Chapter 228: The Annihilation Path Founder

Chapter 228: The Annihilation Path Founder

Han Yun frowned and urged once more, "Miss Duanmu, you should return. This is the Demon Sect Headquarters. Even if you escape the Iron Prison, you won’t escape Nine Death Cliff."

Han Yun, a Sixth Layer Transcendent Realm martial artist, could easily kill ten Third Level Transcendent Realm Martial Artists. Through their earlier clash, he had already discerned Ning Xiaochuan’s formidable strength—a prodigy among youths, a young supreme capable of transcending realms in battle.

Precisely because of this, Han Yun knew he couldn’t afford to hold back if they fought. Otherwise, he might fail to capture Ning Xiaochuan, and Duanmu Linger would inevitably be caught in the crossfire. That was why he tried persuading her to return to the Iron Prison on her own.

Duanmu Linger pleaded, "Grandpa Han, can’t you just let us go?"

"Duty binds me. I’m sorry, young miss."

Seeing that persuasion was futile, Han Yun unleashed the Profound Qi within his body, condensing seventy-two Profound Qi Battle Swords outside his form, arranging them into a sword formation.

Martial Artists from the Demon Sect Iron Prison also caught up, blocking Ning Xiaochuan and Duanmu Linger’s retreat.

Ning Xiaochuan wasted no words. His gaze swept imperiously across the surroundings as the Dragon Slaying Blade hovered above his head. Light particles scattered from his arms, transforming into hundreds of radiant stars that filled the space.

From among the stars, a silver moon shot forth, erupting with blinding radiance as it hung in the void, slashing toward Han Yun.

"Whoosh!"

Each "star" was a lethal weapon, part of a Martial Arts Divine Ability, piercing through many Demon Sect Martial Artists and drawing blood. Numerous high-level martial artists from the Demon Sect were forced to retreat, landing back on the ground.

Someone retrieved the Astronomical Cauldron that had fallen off the cliff and hurled the Seventh-grade Mystic Artifact into the air again, aiming it at Ning Xiaochuan.

At the same time, Han Yun unleashed boundless Sword Qi—not mere sword beams, but a cascading waterfall of Sword Qi pouring down from the sky.

The Sword Qi waterfall was terrifyingly powerful, impossible to tell whether it contained thousands or tens of thousands of Sword Qi strikes. It was as if a piece of the sky had collapsed, unleashing a celestial deluge.

Facing a Sixth Layer Transcendent Realm martial artist, Ning Xiaochuan couldn’t afford to hold back. Thousands of lightning bolts erupted from his body, turning him into a source of thunder that spread in all directions.

Ning Xiaochuan exuded the aura of a Martial Venerable, resembling an ancient divine ape as he soared into the air, his body wrapped in electric light. He charged straight into the Sword Qi waterfall.

Breaking through the waterfall, he threw a punch at Han Yun.

"Such valor! If you weren’t a lackey of the imperial court, you’d be worthy of the Third Young Miss."

Though Han Yun admired Ning Xiaochuan, their opposing stances remained unchanged. His eyes blazed with fury, his hair whipping backward as he swung his arm, sending all seventy-two battle swords flying to suppress Ning Xiaochuan at the center of the sword formation.

"Break!"

Ning Xiaochuan pressed his palms together, and a sharp sword beam shot from between them, piercing the heavens.

The sword light carried an overwhelming aura of annihilation, painting a horrifying scene in the sky—mountains of corpses, rivers of blood, and collapsing stars—as if the world itself were being destroyed.

"Annihilation Sword Soul!"

The Sword Qi condensed within the sea of clouds, transforming into the phantom of a peerless demoness standing 27 meters tall. Her figure was slender and graceful, her face enchantingly beautiful, possessing a celestial charm capable of toppling nations, yet she exuded an overwhelming Demonic Qi.

Her hair stretched thousands of meters long, like chains of darkness, her gaze arrogant as if surveying the heavens. An aura of apocalyptic destruction radiated from her, as though she sought to shatter the sky itself.

This was the second move of the "Annihilation Sword Dao"—the Annihilation Sword Soul.

The Sword Soul, a manifested sword phantom, was none other than the Annihilation Path Founder.

This Founder had already attained sainthood and divinity, transcending this world long ago. Yet, the remnants of her presence still lingered in the mortal realm. By invoking the Annihilation Sword Dao, Ning Xiaochuan had awakened one of the Sword Souls she left behind.

Once the Sword Soul awakened, it wielded divine might capable of slaying gods and obliterating the Dao.

As Ning Xiaochuan swung his sword, the Annihilation Path Founder's Sword Soul unleashed a colossal palm strike, shattering the sword formation composed of seventy-two battle swords.

"Boom—!"

The Sword Soul's palm strike slammed into Han Yun, instantly breaking through his Protective Profound Qi Armor and shattering the Iron Scale Wings on his back. His body plummeted straight downward.

Han Yun's expression twisted in shock as he hastily swallowed a Xuanwu Pill. A protective shell formed around his body, shielding him from the residual power of the Annihilation Sword Soul.

"Crash—!"

His body slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater. The immense force bent his legs, his bones cracking loudly as if on the verge of snapping. His internal organs felt as if struck by a heavy hammer, rupturing violently. A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.

"How… how can it be this strong?"

Han Yun couldn't believe it—he had been defeated by a Martial Artist three realms below him. The overwhelming pressure from that attack had nearly suffocated him.

Ning Xiaochuan hadn't expected the "Annihilation Sword Soul" to be so powerful either. It was as if he had mobilized the very forces of heaven and earth to launch the attack.

To be precise, he had borrowed a sliver of power left behind by the Annihilation Path Founder in this world. This power was so terrifying that even the veteran Demon Sect experts felt a chilling dread.

Suppressing the Demonic Qi within him, Ning Xiaochuan shot a cold glare at the Demon Sect experts, forcing dozens of them to retreat in fear.

Spreading his Wings of Rage, Ning Xiaochuan swooped down with Duanmu Linger on his back, intent on escaping the Demon Sect Iron Prison.

"With our strength alone, we can't escape Nine Death Cliff. We must go to Tian Du Peak and find my father—only then do we have a chance to survive," Duanmu Linger said.

Ning Xiaochuan looked at her with newfound respect. After surviving such a life-and-death ordeal, her intelligence had noticeably improved.

The Lifeless Dao Leader stood atop a cliff, hands clasped behind his back, watching Ning Xiaochuan soar away on his wings.

Earlier, when Ning Xiaochuan unleashed the "Annihilation Sword Soul," summoning the phantom of the Annihilation Path Founder, it had caused violent fluctuations in the Heaven and Earth Profound Qi. All of this had been witnessed by him.

"Ning Xiaochuan hides great secrets."

With a single movement, the Lifeless Dao Leader vanished from the cliff. The next moment, he stood directly before Ning Xiaochuan.

An immense surge of energy emanated from him as a colossal Martial Soul Avatar materialized behind him, pressing down on Ning Xiaochuan and Duanmu Linger, forcing them to halt.

"Restrain," he uttered coldly.

The two words were utterly plain, yet to Ning Xiaochuan and Duanmu Linger, they struck like Heavenly Thunder exploding beside their ears. The Martial Arts Profound Qi within their bodies became completely chaotic, rendering them unable to condense it.

Ning Xiaochuan felt his Profound Qi stagnate, causing the wings on his back to shatter instantly. His body plummeted straight toward the ground.

This was the overwhelming power of a Martial Venerable—merely uttering two words was enough to dismantle a Martial Arts Divine Ability.

Martial Artists below the Martial Venerable realm stood no chance against one.

Had it been any other Martial Artist, they would have surely died from the fall.

But Ning Xiaochuan had already cultivated Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi, and the strength of his Profound Qi was no weaker than the Earth Martial Essence of a Martial Venerable.

Just before hitting the ground, he took a deep breath, mustered a surge of Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi, and forcibly condensed another pair of wings. Gliding down, he landed safely.

This was the might of Dragon-Tiger Profound Qi—even in the face of a Martial Venerable, he still possessed the ability to retaliate, not left entirely defenseless.

The Lifeless Dao Leader spoke, "Escaping from the Demon Sect Iron Prison is already a feat worthy of making your name known across the world."

Ning Xiaochuan channeled the aura of a Martial Venerable to resist the Lifeless Dao Leader’s oppressive force. "If I wish to make my name known, I don’t need to rely on such means. Lifeless Dao Leader, with your status, surely you wouldn’t stoop to attacking two juniors?"

"With your current strength, even if you trained for another ten years, you still wouldn’t be worthy of facing me."

The Lifeless Dao Leader continued, "Lin Zhirong died by your hand, didn’t he?"

Duanmu Linger said coldly, "He brought it upon himself."

The Lifeless Dao Leader replied, "Truthfully, I have no desire to lower myself to your level. But a life must be repaid. My son and daughter-in-law both died by your hand. My grief is immeasurable. If I do not punish you, how will my reputation endure?"

Ning Xiaochuan asked, "Then how does the senior intend to punish me?"

Demon Sect experts guarding the Iron Prison rushed over, kneeling before the Lifeless Dao Leader in reverence.

The Lifeless Dao Leader cast a cold glance at Han Yun. "Han Yun, why were you guarding the Iron Prison? To let two juniors escape—does the Demon Sect Iron Prison now allow imperial forces to come and go as they please?"

Han Yun broke into a cold sweat. "This subordinate is ashamed. The Dao Leader’s reprimand is justified. There will be no next time."

The oppressive aura radiating from the Lifeless Dao Leader made the Demon Sect experts tremble in fear, terrified they might lose their heads over this incident.

The Lifeless Dao Leader declared, "The Punishment Elders will deal with you for this matter. Now, take the Third Young Lady back to the Iron Prison and guard her properly."

Han Yun stammered nervously, "Then... what about Ning Xiaochuan?"

The Lifeless Dao Leader said, "He and I have an irreconcilable vendetta. I will take him away personally. Do you have any objections?"

"But..." Han Yun hesitated.

The Lifeless Dao Leader snorted, sending Han Yun coughing up blood. The immense pressure of his domain nearly ruptured Han Yun’s eardrums.

"I know the rules of the Iron Prison better than you. Ning Xiaochuan will be taken by me today. As for the Blood Devouring Dao Leader, I will inform him myself." The Lifeless Dao Leader was resolute, determined to take Ning Xiaochuan away.

This outcome was something Ning Xiaochuan had long anticipated.

The Lifeless Dao Leader must have witnessed him unleashing the "Annihilation Sword Soul" and coveted this Martial Arts Divine Ability, which is why he sought to forcibly take him away. By the time the Blood Devouring Dao Leader came demanding his return, he would have already extracted the secrets he desired from Ning Xiaochuan’s lips, leaving only a corpse to hand over.

"Uncle Lin, you cannot take Ning Xiaochuan away."

Amid the mist-shrouded mountain peak, white snowflakes drifted down as a woman, ethereal as a celestial maiden, emerged from the snowfall, her form as elusive as the mist itself.

The Demon Sect Saintess arrived treading upon the snow, wearing a golden mask, her skin fairer than ice, her long hair dark and lustrous. She landed beside Ning Xiaochuan, her bright eyes locking onto the Lifeless Dao Leader.

The Lifeless Dao Leader’s expression remained unfathomable as he said, "This matter is likely beyond the Saintess’s jurisdiction."

"The authority of the Demon Sect Saintess is second only to the Demon Emperor himself. I have the right to intervene in all internal affairs of the Six Great Dao Lords. As long as it concerns the Demon Sect, it falls within my purview." The Demon Sect Saintess stood firm, unflinching even in the face of this centuries-old demon who had dominated the martial world.