Chapter 15: Undying and Eternal

"Good, Mu Wanqing has received such a tremendous fortune, her cultivation has soared in an instant—our Tianyun Sect is saved!" Although Bai Lishong had felt regret for not obtaining a scrap of that master’s paper earlier, he now shouted excitedly. He could clearly sense that Mu Wanqing had become terrifyingly powerful, her strength far surpassing his own.

"Excellent, this is wonderful!" The other members of Tianyun Sect also cried out in excitement. Yet, remembering how they had mocked and scorned Mu Wanqing before, their cheeks now burned as if they had been severely slapped.

"Just a little girl from Tianyun Sect—do you really think a stroke of fortune allows you to challenge me? Ridiculous!" Tu Wuchang, frustrated at failing to obtain the paper scrap, sneered ferociously, sword in hand, swooping down on Mu Wanqing like a giant eagle.

"The Blood Demon reborn, ten thousand miles of withered bones!" With a thunderous shout, a surge of endless deathly aura erupted from Tu Wuchang’s body. That aura quickly condensed in mid-air into a colossal blood shadow, a hundred meters tall, towering and oppressive, making everyone’s breath quicken.

"Who is that blood shadow?" the crowd cried out in terror. Too frightening! A hundred years ago, Tu Wuchang had slaughtered sects until rivers ran with blood and bones littered the land—there truly was something extraordinary about him.

In the next moment, the massive blood shadow dove swiftly from the sky, merging into Tu Wuchang’s battle sword. His sword turned crimson as though it had drunk blood, vibrating with a deafening hum, unleashing a torrent of blood light toward Mu Wanqing with earth-shattering force.

Faced with this overwhelming flood of blood light, Mu Wanqing’s expression grew solemn. Though Chen Changsheng’s sword character had revealed the true essence of swordsmanship to her, her foundation remained shallow, and now she faced a demon who had inspired terror three centuries ago.

Whether she could ultimately defeat this fiend, she did not know. All she could do now was fight with everything she had.

"Heaven Splitter!" She rushed forward, sword blazing brighter than the sun, its furious energy almost shredding the very fabric of space.

With a sweeping motion, she struck, infusing her blade with infinite sword intent, as if to cleave heaven and earth in two; her sword aura roared forth like a tidal wave.

The flood of blood light was split apart by Mu Wanqing’s sword.

The onlookers below all gasped, hearts pounding wildly. At this moment, Mu Wanqing had become so terrifying it was beyond their imagination.

Looking up, they saw Mu Wanqing standing high in the sky like a goddess from the heavens. Only moments ago, she had been a mere junior disciple of Tianyun Sect, but now she was so formidable that they could only look up to her in awe.

All her fortune had been bestowed by that mysterious master.

Meanwhile, Tu Wuchang’s eyes burned with madness. Seeing Mu Wanqing rush to the fore in an instant, he let out a roar that turned into a demonic howl, shattering the heavens and earth. Many buildings collapsed from the force of his voice.

The disciples of Tianyun Sect with weaker cultivation spat blood from the shock, their faces pale as death.

"Everyone, fall back!" Bai Lishong shouted.

With a rush, the crowd scattered, watching the battle from afar to avoid becoming collateral damage.

Mu Wanqing herself was suffused with a subtle golden glow, as sharp as a holy sword of gold. Wielding her blade with sweeping motions, she battled Tu Wuchang fiercely.

Their figures intertwined in the air, soon becoming indistinguishable, the sky filled with torrents of blood light and layers of dazzling sword shadows, each pressing against the other.

The energies—so starkly opposed—spread in waves, demolishing all nearby structures, leaving only ruin.

Though their shapes were hard to discern, it was clear that Mu Wanqing held the upper hand.

"Wonderful, truly wonderful—our Tianyun Sect is saved!" Bai Lishong raised his arms in triumph, his aged body trembling with excitement. Everything that had happened today felt like a dream.

The others of Tianyun Sect were equally ecstatic.

The epic battle raged for several dozen minutes until, at last, the two figures abruptly separated and descended from the sky.

Mu Wanqing's face was deathly pale, her sword arm trembling.

A mouthful of thick blood spilled from her lips.

She was wounded—and not lightly.

Tu Wuchang was also injured, and much more severely: over ten sword wounds covered him, a gaping hole in his chest where his heart had been pulverized.

Amazingly, he had not died.

For any ordinary person, such injuries would mean certain death.

Clearly, Mu Wanqing had won this battle!

She had triumphed over Tu Wuchang, a demon who had inspired terror three centuries ago, thanks to the sword character gifted by Chen Changsheng.

Yet, regrettably, she had not managed to kill Tu Wuchang.

"Why aren't you dead?" Mu Wanqing stared at Tu Wuchang, her face a mix of confusion and shock.

She could not comprehend how Tu Wuchang, his heart smashed to pieces by her sword, had not perished.

It defied all logic.

What unimaginable thing resided within Tu Wuchang’s body?

From afar, Bai Lishong and the other Tianyun Sect members watched in horror. This Tu Wuchang was indeed a monstrous aberration—injured so badly, yet still alive.

If only Mu Wanqing had killed Tu Wuchang, how glorious it would be! Tianyun Sect would immediately become renowned throughout the world.

But Tu Wuchang was a being beyond reason.

"Perplexed, are you?" Tu Wuchang, though heartless, showed no sign of weakness; everything was as normal, as if the shattered organ belonged to someone else. The gaping hole in his chest, however, was horrifying enough to make one’s scalp tingle.

"I don’t mind telling you," Tu Wuchang sneered. "Because within me resides the soul of the Blood Demon Ancestor. If you wish to kill me, you must destroy that soul. Otherwise, even if you cut off my head, I will not die."

Blood Demon Ancestor? Who is that?

Everyone was stunned, gazing at one another in confusion. They had never heard of such a figure!

But merely hearing the name 'Blood Demon Ancestor' suggested a being of unspeakable terror.

"Such pitiful ants—you’ve never heard of the Blood Demon Ancestor," Tu Wuchang’s face was full of disdain. He shook his head dismissively. "In truth, I myself do not know who the Blood Demon Ancestor really is. Three centuries ago, I happened upon his soul and thus became powerful enough to sweep across the world."

With his explanation, the crowd understood at last: three centuries ago, the Blood Fiend Society had single-handedly challenged all the major sects, slaughtering them until rivers ran red. It was all because Tu Wuchang had gained the Blood Demon Ancestor’s soul, causing his power to soar.