My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult

Chapter 365: Chapter 265: The Sword of the Sword Immortal Slays Shenxiao Chapter 365: Chapter 265: The Sword of the Sword Immortal Slays Shenxiao Xiao Qianqiu watched as the sword light rushed towards him, recalling the fantasy that appeared after the Heavenly Venerate’s Mirror shattered.

At the time of the Heavenly Venerate’s Mirror’s shattering, it contained a cycle of reincarnation, a cycle concerning the passage of time.

Xiao Qianqiu was fortunate enough to witness the residual shadows left on the Heavenly Venerate’s Mirror, which also allowed him to grasp a thread concerning some of the fundamentals of this world.

The founding ancestor of the Mystical Sect once said in the ancient texts of the sect, “Upper Qing ends at sixteen, Jade Qing ends at fifteen, and Taiqing ends at fourteen.”

Two thousand one hundred years later, there will be a great change in the world.

What this vaguely described great change actually is, successive generations of Sect Leaders and esteemed figures of the Mystical Sect dare not rashly predict, but they also have their conjectures. It is very likely related to the Age of Dharma Decline mentioned in the Buddhist scriptures.

Now, as nature’s spiritual energy becomes thinner and evil spirits’ strength grows more dominant, it seems to herald the arrival of the Age of Dharma Decline, the day of the great catastrophe’s emergence.

Legend has it that in a distant era, nature’s spiritual energy was abundant, there were countless Grandmasters, and Great Grandmasters were everywhere. There were even rumors of Immortals appearing in the world. Later, for unknown reasons, all Immortals above the Great Grandmaster realm disappeared. Some say they went to the Heavenly Palace Immortal Court, others say they went beyond this realm, and yet others believe that all of this is nothing but fabricated assumptions, that Immortals never appeared from the beginning.

As for the remote antiquity, various ancient texts and historical records are full of different claims, with no one able to provide definitive evidence.

However, at some point, it is true that nature’s spiritual energy began to thin.

The Buddhist doctrine spoke of an Age of Dharma Decline, which, according to Buddhist teachings, foretells a time when no one in the human world will possess great divine skills. Not only will Great Grandmaster experts completely become legends, but even those at the Master Realm will do so as well, possibly leaving behind only those at the First Grade. From then on, people will no longer be able to find the realm of Longevity.

Having experienced a cycle of reincarnation within the Heavenly Venerate’s Mirror, Xiao Qianqiu had witnessed firsthand the pinnacle of nature’s spiritual energy to its current state nearing the Age of Dharma Decline. He saw the changes of history, the passage of years, and the transformations of the world.

Thus, the sword Dao before him is just one of the many vicissitudes of the world.

In his view, no matter how sharp or vast a sword may be, it is just another span in the changing tide of the world, unable to escape the laws of all things.

Xiao Qianqiu’s palm radiated with the jade-colored brilliance of glazed glass, facing the incoming chaotic sword light without choosing to retreat, but instead, he advanced directly towards it.

An Jing’s expression was calm as an ancient well, his Dulu Sword thrusting forward.

The next moment, Xiao Qianqiu’s fingers miraculously caught the Dulu Sword in front of him.

This State Preceptor was never known for his physical strength, but that did not mean he was incapable. Not only had he practiced Body Refining Martial Arts, he had taken them to an extreme.

Instantly, the ground around the two men caved in deeply, with strands of Qi Mechanism encircling them, resembling dragons of varying colors.

Xiao Qianqiu’s face was expressionless, purple lightning weaving between the fingers holding the Dulu Sword.

This was the Palm Thunder divine skill from the “Jade Emperor Scripture”, an extraordinary secret technique that draws a surge of True Yang True Qi from the “Jade Emperor Scripture” to the palm, where it sketches a seal to summon the power of heaven and earth, amplifying the force at the center of the hand in an instant.

An Jing’s sword light was tumultuous and fierce beyond compare.

A glint of light appeared in Xiao Qianqiu’s eyes as he squeezed his hand, and the thunderous force, like a dragon, traveled along the blade of the Dulu Sword immediately towards An Jing’s hand.

“Crackle! Crackle!”

An Jing’s hand instantly showed signs of charring, and even white smoke emerged, but he managed to return to normal in an instant by channeling the Great Celestial Star Refining Body Technique.

An Jing ignored the lightning coursing over his hand and the accompanying pain, taking a large step forward.

With each step An Jing took, Xiao Qianqiu was pushed back a step.

The two of them, in their advance and retreat, had reached the edge of the Taihe Palace.

Xiao Qianqiu was well aware that even if he took ten thousand steps back, he would not grow tired, but continuously retreating would put him at a disadvantage in terms of momentum against the Ghost Swordsman.

And in a duel between top experts, that could prove to be the deadliest factor.

So, he could not retreat any longer, nor was it even an option to do so.

Boom!

Xiao Qianqiu pushed forward, and the grand Qi Mechanism surged toward the raging sword light, exploding in an instant.

An Jing and Xiao Qianqiu both staggered several steps backward simultaneously.

“Xiao Qianqiu really has formidable strength.”

An Jing silently praised in his heart. Then, suddenly feeling a sense of crisis, he saw Xiao Qianqiu standing atop Taihe Palace at a distance, forming an exceptionally bizarre Seal Technique with his hands.

Around him, vast and boundless True Qi, so dense it seemed like a vast ocean, caused a sense of trepidation.

Xiao Qianqiu stared coldly at An Jing, then he churned his hands, and the ocean of True Qi began to roil.

He had an aura of purple circulating between his brows. With a wave of his hand forward,
Boom!

As his palm struck out, the ocean of True Qi erupted, unleashing a storm of thunder within, the crackling sound deafening.

Boom!

A thunderous palm emerged, seemingly traversing the ocean of thunder to envelop everything, leaving no avenue of escape.

An Jing’s heart trembled at that moment, such a technique, such a momentum, all served to illustrate Xiao Qianqiu’s extraordinary and fearsome nature.

The strength of this State Preceptor was indeed unfathomable.

The world darkened as An Jing’s face took on a grave expression. He then took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and the next moment, his eyes burst open with starlight glowing within. A grandeur erupted from within him.

Under that thundering darkness that blocked out the sun, An Jing stood tall, unfazed, his seemingly frail body releasing an enormous power at that moment.

Noticing An Jing’s sudden change in aura, Xiao Qianqiu’s pupils contracted slightly. He saw An Jing gripping the Dulu Sword and, behind him, a vast radiance burst forth.

“`
For a moment, An Jing seemed to become the sun itself.

Nameless Path!

An Jing, with his feet firmly on the ground, burst upward like a comet. Beneath the shadow of the enormous hand that blotted out the sky, he was as tiny as an ant, yet he charged fearlessly upwards. The Dulu Sword slashed down heavily, colliding with the giant hand with a resounding crash.

Hum!

At the moment of the collision, the heavens and the void seemed to fall silent, without a sound.

Yet, in this silence, the air where they collided was ripped open, creating giant void cracks that snaked out like the claws of a ferocious dragon, emitting vibrations that caused hearts to tremble.

Boom!

And still, in that silent collision, the air seemed to quiver before, suddenly, the giant hand that obscured the sun fiercely trembled, then the cracks spread quietly, and, with a loud bang, it burst apart.

However, at the moment when the giant hand exploded, An Jing’s Qi Force erupted behind him, striking the exquisite palace pavilions above him and reducing the incredibly durable buildings to dust in the sky.

In the distance, although Xiao Qianqiu hadn’t retreated, the Sky-reaching Tower at his feet similarly crumbled to dust at that moment.

True Qi churned, and debris flew across the sky.

“Good heavens! The Qi mechanism actually shattered the void!?”

“How terrifying their strength must be!?”

“Worthy of being peerless masters, both possess the strength to vie for supremacy in the world!”

…..

The surrounding experts who saw this were greatly shaken.

Such a feat as shattering the void was only recorded in history books, and without exception, all who were capable of it were Grandmaster Level experts.

The masters of the moment who shattered the void were a Four Qi Grandmaster and a Five Qi Grandmaster.

An Jing narrowed his eyes and asked, “Have you truly cultivated the ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ to Perfection?”

Xiao Qianqiu smiled faintly, “Indeed.”

The ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ was a cultivation technique that transcended those of the Heavenly Martial Level, only cultivable by a Mystical Sect Daoist Master. Throughout history, these masters were supreme geniuses, yet very few had ever cultivated the ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ to a state of Perfection.

Moreover, all of these individuals had cultivated for decades, if not a century. The fact that Xiao Qianqiu had acquired the ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ and managed to cultivate it to Perfection in such short time, was nothing short of astonishing.

An Jing’s heart grew heavy, “Then today’s duel is indeed even more interesting.”

Up until now, perhaps due to its incompleteness or some other reason, his ‘Nameless Heart Scripture’ had always been stuck at the Seventh Layer. No matter how powerful the ‘Nameless Heart Scripture’ was, to say it could overpower the ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ at Perfection was unlikely.

Xu Qianyue exclaimed, “The State Preceptor’s power is truly unbelievable.”

Bai Mei the eunuch had a grave expression on his face and his heart was in turmoil.

He himself had once crossed swords with Xiao Qianqiu and was very clear about his strength. At that time, he even had a slight upper hand. However, he had to admit, Xiao Qianqiu’s power had completely surpassed his own now.

Xiao Qianqiu’s body shuddered, and his True Qi surged violently.

In that instant, it was as if a gigantic Star River had appeared in the heavens.

Xiao Qianqiu’s body was like the brightest star in that Star River, shining resplendently, intensely dazzling.

In his hands appeared a seal, and upon closer examination, the word ‘Shenxiao’ was inscribed at the base of the seal.

The ancient texts of the Mystical Sect stated that there were nine heavenly layers, the highest being Shenxiao, which symbolizes the Thunder Department, second only to the Dutian Seal which symbolizes the Five Directions Heavenly Emperor.

There are two Exotic Treasures in the Mystical Sect, one is the Heavenly Venerate’s Mirror, and the other is this Shenxiao Seal.

In the founding era of the Mystical Sect, the Dao Ancestor imparted three thousand Daoist arts, among them the three great Daoist skills: the Daoist Skill as the first, Pill Book as the second, and Imperial Decree Ghosts and Gods as the third. The number one among these is the Daoist Skill, which has branched into inner core cultivation, talisman art, formation techniques, Art of Calculation, and Divination. However, none are as esteemed as the Thunder Skill hailed as the foremost of all skills.

Within the Mystical Sect, Thunder Skill is revered above all, with the Five Thunders Heavenly Heart True Method being the most supreme. It’s because the ‘Jade Emperor Scripture’ of the Mystical Sect was divided into three that its secret techniques were lost, leading to its faded legend.

But today, the number one Thunder Skill of the Mystical Sect re-emerges in the world.

Xiao Qianqiu held the Shenxiao Seal in his hands and said solemnly, “Xiao Qianqiu of the Mystical Sect invites the Thunder Department’s righteous gods today, invokes the thirty-six Thunder Generals, heeding my call, to descend thunderous divine punishment and cleanse the filth of the Human World.”

His voice boomed, resounding like a great bell.

As his words fell, thunder roared across the nine heavens, and infinite streams of golden radiance poured down. Suddenly, the sky ripped apart, shattering like a pane of glass.

Countless lightning bolts penetrated heaven and earth, shattering the void, and in the blink of an eye, coalesced into thirty-six orbs of purple lightning the size of millstones. These orbs, like thirty-six purple suns, instantly cast their light over the Taihe Palace.

The sky, once dark, was now awash with light, with the brilliance growing ever more intense, blotting out the sky, the earth, the mountains—nothing was visible except for the clear expanse, signifying the mighty majesty of the boundless heavenly authority represented by the endless purple aura.

The blinding light, like thousands of arrows, shot directly towards An Jing.

In this moment, Xiao Qianqiu, with the Shenxiao Seal and the help of Heavenly Human Communication, summoning the vast powers of heaven and earth, was nearing the unity of heaven and man.

Such a mighty and grand Qi Mechanism, like the collapse of the heavens and the earth, the overturning of rivers and mountains.

An Jing stood on the spot, motionless, as if he was unaware of what was happening.

“Danger!”

Li Fuzhou and others who witnessed this scene felt their hearts tremble violently as if it reached their throats.

Xiao Qianqiu’s eyes were calm as the immense starlight converged on An Jing. In an instant, the dazzling starlight pained the onlookers’ eyes, and almost instinctively, they raised their hands to shield themselves from the piercing light.

“Swoosh!” “Swoosh!”

“`
An Jing’s palm struck, and immediately all the famed swords within the sword box behind him flew out, their cold aura surging forth like a dragon, unstoppable.

The sky was filled with swarming sword light, obscuring the heavens, radiating and reflecting off each other, peerless.

The Evil Suppressing Sword, the Dulu Sword, the Blood Tears Sword, and many other famed swords’ Sword Qi merged into one, forming a giant sword.

In this world, nothing is absolute, nor is anyone invincible, but a top-notch swordsman, within three feet of his sword, is undefeatable.

If the union of these many famed swords into one Sword was already trembling the hearts of onlookers, then An Jing himself was a supreme famed sword.

At this moment, his sword was more than just three feet. In his duel with Jiang Shang, An Jing forgot the sword, becoming the sword himself, and today, in his fight with Xiao Qianqiu, he had already mastered this technique.

He was a supreme Divine Sword, one that could pierce through the entire world.

For a swordsman, all the radiance of his life was in his sword.

At this moment, that sword was dazzling and resplendent.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It was seen that centered on An Jing, the void tore open and True Qi exploded, as if the entire heavens and earth were distorting.

In this moment, other than the two combatants, all the nearby experts felt their heads splitting, as if their brains were about to explode.

“Back away!”

Bai Mei the eunuch’s brow furrowed, as he coldly shouted out to those around him.

Before the words of Bai Mei the eunuch fell, the surrounding experts had already rushed away madly to a distance.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The exploding True Qi surged wildly, and at once, the buildings beyond the central great hall of the Taihe Palace were leveled to the ground, turning into nothingness.

Crack crack crack crack crack!

The surrounding void was showing one crack after another, as if it was completely twisted.

Seeing this scene from a distance, everyone felt a chill in their hearts and their scalps numbed.

The two fought again, distorting the void, and this time, the opening was larger than before, which was sufficient to illustrate the terrifying strength of both individuals.

The masters who had stabilized themselves all looked up, wanting to see for themselves who would win this battle today.

Just at that moment, a figure slowly emerged from the cracks in the void, surrounded by moonlight, standing out starkly within the black rift in the void.

“Xiao Qianqiu!”

“That person is Xiao Qianqiu!”

Within the crowd, a few Grandmasters couldn’t help exclaiming upon seeing that person, and then a roaring sound like a mountain flood echoed in all directions.

“Has the Ghost Swordsman been defeated?”

“It seems that the battle today has already been decided.”

……..

The crowd was abuzz with speculation, knowing the moment Xiao Qianqiu appeared, the tide of this battle significant enough to enter the annals of Great Yan history had been determined.

Xiao Qianqiu, expressionless, looked at the ruins ahead, not a trace of joy in his eyes; suddenly, his throat quivered, then his face flushed red.

“Wow!”

Xiao Qianqiu swayed as if he were about to fall at any moment.

He steadied himself, looked at his palm, on which there was still a sword mark, “Within three feet of the sword, invincible under the heavens, indeed so.”

Silence!

The world was silent!

The crowd all opened their mouths wide, each one of them shocked and unsettled.

What exactly was happening?

Hadn’t Xiao Qianqiu won?

Meanwhile, a white-clothed figure slowly stepped out from amidst the dust, looking indifferently at Xiao Qianqiu ahead.

“The Ghost Swordsman has won.”

It took a while before Bai Mei the eunuch finally exhaled slowly and said.

The words of Bai Mei the eunuch struck hard in the hearts of the people, followed by murmurs of discussion among them.

“The Ghost Swordsman won?”

“Another Five Qi Grandmaster has fallen to his hands, and this one is Xiao Qianqiu of all people.”

“With his current strength, how terrifying would it be if he reached the Five Qi level?”

“At an age of just over twenty, he is already the top expert of Great Yan, one can hardly imagine his future achievements.”

“It seems Jianghu may be in his hands for decades to come.”

……..

Everyone was astonished, and the buzz of discussion could no longer be contained, echoing all around.

The duel between the Ghost Swordsman and Xiao Qianqiu was of great importance, deciding not only the title of the greatest master in Great Yan but also concerning the life and death of everyone present, who would wield power in the Great Yan Dynasty tomorrow, and even the future fate of the Dynasty.

An Jing said calmly, “State Preceptor, thank you for your indulgence.”

At that moment, he held the Dulu Sword in his left hand and the Evil Suppressing Sword in his right, the two strongest swords in the world were in An Jing’s hands. Who else in the world could be his opponent?

At this moment, An Jing’s expression remained undisturbed, while Xiao Qianqiu’s face was creased with layers of wrinkles.

Xiao Qianqiu gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his face void of any anger or sadness, just calmly staring at the youth before him.

In his eyes, the vision of Heaven Gate emerged once again.

It was only after a long while that Xiao Qianqiu stretched out his hand, pulled out a scroll from his bosom, and threw it to An Jing, saying, “As you wish.”

An Jing took the scroll, feeling a stir in his heart.

This scroll was precisely the last volume of the Jade Emperor Scripture mental method, the “Beidou Seven Stars Technique”.

…..

In the Taihe Palace.

After receiving news of the Great Yan Dynasty’s Jade Seal, Zhao Chongyin led many experts to rush into the Imperial City, determined to obtain the Jade Seal before Zhao Xuening could get her hands on it.

As the current Crown Prince, if he held the Jade Seal, he would be the rightful heir and the legitimate ruler of the Great Yan Dynasty.

The Taihe Palace was still as majestic and splendid as before, shimmering with gold, but the flattering officials and generals were gone.

“Brother, you’ve indeed come,” Zhao Chongyin said as he entered the Taihe Palace and immediately saw a figure sitting on the Dragon Throne in the empty Golden Throne Hall.

This person was none other than Zhao Xuening.

At this moment, there was no one else beside her but two old maids.

Zhao Chongyin’s brows furrowed as he snapped, “You have some nerve, daring to commit such an act of insubordination, sitting on the Dragon Throne without permission.”

Zhao Xuening smiled and asked, “Brother, don’t you wish to sit here?”

Zhao Chongyin said, “I am the Crown Prince. Since the Emperor has passed, I naturally should take over the court affairs.”

“That may not be the case, brother,” Zhao Xuening rebutted.

She inquired, “Before the Emperor passed, he left an Imperial Decree. Don’t you want to see what it is?”

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chongyin demanded immediately, “Hand over the Imperial Decree!”

Zhao Xuening replied, “The Imperial Decree is not on me.”

Zhao Chongyin said coldly, “It seems you do not wish to hand it over.”

Obviously, he didn’t believe Zhao Xuening’s words.

Zhao Xuening sighed and said, “Brother, you truly don’t believe me. The Imperial Decree is really not with me. It’s in eunuch Fan’s hands. I would like to see it too, but……”

Zhao Chongyin narrowed his eyes, cutting off Zhao Xuening’s words, “In that case, we need not bother with the Imperial Decree. The Emperor has passed, and he was the sovereign of the previous era; he can’t interfere with the affairs of this one.”

“I, the Crown Prince, will now take control of the Imperial Palace. I might as well ascend to the throne and proclaim myself Emperor today.”

Zhao Xuening’s eyebrows knitted, “I didn’t expect you to speak such words when Father’s body isn’t even cold yet.”

Throughout history, no emperor has ever ascended to the throne on the day of their predecessor’s death.

This was a grave disrespect!

“The Emperor? He was such a good father to me,” Zhao Chongyin said with a sneer at the corner of his mouth and a chilling light in his eyes. “Would Zhao Chongyin have to struggle this hard if it wasn’t for him?”

“Ever since I was young, he didn’t like me. And as I grew up, he even supported Zhao Mengtai in the court to oppose me. How did Zhao Mengtai end up? Colluding with Houjin and plotting to kill him!”

With the death of Zhao Zhiwu, the great weight upon his shoulders had dissipated. At this moment, Zhao Chongyin was like a wild beast released from a cage, his eyes devoid of any emotion but hatred.

Zhao Xuening’s lips parted as she said, “Don’t you know why Father treated you this way?”

Zhao Chongyin dismissed her dismissively, “Do you think I need to know?”

Zhao Xuening shook her head and said earnestly, “Brother, you need to know. It will help you die with more peace of mind.”

When Zhao Chongyin heard the word ‘die’ from Zhao Xuening’s mouth, his pupils abruptly contracted, and he felt an inexplicable chill in his heart.

But he quickly adjusted his emotions and laughed mockingly, “You can kill me?”

Zhao Xuening nodded seriously, “Yes, I can!”

“Hahahaha!”

Zhao Chongyin laughed uncontrollably as if he’d heard the funniest joke in the world.

Yet Zhao Xuening’s expression remained unchanged, just quietly observing her brother.

……