C72 Honglian's Power

The blood and thunder moons faded away.

Qin Buyi was panting heavily.

His towering figure, a hundred zhang tall, bore wounds inflicted by the force of thunder.

The Thunder Tribulation Blade, spanning hundreds of feet, rapidly diminished in size.

It shrank to the size of a palm, flickering with lightning.

"Whoosh!"

With incredible speed, it entered Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness before he could even react.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Soul Dispersing!"

The sea of consciousness is a cultivator's vital sanctuary; there was no room for hesitation.

The Killing Saber in Qin Buyi's grasp quickly grew faint, materializing within his sea of consciousness.

Divine Consciousness from within surged into the saber, turning it a brilliant gold.

Just then, the deathly aura from the dark realm outside seeped into Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness, infusing the Killing Saber.

The blade was now half gold, half shadow.

"Clang!"

The Killing Saber met the Thunder Tribulation Blade in a clash.

Qin Buyi, wielding his Divine Consciousness, maneuvered the Killing Saber, mounting a defense against the formidable onslaught.

"Clang!"

The saber was knocked away within the sea of consciousness.

The Thunder Tribulation Blade seized the moment, striking Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness with force.

"Boom!"

A thunderous noise rang in Qin Buyi's ears, his mind throbbing with tearing pain.

In that instant, Qin Buyi truly understood the horror of the Soul Dispersing Saber Technique.

Despite the injuries to his sea of consciousness, he concentrated all his will on guiding the Killing Saber to intercept the relentless Thunder Tribulation Blade.

"Clang!"

"Clang!"

In mere seconds, the two blades collided hundreds of times.

"Clang!"

Once more, the Killing Saber was cleaved aside, and the Thunder Tribulation Blade took the chance to deliver another strike within Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness.

"Boom!"

The agony doubled, and Qin Buyi felt as if his head might split in two.

Previously composed, Qin Buyi now cast aside all restraint.

If this continued, he would eventually be worn down to his demise by the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

The Killing Saber hummed with high-speed vibrations as it clashed with the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

"Clang!"

For the first time in the sea of consciousness, the Killing Saber and the Thunder Tribulation Blade were evenly matched.

Provoked, the Thunder Tribulation Blade's lightning surged furiously.

It, too, vibrated and hurtled toward the Killing Saber.

"Bam!"

Qin Buyi clenched his teeth, wielding the Killing Saber with all his strength in fierce opposition.

After the blades parted, a wave of dizziness washed over Qin Buyi.

His sea of consciousness had suffered two strikes from the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

The tremors from the impact between the Killing Saber and the Thunder Tribulation Blade exacerbated the damage within Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness.

"Aaah!"

"This can't go on."

"Killing Swordsmanship: Death Domain!"

"Killing Swordsmanship: Extermination!"

"Killing Swordsmanship: Slaughter!"

A gloomy domain enveloped Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness.

In it, a scaled-down blood moon emerged, ensnaring the figure struck by the lightning.

Within the crimson glow of the blood moon, the spectral image of the Killing Saber materialized, launching an assault on the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

The physical Killing Saber itself bore down with unstoppable force, striking at the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

The Thunder Tribulation Blade, undeterred, conjured its own thunder domain and moon.

Lightning bolts lashed out at the Killing Saber.

The Thunder Tribulation Blade, with equal ferocity, hacked at the Killing Saber.

"Boom!" "Boom!"

"Boom!"

As the offensive forces dissipated, Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness was left battered and perforated by the residual forces of the clash.

"Pfft!"

Blood uncontrollably streamed from Qin Buyi's eyes, ears, nostrils, and the corners of his mouth.

The pain tore through him like relentless waves, bringing with it bouts of dizziness.

Biting down hard, Qin Buyi summoned his spirit, refusing to succumb to unconsciousness.

To faint now would be to invite disaster.

Amidst his ravaged sea of consciousness, the battle raged on.

The Killing Saber, as if incensed by the counterfeit Thunder Tribulation Blade mirroring its form, fought with renewed fury.

After breaking free from Qin Buyi's control through Divine Consciousness, a ferocious assault surged toward the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

Qin Buyi, witnessing the Killing Saber slip from his grasp, showed no sign of surprise.

Inherent to the Killing Saber was the presence of the Blade Spirit, Honglian, and it was clear that Honglian had stepped in.

Qin Buyi had no intention of meddling with Honglian unless she stirred up significant trouble.

Once free from Qin Buyi's influence, the previously overpowered Killing Saber unleashed a sudden and intense offensive that engulfed the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

"Clang!" "Clang!"

"Clang!"...

The Thunder Tribulation Blade, like a beleaguered underling, was relentlessly battered from every direction within the sea of consciousness by the Killing Saber, utterly defenseless.

The Killing Saber's relentless beating was a delight for it, but a torment for Qin Buyi.

His sea of consciousness, already battered and bruised, took yet another devastating hit.

Qin Buyi clenched his teeth and endured, his Divine Consciousness enveloping the inner walls of the sea of consciousness, striving to mitigate the effects of the clash between the Killing Saber and the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

Three days passed.

The Thunder Tribulation Blade, having been on the receiving end of a relentless beating, finally collapsed under the strain.

"Clang!"

The Killing Saber struck the Thunder Tribulation Blade with a vicious blow.

"Crack!"

The Thunder Tribulation Blade snapped in two.

"Clang!" "Clang!"

"Clang!"...

The Killing Saber, relentless in its pursuit of justice, continued to hack away at the Thunder Tribulation Blade.

Only after the Thunder Tribulation Blade had completely vanished did the Killing Saber come to a halt.

Qin Buyi heard a jeering laugh: "You're the only one who could wield a saber like a stick of kindling."

Without a doubt, the voice belonged to Honglian, who had always been at odds with Qin Buyi; no one else would dare.

Confronted with Honglian's voice, which he hadn't heard in a long while, Qin Buyi retorted, "You've been absent for so long, and yet you choose to mock me upon your return. Does that amuse you?"

A laughter as clear as a cascade of silver bells echoed in Qin Buyi's ears.

Honglian proposed, "Let's make a deal. You relinquish control of your body to me, and I'll take over as the master while you become the blade spirit."

Without a moment's hesitation, Qin Buyi flatly refused, "You're living in a fantasy."

"Clang!"

The Killing Saber left his sea of consciousness and reappeared in Qin Buyi's grasp.

Holding the Killing Saber, Qin Buyi reflected on Honglian's stunning visage. Who could imagine that beneath such beauty lay a heart brimming with pride, madness, power, and a thirst for slaughter, unless they had witnessed it firsthand?

Qin Buyi harbored complex feelings toward Honglian; he simply couldn't view her as an enemy.

Counting this instance, she had saved his life twice.

Without her intervention this time, Qin Buyi would likely have perished. At best, he would have faced the shattering of his sea of consciousness.

Yet, he sensed that deep down, Honglian scorned him.

Her saving him was probably driven by her own pride.

In Honglian's eyes, only she had the right to take Qin Buyi's life.

Should an outsider claim it, it would be an affront to her.

"As the former weapon of Heavenly Court Lord Haotian, it's hardly surprising that she looks down on a minor cultivator like myself, not even at the Immortal Human Stage," Qin Buyi said, mocking himself.

After fully enduring the lightning tribulation, Qin Buyi's colossal form shrank back to normal size.

The sensation of tearing within his sea of consciousness intensified.

At that moment, Qin Buyi's sea of consciousness was teetering on the brink, ready to collapse at any second.

His Divine Consciousness strained to bolster the inner walls of the sea of consciousness, staving off further deterioration.

Azure flew to Qin Buyi's feet and congratulated him, "Master, you've triumphed over the lightning tribulation and advanced further on your path of cultivation."

With a wan smile, Qin Buyi replied, "It was indeed perilous this time, but fortunately, I've made it through."