Li Qingqiu and Great Demon Luo fought with techniques that shook heaven and earth. Both had mastered movement arts, their range of activity vast, making everyone in the city feel as though they were facing a natural disaster head-on.
Li Qingqiu did his utmost to restrain Great Demon Luo, preventing him from approaching the Qingxiao Sect disciples.
Great Demon Luo had no such scruples. He did not fear the loss of ghost soldiers at all; his sole intent was to slay Li Qingqiu.
It was the first time Li Qingqiu had faced such immense pressure in battle.
Great Demon Luo was far too well-rounded, proficient in all kinds of spells and even highly skilled in soul-based techniques.
If not for Li Qingqiu possessing the Mortal God and Ghost Fate, the situation would have been extremely troublesome.
In a battle between powerhouses, even a momentary flaw could be fatal.
Precisely because of Great Demon Luo's strength, Li Qingqiu could squander the vital energy within his body to his heart's content. It was a sensation he had never experienced before.
Exhilarating!
The more Li Qingqiu fought, the fiercer he became. He once again condensed a sword soul and, together with Chu Jing, besieged Great Demon Luo.
Great Demon Luo immediately felt as though he were facing two Li Qingqiu at once, the pressure doubling.
Under the joint assault of Li Qingqiu and Chu Jing, Great Demon Luo leapt upward, transforming into a streak of blood-colored lightning that pierced through the clouds of the night sky.
Li Qingqiu and Chu Jing halted and looked up. A massive black flood dragon churned within the clouds, radiating immense pressure.
A dragon's roar resounded through Cloud Emperor City, making the people within the city even more agitated.
Li Qingqiu could clearly determine that the sound carried a certain bewitching effect. Even the snow over Cloud Emperor City seemed connected to this ghost flood dragon.
He immediately leapt up, charging toward the thunderclouds in the night sky. Raising his sword, he slashed toward the heavens. Chu Jing followed with a swing of his blade. The sword in the sword soul's hand carried even greater might. Two streams of sword qi slashed out together, swiftly dispersing the thunderclouds. Lightning intertwined, sounding like the shrill cries of countless birds.
The ghost flood dragon let out a roar, this time no longer like a dragon but like a vicious tiger.
The ghost flood dragon plummeted from the clouds, crashing toward a corner of Cloud Emperor City.
Li Qingqiu and Great Demon Luo descended simultaneously, landing upon ruins dozens of zhang apart.
Great Demon Luo lowered his head to look at his ghost sword. Lightning intertwined along its blade, causing him to frown.
"Heavenly thunder… how is this possible…"
Shock surged through Great Demon Luo's heart. He had not expected Li Qingqiu's vital energy to contain heavenly thunder.
He recalled that earlier, one evil ghost had returned to inform him that a woman in Qingxiao Sect wielded lightning-attributed spells. At the time, he had dismissed it, thinking it an excuse from a weak subordinate.
They were not ordinary ghosts. Common lightning-attributed spells could not destroy their ghost bodies.
So it was heavenly thunder…
The killing intent in Great Demon Luo's heart surged. Li Qingqiu, who possessed the heavenly thunder attribute, along with that female cultivator, would certainly become great enemies of the ghost dynasty.
Li Qingqiu had long known that heavenly thunder vital energy could injure Great Demon Luo, but he had deliberately concealed it. If not for that ghost flood dragon affecting the Qingxiao Sect disciples, he would not have used his heavenly thunder vital energy.
The reason for hiding it was simple—Li Qingqiu wanted to find the perfect opportunity to slay Great Demon Luo in a single strike.
The Great Demon Luo before him was not the true body!
This fellow was fighting him with an avatar!
The moment Li Qingqiu entered the main hall, he had already seen through Great Demon Luo's disguise.
Possessing the Mortal God and Ghost Fate, he had perception of soul bodies beyond cultivators of the same realm. He could see that Great Demon Luo's soul body was incomplete, very similar to the Soul-Seizing Black Demon from before.
However, now that his heavenly thunder vital energy had been exposed, there was no need to continue pretending, lest his disciples be affected.
Li Qingqiu mobilized the vital energy within his body. One sword shadow after another condensed around him.
It was the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword!
Infused with heavenly thunder vital energy, there were 12 Soul-Stealing Flying Swords in total!
Sensing the threat, Great Demon Luo immediately leapt up. He raised his ghost sword high, and black sword qi erupted, surging skyward like a black pillar standing above Cloud Emperor City, piercing through the sea of clouds in the night sky.
Countless evil ghosts poured forth from the black pillar, charging toward Li Qingqiu one after another. Wails, roars, and screams merged into one, resounding throughout the city and making the entire Cloud Emperor City grow even colder.
Jian Du, who had just slain a corpse ghost, turned to look. With a single glance, he saw the endless tide of evil ghosts in the distant sky. Even a sword dao genius like him felt his scalp go numb and fear arise in his heart.
Immediately afterward, he saw an incomparably brilliant sword light scatter those evil ghosts and shatter the black pillar in the same stroke.
That was the Sect Master's sword!
Jian Du withdrew his gaze and turned back to continue fighting.
At this moment, many Qingxiao Sect disciples were frightened by Great Demon Luo's ghostly spells, yet upon witnessing the Sect Master's sword light, they felt inspired.
The strongest enemy was being handled by the Sect Master—what did their own pressure amount to?
…
Great Demon Luo landed within a monastery in the city. Before he could catch his breath, the courtyard wall beside him suddenly burst apart. A Soul-Stealing Flying Sword wreathed in heavenly thunder shot toward him, forcing him to evade once more.
When he finally came to a stop again, even more Soul-Stealing Flying Swords assailed him.
In the darkness of night, the Soul-Stealing Flying Swords infused with heavenly thunder vital energy were dazzlingly radiant. In Great Demon Luo's eyes, they carried an indescribable sense of oppression.
"What kind of spell is this?"
Fear arose in Great Demon Luo's heart. He could not comprehend Li Qingqiu's technique.
Faced with the pursuit of the 12 Soul-Stealing Flying Swords, he could only evade. His spells simply could not block them.
He landed again, and immediately the ground trembled. The courtyard where he stood split apart and rose into the air together, lifting him skyward atop the stone beneath his feet.
Focusing his gaze, he saw Li Qingqiu rapidly approaching, his left hand pointing directly at him.
Great Demon Luo had just leapt when a Soul-Stealing Flying Sword severed one of his arms. Blood splattered as he spun around, catching the ghost sword with his left hand and slashing out.
Sword qi surged like waves, slowing the flight of 3 Soul-Stealing Flying Swords. But at that moment, other Soul-Stealing Flying Swords struck, swiftly piercing through his flesh. His aura instantly deflated.
Great Demon Luo, his entire body impaled with Soul-Stealing Flying Swords, fell into the ruins, sending rings of dust rolling outward.
Half-kneeling on the ground, one hand braced against his knee, he struggled to stand, yet he could not.
Li Qingqiu appeared before him and swung his sword, severing his head.
Heavenly thunder engulfed Great Demon Luo's body, rapidly blasting it into a charred corpse and extinguishing his remnant soul.
Great Demon Luo's head rolled to the ground, the face—half exposed bone—frozen in astonishment.
Li Qingqiu sheathed his sword and glanced down at Great Demon Luo, curling his lip slightly.
What a performance.
He turned and went to slay the remaining evil ghosts, waiting at the same time for intelligence to arrive.
Aside from the evil ghosts facing Jiang Zhaoxia, Shen Yue, and Zhao Zhen, the rest had to be exterminated as quickly as possible to avoid heavy casualties.
Li Qingqiu used the Supreme Movement Art, shifting rapidly. At the fastest speed, he destroyed the physical bodies of the evil ghosts, then collected their souls with the Soul-Refining Banner.
In less than 10 breaths, he had eliminated 3 evil ghosts.
A few evil ghosts, sensing that the situation had turned against them, were already fleeing toward the outskirts of the city. The corpse ghosts and lesser specters, however, continued attacking without fear.
Suddenly—
Li Qingqiu halted and turned around. He sensed Lin Chuan's spiritual call.
Because of the great distance, he could not hear clearly at first. When Lin Chuan drew closer, he finally understood.
They had found Great Demon Luo's true body!
…
200 miles east of Cloud Emperor City.
Within a dilapidated Daoist temple, the door creaked open. Great Demon Luo stepped out slowly. He appeared taller and younger than when he had possessed the old man earlier.
Moonlight pierced through gaps in the clouds and fell upon him.
He looked toward the direction of Cloud Emperor City. The mountain here was withered, its trees dried and dead, unable to obstruct his sight. He frowned deeply.
"Vital energy infused with heavenly thunder, an inconceivable sword soul… Li Qingqiu, I never imagined such a figure existed in this world…"
Great Demon Luo's expression was complicated. He knew his plan was going to fail.
Li Qingqiu's strength had exceeded his expectations.
He had never imagined that he would be defeated by a cultivator in the Awakening Spirit Realm. He was far stronger now than in life. Within the Awakening Spirit Realm, he had believed no one could possibly match him.
Yet Li Qingqiu had appeared.
Indeed.
Those who could found immortal sects upon the land of Jiuzhou were all earth-shaking figures blessed with extraordinary fortune.
Great Demon Luo raised his right hand, palm facing downward. Ghostly qi poured toward the ground, swiftly covering the courtyard.
A baby, curled into a ball, slowly rose from within the ghostly qi and fell into Great Demon Luo's hand.
Looking at the infant, regret and sorrow appeared on his face. He muttered, "A pity… it did not go as planned."
Boom—
The courtyard wall suddenly burst apart. Sword light exploded against Great Demon Luo's body. Fixing his gaze, he discovered in shock that it was Li Qingqiu's Soul-Stealing Flying Sword.
A vertical eye abruptly opened on his forehead, unleashing terrifying ghostly qi that forcefully halted the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword's advance.
"So the so-called ghost dynasty was merely a smokescreen."
Li Qingqiu's voice came from outside the Daoist temple. He stepped through layers of dust and entered Great Demon Luo's sight.
Great Demon Luo's face darkened upon seeing him.
Li Qingqiu looked at the infant in Great Demon Luo's hand. Though his face remained expressionless, he felt surprise in his heart.
The infant's aura was extremely similar to that of the mysterious Ghost King within the Soul-Refining Banner!
He realized that the Soul-Refining Banner had a great origin and was intricately connected by karma to Ghost King Ridge.
The vertical eye on Great Demon Luo's forehead widened fully, forcefully dispersing the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword. He stared at Li Qingqiu and said in a deep voice, "Li Qingqiu, I admit you are powerful. Even in the Azure Dragon Domain, I have never seen an Awakening Spirit Realm cultivator as strong as you. But living beings have a fatal flaw—that is, vital energy will eventually run dry."
Azure Dragon Domain?
Li Qingqiu grew even more interested in Great Demon Luo's memories. Vital energy surged from his body, condensing above his head into a Soul-Stealing Flying Sword. Lightning intertwined around it, silver light flashing as it rapidly grew larger.
"Vital energy does indeed eventually run dry—but how do you know I have reached my limit?"
Li Qingqiu stared at Great Demon Luo and spoke coldly. As his words fell, the Soul-Stealing Flying Sword above his head swelled violently, growing to a length of 5 zhang. The heavenly thunder it emitted struck the entire courtyard, blasting through the mountain walls.
In the illumination of lightning, Li Qingqiu's expression was icy and resolute, killing intent laid bare in his eyes.
Feeling Li Qingqiu's vital energy surging forth without end, Great Demon Luo's expression grew increasingly grim. Grinding his teeth, he demanded, "Just who are you?"
With such immense vital energy, he could only think of the descendants of those ancient immortal clans in the Azure Dragon Domain.
Li Qingqiu did not answer. Instead, he stepped toward Great Demon Luo. With each step, his Soul-Stealing Flying Sword expanded another circle, causing the entire barren mountain to tremble.
A ruthless glint flashed in Great Demon Luo's eyes. He suddenly lifted the infant in his hand and opened his mouth, biting down on its small arm. Blood swiftly flowed into his throat.