Achieving physical sainthood starting from Hunyuan Gong

Chapter 107 The Demon Lord is Slain by the Blade, Shocking the World

The sword was drawn silently, and the purple robes fluttered in the air as Song Shen struck the Chaotic Demon Soldier with a single blow.

when!!!!!

The protective aura shattered violently, and the energy dissipated wildly.

The shattered sword energy and blood aura roared and exploded in all directions, stirring up thunder and raging winds within a radius of dozens of feet.

With a loud shout, Song Shen slid the blade along the stick, the tip of the blade aimed straight for the old ape's throat.

The old ape tilted its head, the blade grazing its scales and leaving a trail of sparks, before sweeping the Hun Tian Staff horizontally.

Song Shen sheathed his sword to parry, but was swept several feet to the side by the blow. His feet left two deep furrows in the ground. He looked down at the gash in his tiger's mouth, activated his Qi and blood, and the wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The air blast exploded.

The shadow of evil returns!

The old ape's Hun Tian Staff slammed down, tearing through the air with a shrill whistle like a ghost's wail.

Song Shen met the attack with his longsword. The sword and staff clashed, creating a visible golden shockwave that sent rubble flying from the city wall and shattered the blue bricks beneath their feet. The staff slammed into Song Shen's back, but the powerful Immovable King Armor absorbed most of the impact. Instead, Song Shen's demonic sword sliced ​​through the old ape's ribs, revealing its stark white bones.

The Giant Gate Star was burning, and Song Shen instantly restored everything.

The old ape staggered back several steps, its veins bulging, its scales torn open, revealing its bones, before charging forward again.

"roar!!!!"

The demon race is like this; when they reach their limit, they will unconsciously unleash a soul-shaking demonic roar, like the thunderous war drums beating when thousands of troops clash on a battlefield.

Song Shen wielded his sword and slashed swiftly. His swordsmanship had reached a level where every strike was flawless, crisp, effective, and highly varied, with the sword path following an arc that subtly aligned with the laws of nature.

"Old ape, again, again!!!"

Song Shen let out a long roar, and the demonic blade soared into the sky.

The powerful demonic blade forged from the spine of the Thousand-Legged Heavenly Xuan actually managed to block the demonic weapon Hun Tian Cudgel, which had been tempered by the bones of an old ape for thousands of years. This shows that the bloodline of the Heavenly Xuan is indeed powerful and was recorded in ancient history books by the sages of the human race.

Thump, thump, thump, the old ape's eyes were bloodshot, his staff flashed like a mountain, relentlessly attacking.

Song Shen's longsword followed closely, its powerful blade energy a blend of the three elements of Xun wind, Li fire, and Zhen thunder, carrying with it an unparalleled fighting spirit, an eye for an eye.

It burned its last bit of demonic blood.

As the first blow from the Chaotic Heaven Staff swept out, Song Shen dodged to the side. The shockwave grazed his shoulder and exploded, shearing away a whole layer of the wasteland behind him, revealing the scorched earth beneath.

He felt the weight of that power, and sensed a difference that was completely different from before. It was not a simple accumulation of demonic power, but the result of 1,200 years, the fighting instinct honed through countless life-and-death battles, and the full-blown aura of this great being that the mountain lord unleashed after burning its last bit of life force.

This is the real Zhaoyao Mountain Lord.

The second strike of the Chaotic Staff has arrived.

Song Shen raised his sword to parry, and the instant the blade and the staff met, he stepped back ten feet, tearing two deep trenches in the wasteland beneath his feet before stopping.

My hand felt numb, and I could hear a faint cracking sound coming from my palm.

"it is good."

Song Shen looked down at his hands, his bones quietly healing under the restorative power of the Giant Gate Star. He looked up, his eyes brimming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Hurry, old ape! Keep up with my sword strike speed! You're getting slower and slower!"

66

"You've gone too far! Kill me!!"

The third and fourth strikes of the Chaotic Heaven Staff came in quick succession. The staff's shadow transformed into a pitch-black storm in the air, distorting the surrounding void. Each strike was based on millennia of combat instinct, precisely targeting weaknesses, heavy, and relentless.

Song Shen countered the staff with his knife, using the Nine Illusions of the Wind God to move among the staff's shadows. The spiraling energy of the Prajna Vajra Palm sought opportunities to counterattack in the gaps of the staff. The man and the demon fought fiercely on this completely leveled wasteland.

The stick swept out, and the wasteland cracked open.

The blade slashed out, causing the void to tremble.

Song Shen was blasted away, landed, rose again, and was thrown into the air again.

The old ape-mountain king's scales peeled off inch by inch under the blade's light, only to regenerate inch by inch, but each regeneration was thinner than the last. The last bit of demonic blood was burning, and the rate of consumption was clearly perceptible.

Both knew that the battle was coming to an end.

Old Ape Mountain Lord's Hun Tian Staff suddenly stopped.

It straightened up, held the Hun Tian Staff upright in front of its chest, gripped the staff with both hands, lowered its head, and closed its eyes.

The demon core in its chest began to glow, changing from a dark red to a blazing white—the color of igniting the last vestiges of its 1,200 years of accumulated power in one fell swoop. Its scales turned from dark gold to crimson, and the red light on its bone spikes surged, turning the entire night sky blood-red. Even the army that had retreated several miles on the distant snowfield could feel the suffocating pressure brought by this power.

"Song Shen!"

The old ape called out Song Shen's name for the first time, his voice heavy, like a mountain opening its mouth.

"Got it."

He raised the Hun Tian Cudgel.

The light on the staff changed from blazing white to transparent, the color of the final essence of the demon core completely burned away. Within the transparency lay destruction, and the full weight accumulated over twelve hundred years.

Song Shen took a deep breath.

The nine stars—Po Jun, Wu Qu, Tan Lang, Lian Zhen, Ju Men, Lu Cun, Zuo Fu, and You Bi—ignite simultaneously.

The gates of heaven opened wide.

The power of heaven and earth surged in like a flood bursting its banks, completely merging with the demonic intent, wind, thunder, and fire on the blade at this moment. The Xunfeng True Intent Blade Technique transformed into intent, fully urging a wind to gather from all directions, thunder to explode from the fingertips, and fire to burn on the blade. With the three intents united, the light on the blade reached the ultimate transparency, revealing a colorless, pure light that was of the same quality as heaven and earth.

"A single blow to the heavens shatters the jade of the sky!!"

'

Song Shen swung his demonic blade again, the three forces merging at the tip into a three-foot-wide blade aura trailing a crimson-gold tail, silently slicing across the battlefield. Wherever the blade aura passed, the air was cut open with a black rift, the edges of which lingered with arcs of lightning and sparks.

Everything is being severed, being annihilated.

"Secret Technique: Heavenly Wind and Thunder Blade!!"

'

The stick and the knife struck down simultaneously.

Silent, formless, and colorless.

There was no roar, no explosion at the moment of impact.

This was an even more terrifying silence, as if all sounds in the world had been paused at this moment, completely suppressed by the convergence of these two forces.

The silence lasted for a full breath.

Then, BOOM!!!

The delayed shockwave exploded from the point of impact, far exceeding any previous one. It blasted the clouds in the direction of Zhaoyao Mountain apart from the center, knocked down the retreating army on the snowfield, and tore a bottomless chasm in the middle of the wasteland, stretching from the ruins of Pingyang City all the way to the foot of Zhaoyao Mountain.

The dust and smoke have settled.

The Chaos Staff snapped in two with a thud that sounded less like metal breaking and more like the heart of some ancient being being pierced. The two pieces of the staff tumbled through the air before crashing into the chasm and disappearing from sight.

The intent of the sword did not cease.

It passed right through the broken Hun Tian Staff and through his body.

The old ape-like creature's body slowly separated from the other side.

Before the two halves of the body fell, they paused for a moment, as if some obsession that had persisted for twelve hundred years was still unwilling to bow down at this last moment.

He collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Dust filled the air, then slowly settled.

Those crimson vertical pupils slowly faded at that moment, turning from crimson to orange, from orange to dim yellow, and finally becoming a grayish-white turbidity.

"It's over. I've been defeated by time and fate. What can I do? What can I do!"

[Obtained the Essence Dao Fruit: Mountain Lord Ape Shakes the Sky of Mount Zhaoyao (573rd year)]

Song Shen sheathed his sword and stood beside the massive body for a moment. Facing this formidable opponent, Song Shen was equally apprehensive.

If the opponent is at their peak, the outcome is unpredictable.

At this moment, Song Shen was exhausted from the lingering effects of the storm. He felt pain, soreness, and fatigue all over his body.

"This life-burning power is no joke!"

Song Shen moved around a bit and felt his joints were going weak, his blood was slow to cool down, and even the falling snowflakes were melting around his body.

I looked up at the night sky.

The wind and snow continue.

This terrifying fluctuation did not last long.

However, the speed of its pace and the magnitude of its aftershocks made everyone fleeing Pingyang City with their backs to look back.

On the snowy plains, hundreds of thousands of people, with their families in tow, slowly retreated south under the guidance of the Black Armor Army from the cities of Sanglin and Linjiang. The elderly leaned on canes, women carried babies, and able-bodied men pushed carts piled with their meager belongings, moving in a winding path.

No one spoke, only the sounds of footsteps, wheels, the occasional cry of a child, and the increasingly dense roar from afar.

Mao Jun reined in his warhorse and looked back at Pingyang.

The crimson light barrier had shattered, and a huge crack appeared in the city wall, as if it had been torn apart from the inside by something.

It was impossible to see what was happening inside the city; all that could be seen was the alternating flashes of golden lightning and dark red demonic flames. Each flash was accompanied by a tremor in the ground, causing the snow on the snowfield to ripple and sway.

"General Mao." Lin Chen rode up to him, his face pale and his hand holding the sword trembling slightly. "We need to go back."

Mao Jun glanced at him and remained silent for a moment.

He was the commander-in-chief of the Black Armor Army in Sanglin City, commanding three thousand iron cavalry, and was considered a prominent figure in the southwest of Longzhou.

But in his fifty years of life, he had never experienced a battle of this level.

"With our strength, we wouldn't even be able to withstand the aftershocks of such a battle. Going back would only mean certain death."

Mao Jun's voice was calm, not sarcastic, but a statement.

Everyone pondered this.

In fact, everyone has done their best to get to this point.

The fact that millions of people were saved is truly a great deed. Just imagine how future generations will judge it, and how the people here will judge it.

Their statues might be found in the ancestral halls of the people of Pingyang.

As for Song Shen, after this battle, whether he lives or dies, he will surely become famous throughout Longzhou and be remembered in history.

Saving millions of people is far greater than any superficial meritorious deeds like establishing words or intentions; in Buddhism, it's equivalent to achieving Buddhahood on the spot.

Xue You rode alongside, his brow furrowed. He was the garrison commander of Linjiang City, and like Mao Jun, he had been ordered to come and rescue the refugees from Pingyang. "This old mountain lord of Zhaoyao Mountain has lived longer than our Great Yong Dynasty. Such a demon, can a mere purple-robed man really kill him?"

Everyone fell silent.

Lin Chen recalled Song Shen's silhouette as he cleaved the crimson light curtain with a single stroke at the foot of the city wall, remembered his words, "I'll lead everyone out," and the figure in purple robes walking alone against the tide towards the ruins.

The other two men in blue robes suddenly reined in their horses. Chang Gu said, "No matter what, our lives were given to us by Lord Song. We must go back and see him now. I cannot rest easy if we escape alone like this!"

Zhou Zhentao said in a deep voice, "Lord Song dared to fight eight demon generals alone with just one sword and face a mountain lord by himself! We at least want to see him alive or dead."

Chang Gu grinned and said, "If Lord Song were alive and saw that mountain tiger, while we don't even have the courage to take a look, we're really not qualified to share in that glory."

The two generals could only manage a wry smile.

"Slay the Demon Lord—"

Is this something that someone in purple robes can even dream of?

Admittedly, they held great awe for Song Shen's immense courage in the face of thousands of enemies. However, one cannot survive in this world solely on the fantasy of miracles.

"The two generals should lead the people to evacuate. I'll go back and check."

The three men in blue robes turned their horses around, ready to gallop away.

To everyone's surprise, everyone stopped in their tracks.

"The fluctuations have stopped?"

The aftershocks of the battle, which had been reverberating just moments before, completely subsided and disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened.

How abrupt this silence was.

The group exchanged glances. They were now more than two hundred miles away from the city. Could it be because of the distance?

After a short while, the distance remained silent.

Even the thick, demonic clouds that had gathered in the sky began to dissipate, and the terrifying demonic roar finally vanished.

Now, there are only three possible outcomes. The first and most likely one is that the mountain lord wins and kills Song Shen.

Secondly, a miracle occurred: Song Shen killed the Mountain Lord.

Third, and most bizarrely, is the ending where both sides perish together.

If it's the first scenario, after Old Mountain Lord kills Song Shen, he will—pursue him!

The thought of this possibility is truly terrifying!

The group waited calmly for a while longer, but the terrifying figure never appeared at the end of the snowfield.

"Could it be that the old mountain lord was too badly injured when he came down from the mountain and went back? Or—"

After much thought, finally—

"Pass on my order." Mao Jun drew his sword, the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight. "The third squad will stay behind to escort the civilians as they continue their southward retreat. The first and second squads will follow me back to Pingyang."

Xue You drew his sword: "Half of the Black Armor Army from Linjiang City have also been dispatched. Let's go back and see what's going on!"

Lin Chen clasped his hands in a fist salute, but said nothing. He turned around and spurred his horse towards Pingyang City, with Chang Gu and Zhou Zhentao following closely behind. The horses' hooves crushed the snow, leaving three straight tracks on the snowfield. The wind grew stronger, and the closer they got to Pingyang, the stronger the stench of blood in the air became.

The crack in the city wall resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast, dark and gaping wide. Lin Chen reined in his horse in front of the city gate, dismounted, and Chang Gu and Zhou Zhentao followed suit, drawing their longswords.

"this----"

Pingyang, once a bustling metropolis, is now in ruins.

The magnificent city wall, built by the Lu family father and son, is now mottled and covered with knife marks and traces of blunt force trauma.

It was shocking to see and terrifying to hear.

The aftershocks of battle unleashed by powerhouses at this level were far beyond anything they could have imagined.

Humans can never truly imagine things they have never seen.

As I rode into the city, all was deathly silent.

The streets were littered with rubble, broken wood, and the occasional demon's corpse, its dark red blood frozen solid.

They walked forward along the ruins, their footsteps crunching and creaking under the broken bricks and rubble, the sound particularly clear in the empty ruins.

"Ha, Pingyang has actually turned out like this."

Both generals were locals, not far from Pingyang. Because Pingyang had many wharves, merchants came and went frequently, and the commerce and trade were very prosperous. They often came to this place.

The prosperity here left a deep impression on them, but now everything has changed.

Lin Chen and the others were even more shocked, recalling Song Shen's words.

This is not a battle, it is a war!

At the time, I thought it was just a casual remark, but now I realize that this was indeed a war, not a battle.

In the center of the city, the ancient Shouxin Pavilion had completely collapsed, and the ground looked as if it had been sculpted, with charred pits and deep cracks everywhere.

At the very center of all the ruins lies the source of the intense demonic blood.

The group quickened their pace, almost running as fast as they could.

A figure in purple robes was leaning against the ruins, closing his eyes to rest.

The two generals exchanged a glance and exclaimed inwardly in surprise.

Then they saw the terrifying demonic corpse on the ground, like a collapsed statue. "Don't be afraid, it's dead."

Song Shen said calmly.

He immediately opened his eyes, his expression as calm as a still, deep pool, and looked at everyone, asking, "Has everything been evacuated outside?"

The shock and horror in everyone's hearts were truly indescribable.

Eight Demon Generals!

A demon lord!

There are also many remnants of the demonic sect!

They were all killed so easily, and everyone's lives were miraculously preserved? They were spared from the siege of a mountain lord and the demonic sect?

All the demon generals were destroyed, the mountain lord was split in two, and most of the people were unharmed.

What terrifying power this is!

The crowd stood in awe and responded with a resounding roar: "The people were unharmed after leaving the city; you can rest assured, sir!"

Song Shen nodded, then remembered that his demon sword was still exposed to the air. He casually shook it to remove the dust and demon blood from the sword, and then sheathed it.

"Very good, you did a great job."

"It has been an honor for us to work alongside you, sir; it will be an unforgettable experience!"

"Yes, this time, we have won a complete victory!"

The many armored soldiers and men in blue robes present cheered with excitement. This moment was so precious. They had survived unscathed from a disaster that could have destroyed everything and extinguished all hope and beauty. When they looked back and reflected on this experience, the joy of secret delight and the happiness of regaining what they had lost was truly indescribable.

"Yes, it's over."

The two generals mounted their horses and laughed, "We'll go and recall the people. They won't have to leave their homes; they can return to their villages tonight!"

"The losses here are severe. Have you made any contingency plans? Don't let the people go hungry and cold," Song Shen asked.

The two generals clasped their hands and said, "You can rest assured, sir. Although we have killed the mountain lord in our two cities, we have already made preparations to resettle the people. We believe that the imperial court's disaster relief supplies will arrive in a few days. Although our Great Yong is in turmoil, we will not let the people starve to death."

"Good, very good!"

Song Shen nodded in agreement; he would personally witness these bold words.

"Then we'll stay for two more days and see if you can get this done."

Song Shen was dressed in purple, and his status was equal to that of the city's lord.

Now that the city's lord has been beheaded, he has the right and the responsibility to act expediently and must ensure that the people here are properly settled before he can leave.

"So, sir, is this all over?" several men in blue robes asked, still remembering the heavy burden Song Shen had placed on them when he said that this was just the beginning.

"It's over. Yes, it's all over here. You can all get a good rest for a long time!"

A throbbing sensation swept through my dry chest.

Although this dilapidated city is a ruin of decay, in the face of such joy and hope, all decay will eventually be completely rewritten.

The cold moon sets, and the sun rises from the east.

Longzhou, an ancient land, boasts a majestic pass at its southern end.

A majestic man stood atop the pass, gazing upon the vast expanse of land beyond the borders.

This pass was not a typical fortress designed to defend against powerful armies and armored soldiers, but rather against humanity's natural enemy—

demon!

Outside Zhennan Pass, the endless Shiwan Mountains and Huangu Forest stretch for thousands of miles, inspiring a sense of fear and panic at the prospect of getting lost within them.

Nature is never gentle; in the face of such vast forests and mountains, even the strong perish there with ease.

However, the powerful members of the Demon Suppression Division were clearly not among them.

As a swordsman, he seemed far too unkempt in appearance.

He had a buzz cut, a square face, and a stubble-covered chin. He had high brow bones, deep-set eyes, and small eyes that shone like the cold light reflected from a blade.

With a broadsword hanging behind him, he looked clean, upright, sharp, and pure.

The seven jade seals, like stars, traversed countless mountains and entered this formidable pass of Longzhou.

"Five hundred years ago, we slew the Candle Dragon here. Now, you and I will face our enemy here."

Below, the powerful military spirit formed by the densely packed Zhennan Dragon Cavalry was awe-inspiring, causing the mountains to bow their heads and the streams to tremble.

Suddenly, the Jade Sword Marquis turned his gaze to Xiao Pingzhe, who was among the many demon-slaying envoys, and asked, "I heard that the purple-robed demon-slaying envoy you recommended has caused a great deal of trouble."

Xiao Pingzhe stepped forward with a wry smile. "My lord, this man has always been arrogant and unruly, but—"

"However, it is indeed surprising that the file actually challenges Feng Jianqiu, the number one talent of Ziyang Sect and a genius swordsman who is famous throughout Dayong."

Jade Sword Marquis Chu Tianshu continued the conversation.

Purple Sun Sword Wind and Autumn!

Since the founding of the sect by Daoist Ziyang, no successor has ever been able to claim the title of Ziyang Sword Sect. Even the Xuanlong Sword Sect, known as a once-in-a-century sword genius, could not obtain this honor.

Feng Jianqiu, however, was considered the one with the best chance of receiving such an honor.

Because this person perfectly matched the sword techniques and internal energy cultivation methods left behind by the Taoist Master Ziyang, some people claimed that Feng Jianqiu was the reincarnation of the Taoist Master Ziyang.

Even stripped of all that glitz and glamour, he remains an undeniably talented swordsman.

He is a peerless genius whom even Xiao Pingzhe must look up to.

Song Shen has actually reached this level?!

A Jade Seal Exorcist said in a deep voice, "My lord, this purple-robed man dares to challenge a genius like Feng Jianqiu, but we've never heard of him before? Is he new here?"

Marquis Yujian nodded and said, "Judging by the time, it's been more than half a month. They should still be in Pingyang now."

"Do later generations believe that this person had even the slightest chance?"

Everyone present was a true genius. Although their fame and talent were not as illustrious as Feng Jianqiu's, they were by no means ordinary people. Everyone knew the true value of Feng Jianqiu's talent.

It is by no means an undeserved reputation.

Jade Sword Marquis Chu Tianshu thought for a moment and said, "The problem now is not whether he can fight Feng Jianqiu, but whether he can return from Pingyang City."

Everyone was shocked, but Xiao Pingzhe responded with a somber tone: "I only learned about the complicated situation in Pingyang City these past two days."

"Pingyang, Zhaoyao Mountain? Is that ancient mountain spirit that has lived for a thousand years about to cause trouble?"

Marquis Yu Jian frowned and said, "We are currently short-handed. The Great Roc King is about to attack, so I can only send Chu Zhao to check on things and hope for good news."

"but----"

He changed the subject, "The news I want to hear is that Song Shen has killed this demon lord. If this is true, then I will personally oversee his battle with Feng Jianqiu to prevent that old fellow Gu Canghai from bullying the weak."

"Otherwise, there's no point in me going, because all I'd do is watch him get beheaded by Feng Jianqiu with a single sword strike, which would be pointless."

As soon as he finished speaking, some of the powerful figures present frowned.

"A mere purple-clad figure slaying a demon lord? And he's only been with the Demon Suppression Division for less than a month! That's impossible, my lord!"

Chu Tianshu shrugged and said, "You should ask Xiao Pingzhe about that."

Suddenly, many intense gazes fell upon him. Xiao Pingzhe smiled bitterly and said, "If it were anyone else, I would say he's doomed. But if this person is Song Shen, I will retain some hope."

"It seems this guy named Song Shen has given you quite a bit of imagination—"

"That's right, this is a true powerhouse. I completely agree with what Lord Hou said. If this person leaves Pingyang alive, then Feng Jianqiu's doomsday is coming!"

A group of powerful members of the Demon Suppression Division exclaimed in surprise.

Just then, a Blood-Pierced Falcon flew over the mountains to deliver a message. Jade Sword Marquis Chu Tianshu caught the young raptor and took the letter.

A moment later, "Xiao Pingzhe, you've recruited a fine genius for my Demon Suppression Division!"

"What does Your Excellency mean by this?!"

"See for yourself!"

Xiao Pingzhe took the letter, and after a moment, he was equally shocked and speechless for a long time.

"Eight great demon generals, a mountain lord, were all slain by him?!"

A strong sense of horror spread across the scene.

Jade Sword Marquis Chu Tianshu said, "It seems that I will have to personally oversee this trip. Hehe, there are few things about the younger generation that interest me so much. This duel may change many things."

Xiao Pingzhe vaguely felt that he had attracted something extraordinary, and his unexpected trip had changed the course of events.

Imagine if he hadn't appeared in Xinyu City, Song Shen would most likely have been recruited by the Ziyang Sect, or even by some other sect.

Now, everything has changed, and this small change may bring about a huge turning point in the fate of the Ziyang Sect.