Immortals of the End Times

"Since you are willing to vouch for him, and he did indeed put aside his own family for the greater good and attacked his elder brother, so be it."

The Sword Master of Asking Heaven raised the corners of his mouth slightly, but a cold glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, and his right sword finger struck Wang Shouzhen's brow like lightning.

"But the death penalty can be avoided, but the living crime cannot be escaped!"

In an instant, a sword intent as dazzling as starlight burst forth from the sky.

The sword intent solidified into a tangible form, drawing a profound trajectory in the air.

The moment the sword intent entered his body, Wang Shouzhen's whole body trembled violently, his face turned ashen, and bright red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, yet he remained upright and did not offer the slightest resistance.

Upon seeing this, the sharpness in the eyes of the Sword Lord of Asking Heaven subsided slightly: "Indeed, he has a heart of remorse."

He turned to Zhao Wuji, standing with his hands behind his back: "I have planted a Heaven-Asking Sword Intent in his sea of ​​consciousness. Even if spiritual energy recovers, if he does not resolve this sword intent, he will never be able to break through the bottleneck in his lifetime."

He paused, his tone turning cold: "But if any evil thoughts arise again, the sword intent will erupt, directly striking the core of the soul, and I will sense it."

Zhao Wuji felt a chill run down his spine.

That finger strike came too fast; he almost didn't have time to hide the Yin Soul Gu worms and other hidden weapons that were controlling Wang Shouzhen.

Fortunately, the Sword Lord did not examine the sea of ​​consciousness in detail, otherwise he would have definitely revealed a flaw.

He immediately clasped his hands in a gesture of respect and said, "Thank you for your magnanimity, senior!"

"besides!"

After a moment's thought, the Sword Lord of Asking the Heavens turned his gaze like a sword to Hua Qingshuang and said in a deep voice, "The mass grave of the Wang family must be completely leveled."

"All the countries and blessed lands under our control must be released immediately, and all evil arts, including bloodline curses, must be eradicated!"

Hua Qingshuang immediately bowed and clasped her hands in a fist salute, her tone firm: "Senior, rest assured, even if you don't mention it, I will definitely handle it."

Over the years, I have come to deeply abhor the evil practices of the Wang family.

The Sword Master Wentian raised the corners of his mouth slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes: "If we remove these methods, the two fourth-level spiritual veins of the Wang family will probably dry up even faster, and it will be difficult to maintain their current resources and prestige. Have you thought this through?"

Hua Qingshuang's face was as cold as frost, her back straight, her eyes clear: "The Hua family is the Hua family, and the Wang family is the Wang family."

The depletion of spiritual veins is a natural cycle; to forcibly prolong them through evil magic will ultimately incur divine retribution. Moreover…

She looked into the distance and thought, "The spiritual energy revival is coming soon; the current predicament is only temporary."

"Excellent! Well done, Hua Shi! As expected of a descendant of Yu Ji, she is truly a woman of great talent!"

The Sword Master Wentian praised loudly, then his gaze swept over the Fourth Elder and the Fifth Elder with lightning speed, and his voice was like a bell: "You will stay in the Wang family for the time being to assist True Person Hua in managing the affairs of the Wang family. You may return to the sect only after the matter is settled."

"I will obey the Sword Lord's decree!"

The two elders responded in unison, clasped their hands in greeting, and accepted the order.

The Sword Lord of Asking Heaven nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the approaching Hua Lengyun, then looking towards the direction of Balong Mountain a thousand miles away, his tone indifferent: "There is also a newly born Xuan Yin Venerable over there. I will go and capture him and bring him back to the Qilin Sword Sect for punishment, and this matter will be over!"

Before he finished speaking, he took a step forward.

His figure suddenly transformed into a dazzling sword rainbow, disappearing into the world in an instant.

Zhao Wuji then suddenly remembered that his senior uncle Yan, who was still in charge of the overall situation at Balong Mountain, had also heard the name "Master Xuanyin".

He immediately thought of the Golden Core cultivator that Lan Canghai had encountered in the ancient ruins, and a sense of alarm rose in his heart.

"This is bad! Wang Wujiang has this backup plan."

He turned quickly to Hua Qingshuang and said, "Peak Master, Senior Uncle Yan is still at the Wang family, I'll take my leave first!"

Having said that, he made a hand seal to activate his escape light, and his figure shot towards Balong Mountain like lightning.

"Unrestrained."

Hua Qingshuang raised her hand as if to speak, wanting Zhao Wuji to put down the mistress Hua Feng first, but she only saw a sword light slash through the sky and disappear.

"Well, I'll have to go back eventually anyway."

She sighed softly and turned to look at Hua Lengyun, who had flown close to her: "Father, the most urgent thing is to return to the Wang family and stabilize the situation."

"Well! Let's go!"

Hua Lengyun responded in a deep voice, but her gaze involuntarily followed the receding sword light in the distance, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

He had witnessed all the strength that Zhao Wuji had just displayed.

Such a terrifying rate of growth is simply astonishing.

He suddenly recalled the scene a year ago when Zhao Wuji confidently declared that he would attempt to break through to the Golden Core stage.

Unexpectedly, this kid actually managed to do such a thing.

After a while.

When Zhao Wuji rushed back to Balong Mountain, he found that Wentian Sword Lord had already trapped and subdued Xuan Yin Shangren.

The Xuan Yin Master stood within the sword formation, his face contorted with rage, and roared: "Your Qilin Sword Sect possesses the Northern Cloud Vein, one of the ancient Nine Provinces, so naturally you have no worries about the depletion of your sect's spiritual veins!"

Have you ever considered the fate of other sects? Talking about eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path—it's easy for you to say that when you're not in our shoes! We're just trying to save ourselves.

"Noisy!!"

Before he finished speaking, the Sword Master of Asking Heaven lightly pointed his sword.

A cold, moon-like sword aura swept past in an instant. Xuan Yin Shangren felt a chill in his throat, his hair stood on end, and he was immediately speechless, though his face remained indignant.

"And this head."

The Sword Master Wentian's gaze then turned to the head of King Xiang, which was bound and sealed by thirty-six chains on the mountaintop, and his expression suddenly became solemn.

The name of Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Chu, has been associated with an outstanding predecessor in the lineage of martial arts immortals throughout history.

Even someone as proud as him had to be on high alert.

He pointed his fingers into a sword shape, and a sword intent as swift as a cascading silver river burst forth from the sky.

However, before the sword intent could even touch Xiang Yu's head, it was shattered by a deafening roar.

Xiang Yu's double pupils suddenly blazed with blood-red light, causing the surrounding void to tremble and the mountains and forests to shake violently.

"This head..." Sword Master Wentian frowned. "If we want to suppress it, we must bring it back to the Sword Sect. But this was once an object envied by the heavens, and it might bring misfortune to the sect."

His body was filled with sword intent, and faintly visible blue and white sword energy swirled around him like a swimming dragon.

A blood-red aura rose around Xiang Yu's head, and when it clashed with the sword intent, it produced a metallic clang.

Where the two forces collided, ripples spread through the void.

The Sword Lord of Asking Heaven's eyes flickered slightly, and he suddenly looked at Zhao Wuji beside him, thinking to himself: "This boy is able to control Xiang Yu's head and has the Hua family's strong support. Could it be the will of Heaven?"
If this boy is guided into the righteous path of the sect in the future, he can be used to supervise this evil creature, thus preventing another Wang Wujiang disaster and adding another spot to the Ancient Sword Domain.

Thinking of this, the sword energy flowing around him gradually subsided, and the frost-like sword intent slowly calmed down.

After a moment of contemplation, Sword Lord stood with his hands behind his back, his voice as cold as a icy spring from the heavens, and looked at Zhao Wuji, saying, "I originally intended to take this King's head back to the Sword Sect and suppress and seal it with the ten thousand swords of Sword Valley, but since you can control it..."

He paused, his gaze suddenly turning serious: "I'll leave this to you to manage. Remember, you must not use this head to do anything reckless. Once the Wang family's affairs are settled, you must personally go to the Qilin Sword Sect."

Zhao Wuji immediately understood, realizing that this was a tacit exchange.

He can keep the head, but he must go to the Qilin Sword Sect in the future, join the sect, and become one of their own before he can control it.

He immediately clasped his hands in a deep bow and said, "Thank you for your kindness, senior. I will certainly keep the appointment as scheduled."

"Um!."

The Sword Lord of Asking Heaven nodded slightly, glanced at the many awe-inspiring cultivators of the Wang family, and then summoned the Xuan Yin Venerable to leave.

Zhao Wuji watched the rainbow-like sword light disappear into the sky, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"Good boy!"

Master Yan flew forward and patted Zhao Wuji's shoulder heavily. "The talisman pill you gave me was truly a lifesaver! If it weren't for that, I would have suffered a great loss at the hands of that Xuan Yin Old Demon who suddenly appeared today."

As she spoke, she lowered her voice: "But what did Sword Master say at the end... are you really going to the Qilin Sword Sect?"

Zhao Wuji looked at the dilapidated Wang family mountain gate in the distance and said calmly, "This matter can be discussed later. The most urgent task is to deal with the Wang family's mess first."

Below, Wang Mingyang, a guest of the Wang family, was already standing there dumbfounded, unaware that his beard was being pulled painfully.

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief at the two people chatting and laughing high in the sky.

In particular, the dazzling golden spiritual power emanating from Zhao Wuji, as bright as the rising sun, stung his eyes.

"This this."

His voice trembled, "Am I perhaps drunk and dreaming? Fellow Daoist Zhao has actually achieved the Golden Core stage? What exactly happened to the Wang family today?"

Just now, he saw the Wang family patriarch rush out in a rage, followed by the terrifying head of Xiang Yu.

Immediately afterwards, several elders of the Wang family rushed out, but were stopped by Wang Zheng, Wang Shouyun, Lan Canghai, and Yan Lan, who suddenly appeared.

Before they could recover, they saw Master Xuan Yin break through his barrier and engage in a fierce battle with Yan Lan.

Just as he was at a loss, not knowing who to help, what happened before his eyes shocked him to his core.

That unassuming array master, Fellow Daoist Zhao, is actually a Golden Core cultivator with hidden talents!
Good heavens, could he have drunk fake alcohol?

Just then, several streaks of light flew in from the sky.

Hua Qingshuang, Hua Lengyun, Wang Shouzhen, and others returned together, followed by two elders from the Qilin Sword Sect.

The oppressive aura emanating from the three individuals gradually calmed down the many restless Wang family cultivators.

Seeing this, Zhao Wuji waved his wide sleeves and released the flower phoenix from the second pot of heaven.

Immediately, a thought struck him, and he secretly transmitted his voice to Wang Shouzhen: "Cooperate with Hua Feng and Hua Qingshuang to stabilize the situation, and immediately enthrone Hua Qingshuang as the new head of the family."

Wang Shouzhen's body trembled slightly, but his expression returned to normal as he flew towards the high platform below.

“Everyone!!”

Standing atop the high platform, Wang Shouzhen, witnessed by two elders of the Qilin Sword Sect, spoke in a booming voice: "Patriarch Wang Wujiang has acted perversely, building mass graves to practice evil arts, enslaving cultivators and mortals from various countries, and even desecrating the sacred body of King Xiang in an attempt to defy fate!"

He paused, noticing the commotion among the surrounding Wang family cultivators, and then his spiritual energy surged: "Thanks to the righteous intervention of the Qilin Sword Sect's Sword Lord Wentian, this scoundrel has been slain!"

He then turned around amidst the uproar and bowed solemnly to Hua Qingshuang: "In the name of the Second Patriarch of the Wang Family, I hereby support the Third Branch's True Person, Hua Qingshuang, to succeed as Patriarch!"

He looked around at everyone, his words ringing out: "Master Hua has not only reached the Golden Core realm in cultivation, but is also benevolent and magnanimous. He is truly a wise ruler bestowed upon our Wang family by Heaven!"

Before the words were even finished, the Wang family cultivators below the stage erupted in uproar, with members of the main family immediately beginning to raise their voices in opposition.

Just as people's hearts were in turmoil, Zhao Wuji's double pupils suddenly lit up, and the phantom image of Xiang Yu faintly appeared on his face.

He secretly activated a secret technique, stirring up the remaining will of Xiang Yu's head.

"Roar!!"

A deafening roar echoed through the sky, and Xiang Yu's head rose into the air, his blood-red double pupils sweeping across the entire arena.

The overwhelming pressure was like an abyss or a prison, instantly suppressing all the noise. The Wang family members were all terrified, and some immediately knelt on the ground, their expressions devout and humble.

Only then did he realize with astonishment that Hua Qingshuang's bloodline was so strong that she was someone whom King Xiang had already favored and chosen.

Even the former patriarch, Wang Wujiang, acknowledged this, believing that Hua Qingshuang was the hope for the future rise of the Wang family.

Xiang Yu's head looked down over the entire Wang family and uttered two words in a low voice, "The Hua Clan!"

The deep voice was like a muffled thunderclap, heavy as a ton of bricks.

The bloodline certification, once personally acknowledged by Wang Wujiang, combined with Hua Qingshuang's current Golden Core spiritual power, lends even greater authority.

Seeing this, Wang Zheng immediately stepped forward and declared, "I support and endorse Hua Zhenren as the new head of the family!"

Lan Canghai and Wang Shouyun also stood up to second the motion.

In an instant, many restless voices of opposition were silenced under this absolute power.

Hua Qingshuang's eyes narrowed slightly, her expression surprised, and her cold, icy gaze fell on Zhao Wuji.

But then Zhao Wuji winked at her, then turned to Xiang Yu's head and secretly sent out a mental wave.

"Please, King Xiang, return to your throne!"

In an instant, the hideous head emitted a low rumble.

Thirty-six black iron chains danced in the air, slowly flying back to the secret place on the mountaintop under the almost fanatical gaze of the Wang family disciples.

The clanging of chains, like the clashing of metal, echoed endlessly between heaven and earth.

"Wuji, you really did it."

Hua Qingshuang watched this scene, then looked at Zhao Wuji's figure beside her, and her heart trembled violently.

The celestial visions she had glimpsed through Xiang Yu's double pupils in the past have now come true one by one!
at the same time.

Deep within the Sword Valley of the Qilin Sword Sect, thousands of ancient swords hang upside down between cliffs, their sword energy like frost, weaving into a silvery glow in the secluded valley.

The sword's shadow was reflected in the cold pool at the bottom of the valley, but the water was still and did not flow, as if it were imprisoned by the invisible sword intent.

"If we don't retrieve Xiang Yu's head and hand over the Wang family to the Hua family, is it really alright?"

A deep, ancient voice came from the deepest part of the sword tomb, causing the ancient swords around it to tremble slightly.

Where the sound waves passed, fine ripples appeared on the surface of the pool, but were smoothed out in an instant by the sword energy.

The Sword Master Wentian stood with his hands behind his back on the edge of the cliff, his robes fluttering in the wind. “That Zhao Wuji is indeed a sword prodigy, his talent is probably no less than mine. Although he has a secret, as long as his character is flawless, he should be able to explore the Ancient Sword Domain in the future.”

He paused, then gently stroked a spirit tree beside him with his fingertips: "As for Hua Qingshuang, although her talent in swordsmanship is mediocre, she has already grasped the true meaning of Sword Heart Clarity. I observe her state of mind, which is as clear as a mirror."

This seemingly irrelevant answer, however, made the old man in the valley understand.

The way of sword cultivation emphasizes intent over form.

"Would this boy truly come to my Qilin Sword Sect?"

When the old man's voice rang out again, ten thousand swords in the valley rang out in unison, as if in response to his question.

As the swordsman's fingertips swirled with sword energy, the pruned branches and leaves of the spirit tree fell softly amidst the sword light.

He laughed loudly and said, "This child is exceptionally intelligent and will make a wise choice."

With a flick of his sword, a glint of light flashed in his eyes: "This time, our sect sent him to infiltrate the Wang family, ostensibly to use him to eliminate Wang Wujiang."

Little did we know, this boy would use our sect's power to seize the Wang family's spiritual lineage and install Hua Qingshuang on the throne.

"What a brilliant example of leveraging external forces!"

The old man's voice was filled with admiration, "To be able to turn my sect into a pawn and use its power against it, this child's mind and methods are indeed extraordinary. As long as his heart is not evil, that is enough."

"Hahaha!"

With a flick of his sword, the Sword Master of Asking the Heavens caused the last remaining leaf to fall.

His gaze was piercing, and his voice resounded throughout Sword Valley: "I question the will of Heaven, for Heaven's secrets are unfathomable. I question the hearts of men, for they are as clear as a mirror!"

Time flies, and more than a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The news that the Qilin Sword Sect's Wentian Sword Lord had killed Wang Wujiang resounded throughout the land like a thunderclap.

Those old monsters who had just awakened from their slumber and were originally planning to stir up trouble in Beiyun Dizhou all withdrew their claws and remained silent upon hearing the news.

The once powerful Wang family has now welcomed a new master—Hua Qingshuang.

Legend has it that this woman is the reincarnation of Yu Ji's younger sister, with extremely pure bloodline, so much so that even Xiang Yu's head was willing to be at her command.

In the past, Wang Wujiang spared no expense in cultivating him and helping him ascend to the Golden Elixir Path.

Even more shockingly, two more Golden Core cultivators have joined the Wang family's guest ranks: Zhao Wuji and Yan Lan.

Both of these individuals once served as the head of the Tiannan Linlang Cave Heaven.

The former had a deep connection with the Qilin Sword Sect and made great contributions in the battle to eliminate Wang Wujiang.

The latter is extremely mysterious; no one knows when or where the Golden Core realm was broken, as if divine soldiers descended from the heavens.

Although the Wang family has now dismantled the mass grave and is under the control of the Qilin Sword Sect, the presence of four Golden Core cultivators still makes them a force to be reckoned with.

But in secret, everyone knows that what is truly terrifying is the Heaven-Questioning Sword hanging overhead.

Apart from the Wang family, the other four major families—the Yang family, the Lü family, etc.—are all like frightened birds at this moment.

In these degenerate times, none of their families are clean; it's just a matter of how much excrement they produce.

They feared becoming the next Wang family, and were also worried that some hostile forces or self-proclaimed righteous forces in the state would take the opportunity to cause trouble. For a time, there was a great deal of tension, and each of them closed their mountain gates tightly.

at the same time.

The Wang family is located on Balong Mountain.

Inside a simple and elegant ancient sleeping quarters.

Zhao Wuji had just finished applying acupuncture to Hua Qingshuang and Yan Lan.

At Hua Qingshuang's dantian, a brand-new inner golden core has taken shape, but it is only the size of a broad bean, much smaller than the original.

Yan Lan's golden core has grown to the size of a quail egg, and her cultivation level is expected to break through to the Golden Core realm in two years.

Yan Lan lazily put on her robe and casually tossed the jade slip aside: "These rumors are truly laughable."

When it came to killing Wang Wujiang, you, my nephew, clearly contributed the most.

If you hadn't forced him to show himself, what could the Heavenly Sword Lord have done, even with his extraordinary abilities?
Now, this has ironically cemented his fame.

"It's just an empty title. Why should my senior brother be so attached to it?"

Zhao Wuji smiled calmly, "If it weren't for the intervention of the Sword Lord Wentian, I'm afraid I could only protect myself, but I wouldn't be able to kill Wang Wujiang. If the credit is really attributed to me, it would only bring trouble, which is not what I want."

He knew perfectly well that he hadn't used many of his trump cards that day to avoid exposing his identity.

Both the martial arts combat power and the Blood Fiend Needle Sword Calamity Power of the Tiannan Ancestor are concealed.

Even with their best efforts, without Xiang Yu's head to aid them, they would find it extremely difficult to severely injure Wang Wujiang, let alone take his life.

"Nephew, your overly humble nature is both endearing and frustrating."

Yan Lan chuckled as she rose, her robes fluttering as her eyes darted about. "Since the Sword Lord of Asking Heaven personally invited you, are you truly going to the Qilin Sword Sect?"

She gently waved her hand, pointing outside the hall: "Now that the Wang family possesses two fourth-level spiritual veins, it won't be difficult for them to break through to the Nascent Soul stage once the spiritual energy recovers. Why do you insist on going to the Qilin Sword Sect and being constrained by them?"

Upon hearing this, Hua Qingshuang turned her cool gaze to Zhao Wuji, her eyes filled with inquiry.

Zhao Wuji recalled the meaningful glance and serious instructions from the Sword Lord Wentian before his departure, and couldn't help but smile bitterly: "I'm afraid I have no choice but to go. He may have already seen through some of my plans. These old monsters are all almost demonic in their minds."

He put away the golden needles and shook his head, saying, "Otherwise, how could the Qilin Sword Sect be at ease leaving Xiang Yu's head in my hands? Only when I go to the Sword Sect and become one of their own will they feel at ease."

He paused, then continued, "If not for this, do you really think the Qilin Sword Sect would be so careless as to leave two level-four spiritual veins and Xiang Yu's head in the Wang family? Aren't you afraid of cultivating another ruthless Wang Wujiang?"

"Unrestrained."

Hua Qingshuang called out softly, a complex look flashing in her eyes, "I never force you to do things you don't want to do."

"No"

Zhao Wuji shook his head and stood up, walking to the window with his hands behind his back. Looking at the distant mountain mist, he said, "Actually, I had already made this plan. The Qilin Sword Sect has a profound foundation, so it's a good place to go and get a glimpse of the superior swordsmanship."

He turned and smiled, "With the Wang family's foundation secured by the peak master, I can borrow the teleportation array to return at any time. However..."

He paused slightly, "Most of the Wang family's past resources have been consumed by the peak master, leaving very little."

Aside from the fourth-level spiritual veins and the fragments of the Martial Immortal Dao gleaned from Xiang Yu's head, there were no other superior immortal techniques.

"And the Qilin Sword Sect."

A glint flashed in his eyes. "This sect has a long history, and as the Xuan Yin Master mentioned, it possesses ancient energy veins and a complete sword dao inheritance for those who have access to the Ancient Sword Domain. With the Wang family's power, these opportunities are extremely difficult to obtain."

Upon hearing this, Hua Qingshuang finally sighed and nodded.

Zhao Wuji knew perfectly well that once the spiritual energy recovered, with the help of the Wang family's fourth-level spiritual vein, reaching the Nascent Soul realm would be just around the corner.

Even without the arrival of spiritual energy, with the methods he secretly arranged and the two level-four spiritual veins, forming a Nascent Soul is not out of the question; it will just require more effort.

But the Wang family's resources were ultimately just a fallback option on his path of cultivation.

Maintaining the status quo is acceptable, but it won't help him glimpse the mysteries of the heavens.

"To unravel the mystery of this Yin-Yang Pearl, we must trace the footsteps of Master Zhang and unravel the enigma of the Dharma-ending Age."

He thought to himself, "The Wang family alone is ultimately insufficient."

In the Wang family, he was already at the pinnacle.

If the sky falls, there will be tall people to hold it up, and it will be them who holds it up, not anyone else.

But how could the Wang family possibly solve those mysteries that even he couldn't solve?
The Qilin Sword Sect is different.

That place was once home to many great masters. If we could obtain an ancient sword domain quota through the Sword Sect and explore it, we might be able to glimpse a corner of the ancient secrets.

Thinking of this, Zhao Wuji turned to look at the two peak masters, a calm smile appearing on his lips: "However, the time is not yet ripe."

According to Wang Wujiang's calculations, there are still more than 600 days until the spiritual energy revival.

I intend to observe the situation calmly and wait for the unusual phenomena to appear before heading to the Sword Sect.

“Nephew, you are quite quick-witted. Your master has nothing to worry about.”

Yan Lan snorted softly upon hearing this, but a hint of relief flashed in her eyes.

Hua Qingshuang nodded slightly, her delicate hand unconsciously stroking the Wang family patriarch's token at her waist, as if she were planning the arrangements for the next six hundred days.
After the three finished their exchange, Zhao Wuji left the palace and flew to the secret location of the Wang family to continue his deep communication and resonance with Xiang Yu's head, while also lifting the Wang family's seal that had been inserted into the head.

Time flies, and six hundred days have passed in the blink of an eye.
(End of this chapter)