C24 The Sword Soul

The two blades nearly sealed off Qin Fei's assault.

"Clang!"

Sparks flew as the massive sword plummeted from the void, slicing cleanly across both blades.

In a flash, a fierce recoil surged.

"What incredible strength..."

Both Zhang Loong and Zhang Hu were startled, hastily stepping back.

It was well-known that although Qin Fei hadn't mastered many skills over the years, his physical strength had soared to at least a hundred or a thousand times that of an average person.

Now, his Gravity Strike packed a force of over four to five thousand kilograms.

Caught off guard, the brothers had no choice but to fall back.

"Think you're strong?"

Qin Fei sneered. This was merely the beginning.

As the brothers retreated, Qin Fei spun around, his sword quivering with an ethereal glow.

The intense blade aura began at his dantian, extending upwards, engulfing the sword.

It bore down like a razor-sharp mountain.

"This is bad..."

Zhang Loong's face paled as he sensed the intense sword aura and the overwhelming intent to kill that came with it.

His profound energy surged from within, spreading rapidly from his dantian throughout his body, forming a protective glow akin to a shield. Simultaneously, all his profound energy was channeled into his large saber as he brought it down through the air.

"Boom!"

The profound energy collided with the sword light in a single explosive encounter, igniting a fiery spark and sending waves of force in every direction.

It billowed outward.

"Puchi!"

Zhang Hu, who was charging from the side, tasted blood in his mouth as his body was hurled away.

Blood spurted uncontrollably from his mouth.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that Zhang Hu's chest and various parts of his body were marked with torn clothing and small, bleeding cuts.

"How can this be? This..."

Zhang Hu was in disbelief. He knew Qin Fei to be nothing more than a strongman without any other notable advantages – a paper tiger, in essence.

Yet now, after his sword had met his elder brother's profound energy, he found himself in an unexpectedly unbeatable position.

He even sent himself flying.

That... What kind of immense attack power was needed for that?

"Little brother, be careful..."

Zhang Loong's warning was cut short as he bellowed.

After splitting up from Qin Fei, Zhang Loong came to a realization: this young man had concealed his abilities well, making them utterly inscrutable.

The moment Qin Fei landed with force, his sword stirred once more... Pointing into the void, it swung up and directed its blade towards Zhang Hu.

"Ah..."

As the sword targeted Zhang Hu, a brilliant streak of light from Qin Fei's massive sword sliced through the air in a straight line.

The sword light's velocity was astonishing. With such speed, it moved in a direct path.

Blood sprayed, and a large head was sent flying, still wearing an expression of disbelief, eyes bulging.

Zhang Hu desperately wanted to dodge, but it was too swift. The sword strike was not only heavy but also impossibly fast.

"Little brother..."

Zhang Loong's eyes widened in horror as he cried out in anguish at the sight of the severed head.

The brothers were twins, having grown up and trained together.

Their teamwork made them formidable; even those stronger than them could be easily dispatched.

But now... now they had encountered a young man who had been underestimated in their sect, someone with strength equal to their own, who had effortlessly slain Zhang Hu. "Ah... Qin Fei, I, Zhang Loong, swear to the heavens, I will have you torn to pieces! You killed my brother, Zhang Hu, and for that, you will die."

Zhang Loong swiftly came to his senses, screaming with rage.

His eyes, filled with lethal intent, turned to Qin Fei, his rough face flushed red, his heart quaking with emotion.

That was his own brother, a part of him as much as his own body.

But now, he was gone.

"Kill me? With just you? When your brother was alive, you both were no match for me. Now that he's dead, you're even less of a threat."

Qin Fei smirked cruelly, pleased with his previous strike.

He was aware of his sword light's strength, its speed and ferocity remarkably potent.

Yet, he hadn't anticipated it to be so fearsomely effective.

Death! Zhang Loong was not afraid, but he refused to die without meaning.

Now, with Qin Fei's words hanging in the air...

He made an astonishing move.

With a swift turn, he burrowed rapidly towards the rear.

Qin Fei had concealed a great deal of his strength.

For him, it was effortless, and his sword was just as formidable as his profound energy.

Determining a winner between them would be exceedingly difficult.

Moreover, he sensed that the power of the opponent's sword light was immense.

It drained a significant amount of profound energy.

Besides, as Qin Fei had pointed out, his brother wasn't a match for Qin Fei even when he was present, much less now.

"Whoosh!"

Zhang Loong made a dash for it, leaving Qin Fei momentarily taken aback.

"Qin Fei, I, Zhang Loong, will not forget this. We are evenly matched in strength. If I can't kill you, don't think for a second that you can kill me. But mark my words, I will avenge my brother."

Zhang Loong bellowed as he made his escape.

"Flee?"

Qin Fei laughed derisively, then burst into a full-throated laugh, saying, "You think you can slip through my fingers? Not a chance."

Qin Fei was enraged. He had never intended to let the brothers get away from the moment they showed up.

"Hum!"

With a single motion, Qin Fei stepped into the void and leaped an impressive ten meters into the air.

He gripped the massive sword and brought it down through the sky.

Sword Spell, Fire.

"Boom!"

The sword materialized in his hand and swiftly descended, igniting a thick blaze in the void.

Within the inferno, a sword-like flame bore down on Zhang Loong's back with unrelenting force.

"What? This..."

Zhang Loong's face paled as the word, exuding an overwhelming and oppressive presence, materialized. He was struck by a sense of impending doom... It was his first encounter with such a fearsome and mighty sword attack, a word that was both blade and flame, merging the sword's gleam with the bolstering force of Gang Qi.

The Darkspiritual Knife Mantra.

Clang! Driven by pure instinct, Zhang Loong's blade swept across in a horizontal strike. Profound energy surged wildly, concentrating on the blade's edge.

It unleashed a piercing shockwave that burst forth into the sky.

"Boom!"

The blade emanated an ethereal golden force as it struck the fiery character.

In a simple clash, the fiery character was effortlessly swept aside.

Then, a retaliatory blaze bore down on Zhang Loong.

"Ah... Puchi!"

The might of the Sword Spell was formidable; even the first character was not something the average person could withstand.

He understood that the Sword Spell had been acquired from the Sword Soul.

And what is the Sword Soul? It is the most malevolent entity in existence. The Sword Spell it yielded was far from ordinary.

Following the explosion of the blade's shadow, the fiery character spread like a meteor, unleashing boundless damage and force that erupted around Zhang Loong.

It was as if countless flaming blades slashed at him, leaving wounds all over his body, from which blood spurted like a fountain.

"Qin Fei, as the saying goes, always leave room for reconciliation. Since you've chosen to burn our bridges, I, Zhang Loong, am ready to fight you to the end."

Zhang Loong was hurled over ten meters, his body drenched in nothing but blood, his disheveled hair adding to his demonic terror.

Sword Talisman.

Zhang Loong lifted his head with a roar, spreading his arms as blood sprayed from his body.

His clothes burst apart.

Above him materialized a mysterious yellow talisman, transforming into a radiant sword light.

With a flash of lethal sharpness, the sky itself seemed to fracture as it surged toward Qin Fei.

"Sword Talisman? This is bad..."

As the sword light approached, Qin Fei's expression shifted dramatically.

What is a Sword Talisman? According to the Sword Tao Scripture, it is a talisman forged by a swordsman who has mastered sword qi, using it to infuse the talisman with power. This talisman remains dormant until unleashed, then it strikes with the ferocity of terrifying sword qi, swiftly and lethally targeting the foe.

Even more fearsome, the Sword Talisman can be manipulated by the wielder's will, meaning...

The sword soared through the air, perfectly attuned to Zhang Loong's intentions.

"Be destroyed!"

Qin Fei bellowed, gripping the colossal sword and thrusting it forward with all his might.

Brilliant light erupted along the blade.

"Boom!"

Upon contact with the Sword Talisman, the massive sword seemed to plunge into an ocean.

Though the light originated from the great sword,

once it met the sword qi of the Sword Talisman, it transformed into a burst of energy that scattered in all directions.

The backlash made the huge sword quiver.

"Puchi!"

The sword in Qin Fei's grip shuddered, flung aside by the force.

He himself was lifted and hurled backward.

"Haha! Qin Fei, meet your end! Feel the might of my Sword Talisman."

Zhang Loong roared menacingly, rising to his feet and directing the Sword Talisman in a vicious thrust at Qin Fei.

"Buzz..."

But in the very moment the Sword Talisman morphed into a lethal sword body poised to slay Qin Fei,

a miraculous sight unfolded. A beam of sword light surged from within Qin Fei.

This light seemed ethereal, yet it was like a tangible liquid.

That is to say, it was a sword composed of liquid.

Once the liquid sword materialized, it warded off the oppressive sword qi, shielding Qin Fei from the onslaught and maintaining a safe distance.

"This..."

Both Qin Fei and Zhang Loong were dumbfounded by the spectacle before them.

"Swoosh!"

In the blink of an eye, the liquid sword aloft surged forth, piercing the Sword Talisman.

"Puff!"

It burst gently, as if entering water.

The sword qi from all around began to fade away.

Eventually, the sword, like liquid, became a vortex, drawing in all the nearby sword qi into its core, vanishing from sight.

The Sword Talisman was formidable, easily shattering Qin Fei's sword light and formidable power.

It was reputed to be the sharpest weapon in the world, an unseen killer.

Merely a talisman, born from mighty sword qi, could slay without leaving a trace.

But now... had it truly been devoured by a mere liquid sword light? "The Sword Soul has left the body? It devoured the Sword Talisman..."

Qin Fei murmured to himself as he came to a sudden realization.

He was aware that the Sword Soul could devour a person's soul to empower a sword, yet he had never heard of it consuming sword qi. What exactly was sword qi? It was the hallmark ability of swordsmen, and the Sword Talisman, forged from sword qi, was known to be the world's most formidable weapon.

Yet now, it had become so frail, so easily shattered and devoured.

What other secrets did the Sword Soul harbor? What kind of existence was it, truly? Terrifying! A boundless terror welled up within Qin Fei.

"No, it can't be. No... How could this happen? The Sword Talisman is the sharpest, most fearsome weapon there is. It can't just be destroyed like this, it just can't..."

Zhang Loong's voice was filled with pain and disbelief.

Moments ago, Qin Fei was nothing more than an ant in his eyes, one he could squash at any moment. But what about now? The Sword Talisman had been devoured, and he had lost his connection to it. This turn of events reduced him to feeling as insignificant as an ant or a grasshopper.

"Impossible? In this world, nothing is impossible!"

Qin Fei sneered sharply. Zhang Loong's outburst had snapped him back to reality.

His gaze flickered and settled on Zhang Loong.

"Buzz!"

Before Qin Fei could act, the Sword Soul had already sprung into motion.

The instant it was freed from Qin Fei's dantian, it soared like a tiger breaking free from its cage, rushing into the sky and achieving utter freedom.

"Don't..."

Qin Fei and Zhang Loong spoke in unison.

Zhang Loong didn't want to die. He had reached the Qi Gathering Stage, with a future full of potential.

He aspired to join a sect and refused to meet his end so abruptly.

Qin Fei, too, didn't want him to die; he was determined to uncover the mastermind behind the scenes.