Hell Emperor.

Chapter 557 Shen Qingge - Inheritance
Beyond the sword mark, everyone gathered, eagerly awaiting the next moment.

Seeing that there was no movement from within the sword mark after Ye Jie and his group entered, the Supreme Elder's eyes couldn't help but show a more solemn expression:

"It's been so long, how come there hasn't been a single sound? Logically speaking, given their level of cultivation, they should have been unable to withstand the pressure of the sword and had to retreat in a panic long ago... Could it be that they really have a chance to take the Xuanwu blood?"

General Jia Chen scoffed at this: "They think they can take the blood of Xuanwu? In my opinion, they are afraid of the consequences of losing and are hiding inside, too afraid to come out. I want to see how long they can hide!"

As they were discussing, a powerful pressure emanating from afar caused everyone's expressions to change drastically. The pressure contained a chilling, bone-deep coldness.

"Palace Master Ziwei, come out here and face your death!"

The distant roar caused the Sword Sect elders to change color: "That sound... Oh no, it's the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave! He's back again!"

Looking up, a dark figure exuding a fierce killing intent appeared in everyone's sight on the horizon. The person came with a menacing aura, and his body was still charred from being struck by lightning. Only his overwhelming demonic power was so terrifying.

Jia Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. Standing before the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, he felt as if he were being stared at by a million venomous snakes. Even the slightest movement required him to draw upon all his immortal energy.

"The Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave? Wasn't he supposed to have reached the seventh level? How come his current cultivation level is only at the peak of the sixth level? Could it be that his battle with Fairy Fei'e damaged his very essence, causing him to fall in cultivation level? Very well, let me have a go at him!"

General Jia Chen slowly channeled his energy, and his dark armor enveloped his entire body. The armor's intricate patterns resembled the scales of a blue dragon, giving him an imposing and powerful appearance.

Among the crowd, he was the most powerful, at the same peak of the sixth level as the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave. He immediately flew up, brandishing his wooden staff, which created auspicious cloud patterns that did not dissipate, as he prepared to compete with the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave.

"Go away!"

The only response to General Jia Chen was the low growl of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave. He didn't even use the Nine Transformations of the Spirit Serpent. He swept his greatsword horizontally, splitting the wooden staff in Jia Chen's hand in two with overwhelming force. The momentum did not diminish as it slammed heavily onto the dark armor.

The god Jia Chen arrived quickly and left even faster, plummeting from the sky at an unimaginable speed. With a deafening explosion, a bottomless crater appeared on the ground. Jia Chen's limbs were broken, and blood kept seeping from his mouth, clearly showing signs of being seriously injured and dying.

"Oops……"

Seeing this, the Supreme Elder felt a chill in his heart. Only when several elders of the Sword Sect joined forces to form a sword formation could they rival the Jia Chen Divine General at the peak of the sixth level. However, even such a Jia Chen was defeated by the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave in one move. Now, who can stop the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave? It seems that only annihilation awaits everyone in the Sword Sect.

…………

"Are you ok?"

Deep within the sword mark, Ye Jie noticed Shen Qingge's unusual behavior and quickly asked her a question.

Ye Jie's question went unanswered by Shen Qingge, whose gaze remained fixed on the distance, as if her soul had been drawn there, and none of the chaos outside could disturb her in the slightest.

Ye Jie was somewhat anxious. Now, under Shen Qingge's guidance, the group had arrived at the depths of the sword marks, which should have been inaccessible. However, this sudden change meant that if the Guiming Sword failed, the endless sword pressure around them would likely pulverize them instantly.

What you fear most is what will happen. The thing that terrified Ye Jie happened. With a muffled thud, the Guiming Sword slipped from Shen Qingge's hand and began to fall downwards, but she was completely unaware and flew forward without a care.

"Oops……"

Ye Jie's body trembled. The Guiming Sword was the only hope to resist the sword pressure. Once everyone was out of range, they would surely die. He quickly grabbed the falling Guiming Sword. In just a moment, Shen Qingge had already flown far away.

Ye Jie reached out, intending to pull Shen Qingge back. Halfway through his hand, an invisible, sharp sword aura slashed at him, leaving a deep, bone-revealing wound on the back of his hand. Ye Jie endured the pain without backing down, determined to pull Shen Qingge back to safety, even if the sharp sword aura would sever his arm at the root.

It was Li Feie who noticed something was wrong and quickly stopped Ye Jie: "Wait a minute, look... Master's current state might not be a bad thing."

With Li Feie's guidance, Ye Jie observed carefully and indeed saw the problem.

The sword energy that had just injured him was not caused by the sword mark. Upon closer inspection, the sword energy surrounding Shen Qingge was clearly generated by Shen Qingge himself.

"What... what's going on? When did Qingge become able to condense sword energy of such power? Moreover, she escaped the range of the Guiming Sword and was not harmed by the sword pressure. She seemed to be walking on flat ground. How could this be..."

Ye Jie took a deep breath, realizing that things were not as he had imagined, and he had completely lost control.

Li Feie, on the other hand, was overjoyed, convinced that this was an opportunity:
"It seems the people here were right. Fairy Beichen is indeed a successor of the Mysterious Maiden. As the sect's founder, she would certainly not harm a successor. This sword mark may be more than just a battle mark. It might contain her legacy. It must be that our master gained her approval for this change to occur!"

"Passing down the torch..."

Ye Jie took a deep breath. The inheritance left by the powerful immortal who could injure the divine beast Xuanwu would surely bring him great fortune once he obtained it. If that were the case, then what was happening now was not a disaster, but a great opportunity!

As if to confirm Li Feie's words, countless sword energies began to condense towards Shen Qingge's body from all the sword marks. The solid bottleneck that had once trapped her was now being broken through layer by layer, causing her aura to rise continuously, from the third to the fourth stage... and even when she reached the fifth stage, there was still no sign of it subsiding.

"This……"

Sensing the change in her master's aura, Li Feie couldn't help but open her mouth wide. She had altered the records and cultivated diligently for five thousand years, yet she still couldn't reach the peak of the sixth level. Now, Shen Qingge had broken through to the fifth level, and her momentum was still undiminished. It wasn't until she entered the sixth level that it gradually slowed down.

The fruits of five thousand years of arduous cultivation, now Shen Qingge has gained power comparable to it through just one opportunity and one inheritance. This opportunity shocked Li Feie, but also made her sincerely happy for her master.

Ye Jie looked around and suddenly noticed something: "The sword pressure around us has decreased! Qing Ge's ability to advance in realm must have been due to the power of the sword pressure. Take advantage of this moment and quickly take the Xuanwu blood!"

Li Fei'e nodded immediately. With the help of the Guiming Sword, the two quickly arrived at the ravine at the end of the sword mark. There, several drops of crimson blood had fallen, congealing and not dissipating. Even after hundreds of years, the power within them had not been lost in the slightest. "Is that the blood of the Xuanwu? The blood of a divine beast, indeed extraordinary..."

As she drew closer, Li Feie felt a strong attraction from those few drops of precious blood. If she could refine the power within, she might be able to break through the sixth level and reach the seventh level!
"I've finally found you! The blood of Xuanwu is mine, and no one can take it away from me!"

The cold words coming from behind made everyone's expressions change. When they turned around, they saw the figure of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave suddenly appear, exuding a monstrous killing intent that caused the space to freeze.

Sensing the weakening pressure of the sword mark, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, fearing that someone would seize the Xuanwu blood first, disregarded dealing with the remnants of the Sword Sect and rushed over at full speed, and indeed he caught up with them.

"Oh no, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave is here..."

Ye Jie's expression changed slightly. Shen Qingge's opportunity had greatly reduced the power of the sword pressure, to the point that an ordinary immortal could withstand it. Encountering the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave again, especially under such circumstances, was quite bad. If he were to interrupt Shen Qingge's inheritance, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"That is……"

The Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave glanced around and saw Shen Qingge beside him. The various changes outside the sword mark were obviously related to her. Moreover, her cultivation level had soared to the sixth level in a short period of time. No matter what she was doing, once she achieved her wish, it would probably be quite disadvantageous to him. So he activated the Nine Transformations of the Spirit Serpent, and his body transformed into a half-human, half-serpent, and attacked Shen Qingge.

"Don't even think about harming my master!"

Li Feie channeled her inner energy to protect herself, and with a flick of her fingers, she summoned divine lightning like a silver dragon galloping across the sky, striking straight down towards the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave.

The Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave's gaze darkened. The previous clash had made him realize Li Feie's strength. Even though his cultivation level had dropped, the techniques he had mastered still completely overwhelmed Li Feie. Charging through the thunder, he was about to kill Shen Qingge here.

In the moment of crisis, a dark figure flashed past. The guardian spirit officer activated his power, and Ye Jie stood in front of Shen Qingge, blocking the fierce attack of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave for her.

With a loud bang, the giant sword of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, which had been sweeping across the ground, crashed heavily into the Guiming Sword held by Ye Jie. The powerful force of the sixth-level peak cultivator, combined with the crushing difference in their cultivation levels, caused blood to gush from Ye Jie's palms. He was also unable to hold onto the Guiming Sword, and the blade slipped from his hand, spinning several times in the air before embedding itself in the ground in the distance.

Fortunately, the Guiming Sword is a second-grade divine weapon with extremely hard material. If it were an ordinary sword, it would probably have been cut in half by the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave.

"not good……"

Ye Jie cried out in alarm. His cultivation techniques at the Primordial Chaos level were no longer sufficient to keep up with the power of a sixth-rank immortal, let alone the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, who had fallen from the seventh to the sixth rank. His cultivation techniques were far stronger than those of an ordinary sixth-rank immortal. If it were any other fourth-rank immortal, they would truly be like ants before the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, unable to put up any resistance.

Just as the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpents Cave launched another attack, Shen Qingge, who had been motionless for a long time with a blank stare, suddenly turned her head and looked directly at the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpents Cave, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.

"Ok?"

When Shen Qingge looked at him, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave was startled. A chilling feeling suddenly came from behind him. His intuition, cultivated over many years, told him that if he let it go, he would surely die.

He spun around, brandishing his greatsword, ready to clash with the source of the chilling aura. If anyone dared to ambush him, his counterattack would surely make them wish they were dead.

A streak of dark blue light swept across, and the Lord of the Serpent Cave felt a sudden lightness in his hand. His greatsword, which had accompanied him in battle for many years and was of the third rank, was split in two by this one strike. The cut was smooth and clean, without a single rough mark. A fist-sized hole appeared in his chest as well.

Behind them, Li Feie, who had witnessed the whole scene, covered her mouth in disbelief. Just now, the Guiming Sword, which was stuck in the distance, suddenly moved. The divine power of the second-grade divine weapon was suddenly displayed, like a stream of light that cut through the sky, passing in front of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave.

The one who accomplished all of this was none other than Shen Qingge, whose life force had been restored.

Even Ye Jie couldn't believe it: "This... could it be the effect of the inherited power? Qingge can actually fully control the second-grade divine artifact Guiming Sword, and with just one move, she severely injured the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave..."

The Guiming Sword swirled and danced, its blade drawing out countless starlight. At the center of the starlight, Shen Qingge's clothes fluttered without wind, and her eyes revealed a hint of arrogant coldness, as if a sword immortal had descended to earth.

Despite this severe blow, the Lord of the Serpent Cave did not collapse; instead, he became even more ferocious: "Damn it! Even if I suffer endless backlash, I will kill you all! The Nine Transformations of the Spirit Serpent, the Ninth Transformation!"

"What……"

Upon hearing the name of the technique, Ye Jie's heart tightened. Previously, even when the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave had only unleashed the eighth transformation, his strength was enough to overwhelm everyone. Now, as he risked the backlash to circulate his technique to the ninth transformation, he feared that nothing would work anymore.

As the Nine Sheddings of the Spirit Serpent were unleashed, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave swelled up, his wildly growing muscles bursting his skin, transforming him into a gigantic half-human, half-serpent form. The forced activation of power beyond his limits also caused him to suffer unimaginable backlash, and there was even a risk that he would never be able to return to human form.

Faced with the counterattack of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpents Cave, Shen Qingge remained calm and indifferent. Her gaze was fixed on him, yet it seemed as if there was nothing in it. With a flick of her finger, the Guiming Sword moved in response. Amidst the flashing light, it continuously cut across the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpents Cave's serpent body. Each time it slashed, it would scatter a large amount of blood in the air.

Ye Jie witnessed this scene, and his gaze became more solemn.

Although Shen Qingge was remotely controlling the Guiming Sword, its trajectory was not a wild and unrestrained movement, but rather as if someone was wielding the sword and performing exquisite sword techniques, yet it was far more agile than a human.

The azure sword light wove into a net, so dense and impenetrable that it completely severed the last vestige of life for the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpents. Under the relentless cutting of the Guiming Sword, the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpents disintegrated with a bang, his enormous serpent body turning into countless fragments that fell from the sky, leaving nothing behind.

Ye Jie opened his mouth, who would have thought that the lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, who came with such a fierce attack, would end up like this? He didn't even have time to remind Shen Qingge to leave the seriously injured lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave for him to kill before the battle was over.

With the death of the Lord of the Ten Thousand Serpent Cave, the scene fell silent. Apart from the whooshing sound of the Guiming Sword circling Shen Qingge, the surroundings were eerily quiet.

Ye Jie and Li Feie exchanged glances, both seeing disbelief in each other's eyes. They felt that Shen Qingge was different from before, and there was an unfamiliar aura emanating from her.

(End of this chapter)