Chapter 1808: Extermination

Outside the arena, Mei Siren's heart shattered.

In front of seventeen million people, he couldn't control his tongue, brutally exposing another's raw wounds.

Inside the arena, Hua Changdeng, struck by the "Rising Tide" sword, found his physical form shattered.

The power of 'Name' was too overwhelming!

Combined with the true damage effect of Mo Jian's 'Unbridled Desire Sword', it mercilessly severed his fragile will-body.

Even his consciousness was on the verge of being erased and annihilated under the effects of "Prajna No" and "Heaven's Abandonment."

Yet, Hua Changdeng was still Hua Changdeng. As the great tide threatened to engulf everything, he proactively severed the three pathways of body, spirit, and will from his will-body, transforming himself into nothingness.

"A good sword!"

From the Ghost-Buddha Realm, a chilling soul-sound echoed, and after the 'Rising Tide' sword strike, Hua Changdeng's heartfelt praise drifted down from the nine heavens and ten earths.

At this, a look of astonishment appeared on the faces of all observers, whether they were the lay spectators on Golden Apricot or insiders like Mei Siren and Yang Xizhi.

"The Ghost Sword Immortal isn't dead?"

Hong Niang dared not continue Mr. Siren's previous topic. Conveniently, she refocused on the battle, skillfully changing the subject and handing the stage to the old Sword Saint.

"Ghostification..." Mei Siren murmured.

On the Golden Apricot screen, countless questions about "What is ghostification?" flashed by, and Hong Niang posed the same question.

Mei Siren's expression was solemn as he gripped his paper fan and said: "There's nothing special about it; it's merely the simplest form of ghost transformation. Just as an ordinary Spirit Refiner might choose to self-destruct when near death, hoping to escape with a wisp of remnant consciousness and find a glimmer of survival. Hua Changdeng is different from us. He primarily cultivates the Way of the Soul; even his main perspective is that of a soul body, truly seeing the world through soul-eyes. And 'ghostification,' as it's called, is the act of sacrificing all physical and mental power to gain a chance for the soul to escape into nothingness."

In other words...

Hong Niang pondered for a long time but couldn't find a more euphemistic term to describe the Ghost Sword Immortal's maneuver, which somewhat resembled a cicada shedding its shell.

Over on Xu Xiaoshou's side, he was already laughing and said bluntly: "Clinging to life?"

What a perfect insult!

The comments on Golden Apricot immediately erupted in another wave of laughter. Only Xu Xiaoshou had the courage and strength to repeatedly insult the Ghost Sword Immortal without changing his tune, didn't he?

The stone tablet in the Zhongyuan Realm trembled. The surrounding land began to decay once more, then misted with wisps of ghostly aura.

"This is..." The spectators recoiled in fear, quickly understanding what was happening. Just as Xu Xiaoshou cleverly borrowed the names of the Five Domains and made them his own. The Ghost Sword Immortal, as a Saint Emperor, essentially regarded the Sacred God Continent as his backyard. Moreover, since he could even borrow the power of the God of Death from the Laws of Zhou Tian, why couldn't he borrow a mere wisp of ghostly power?

"Hiss, hiss, hiss..." The ghostly mist hissed and crackled. Before long, pairs of eerie, phosphorescent blue soul-eyes condensed in the high skies all around. And high above, Hua Changdeng's hazy figure slowly re-condensed.

Xu Xiaoshou remained unmoved. Hua Changdeng, too, made no further moves. He had transformed into a ghost-soul body—while this form indeed avoided the direct damage from the 'Rising Tide' sword, his power level was now even weaker than his previous will-body.

"Very good, you're excellent, Xiao Shitanji..." This return was certainly not for revenge. It was merely to prove to others that the young man's single sword strike truly struggled to completely destroy him. From the very beginning, Hua Changdeng had no intention of getting deeply entangled with this child. With an ocean of resolve in his heart, he did not regret losing a wisp of his Saint Emperor's will. At the very least, he had witnessed the rise of a junior in the Way of the Sword, which was excellent news for the ancient sword cultivation world.

With an appreciative look, Hua Changdeng sighed sincerely: "The Way of 'Name' can transcend sword intent. After Ba Zun'an, your sword cultivation talent should be hailed as unsurpassed in this generation. The title 'First Sword Immortal' is truly well-deserved. It's just a pity..." He gazed at the stone sword in the young man's hand, then lowered his head to look at his own ghost-soul body, smiling silently.

Xu Xiaoshou showed no sign of discouragement, seemingly missing the contempt in the old man's words, and with a slight lift of his lips, he said: "A pity about what? A pity that my single sword strike couldn't completely destroy you, old timer, and you brilliantly escaped?" He clapped, as if encouraging a child who had successfully passed their first gas by their own efforts.

"Brilliantly..." This ingenious choice of words momentarily left Hua Changdeng unsure whether it was genuine mockery or sarcasm. He looked over; the young man, his hand resting on the restless sword, remained as unmoving as a mountain: "When I say one sword, I mean one sword. And you, there's no escaping, no avoiding!"

The moment his words fell, all spectators witnessed a sudden "hissing" sound erupt from Hua Changdeng's ghost-soul body. Layers of sword light tore through various parts of his ghost-soul body. The sword light, whose origin was unknown, had a very clear destination: after tearing through his ghost-soul body, it converged into one place.

Finally, it transformed into...

"Water?"

Not water! It was "Name," which was like water flowing above!

The power of 'Name' clung like maggots to bone. Even though Hua Changdeng had abandoned his body and will, escaping into his most familiar soul state, the sword light formed by 'Name' and the damage dealt by 'Name' still followed him.

"This..." His ghost-soul body hissed and cracked open. Hua Changdeng felt excruciating pain throughout his body, as if suffering a thousand cuts. The power of 'Name' enveloped him like water, akin to a dull knife slowly carving, nearly making him cry out in agony.

"How is this possible?" Hua Changdeng was shocked. What surprised him wasn't the extent of this child's power. Instead, he recognized a familiar quality in this bone-clinging power of 'Name', something akin to his own... Sword Ghost's Will Ghost?

"You've noticed?" Xu Xiaoshou, holding his sword, strolled forward, chuckling, "I've cultivated 'Name' for half a year, and I haven't neglected the development of other aspects of ancient sword arts..." As he spoke, he suddenly stopped, turned, and looked at Mei Siren, who stood on a small hill behind him.

"Is he looking at me?" Hong Niang's heart rate instantly quickened. She lightly pressed her slightly heaving chest and sent a message via Golden Apricot to Xu Xiaoshou. —It shouldn't be just Hong Niang getting benefits; all the brothers should get some good stuff too.

"This is bad!" Mei Siren alone felt his heart skip a beat under that young man's gaze. Just fight your battle; what's the meaning of suddenly turning your head? This kid never does anything without purpose, and being targeted by him never bodes well... Mei Siren didn't even have the thought to understand or be curious; he was already thinking of forming an Apricot Realm jade talisman and escaping on the spot.

"My teacher was right!" Xu Xiaoshou's single sentence pinned him in place. The Golden Apricot in Hong Niang's hand also turned with the sound, indicating that she was now under the gaze of seventeen million spectators.

"Ahem." Mei Siren quietly hid the Apricot Realm jade talisman, then subtly raised his chin, slowly fanning himself with his paper fan, which read: "Undeserved praise, undeserved praise."

I haven't even said anything yet, and you're already calling it undeserved praise?

Xu Xiaoshou chuckled, pointing at Mr. Siren, "The old man also said that the Sword Ghost has three ghosts: the Avatar Ghost, the Spirit Ghost, and the Will Ghost..." The paper fan in Mei Siren's hand slowly stopped waving. "This Will Ghost Sword is indeed powerful; I've seen it from the side. As for what my teacher couldn't explain just now..."

Mei Siren's face paled. He opened his mouth, but hesitated to speak.

"What he wanted to say was nothing more than that the sword energy left in Ba Zun'an's body must have been struck by your Will Ghost Sword, which is why it couldn't be erased, right?"

Mei Siren, hearing this, was filled with burning anger and longed to refute: *I didn't say that! You said that; I had already stopped! Xu Xiaoshou, you are truly disrespectful! To even dump such a metaphorical pile of dung on your teacher's head, it's a waste that I taught you the Heart Sword Art Prajna No...*

He hadn't yet spoken. Hua Changdeng, in his ghost-soul body, looked down in the direction of the pointing finger. Mei Siren, as if sensing something, looked up from afar, and a touch of melancholy and wistfulness appeared on his face.

"Alas..." After all, Hua Changdeng was also his student, and Xu Xiaoshou was his student too. It was merely different backgrounds, different stances, and different Great Dao paths that led them to become adversaries. If it were a different time and place. Perhaps the two of them, along with Ba Zun'an, Wen Ting, Rao Yaoyao, and other juniors from the ancient sword cultivation world, would gather to discuss the Dao and exchange sword insights...

Mei Siren sighed deeply once more, cutting off his wandering thoughts. His second world was too beautiful; it seemed it would forever remain an unrealized dream, both now and in the future.

Hua Changdeng calmly withdrew his gaze. Neither Xiao Shitanji nor Mr. Siren could cause his mind to waver any longer. What he cared about now was how this young man seemed to have gleaned some insight into the usage of his Will Ghost's sword techniques. What astonishing talent was this? But upon closer thought, it didn't seem right... Thirty years ago, he himself had only just begun to grasp the Way of the Sword Ghost. No matter how powerful the sword energy left in Ba Zun'an's body was, its Dao essence was insufficient. There was no way this young man could have deduced the subsequent cultivation methods from it, was there?

Xu Xiaoshou saw through his confusion at a glance and smiled: "The art of Malevolent Yin, reverse legacy, the Forbidden Self-Disappearance Art, and Standing Aloof from the World — their effects have not vanished to this day. While certainly annoying, it also taught me the path of immortal bodies and eternal techniques." He paused, then lowered his head, looking at his hands: "My Emotion Sword Art cultivates 'Two World Forms' and 'Karma of Reincarnation,' using past karma to define my present self. When this sword strikes, I believe you've felt it. If my past self does not die, then my present self is indestructible; if my present self is indestructible, then the Way of the Name Sword will forever endure!"

His words struck like spring thunder, shocking hearts and souls. Whether it was his disdain when speaking of Malevolent Yin, or his confidence when mentioning 'Two World Forms' and 'Karma of Reincarnation'. Including this child's interpretation and application of the Way of 'Name' just now, a multitude of thoughts rushed in. Hua Changdeng suddenly realized that perhaps he had underestimated this young man; his stature was not that of a junior, but rather, he should be considered his equal?

"Xiao Shitanji..."

"I apologize, that was just my former name," Xu Xiaoshou interrupted unceremoniously. "My real name is Xu Xiaoshou."

As he was now, he no longer needed to borrow others' identities or invent his own for self-preservation. Saint Emperors should be killed when needed. Ancestral Gods should be annihilated when needed. If gods stand in his way, he kills gods; if Buddhas stand in his way, he kills Buddhas. That's all there is to it.

"Xu Xiaoshou..." Hua Changdeng murmured the name, his voice distorted, and under his blurred vision, he looked at the stone sword in Xu Xiaoshou's hand. Crowned with the title of 'First Sword Immortal' and bearing the sword power of the Way of 'Name'. If it were an ordinary sword, it would have shattered the moment it was drawn. Yet, Xu Xiaoshou wielded this stone sword, and just as he had said before, it managed to wound him so severely without breaking its seal or leaving its sheath?

"What is this sword called?" Hua Changdeng asked, enduring the pain.

*Ying—*

As if finally getting a chance to show itself, the stone sword twisted violently, its spiritual essence nearly bursting through its own seal. Xu Xiaoshou seeing this, smiled, not curbing the stone sword's excitement. Instead, he raised the sword in his hand, and before Hua Changdeng and the Five Domains' spectators, he softly called out: "Hidden Bitterness."

"A good name..." Hua Changdeng seemed to have more to say. But the power of 'Name' swept and entwined around him, gradually grinding away his ghost-soul body. He no longer had the strength to speak further.

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand, no longer tormenting the suffering old man, and with a flick of his sleeve, said: "Next time we meet, bring your Ghost Hunter and come to experience the sharpness of Hidden Bitterness in my hand! As for today, this is where it ends."

With a blink, he gave Hua Changdeng no more opportunity to speak. Xu Xiaoshou clenched the Hidden Bitterness sword, remotely detonating the trickling, flowing power of 'Name'.

"Boom!"

A blast echoed through the void. The 'Name' that was like water, gentle as spring rain in calm moments, and terrifying as surging waves in fury, suddenly collapsed inward, then crushed Hua Changdeng's entire ghost-soul.

The Ghost-Buddha Realm was constructed upon the ancient War God Platform. The rules and laws of this place were of the highest caliber, comparable to divine ruins, and even reaching the level of an Ancestral God's abode in the Heavenly Realm. After half a year of solidification, the Ghost-Buddha Realm's space was naturally stable. This place was established precisely to prepare for the upcoming battles of Saint Emperors and Ancestral Gods. Naturally, the collapsed space and blasted black hole caused by Xu Xiaoshou's explosion were not large. This wasn't because the power of 'Name' was insufficient. It was simply a more refined application of explosive force, and Hua Changdeng's mere remnant will and soul were not worthy of a grander display.

"Hoo..." Xu Xiaoshou let out a long breath. This explosion relieved the indignation he felt upon hearing of Old Yu's death and served as a pre-emptive venting of anger on behalf of Little Yu.

Of course, matters wouldn't end here. Regardless of the shocked discussions among outside spectators, Xu Xiaoshou did not depart after annihilating Hua Changdeng's ghost-soul. He had his own objective. He had painstakingly sought Hua Changdeng's will for several days, even gaining opportunities for dialogue and communication, through which he gauged the immense power of Hua Changdeng's will, capable of traversing the Ghost-Buddha Realm. How could he miss such a prime opportunity?

The death of the remnant soul was merely for venting anger. Once the surrounding space had slightly solidified and the ghostly power was completely eradicated, seemingly having vanished from this world entirely...

"Whoosh!"

Unseen by the naked eye and undetectable by spiritual sense. From the spot where Hua Changdeng had just perished, a faint glimmer of light darted out, heading towards the Ghost-Buddha at Gui Zhe's Ruins.

"It's here!" Xu Xiaoshou's eyes instantly brightened. The last time he prematurely destroyed Hua Changdeng's will, a similar situation occurred. But back then, he didn't think much of it and didn't stop it, simply observing its changes and concluding that Hua Changdeng's will originated from the Ghost-Buddha and would eventually return to the Ghost-Buddha.

"This means that no matter the fate of his will, whether it finishes hunting ghosts or is hunted itself, a portion of its power will return to the Ghost-Buddha. And once the Ghost-Buddha Realm's transformation into Fengdu is complete, and the unknown power returning to the Ghost-Buddha has accumulated sufficiently, Hua Changdeng's true body will undoubtedly descend. If I were to face his moves, or *their* moves, at that point, I would be very passive..." All this time, being passive wasn't entirely due to him being a passive person. It was because he lacked the strength, forcing him to be passive! Now that his strength had greatly advanced and he had thoroughly figured out the intent behind Hua Changdeng's overt scheme, how could Xu Xiaoshou let this opportunity slip away?

"Soul light..." His gaze stretched far, towards the direction of the Ghost-Buddha. What Xu Xiaoshou saw was no longer just the Ghost-Buddha; it was as if he peered into the void and glimpsed the ancient Heavenly Ladder that once ascended directly to the clouds. And above the Heavenly Ladder, the legendary Five Great Saint Emperor Secret Realms, which the people of the Five Domains might never see in their lifetimes or for all eternity.

"You've come all this way, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Xu Xiaoshou smiled and waited. He was not in a hurry, merely focusing his thoughts on that wisp of soul light, following it as it traversed several realms. When he saw the soul light finally arrive before the Ghost-Buddha, just as it was about to merge into the vermilion mark on the Ghost-Buddha's glabella, like other soul lights before it.

Xu Xiaoshou's expression changed. He waited solemnly, then abruptly raised two fingers.

"What is this now?" The seventeen million-plus spectators on Golden Apricot didn't see the soul light; they only saw Xu Xiaoshou remaining stationary for a while after annihilating the Ghost Sword Immortal. He waited and waited... Suddenly, he gazed into the distance, formed a Malevolent Yin hand seal, and softly uttered the name of a somewhat familiar, yet chillingly terrifying, art:

"Art of Soul-Return Tomb!"