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Night Demon stared in shock. What he thought was within his grasp had taken a sudden turn.
This was unbelievable.
Qi Yuan casually tossed a pile of scrap metal into the sea and asked with a calm expression, "I haven't even asked yet—what exactly is our grudge? I wouldn't want to kill you without knowing the reason."
Ye Mo and his companions were furious. This was beyond insulting.
"Qi Yuan, you killed my brother. Today, I'll take your head as repayment!" Night Demon roared. In his right hand, he summoned his most prized weapon—the Thousand Souls Sword, a blade forged using the souls of a thousand foundation-building cultivators and refined over forty-nine days.
When the sword was first unleashed, its sinister aura turned the land into a scene of wailing ghosts and howling wolves, resembling hell itself.
"Your brother?" Qi Yuan tapped his forehead, suddenly recalling. "Ah, you're Night Crow's brother. Why did you take so long to come? If you had found me earlier, you might have had a chance to escape alive."
At the early stage of the Golden Core Realm, Qi Yuan hadn't been entirely sure of victory. So, he had left a late-stage Golden Core cultivator behind and killed him when the opportunity arose.
Night Demon's rage ignited. He raised the Thousand Souls Sword and poured a surge of mana into it. A ten-foot-high black sword aura erupted, filled with the resentment of tortured souls, their ghostly forms writhing around the blade.
"You suffered in life—why continue suffering in death? Today, I'll free you all."
Qi Yuan flicked his wrist, summoning a blood-red magic harp. Its eerie glow pulsed faintly.
As he strummed the strings, a surge of crimson energy erupted, forming a crescent-shaped light several feet long to counter Night Demon's sword aura.
A deafening explosion followed.
Waves rose dozens of feet high, while several vengeful souls perished, slightly weakening the sword aura.
Night Demon felt a pang of regret for the lost spirits but also eyed the magic harp with envy.
But there were still thousands of souls in his blade. Let's see how long Qi Yuan could hold out.
"Attack together!" Night Demon commanded.
The Red-Nosed Demon Cultivator and the others transformed into streaks of light, activating their magic weapons as they charged at Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan remained composed, his fingers plucking the harp strings. Each note emitted waves of energy that clashed against the Thousand Souls Sword. Meanwhile, a black ring materialized, ensnaring the Red-Nosed Demon Cultivator.
Qi Yuan then unleashed the Death Man's Nails, which expanded rapidly and hurtled toward the Thousand Souls Sword.
Night Demon's fury intensified upon recognizing his brother's stolen magic weapon.
At the same time, five ancient flying knives shot toward the short-haired demon cultivator, forcing him into retreat.
Only one early-stage Golden Core female demon cultivator remained. Qi Yuan showed no mercy.
His magic harp locked onto her soul, unleashing a barrage of sonic attacks. As he struck the strings, a flash of blood-red light erupted, launching thirty-six meteor needles. The projectiles cut through the air, leaving fiery trails in their wake.
Dazed by the harp's power, the female cultivator was momentarily blinded and disoriented.
"Yunmo, wake up!" Night Demon roared, using a secret technique.
Despite his injuries, he swung the Thousand Souls Sword in a desperate attempt to force Qi Yuan back.
Qi Yuan remained unfazed. With his Thunder Escape Technique, dodging the attack was effortless.
The female cultivator, shaken awake, realized the meteor needles were already upon her. She had no chance to dodge.
The needles pierced her vital points. Her body collapsed, and her soul attempted to flee.
Qi Yuan sneered. "Trying to escape?"
With a flick of his fingers, the magic harp unleashed a dark red light that struck her soul.
A sharp scream rang out before white smoke rose from the fading soul. It dissipated into nothingness.
Another one down.
The Red-Nosed Demon Cultivator and the short-haired demon cultivator exchanged glances before fleeing in opposite directions. They knew their lives were hanging by a thread—nothing else mattered now.
As for whether Night Demon would resent their desertion, that was a problem for another time.
Night Demon watched his so-called allies abandon him. Rage and despair filled his face.
Qi Yuan smiled. Two wisps of green flame flickered on his fingertips before vanishing into the air.
A moment later, agonized screams echoed as green smoke rose from the heads of the fleeing cultivators. Their lifeless bodies plunged into the sea.
A sixth-rank sea beast emerged, attempting to devour the corpses.
Qi Yuan's flying knives flashed, cutting the beast apart.
The demon's blood spread across the water as the enormous carcass floated on the waves.
With all his allies dead, Night Demon was left alone. He stared at Qi Yuan's ever-present gentle smile, realizing just how terrifying his opponent truly was.
Who was the real devil here?
Compared to Qi Yuan, Night Demon's methods were mere child's play.
"Souls of the damned, burn for me!" Night Demon roared.
Realizing he couldn't escape, he gambled everything. He activated a forbidden technique, sacrificing all the souls within his Thousand Souls Sword to amplify its power.
A massive black sword aura, stretching a hundred feet, pierced through the sky. The sheer force nearly rivaled the early Nascent Soul Realm.
Qi Yuan's gaze turned serious. "If you had a dozen more Golden Core souls, you might actually reach true Nascent Soul power."
Night Demon spat a mouthful of blood onto his blade, further enhancing its might. The power surged, drawing even closer to the Nascent Soul Realm.
Qi Yuan chuckled. "Now this is interesting."
He raised his right hand, summoning a small green flame. With a flick, it vanished into the air.
Night Demon's face twisted in terror. Before he could react, his body convulsed as green smoke billowed from his head.
His soul was incinerated by the Burning God Green Fire.
His lifeless body fell, and the colossal sword aura lost its strength. The Thousand Souls Sword plummeted alongside its master.
Qi Yuan let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his brow. His usual gentle smile faltered, revealing a trace of lingering fear.
(End of Chapter)