Free Web NovelChapter 599: Chapter 599: One Sword to Sever Worldly Ties
’Master...’
Master of the Sword Dao, the Demon-Vanquisher!
To be honest, Lü Yang had never expected Demon-Vanquishing Perfected to appear at a time like this. He certainly hadn’t imagined he would actually strike at True Monarch Gangxing.
He wasn’t the only one.
Even True Monarch Gangxing himself hadn’t expected it. At this moment, he was filled with confusion. ’My plan to ambush and kill Lü Yang was never leaked.’
’I hid the karmic links so well.’
’How did Demon-Vanquishing Perfected find out?’
’Taking a huge step back, even if he did find out... I left the other three True Monarchs of the Sword Pavilion to stand guard. How did he get into the Sea of Light and find me here?’
’How could the Sword Pavilion Daoist Lord have allowed this?’
’Demon-Vanquishing Perfected is the Master of the Sword Dao now. He bears the Fruit of Sword Dao, a position of utmost importance! For him to venture Beyond the Heavens before he’s fully developed is simply suicide!’
’Something’s not right...’
At this moment, True Monarch Gangxing finally felt a sense of losing control, yet he was supposed to be the ultimate opportunist in this game within a game.
’Who else is scheming?’
’The Bhagavat was the one who secretly pushed me to act, and the Sword Master gave his tacit approval. Theoretically, nothing should have gone wrong. Unless... unless the one from the Stain Sect interfered...’
’But that doesn’t make sense either.’
’If the Saint Sect Ancestral Master were to interfere, he wouldn’t need to be so convoluted. He could have just said a word to World Purger Fei Xue, and this entire ambush would have been called off.’
Unless—
’I... was used?’
’That figure from the Stain Sect... they want to use me to force Lü Yang into doing something. They want me to push him, but not to kill him. That must be why Demon-Vanquishing Perfected is here...’
In an instant, a chill shot through True Monarch Gangxing, as if he’d been plunged into an icy abyss.
The next second, a flash of Sword Light filled his vision. Before it, his prized Victory Sword Intent fell completely silent.
The Master of the Sword Dao!
He commanded all Sword Intents in the world; even that of a Great Perfected Lord was no exception. And though he had only just achieved this state and was still weak, his power was nonetheless profound and extraordinary.
"Bastard!"
True Monarch Gangxing roared in anger. Although his Sword Intent was neutralized, he still had other techniques. However, he had just forcibly restored his Great True Monarch Position to ensure Lü Yang’s death. Now, he was suffering the backlash. His Qi trace plummeted, and for the first time, he felt a genuine sense of danger.
CLANG!
A Sword Light flashed as two blades collided. The clear, ringing clash echoed through the Outer Heaven Sea of Light, and a look of shocked fury appeared on True Monarch Gangxing’s face.
"Are you insane!?"
Meanwhile, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected remained perfectly serene.
A soft sound, like something snapping, came from his body. In that instant, the same image surfaced in everyone’s mind.
The sword broke!
Yet in that same instant, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s Qi trace surged to its absolute peak. He unleashed a slash that forced even True Monarch Gangxing back!
It wasn’t that Gangxing couldn’t win—it was that he didn’t dare to.
It was just like when Lü Yang had first achieved his Attainment; Gangxing hadn’t dared to strike then. When Lü Yang was besieged by the Dao Court, he hadn’t dared to strike then either... and all because of one person.
Demon-Vanquishing Perfected!
Because Demon-Vanquishing Perfected chose to side with Lü Yang, and he controlled the Fruit of Sword Dao. That alone was enough to stay Gangxing’s hand, forcing him to be extremely cautious.
He couldn’t attack Lü Yang openly, as Demon-Vanquishing Perfected would surely intervene. That was why he had chosen this perfect opportunity for a secret ambush. Yet, he never imagined Demon-Vanquishing Perfected would still discover his plan and, with the help of some hidden benefactor, find his exact location.
This was the very scene he had feared.
’This madman... he... he actually severed his Sword Dao!’
’No, wait. He didn’t sever the Sword Dao itself, but his *connection* to it. He’s cast off his True Monarch Position... Regardless, I cannot shatter this strike!’
True Monarch Gangxing gritted his teeth.
If he shattered this attack from Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, the Fruit of Sword Dao—already teetering on the brink of collapse from its master severing his own path—would likely dissipate completely.
And then, all would be lost.
Thus, even though True Monarch Gangxing was far stronger than Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, he was helpless. He could only fall back before this all-or-nothing slash!
At the same time, the thunderous voice of Demon-Vanquishing Perfected boomed out:
"I return this sword to you all!"
An incandescent Sword Light descended. It was All Slash. With this single strike, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected severed not only his own True Monarch Position, but also his karmic links with the Sword Pavilion!
Once, he had achieved the Dao thanks to the Sword Pavilion.
Now, he returned the Dao Fruit, wiping the slate clean between them!
True Monarch Gangxing was rendered speechless. He had no choice but to take the full force of the Sword Light from Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s slash, intending to reforge it into the Fruit of Sword Dao.
The Great Perfected Lord’s brow was deeply furrowed.
"Was it worth it?"
’He was formed from the spirit of the Sword Master’s own blade. He had a magnificent future as the Master of the Sword Dao, yet he’s thrown it all away, even abandoning his True Monarch Position. Is it really worth it?’
Demon-Vanquishing Perfected’s reply came without a moment’s hesitation:
"What isn’t worth it, when it comes to saving a friend?"
To save the life of a dear friend when he had the power to do so—what could be more worth it? Besides, he had only achieved the Dao in the first place because of Lü Yang.
BOOM!
The explosive Sword Light washed over everything. Terrified of damaging the Fruit of Sword Dao, True Monarch Gangxing could only stand frozen in place, not daring to make the slightest move.
Meanwhile, Demon-Vanquishing Perfected, who had fallen from his True Monarch Position, landed beside Lü Yang with a grin. Though his once-abundant life force was now draining away at an alarming rate, he seemed completely unconcerned. "Fellow Daoist Lü," he said calmly, "don’t take it to heart. This is my fate..."
"Fate? What a joke!"
Lü Yang didn’t answer with words. Instead, he unfurled the Righteous Banner. "No need to say more, Fellow Daoist. I can save you. Get inside first. We’ll talk later."
Demon-Vanquishing Perfected was stunned upon hearing this.
’I can be saved?’
Demon-Vanquishing Perfected immediately plunged into the Righteous Banner without hesitation. He wasn’t afraid of death, but he wasn’t seeking it either. As the saying goes, a bad life is better than a good death.
The next second, Lü Yang poured all his power into activating the Righteous Banner’s [Defend the Righteous] Divine Effect. He froze both Demon-Vanquishing Perfected and Summon in their severely wounded states, ensuring their souls and Dharma Bodies wouldn’t disintegrate any further. He would stabilize their injuries first and figure out a way to heal them later. There was always a chance to save them.
After doing all this, he then looked at True Monarch Gangxing.
"You just wait..."
’I’ll remember this!’
On the other side, True Monarch Gangxing’s expression was just as frigid, but with the Fruit of Sword Dao still in turmoil before him, he was powerless to strike Lü Yang down.
They locked eyes through the roiling torrent of Sword Light.
Then, his brief respite over, Lü Yang once again vanished into the Outer Heaven Sea of Light. At that same moment, a realization dawned on True Monarch Gangxing.
’He escaped...’
’I acted personally. I even risked my condition worsening to forcibly activate the Position of a Great Perfected Lord, and I *still* let him escape.’
’...Where did he go?’
True Monarch Gangxing tried to sense him, only to find that even though his Sword Intent still lingered on Lü Yang, he could no longer pinpoint his location.
Throughout the vast Outer Heaven Sea of Light, only a handful of places could possibly block his senses.
And so, he quickly reached a conclusion:
’The Celestial Mansion.’
At this thought, True Monarch Gangxing couldn’t help but sigh as he finally understood the true purpose of this convoluted plot. ’Was it all to force Lü Yang into the Celestial Mansion?’
’No, that’s not it.’
’To be precise, the other three Masters of Dao had wanted Lü Yang dead. It was only because the Saint Sect Ancestral Master intervened that the ’kill’ order was changed to ’force him to flee Beyond the Heavens.’’
’Are they laying the groundwork for the Millennial Tribulation?’
’But Lü Yang is only at the Early Stage of Golden Core. Even if he goes to the Celestial Mansion, what could he possibly accomplish? Could he really influence the outcome of the Millennial Tribulation?’
’Surely not?’
True Monarch Gangxing was still lost in thought, but he didn’t have the luxury for long. At some point, the roar of a great flood had begun to fill the air around him.
RUMBLE!
A roiling Celestial River surged forth from the void, rushing towards him. World Purger Fei Xue stood with her hands on her hips, her beautiful eyes ice-cold as they fixed upon him.
"Looks like Fellow Daoist Lü has already run off."
World Purger Fei Xue’s lips curled into a dazzling smile, but her eyes held no warmth at all. "Did you have a good time chasing him?... Since that’s the case, now it’s your turn to run."
"Run fast. Before I kill you."
Hearing this, True Monarch Gangxing could only sigh helplessly.
’So this was the other part of the Saint Sect Ancestral Master’s plan. He made me take a huge risk, and for what? I accomplished nothing, and now I have to deal with Fei Xue. I’ve been getting screwed over this entire time.’
’You bastards!’
