Cultivating To Immortality

Chapter 723: Blade

Only when the giant tiger Demon Beast stood on flat ground did everyone clearly see how robust its Yao body truly was.

He walked slowly like a small mountain, his enormous shadow, even to Cultivators, felt like it was blotting out the sky and sun.

The might of the Demonic Qi pressed down suddenly.

"A Late Stage Level 1 Demon Beast..."

In terms of Demonic Qi Realm alone, it was equivalent to a Cultivator at Level 10 Qi Refining.

If they were to fight, an ordinary Cultivator would surely be defeated.

The fur and skin of a Yao Cultivator’s Yao body were already equivalent to a powerful Spiritual Artifact that combined offense and defense.

What’s more... this tiger Demon Beast also carried a long saber on his back.

The saber had not yet been unsheathed, but Song Yan could already discern a thing or two.

It was a horizontal saber in style, but its blade was slightly longer and wider than usual, and its hilt and sheath were covered in bloodstains.

Song Yan’s body surged with Sword Qi, his cultivation revealed, and he said in a deep voice, "Go stop that Su Li, be careful."

Facing this Demon Beast, he would have no spare energy to look after Liu Xincheng and Ju Luyi.

"Yes, Senior."

"Xiao He, you go keep an eye on him."

"Hiss~"

Liu Xincheng and Ju Luyi quickly rushed out of the valley entrance to stop Su Li’s trapping array.

"Level 8 Qi Refining." A hint of surprise flashed in the tiger Demon Beast’s eyes.

For him, a Level 8 Qi Refining Cultivator was the most "palatable" blood meal.

Cultivators of this Realm could be easily slaughtered and enjoyed with his own strength.

While Level 9 and Level 10 Qi Refining Cultivators weren’t much different, they still required some effort.

This would undoubtedly add a "gritty" feeling to the entire eating process, which wasn’t ideal.

He crooked his neck, making his bones crack, and excitedly let out a deafening roar: "Roar—!"

The roar of the Mountain Lord echoed throughout Qing Valley, causing birds, beasts, chickens, and livestock to tremble and fall silent.

Bang!

That massive body, like a cannonball, shot towards Song Yan without warning.

His Yao claws left a trail of afterimages as they stretched towards Song Yan’s head, as if they would pluck it off in the next instant.

As simple as plucking a fruit.

The wide Yao palm quickly filled his vision; Lingyun Intent circulated, and he stepped aside.

He dodged this palm strike.

The tiger Demon Beast’s brows furrowed; he hadn’t expected his opponent to not only dodge, but to do so with such ease.

The offensive did not wane; the tiger palm rotated slightly, and sharp claws swept across.

The sharpness beneath the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion disintegrated, and at the same time, a hint of sharpness silently condensed at Song Yan’s fingertips.

His eyes were clear and calm, fixed intently on the tiger Demon Beast’s movements.

That tiger palm, carrying a putrid, fierce wind, came straight at him!

In the Young Mountain Lord’s imagination, he was already doomed to die this time.

At this moment, the opponent’s arm suddenly lifted, and his fingertip pointed from afar at the palm of the tiger claw that was about to strike down.

Puff.

A golden glow shot through the thick Yao palm.

Before the tiger Demon Beast could even wonder, the immense Sword Qi carried by that golden glow suddenly sent him flying backward.

The tiger Demon Beast straightened himself in mid-air, stabilizing his body.

Then, his left palm gripped the ground, moving a few feet, and landed.

He expressionlessly lifted his left palm; a pierced hole was slowly healing under the effect of Demonic Qi.

"..."

He flipped his palm back and forth, looking at the hole that was about to heal and disappear, seemingly in disbelief.

What was that just now?

It could easily pierce through his fur, skin, and flesh.

Song Yan never stinted on Sword Dao True Essence, nor did he treat it as a "trump card" to be used.

It had been even more so since he comprehended Sword Intent and perfected his Lifebound Flying Sword.

The sooner he used it, the sooner he could condense another one; if it was a protracted battle, he might even be able to unleash a second sword.

It must be said that this finger strike somewhat stunned the Young Mountain Lord.

If this person could casually cast a Spell of such power... He shook his head, the tiger Demon Beast chuckled self-deprecatingly.

How could that be?

He looked at his palm, which had healed in the space of a breath, clenched his fist tightly, and grinned.

He said in a hoarse voice, "A little interesting."

His right hand moved to the hilt of the saber on his back, and at the same time, a wisp of bloody Qi rapidly gathered in his palm.

The tiger Demon Beast’s eyes were blood-red, and his left hand actually formed a Dao Seal.

"Void!"

Buzz—

A condensed Saber Qi suddenly struck, and in Song Yan’s eyes, the tiger Demon Beast merely took a step forward before already reaching him.

Lingyun Intent dodged the Saber Qi, but the tiger Demon Beast was already before him.

The saber’s edge swept across, unstoppable.

In a blink, Insightful Void Sword Eye was already activated, the Green Snake Sword Qi in his large sleeve was poised, and a black and white Sword Light rapidly descended, unleashing immense Sword Qi.

Severing Tide.

The sword finger pressed down, and the ink-splashed Sword Qi poured down like a heavenly river.

A pair of tiger eyes suddenly narrowed; he neither dodged nor avoided, a violent expression appearing on his face.

With a wild roar, the scarlet blood Qi and Demonic Qi transformed into a surging demonic wind.

Saber and sword met, and Sword Qi and demonic wind also collided.

Boom—

The normally piercing sound of saber and sword clashing was drowned out, and a wave of Qi surged outwards.

The tiger Demon Beast’s ferocious face erupted in wild laughter, and the flesh and bones on his body began to surge.

He lightly suspended the saber in his hand upwards, then gripped it with a backhand and swung it fiercely.

Buzz—

A circular Saber Qi, infused with Demonic Qi and blood Qi, rapidly slashed outwards.

At the same time, wisps of Demonic Qi appeared and disappeared on his body, and his entire body’s flesh began to rapidly swell.

At a certain instant, demonic blood erupted.

Lingyun Intent was fully activated; Song Yan stepped forward into the blood wave, dodging the circular Saber Qi.

However, at this moment, the tiger Demon Beast’s form had already completed its transformation.

His body, swollen by the erupting demonic blood, had expanded significantly, his muscles bulging like iron and stone.

Wielding his saber casually, the Saber Qi was no longer condensed, but instead transformed into dozens of scarlet blood-colored turbulent flows, swirling and slashing towards Song Yan!

Song Yan’s pupils slightly contracted, Lingyun Intent rapidly turned, and his figure weaved through the countless chaotic Saber Qi.

"A mere Level 8 Qi Refining human Cultivator!"

The tiger Demon Beast roared wildly, his saber strikes becoming even more frantic: "Dare to contend with this Lord?!"

Humans are fragile and worthless!

Only fit to be Yao Race blood meals!

With a flick of his sword finger, two Flying Swords suddenly flew out from the sword box behind him, like fish entering water.

Unmoored Boat landed between Song Yan and the tiger Demon Beast, vertically embedded in the ground.

His dark Daoist robe moved without wind, and the Sword Qi within the Zhen Dao Sword Mansion poured out.

The Spiritual Qi in the valley gathered like a vortex, entering the sword array and transforming into Sword Qi.

Above these black and white Flying Swords, a cold moon wheel condensed.

Crescent Moon.

The Linked Swords suddenly split into three crescent arcs of light, rapidly moving and attacking, destroying all the blood-colored Saber Qi.

The sword momentum had not dissipated.

The tiger Demon Beast swung his saber to block, but then saw the Crescent Moon Sword Light strangely shift, slashing empty!

Chii—

Sword Qi cut into the Yao body, and demonic blood splattered.

"Hmm?"

The Crescent Moon did not cause any severe injuries to the tiger Demon Beast, but he was somewhat surprised to find that a sword mark remained where the Sword Qi had cut!

The Yao Race’s physical healing ability alone could not dispel it, and the Demonic Qi wore it down extremely slowly.

Fortunately, this sword mark had no power, it just annoyed him.

"Damn it..."

He cursed, but before he could raise his saber to strike again, the second sword had already arrived.

On the blade of the Lord Lin, the moonlight surged.

Song Yan gathered his sword finger, and a new moon-like Sword Light rose from the array, traversing the entire sword array.

The tiger Demon Beast had no time to dodge; his entire body’s Demonic Qi condensed, forming a blood-colored shield.

However, as the Sword Light slashed, the shield instantly shattered.

The moonlight dispersed, yet it still transformed into several Sword Qi, landing on the tiger Demon Beast’s body.

The tiger Demon Beast let out a wild roar, his eyes splitting, his heart filled with ferocity.

Ignoring the sword marks remaining on his body, he charged towards Song Yan.

This human was too sinister; the intense sense of crisis forced him to go all out.

Trading injuries for injuries, lives for lives.

He, a mere human, was bound to lose!

This was the confidence of the Yao Race.

However, it was at this moment.

Unmoored Boat floated from the ground, and rising with it was that clear and bright moon wheel.

Song Yan’s golden sword pupils were still and unmoving, merely staring coldly at the rapidly approaching demonic shadow of the tiger Demon Beast.

He softly uttered.

"Moonfall."

His sword finger pressed down.

Unmoored Boat’s pure white sword edge descended, and when the sword tip touched the tiger Demon Beast’s thick, tough fur, it paused slightly.

Then, it effortlessly pierced through the tiger’s body.

Pinning him to the ground.

The tiger Demon Beast roared and struggled incessantly, trying to break free.

But he only felt light falling from the sky!

The moon wheel hung high, and the cold moonlight transformed into countless narrow Sword Qi streams of light, falling like a waterfall.

The Flying Sword pinning the tiger’s body remained motionless, and the tiger Demon Beast had nowhere to hide.

Countless Sword Qi, like moonlight, fell upon the tiger Demon Beast’s demonic body.

Chii chii chii... The continuous soft sounds of Sword Qi cutting into flesh and blood, demonic blood burst, like a thin mist.

The tiger Demon Beast’s massive body, like a deflated ball, returned to its original state.

The Yao Race secret technique of blood Qi explosion was forcefully ground away by this Moonfall Sword Light.

Roar!!!

The tiger Demon Beast’s furious roars still contained unwillingness and resentment.

Until the moonlight faded and the Sword Qi dissipated.

Song Yan bent his sword finger, and Linked and Lord Lin were recalled into the sword box.

Unmoored Boat was also summoned back to his side.

It was as if the battle had ended.

The demonic shadow trembled slightly; the once majestic tiger body was now in a sorry state.

He propped himself up with both palms, and surprisingly, he was still able to stand up, albeit very slowly.

A pair of blood-red tiger eyes stared at Song Yan.

Feeling the human’s extremely weak aura, he bared his teeth and smiled cruelly.

"Heh heh heh..."

"Can you... still challenge me now?"

He gripped the saber in his right hand, and the remaining blood Qi and Demonic Qi slowly condensed.

Seeing his opponent recall his Flying Sword and stand with lowered hands, seemingly resigned to his fate, the tiger Demon Beast finally relaxed.

Until Song Yan suddenly raised a hand.

A faint wisp of Sword Qi emerged from his fingertips.

"Hmm?"

The tiger Demon Beast froze in place, then felt an incredibly strong sense of crisis.

But he had nowhere to hide.

Previously, the three forms of the sword array, especially the final Moonfall Sword Light, had left countless sword marks on his massive demonic body.

Now, under the impetus of this extremely faint wisp of Sword Qi, sharpness rapidly emerged from all the sword marks.

"?!"

Almost instantly, all the sword marks erupted simultaneously!

Buzz—

A condensed Sword Light flashed across the tiger’s body for an instant, then dissipated.

As if it had never appeared.

The massive tiger body fell to the ground, demonic blood staining a large area of the surrounding land red.

His pupils were dilated, and he was already lifeless.

Song Yan walked slowly, his Insightful Void Sword Eye searching the demonic body for a while, then he commanded Unmoored Boat to cut out a lotus seed-sized round bead from its abdomen.

A Demonic Core.

Unlike the Golden Core of human Cultivators, Yao Race Cultivators, from the moment they develop sentience and embark on the demonic path, will condense a core of Demonic Qi and blood Qi within their demonic body.

This core will gradually grow as the Yao Cultivator’s strength and cultivation increase.

This is the Demonic Core.

Demonic Cores below the Foundation Establishment Realm actually have little value.

But this tiger Demon Beast was already a Late Stage Level 1 Demon Beast, and his Demonic Qi was extremely condensed.

The size of his Demonic Core was already the limit for a Level 1 Demon Beast; simply selling it could fetch a good amount of Spirit Stones.

It could also barely be used to refine some special Medicinal Pills.

Looking at the tiger Demon Beast’s tattered fur, Song Yan secretly thought it was a pity.

The technique of activating sword marks just now was not a new sword move, but a Sword Dao technique recorded in the Spirit Transformation Chapter.

The so-called technique meant that it could be integrated into Cloud Piercing Sword, Sleeve Green Snake, or even the sword array.

This technique was called "Layered Blade."

In fact, this was not the first time Song Yan had used it in a battle.

During the decisive phase of the Sword-Wiping Tournament, he had used the Layered Blade technique to activate sword marks and break through Li Yi’s protective Spiritual Qi.

It was just that at that time, his application of this technique was still very immature; in an emergency, he merely imitated it.

Later, during the process of practicing the sword array method, he also pondered it for a long time and practiced for several months, and now he could perfectly integrate this technique into sword moves and sword arrays.

Song Yan secretly rejoiced in his heart; if he hadn’t broken through his Realm before leaving the Sect, and also learned the sword array... he feared the outcome of this battle would have been a bitter defeat.

However, now was not a good time for inventory and review; he still had an important conjecture to verify.

After collecting the tiger Demon Beast’s demonic corpse and the horizontal saber that had fallen nearby, Song Yan stepped towards the outside of the valley... Outside Qing Valley, villagers gathered.

Liu Xincheng lay on the ground, his face pale, his clothes torn, and his ribs bloody and mangled.

Su Li stood leisurely in front of the land temple at the valley entrance, a mocking smile on his lips: "Brother Liu, why go through all this trouble? With your Sect’s immortal holding him back, you could have lived a few more incense sticks’ worth of time. Why seek death?"

Liu Xincheng felt desolate in his heart.

Ever since Devotee Hu mysteriously disappeared, although he had held onto a glimmer of hope and hadn’t reported it to the Sect, he had been investigating the matter.

Whether Loose Cultivators or Mortals, more and more people were disappearing near Qing Valley.

It wasn’t until a few days ago that he found some clues.

He hadn’t expected things to escalate to this point.

"Su... Li!" Liu Xincheng gritted his teeth: "Colluding with demons, slaughtering common folk, and killing fellow Cultivators, aren’t you Profound Origin Sect afraid of..."

"Afraid of what?"

Su Li’s gaze was cold: "You’re all dead, who would know?"

Suddenly, among the villagers, an old farmer cried out and threw himself at Su Li’s feet: "Immortal Su! Didn’t you say the demonic disaster had been quelled?!"

He reached out to grab his robe.

"Get lost!"

Su Li’s face darkened, and with a casual swipe of a wind blade, he cleanly severed the old farmer’s outstretched hand.

"Ah ah ah—"

Watching the man struggle in pain and wail incessantly before him, Su Li’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

This was it.

This feeling of being able to control others’ lives and deaths... how wonderful.

If it weren’t for the Young Mountain Lord’s preference for fresh blood meals, every single person here would have been played with, exhausted, and then died in agony.

Ju Luyi activated her Spiritual Qi, slowly healing Liu Xincheng’s injuries.

Su Li watched, an impatient expression appearing between his brows.

He raised his hand and sent a wind blade towards the two of them.

Xiao Ju, facing a formidable enemy, was about to command her Spiritual Artifact to block.

It was at this moment that a sudden change occurred.

Swoosh—

A green Flying Leaf flew from somewhere, scattering the wind blade midway.

"Who?!"

Su Li was startled and looked back.

Among the trembling, kneeling villagers, a young girl was quietly squatting there.

Her eyes were wide open, staring intently at Su Li.

Her gaze sent shivers down his spine.