng responded accordingly.
The floating swords above his head ceased their fluid motion at that moment, vibrating in unison with a resonant sword hum, all blades pointing downward.
Sunlight pierced through the gaps between the blades, reflecting off their edges in a dazzling, multicolored glow.
Then, Luo Wusheng lightly flicked his left hand, which held a slender, gleaming sword.
As if receiving a command, nearly a hundred swords fell in sequence, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle before embedding themselves straight into the ground with a resounding thud.
'If only I had ten thousand swords gathered together, that would be even more spectacular…'
That would allow for a true downpour of swords, rather than this lightweight imitation.
It would be best accompanied by a grand, majestic background score.
Unfortunately, [Phantomless 2.0] still needed to serve as a deterrent and couldn't be switched into its Seven-Stringed Guqin form.
Besides, Luo Wusheng wasn't really trying to put on a show of raining swords—he was, in fact, struggling to maintain the act.
This Returning Sword Technique had not yet been fully developed. After integrating the gathered sword-type artifacts, there was no follow-up technique, but maintaining this state continuously drained both spiritual energy and sword intent.
Spiritual energy was one thing, but if he hadn't spent all of last night drinking Sword Nurturing Tea, which greatly strengthened his sword intent, his fledgling sword intent would probably have struggled to even control the flying swords of those Golden Core cultivators.
Even so, the range and number of swords he could manipulate were still limited.
'It's the complete opposite of Little Yuli.'
Lu Yuliu had immense sword intent but lacked the spiritual energy to sustain it.
At this moment, all the swords he had summoned were now embedded in the ground beneath him.
Yet, none of the sword cultivators dared to retrieve their weapons.
Even the elderly Nascent Soul cultivator, seeing his sixth sword fall, had just begun to gather spiritual energy for teleportation when Luo Wusheng's unrestrained killing intent locked onto him.
Frightened, his spiritual energy dissipated, and instead of advancing, he instinctively took half a step back.
Luo Wusheng smirked.
From the looks of it, at least until there was movement within Daybreak Mountain, this group wouldn't dare to make a move.
And if they waited until the moment when the Soulblade Specter used it Soul Shattering Sword Technique, then even without using the power of [Phantomless 2.0], he could still hold them off for a bit… though that might slightly undermine the invincible image he had just crafted.
Ahem, making bold declarations only to end up at a disadvantage in battle would indeed be a little embarrassing.
But it wasn't a big deal—after all, no one here knew who he was.
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly felt a shift and looked downward.
The tall, imposing man who had been injured first let out a long sigh and thrust his heavy sword into the ground.
"So be it. It seems this Soulblade Specter is no longer something I can covet… But before I leave, there's something I'd like to know."
He looked at Luo Wusheng with a complex expression.
"You indeed have no Dao aura circulating within you, nor can I sense a Nascent Soul presence. Without a doubt, you are merely at the peak of the Golden Core Realm— Yet, I have never seen a Golden Core cultivator with power like yours."
"With this level of strength, along with your demeanor, there's no way you could be an unknown figure in this world… Who exactly are you?"
Luo Wusheng merely smiled without answering.
He had just decided not to reveal his identity.
But in the group led by the scattered Nascent Soul cultivator, a Golden Core cultivator suddenly froze after hearing the tall, imposing man's words.
"Peak Golden Core… the most renowned peak Golden Core cultivator as of late…"
"The Holy Saint of the Demon Sect?!"
The words burst from the cultivator's mouth like a flash of realization.
Luo Wusheng's mouth twitched slightly.
'No, I'm not. Please, call me Long Dahai—A scattered cultivator from Green Province, a frequent guest of Red Blossom Pavilion, a master of all things lewd, and a vast ocean of mystery.'
He silently mused to himself but did not speak, as the Golden Core cultivator had already begun contradicting his own guess.
"No— There's never been any word of the Demon Sect's Holy Saint practicing sword techniques or lightning arts, and right now, he should still be in the capital…"
The poorly-informed cultivator mumbled to himself.
The others, who had started to entertain the idea, let it slip from their minds again, though they still held onto a bit of doubt.
But in the very next instant, all their thoughts were shattered.
From deep within Daybreak Mountain, a sudden surge of energy gathered, and a shrill wail echoed from within the mountains.
All those who wielded sword intent felt a tremor in their souls.
Immediately after, a pitch-black shadow dispersed at the energy's core.
Hummm—
Like the resonance of countless swords, the scattered shadows transformed into countless eerie, jet-black miniature swords that shot skyward—only to explode in unison the very next moment.
A series of deafening booms followed.
Everyone immediately realized what had just happened.
The Soulblade Specter had begun its Soul Shattering Sword technique!