I had no intention of entering the martial world.

Chapter 30 Devouring Sword Qi

And it's a very potent poison.

"Not going to speak?" the Azure Dragon Envoy sneered. "Then die!"

With a flick of his pistol, it transformed into three cold stars, slicing through Lu Chenzhou's throat, heart, and abdomen!

This shot was far more powerful than the ones he'd encountered in Zhongnan Mountain. The spear tip trembled, sealing off all escape routes; no matter where Lu Chenzhou dodged, he would be pierced.

If you can't avoid it, then don't try to avoid it.

Instead of retreating, Lu Chenzhou charged forward, meeting the spear tip head-on!

Just before he was about to be stabbed, he twisted his body in a strange way—a movement that no human could make, like a snake, like a bird, like… a shadow.

The tip of the gun grazed his ribs, only tearing his clothes.

Lu Chenzhou's hand had already gripped the gun barrel!

A hint of surprise flashed in the Azure Dragon Envoy's eyes, but he didn't stop. He flicked his wrist, and the gun spun violently, trying to shake off Lu Chenzhou's hand.

But Lu Chenzhou's hand remained motionless, like an iron clamp.

Not only that, he also pulled hard—

The Azure Dragon Envoy stumbled forward as he was pulled by him!

"You're courting death!" Azure Dragon Envoy roared, unleashing a powerful palm strike with his left hand, the force of which carried a foul, fishy stench.

It was another poisonous palm strike.

Lu Chenzhou released his grip, stepped back, and kicked a stone with his right foot, smashing it towards the Azure Dragon Envoy's face!

The Azure Dragon Envoy turned his head to avoid it, but in that brief moment of delay, Lu Chenzhou had already retreated to a safe distance.

The two faced off.

The Azure Dragon Envoy stared at Lu Chenzhou, his eyes growing colder beneath the mask:

"You are not an ordinary innate sword bone... You have the Azure Nether Sword Qi within you. Moreover, it has already 'awakened'."

"Awake?" Lu Chenzhou asked.

"It seems you don't know yet." The Azure Dragon Envoy sheathed his short spear and said slowly, "The Azure Nether Sword has a spirit and chooses its master. But the sword spirit is dormant and needs a 'key' to awaken it. The jade pendant you swallowed is the key."

Lu Chenzhou was startled.

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder the power suddenly erupted after swallowing the jade pendant.

"Once the sword spirit awakens, its sword energy will gradually erode your body and devour your mind," the Azure Dragon Envoy continued. "In the end, you will become a puppet of the sword, a walking corpse that only knows how to kill."

He spoke calmly, as if stating a fact.

"So?" Lu Chenzhou asked.

"So, hand over the sword to me." The Azure Dragon Envoy extended his hand. "I have a way to extract the sword spirit and save your life."

"Save my life?" Lu Chenzhou looked at him. "And then? The sword returns to your Immortal Seeking Society, and you go open the Heavenly Gate?"

The Azure Dragon Envoy was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled:

"So you do know about the Heavenly Gate. Then you should also know that beyond the Heavenly Gate lies the Supreme Dao, the path to immortality. That is a realm that mortals dream of."

"And the price?" Lu Chenzhou asked. "What price is required to open the Heavenly Gate?"

The Azure Dragon Envoy did not answer.

But Lu Chenzhou had already guessed it.

Blood is needed.

Lots of blood.

It is necessary to... offer sacrifices to the entire world.

"A madman," he said.

The Azure Dragon Envoy's smile vanished.

"Since you're so stubborn, don't blame me."

He clasped his hands together, and the pistol disappeared, replaced by a sword.

The sword is slender and jet black, with only a dark red line of blood along its spine.

It looks a lot like the Azure Sword.

But they are different.

The Azure Sword is azure, while this sword is black.

The bloodline on the Azure Sword is on the spine, but the bloodline on this sword... is on the blade.

"This sword is named 'Gluttony'." The Azure Dragon Envoy slowly raised the sword. "It feeds solely on sword energy. Today, I'll use you to feed it!"

The sword is drawn.

There was no sound of wind, no light or shadow.

Only a pure, absolute black streak streaked across the night sky.

Wherever it passed, even the moonlight was swallowed up.

Lu Chenzhou's expression changed.

He felt the Azure Nether Sword Qi within his body stirring and trembling with fear.

It's like encountering a natural enemy.

He dared not take the hit head-on and could only retreat.

But the black sword followed him like a shadow, always locked onto his throat.

fast!

It's faster than the limits of vision!

Lu Chenzhou had already retreated to the riverbank; if he retreated any further, he would fall into the water.

There was no way to retreat.

He gritted his teeth, ready to fight to the death, when suddenly, a white shadow flashed by.

Chu Xueya.

She had crossed the river at some point and was now blocking Lu Chenzhou's path.

He held the steel sword horizontally in front of his chest, a thin layer of frost rising from its blade.

"clang--!"

The black sword struck the blue steel sword.

There was no spark, no sound.

Only... the steel sword was broken.

Like a piece of glass being smashed by a hammer, shattering into countless pieces and scattering all over the ground.

Chu Xueya groaned and flew backward, crashing into a tree, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

But she still stopped.

"Miss Chu!" Lu Chenzhou wanted to go over.

"Don't come any closer!" Chu Xueya shouted sharply, "His sword can devour sword energy! The more you use your Azure Nether Sword Energy, the stronger he becomes!"

It turned out to be the case.

No wonder it's called "Taotie".

It feeds exclusively on sword energy.

The Azure Dragon Envoy looked at Chu Xueya, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes:

"Ice Marrow Sword Bone? Not bad. It's a pity your sword is too poor, not worthy of your sword bone. How about joining the Immortal Seeking Society? I'll give you a better sword."

Chu Xueya wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and said coldly:

"Emei disciples do not associate with evil spirits."

"Demons?" The Azure Dragon Envoy laughed. "What is good? What is evil? The victor is king, the loser is a bandit. When the Heavenly Gate opens, the world will be ours, and then we will be the righteous!"

He stopped wasting words, raised his black sword again, and this time his target was Chu Xueya.

Because he could tell—Lu Chenzhou cared about this woman.

Attack where the enemy must defend.

Sure enough, Lu Chenzhou made a move.

He had no sword, but he still had his hands.

He raised his hand and made a loose grasp towards the Azure Dragon Envoy.

"Bang!"

The Azure Dragon caused the surrounding space to suddenly distort!

Like an invisible giant hand, it's about to crush him!

This is the external release of the Azure Nether Sword Qi, a new ability that Lu Chenzhou gained after swallowing the jade pendant.

But the Azure Dragon Envoy merely sneered:

"A trivial skill."

With a flick of his black sword, the distorted space was actually... cleaved open!

Like cutting through a piece of cloth, easy and effortless.

Then, the black sword continued its momentum, slashing towards Lu Chenzhou's hand!

Lu Chenzhou tried to dodge, but he couldn't.

The black sword was too fast and too unpredictable.

It was about to strike—

Suddenly, a golden light flashed.

"Ding!"

The black sword was blocked.

It wasn't blocked by a sword, but by... a string of Buddhist prayer beads.

Old monk.

The old monk who had been in the dilapidated temple had somehow appeared on the battlefield. He held a string of dark Buddhist prayer beads in his hand; it was these very beads that had blocked the Azure Dragon Envoy's black sword.

"Amitabha." The old monk put his hands together, his face calm. "Benefactor, one should be forgiving when possible."

The Azure Dragon Envoy stared at the old monk, his gaze changing for the first time:

"Are you... Forget-Me-Not?"

Forget your worries?

Lu Chenzhou remembered the name. Lu Jinghong had mentioned it before: Monk Wangyou, a high-ranking monk from Zhongnan Mountain, whose Buddhist teachings were profound and whose martial arts were unfathomable.

"It is indeed this old monk." Monk Wangyou nodded slightly. "Azure Dragon Envoy, it's been many years, and you are still so obsessed."

"You're the one who's obsessed!" the Azure Dragon Envoy roared. "Forget-Me-Not, a hundred years ago you sealed the Heavenly Gate, severing the path to immortality for countless people! Now, we simply want to reclaim what is rightfully ours!"

"Beyond the Heavenly Gate lies not immortality, but destruction." Monk Wangyou shook his head. "Benefactor, turn back before it's too late."

"Where is the shore?" the Azure Dragon Envoy sneered. "The shore is in immortality, in eternal life, in transcending this sea of ​​mortal suffering!"

"Transcendence is not destruction," the monk Wangyou said slowly. "Benefactor, you have fallen into demonic possession."

"Then let's see if your Buddha is more powerful, or my demon is more powerful!"

Without another word, the Azure Dragon Envoy raised his black sword once more and slashed at the Forget-Worry Monk!

This time, he used all his strength.

Wherever the black sword passed, the air emitted a piercing shriek, even distorting and swallowing the moonlight.

The monk Wangyou looked solemn. He flicked his prayer beads, which transformed into a golden light screen that blocked his way.

"clang--!"

The black sword struck the light barrier, producing a deafening roar.

The light curtain trembled violently, but it did not shatter.

A fierce glint flashed in the Azure Dragon Envoy's eyes. With a flick of his wrist, the black sword transformed into thousands of sword shadows, pouring down like a torrential rain!

"All swords return to their origin!"

This is the pinnacle of swordsmanship, the Azure Dragon Envoy's killing move.

Every sword strike was real, and every strike could take a life.

The monk Wangyou sighed, and the prayer beads in his hand suddenly exploded!

One hundred and eight Buddhist beads transformed into one hundred and eight golden rays, meeting the myriad sword shadows!

"Bang bang bang bang bang—!"

The dense clattering sounds were like firecrackers on New Year's Eve.

Golden light and black light intertwined, sword energy and Buddhist power collided.

Within a radius of ten feet, vegetation was broken, stones flew everywhere, and even the river was shaken and flowed backward!

Lu Chenzhou shielded Chu Xueya and retreated to a safe distance, watching the duel in shock.

This is a true master.

Compared to them, his previous battles were like children playing house.

Finally, the collision stopped.

The golden light dissipated, and the black light faded.

The monk Wangyou stood there, his face pale and blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but the prayer beads in his hand had been strung up again.

The Azure Dragon Envoy was also standing, but a crack had appeared on his mask.

From the center of the forehead to the jawline.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of blood, which was black. It fell to the ground and sizzled, corroding a pit.

"Very well... a truly forgiving..." The Azure Dragon Envoy wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "This favor today will surely be repaid in the future!"

After saying that, he flickered and turned into a wisp of black smoke, disappearing into the night.

gone.