Chapter 785: Severing the General’s Head from a Million Troops

Clang!

Qiu Wansheng’s slender, unreflective long sword emitted a dragon-like roar. Behind him, the indistinct and formless “Image of Non-Birth” emerged, erasing all traces of life. *Crack!* The dark green special treasure sword shattered into fragments. Yu Wujiu groaned, staggering backward as blood gushed from the wound on his chest, struck by the final surge of Qiu Wansheng’s power.

Qiu Wansheng’s eyes were unfocused, blood spurting from his mouth, yet his anger still erupted. Ignoring Nan Gonghen, who temporarily restrained Ma You and Li Sinong, he gritted his teeth: “Taiyuan Moxue Divine Sword… Did you know your master possessed the Qisha Tiangang Pendant, so you painstakingly prepared this? What a good disciple, truly a good disciple!”

The Qisha Tiangang Pendant, a secret treasure of the Sword Pavilion, could reactively defend against an almost Dharma-body strike. However, once encountering the “Taiyuan Moxue Divine Sword,” the seven sha energies would disperse, rendering it ineffective. Unless someone thoroughly understood Qiu Wansheng and meticulously planned the assassination, where else could one find a Taiyuan Moxue Divine Sword?

Watching his usually caring master drenched in blood, resembling a vengeful ghost, Yu Wujiu rarely showed signs of guilt: “Master, your disciple didn’t want this either, but I’ve always acted impulsively, prone to extremes, easily provoked, step by step straying until I committed a grave mistake, irreparable…”

He paused, suddenly turning resolute: “Master, you’ve always cherished your disciples, right? Then die for your disciple once. As long as I’m alive, the Sword Pavilion won’t perish!”

“Good, good, good! Today, today I’ve finally seen you for who you are, so selfish! No wonder, after committing such a grave mistake, you didn’t come to apologize but instead fell into the demonic path!” Qiu Wansheng suddenly seemed to regain some vitality, laughing loudly, “Ancestors above, it’s your disciple’s failure in judging people that led to this fate, dragging down the sect. I’ll burn away this body, and fight to the bitter end!”

With his immense authority, after landing a successful strike, Yu Wujiu dared not attack again. Hearing Qiu’s words, he hesitated, then raised his hand to slash a sword, swift as a fleeting shadow, fast as a meteor, aiming straight at Qiu Wansheng’s forehead. The sword trailed a gust of air and a surge of energy.

However, dark sword lights erupted from within Qiu Wansheng’s body, absorbing both his physical form and primordial spirit, merging directly into the Wusheng Sword. Under normal circumstances, if not countered by a restraining method, one might still hold hope for rebirth. But now, Qiu Wansheng was completely burning his primordial spirit, leaving no possibility of retreat—his resolve was utterly ruthless.

Clang!

The Wusheng Sword roared again, not emitting light but instead absorbing surrounding brightness, casting a floating darkness.

The darkness flashed, shattering Yu Wujiu’s many glories. His eyes widened, and he collapsed lifelessly, no wound visible, yet devoid of any vitality.

Deceased: Yu Wujiu.

Nickname: “Fleeting Glimpse” of the Sword Pavilion, “Faceless Demon” of the Annihilation Heaven Sect.

Death: Sword intent penetrated the spirit, life force extinguished.

Achievement: Successfully assassinated the sixth-ranked Earth List member “Thunderbolt Flame” Qiu Wansheng.

Cause of death: Killed by Qiu Wansheng’s counterattack.

Under the eruption of divine weapons and the lock-on targeting, even Nan Gonghen, who was currently displaying the strength of a peak Outer Scenery master—the “Gou Chen Divine Lord”—could not withstand a single blow, barely managing to dodge in a clumsy manner, let alone Yu Wujiu.

Without control, despite having four Dharma-body sword intents enhancing it, the “Heavenly Maimed and Earth Deficient Sword Demon Formation” gradually became chaotic. Enemies outside seized the opportunity, intensifying their attacks. The three quasi-Dharma-body fighters—Azure Demon God, Earth Immortal Remnant, and Shaman Ancestor—under the control of their respective masters, steadily broke through the sword formation layer by layer. The temperature dropped sharply over hundreds of miles, and snowflakes began to fall.

The Joyful Bodhisattva and the Joyful Buddha each wielded divine weapons in their assaults. The “Emperor of the Netherworld” from the School of Life and Death stirred up a blood-yellow mist, corroding sword intent and washing away forbidden techniques, steadily dismantling the formation.

The “Wusheng Sword,” empowered by Qiu Wansheng’s lingering divine essence, temporarily matched the strength of a Dharma-body wielder. The darkness shifted once more, causing Nan Gonghen’s eyelid to twitch as he swiftly dodged to the side.

His Tian Can Sword only managed to divert “Ten Thousand Thunders” Ma You, taking “Peach Blossom Unseen” Li Sinong’s sword strike on his left side, narrowly avoiding the Wusheng Sword’s strike.

Crack! Just a graze from the Wusheng Sword shattered Nan Gonghen’s protective robe into pieces. Li Sinong’s sword light pierced a blood-red skull, like a blooming peach flower.

Seizing the opportunity during the sword qi eruption, Nan Gonghen crushed the talisman in his other hand. His figure vanished as he fled the hall, charging straight toward the faltering formation.

Staying here while divine arms were unleashed wasn’t wise. Nan Gonghen planned to break the formation from within and without.

He still retained some control over the “Heavenly Maimed and Earth Deficient Sword Demon Formation”!

Protective formations were typically at the Dharma-body level. Normally, divine arms or relics were employed to stabilize the formation’s core. Only a Dharma-body could fully control it during critical moments. A half-step Dharma-body wielding a divine arm could barely manage it, but required the assistance of two masters to help stabilize the formation and patch vulnerabilities. If only an Outer Scenery peak practitioner wielded a divine arm, even with the support of two masters, it could only barely reach a manageable level—enough to resist a Dharma-body for a limited time.

Qiu Wansheng also had to focus on four Dharma-body sword intents, hence gathering all the Sword Pavilion’s masters to assist in controlling the formation, just in case.

The Wusheng Sword transformed into a streak of light, aiming straight at Nan Gonghen’s back, simultaneously merging into the formation, stabilizing it.

Li Sinong hesitated, inwardly surprised. Just now, the Wusheng Sword had lifted its restrictions, allowing her to take control…

Gaining control of the Wusheng Sword meant controlling the formation.

Instantly regaining her composure, Li Sinong felt a heavy responsibility and sense of mission. The sect’s survival rested on her shoulders. She began remotely controlling the Wusheng Sword, attempting to reclaim Nan Gonghen’s control over the protective formation.

The formation began to falter, its sword aura turning chaotic, losing the terrifying momentum of “ten thousand swords unleashed in unison.” Seeing this, the alliance of the grassland and heretics rejoiced, having discovered Nangong Hen’s weakness. Their attacks grew even fiercer.

The colossal cyan ghost swung its club like a small mountain, striking repeatedly with earth-shaking explosions. The Earth Immortal Remnant condensed cold energy into shards of ice, forging them into a blade. With a single slash, creeping frost spread, slowing the formation’s operation. Meanwhile, the Shaman Ancestor continuously cast various witchcraft spells, coordinating with the Joyful Bodhisattva and the current Joyful Buddha’s divine arm strikes.

For a moment, the formation swayed precariously, on the verge of collapse. Almost visible through the thin mist was Nan Gonghen, relying on his skill’s mystery to evade divine arm attacks twice, and Li Sinong flying up, gripping the Wusheng Sword’s hilt.

She had become the new Sword Pavilion leader, intending to stabilize the “Heavenly Maimed and Earth Deficient Sword Demon Formation.” Although not at the Outer Scenery peak and inexperienced in control, with four Dharma-body sword intents and Ma You’s assistance, she should hold out longer. Then, perhaps the battle would shift, or allied sects might risk danger to rescue them!

However, all this depended on stabilizing the “Heavenly Maimed and Earth Deficient Sword Demon Formation”!

At present, wielding a divine arm, her own strength ranks within the top hundred of the Earth List. Her sword techniques are exquisite, and combined with Ma You’s “Ten Thousand Thunders” coordination, it is more than enough to overpower Nan Gonghen—just one sword strike would suffice if Ma You could restrain him!

Yet, at this moment, the enemy gave no chance to breathe, attacking fiercely. With Nan Gonghen’s interference, the formation would collapse in mere heartbeats.

The external situation—Hasiwula, Joyful Bodhisattva, and others—was unclear to them, but they were seasoned veterans. They clearly understood the formation’s condition. Once they paused, the opponent might recover.

Meng Qi, observing from above with his keen insight, understood this as well. The survival of the Sword Pavilion hung by a thread within just a few breaths. He quickly sought solutions.

He needed to sow chaos among the grassland forces and the heretics, buying time for the Sword Pavilion to recover from the devastation inflicted by the Faceless Demon… This was Meng Qi’s foremost consideration. He couldn’t bear to witness the fall of the Sword Pavilion, the heretics’ triumph, the Joyful Temple running rampant, or the tide turning in favor of the grassland—prompting noble clans and sects to follow suit and aid the enemy!

But how to create chaos?

Below stood three quasi-Dharma-body warriors, three divine arms, and three top-tier figures from the Black Ranking—specifically the fifth, twelfth, and twenty-first on the Earth Ranking—each formidable enough to pose a serious challenge to him. Not to mention the over twenty Golden Tent Warriors and Longevity Cult shamans, all elite fighters, whose combined might could very well seal his fate like Cao Xianzhi, leaving him with no chance of escape.

Even if “Karmic Entanglement” was an unstoppable blade, currently, he might not affect divine arms, let alone the current Joyful Buddha and Joyful Bodhisattva.

Just as the idea surfaced, Meng Qi’s heart stirred. Actually, there was a chance! The opponent had a loophole!

Three quasi-Dharma-body fighters, three top-ranked Black List experts wielding divine weapons, and the majority of masters were launching a full-scale assault on the “Heavenly Maimed and Earth Deficient Sword Demon Formation.” Only a handful of masters remained on guard against external reinforcements, with none stationed at the Outer Scenery peak.

As long as he didn’t directly attack the quasi-Dharma-body and the top four on the Black List, thereby triggering their danger premonition, he would have a brief window of opportunity. By crossing the outermost警戒line and seizing the right moment before being locked on and集中火力, there would be a fleeting chance to create chaos and make his escape!

Of course, any slight mistake, a half-beat delay, and all would be lost!

Meng Qi’s mind settled as he weighed the pros and cons, making a decisive choice without hesitation or second thoughts.

But how to maximize the chaos?

Time was pressing. Meng Qi glanced around, got an idea, took a deep breath, and his mind became exceptionally clear. He forgot about life and death, the greater situation, focusing solely on the imminent goal with complete devotion.

Meng Qi moved stealthily yet swiftly, entering the sensing range before suddenly appearing. He strode through the air, covering vast distances in an instant, and flashed toward the grassland where the heretical alliance was besieging the Sword Pavilion.

Ding Ding Ding Ding! Two Golden Tent Warriors spotted him first, both growling fiercely as they brandished their long blades. One sent a flash of sword light slicing through the air, while the other, closer in proximity, lunged straight at Meng Qi.

Deng Deng Deng Deng! The blade light shattered, and the long knives rebounded, sending a master flying. Meng Qi’s body radiated a faint golden glow, completely unharmed. Shrinking “space” and time, his body rapidly expanded, reaching nearly ten zhang in height.

Bang! With muscles bulging, Meng Qi slammed into a shaman casting sorcery, sending him flying in a spray of blood. Without hesitation, Meng Qi flashed forward, knocking away a precious weapon—both the blade and the Golden Tent Warrior were sent flying.

Their grandmaster domains, mystical arts, and martial techniques had no time to unfold. Even if they had, striking Meng Qi would be like ants trying to shake a mighty tree. Most attacks barely disturbed the faint golden radiance around him, leaving only minor, insignificant wounds at best.

Ding ding ding ding! Meng Qi broke through the first encirclement, feeling exhilarated. He realized that after stepping onto the second level of the heavenly ladder, the fully unleashed Eight-Nine Arcane Art truly turned him into a human-shaped weapon of destruction—a human-shaped treasure blade!

At this moment, the current Joyful Buddha, who initially thought, “Which fool dares to break into the formation?” without ceasing his assault on the grand formation, gradually realized the intruder was Su Meng—reckless and courting death. He withdrew his vajra pestle, turned sideways, and prepared to strike with the pestle, intending to avenge his junior disciple, the Six Desires.

Not only him, but the Cyan Giant Ghost and the Joyful Bodhisattva also turned their attacks toward Meng Qi, causing the pressure from the grand formation to suddenly ease. Li Sinong and Ma You seized the opportunity to stabilize their position slightly and launched a fierce assault against Nan Gonghen.

Meng Qi’s mind was crystal clear, elevating his sense of danger to the utmost. The moment an extreme sense of peril arose, the long-prepared “blade light” was unleashed—using his own body as a divine weapon to “split heaven and earth”!

With a whoosh, the blade light cleaved through the air, slashing toward the leader of the Golden Tent warriors, Hasu Wula, with an unstoppable and lightning-fast speed.

Brilliant and dazzling, it transformed into a vajra as massive as a mountain peak, crashing down and denting the ground below into the beginnings of a lake. Yet, it struck nothing—Meng Qi had already dodged it in advance!

“Come to assassinate me?” Hasuwula sneered, drawing his scimitar. In an instant, a flash of lightning seemed to erupt in the void—so fast it surpassed sight and sound, as if breaking free from the earth’s constraints.

I am a powerhouse at the peak of outdoor combat, ranked in the top ten of the Black List and the top fifty of the Earth List!

Clang! The two blades clashed, and Meng Qi’s “blade momentum” came to an abrupt halt, revealing his true form. A deep gash stretched from the side of his face to his neck, with blade intent seeping into the wound—a serious injury. After all, using his physical body as a weapon to clash head-on with a peak-level External Scenery expert wielding a top-tier treasure blade inevitably resulted in harm.

Hasuwula staggered back a few steps, his palm trembling slightly, his heart filled with shock. If the opponent had used a top-tier treasure weapon, his own weapon would surely have suffered some damage—truly indestructible…

He was truly relieved to have intercepted the opponent, thinking they could surround and attack. Suddenly, he saw “Mad Blade” Su Meng raise his sleeve, and a sense of foreboding instantly rose in his heart.

The world was dark and gloomy, chaotic and obscure. Hasuwula, unable to resist, was drawn into the ever-expanding sleeve.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the nominal leaders of the Grassland and Left Path Alliance were drawn in. Meng Qi let out a hearty laugh, his primordial spirit resonating through the sky as he proclaimed:

“Grandsons, come and chase me!”

With a powerful taunt, the massive spiked club came crashing down, turning the ground’s rocks into soft, shattered fragments—both sinister and terrifying. Yet, the surrounding void had already split open, and Meng Qi’s figure dissolved into an illusion, leaving only his voice echoing through the air.

The moment he succeeded, he crushed the Void-breaking Talisman—the very one that had remained unused in the Jade Void Palace!

“Come chase me, grandsons!” Meng Qi’s voice, filled with arrogant mockery, echoed all around.

Nothing is more effective at causing chaos than capturing the enemy’s nominal leader!

It has a better harassment effect than the “Mountain and Sea Bow”!

Over twenty grandmasters from the Grassland and Left Path Alliance, along with several half-step Dharmakaya and quasi-Dharmakaya level fighters, could only watch helplessly as “Mad Blade” Su Meng charged into their formation. In the blink of an eye, he “snatched” away their nominal commander. An indescribable sense of humiliation surged through their minds, with some even turning red-eyed with fury.

“What should we do?” At this moment, the group was leaderless, uncertain whether to continue the attack or rescue the leader of the Golden Tent Warriors, Hasiwula.

The situation was sudden and urgent. Several quasi-Dharmakaya experts who possessed the power to seal off the void lacked independent intelligence, relying entirely on the manipulation by their masters. They couldn’t hinder their own allies’ movements and thus failed to react promptly. Meanwhile, the few masters who controlled void powers were scattered by Meng Qi’s assault and had yet to regroup.

Li Sinong seized the opportunity, activating formations and deploying treasures to directly “launch” Nangong Hen out of the mountain gate, severing his left arm. Had it not been for his strange secret treasure blocking the strike, he might have perished instantly.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! In the Sword Grave, swords left behind by past disciples of the Sword Pavilion flew into the air. Ten thousand swords launched simultaneously, blotting out the sun and sky, dazzling the eyes, and merging into the grand formation. With this brief respite, Li Sinong and Ma You finally managed to stabilize the formation, buying them a little more time.

Only then did she sigh, “So this is what they call plucking a general’s head from a million soldiers as easily as reaching into a bag? ‘Furious Blade’ Su Meng truly lives up to his reputation.”

…

Invisible sword lights roamed like they had merged into the ocean of Primordial Unity between heaven and earth, making Da Man dare not inhale or exhale. Fortunately, the “Eternal Heaven” possessed him, allowing recovery through wish-light of boundless distance. Otherwise, facing He Qi would have been extremely difficult.

Since the incident with the Blue-blooded Men, “Sword-Mad” He Qi’s perfected form of the formless sword qi had become even more refined and seamless. Aside from the true “Formless”—completely vanishing in presence, scent, trace, and appearance—his attacks gave no clue beforehand, forcing opponents into passive defense. He excelled especially in fighting multiple enemies simultaneously. His sword qi could dissolve into the ocean of Primordial Unity like a drop of water, making opponents afraid to inhale or replenish energy, relying solely on Dharmakaya power.

Although Dharmakaya itself is the embodiment of laws and Primordial Unity, which doesn’t require drawing in Primordial Unity, there was still a limit. Prolonged battle would gradually weaken their strength until eventual exhaustion and defeat.

Possessed by Eternal Heaven, Da Man manifested a divine form dozens of zhang tall, blue-green in color, with water underfoot, fire in hand, dark clouds around his body, lightning for eyes, his head like the sun, as if encompassing all natural elements. He transformed an area of nearly a thousand li into the Eternal Heaven Realm, where ancestral spirits and “pious warriors” continuously emerged, only to be shattered by formless sword qi before being reborn from nothingness, serving to assist and delay the enemy.

At the same time, Eternal Heaven Realm rained down snowflakes formed from wish-light, replacing the ocean of Primordial Unity, combined with wide-area spells and strange techniques. Though at a disadvantage, Da Man firmly held He Qi in place, preventing him from diverting his attention elsewhere.

…

Xiliang City, the capital of Xizhou.

The grand formation was activated. Sima Yin, head of the Sima Clan, held a bamboo whip about four chi long. Its original color was unknown, but it seemed to absorb attacks and light, appearing pitch black. It was famously known as “Dharma-Extinguishing Whip,” the divine treasure protecting the Sima Clan.

At this moment, the Great Asura Meng Nan revealed his three-headed, six-armed dark-blue true form, wrathful and fierce, nearly naked except for a black hide wrapped around his waist. His eyes spewed black flames, and he wielded a blood-red spear, attacking the formation.

The spear brimmed with murderous and bloody aura, polluting and slowing the formation, allowing it to pierce through nearly unimpeded. Black flames consumed the sky, silently reducing whatever they touched to ashes.

Within the formation, Sima Yin, along with several other masters controlling key points in the city and ancestral home, swung the whip. The formation followed suit, extinguishing the sky-burning flames, their destination unknown.

Another whip strike surged with blackness, dissipating the blood spear’s ferocity and nearly “swallowing” it. Forced to retreat hastily, the spear barely escaped.

The “Great Asura” Meng Nan, alone, attacked for a while, realizing no immediate opportunity. He immediately bypassed Xiliang and advanced deep into the Jin territory, harvesting clans and sects along the way who clung to false hopes—they had not retreated into the city.

…

The “Master of Evil” Han Guang concealed his form, swiftly heading south as if traversing through layers of void. As per his agreement with Gourdo, in this battle, he could not attack the Grassland and Leftist Alliance factions but was obligated to strike against the Orthodox side.

As he flew, he faintly sensed the Dharma King of Crossing Worlds also moving southward, concealed within the void. Perhaps he was heading to assist the Blood Sea Rakshasa and the Great Asura in swiftly defeating a Dharmakaya expert to secure victory, or perhaps he had other motives.

Everyone had signed a pact witnessed by the “Heaven’s Wrath Axe,” forbidding mutual killing during the battle.

Because their planning started earlier and time was more abundant than the Orthodox, they could prepare many things in advance, such as pacts!

In the depths of Changle City’s palace, Gao Lan still sat upon the shadow-laden throne, gazing into the distance. He seemed oblivious to the Evil Master and the Crossing World Dharma King’s covert southward advance—or perhaps he noticed but simply paid it no heed.

His eyebrows were sharp like swords, his eyes deep and star-like. Beside him lay casually the Human Emperor Sword, which once dominated the late ancient and early middle ages.

…

The blood shadow faded, nearly transparent, stealthily flying through layers of mountains, approaching the Jin territory.

Suddenly, a divine figure appeared before him, wielding a sword. A purple sun shone behind his head, surrounded by purple aura and radiant light, exuding majesty.

“Cui Qinghe, the ‘Vast Purple Aura’!”

He slashed with his sword. The blood shadow materialized, meeting the strike with a thin blood-colored blade.

At that moment, a golden-bodied Arhat emerged from the left, surrounded by Buddhist chants and the image of subduing dragons. His left hand held a sarira, and his right formed a fist, appearing unpredictable and ever-changing, difficult to fathom.

“Arhat Subduing Dragons,” Kong Wen!

A gurgling sound echoed around as the blood sea surfaced, surging with crimson waves, blocking the punch and giving the Blood Sea Rakshasa a chance to evade.

Yet from the right appeared a Daoist priest, white-haired but rosy-cheeked, throwing out an ethereal Chaos talisman. Each ancient Daoist character contained profound Daoist secrets, stabilizing the surrounding laws and changes in the Primordial Unity ocean. Stars emerged, the universe descended, myriad phenomena arose, and countless killing energies burst forth.

Yun He instantly set up the “Myriad Phenomena Formation” with the “Primordial Unity Supreme Talisman,” trapping the Blood Sea Rakshasa.

The Blood Sea Rakshasa’s eyes flickered, clearly not expecting a talisman master of Yang Shen level, equal to a Dharmakaya!

Yet he remained composed, tossing out a crimson bag adorned with bizarre patterns. His divine consciousness rippled through the void:

“Brother, assist me!”

Three figures flew out from the bag. One was a magnificent peacock with five faint tail feathers—red, green, yellow, white, and black—radiating brilliant light, heavy and imposing. Another was a terrifying White Tiger, surrounded by golden winds, dominating the Metal element in the world. The last was a one-horned Kuiniu, riding a green thunder dragon.

The three Demon Kings arrived together!

From the beginning, Han Guang had coordinated with Gourdo and the Demon Kings. However, he only revealed the information to the Blood Sea Rakshasa, the bait, keeping the other Dharmakaya experts in the dark to prevent leaks!

As soon as the Demon King Ta Li appeared, a red glow swept from his back, instantly drawing “Cui Qinghe, the Vast Purple Aura” inside without resistance.

The Five-Color Divine Light was indeed miraculous!

As the red glow swayed, Cui Qinghe struggled within, forcing Ta Li to avoid the formation’s core, seemingly exerting himself to suppress him.

Kong Wen and Yun He remained calm. The arrival of the three Demon Kings was anticipated. Since Cui Qinghe wasn’t a quasi-Dharmakaya, Ta Li’s attempt to suppress him would leave him unable to focus elsewhere, essentially trading one piece for another, and the opponent’s strongest one at that. It was a favorable exchange.

Currently, two versus three, but Kong Wen’s strength far exceeded the Blood Sea Rakshasa, with formation support. The outcome was still uncertain. Not to mention the approaching quasi-Dharmakaya reinforcements like the Luyang Song Clan, Qingchen Sect from Nanzhou, and the Wang Clan from Zhoujun!

However, after avoiding the formation’s core, Ta Li didn’t attempt suppression. He slightly resisted the swaying stars of the Myriad Phenomena Formation, shook the red glow, and threw out Cui Qinghe.

Dazed but calm, Cui Qinghe prepared to steady himself, ready to block the attack with his Zhi Ge sword, when suddenly a Fengchi Heijin spear pierced toward him, accompanied by the cries of a hundred birds. Colorless flames the size of rice grains gathered at the spearhead.

The Demon Sage Spear?

The awakened Demon Sage Spear!

Shocked, Cui Qinghe saw Ta Li’s face twist into a mocking and cruel smile. Since their last battle over the general outline of the Tathagata’s Palm technique, the Demon Sage Spear had already awakened, reaching the Earth Immortal level, just like the Heaven’s Wrath Axe back then. It had merely been biding its time until now to strike!