One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Nie Lingfeng's eyes turned cold, and he rushed towards the direction of the sound.

After passing through a pile of rubble, the view suddenly opened up—a relatively spacious area that had been cleared out beforehand. There were more than twenty people gathered here, some dressed in ninja outfits, some in suits, and several elderly men in kimonos with swords at their waists.

The Fish Dragon Society and the remnants of the Hieiyama Ninja Clan.

Among them stood an old man with white hair and a sinister face, dressed in a white kimono. He held a katana in his hand, its blade gleaming and radiating a chilling murderous aura.

Yagyu Jubei, Vice President of the Fish and Dragon Association.

"Nie Lingfeng," Yagyu Jubei spoke slowly, his Chinese was standard but with a heavy Japanese accent, "You destroyed Hirumaru, killed the people of Hieiyama, and disrupted our plans. You... deserve to die."

Nie Lingfeng stopped, looked at him, and laughed: "You're talking as if you'll let me go if I don't make a move. Enough nonsense, if you want to fight, then fight; if not, get lost and don't delay my ride."

Yagyu Jubei's face darkened: "Arrogant! Today, I'll show you the power of the Yagyu Shinkage-ryu!"

He slowly drew his sword. The moment the blade left its sheath, a sharp, wintery aura emanated from it. The surrounding temperature suddenly dropped several degrees.

"Yagyu Shinkage-ryu, the secret technique—"

He gripped the knife with both hands, slowly raised it, and pointed the tip at Nie Lingfeng.

"Setsukihana!"

"Whoosh!"

The glint of the blade was like snow, like the moon, like flowers.

It was beautiful, dreamlike, but beneath the beauty lay a deadly threat. This strike sealed off all of Nie Lingfeng's escape routes; the sword intent locked on him, as if no matter where he hid, he would be struck by the blade.

"Interesting." Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow, but did not dodge or flinch. He simply raised his right hand, palm up.

"Qilin Fire - Burning the heavens and boiling the seas."

"boom--!!!"

A thicker and hotter golden-red pillar of fire erupted from his palm, instantly engulfing Yagyu Jubei, the beautiful sword light that resembled snow, moon, and flowers, and everything around him!

The flames were terrifyingly hot, igniting even the air and producing crackling sounds. The concrete in the tunnel walls melted in the flames, dripping as lava. The members of the Fish-Dragon Society and the remnants of Bihe Mountain were vaporized before they could even scream, leaving not a trace of ash.

A few seconds later, the flames died down.

Yagyu Jubei was still standing there, but he was no longer human. His body was charred black, like a piece of burnt charcoal, and the katana in his hand had melted, leaving only half of the hilt. His eyes were wide open, filled with disbelief, and his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Then, with a "thud," he fell to the ground and shattered into a pile of black ash.

Vice President of the Fish Dragon Society, Yagyu Shinkage-ryu swordsman, Yagyu Jubei—deceased.

Nie Lingfeng withdrew his hand, his face somewhat pale. That attack had taken a toll on him. But his eyes remained bright, and his breathing remained steady.

"Who else?" He looked at the remaining people.

Those people were already terrified. In their eyes, Yagyu Jubei was a god-like figure, yet this young man had defeated him in a single move? What was the point of fighting? Were they just throwing their lives away?

"Run...run!"

Someone shouted, and the rest of the people scattered like birds and beasts, running wildly into the depths of the tunnel.

Nie Lingfeng didn't chase after her. He turned around and looked at Chen Duo.

Chen Duo remained standing in the same spot, the phoenix phantom behind her already dissipated. She looked at Nie Lingfeng, her emerald eyes reflecting the lingering golden-red light around him, her gaze somewhat...complex.

"Nie Lingfeng," she said softly, "you... seem different."

Nie Lingfeng paused for a moment, then smiled: "What's different?"

"It's stronger," Chen Duo said, "but also more...frightening."

Nie Lingfeng was silent for a moment, then walked over and ruffled her hair: "Did I scare you?"

Chen Duo shook her head, thought for a moment, and then said, "But I know you did it to protect me."

Nie Lingfeng felt a warmth in his heart and smiled, "Yes, I did it to protect you. Let's go, let's get out of here first. There's a bomb in the tunnel, we need to notify the people in the car to evacuate immediately."

He grabbed Chen Duo and ran towards the train. But after only a few steps, they felt a strong, colder, and more...evil aura emanating from the depths of the tunnel, stronger than that of Yagyu Jubei.

No, not from deep within the tunnel.

It comes from underground.

"boom--!!!"

Suddenly, the tunnel floor exploded! Debris flew everywhere, and smoke filled the air! A huge crater, more than three meters in diameter, appeared in the center of the tunnel! And from the crater, a... person slowly rose.

No, that can no longer be considered human.

It wore a tattered black cloak, beneath which lay a shriveled, mummy-like body with bluish-black skin covered in eerie, rune-like black patterns. It had no hair, no eyebrows, only two empty eye sockets on its face, within which burned two ghostly green flames. And in its hand, it gripped a… knife.

The knife was black, its blade curved like a venomous snake. The hilt was a hideous ghost hand, its five fingers gripping the blade tightly, the fingertips piercing flesh, and black, viscous liquid dripping down the blade with a hissing, corrosive sound.

"This is..." Nie Lingfeng's pupils contracted.

He sensed from this sword an aura similar to Hirumaru's, but more ancient, more evil, and more... powerful.

"The demon sword... Muramasa," Chen Duo said softly, her voice trembling slightly. "The first demon sword in Japanese legend. It should... have been sealed away long ago..."

"Muramasa..." Nie Lingfeng's eyes were solemn.

He had heard the legend of this sword. Muramasa, the most famous cursed sword of Japan's Sengoku period, was said to have been forged on the day its creator, the entire Muramasa clan, perished. The sword, drinking blood, became bloodthirsty and left corpses strewn in its wake. It was later sealed away by a high-ranking Japanese monk and an Onmyoji (yin-yang master), and had disappeared for hundreds of years.

I never expected it to appear here.

Moreover, the "person" holding the knife...

Nie Lingfeng could sense that it was no longer a living person. Instead, it was a corpse puppet controlled by Muramasa, which had existed for an unknown number of years...

"Kill...kill...kill..."

The corpse puppet spoke, its voice hoarse, like two pieces of rusted iron rubbing together. It raised Muramasa, the tip of its blade pointing at Nie Lingfeng.

"Master...I want your life..."

"Master?" Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow. "Who is your master?"

"You... don't deserve to know," the corpse puppet said. "All you need to know is... today, you will die here. Your blood, your soul, will become Muramasa's... best nourishment."

As soon as the words were spoken, it moved.

fast!

Ten times faster than Yagyu Jubei! A hundred times faster than Hirumaru's swordsman!

Nie Lingfeng only saw a black afterimage before Muramasa's blade was already at his throat! Wherever the blade passed, black cracks appeared in the space, emitting a piercing sound like shattering glass!

"clang--!!!"

At the critical moment, the Snow Drinking Blade was drawn and placed before his throat! The two blades clashed, unleashing a deafening roar! The terrifying force traveled through the blades, sending Nie Lingfeng flying backward, crashing heavily into the tunnel wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood!

"Nie Lingfeng!" Chen Duo exclaimed, trying to rush over, but Nie Lingfeng raised his hand to stop her.

"Don't come any closer!" He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, slowly stood up, his eyes cold. "This knife... is quite interesting."

He gripped the Snow Drinking Blade tightly, and the Qilin tattoo on his chest lit up once more! This time, the light was even brighter, like a small sun bursting forth from the darkness! Golden-red flames rose from his body, transforming into a majestic, roaring phantom of a fire Qilin, enveloping him within it!

Having fully absorbed the Qilin marrow, the true form of the Qilin is now fully revealed for the first time!

"roar--!!!"

The roar of the Qilin shook the entire tunnel! Gravel fell in a flurry, and cracks appeared in the ground! The corpse puppet was hit by the sonic wave, its movements faltered slightly, and the eerie green flames in its eye sockets flickered violently.

"Qilin...you are...a descendant of a divine beast..." the corpse puppet said hoarsely, "No wonder...my master wanted to kill you...an existence like you...cannot be allowed to live..."

"Then let's give it a try." Nie Lingfeng grinned, his smile filled with a chilling fighting spirit. "Let's see if your broken sword is harder, or my fist."

He took a step forward, his figure as swift as lightning, and launched the attack!

This time, he held back and stopped controlling.

The power of the Qilin, unleashed at full force!

"boom--!!!"

Golden-red flames transformed into a gigantic fire dragon, roaring as it lunged at the corpse puppet! Wherever the fire dragon passed, the ground melted, the air burned, and even space itself distorted!

The corpse puppet swung its sword, and Muramasa slashed out! A jet-black sword aura, seemingly capable of devouring all light, tore through the fire dragon, but the fire dragon exploded, turning into a rain of fire that engulfed the corpse puppet!

"Hiss hiss hiss—!"

The flames landed on the corpse puppet, making a corrosive sound. The corpse puppet let out a painful roar, and the black patterns on its body writhe wildly, trying to resist the flames, but the Qilin Fire is the most yang and strongest fire, which is specifically designed to counter evil. Muramasa's evil aura was defeated step by step in the face of the flames.

"It's not over yet."

Nie Lingfeng's voice rang out from behind the corpse puppet. He had appeared behind it without anyone noticing, his Snow Drinking Blade raised high, its blade a tapestry of golden light and chilling aura, and he brought it down on the back of the corpse puppet's neck!

"Threefold Return to Origin - Slay the God!"

"clang--!!!"

Muramasa returned to defend, blocking the attack. But Nie Lingfeng's left hand was already pressed against the corpse puppet's chest.

"Qilin Fire - Burning Heart".

"puff."

Golden-red flames erupted from his palm, instantly surging into the corpse puppet's body! The flames raged within it, burning its internal organs, its remaining soul, and... the wisp of evil thought that Muramasa had residing within it.

"No--!!!"

The corpse puppet let out a piercing scream, its body swelling like an inflating balloon, its skin covered in countless cracks, from which a golden-red light shone. Then—

"boom--!!!"

exploded.

Instead of flying blood and flesh, it turned into black ash filling the sky, completely purified by the Qilin Fire, leaving not a trace behind.

Muramasa fell to the ground, the black, malevolent aura on the blade quickly dissipating, revealing its original rusty surface. Then, with a "crack," it shattered into countless fragments and ceased to exist.

The demon sword Muramasa was destroyed.

Nie Lingfeng landed and caught his breath. Two consecutive bursts of full power had taken a toll on him. But his eyes remained bright, and his energy was rapidly recovering.

"It's over," he said softly.

"It's not over yet." Chen Duo walked over and pointed to the depths of the tunnel. "There... there's something else there."

Nie Lingfeng turned his head to look. Deep in the tunnel, in the deep pit, a person slowly crawled out.

A middle-aged man wearing a white suit and gold-rimmed glasses, who looked refined and cultured.

He clapped his hands, a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes were as cold as a venomous snake.

"Brilliant, truly brilliant." He said with a smile, "Hiruma, Muramasa, Yagyu Jubei, dozens of mercenaries... none of them could take you down. Nie Lingfeng, you are even stronger than I thought."

Nie Lingfeng looked at him, his eyes icy: "Who are you?"

"Me?" The middle-aged man smiled, adjusted his glasses, and said, "You can call me... 'the messenger.' I was sent by 'that person' to deliver a message to you."

"What did you say?"

"The words are simple," the messenger said slowly. "Stop. Stop investigating the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Valley, and stop... appearing in 'that person's' sight. Otherwise, next time, it won't be these useless fools."

He paused, then added, "'That person' admires you. If you'd like, you can join us. We'll give you everything you want—power, authority, wealth, even… immortality."

Nie Lingfeng laughed, a cold laugh: "What if I don't want to?"

"That's a pity," the envoy sighed, "I can only... send you on your way."

He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

"Smack."

Suddenly, countless lights illuminated both sides of the tunnel. Under the lights, there were at least a hundred people dressed in black combat uniforms, wielding various weapons. There were mercenaries, supernatural beings, ninjas, and even a few... Chinese people dressed in Taoist robes and monk's robes.

"These people are all followers of 'that person'," the messenger said with a smile. "Each of them is ten times stronger than those you just killed. Do you think you can leave here alive?"

Nie Lingfeng glanced at it, his eyes remaining calm.

"Whether it's possible or not, we'll only know by trying."

He gripped the Snow Drinking Blade tightly, and the Qilin tattoo on his chest lit up once more.

Chen Duo stood beside him, with a huge phoenix phantom behind her slowly spreading its wings.

"An envoy, is it?" Nie Lingfeng grinned, revealing teeth stained with blood. "Let me tell you about 'that person'—"

"Wash your neck clean and wait. I'll go find him after I finish what I'm doing."

"Then, send him on his way."

As soon as he finished speaking, he moved.

The true form of the Qilin has been unleashed once again!

"roar--!!!"

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