Demon Sword Immortal

The deity's voice grew louder and louder, until finally it sounded like thunder roaring in the hall.

"And I have failed to restrain you unfilial descendants... How can I face His Majesty! I only beg to offer the essence of this clan! To use your blood and souls to nourish the Holy Temple! To help His Majesty achieve a higher realm!"

Boom!

As soon as the words fell, a bolt of platinum lightning, a hundred meters thick, suddenly descended from the sky above the mansion. The entire house was cleaved into ashes by the raging lightning, along with the statues, the beautiful woman, the clansmen, and the servants, all of which were completely electrocuted and vaporized by the lightning, leaving only a wisp of blood soul essence that slowly rose, like a blood mist, and was drawn into the sky.

Too much.

There are far too many similar scenarios.

In the desolate wilderness, a herd of wild oxen had just been awakened, each transforming into a half-human, half-beast form. Just as they were about to offer their wishes under the guidance of the River of Light, a sudden gust of wind blew them away, carrying away their very souls.

In the primeval jungles of the Southern Continent, countless demonic beasts and insectoids were chanting complex scriptures with their hands clasped together. Suddenly, their entire bodies burst into flames, their flesh and blood turning into ashes.

Blood mist and lightning tribulations, wind blades and fire refining—it was like a grand stage for the Heavenly Dao Divine Pool, with all sorts of ways to die spreading wildly across the main world. Millions… tens of millions… hundreds of millions of blood soul energies were extracted with utter brutality and thrown into the furnace like fuel, turning into energy-replenishing fuel to support the palace's continuous expansion.

"I want...you..."

When the Sage of Blessing looked down, he saw the scene of devastation in the world. He almost couldn't catch his breath and looked back in disbelief.

"Having committed such terrible acts of killing, aren't you afraid of being burdened by karma?"

He couldn't help but question Bai Xiang.

"You are now an enemy of both the Heavenly Dao and the Void Tribulation, and are simultaneously rejected by both the Righteous and the Chaotic. Do you still wish to anger the Origin of Returning to Nothingness and provoke it to correct you?"

"Ok?"

Bai Xiang was sitting with his legs crossed, carefully refining countless blood souls, when he suddenly opened his eyes upon hearing this, his golden pupils staring at him from across an unknown distance of time and space.

"interesting."

"It is interesting."

She lowered her stance, stood up while holding onto her seat, and walked down the steps one by one, saying, "I never expected that you would be the ones accusing me of cruelty..."

"Such behavior is despised by all living beings," the Sage of Zhuling declared emphatically. "Stop, Emperor! It's not too late to stop now!"

"But I don't think I'm cruel."

Bai Xiang's expression and tone were both calm.

"Firstly, I only kill those who block my way; I don't touch the innocent."

"Secondly, I don't believe I've killed as many people as you have."

"Just like the tidal disasters you have caused several times before, each time at the cost of mass extinction, killing more than a hundred times more lives than I have."

"How dare you criticize me?"

Bai Xiang narrowed his eyes and slowly drew his natal sword from his sleeve.

"Old man Zhu Ling, you really have a thick skin."

Hearing her mockery, the Sage of Zhuling turned ashen-faced.

Now that things have come to this, he no longer cares about losing face. The main concern is that Lingbao Mountain is the place where the Spirit Awakening Ritual is performed. If it succeeds, he can certainly gain more benefits, but if it fails like before, the destruction of the place will be unstoppable.

It may seem that he can still drive the temple to escape, but in reality, Lingbao Mountain is crumbling and disintegrating every second.

In addition, Bai Xiang's frenzied slaughter of dissidents, killing all those treacherous officials and rebels and refining them into spiritual fuel, has accelerated the expansion of the 'Feixiang Palace'. With this ebb and flow, it is gradually catching up with this side. How could he not be anxious?

"It is said that sages can predict the past and the future, so the Sage of Zhuling must also know what the best fuel is."

Bai Xiang's voice grew closer and closer, like a demonic whisper that terrified Zhu, causing his soul to scatter.

"You cannot, Emperor..."

Zhu Ling stood atop the mountain, his face ashen, gritting his teeth and growling, "This is not our will, but the will of all living beings! Your actions defy all rules and reason! Even if you kill us, you cannot succeed..."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Bai Xiang's figure suddenly enlarged, and along with the palace where he was stationed, it instantly closed to within a few thousand meters, raising his sword towards the Golden Mountain.

"Guiyuan, save me!"

Saint Zhu Ling felt extremely threatened. He had a premonition that if he fell into the palace area again, he might not be able to escape as before, and might even be condemned to eternal damnation. He had to avoid such a situation!

"The Emperor's desire!"

Saint Guiyuan originally did not want to interfere, but he knew that if Bai Xiang killed Zhu Ling and devoured and refined Zhu Ling and the remains of Lingbao Mountain, the expansion speed of the 'Feixiang Palace' would inevitably surge again! It might even surpass the current progress of the Zixu Palace!

This is the principle of mutual dependence, so he had to slow down and turn around to face Bai Xiang with the Sage Zhu Ling, trying to make a final attempt to interfere with him with words.

"Emperor, if you want to understand the mysteries of the Void, then you cannot attack us!"

"Only those born with divine spirits can be considered its offspring. Even if you were to encompass the Void with your thoughts, you would still be rejected by it. You need us to neutralize the influence here!!"

But the only answer he received was a sword that seemed to be a mere illusion.

The black-clad empress swung her sword down in their direction, and the two saints felt their vision distort for a moment. The holy temple that had been surrounding the empress, and also covering the main world and the myriad realms behind her, was instantly drawn into the sword light and fell directly upon them.

Chapter 155 Tai Xuan (Three-in-One)

Never before had Bai Xiang felt so good.

Why did she always remain restrained before? Even though she had calculated through the art of listening and the calculation of the void that some things would happen in the future, she still indulged herself.

It was precisely because she was not as bloodthirsty as her outward appearance suggested.

Her heart was firm and she was not afraid of the flames of karma, but that did not mean she enjoyed killing innocent people indiscriminately.

Killing and soul-seizing is a technique developed long ago by Bai Xiang's natal sword, 'Fei Xiang Tian'. According to theoretical calculations, if Bai Xiang completely abandons emotions and morality and kills all living beings in her territory except for relatives and friends to refine their souls, the strength of her soul will experience a surge in a short period of time, and she will also have the opportunity to break through to the upper realm by using this most ruthless method.

But that would mean killing far too many living beings. Although she sought immortality, she did not live solely for immortality, and naturally did not want to let utter utilitarianism taint her heart.

But things will be different once Shinto takes action.

A gentleman does not care about his deeds.

Regardless of who they were before, whether they had reservations about her rule or thought she was an outright, immoral, and tyrannical ruler, if they kept their opinions to themselves, she really wouldn't bother to take any action against them.

But provoked by Shinto, this group immediately jumped out to seize the opportunity, hoping to ride on Shinto's coattails to overthrow her and 'bring society back on track'... Bai Xiang naturally no longer needed to be polite and could finally unleash a massacre.

She didn't believe it was a case of entrapment, because as she had said before, the inspiration from Shinto was just the trigger; the core reason that drove these people to defect was that their actions had challenged the universally accepted principles of the world.

Some people think they are born superior and that they deserve everything they receive. You might be able to convince them temporarily or shut them up by reasoning or violence, but as time goes by and new generations emerge, new ideas will continue to surface, and they will bring up old issues again and again, using them as a pretext to try and gain benefits for their own class.

Is there any difference between killing them now by invoking divine intervention and killing them later when they actually do so?

At least on this side, they only took action after the victims had actually committed acts of rebellion, and Bai Xiang believes he has a clear conscience in this regard.

With a clear conscience and a pure mind, this quality was also reflected in her sword, making 'Feishangtian' even clearer and straighter, its reflected light so clear and dazzling when it swayed. It was like a handful of pure water, spreading slowly but steadily in all directions.

Such a spread could even submerge and permeate time. At this moment, Bai Xiang finally had a feeling of complete unity between body, mind, and sword. It was as if the self named 'Bai Xiang', the self named 'Fei Xiang Tian', and the self named 'Fei Xiang Gong' had completely merged at this moment, becoming one with each other. He could then channel all his insights into the sword light and slash at the two saints in front of him.

Such a sword... such a sword...?

The Sage of Zhuling was the first to be affected, and his eyes were filled with the reflection of the sword light, causing him to fall into a daze.

Bai Xiang was still immersed in the emotion and hadn't recovered, so he didn't feel anything about the sword. But in the eyes of Sage Zhu Ling and Sage Gui Yuan, who had a better and more comprehensive view from the rear, this sword was indescribable.

It was as if the heavens had poured out their own waters, and a new opening had been made in the universe above. The bloody and majestic aura of the glorious heavens surged forth from this opening with the force of a tsunami.

It was as if time had washed away everything silently. Even though I had clearly seen such a magnificent and extraordinary phenomenon in my mind, my naked eyes could not capture the slightest movement or influence. Only when I came to my senses did I realize that I had been stabbed.

What are the facts?

The golden bricks and green tiles of the Feixiang Palace are clearly visible from afar. As an enemy, one can naturally feel the intense threat emanating from it.

But if one comes to one's senses and finds that the golden bricks and green tiles have all disappeared, and that it is not because the Temple of Thought has actually disappeared, but simply because it has become larger and more expansive, completely encompassing its own location, then the situation of the battle... will become clear at this moment.

"Entering my palace is like entering the path of Taoism."

After closing his eyes and experiencing his current state, Bai Xiang pursed his lips contentedly, then opened his eyes to look at the Sage Zhu Ling.

"Taiqing Zhuling, are you aware of this?"

"This disciple understands..."

The Sage of Zhuling stared blankly for a moment, then suddenly put his hands together and bowed to Bai Xiang.

"This disciple is willing to follow the teachings of the World-Honored One, and dedicate my life to the Way, so as to help the World-Honored One attain the highest realm."

Yes, he knew very well that this was not his subjective will.

But it was meaningless—the moment the sword light fell, the Temple of Thought enveloped him along with it. Under the manipulation of the divine soul power of absolute strength, no matter what he thought before, he would be forcibly transformed into a submissive mind. As time went by, he would no longer even have the thought of 'realizing something was wrong,' but instead face Bai Xiang with utmost piety, just like the way those Bodhisattvas and Arhats had faced him before, submitting to all her thoughts.

Golden light began to emanate from the body of the Sage Zhuling, gradually transforming into golden flames. These flames ignited the already dilapidated and crumbling Lingbao Immortal Mountain, turning countless mountain gates and dojos into ashes in the fire serpent. In the end, even the Sage Zhuling himself was burned and refined, transforming into a golden relic, which Bai Xiang seized into his hand.

boom! ! !

With the relic in hand, all the blood essence and vital energy belonging to the Taiqing lineage, along with its inherited secrets, knowledge, and techniques, were integrated into Bai Xiang's thoughts. For her, who could materialize thoughts into power, information truly became the carrier of power at this moment, causing her aura and momentum to surge once again, and the Temple of Thought once more manifested around her.

This time, however, the temple looked completely different.

Compared to when it was just a concept, with only a central main hall and the rest of the area still vague and illusory, the original temple was already quite prosperous.

After all, Bai Xiang had previously absorbed the blood essence of Guangtan Saint, who was of the Zhuoqing lineage. This replenishment brought great benefits to the palace, greatly improving the details of the palace and making the various pavilions and buildings more realistic. Even the tile reliefs and dragon and phoenix patterns were lifelike.

At this moment, the temple expanded once again, not only doubling in size, but also incorporating Buddhist elements into the new and original architectural styles. Pagodas stood all around the palace, and incense burners were in full bloom. If you listened carefully, you could hear the chanting of Buddhist hymns drifting down from the golden light above, mingling with the smoke rising from the human world, all of which lifted the temple up. It was truly like a magnificent celestial empire that dominated the world, and one glance was enough to make you submit.

"I want...you..."

Having witnessed the entire tragedy, the Sage of Returning to Origin trembled involuntarily, finding it hard to believe that this might be his own fate.

But how could he accept this?

He saw it very clearly! Zhu Ling was not simply killed, but her body and mind were completely submerged, and even her existence, concepts, thoughts, and way of thinking were completely transformed by Bai Xiang!

Even if such a spirit can be reborn in the future, who he is, who he should be, and what he should do will not be under his own control. Instead, he will still be dominated by Bai Xiang!

For a powerful being at the end of the divine path, there is no more tragic end than this. The Sage of Returning Origin felt that if Zhu Ling could choose for himself, he would rather die completely and have his soul scattered than accept such treatment!

Just then, Bai Xiang looked up at him.

Saint Guiyuan instinctively sensed something was wrong, but he had no time to put up any resistance—whether it was the Dao Sword, the Buddha Dust, or the Moment of Time he had taken from the Jingyao lineage, which was also the Heavenly Stem Jade stored on his body—he couldn't use any of them at this moment. He was frozen in place the instant Bai Xiang's gaze swept over him, unable to move his mind or body.

Because the gap in strength has become too exaggerated.

Bai Xiang, at the He Yuan Realm, killed Guang Tan Saint in just a few moves, while Bai Xiang, at the peak of the He Yuan Realm, killed Zhu Ling Saint with only one sword strike. Each victory brought him immense insights and gains. Moreover, the biggest difference between Zhu Ling Saint and Guang Tan Saint was that the former indeed gained more insights from Gui Xu.

Having refined the Sage of Zhuling, she also gained this understanding of the Void. Strictly speaking, she was still immersed in this understanding at this moment. The glance she gave the Sage of Guiyuan did not contain any hostility, because she was not looking at Guiyuan, but rather looking at the Void at the end of this void path through Guiyuan.

Guixu.

Guixu.

I've never really understood what Guixu means.

Is it something higher than the Heavenly Dao and the Void Calamity?

Is it Hongjun Daozu, who is above the Three Pure Ones in the primordial mythology?

She had actually made many guesses and calculations about this issue, and even hypothesized whether this thing belonged to living beings, whether it had a real consciousness that could manifest, or whether it was just a predetermined phenomenon, like a program or formula set by nature. All other phenomena that occurred around it, such as the Heavenly Tribulation, the Returning Origin Purple Qi, the Void Tribulation Tear, the Great Tide, and the repairs after the Great Tide caused the Great Extinction... etc., were all just following the script, the result of the formula operating naturally.

Too many mysteries, too many unanswered questions, and the truth of this cold, ruthless, cruel, and absurd world are hidden within. It's impossible for Bai Xiang not to want to uncover the secrets.

Her calculations had always failed, but today, now, by reading and experiencing the memories of a primordial sage, she has finally glimpsed a corner of that abyss.

The answer is no.

Unconscious.

Guixu is not a living thing, nor does it have consciousness. This thing is more like a depression in time, something even more despairing than a black hole, which absorbs and mutates all dimensions of spacetime and at the same time spews them out.

Saint Zhu Ling didn't truly see the end of the Void. Just as the power of the Great Tide and the Void Years was about to reach it, he and Saint Gui Yuan desperately squeezed to a spot not far from the end. Before their time was completely frozen, he used his last bit of consciousness to glimpse the strange flow of spacetime towards the interior of the Void. Seeing even this small fragment was enough to propel him beyond his previous realm, from the peak of the Pure Void Saint Realm to the pinnacle of that peak, infinitely improving and elevating himself, truly gaining numerous supernatural abilities sufficient to interfere with spacetime.

But he still didn't understand... He still didn't comprehend it, nor could he see the final end of that abyss. His thoughts were seized and absorbed by Bai Xiang at this moment, while Bai Xiang only needed to see that fleeting fragment to have a sudden realization from the bottom of his heart and have a new guess about the truth of Guixu.

Now, she is staring at the Ruins of Return with her golden eyes. Along this path that stretches for countless light-years, she sees infinite time and space stretched, swallowed, and then spat out, like a conveyor belt that keeps spinning in a loop. All the stories that happen on this belt are meaningless to the belt itself.

Because it was destined to be destroyed.

Time marches on relentlessly. Everything will eventually be sent to the Ruins, where it will be decomposed and destroyed, then expelled in another form and return along another path.

No wonder there is the Heavenly Dao and the Void Tribulation.

If we had to use a metaphor, the Main World and the Ruins of Return are like two wheels that are far apart, and spacetime is like a complete belt hanging on these two wheels.

When the belt is transported to the other side of Guixu, the belt is called Xujie.

When the belt is sent to the Lord's realm, the belt is called the Heavenly Way.

Of course, the truth may not be like this, and this metaphor is far from enough to capture the horror, but Bai Xiang still has a profound sense of enlightenment. She seems to be able to see something staring at her at the end of this path.