Chapter 565: Sword Demon Dies, Evil King Shatters

Before Baijian Villa.

A flawless hand pulled back the carriage curtain.

The fingers were slender; one would think they were well-suited for wielding a blade or gripping a sword.

Furthermore, it was evident that this was a man's hand—relatively broad and full of power, as if it could grasp all things in heaven and earth within a single palm.

The first to step down, however, was not the owner of this hand, but a young girl of about ten years old. Her green skirt fluttered, her black hair flowed like a waterfall, and her small face looked exceptionally fair, even carrying a sickly pallor. Her lips were slightly pursed, making her appear very delicate and adorable. What was even more eye-catching, however, was the blade case in the girl's arms.

——A glowing blade case.

A glowing blade case was already astonishing enough. What was more terrifying was that a baleful aura of hatred for heaven and earth emanated from within it; one could only wonder what kind of terrifying Evil Weapon was sealed inside to possess such malice. It seemed the little girl looked so pale precisely because she was resisting this baleful and murderous aura at every moment.

And the existence that had roared from within the carriage earlier also seemed to be the terrifying divine weapon inside the blade case.

Immediately following, the owner of that hand slowly stepped out. He was dressed in black, his appearance was handsome, and his bearing was transcendent, unlike anyone of the mortal world.

Such demeanor and spirit were unheard of and unseen.

When the other party's gaze swept over them, Lady Ao and the others actually developed a strange feeling, as if the person were residing above the nine heavens, looking down, and those deep eyes made all the thoughts in their hearts transparent.

Under this person's gaze, everyone fell silent like cicadas in winter, only bowing their heads deeply to show submission.

Lady Ao forcibly suppressed the surging waves in her heart and bowed again: "This concubine greets Yu Chengzhu. A banquet has long been prepared in the hall, specifically to welcome you, sir."

Yu Liancheng's gaze swept over Lady Ao. Although she had already married and had a child, she was only twenty-five or twenty-six, in the prime of her youth. Her age was about the same as Yan Ying's, and her figure seemed slightly more voluptuous than Yan Ying's, though her charm was slightly inferior. At this moment, as she bowed slightly, the curves within her silk dress were revealed without doubt.

The thin veil on her face naturally could not block Yu Liancheng's gaze, so he quickly withdrew it, sighed lightly in his heart, and said calmly: "No need. I will speak plainly. I have come to Baijian Villa this time with a request: I wish for you to forge a Sword for me. I have brought the materials myself, but one thing is still missing, and it is right here in your Baijian Villa. With your grace, Madam, I trust you will not be stingy. Of course, I understand the rules of Baijian Villa; I will certainly not be stingy with the price that should be paid."

"It is the honor of my Baijian Villa to forge a Sword for Yu Chengzhu."

Boom—!

No sooner had Lady Ao finished speaking than a burst of urgent hoofbeats sounded, trembling and rolling toward them.

A troop of riders was seen galloping straight toward Baijian Villa. The riders on horseback were all robust, and their clothes bore the characters "Baijian," clearly subordinates of Baijian Villa.

"Haha, Madam, I have found the required Cold Strange Iron and have returned early."

The leader was a tall, burly man with a face full of ferocity, only showing a trace of tenderness when his gaze shifted to Lady Ao.

Lady Ao's brows furrowed slightly; why had Jian Mo returned at this time?

Jian Mo was the one with the highest martial arts in Baijian Villa. He was notorious in the Edo, lecherous and cruel, but his Broken Pulse Sword Qi was also a famous unique skill. Purely in terms of martial arts, he was not below the sect leaders of those great factions, and it was precisely because of this that he could support the increasingly declining Baijian Villa.

Although this person had a wild and violent personality, he was completely obedient to Lady Ao.

A few days ago, he had gone out to find Cold Strange Iron to perfect the Peerless Good Sword. He had thought it would take at least ten days or half a month to return to the villa, but he had unexpectedly found the strange iron on the way and returned today.

"Who is this?"

Jian Mo jumped off his horse, his gaze shifting to Yu Liancheng, his brows slightly furrowed. Since Yu Liancheng was handsome and currently very close to Lady Ao, he couldn't help but feel a surge of jealousy and a nameless fire rising in his heart.

"Master Jian Mo, this person... this person is Yu Liancheng."

As soon as Aotian saw Jian Mo, his heart relaxed. He had grown up without a father and relied entirely on Jian Mo to support Baijian Villa, so he felt a vague sense of filial affection toward him.

Although Yu Liancheng was sufficiently transcendent, he had not seen his specific methods. But Jian Mo's strength was deeply rooted in Aotian's heart. Under that Broken Pulse Sword Qi, no one had ever survived.

Upon hearing the three words "Yu Liancheng," Jian Mo's eyes lit up, and he laughed: "Yu Liancheng, your 'Startling List' has shaken the world, but in my eyes, it is nothing more than this; at least there is one omission."

"Oh?" Yu Liancheng said calmly.

"That is the lack of my Broken Pulse Sword Qi, which is comparable to the Heavenly Sword! Take a look." Jian Mo laughed, pointed his finger at Yu Liancheng, and suddenly shot out a streak of Broken Pulse Sword Qi.

This Broken Pulse Sword Qi was his famous unique skill in the Edo, condensing Qi into the finger and shooting it out with the aid of Sword Qi; even hard marble could be pierced by the Sword Qi. And because the Sword Qi was formless and intangible, a flick of the finger meant a streak of Sword Qi, killing without a trace; it was no wonder he was so arrogant.

It was a pity that when this Sword Qi reached three feet from Yu Liancheng, it turned into a ripple in the air and dissipated into nothingness.

"Comparable to the Heavenly Sword?" Yu Liancheng seemed to have heard a huge joke and revealed a mocking smile: "With this Broken Pulse Sword Qi of yours, it is nothing but third-rate goods, and your current reputation can only be said to be that of a monkey acting as king because there are no tigers in the mountains."

"Brat, I think you're tired of living!" Jian Mo was furious upon hearing this, spread his five fingers, condensed his entire True Qi into them, and shot it out with a boom.

Yu Liancheng chuckled, slowly raised an index finger, and shot out a finger force. However, this finger force was extremely scorching; wherever it passed, the air twisted and deformed, and the air within a ten-zhang radius became extremely dry, as if all moisture had been evaporated by this finger.

It was precisely the Round Melting Gold Finger from the Ten Great Martial Daos.

The strength of this finger force was such that even gold and iron would be burned into liquid.

Consequently, amidst screams, Jian Mo's entire arm was shattered.

He staggered backward, his eyes still filled with disbelief. What was more terrifying was that a scorching force spread from the wound to his limbs and bones, his extraordinary meridians, making his whole body feel as if it were being burned by a raging fire.

Aotian's face turned pale, unable to believe that Jian Mo had been defeated in one move. Instead, a flash of brilliance suddenly crossed Lady Ao's eyes.

"I said, the Broken Pulse Sword Qi is nothing but third-rate goods." Yu Liancheng said in a flat tone: "Now, kneel down, kowtow, and be a dog for me; perhaps I can spare your life."

"Bah, don't even think about it!"

The anger in Jian Mo's heart had surged to the extreme. Ignoring the injury to his right arm, he condensed the remaining Sword Qi onto his left hand and, with an angry roar, rushed toward Yu Liancheng. At the same time, he spread the five fingers of his left hand, intending to shoot out this strongest strike that exceeded his limits.

However, before he could fully unleash the Sword Qi, the surging force of the Round Melting Gold Finger within Jian Mo's body erupted like a volcano, rampaging recklessly inside him.

Immediately, his meridians and acupoints exploded one after another, his whole body was soaked in blood, and he fell from mid-air, gasping for breath.

"You say, what's wrong with begging for mercy? I could have spared your life, but you insisted on seeking death." Yu Liancheng walked slowly to Jian Mo and stepped on his head with one foot.

Perhaps truly feeling the fear of death, all of Jian Mo's pride was pierced through. He spat out blood foam and said intermittently: "Spare, spare my life, I am willing to pledge loyalty."

"Hehe, I was just joking earlier, don't take it seriously." Yu Liancheng applied a little force under his foot, and the latter's head immediately sank into the ground, then suddenly exploded.

He turned to Lady Ao and smiled slightly: "Madam, consider this my greeting gift, you're welcome."

Lady Ao's eyes contained tears, and she bowed again: "This concubine thanks Yu Chengzhu for killing Jian Mo and avenging my child's father."

"Mother, what are you saying?!" Aotian said in surprise.

"Tian'er, don't you always want to know who killed your father? It was Jian Mo!"

"What?"

It turned out that many years ago, Jian Mo had accidentally met the young Lady Ao and was stunned by her beauty, yearning for her endlessly, but it was only a fleeting glimpse.

Many years later, he accidentally heard news of Lady Ao, but she had already married and was the wife of the master of Baijian Villa.

Jian Mo simply decided to go all the way and killed the master of Baijian Villa. Fortunately, Lady Ao threatened him with her own death, allowing the then-infant Aotian to escape disaster.

Over the years, Jian Mo had been obedient to Lady Ao, all in the hope that one day he could move her.

Yet she did not know that Lady Ao had already hated him to the marrow of her bones.

The reason she wore a veil was also because she felt this face was the source of all disaster, and thus she had long ago left dozens of blade scars upon it. Every blade scar was a bone-deep hatred for Jian Mo.

Now that she saw her enemy dead, she was naturally overjoyed, only regretting that she had not killed him with her own hands.

"Alright, there is no need for a welcome ceremony; take me to the Sword Pool." Yu Liancheng had no interest in listening to those decades of grievances and entanglements, and with a flick of his sleeve, he signaled for Lady Ao to lead the way.

"Yes."

Lady Ao composed herself and led the way in front.

Sword Pool.

The forbidden ground of Baijian Villa.

This was the foundation of Baijian Villa, containing countless divine weapons. In the past, swordsmen from the Edo would travel ten thousand miles just to seek a divine blade, only to fail, and the name "Baijian" (Worship Sword) came from this.

The location of the Sword Pool was a natural cavern. The earth fire never ceased year-round, making it unbearably hot—a natural furnace. In the Sword Pool, there were swords covering the mountains and plains, of all shapes and sizes, dense and numerous, but without exception, they were all sharp weapons tempered a thousand times. In the very center of the Sword Pool, a giant black sword stood upright, fixed by countless black chains, as if supporting heaven and earth.

An old man with charred hair and beard, a sharp face, and thick arms stood beside the giant sword; he was the best sword smith of Baijian Villa—Zhong Mei.

Hum, hum, hum!

Suddenly, the swords covering the mountains and plains began to tremble, emitting bursts of humming. More and more swords hummed, the sound seemingly converging into a torrent, crashing throughout the entire Sword Pool.

"Master Zhong, what is happening?"

A burly man carrying a giant sword flashed into view; this person was a sword slave tasked with guarding the swords, known as Wen Nu.

"This old man is not quite sure either."

Zhong Mei could not help but knit his brows.

Since he could remember, he had been engaged in matters related to sword smithing, yet this scene before him was something he had never seen or heard of.

But as one of the world's top sword smiths, he still faintly detected some clues, and weighing his words, he spoke slowly.

"This old man guesses that it seems to be because of the arrival of an unimaginable existence that these swords have become afraid. That existence is too powerful, too... evil? All the swords have no choice but to unite, jointly releasing Sword Intent to face the enemy. It is just unknown what kind of terrifying weapon it is that could cause ten thousand swords to be so afraid."

"That is a blade."

A clear voice rang out, and Yu Liancheng, dressed in black, appeared beside him, followed by Di Er Meng, who was struggling to carry the blade box.

"Stop, intruders. This is the forbidden ground of the Sword Pool; trespassers will be killed without mercy." Another cold voice rang out, the tone carrying a bit of chilling Sword Intent, as if it could suppress the scorching heat of the Sword Pool.

And before Yu Liancheng, several zhang away, a cold and beautiful woman with hair like snow appeared. That long hair covered the upper half of her cheeks, but one could see her pointed chin and a small, cherry-like mouth that was delicate and proper; when she spoke, two rows of fine teeth looked like pearls. A fiery red short skirt outlined her full figure, and her snow-white long legs stood straight, exposed to the air.

On her back, she carried two long swords radiating cold air, which merged with her cold Sword Qi; clearly, she had attained no small accomplishment in Sword Dao. And this woman was the other sword slave of the Sword Pool, with a name that matched her image and temperament—Leng Yan.

"Leng Yan, do not be rude. This is City Lord Yu of Wushuang City, and also a benefactor of my Baijian Villa." Lady Ao and the others had also arrived, and she introduced Zhong Mei, Wen Nu, and Leng Yan to Yu Liancheng.

Wen Nu and Leng Yan's expressions shifted slightly; clearly, they had heard of Yu Liancheng's great name.

But Zhong Mei kept his gaze fixed firmly on the blade box Di Er Meng was holding, his breathing slightly rapid: "Is, is this the supreme evil divine weapon that makes ten thousand swords tremble?"

"Correct."

Yu Liancheng took the Divine Stone Blade Armor and gave it a light tap. Immediately, a tidal wave of baleful energy surged out from the blade box, sweeping outward in all directions, making one's heart turn cold and the whole body tremble.

So much so that many of the Wushuang disciples were stirred by the demonic thoughts in their hearts; killing intent arose, their eyes turned red, and looking at their fellow disciples, it was as if they were enemies who had killed their fathers, and they were about to draw their swords to fight.

"Hmph!" Yu Liancheng let out a cold snort, like a thunderclap in a clear sky. The crowd felt as if they had been struck by lightning, their eardrums buzzing, and at the same time, they woke up from those demonic thoughts, breaking into a cold sweat.

"The most evil and demonic blade... with such a blade coming into the world, I fear the world will once again be plunged into a bloodbath," Zhong Mei muttered to himself.

Yu Liancheng reached out his palm, and the Great Evil King was already in his hand. However, the Great Evil King emitted a humming, trembling sound, similar to the previous chorus of ten thousand swords. Both the blade body and the hilt were constantly trembling, wanting to escape from Yu Liancheng's hand, but unfortunately, it was all in vain.

"You, you brought such a demonic blade to Baijian Villa, what exactly is your intention? Could it be that you want to... start a massacre in the villa to sacrifice to the demonic blade?" Under the impact of the Great Evil King's evil energy, Zhong Mei's face turned pale.

And the rest of the Baijian Villa disciples, hearing Zhong Mei's words, turned pale and retreated one after another.

"You are wrong. I came to the villa to ask you to forge a sword for me, a sword that is invincible in the world and worthy of being listed in the next Jinghuang Ranking. And this blade..."

Yu Liancheng's tone was calm. Holding the blade in one hand, he slowly reached his other hand toward the blade body. The process was very slow, advancing inch by inch, and with every inch it advanced, several black cracks appeared on his palm. The black cracks carried the scent of great destruction and great ruin, as if they could collapse and destroy all things.

When it moved to within three inches of the Great Evil King, the entire palm was covered in black cracks, pitch-black and deep, as if he were wearing a black glove that destroyed everything.

And the Great Evil King's trembling and humming became even more intense, even faintly carrying a hint of begging for mercy. However, this still could not stop Yu Liancheng's subsequent actions.

"... will be one of the materials for forging that sword."

Clatter!

He reached out with a grab, and then this Great Evil King, which could swallow heaven and destroy the earth, developed cracks. Finally, amidst a crackling sound, it turned into more than ten fragments, all of which were swept into his sleeve by Yu Liancheng with a flick.

And at the moment the Great Evil King shattered, the crowd seemed to see a monster with a metal shell, covered in bone spurs, and blood-red eyes let out a mournful cry before finally dissipating between heaven and earth.

PS: Eight thousand words update delivered, begging for monthly votes.