Family Rise: Beginning with Grandfather.

Chapter 1108 My sword can slay even the celestial beings!

"Fellow Daoist Yang, this is Chi Yuan's soul! And Chi Yuan's spiritual artifacts and storage bag!" Lin Qihe placed the items in front of Yang Zhengshan.

Yang Zhengshan remained seated beside the Seven Treasures Soul-Suppressing Pagoda, and with a wave of his hand, he summoned Chi Yuan's soul.

"I'll keep the soul. As for the rest, put them in the treasure vault for now, and we'll distribute them after this matter is settled."

As he spoke, he directly threw Chi Yuan's soul into the Soul Returning Array of the Seven Treasures Soul Suppressing Pagoda.

This will be a good companion for the old ghost of the underworld.

Unfortunately, the soul of a Golden Core cultivator cannot be transformed into a Divine General. If possible, he might have been able to obtain two Golden Core level Divine Generals.

However, the souls of Golden Core cultivators are not useless. The Soul Returning Array can extract pure soul power from their souls, and this soul power is the best supplement for Yin Ghosts, which can greatly shorten the time it takes for Yin Ghosts to advance to Ghost Generals.

Using the divine soul power extracted from Chi Yuan and Huang Quan Lao Gui, at least a dozen Yin spirits could be promoted to Ghost Generals.

This is quite a gain.

Yueyao's eyes gleamed as she looked at the twelve golden crystal lotuses surrounding Yang Zhengshan, her heart already churning with turmoil.

"Is this a spirit object from the Void?" she asked uncertainly.

Yang Zhengshan glanced at her, "No, this is a Taixu Spiritual Treasure!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand, and twelve golden crystal lotuses emitted a subtle Daoist aura. Instantly, Yueyao felt an invisible force fall upon her, rendering her unable to move.

Yueyao's eyes widened, "Imprisonment!"

"No, this is a seal on the void!" Yang Zhengshan said calmly, and then removed the seal brought by the Golden Crystal Lotus, freeing Yueyao.

He did this to intimidate Yueyao and prevent her from having any other thoughts.

Despite her seemingly innocent appearance, Yueyao is not a simple and harmless person, as she is one of the Eight Elders of the Demon Court.

Perhaps she isn't as ruthless as those old foxes, but one should always be wary of others.

"You all go and rest. You don't need to do anything else!"

Yang Zhengshan said.

"Yes! We will take our leave!" Yueyao bowed respectfully and slowly retreated.

Lin Qihe and the Green Ox Demon King both bowed and took their leave.

After they left, Yang Zhengshan continued to wear down the souls of Huangquan Old Ghost and Chiyuan. Of course, he was also keeping an eye on the situation outside to prevent Xuanzhen from encountering other Golden Core cultivators.

His worries were obviously unnecessary. At this moment, Xuanzhen was practically invincible outside. He was capturing Yin ghosts faster and faster. In the end, he even surrounded and intercepted a large group of Yin ghosts. With the power of a Golden Core cultivator, he forced a large group of Yin ghosts to obediently gather in one place and dare not move.

Then he drove this large group of ghosts into the Ten Thousand Ghosts Banner.

Fortunately, he had three Ten Thousand Ghost Banners, otherwise he really wouldn't have been able to subdue so many Yin ghosts.

Just as Xuanzhen was capturing the Yin ghosts, a large army of Yin soldiers surrounded Cangjian Mountain deep within the Yunxiao Mountains.

A large number of cultivators and demonic beasts fled to the vicinity of Hidden Sword Mountain, where they were besieged and intercepted by the Yin Army.

They fled here hoping that Hidden Sword Mountain could protect them, but so far the mountain's protective formation has remained completely inactive.

At this time, Hidden Sword Mountain naturally wouldn't activate its protective formation, but they also didn't launch an attack on the incoming army of Yin soldiers.

Even when Cangyu Mountain was occupied by the Yin army, Cangjian Mountain did not make any move.

In the mountains and forests, the Yin energy shrouded everything like dark clouds, and a large number of Yin soldiers and blood puppets were slaughtering cultivators and monsters.

The remaining cultivators and demonic beasts were few in number. They howled mournfully, roared angrily, and cursed, desperately fighting against the Yin soldiers and blood puppets. However, they were no match for these Yin soldiers and could only be gradually engulfed by the dark clouds of Yin energy.

Hidden Sword Mountain, in front of Hidden Sword Hall.

Heavenly Sword True Monarch, Sparrow Feather, Sword Long River, and the high-ranking members of Hidden Sword Mountain and the Cloud Sparrow Clan watched the battle outside the formation.

"Sigh..." Que Lingyu couldn't help but sigh softly, "True Lord, shouldn't we make a move?"

She wasn't familiar with those cultivators; they were probably hiding in the mountains, cultivating in seclusion. But she knew a little about the demonic beasts and strange creatures. They were all vassals of the Skylark clan.

Although she didn't care much about those demonic beasts and strange creatures, she didn't want them to be slaughtered by the Yin army, since her Yunque clan needed these vassals to do things.

Heavenly Sword True Monarch's face remained calm, his eyes as still as a deep well, and he said in a light tone, "You and Changhe can take action, but as for the others, let's just leave it at that!"

Que Lingyu was slightly taken aback, then readily replied, "Yes!"

She understood what Tianjian Zhenjun meant. The Yin army outside was too powerful, and neither Hidden Sword Mountain nor the Cloud Sparrow Clan could fight against them. Sending everyone out to meet them at this time would be meaningless and would only cause them heavy casualties.

However, she and Jian Changhe can fight. With their strength, killing those Yin soldiers and blood puppets would be easy. They just need to be wary of the Golden Core cultivators of the Wuchang Ghost Sect.

Que Lingyu and Jian Changhe exchanged a glance, and then the two rushed out of the protective mountain formation.

The two attacked with overwhelming force; amidst the crisscrossing sword energy, countless Yin soldiers and blood puppets were dismembered, and amidst the falling feathers, a large number of severed limbs and broken arms fell from the sky.

In just a few breaths, the two destroyed thousands of Yin soldiers and blood puppets.

But right after they made their move, five figures appeared out of thin air above Hidden Sword Mountain.

They were naturally An Wusheng, Yu Yuan, Du Feng, Ji Wusi, and Bai Gushan. They had been waiting for Que Lingyu and Jian Changhe to make their move, and their appearance now suited their needs perfectly.

Little did they know that their appearance was exactly what Heavenly Sword True Lord wanted.

The Heavenly Sword True Lord sent Que Lingyu and Jian Changhe out to lure these people out.

The moment An Wusheng and his group of five appeared, the usually calm and composed eyes of the Heavenly Sword True Monarch suddenly turned fierce.

He reached out and grasped, and the Azure Gold Sword appeared out of thin air in his hand.

"Hidden within my life, imbued with my soul, I seek life in death, I seek survival in the sword. This sword of mine has been hidden for eight hundred years; it is time for it to be revealed to the world!"

He gently stroked the lapis lazuli sword in his hand, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

"Unfortunately, I only have one sword; after that, there will be no more hidden swords!"

"But this one strike should be enough!"

"enough!"

He slowly gripped the hilt of the sword and slowly drew the lapis lazuli sword from its sheath. His body stood straight, as straight as a sword, unyielding and sharp.

Outside the great formation, in mid-air, An Wusheng, who had just emerged, frowned.

"Palace Master, should we take them down?" Yu Yuan didn't notice An Wusheng's strange behavior; he was staring at Que Lingyu and Jian Changhe below.

An Wusheng's brows furrowed more and more, almost knotting together.

"Wait~~"

He looked at Hidden Sword Mountain, his expression growing increasingly solemn.

For some reason, he felt an extremely dangerous feeling, as if a sword was pressed against his heart, ready to pierce it at any moment.

"What's wrong?" Yu Yuan, Ji Wusi, and the other three looked at An Wusheng with confusion.

An Wusheng ignored their questions and stared intently at Hidden Sword Mountain.

Under the protection of the mountain formation, a thin layer of mist lingered around Hidden Sword Mountain. This mist not only blocked their spiritual senses but also their vision, preventing them from seeing anything on Hidden Sword Mountain.

An Wusheng could only vaguely make out the Hidden Sword Hall on Hidden Sword Mountain, and what appeared to be a group of figures in front of it. Yet he could still feel a strong sense of crisis, which grew stronger and stronger, as if an invisible hand had gripped his heart.

His hands were trembling uncontrollably, large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Yu Yuan, Ji Wusi, and the others finally noticed An Wusheng's unusual behavior, and the two of them looked towards Hidden Sword Mountain at the same time.

Just then, a clear voice came from Hidden Sword Mountain.

"My sword can slay even the celestial beings!"

Along with the sound, a seemingly ordinary sword aura also shot out.

From within the great formation, from the mountaintop, from in front of the main hall.

As the fog dissipated, An Wusheng finally saw the crowd standing in front of the main hall and the Azure Gold Sword in the hand of the Heavenly Sword True Monarch.

He felt a tingling sensation all over his body, and almost instinctively summoned a spiritual artifact to shield himself. It was a token, a token shrouded in black energy, a token exuding a rich Daoist aura.

The Judge's Decree is An Wusheng's natal spiritual weapon. It may not be the most powerful spiritual weapon in An Wusheng's possession, but it is the most important spiritual weapon to An Wusheng.

The Judge's Decree is a powerful instrument of the Impermanent Ghost Sect, which holds the power to decide life and death. Its form and function are in accordance with the laws of heaven and earth, and its power is awe-inspiring, causing ghosts and gods to flee in fear.

This token is cast from black-patterned soul iron mixed with gilding. It is about two feet three inches long, three inches and seven-tenths inches wide, and weighs nine pounds and four ounces. The front end is as wide as a command arrow, engraved with life, death, spirit, and soul patterns, with blood flowing between the patterns; the end is tapered into a handle, wrapped with black silk, and adorned with nine copper bells.

Inlaid in the plain surface is a perfectly round crystal of the Great Void Karmic Fire God, which can reflect the light and shadow of the soul, drive karmic fire, and shackle the manifestation of form.

Before this decree, no one can hide. Once tainted by the karmic fire, both the physical body and the soul will be burned by it.

This was a spirit artifact used for exploration and attack, but An Wusheng used it as a defensive artifact, which shows how panicked he was.

However, his panic was not without reason.

A seemingly ordinary sword aura shot out and then silently passed between the five people.

Before any of the five could react, the sword energy had already passed.

They even watched the sword energy flash by, yet remained completely stunned.

This sword strike doesn't seem to have any killing power!

"Palace Master!" Just as Yu Yuan was about to ask what was going on, a crisp cracking sound rang out.

The judge's decree, measuring two feet and three inches, split in the middle and then fell uncontrollably downwards.

An Wusheng's pupils suddenly contracted.

His judge's decree was destroyed, and he could no longer control it, which is why it fell so silently.

Yu Yuan and the others were also stunned, but their astonishment quickly turned into fear.

With a bang, White Bone Mountain's body shattered, limbs and chunks of blood and flesh flying everywhere, each cut perfectly clean.

White Bone Mountain was just the first; Du Feng was next.

Next came Yu Yuan and Ji Wusi, but their bodies were not completely shattered. They were only cut in half at the waist, with their upper bodies intact. Both of them looked down at their lower limbs, their eyes filled with fear and disbelief.

"how so!"

With a snap, the left arm, along with most of the shoulder, slid off An Wusheng's body, revealing the ink-black blood inside him.

"Ah~"

An Wusheng let out a painful scream.

Yu Yuan and Ji Wusi were also howling in pain, and the two even rolled around in the air.

"go!"

After An Wusheng had adjusted to the pain for a while, he uttered only one word and fled into the void.

Relying on their last shred of reason, Yu Yuan and Ji Wusi also fled into the void.

In front of the Hidden Sword Hall, the Heavenly Sword True Monarch slowly sheathed the Azure Gold Sword, his fierce aura vanishing without a trace, replaced by utter indifference.

"This sword strike severs both the physical body and the soul!"

he murmured softly.

The battle outside continued, but soon the Yin army received orders to retreat and fled in panic under the pursuit of Que Lingyu and Jian Changhe.

Meanwhile, in a mountain valley three thousand miles east of Hidden Sword Mountain, An Wusheng, Yu Yuan, and Ji Wusi emerged from the void once again.

The three of them lay disheveled on the rocks, their faces pale.

"Palace Master, I cannot restore my Dao Body!" Ji Wusi's voice trembled slightly.

An Wusheng looked at his severed arm, his eyes lowered slightly, "He not only severed our physical body, but also our soul. Our physical bodies cannot be repaired!"

As he spoke, he took out a gray arm and forcefully pressed it against the wound.

Flesh buds grew from the wound, connecting the gray arm together.

Then he swung his arm and clenched his fist; the arm seemed no different from his own.

However, there is actually a fundamental difference between the two.

This was just an arm he took from a ghost soldier; it wasn't his own arm and couldn't replace his original arm.

Most importantly, he lost not only his arm, but also his physical body and soul, which were both reduced from complete to incomplete.

A damaged soul is almost impossible to recover.

A flawed Dao body is equivalent to a broken balance, which not only affects his cultivation but also prevents him from staying in the Great Void for a long time.

The reason why Golden Core cultivators can walk in the void is because their Dao bodies are flawless and their internal magical power does not dissipate.

However, their physical bodies are now damaged, and the damage is irreparable. If they stay in the Great Void for too long, their magical power will continuously dissipate. This is why they came out of the Great Void so quickly.

Although Heavenly Sword True Monarch's sword strike did not kill them, it completely severed their path to enlightenment, leaving them with no possibility of further advancement.

Even if they had a way to repair the damage to their souls, they could not go any further.

However, compared to Bai Gu Shan and Du Feng, who died on the spot, the three of them seemed to be lucky.

A moment later, Yu Yuan and Ji Wusi also used the limbs of the Yin soldiers to repair the defects in their Dao bodies. Their faces were extremely ugly, and their eyes were filled with fear.

It is terrible!

That single sword strike nearly killed all five of them.

Such strength was simply beyond their comprehension.

An Wusheng's face was equally grim. He had not only lost an arm, but also his natal spiritual weapon, which was equivalent to losing half of his life.

Most importantly, their strength has also been affected.

Now he only has 30% of his previous strength left, and he can't even unleash that 30% because he can't fight in the Void.

(End of this chapter)