Chapter 2596: Sword Slave

Winds Stir Kyushu

"Ancestor," Xueling replied honestly, "the city was breached previously, and I was pursued as an enemy by Xueren. I hid here and fortunately managed to escape. Then one day, a Path Integration City passed by nearby. Suddenly, a wisp of sword qi shot out from the side, slicing the city in half. All the cultivators inside were instantly annihilated. Only the city lord miraculously survived, but he didn't get far before another sword qi struck, taking his life."

"In your opinion, what grade was that city?" Xuejiu asked.

"Desolate Grade!" Xueling replied with certainty.

Xuejiu stroked his chin and nodded slightly. "A single sword qi destroying a Desolate Grade object... it must be a supreme treasure. How interesting."

Xueling said, "Ancestor, the owner of that supreme treasure seems to have a problem with his mind. I once saw him from afar; he appeared to have been enslaved by the supreme treasure, losing his own consciousness."

"Trying to refine a supreme treasure without sufficient strength is asking for trouble. He must have become a sword slave." Xuejiu raised an eyebrow. He had already heard these reports; otherwise, he wouldn't have planned this current endeavor. "It's quite strange, though. Logically, if one's strength isn't enough, forcibly refining a supreme treasure would undoubtedly lead to death. What did this fellow do to be enslaved by a supreme treasure and turn into a sword slave?"

Although sword slaves are tragic, enslaved by a supreme treasure and losing their minds, a supreme treasure doesn't just enslave anyone. That sword slave must have done something in his life to end up in such a state.

Xueling had no answer. She had only seen the sword slave from afar; how could she possibly know what he had done before?

Xuejiu pondered for a moment but couldn't come up with anything conclusive, so he decided not to delve deeper. After all, the plan for today was already set in motion, and overthinking it was pointless.

"You're done here. Go," Xuejiu said, waving his hand.

Xueling suddenly looked up, as if she had heard something unbelievable, staring at Xuejiu with a terrified expression.

Xuejiu remained silent, simply staring at her indifferently.

Xueling's body trembled slightly. She dared not meet his gaze, finally lowering her head and saying, "Yes!"

She slowly rose and stood firm. Then, surging her power, she instantly unleashed her full strength. A layer of blood mist even erupted around her, and she transformed into a streak of blood-red light, fleeing into the distance.

However, almost as soon as she rushed out of the concealment array's covered area, a wisp of sword qi drifted in. That sword qi, like a strand of hair, lightly sliced through Xueling's body.

The blood-red light immediately vanished, revealing Xueling's form.

This Path Integration realm cultivator was now frozen in place, her face full of bitterness. Immediately after, her entire body split into two, blood and internal organs spilling out.

Inside the grand array, Xuejiu's eyes lit up. "As expected, it possesses strong killing intent!"

Xueling and Xueren had reported this intelligence to him before, which was why Xueling had been so terrified when he told her to leave earlier.

She had personally witnessed several Path Integration Cities passing by nearby and being destroyed by that sword slave. Naturally, she knew what a tragic end awaited her once her presence was exposed.

But she simply couldn't resist Xuejiu's command. She could only take the risk, harboring a sliver of hope, yet she still met a tragic end.

Xuejiu was well aware of the fate awaiting his descendant, but there were some things he ultimately needed to witness firsthand.

Now that he had achieved the result he wanted, he was not overly pleased. As for the death of a Path Integration realm descendant, what did it matter compared to the current scheme he was undertaking?

After all, he had many descendants; losing a few was of no consequence.

"I wonder if I can evade it…" Xuejiu looked enthusiastic. As he spoke, his aura changed again. Xueren's original strength wasn't particularly strong, but Xuejiu must have used some secret technique, forcing out all the potential within this body and causing his aura to rise steadily.

The concealment grand array was crudely set up, hastily constructed by Xueling and the others, and couldn't withstand too much impact.

So, as Xuejiu's aura intensified, the grand array showed signs of collapse.

A moment later, Xuejiu's aura reached its peak. It was at that very moment that the concealment grand array could no longer hold.

At the same moment, a mass of blood mist erupted from Xuejiu's body surface; he had already activated a Blood Evasion Art.

A wisp of sword light arrived as expected!

As blood light scattered, Xuejiu had already darted ten thousand miles away. However, the body he currently inhabited was no longer intact; both calves below the ankles had completely vanished, leaving clean, precise cuts.

He had used a secret art to unleash all the potential of this Path Integration realm body in a short time. Although it could only exert ten percent of his true strength, it was not something just anyone could insult or suppress.

The sword slave didn't even show his face, yet a distant wisp of sword qi managed to wound him.

Instead of being alarmed, Xuejiu was delighted. "There's a chance!"

He had originally feared that this sword slave wouldn't be strong enough, but now it seemed capable of meeting his requirements. In that case, his current scheme was largely successful.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he suddenly perceived a huge crisis rapidly approaching. He hastily twisted his body, dodging an incoming sword qi, yet the killing intent accompanying the passing sword qi still stung his skin.

Looking back again, he saw a figure had appeared behind him at some unknown point. It appeared to be a human, clad in a tattered black robe, as if he had endured countless battles. Through the tattered robe, countless scars could be seen on his body. In his right hand, he held a sheatheless longsword. The sword looked ordinary, showing no particular might, but Xuejiu still felt a huge threat from it.

He recognized at a glance that it was indeed a supreme treasure, one that had never before appeared in the Inner Realm.

What concerned him more were the blood-red, vein-like structures at the sword hilt, firmly connecting the sword-wielding right hand to the hilt. At first glance, it appeared as though the sword had grown out of the man's hand.

"What a pity!" he slowly shook his head.

In the past, he certainly would not have missed this opportunity. After all, supreme treasures were rare. Although he possessed two himself, who would dislike having more? Given enough time, with his methods, he might well have been able to refine this supreme treasure.

But now, there was no such opportunity.

That sword slave had long been dead; what controlled his body now was merely the will of the supreme treasure.

Another wisp of sword qi struck from behind. Xuejiu hastily dodged, but still couldn't completely avoid it. His blood light paused slightly, and a mouthful of fresh blood spurted out. The blood immediately transformed into a blood mist, wrapping around him in reverse, making him slightly faster.

The direction he fled was precisely that of the battlefield where a great war was currently erupting. He was clearly leading the sword slave there, but his true intentions remained unclear.

Amidst the chaotic battlefield, four figures from Yuanxi City moved together, achieving many kills.

His clone, meanwhile, was like a fish in water.

Thanks to the Blood Sea Secret Art of the Blood Clan, the clone's movements were concealed. Otherwise, with such frenzied slaughter, he would surely have been targeted long ago.