Chapter 890: The Death of Tai Xu

"You want to kill me?!"

"You dare to kill me?!"

Yi was driven insane, his mind completely tormented. He laughed maniacally.

"Xuan Wuji couldn't kill me, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't kill me, what makes you think you can kill me?"

"A soul artifact?"

"Do you have a soul artifact? Do you dare to kill me?"

"Even if you had a soul artifact, my soul has already dispersed; you can't even touch me!"

"Hahahaha..." Yi laughed wildly and arrogantly.

Even if the 'Escape Coin' wasn't a lost divine artifact from the Legacy Stele, it was undoubtedly a divine item. Otherwise, he wouldn't use it as his ultimate life-saving trump card. Yi's remaining will was hidden within the 'Escape Coin'. In this world, only those highly skilled in spiritual attacks had even a remote chance of breaking through the 'Escape Coin's defenses. Soul attacks were ineffective!

How could this blind man in front of him kill him? With this spatial treasure? Or... the Spirit-Extracting Staff? What arrogance! Even Xuan Wuji, whose Heavenly Insight Arts could commune with the Heavenly Dao and affect souls, found it utterly useless against the 'Escape Coin'! Xu Xiaoshou was at his wits' end. Xuan Wuji had no recourse. Even if he, Yi, couldn't escape this sealed area, he wouldn't die; he only needed to wait for Rao Yaoyao's reinforcement to immediately turn the tide. Even if Xuan Wuji had sealed off the heavenly secrets, with so much time passed, Rao Yaoyao and the others must have noticed something was wrong, right?

"I just need to wait, I just need to wait..." Yi's inner voice echoed repeatedly. He tried hard to calm himself. But a Grand Void cultivator, whose body was shattered and soul annihilated, with only a wisp of will remaining... "Severely wounded" wasn't enough to describe Yi. This was near death! How could he be calm?

Lei Shuangxing remained utterly calm, listening only to Yi's heart-wrenching roars in front of him. He pondered for a long time. As if his preparations were complete, he drew the Spirit-Extracting Staff from his walking stick...

"To kill you, I need nothing else; one sword is enough."

Sword Dao, in the previous century, was akin to the Path of Spirit Refinement. It encompassed countless aspects, and its principles were perfected. Although ancient sword cultivators are nearly extinct in the current era, it doesn't mean that ancient Sword Dao has been lost. On the contrary, those who still inherit ancient Sword Dao in this era of Spirit Refinement are all prodigies of astonishing talent. If these individuals had lived in the previous century, they would undoubtedly have shone even brighter. Ba Zun'an is one such example. Despite the current difficulties in Sword Dao, he still mastered the Nine Great Sword Arts. And Lei Shuangxing, as his successor, having been by his side since childhood, how could he have learned only one of these sword arts? Lei Shuangxing frequently used Illusionary Sword Art, but that was only because it was slightly stronger and more convenient to use in comparison.

However, eight of the Nine Great Sword Arts require the use of eyes for wielding the sword. Although Lei Shuangxing is blind, among the myriad ancient Sword Dao techniques, there is still one sword art that perfectly suits him: Inner Sword Art! When the six senses are sealed, the wielder refines the sword with their heart, perceives objects with the sword, and kills invisibly. One could say that the strongest and most suitable sword art for Lei Shuangxing was indeed the Inner Sword Art. His mastery of this sword art was the highest. He usually didn't use it because the time wasn't right, or his opponents were too weak to warrant its use. But now, facing Yi... unfortunately, the Inner Sword Art is precisely the most direct spiritual attack method among the Nine Great Sword Arts.

*Whoosh!*

The Spirit-Extracting Staff was held in both hands and gently inserted into space. Just like that day in the Eight Palaces, when Ba Zun'an used a tree branch to wield a sword against seven hundred White-Clad figures, performing "Gods and Buddhas in Sight." Lei Shuangxing's sword entered space, and he suddenly looked up. An invisible wave of spiritual energy rippled through the void, like a spiritual domain, instantly engulfing everyone present.

*Clang—*

At this moment, a resonant sword hum echoed in the hearts of everyone present. Xu Xiaoshou's spirit wavered, and he felt many towering, sky-reaching figures appear in his mind: Ba Zun'an, Ai Cangsen, Half-Saint Zang Ren, the Battered Saint... An inexplicable panic welled up spontaneously. Xu Xiaoshou felt a palpitation. As if facing a saint, his knees trembled uncontrollably, and he nearly collapsed to his knees on the spot.

"Suppressed, Passive Points: 1.""Interfered with, Passive Points: 1.""Affected, Passive Points: 1."

The info bar flashed with pop-ups. And just as these "sky-propping giants" appeared, Xu Xiaoshou's soul suddenly jolted—'Spiritual Awakening' triggered, clearing all the terrifying illusions that caused the influence.

"'Finger of Annihilation' (Charge Value: 0.11)."

The spiritual influence triggered the 'Spiritual Awakening' of the 'Finger of Annihilation'. After 'Spiritual Awakening', his soul reawakened, but then it was affected by Lei Shuangxing's Inner Sword Art again, and the "sky-propping giants" reappeared in his mind. This special phenomenon caused 'Spiritual Awakening' to trigger again, and the charge value of 'Finger of Annihilation' continued to increase. This cycle repeated...

Xu Xiaoshou was startled. It was fortunate that his 'Finger of Annihilation' had evolved. As soon as the charge value increased, it could trigger 'Spiritual Awakening'. Otherwise, according to the function of 'Finger of Annihilation' before its evolution, it would require a '1' increase in charge value to trigger 'Spiritual Awakening'. And during this increasing process, he, Xu Xiaoshou, would be completely controlled by methods like Lei Shuangxing's Inner Sword Art.

"What a powerful sword art!" As the only conscious person, Xu Xiaoshou was able to observe the reactions of others under Lei Shuangxing's sword technique. Without exception, everyone present, even Ancestor Wuji, was affected. In Lei Xi'er's mind, a Taoist nun in a Taoist robe holding a whisk appeared. Ancestor Wuji, on the other hand, saw vague figures like the Three Ancestors of the White Vein, Demon Emperor Black Dragon, Dao Qiongcang, and the Eighth Sword Immortal.

Yi was even worse off. He had no physical body protection, no soul concealment, only the 'Escape Coin' to guard him. His will, struck by the Inner Sword Art, undoubtedly suffered the greatest impact. At this moment, what appeared in his mind were childhood nightmares, cultivation inner demons, and the greatest fears of his life!

"Ahhh—"

Inside the 'Escape Coin', Yi's screams of unbearable torment echoed. He was enduring it, wailing. He wanted to resist, but only a wisp of his spiritual will remained. He couldn't seize a new body, nor could he evade. Other than confronting the fear in his heart, Yi had no other option.

"Gods and Buddhas in Sight!"

"This sword directly unleashes a person's greatest fears from their heart; it's terrifying!" Xu Xiaoshou watched as everyone around was completely suppressed by Lei Shuangxing's single sword strike, and he began to feel a chill of fear. He was a Sword Dao Sovereign. Lei Shuangxing was also a Sword Dao Sovereign. But Lei Shuangxing's Sword Dao Sovereign status was immeasurably stronger than his own half-baked Sword Dao Sovereign status!

"Are the Nine Great Sword Arts really that powerful?" Xu Xiaoshou had once clashed with the third of the Three Swordmen of the Buried Sword Mound. At that time, Gu Qingsan used Swordless Art, but among the Three Thousand Great Daos, he only had a superficial understanding of one. Back then, relying on his passive skills, Xu Xiaoshou could still defeat him. Therefore, in his heart, he actually harbored a sense of disdain for the Nine Great Sword Arts. "Once my passive skills truly reach perfection, who in this world could withstand a single punch from me?" This was Xu Xiaoshou's previous thought.

But now, he felt he might have been wrong. This world was too vast. Being physically invincible alone was useless. There were many Spirit Refiners, like Yi, who specialized in spiritual and soul paths, or other unorthodox methods. Passive skills of the Sovereign level, when facing such individuals, only 'Soul Read' and 'Finger of Annihilation' could be effective and harm Yi. But even then, it still couldn't kill Yi!

And if, among the Nine Great Sword Arts, he, Xu Xiaoshou, could master the "Inner Sword Art" that Lei Shuangxing had just used... perhaps, relying solely on himself, he could battle Yi and kill Yi!

"Sword Art Mastery..." Xu Xiaoshou thought of 'Sword Art Mastery'. Previously, relying on 'Sword Art Mastery', he had created many sword moves. Now, it seemed, compared to the Nine Great Sword Arts, those were minor techniques. Xu Xiaoshou felt that if he had the chance in the future, he must ask Ba Zun'an about the cultivation methods for the Nine Great Sword Arts. One can never have too many skills. Currently, he could only understand and imitate sword moves and forms he had seen, relying on 'Sword Art Mastery'. However, like other mastery-type passive skills, 'Sword Art Mastery' didn't directly provide the basic cultivation methods for the "Nine Great Sword Arts." Xu Xiaoshou had to learn them himself to fully master them. Putting aside the length or brevity of the cultivation time, whether to begin learning, to begin taking action... this depended on his subjective thoughts. Now, Lei Shuangxing's one sword strike solidified Xu Xiaoshou's goal. If he truly wanted to walk the path of an ancient sword cultivator, the Nine Great Sword Arts were a must-learn!

"Fear, lamentation..."

"Unwillingness, helplessness..."

Lei Shuangxing held the Spirit-Extracting Staff in both hands, his powerful will continuously radiating, completely locking down Yi's will inside the 'Escape Coin'. He murmured. These murmurs, like enchanting Buddhist chants, incessantly tormented Yi's collapsing will, driving him into boundless darkness.

"Gods and Buddhas must exist, humble and decaying...""Gods and Buddhas must not exist, obstacles removed..."

At a certain moment, Lei Shuangxing's body glowed, his clothes stirred without wind, and his figure slowly floated into the air. And then, the renowned Spirit-Extracting Staff was fiercely pulled out from space by him!

In the past, Ba Zun'an, during the Battle of the Eight Palaces, used the Inner Sword to slay seven hundred White-Clad figures and sever Gou Wuyue's inner demons. Just as he had said, "My one sword strike severs the gods and Buddhas in your heart." The Inner Sword Art can sever inner demons and also break a person's will. For Lei Shuangxing, Yi was not Gou Wuyue, nor was there any past camaraderie. He had harmed Lei Xi'er. As a brother, how could Lei Shuangxing merely help Yi by extracting the imperfect 'Demon of Dao Severance' and letting him confront and overcome it? What he wanted... was Yi's death!

"My one sword strike presents you the gods and Buddhas in your heart, and severs your feeble will!" Lei Shuangxing unleashed a sword strike, without any dazzling sword light. Yet, at this instant, the void rippled with an nameless fluctuation. Ancestor Wuji and Lei Xi'er suddenly emerged from their state of spiritual influence, and seeing Lei Shuangxing's sword strike without any discernible waves or ripples, they were greatly alarmed in their hearts.

As for Yi... Yi's spiritual world, unable to bear the torment, was originally an abyssal darkness without a glimmer of light. At this moment, a dazzling light shone brilliantly. This glimmer of light illuminated his past life, magnified the inner nightmares he once dared not face, and revealed the sins and darkness he had committed.

"Finally..."

"Is it coming to an end..."

Yi suddenly quieted down, confronting everything. He recalled his inexpressible past life. Everyone born into this world lives a unique life. Some spend their entire lives without finding a goal, living in mediocrity. Others, upon their very emergence, are astonishingly talented and destined to lead. Regardless, while a person is alive, when they use their subjective will to subjectively experience this world, they are the protagonist of this world!

From a young age, Yi had experienced the feeling of "I am the protagonist of this world." Among those of his rank, he had no equal. Every enemy who came knocking or appeared before him seemed like a stepping stone set by the Heavenly Dao, helping him reach higher places and attain more. Until he joined the Anomalies Division. The world expanded from a small Central Region to the Five Regions. The Five Regions had too many geniuses. Just the competition for the Ten Sovereigns... Yi saw a large number of monstrous talents who seemed hardly human: Kui Leihan, Ba Zun'an, Dao Qiongcang... You Yuanfo, Bei Huai, Kong Yuhen... Each and every one of them. Geniuses among geniuses, eccentrics among eccentrics. Every one of them stood at the pinnacle of their cultivated Dao, looking down from a commanding height, surveying all directions.

"I, in the end, am merely an ordinary person..." Yi sighed. Relying on his Imitator, he carved out his dominion, became invincible in intelligence, and ascended to the position of Anomalies Division Chief. But because of the Imitator, he changed his own Great Dao. Perhaps from that moment, everything went wrong.

"I couldn't even squeeze into the Ten Sovereigns; what right did I have to dominate my own life, control the cycle of fate, or be... a protagonist?" Yi felt unwilling. Unwillingness, everyone would have it. Yi had thought that one day he would die. After all, there were too many geniuses in this world. But what he had never expected was that when this day truly arrived, he would not die at the hands of those he considered gods and Buddhas in his heart, but at the hands of a mere Sovereign junior.

However, it didn't seem so abrupt, after all? Just as every obstacle he encountered on his path of growth, no matter how great or strong, could be completely removed after his strenuous efforts. A new era was about to arrive. New figures were entering the stage. Perhaps those who were first to be eliminated, to be sacrificed, to become stepping stones, were individuals like himself, whose lives were perhaps misguided?

In his final moment, Yi let go of everything and, in turn, saw reality. He saw the image of the blind man with his grizzled face and fierce eye wrinkles, standing calmly. He saw the familiar scene of Xu Xiaoshou holding four swords, hiding behind others, and not coming forward again, in his usual dormant state. He saw Lei Xi'er's Divine Devil Eyes rapidly rotating, yet her gaze was fixed, staring at him until the very last moment with an indifferent expression.

The light of the Inner Sword finally engulfed everything, destroying all images. The 'Escape Coin' failed to block this sword. Because this sword was Yi's will collapsing, the gods and Buddhas in his heart self-severing, cutting himself down. Yi did not bravely resist either. After he let go, he finally understood. It turned out that what annihilated him wasn't the Inner Sword, but the advancing pace of the era. It turned out that what illuminated his final moment wasn't light, but the redemption of goodness that everyone possesses at birth.

"Gods and Buddhas in Sight..." In his last moment, Yi thought of the Ten Sovereigns standing at the pinnacle of the Heavenly Dao. He had never dared to admit that the Six Divisions were actually somewhat weaker than the Ten Sovereigns. Now, after Yi dared to confront his true heart, he could also see things he couldn't see before. Lei Shuangxing's sword strike embodied the splendor of the new era's fresh blood. Just like Ba Zun'an in the past, this young man, who had annihilated him, at such an age, wielded such a sword strike... The Inner Sword Art, first realm: Gods and Buddhas in Sight. A sword strike that countless people struggle to achieve in their entire lives.

"So, the new era has arrived..."