Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

The Sword Nurturing Gourd was a secret treasure of the Myriad Swords Sect, its value exceeding even that of their inherited Supreme Treasures.

Although damaged, it had already been half-restored by Su Han. He had previously placed the Cold Iron Holy Sword inside to nurture it. While the nurturing period had been brief—not even a full night—Su Han was eager to test its might.

As soon as the Sword Nurturing Gourd appeared, it floated in midair, as if it would deign to land nowhere but on Myriad Sword Mountain, destined to stand perpetually in the sky.

"ROAR!"

The Rotten Corpse Saint charged forward, his furious bellows surging like tides. His colossal, thousand-meter-tall body was like a towering mountain, its immense pressure shattering space itself—a terrifying sight.

"Sword, come forth!" Su Han commanded with a low shout, activating the Sword Nurturing Gourd with the special Manipulation Method left behind by the Tai Cang Sword God.

WHOOSH!

The Sword Nurturing Gourd abruptly lit up, radiating a blinding, sharp luster like the glow of a Divine Sword, bright enough to illuminate the Nine Heavens and the ten earthly directions. The next moment, the Cold Iron Holy Sword burst forth, transforming into a streak of cold light that seemed to freeze the very world. Space was like paper before it, easily sliced apart, utterly unable to withstand the blade’s edge.

The Cold Iron Holy Sword was an Intermediate Grade Holy Artifact, incomparably sharp and immensely powerful. But now, its blade was coated in a mysterious divine light—energy from the Sword Nurturing Gourd. Though only a superficial layer, it elevated the sword’s power to a whole new level.

"Death Qi Surge Wave!" the Rotten Corpse Saint roared. A storm of dense Death Qi swirled around his gigantic hand as he swatted down, intending to crush the Cold Iron Holy Sword.

SLASH!

The sword light flashed, cleaving the Saint’s huge hand in two. The cut was as smooth as a mirror, and not a single drop of blood spilled. Unimpeded, the Cold Iron Holy Sword continued forward, its chilling blade severing the Saint at the waist. With a thunderous crash, the colossal body toppled like a collapsing mountain, shaking the very ground. However, the strike had exhausted the mysterious luster on the blade. The Cold Iron Holy Sword flew back into the Sword Nurturing Gourd, becoming temporarily unusable.

Su Han’s heart swelled with delight. What a treasure! To possess such formidable power after being nurtured for only a few hours... I’ve truly stumbled upon something incredible this time. If the Cold Iron Holy Sword were nurtured for longer, wouldn’t its might become even greater? Perhaps slicing a Saint in a single blow wouldn’t be impossible. And the Sword Nurturing Gourd is still only half-restored. If I repair it completely, the nurturing effect will be unquestionably better.

At that moment, Su Han’s desire to gather treasures imbued with Sun and Moon Essence to repair the Sword Nurturing Gourd intensified. But that was a matter for later. The immediate priority was dealing with the Rotten Corpse Saint.

Though bisected, the Saint had not died. He was still alive. His enormous body writhed on the ground as countless pained faces surfaced all over his writhing flesh.

"I’ll kill you!"

"Please, don’t kill me! I have a wife and children to support."

"This place is dangerous! I have to get out of here!"

A cacophony of voices spewed from the Rotten Corpse Saint’s mouth. Some were filled with murderous intent, others trembled in fear, and some were desperate to flee. These were not the Saint’s own thoughts. His consciousness had become a chaotic mess, disrupted by the wills of the countless corpses he had absorbed, leaving him unable to control his own body. The slash from the Cold Iron Holy Sword had not only bisected his body but also shattered the delicate balance within him.

Su Han would not let such a good opportunity pass. He quickly cast the Nine Heavens Divine Light, aiming to pierce the Rotten Corpse Saint’s sea of Divine Sense and trigger its collapse.

SWISH!

The Nine Heavens Divine Light tore through the sky and struck the Saint’s brow with perfect precision. He let out a piercing scream, and his massive body rolled and struggled on the ground, completely flattening the Chaotic Burial Ground.

"BLAARGH!"

The Rotten Corpse Saint’s mouth gaped open as he spewed a vast amount of black gas. The gas, thick with the stench of rot, instantly polluted the air and eroded the ground, turning it into a foul, pitch-black marsh. As he expelled the black gas, his gigantic body began to shrink rapidly as if deflating—a clear sign that the Forbidden Technique of Myriad Corpses Fusion had been broken.

He continued to spew the gas, which thickened into a dense fog that enshrouded the entire area. While his body shrank, the chaotic consciousness within him also weakened—this was clearly a method of self-preservation.

"Ages like a sword, cutting down all beings!"

Su Han stretched out his hand, and the Soul Severing Sword appeared in his grasp. Simultaneously, he channeled the Sword Intent of Ages from his Dantian, executing a peerless swordsmanship from the Sword Scripture of Ages. The flow of time became a river of sword light, slicing through the sky toward the Rotten Corpse Saint.

The light fell upon the Saint’s body, and he screamed in agony as his massive form began to rapidly decay.

But the Rotten Corpse Saint was a ruthless being. He directly severed the part of his body struck by the sword light. Soon, only his upper body remained. Continuously spitting out black gas, he quickly shrank back to his original size.

In his current state, the Rotten Corpse Saint was a miserable sight. His lower body was gone, and he had sliced off his own abdomen, leaving only his torso from the chest up. Fortunately, his arms were still intact; had he lost them as well, he would have been left a helpless, living torso. Yet, his vitality was truly tenacious. Even in this condition, he was still breathing. Had it been anyone else, they would have long since perished.

The Rotten Corpse Saint looked at Su Han in terror, his will to fight completely shattered. Only a single thought remained. Escape! He no longer cared about his mission or his plague corpses; he would abandon everything to save his own life.

Where there’s life, there’s hope. A failed mission can be accepted again, and lost plague corpses can be refined anew. But if I die, I’ll truly have nothing left.

The Saint’s emaciated hands gestured through the air. Spatial Force and the power of time intertwined, and his entire being transformed into a streak of grey light that shot across the sky, fleeing into the distance.

"Where do you think you’re going!"

Su Han’s Nine Heavens Eye had been locked onto him the entire time. Seeing the Saint attempt to flee, he immediately activated the Character Technique of Motion, augmenting it with Spatial Force to give chase.

Although the Rotten Corpse Saint was a Saint Realm expert, he was grievously injured and had less than a tenth of his strength remaining. Even with the power of time, he could not use much of it and was quickly overtaken by Su Han.

"Slay!"

Su Han held the Black Blade, invoking the Bloodthirsty Demonic Flame, the Soul Devouring Demon Mist, the Time Magic Pattern, and his Heart Demon Power. He was determined to end the Rotten Corpse Saint here and now.

SLICE!

The Rotten Corpse Saint was completely unable to resist and was cleaved in two by Su Han’s blade. At that very moment, however, a streak of black light shot out from the bisected corpse, heading straight for Li Qingyue, who stood outside the Chaotic Burial Ground.

Yama Soul-Seizing Technique!

The Rotten Corpse Saint was trying to possess Li Qingyue