The main peak of the Qingyang Sect, which was once a blessed land shrouded in immortal energy, has now been transformed by Xiao Wuchen into a huge, blood-red prison.
He sits cross-legged in the centre of the main hall, the Life and Death Sword before him. Although he had destroyed the Qingyang Sect, traces of the mortal cultivation technique, 'Purple Qi Comes from the East', and impure embers of merit remained within him. These powers, which had once protected him, had now become the greatest obstacle to his ascent to the pinnacle of the demonic path. 'System, activate the "Self-Destruction" protocol.' Xiao Wuchen's voice was chillingly calm.
'Ding! Warning: This action will reduce all current defences to zero. The host will experience 'death by a thousand cuts' level pain, with a survival rate of less than 30%. Confirm?'
'Confirm.'
Xiao Wuchen abruptly clasped his hands together and detonated the once-brilliant half-step Golden Core within his dantian with his own hand.
A muffled thud resonated within him and blood mist shot from every pore of his body instantly. The peaceful true energy within him, as described in Purple Qi Comes from the East, was torn apart. The power that had once nourished his meridians had transformed into countless steel needles, destroying his life force from the inside out.
He tilted his head back, his dark hair soaked in cold sweat and his body convulsing violently in agony. Yet his eyes remained clear. With the collapse of his mortal cultivation technique, he was left completely paralysed, but this was precisely the moment he had longed for — the demise of the old gods paved the way for the arrival of the new demons.
'Hate Module, Evil Ignites!'
Ding! Evil points reset to zero; Red Light Mode is overloaded! Guiding the earth's malevolent energy and boundless resentment, he reforged the demonic bones!
The accumulated evil points had transformed into a ball of pitch-black flame that burned wildly within Xiao Wuchen's mangled body. Having abandoned his pursuit of physical perfection, he used his crippled body as a 'sword furnace', transforming his 'imperfection' into a vessel for ultimate darkness.
His meridians withered and dried up in the flames and were subsequently reconstructed by the system as dark gold, metal-hard 'sword meridians'.
At that moment, Xiao Wuchen underwent a terrifying transformation.
His formerly fair, jade-like skin turned withered and sallow, giving him the appearance of an ancient tree. Yet beneath this desolation, an extremely violent demonic nature was growing wildly.
The inscription of the Life and Death Sword was etched onto every bone in his body. With each heartbeat, blood was replaced by liquid demonic energy.
[Ding! Reforging progress: 80%. Host's willpower has reached God level; 'Hatred conversion' efficiency doubled.]
'Not enough... not enough!' Xiao Wuchen roared. He remembered Xiao Guizi's death and the righteous envoy's contempt. These memories became the most intense fuel, igniting the furnace fire to a dark purple.
At the centre of his shattered dantian, a walnut-sized, jet-black 'demonic core' covered in strange, thorny patterns slowly rotated.
Unlike a righteous golden core, it lacked serene peace, possessing only a darkness that devoured all light.
The instant the Demon Core took shape, Xiao Wuchen abruptly opened his eyes. A purplish-black sword aura shot from his eyes, slicing directly through the dome of the main hall.
[Ding! Reforging complete! Current Realm: Demon Core Stage (Combat Power at the Same Level: Invincible)!'
Physique Evolution: Asura Withering and Flourishing Body (the greater the damage received, the greater the power of the counterattack).
Status: All meridians have been transformed into the 'Life and Death Sword Meridian'; every move is a killing move.
Xiao Wuchen stood up, moving stiffly yet powerfully, as if an ancient sword, sealed away for ten thousand years, had reappeared in the world.
He stretched out his withered fingers and gently stroked the blade of the Life and Death Sword. In that moment, he and the sword became one.
'From this day forward, I am the sword, and the sword is me.'
He looked towards the vast Eastern Wilderness beyond the Qingyang Sect. Although he was now as withered as an old monk, he knew that once he drew his sword, it would surely wash away three thousand miles of blood.
Xiao Wuchen's current state was extremely bizarre.
His hair was black as ink and his skin was as withered as wood. He exuded a sense of desolation, reminiscent of decaying vegetation. Yet beneath his withered exterior, dark golden sword veins could be seen emitting a muffled rumble. Instead of riding the clouds, he walked step by step into the forbidden area of the Northern Border of the Eastern Wilderness — the Myriad Tribulations Sword Tomb — wielding the Life and Death Sword.
Countless sword cultivators who had failed to reach higher realms over the past ten thousand years in the Eastern Wilderness were buried here. Every grain of dust in the air contained a subtle sword aura powerful enough to tear apart a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
[Ding! High concentration of 'residual sword intent' detected.]
[Host's current state detected: Desolate Period.]
[System prompt: The demonic energy vortex has entered a state of 'extreme thirst', urgently needing high-level sword intent to fill the void.'
Xiao Wuchen stood before the tomb gate formed by countless broken swords, feeling the bone-chilling cold. His demonic core throbbed violently, as if a parched person had received rain after a long drought. "Do you want it?" Xiao Wuchen murmured, a withered smile appearing on his face. 'Then we'll carve our names into this Sword Tomb.'
He stepped into the Sword Tomb, instantly breaking the deathly silence.
"What kind of wretch dares to disturb our peaceful cultivation?"
In an instant, three thousand transparent spirits surged forth from the ground, most of them dressed in ancient robes. Though mere remnants of souls, their chilling 'righteous sword energy' coalesced into an endless sea of clouds.
They were three thousand renowned righteous sword cultivators who, even in death, clung to their self-proclaimed "distinction between good and evil".
"You are incomplete in all six senses. Demon energy seeps into your bones. You are nothing but a wicked child." A leading Nascent Soul-level remnant soul sneered as he pointed his illusory longsword at Xiao Wuchen. 'This is sacred ground. You filthy creatures deserve to be punished!'
'A Holy Land?'
Xiao Wuchen laughed sarcastically, sweeping his Life and Death Sword horizontally. The sword light wasn't dazzling, but it emanated a deadly grey that forced all life into decay.
'Life and Death Sword Style — All Trees Wither!'
This sword strike was the perfect match for Xiao Wuchen's current 'Asura Withering and Flourishing Body'. Wherever the sword's edge passed, the mighty sword energies of those who had proclaimed themselves as such were forcibly stained greyish-white and scattered like ashes in the wind.
'In my eyes, you remnant souls who haven't quite died are nothing but decaying old debts!'
Xiao Wuchen charged into the horde of souls, abandoning his defences. Whenever a remnant soul's sword pierced his body, his demonic core generated a terrifying suction force that stripped away the opponent's lifelong sword intent.
[Ding!] [Hate Transforming...]
[Absorbing Nascent Soul Remnant Soul Sword Intent: +10% Sword Meridian Strength".
[Absorbing Golden Core Remnant Soul Sword Intent: +5% Demon Core Condensation'.
Xiao Wuchen's frenzied fighting style, "trading injury for kill", caused the three thousand remnant souls to begin to dissipate and tremble.
Suddenly, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the Sword Tomb, piercing Xiao Wuchen's soul and causing the 'Demon Bone', reforged from his spine, to vibrate intensely.
Beneath the bottomless Abandoned Sword Mountain, a faint purple light flickered.
This was the core of the Myriad Tribulations Sword Tomb — the 'Nine Nether Tribulation Sword Embryo', which could only be born from a soul that had withstood ten thousand sword tribulations.
'That's our sacred object! You, a defective product, are unworthy!' the remnant souls screamed in terror, rushing towards Xiao Wuchen.
Xiao Wuchen suddenly turned around, his black hair whipping wildly and his right eye exploding with red light.
'In this world, whatever I desire is destiny!'
Reaching into the void beneath the earth, he caused all the broken swords in the Myriad Tribulations Sword Tomb to snap in two. Thousands of sword energies poured into his palm. Under the despairing gaze of the three thousand remnant souls, he pulled the dark purple sword embryo from the ground and pressed it into his spine.
[Ding! Fusion begins!]
Unique Sword Cultivation Path Achieved: Spine as Sword Bone, Intent as Sword Soul".
Current status: Late Stage of Demon Core, Sword Intent Reaching Divine Level'.