"Asura Demon Art!" Ning Qianru coldly uttered those five words, her gaze sharp and ice-cold. "I originally thought you were just practicing some common evil martial arts, which is why you kept chasing me. But to my surprise, you have cultivated the Asura clan's demonic arts! No wonder you're willing to become enemies with the Yaochi Sword Palace, even going so far as to kill me — you're afraid I'll reveal the secret of your demonic arts, worried it will draw the attention of both the righteous and evil factions, even the demon race!"
Lin Tian froze, his heart shaken. The elderly man with white hair had whispered some hidden legends into his ear. It turns out, this Tianzhou Continent was not always a human world but a bloody battlefield for many races to fight over. In that ancient time, the demon races and extraterrestrial creatures, such as Asuras and Yemo Luo, were the overlords of the continent.
Demon Races — they were mighty beings born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. In the ancient era, they were the strongest forces, only beginning to weaken after the rise of humans. However, the real turning point for humans came with the invasion of the Asuras and Yemo Luo. These two demonic races descended from the Outer World, feeding on the souls of living beings, and their brutal massacres engulfed the continent, forcing both humans and demons into a corner.
However, during those long years, a legendary "Void Passage" was opened. The invasion of the Asura and Yemo Luo races brought about disaster. Humans and powerful demons cooperated, at great cost, to finally seal the passage and halt the further invasion of the Outer World. But within that seal, there were not only the demon race's experts but also countless evil beings from the demonic races.
Lin Tian's thoughts churned, filled with reverence for these distant legends.
But at this moment, the young girl before him suddenly unveiled all these secrets. The "Asura Demon Art" she mentioned was an evil martial technique that required a great price to cultivate. The technique was not only blood-driven but also extremely cruel, requiring practitioners to sacrifice living beings to enhance their power. Even those who achieved minor success would be responsible for horrors that could shake heaven and earth. All evil cultivators who practiced this technique were feared and expelled by the righteous sects.
Ning Qianru's gaze was like a knife, fixed on Lu Benben. "You practiced this demonic art and dared to act against the Yaochi Sword Palace!"
Her voice hadn't even faded when her internal energy quietly rose. The sword energy began to feel as though it could pierce through the clouds. She swung the Tianyuan Sword in her hand, and the sword's edge immediately flashed a deep red in the air. As she sighed lightly, blood dripped from her fingertips and was quickly absorbed into the sword, as if an invisible suction was drawing her blood qi, yet making her appear even more energetic.
"You think you can go against the heavens? Even with the Asura Demon Art, you will have no place to die," she hissed, and the sword energy swept through the air, violently tearing it apart.
Her sword strike was like a bolt of lightning, instantly producing a more terrifying sword qi than before. This sword's width and length expanded nearly threefold, resembling a massive river of blood surging toward Lu Benben, with enough force to devour everything in its path. Lu Benben roared and swung his sword to block, but his fine刺剑 (thin刺 sword) was shattered into countless pieces in an instant, sparking fire everywhere.
The enormous sword qi finally swept over his body, slicing through the ruins of the broken temple. The tremendous force caused the temple to tremble, and the heavy roof collapsed with a thunderous crash. Ning Qianru's strike seemed as if it would tear the entire world apart. Even though Lu Benben used his demonic energy armor to dissipate most of the sword qi, deep gashes were left on his chest and abdomen.
As the residual sword qi dispersed, Lin Tian felt a momentary suffocation. The sound of the collapsing temple gradually quieted, but his heart had already been stirred up by a massive wave — if the girl's swordsmanship was this terrifying, how powerful would a true grandmaster be? Had the girl before him already touched the peak of martial arts, nearing the so-called "Breaking Void and Shattering Reality" state?
Just as he was lost in thought, the ground trembled, and the ruins of the temple suddenly began to shake violently under a powerful wave of energy. Ning Qianru stood amidst the wreckage, pale but still exuding a dominating aura. The Tianyuan Sword still gleamed in her hand. Her gaze was like frost as she locked onto Lu Benben, remaining silent, waiting for the final strike to come.
Lu Benben barely held himself up, his eyes filled with despair. He finally understood — what he was facing was not just a girl with superb sword skills — the sword technique she cultivated had already surpassed what ordinary people could comprehend.
"This battle... has no more suspense," Lin Tian murmured.