Immortals of the End Times

After casually using the Flow-Severing Technique in conjunction with the Demon-Slaying Technique to annihilate the Great Demon of the Condensed Mind, Zhao Wuji did not fly far.

He stood with his hands behind his back on the cloud, his robes fluttering. Below him, the Yellow Sand River, whose flow had been cut off by a single sword strike, remained frozen in ice, like a silver dragon nailed to a painting.

"Buzz!"

The Yang Pearl trembled slightly in the sea of ​​consciousness, and the pattern of the Demon-Slaying Technique appeared on its surface: [Beginner (89/100)].

"The Great Demon of Concentration only gained five points of proficiency."

He raised his eyebrows slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his double pupils. "Compared to when I killed the Crimson-Eyed Demon King to decipher this technique, there are far fewer of them. The late-stage Golden Core demon is indeed formidable."

When the Demon-Slaying Technique was first deciphered after the Crimson-Eyed Demon King was killed, the proficiency level of this technique immediately reached as high as 84 points.

We are now just one step away from a breakthrough.

"Breaking through illusions to reveal true form, discerning evil spirits."

Zhao Wuji felt the unique rhythm flowing when the demon-slaying technique was performed.

This technique can not only see through the illusions of demons, but also use demonic energy to track their hiding places.

When used in conjunction with the Frost Soul Flying Sword, even a powerful demon body like the Crimson-Eyed Demon King would have its defenses breached by a single strike.

With a sudden thought, he observed the surface of the third Yin Pearl. More than 90% of the patterns of the exorcism technique had been deciphered, and they were faintly visible within the dark pearl.

"Soon." Zhao Wuji's lips curled up slightly. "Once my Suppressing God Technique improves a bit more, I will be able to completely unlock this last secret technique."

Suddenly, he looked up at the sky.

The double pupils pierced through the clouds, reaching straight to the heavens.

The martial immortal cultivation of the mid-stage Golden Core stage surged through his meridians, and every inch of his flesh and blood contained explosive power.

"It's time to get closer to those nine heavens and take a look."

The purple-gold unicorn robe fluttered in the gale, and a hint of curiosity ignited in Zhao Wuji's eyes. "I have never seen the scenery above the nine heavens before."

As Xinghe Daoren once said, each of the nine heavens is higher and more dangerous than the last.

The Ninth Heaven may be as high as 108,000 miles, and contains soul-devouring gales, bewitching clouds, terrifying lightning, and soul-burning blazing sun.
Although these are all titles fabricated by past cultivators, they are enough to illustrate the danger involved.

"With my current wind manipulation skills, three Golden Core cultivators, and two Heavenly Vessels that can constantly provide spiritual energy, and now that we are in an era of spiritual energy revival, I can indeed explore the Nine Heavens."

Zhao Wuji took a deep breath, and the three golden cores in his body trembled simultaneously, with a faint blue light emanating from his body.

He formed hand seals and softly uttered, "Control the wind!"

In an instant, a gale arose, and the sparse spiritual energy in the surrounding world converged on him like rivers flowing into the sea.

His figure shot into the sky like an arrow released from a bow, his robes fluttering and his hair flying wildly in the wind.

The ground beneath their feet shrank rapidly, transforming into a chessboard in the blink of an eye.

His figure moved like a dragon through the clouds, sometimes soaring upwards with the help of the wind, and sometimes locking onto the airflow with his double pupils, drawing a beautiful arc in the sea of ​​clouds.

The distance of thousands of miles was quickly crossed.

After passing through the thick clouds, the view suddenly opened up before us.

The sky was clear and blue, and the sunlight poured down without obstruction, gilding the sea of ​​clouds with a golden edge.

He keenly sensed that as the altitude increased, the surrounding spiritual energy became increasingly thin, while the power of the true fire of the sun above his head became increasingly intense.

"We haven't even gotten close to the first level of heaven yet."

Zhao Wuji thought to himself as the Yang Pearl spun merrily within his sea of ​​consciousness, greedily absorbing the pure essence of the sun.

He could clearly feel that the Yang Pearl absorbed Yang energy several times faster than it did on the ground, absorbing about a hundred strands of Yang energy a day.

Look up.

A continuous, hazy yellow mist stretched across the sky, seemingly close at hand, yet in reality, it was still thousands of miles away.

Golden light swirled in his double pupils, and lightning and thunder could be vaguely seen within the mist, as if countless dangers were lurking within.

"Even relying on the Wind Riding Technique to fly here, it has already consumed half of my spiritual power."

With a thought, Zhao Wuji felt the spiritual energy within the Pot Heaven space continuously replenish what he had consumed.

He looked down and saw that the land of Kyushu had been transformed into a traditional Chinese ink painting.

The mountains and rivers were all hidden in the clouds and mist, leaving only their hazy outlines.

After flying for a long time, the yellow mist was now almost in sight.

Just then, a sudden warning signal struck Zhao Wuji.

He suddenly stopped, staring intently at the edge of the seemingly calm yellow mist.

Countless swirling black currents of air transformed into whirlwinds, each wisp exuding a chilling and dangerous aura.

"This is... a gale?"

His pupils contracted slightly, and the three golden cores within his body circulated simultaneously, his body radiating a faint golden light, ready to deal with any unexpected situation at any time.

Just as it was about to continue climbing, suddenly
"boom!!"

A violent gust of wind swept in like a black, angry dragon, blotting out the sky and the sun. The wind was so fierce that it forced him back dozens of feet.

His robes fluttered wildly, his hair danced wildly in the gale, and the wind shield protecting his body flickered violently.

Zhao Wuji frowned, and the three golden cores within his body trembled simultaneously as he activated his Wind Control Technique at full power.

His body moved like a fish swimming against the current, or as if he had transformed into the wind, maintaining his balance amidst the raging storm.

However, this gale was extremely strange, as it contained wisps of dark air that burrowed into the seven orifices like venomous snakes.

"Soul-corroding Yin Wind?!"

A strong sense of alarm ran through Zhao Wuji's mind. As soon as the black energy entered his body, it rushed straight to his dantian, and his sea of ​​consciousness felt as if it were being pierced by a thousand needles.

He immediately made a hand seal, and the Netherworld Connection Technique transformed into a chilling gust of wind that swept through, completely shredding the yin wind that had invaded his soul.

"This is the Soul-Devouring Gale that Daoist Xinghe spoke of!"

His expression turned solemn as he finally understood why ancient texts recorded that even Golden Core cultivators could not cross the Nine Heavens.

This fierce wind is not only bone-chilling and soul-destroying, but what's even more terrifying is that you're high in the sky where spiritual energy is scarce.

If an ordinary Golden Core cultivator were to be exhausted to this extent, and were blown by this gale, without any techniques or magical treasures to protect their soul, they would likely suffer severe damage to their soul and lose their composure in an instant.

Then the body will fall from a great height like a kite with a broken string, and be smashed to pieces.

"Even a Golden Core cultivator who flies here, even if they are only approaching the first level of the Heavenly Realm, is in danger of falling to their death!"

Just as Zhao Wuji was in shock, lightning and thunder suddenly flashed in the yellow mist above his head.

He vaguely sensed that the subtle, almost imperceptible, sense of being locked in by the Heavenly Dao was increasing.

Streaks of purple lightning danced wildly like dragons in the murky yellow mist, illuminating the entire sky with flickering light.

Wherever the lightning passed, the void twisted and exploded, emanating a terrifying aura of destruction.

"These thunderbolts."

Zhao Wuji's gaze was solemn, his double pupils reflecting the mad lightning flashing in the yellowish mist above, and the warning signs in his heart grew stronger.

"The Nine Heavens are indeed dangerous. I haven't even approached the first level of heaven yet, and it's already so perilous. No wonder even the mighty Master Zhang met his end there."

He thought to himself, but dared not pause for a moment, and quickly fled downwards.

The sea of ​​clouds below gradually became clearer, and the outline of the earth rapidly magnified in the field of vision.

"Boom!"

A deafening clap of thunder suddenly came from overhead, and a bolt of purple lightning as thick as a bucket struck down, grazing past his figure.

The violent power of the lightning distorted and exploded the surrounding air, and even with his current physical strength, he felt a stinging and tingling sensation on his skin.

"so close!"

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Zhao Wuji's forehead.

He immediately formed a hand seal and cast a Qi-sealing technique, creating a pale golden light shield around his body to isolate the remaining lightning power.

He dared not delay any longer and accelerated his descent.

Passing through layers of clouds, the spiritual energy below gradually became denser.

He scanned the space of the pot with his divine sense and absorbed a lot of spiritual energy to replenish his losses, and then he breathed a sigh of relief.

"That lightning bolt just now was probably the legendary 'terrifying lightning'."

Recalling Xinghe Daoren's description, he gained a more intuitive understanding of the dangers of the Nine Heavens.

If he hadn't possessed the Wind Control Technique and the Netherworld Communication Technique, as well as the spiritual energy replenished by the Pot Heaven Space, he would have been in grave danger just from being blown by that Soul-Devouring Gale.

"This trip was not entirely fruitless; at least we gained some insight into the situation in the Nine Heavens."

Zhao Wuji pondered, "I heard that the Ancient Sword Domain is located in the First Heaven. We will have to deal with it in the future, so it's good to get familiar with it first."

As he pondered this, his figure had already passed through the last layer of clouds, and the mountains and rivers below were clearly visible.

Zhao Wuji gathered his thoughts, his figure transformed into a streak of sword light, and sped towards the direction of the Qilin Sword Sect.

One day later.

Inside the council hall of the Qilin Sword Sect, purple mist filled the air, and sword patterns shimmered.

Zhao Wuji sat upright above the Third Elder Mo Wenjian, his purple-gold unicorn robe gleaming faintly in the light of the pearls in the hall.

Listen carefully as Elder Fang Lingchu recounts the details of their trip to Zhongzhou to discuss the Sword Cultivation Conference.

"Is it being presided over by the Immortal Saint Sect of Zhongzhou?"

Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his double pupils. "Since it was initiated by the White Jade Sword Pavilion of Zhongzhou, why wasn't it the White Jade Sword Pavilion in charge?" "Although the White Jade Sword Pavilion is powerful, it is not qualified to command all the sword sects in the world."

The Grand Elder stroked his beard and chuckled, a sword token floating in his sleeve, reflecting the illusory landscape of Central China: "Your Highness is unaware. Since Master Zhang ascended to heaven, the Wudang lineage has merged with the Immortal Saint Sect, and now they jointly control the Qi of Central China. In terms of foundation..."

With a light tap of his fingertip, a majestic mountain gate appeared in the illusory image. "A thousand years ago, there may have been sects comparable to the Immortal Saint Sect, but now, the Immortal Saint Sect is the undisputed leader of the Nine Provinces."

"Wudang...has merged?"

Zhao Wuji's pupils contracted slightly.

He once had the idea of ​​going to Wudang Mountain in Zhongzhou to follow in the footsteps of Master Zhang and investigate the secrets of the heavens and the mystery of the depletion of spiritual energy.

Unexpectedly, Wudang had already merged with the Immortal Saint Sect.

Third Elder Mo Wenjian suddenly chuckled: "Those old fogies from the White Jade Sword Pavilion have always loved to flaunt these empty titles. However, we've already investigated and found out."

He glanced at Zhao Wuji and reminded him, "The White Jade Sword Tower's restart of the Sword Cultivation Conference is ostensibly to determine the quota for ancient sword domains, but in reality, it is definitely to suppress the edge of my Qilin Sword Sect."

"Oh?"

Zhao Wuji's eyes narrowed.

"Because of its location in Zhongzhou, Baiyu Sword Tower has always prided itself on being the number one sword sect in the world, and it has been showing off its sharpness. Now it has contacted sword sects in various states."

The Grand Elder rolled up his sleeves, and the sword token unfolded into a star map. "It seems that your recent rise to power has been too rapid."

They fear your name, Heavenly Qilin, and even more so, they fear that our sect might gain something from you in the Ancient Sword Domain, threatening their position.

Furthermore, with the resurgence of spiritual energy and the imminent opening of the Ancient Sword Domain, they have demanded the early resumption of the Nine Provinces' First Sword Cultivator Tournament, leaving you little time and opportunity for development.

Zhao Wuji stared at the flashing symbols of the various sword sects on the star map, and chuckled to himself: "I've only been a member of a sword sect for a short time, and I've only caused a few incidents, yet I've managed to attract so much attention from the White Jade Sword Pavilion? It seems the White Jade Sword Pavilion is nothing special after all."

"The White Jade Sword Pavilion is coming on strong for this Sword Cultivation Tournament, so don't underestimate them."

The First Elder's voice was solemn.
"The Jade Capital in the heavens, with its twelve towers and five cities. An immortal touched my head and bestowed upon me the secret of immortality. This sect has a profound foundation. In the past, it recruited the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal as its deputy tower master and passed down the complete Azure Lotus Sword Manual."

Even in the degenerate age, it has maintained a powerful lineage.

Zhao Wuji's eyes flashed slightly as he exclaimed in surprise, "The Azure Lotus Sword Immortal?"

“Indeed.” The Grand Elder nodded. “When the spiritual energy was flourishing, the White Jade Sword Tower produced a Nascent Soul expert like the ‘Jade Sword Immortal.’ Now, the Tower Master Shi Wangshu and the Deputy Tower Master Yi Feixing have both broken through to become Nascent Soul True Monarchs after the recent revival of spiritual energy. There are also several Golden Core cultivators in the sect.”

Zhao Wuji pondered, "Where have all the Nascent Soul cultivators gone now?"

The Grand Elder's expression darkened, and he sighed, "It is said that they have all ascended to the heavens and are no longer in this world that has endured the calamity of the end times. But..."

He looked up at the sky outside the palace and said, "The Queen of the Nine Heavens is very mysterious. It seems that she can hardly return after leaving. I don't know if she encountered an accident or was trapped by some kind of shackle."

In short, only those who have experienced it truly understand.

"I see."

Zhao Wuji's gaze narrowed slightly as he thought of the figures he had once seen in the Nine Heavens.

"All right."

The Grand Elder changed the subject, and a purple-gold sword token flew out from his sleeve. "Your Highness has made a great contribution this time. The sect has decided to grant you a first-class merit and the qualification to study the Thirty-Six Sword Steles of Sword Valley for three months. These will be issued along with your current monthly salary of spirit stones."

"A first-class merit?"

Zhao Wuji was surprised, thinking to himself that the reward for killing the Crimson-Eyed Demon King was indeed quite substantial.

If one were to kill a Golden Core Demon King seeking wealth, the reward would likely be at most a Grade B Great Merit.

A Grade A merit is enough to exchange for the Golden Core middle section of the "Asking Heaven Sword Manual" for study.

The free training he received on the first part of the "Asking the Heavens Sword Manual" had already greatly benefited him, significantly improving his exceptional swordsmanship proficiency.

"If I were to further study the middle part of the 'Asking Heaven Sword Technique' in the future, and with the qualification to comprehend the Thirty-Six Sword Steles, my swordsmanship might be able to break through before entering the Ancient Sword Domain. At that time, it wouldn't be far off to be able to break through all laws with a single sword."

Zhao Wuji pondered for a moment, then stood up and bowed.

The First Elder, Fang Lingchu, and Mo Wenjian exchanged a glance, then suddenly spoke, their voices low and deep: "Your Highness, how do you intend to handle the Yang family's affairs? The Yang family's patriarch, Yang Xiong, is preparing to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, and several allied sects, including the Immortal Martial Sect, have already come to plead on our behalf in Nan Chu Prefecture."
"I'm afraid Yang Su can't be detained for long, once Yang Xiong breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage."

The atmosphere inside the hall suddenly froze.

"Yang Xiong, the head of the Yang family."

Zhao Wuji smiled slightly and said calmly, "I have already cut off one of Yang Peng's arms as a lesson."

"what?!"

The First Elder and the Third Elder were both astonished.

"Yang Peng is the Supreme Elder of the Yang family. Why did Your Highness intervene?"

Fang Lingchu frowned. "If Yang Xiong uses this as a pretext to make trouble, Yang Su will probably find it difficult to have a legitimate claim to this matter."

"It's alright," Zhao Wuji said calmly, flicking his sleeve. "He offended me, so I'll teach him a lesson."

Next time the Yang family comes demanding someone, just release Yang Su. However…

His eyes flashed: "Before that, I need to meet this Young Master Yang."

"It seems Your Highness had planned this all along."

Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder felt somewhat relieved and thought to himself, "That Yang Peng probably relied on his status to act presumptuously in front of His Highness, offending the dignity of the number one swordsman of the Qilin Sword Sect. It is only his own fault that he had his arm cut off."

With the resources and foundation of the Qilin Sword Sect, this grudge can naturally be contained.

However, in this case, it would be unwise to detain Yang Su for too long.

"Your Highness's move is probably killing two birds with one stone: it establishes your authority and intimidates the Yang family, while also releasing the person without leaving any room for criticism."

"I will go see Yang Su later."

Zhao Wuji accepted the purple sword token with a calm expression, yet it subtly revealed an undeniable sharpness.

They went to the Immortal Saint Sect in Zhongzhou to discuss the Grand Competition for the Number One Swordsman in the Nine Provinces, which would not begin for several months.

Before that, he still had some time to cultivate.

Furthermore, matters concerning the Yang family and Yang Su can all be properly handled within these few months.

Not long after, outside the sword prison, four guard disciples were standing at attention when suddenly a sharp sword light pierced through the air and landed, transforming into Zhao Wuji, dressed in white.

The four men's expressions tightened, and they immediately bowed, clasped their swords, and respectfully greeted the First Swordsman!

His eyes were filled with reverence.

This newly crowned number one swordsman is a ruthless individual who has slain the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and the Thirteen Demon Princes. His prestige within the sect is now at its zenith.

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll go in and check on Yang Su."

Zhao Wuji nodded slightly and stepped straight into the sword prison.

The dark stone walls exuded a chilling aura, sharp as a knife, piercing to the bone.

In the center of the array within one of the prisons, Yang Su was impaled by nine chains of black iron through his collarbone, and his body was covered with spirit-suppressing talismans.

Seeing Zhao Wuji appear, he forced a sinister smile: "Zhao Wuji! If you don't dare to kill me, why put on airs here? Once my father breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, you'll be begging me to leave!"

"Insolence!!" Two sword servants standing nearby shouted angrily and were about to step forward to slap him.

"So what if you have a Nascent Soul?"

Zhao Wuji raised the corners of his mouth slightly and waved for the sword attendant to leave.

As the prison door slammed shut, a cold light flashed in his eyes, piercing Yang Su's soul like a sharp sword.

Yang Su trembled, his face turning deathly pale: "You... what do you want to do?!"

"Heh." Zhao Wuji sneered without saying a word, his hands forming hand seals that suddenly changed.

The technique of communicating with the underworld draws upon the power of the netherworld, transforming it into countless threads of yin spirits that pierce deeply into Yang Su's sea of ​​consciousness.

The Suppressing Spirit Technique then solidifies into an invisible shackle, firmly nailing the soul to the spiritual platform.

"Ah!!" Yang Su suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream, black blood gushing from his seven orifices, his whole body convulsing like a shrimp.

He felt as if his soul was being violently blown by a cold wind, as if it were being torn apart inch by inch, or as if a million poisonous insects were gnawing at his bone marrow. The pain was so intense that even his screams became distorted.

Zhao Wuji remained expressionless, his hand seals shifting as he alternated between two techniques, sometimes burning the soul with Netherworld Fire, and sometimes grinding the divine consciousness with the God-Suppressing Shackles.

After this was repeated six times, Yang Su collapsed like a limp rag doll, screaming in agony. His eyes were glazed over, and saliva mixed with blood dripped from the corners of his mouth.

Zhao Wuji then withdrew his spell and glimpsed irrefutable evidence of the Yang family's collusion with demons from the fragmented memories.

It turns out that Yang Xiong, the patriarch of the Yang family, already knew about the Crimson-Eyed Demon King and even tacitly approved Yang Su's collusion with demons to massacre the Wang family, all in order to seize Xiang Yu's true head and control the Hua family's bloodline.

"Sure enough."

Zhao Wuji withdrew his technique and flicked his sleeve.

At the same time, the tadpole-shaped secret script of the Exorcism Technique within the Yin Pearl of Consciousness, after several rounds of practice using the Netherworld Communication Technique and the Suppression Technique, completely broke through the restriction and transformed into streaks of golden light, swirling and dancing in the divine consciousness.

In an instant, countless profound pieces of information about exorcism techniques flooded into his mind like a tidal wave.

This technique is a domineering supernatural power that can command spirits and ghosts, and order ghostly soldiers and demons.

With profound cultivation, one can even forcibly summon local deities, mountain gods, and wandering minor gods, forcing them to submit to one's commands!

Unfortunately, the ancient immortal realm has long been a mystery, and those legendary low-level gods probably no longer exist.

Even so, this exorcism technique is still considered to be defying the heavens!

Compared to the Yin-Yang communication technique, it is more domineering and direct. With just a talisman and a mantra, it can intimidate the soul with supreme pressure and force the other party to submit.

If one encounters spirits or ghosts, one can forcibly extract some of their abilities and temporarily use them for one's own benefit...

(Requesting monthly votes) (End of this chapter)