Chapter 238: Chapter 238: The Green Mountain is there, no wait, it’s gone.
Qingyun Mountain Range.
Inside the Sect Master’s Grand Hall.
Since being publicly defeated by Ye Feng, Qingyun Zhenren had been spurred into action from shame, and he cloistered himself in the Grand Hall, not leaving for many days, deeply consolidating his cultivation level.
On this day.
Fortune favored him, and the Sword Qi burst forth from his body, tearing a huge gash in the roof of the grand hall, ushering in brilliant sunlight.
“Hahaha!”
“Ye Feng, I truly should thank you. I, this true man, have finally broken through the Perfection level of the “Green Cloud Sword Technique” and successfully comprehended a thread of Sword Intent, it’s sheer delight!”
Qingyun Zhenren stood up, and his aura became even more intense, making him seem like an unparalleled treasured sword out of its sheath wherever he went.
Boom!
Before Qingyun Zhenren could celebrate for long, a deafening roar suddenly resounded, spreading throughout the entire Qingyun Mountain Range and alarming the thousands of sect members of the Qingyun Sect.
“What’s happening?”
Qingyun Zhenren’s face changed dramatically, “Could it be that Ye Feng has launched an attack?”
With a grave expression, he soared into the sky and looked from afar, only to see that several imposing middle rank Demon Generals were attacking the Sect Protection Array of Qingyun Sect.
Behind those Demon Generals, there were thousands of Demonic Beasts, revealing cruel smiles as they looked at the many peaks of Qingyun Sect.
“This is bad! It’s the Demon Race Army of Demon City.”
Qingyun Zhenren let out a roar, “All Elders and disciples of Qingyun Sect, heed my command and defend with all your might against the Demon Race Army, do not let them break through!”
“Yes!”
Bai Minglu, Xiao Fangu, Xi Xinyu, and many other disciples of the Qingyun Sect all took their orders, lining up behind the array, ready to strike.
As for Qingyun Zhenren, he suddenly lifted his Qingyun Sword, channeling the just-comprehended Sword Intent, and slashed a bright and dazzling cyan sword light.
In the sky, ear-piercing sword cries resounded.
An aura of profound sharpness suddenly swept across the leading middle rank Demon General, slicing it into two.
This sword struck awe into everyone present.
Whether it was the Demon Race Army or the disciples of the Qingyun Sect, all of them looked at Qingyun Zhenren in shock, as if he were a Divine Spirit.
With one sword, a middle rank Demon General died.
Too powerful!
“That Sword Qi was smooth as an antelope hanging its horns, utterly perfect. It seems to have reached the level of Sword Intent. Could it be that the Sect Leader has comprehended Sword Intent?”
“It must be so!”
“Our Qingyun Sect has hope for a great revival!”
The people of Qingyun Sect were ecstatic.
Sword Intent is what all Sword Dao cultivators dream of obtaining.
There are countless sword cultivators in this world, but very few can truly comprehend Sword Intent, one in tens of thousands!
Once Sword Intent is comprehended, a sword cultivator’s strength will surge tremendously.
Some Sword Intents are about “speed,” which may seem like a single sword strike, but in a moment it can transform into countless shadows, making it impossible to defend against.
There are also Sword Intents of “sharpness,” where the Sword Qi seems no different from usual, but in reality, it is much sharper, able to break through anything, unstoppable by anything.
Of course, there are many types of Sword Intent.
For example, one sword’s chill reaches across fourteen provinces.
Or, one sword that can cleave open the heavens and revive all things.
Of course, there’s also a sword that can Devouring Heaven and Devouring Earth.
…
Sword Intent is endless.
And this path is infinite.
And now, the Sword Intent comprehended by Qingyun Zhenren is… sharpness!
His Sword Qi, seemingly similar as usual, but empowered with Sword Intent, becomes able to pierce through everything.
With his current cultivation level at the seventh layer of the Element Gathering Realm and wielding the Qingyun Sword complemented by the “Green Cloud Sword Technique”, his sword strike’s power is no less than a full-powered blow from a cultivator at the peak of the Element Gathering Realm!
“The rats of Demon City dare to contend with this True Master, seeking death!”
Qingyun Zhenren let out an angry roar.
He placed his left hand behind his back and pinched the sword technique with his right, the Qingyun Sword enveloped in Sword Qi, slowly rotating beside him. His entire being, with his robes billowing, resembled the legendary supreme swordmaster.
“The strength of the Qingyun Sect Master has exceeded expectations, retreat quickly!”
“We cannot retreat!”
“Yes, if we retreat now, we will surely be severely punished by the Demon King.”
The Demon Generals of Demon City engaged in a heated discussion.
“Not leaving? Then die!” Qingyun Zhenren expended a great deal of mental and divine energy, transforming it into a second strand of Sword Intent, embedding it within the Qingyun Sword, and pointed at the remaining middle-rank Demon Generals from afar.
Rip!
The Qingyun Sword pierced through the air.
At that moment, the remaining few middle-rank Demon Generals drastically changed their expressions and quickly fled in different directions.
But one of the Demon Generals was still a beat too slow.
The Qingyun Sword brushed past his neck, the demon powerless to resist; his head shot into the sky, and he fell on the spot.
“Retreat!”
The remaining Demon Generals dared not linger any longer.
The thousands of Demonic Beasts also began to scatter.
“Sect Leader is mighty!”
“Sect Leader is invincible!”
The Elders and disciples of the Qingyun Sect shouted, raising their arms.
Listening to the praises that seemed to ring beside his ears, the Qingyun Sect Master was quite pleased, the corners of his mouth slightly raised as he looked towards the sky.
“Ye Feng, even if you were here in person now, you would not be a match for this True Master, hahaha…”
Qingyun Zhenren suddenly felt a sense of expansiveness in his chest and could not help but laugh heartily.
Boom…
Suddenly, thunder roared and lightning flashed between heaven and earth, and a massive figure riding on black mist flew from the direction of Demon City at great speed.
Before the figure arrived, the terrifying pressure had already descended.
The earth trembled, and the sky seemed to lament.
The heavy rain fell, creating an atmosphere filled with desolation all around, and even the entire Qingyun Mountain Range seemed to cower before the newcomer, giving the impression of being three feet shorter.
Palpitations, tension, cold fear…
A host of negative emotions began to grow within the hearts of the people of the Qingyun Sect.
“A Demon… Demon King!”
Looking at that tall and mighty figure, Qingyun Zhenren’s previously composed and dignified demeanor was gone, replaced only by a face full of fear.
At the time when he went to the vicinity of Demon City with the Sect Leader of Liuyun Sect and others on a scouting mission, Qingyun Zhenren had seen from afar the terrifying might of the Giant Earth Ape.
And today, although he felt that the Giant Earth Ape looked quite different with many changes, the terrifying pressure of vitality emanating from the Demon King’s body still made him both familiar and afraid.
“Who did you just say was no match for you?”
Hu Yuan, riding the black mist, came with his arms hanging naturally at his sides, his somewhat long fingernails exuding a sharp aura, like ten supreme sword edges capable of splitting mountains and earth.
“Gulp!”
Qingyun Zhenren swallowed hard.
His heart was in turmoil.
I just put on an act, and you came to disrupt it; do you think that’s easy for me?
But the Hu Yuan before him was truly too strong!
The terrifying pressure of vitality from the Demon King’s body was like the sky collapsing and the earth caving in, so much so that Qingyun Zhenren automatically ignored the fact that Hu Yuan currently only had the peak cultivation of the Element Gathering Realm.
“You… you’re the lord of Demon City, the legendary Demon King?” Qingyun Zhenren dared not shout silly things like “Demon King, I have come to slay you,” instead showing adequate respect.
“It is I.” Hu Yuan looked at Qingyun Zhenren with a mocking gaze, as if watching a clown.
There may be room for dialogue, a chance for theatrics!
Qingyun Zhenren took a deep breath and said, “May I ask, what brings the Demon King here?”
“`
“What are you here for, do you even have the right to ask?” Hu Yuan snorted coldly.
Boom!
A terrifying blood and vitality pressure transformed into a huge crimson hand that struck at Qingyun Zhenren, who was so frightened that his expression drastically changed, and he immediately slashed out a sword qi infused with sword intent.
Rip!
The crimson hand was cleaved in two, but the sword qi also dissipated.
“The Sect Leader actually managed to clash with the Demon King, unbelievable!”
“Sect Leader, kill him!”
The disciples of Qingyun Sect were originally very fearful, but seeing Qingyun Zhenren able to slice through Hu Yuan’s blood hand, they suddenly erupted with joy, cheering him on.
“Huh! Not bad.”
However, Qingyun Zhenren’s face showed not the slightest hint of joy.
He could clearly sense that Hu Yuan had only used a fraction of his power, while he himself had already exerted his full strength.
“It’s over…”
A foreboding feeling arose in the heart of Qingyun Zhenren.
Boom!
Hu Yuan struck again.
This time, he did not rely on the power of blood and vitality, but rather mobilized the body of a Demon King to traverse the void, slapping Qingyun Zhenren with his palm.
“Qingyun Sword Shield!”
Qingyun Zhenren was horrified and hastily turned his essence, qi, and spirit into sword intent, forming a semi-transparent azure sword shield on the surface of his body.
Crack!
The sword shield was struck by Hu Yuan’s massive palm and shattered instantly, Qingyun Zhenren’s chest caved in, and he spat blood as he was hurled backward like a meteor crashing onto a mountain peak, his life and death unknown.
“Hiss!”
All the people of Qingyun Sect inhaled sharply.
If even the invincible Sect Leader in their hearts had been defeated, could it be that Qingyun Sect was going to be completely annihilated today?
In a pit of dirt.
Qingyun Zhenren was violently spitting fresh blood, with cracks all over his body.
Luckily, he had the Qingyun Sword Shield and the Qingyun Sword to block a strike, and moreover, he was wearing a set of middle grade spiritual artifact armor, otherwise, that palm would have certainly turned him into dust.
“Too strong…”
Qingyun Zhenren felt powerless to turn the tide.
After being thrashed by Ye Feng, he had struggled to grasp sword intent and had slain an arrogant middle-rank Demon General, regaining his confidence.
But now, he was being thrashed again.
Am I destined to live forever under the shadow of thrashings?
Qingyun Zhenren roared inwardly.
High in the sky.
Hu Yuan let his arms hang naturally, not looking at the disciples of Qingyun Sect who were trembling in fear. After all, his Demon King’s body had already fully merged, and he did not need these lower-level bloodlines to nourish him.
What he truly needed was the Core Nucleus of a Spirit Vein!
Rumble…
Hu Yuan landed on the ground, his hands frantically digging through the earth, piercing through the main peak of Qingyun Mountain range and arriving at a depth of five hundred meters to see a stone Azure Dragon coiling inside an underground cave.
This was the Spirit Vein of Qingyun Mountain range!
Crack!
Hu Yuan smashed the Spirit Vein with a palm, extracting a thumb-sized pale blue crystal and then returning to the sky, crushing the Spirit Vein Core in his mouth in front of all the despairing faces of Qingyun Sect, swallowing it.
A robust aura burst out within his body in an instant.
Hu Yuan felt his body lighten, his cultivation level advancing yet another step, his eyes shining with a dazzling light.
“Very good, two more Cores of Miniature Spirit Veins will allow this king to break through to the first layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.”
Having said that, Hu Yuan swaggered away.
“`
Passing by the fleeing Demon Race Army, he snorted coldly, killing dozens of Demonic Beasts leading the escape and commanded, “A bunch of trash, why don’t you take this opportunity to attack Qingyun Sect? If you can’t take down this sect, bring me your heads!”
Having spoken, Hu Yuan returned to Demon City.
After devouring the Spiritual Vein Core, he still needed to enter the underground Blood Pool to nurture for a few days, in order to completely consolidate his cultivation level. By repeating this process three times, he could successfully break through.
…
Qingyun Sect.
Thousands gazed at the collapsing Spiritual Energy Vortex above and, realizing the Spirit Vein was destroyed, sorrow arose in their hearts.
“Heeheehee!”
“Attack into Qingyun Mountain Range!”
At this moment, the Demon Beast Army from Demon City returned and with a sinister laugh, clashed with the elders and disciples of Qingyun Sect.
In the pit.
Qingyun Zhenren coughed up blood.
Seeing the Demon Race Army rampaging in the Qingyun Mountain Range, he quickly swallowed a precious Middle Grade healing Origin Pill, recovering a third of his injuries.
Clang!
The furious sound of sword cries echoed throughout the Qingyun Mountain Range.
With rage, Qingyun Zhenren kept beheading the Demon Generals, almost one with each swing. The sight frightened the Demonic Beasts into frantically fleeing, only to be slain by the combined efforts of Qingyun Sect’s elders and disciples.
One hour later.
All the Demonic Beasts had been slain.
However, a third of the disciples of Qingyun Sect had perished.
Surrounded by many elders and Inner Sect Disciples, Qingyun Zhenren gazed toward the collapsing main peak of Qingyun, heaving sighs of despair.
“It’s over, all is over!”
“Our Qingyun Sect’s legacy of countless years has been ruined in an instant. If our ancestors knew this from the underworld, how would they scold me?”
Qingyun Zhenren knelt on the ground.
The Great Elder looked around, his words stuck in his throat.
The Second Elder sighed, “Sect Leader, as long as the green hills are there, there’s no worry of running out of firewood. As long as our Qingyun Mountain Range stands, even if the Spirit Vein collapses, there is still hope for recovery. After all, Yunhua Sect is a living example.”
At these words, hope rekindled in everyone.
Boom… Boom… Boom…
But just then, the Spirit Vein of Qingyun Mountain Range utterly shattered, and the underground caves, without the support of abundant Spiritual Energy, began to collapse.
“Not good!”
In a great hurry, everyone swiftly released their Spiritual Power or True Yuan, preparing to stabilize the entire Qingyun Mountain Range.
But, a billow of dust erupted into the sky.
The entire Qingyun Mountain Range collapsed!
“They say as long as the green hills are there, there’s no worry of running out of firewood. But now, even the green hills can’t be preserved. Where should our Qingyun Sect go from here?”
Qingyun Zhenren knelt on the ground, as if in mourning.
Whoosh!
In the sky, dozens of lights darted towards them, stopping high above and transformed into dozens of Element Gathering Realm cultivators, including the Sect Leader of Liuyun Sect, the Sect Leader of Hundred Artifacts Sect, the Deputy City Lord of Whitefloat City, and Yunhua Zhenren, other senior powerhouses.
They had sensed the tumult of battle, hence they came.
But what they didn’t expect was that upon their arrival, the entire Qingyun Mountain had collapsed, a sight too tragic to bear, and the ground was littered with the corpses of countless Demonic Beasts and cultivators.
“Was there a great battle here?”
“The air still reeks of Demon King Level blood. It looks like it was that person from Demon City who acted. Even if we had arrived earlier, it would have been too late to make a difference.”
“Alas…”
The Sect Masters of the major forces sighed.
Soon, a monumental piece of news spread.
Qingyun Sect was breached by a Demon King with countless dead or injured. Even the only Miniature Spirit Vein was shattered by the Demon King. The sect that lasted thousands of years was destroyed in an instant.
Upon hearing the news, the Sect Masters of the major forces all fell silent.