Demon Lord
"Huo Zong?!" Another Chao Du exclaimed in surprise. "So it's him. No wonder he has such a handsome appearance. After all, he was the number one beauty in the cultivation world back then... cough, have you heard of him? It is said that he had a crush on the former Demon Lord and even gave up his status as an elder of Lingxuan Sect to become a demon in order to follow her. That was the once incomparably prosperous Lingxuan Sect." Another Chao Du clicked his tongue in admiration.
Suddenly, Huo Zong moved, raising the White Bone Sword and swinging it. The sword energy was like a raging blood wave, carrying a scorching heat as it rushed straight towards the two of them.
Another Chaodu was surprised: "He only said a few words of gossip that everyone in the cultivation world knows, and he has such a big temper that he started a fight right away?"
Chao Du said, "It's not because of that. He's not a spirit, but a phantom. He probably can't understand what we're saying."
At the same time, Chao Du's eyes narrowed slightly: the demonic energy and resentment in this blood wave were too dense. If she remembered correctly, the sword energy of the Blood Wave Sword had a pollution effect. If a weapon or magic artifact came into contact with it, it would either temporarily lose its spiritual power or be completely corroded and become unusable.
It's a bit troublesome.
But it's only a little bit.
Chao Du sheathed his mighty sword and simply raised his arm and made a single stroke with his fingers.
The next instant, sharp sword energy, accompanied by thousands of bolts of lightning, crashed into the waves of blood.
Amidst a tremendous roar and blinding crimson light, everything within dozens of feet was instantly leveled.
Another Asakawa asked in astonishment, "You can release sword energy without a sword?!"
Chao Du: "The Thousand-Pound Sword has become one with my left arm. I'll spar with him first. You stay away!"
As the second half of the sentence drifted into the air, Chao Du's figure had already disappeared from the spot, leaving only a lingering shadow.
"Alright!" another Chao Du replied, retreating into the distance while observing the battle situation.
Amidst the flashes of lightning and surging waves, a fierce wind arose, and the sounds of houses and trees collapsing continued. In the blink of an eye, the two men had leveled several streets. Amidst the flying sand and stones and the white light and blood waves, it was almost impossible to see the two men's sword techniques.
What a powerful and awe-inspiring force...
Another woman, Chao Du, was deeply moved; she had never imagined that she might possess such power.
Once she gets the Bright Moon Sword, she will definitely start cultivating it properly.
A white and a red sword aura intertwined in the sky above Jinxiu City, almost obscuring the entire city, but the white sword aura gradually gained the upper hand.
Suddenly, all was still, the wind and sand stopped, and as a string of blood droplets fell onto the scorched earth, the blood moon began its cycle of waxing and waning once more.
Chao Du landed gracefully beside his other self, like a white crane, his white robes spotless.
As she watched the blood moon revolve in the sky, she chatted idly, "Regarding what you just said about the reason he fell into demonic possession, I've heard another explanation: He, and even the former Demon Lord, faced the predicament of reaching a bottleneck in cultivation but nearing the end of their lifespan. Many of their peers had already perished. To avoid death, they practiced forbidden arts and became demonic cultivators, plundering the lifespans of others to prolong their own lives. His sword, because he killed too many people and drank too much blood after falling into demonic possession, even turned its blade into a bone-like substance. From the 'Fire Wave Sword' to the 'Blood Wave Sword,' I don't know how many people it has harmed."
Another Chao Du said, "I've also heard of that reason, but I still prefer another one. He was willing to die for love, regardless of whether he was an immortal or a demon. How devoted he was... cough cough."
Chao Du glanced at her other self, feeling helpless and troubled.
Another woman, Chao Du, silently looked up at the sky, pretending nothing was wrong. After a short while, she couldn't help but ask, "Don't you want someone's true love?"
Chao Du said lazily, "I feel that sincerity is too much about fate; you can't force it. It's better to let things take their course. Besides, I have actually received sincerity from more than one person. Of course, I have also given sincerity to others."
"Really?! Several people?!" Another Asakawa's eyes lit up, clearly excited. "Who are they? Do I know them? And the person who made you give your heart, with your discernment and ability, he must be a very outstanding person, right? I should have at least heard of him."
Chao Du looked at her with a half-smile: "You know them, and they are indeed very outstanding. Yao Yao, Master, Su Ci, and so on, each of them treated me sincerely, and I returned their sincerity in return."
While the other Asawa remained silent, he looked at his left arm and said with certainty, "Yes, that includes you too."
Another Asawakawa: "...Does a sword also have a heart?"
Chao Du summoned the Thousand-Pound Sword, making it float in the air, and asked with a smile, "Do you have a sincere heart?"
The lightning on the Thousand-Pound Sword flickered slightly, as if nodding.
Another question came from Asakawa: "Doesn't it often have these lightning bolts on its body?"
The lightning on the Thousand-Pound Sword disappeared for a moment, then flickered intensely and crackled, illuminating the entire street.
Like the shy beauty who had just covered her face with a folding fan, she nodded slightly but then realized that the other person couldn't understand her words. So she threw away the folding fan, picked up a long sword, and angrily asked the other person if they had heard her clearly.
Chao Du suddenly burst out laughing.
Another person exclaimed, "Good, good, you have it, you have it!"
The lightning on the Thousand-Pound Sword subsided again, and the sword moved closer to Chao Du, pressing against her sleeve and refusing to move, as if it had just suffered a great injustice.
Chao Du gently stroked the sword to comfort it, and it made a soft "sizzling" sound, as if it were very comfortable and satisfied, a stark contrast to the earth-shattering noise it had made just moments before.
Another voice said, "Ah...it looks like a little kitten, so cute. Hmm? Is that the sound of a flute? Look, what's that ribbon-like thing in the sky? And that's...another new moon?!"
Chao Du looked up and saw two blood moons, one large and one small, hanging in the sky above Jinxiu City. The city was filled with an ominous red light. Near the center of the city, streaks of blood-red and pale white "ribbons" floated into the air and converged on the small "blood moon" above the city center.
Chao Du's expression turned slightly solemn: "That is not the moon, but the 'Immortal Refining Furnace' of the Demon Lord Ling Ni. Those 'ribbons' in the sky are the 'blood streams and flesh rivers' that flow into the 'Immortal Refining Furnace'. And that sound is not a flute, but the sound of the chi (a type of Chinese wind instrument) played by Ling Ni."
Another Chaodu's face paled slightly: "The tenth floor is actually occupied by the great demon Ling Ni? Ah, look over here, these corpses are starting to deform too!"
The bodies closest to them became increasingly "soft," with their faces and hands, and other parts outside their clothes, rippling like the surface of a lake touched by the wind. Strands of crimson or pale white threads emerged from their faces, hands, collars, and sleeves, fluttering towards the direction of the alchemy furnace, as if about to fly away with the wind.
Chao Du: "It seems her chi music has already affected this area. She probably wants to refine all the cultivators in the city."
"My hand!" another exclaimed in surprise. "Several small red spots have appeared on it! And it hurts a bit!"
Chao Du drew his longsword from its sheath and handed the scabbard to her: "Your spiritual power is insufficient, and you are affected by the sound of the chi. Take this, it can help you resist the sound of the chi, otherwise you will be refined alive in a moment."
"Refined alive?!" Another Chao Du shuddered, on the verge of tears. "This ninth level is too dangerous."
Chao Du wasn't surprised: "After all, it's the ninth floor. Let's go over to the Immortal Refining Furnace and take a look, or you can wait for me here. The chirping is quieter here, so it's a relatively safe place."
The other Asawa looked conflicted. Asawa could hear her thinking, "It's relatively safe here, but why does it feel safer to stay by her side...? But if I go with her, will I be a hindrance?"
Asaka chuckled, "Why don't you come with me and keep me company?"
Another one, Chao Du, exclaimed, "Great!"
The two rose into the air, flying towards the Immortal Refining Furnace, passing through streets and skimming over rooftops.
As they drew closer to the "little blood moon," its true form became clear: it was a massive furnace, its body shrouded in thick, misty blood-red mist, floating in mid-air like a blood moon.
A woman wearing a bronze mask and a heavy, gorgeous dress stood on the roof of a nearby building, playing a bone flute. The melody was melancholic, like a cool breeze in a snowy valley, chilling to the bone.
Chao Du landed on a corner of the roof of a tall building, gazing at the scene from afar, and sighed softly: "The cultivation world has the 'Demon-Suppressing Bell,' but this Demon Lord created the 'Immortal-Refining Furnace,' harming countless cultivators."
Another Chaodu stopped beside her, asking worriedly, "Is the Demon Lord here an illusion, or a soul like the Dream Weaver?"
Chao Du: "It is a soul, but only a part of it. It should have been extracted from several of her clones captured by the Immortal Alliance. But even a remnant soul is much more difficult to deal with than an illusion."
Another Chaodu was even more worried: "What should we do? And I remember that this great demon is known as immortal. She is good at controlling flesh and blood, and has extremely strong regenerative abilities, even to the point of being able to 'bring the dead back to life'. She also has many clones that can be transferred at any time. If this illusion has also reached this level, how can we deal with her?"
Asakawa observed the strange phenomena ahead and said, "Where are the truly immortal beings? They're just a bit harder to kill."
"Huh?" The other Asakawa looked at her. "And you too...?"
Chao Du turned to look at her, a smirk playing on his lips: "I'm not human, I'm an immortal."
Another Asakawa: "...That's good."
Chao Du smiled and shook his head: "Just kidding. Even immortals can die, let alone someone who hasn't become an immortal. Look, she's currently using most of her power to draw flesh and bone into the furnace. Although she must have left herself and the Immortal Refining Furnace with some backup plan—for example, the one playing the chi now might not be her true form, but an avatar—she is relatively weak and easier to kill at this moment."
Another person, Asakawa, was shocked: "Even, they're easier to kill?!"
Asakawa nodded, his fingertips brushing along the spine of the longsword, his gaze growing sharper and brighter: "If the timing is right and the power is sufficient, one strike will suffice."
"Just one sword strike?!" The other Chao Du was completely stunned and stood frozen in place.
Chao Du nodded again, his expression slightly solemn: "However, the problem is that my current power is suppressed by the Heavenly Dao of this place, so a single sword strike may not be able to achieve the same effect."
"Oh? What should we do then?" another Asakawa asked anxiously. "Wouldn't that just give her more opportunities to move around and recover?"
Chao Du looked at the furnace, pondered for a moment, and said, "If one sword can't completely kill her, then I'll try to severely injure her. I need to awaken my power to the maximum extent. You protect me and keep a close watch on the surroundings."
Another Asawari: "Oh—?!"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a huge wave of air rushing towards her. If Chao Du hadn't been holding her shoulder, the wave would have blown her away a great distance.
She looked in astonishment toward the source of the blast wave:
The moon was split in two.
A massive sword aura carrying lightning, resembling a clear and bright crescent moon, instantly pierced through the small blood moon above the city center and the previously invisible layers of bone chains surrounding it, splitting it into two neat and symmetrical halves.
It was as if an endless sea of blood was surging wildly from the two halves of the furnace, swallowing up the entire city center in the blink of an eye, swallowing up the "Demon Lord" who was also split in two, as well as the bloody figure in front of the "Demon Lord" who was also split in two and almost completely melted, and the countless fleshy monsters that had just appeared around the two of them.
A white-robed immortal wielding an unsheathed longsword floated in the distant clouds, which was also the starting point of the sword light. Clearly, the sword that had just cleaved the "moon" was from her hand.
The other Asawata trembled with fear and turned back to look at the Asawata beside him: "Who are you? What's going on?!"
Chao Du helplessly spread his hands: "I am me, and I am also you, but I am just an avatar. You are parasitized by Ling Ni. She can steal your consciousness and see everything you see through your eyes. So I used this to set a trap and created several avatars. On one hand, I made Ling Ni think that I was still awakening my power in the distance, and on the other hand, I am sneaking up on her from close range to divert her attention and catch her off guard. At the same time, my main body launched the real attack. I'm sorry, I couldn't tell you in advance."
"..." The other Asakawa was stunned for a moment, then suddenly let out a long sigh of relief, "Then I'm relieved."
Asawada's clone: "Hmm?"
The other one smiled and said, "I trust you. Since everything is under your control, I'm relieved."
Chao Du's clone paused for a moment, then laughed: "Well, don't worry, I'll protect you. And with the sword sheath, Ling Ni's parasitism on you will only go this far; it can't go any deeper. Hmm, but there's still a little trouble ahead. Let my main body handle it."
"?" Another Chao Du asked in surprise, "What other trouble is there? Didn't we already resolve the Immortal Refining Furnace and the Demon Lord... Ah! Could it be that the Demon Lord is still alive?"
Chao Du's clone nodded: "Although this sword strike was fast enough and did seriously injure her, the power of this sword strike was not enough to completely kill her. It only made Ling Ni lose control of most of her power. Tsk, she is indeed difficult to kill."
"Then how do we find her?" Another Chaodu looked worriedly at the rapidly spreading sea of blood, which was like a giant maw that swallowed up everything it encountered, including tall buildings and trees, and was about to reach the tall building where she was standing.
Giant hands emerged from the sea of blood, rising high like ocean waves only to fall helplessly; these were likely the remnants of Ling Ni's power attempting to control the sea of blood.
"Where in the sea of blood could she be?" another Chaodu asked, trying to figure it out.
Chao Du's clone said from the side, "We need to use the scabbard to find it. Give me the scabbard."
"Huh? How do I find it with the scabbard?" another Asahi asked in confusion, but out of trust in Asahi, she handed the scabbard to Asahi's clone without hesitation.
Suddenly, lightning flashed from the sword sheath, and it swiftly struck towards Chao Du's clone.
"?!" The other Asahi was instantly terrified. In the lightning, he saw the Asahi clone's face melting, his face twisted, his smile contorted, and his eyes unfathomable.
"Even you've been parasitized?!" Another Asakawa suddenly took a few steps back, gripping his sword sheath tightly.
This Chaodu clone was completely charred by the lightning, but it quickly grew new flesh and blood, and after the charred flesh was removed, it was restored to its original state in the blink of an eye!
Chao Du's clone revealed a chilling smile, pressing forward step by step: "What kind of sword is this? I've never seen one before. She even claims to be an immortal. Ha, no one in this world has ever become an immortal, not even my master, let alone her."
A sword aura slashed down from the sky, instantly turning the avatar of Chao Du into a pool of blood, which then merged into the sea of blood that had spread below.
A figure in white landed like a crane beside another Asakawa. The other Asakawa glanced at the sheathless longsword in her hand, but remained wary and dared not approach.
Chao Du praised, "That's right, just like that. Don't trust anyone here, and don't let go of the sword sheath."
Another Asawari: "...Are you real? You weren't parasitized?"
Asakawa nodded: "It's genuine, but I suggest you don't believe it. There might be an imposter to replace me. Anyway, don't let go of the sword sheath."
As Chao Du spoke, he thrust the Thousand-Jin Sword into front of him with a "whoosh," then flicked his robes and sat down to meditate.
"I used up most of my strength just now," Chao Du said with her eyes closed. "I'm very weak now and need to rest and recover." She had used up a lot of her strength just to come to this world, and since then she had been suppressed by the Heavenly Dao of this place. Even though her recovery speed was extremely fast, the eight levels she had just passed through and the "Moon Slash" sword had almost exhausted her recovery power.
"Ah?" another Chao Du asked anxiously, "What should we do?! Don't tell me! Don't let the Demon Lord hear! Wait, could it be..."
Chao Du chuckled softly: "That's right, I want her to know that I'm too lazy to go find her, so I'd rather she come to me. Ling Ni, this is when I'm at my weakest. Do you dare come over? Or are you planning to wait until I'm fully recovered and then give you another sword strike?"
After Chao Du finished speaking, everything around him remained normal except for the churning and roaring of the sea of blood.
Asahi continued meditating without a care, and the other Asahi could feel that her spiritual power was recovering at an astonishing speed.
'Is this what immortality is? Even the speed of recovery is so amazing!' another Chaodu exclaimed in his heart.
Suddenly, red spots appeared on Asaka's face and hands, and fleshy buds sprouted from them. They grew into "willow branches" at a rapid pace, causing her facial features and body to melt and twist.
Another Chao Du exclaimed in surprise, almost wanting to immediately hand her the scabbard and hold it with her so that she would also be protected by it. But then he saw the Thousand-Pound Sword suddenly crackle with lightning, enveloping Chao Du in the lightning.
Before Chaodu was completely obscured by the lightning, another Chaodu vaguely saw the corners of her mouth turn up slightly: was it because her flesh and blood had been twisted by the Demon Lord, or because... this was exactly what she wanted?
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