"Qin Wudao? Never heard of you. But if you hand over the Dao Weapon in your hands, I will grant you an intact corpse!" Luo Yun said in a low, arrogant voice. His icy eyes, full of greed, were fixed intently on the Xuanyuan Sword.
He was certain this was a precious Dao Weapon.
On the Primitive Continent, there was a strict classification for weapons, ranking from low to high as follows: Mortal, Ling, Dao, King, Saint, Emperor, and Immortal!
A truly excellent weapon was incredibly rare.
Throughout the entire East Ancient Domain, only a handful of Dao Weapons existed, serving as heirloom armaments of their respective sects. These armaments were only ever deployed when a sect faced an existential threat.
"A Dao Weapon?"
Upon hearing the Xuanyuan Sword, an Extreme Dao Immortal Weapon, being classified as a Dao Weapon, Qin Wudao shook his head. He wouldn't bother explaining to a man destined to die.
"Die!"
As this word left his lips, the atmosphere crackled, and the killing intent on the battlefield surged violently.
Qin Wudao took a step forward, slowly lifting the Xuanyuan Sword and releasing a surge of Sword Qi. It shimmered like cast gold, covered in profound, mystical patterns, and pulsed with the power to cleave the heavens and split the earth.
This single strike embodied a Sword Intent powerful enough to dominate the highest heavens.
"Blade, come!"
Luo Yun dared not be careless. A battle knife materialized from the Void before him. Its crimson blade gleamed, emanating an Evil Qi that shot to the sky, a testament to its sharpness.
This knife was undoubtedly extraordinary, a Ling-grade weapon. However, compared to the Xuanyuan Sword, it was vastly inferior.
"Cut!"
Wielding his battle knife, Luo Yun roared, unleashing countless streams of Blade Qi. They rained down like dense arrow-showers, forming a vast, inescapable net to ensnare Qin Wudao's Sword Qi.
Before countless watchful eyes, the Sword Qi and Blade Qi clashed violently, a fated duel culminating in a heaven-shattering explosion.
BOOM!
The Void trembled as wave upon wave of energy erupted from the center of the explosion, crashing outward like a monstrous tsunami.
The shockwave sent Luo Yun staggering back, his face paling as a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth.
"Excellent!"
On Hangu Pass, Wang Jian couldn't help but shout. At this critical juncture, Qin Wudao had descended from the heavens, restoring the prestige of the Qin Dynasty. Wang Jian was deeply moved, filled with admiration for this hitherto unknown Ninth Prince.
If my memory serves me right, the Ninth Prince is only fifteen!
High among the clouds, the experts from the six major sects communicated covertly, "Wrong intel! The Ninth Prince of Qin isn't useless, but an unparalleled prodigy! Such a prodigy must be killed as soon as possible, lest he become a domain-ruling power in the future!" Their eyes, filled with endless killing intent, were fixed on Qin Wudao.
"Rest assured," Luo Yun's master, the Heavenly Fire Taoist, stroked his beard and said with a confident smile, "my disciple has already comprehended his Fasang. Qin Wudao is as good as dead!"
The experts from the other five sects looked on with envy.
「…」
"Qin Wudao, how dare you injure me?"
Luo Yun wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face contorting as he circulated Spiritual Energy. A Vermillion Bird shadow began to condense above his head. Its wings flapped, emitting intense flames.
Within a ten-mile radius, the air temperature soared. Plants began to wither and spontaneously combust.
The Fasang Realm! Now, this is getting interesting!
Qin Wudao's eyes fixed on the Vermillion Bird shadow, and his battle intent surged. A Martial Artist's growth is a saga of conflict. They rise through battle, comprehend the Dao through battle, and achieve invincibility under the heavens through battle.
"Two months ago, I comprehended the Vermillion Bird Fasang and broke through to the Fasang Realm. You are doomed to lose!"
Luo Yun fully unleashed his power, employing his Fasang Divine Skills. Countless tongues of fire swept through the world, transforming the Void into a raging inferno.
Within this inferno, a brilliant crimson Vermillion Bird soared, commanding the flames.
Beneath this Vermillion Bird, Qin Wudao seemed as insignificant as an ant.
Not good! The Ninth Prince is in danger!
On the pass wall, Wang Jian's expression was grim, his eyes revealing his inner conflict. He hesitated, debating whether to intervene; Qin Wudao's talent was simply too heaven-defying.
"Not necessarily!"
Amidst the sea of fire, a slight smile touched Qin Wudao's lips as an even more terrifying aura erupted from within him.
The roiling inferno was instantly dispersed by this aura. Then, Spiritual Energy surged, coalescing into an illusory figure above Qin Wudao's head. It radiated a vast presence and, upon closer inspection, bore a striking resemblance to Qin Wudao himself.
Has the Ninth Prince also broken through to the Fasang Realm?
Wang Jian, still hesitating, stared with his mouth agape, his eyes wide with disbelief. To break through to the Fasang Realm at fifteen! Such a thing has never happened in the hundred-thousand-year history of the Qin Empire! Qin Wudao—he has shattered the Qin Empire's cultivation record, eclipsing every prodigy of the last hundred thousand years!
Bear in mind that in the path of cultivation, there are a total of fifteen realms, which are, in order: Postnatal, Pre-heaven, True Man, Beyond, Dongtian, Fasang, Nirvana, Transcendent, Heavenly, Entering Sainthood, Saint, Saint King, Semi-Emperor, Great Emperor, and Immortal!
The previous record for the earliest breakthrough to the Fasang Realm in the Qin Empire was held by the current Qin Emperor, who had achieved it at the age of thirty.
Qin Wudao had cut that record in half.
"Issue the order! Ensure the Ninth Prince's safety at all costs!"
This time, Wang Jian showed no hesitation, directly issuing the command. As for the unwritten rules of the cultivation world, he had long since cast them aside.
For such a peerless genius, he was prepared to face any consequences for breaking those rules!
「…」
"Kill!"
Sensing the immense power within him, Qin Wudao seized the initiative. Sword Qi surged, and above his head, his Fasang mirrored his actions, channeling an immense amount of Sword Qi.
In an instant, the Sword Qi converged, forming a veritable river of swords. Its raging current surged forward, annihilating everything in its path.
Curses, he's reached the Fasang Realm too! Luo Yun's newfound confidence instantly shattered. We're both in the Fasang Realm, but Qin Wudao wields a Dao Weapon! How can I possibly fight that? The chances of victory are minuscule, unless I possess a special constitution and can use Divine Skills. Unfortunately, I don't; I'm just an ordinary genius.
"Vermillion Bird Knife!"
Without hesitation, Luo Yun roared, deciding to stake everything on this next move. The battle knife in his hand trembled violently, erupting into purple flames. Even the Vermillion Bird Fasang above him turned a deep purple—a sign he was burning his lifeblood.
He was acutely aware of his own limitations. Although a Fasang Realm Martial Artist, his actual combat prowess was ordinary. If he didn't risk his life now, he would surely perish under that Dao Weapon.
"Those who offend Great Qin shall die!"
Qin Wudao bellowed as the river of swords descended, shattering the purple blade light. With unparalleled divine might, it struck Luo Yun.
CRACK!
Beneath the sky, Luo Yun's body was instantly cleaved in two by the Sword Qi. Blood erupted, staining the heavens crimson.
A gentle breeze swept through, dispersing the bloody mist. High above Hangu Pass, Qin Wudao stood, sword in hand, bathed in divine light. He was like a War God descended, gazing down upon all with disdain.
"Wansheng! Wansheng! Wansheng!"
The Qin army erupted in a frenzy. All the veteran Qin soldiers cheered, raising their weapons high. Their gazes, fixed on Qin Wudao, now burned with newfound respect and admiration.
"Damn it!"
"You dare kill my disciple! I will cut you into a thousand pieces to avenge him!"
Elsewhere, high on a cloud, the Heavenly Fire Taoist, who had been observing the battle, saw his beloved disciple slain and flew into a towering rage. His Transcendent Realm power flared, unleashing surging waves of fire that threatened to incinerate the world.
High above, a battle knife wreathed in colossal flames materialized over Qin Wudao's head and descended to kill.
"Stop!"
Ever vigilant, Wang Jian flickered, appearing beside Qin Wudao in an instant, long spear in hand. A vision of a blood-red battlefield, a veritable sea of slaughter, materialized to block the Heavenly Fire Taoist's attack.