Chapter 79: The True Inheritance (III)
“You’re actually unharmed?!”
Seeing Pang Yue standing calmly in the void, Pei Taiyin exclaimed in disbelief.
“How could you possibly be unscathed?!”
He knew all too well the power of his final strike, “Reincarnation.” Not to mention Foundation Establishment cultivators—even a Golden Core master caught off guard by such a blade would suffer devastating damage to their soul in an instant!
Let alone a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This blade ignored all magical arts, protective auras, spiritual tools, and talismans, cutting directly at the soul of the cultivator!
An ordinary Foundation Establishment would certainly perish from such a strike. Even among the true disciples, few could escape from this blade unharmed.
Yet Pang Yue appeared utterly untouched, leaving Pei Taiyin with a sense of absurdity that was hard to believe.
He had suspended the second-tier treasure, the Law-Breaking Scepter, overhead, barely fending off the Frostbolt Thunder Gale, already breaking the rules and branding himself the loser.
His only aim was to use that bizarre blade technique to kill Pang Yue—or at least severely harm his soul...
But he failed.
Pang Yue glanced at Li Xian-an, who stood above the drifting clouds in the sky, and asked coolly, “Elder Li, this man broke the rules first. Am I permitted to slay him?”
If he could break the rules to use a treasure, could I not break the rules to kill him?
“No.”
“But you have won this round.”
“Pei Taiyin, withdraw!”
At that moment, everyone sensed Li Xian-an’s protectiveness toward Pei Taiyin.
Even Luo Zhiyao, the Golden Core elder of the Luo family watching the match, was about to flare up in anger, but suddenly seemed to recall something and only sighed softly.
Luo Qingyuan frowned slightly and asked, “Is the Demon Child of the Heavenly Demon Sect truly this terrifying?”
“Alas…”
The Luo family elder shook his head and sighed, about to explain when his expression shifted and he looked toward the horizon.
“The Patriarch has arrived!”
Luo Qingyuan followed the elder’s gaze but saw nothing yet. Then from the east, she heard a roaring tide, like ten thousand waterfalls converging, rivers surging.
The crowd watching all turned to the east.
They saw a sea tide rolling across the horizon, azure waves churning, white foam like snow.
A hundred-zhang tower ship stirred the waters, rolling forward on the waves.
Those familiar with the great clans of the Demon Rune Sect instantly recognized the ship.
The third-tier treasure: the Thousand Degree Cloud Sea Ship!
Beside this ship, the Ning family’s ornate flying boat appeared petty and shabby.
Soon, the tower ship drew near. The vast waters in the sky receded, layer upon layer of waves dissipating, leaving only a rumbling resonance echoing endlessly.
On the ship, no cultivators appeared, but it hovered in the air, exuding immeasurable authority.
Everyone knew: seeing the Thousand Degree Cloud Sea Ship was seeing the master of the Luo family.
Before the crowd could recover, another palace-shaped treasure flew in from the horizon.
“It’s the Wanlei Hall of the Pei family!”
“The Pei Patriarch has arrived as well!”
“Not just the Pei Patriarch—there’s also Master Luoshan, Vice Lord of the Thunder Demon Hall…”
In front of Wanlei Hall, two figures appeared and saluted the Thousand Degree Cloud Sea Ship of the Luo family.
On the Cloud Sea Ship, a figure shrouded in hazy light appeared and returned the salute.
By now, five Golden Core grandmasters had been drawn to this true disciple trial!
Lights flickered across the sky as more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators arrived.
The crowd marveled to see that all were true disciples from various halls.
Usually, such a gathering of true disciples could only be seen in the main hall of the sect or at a rare centennial grand trade fair.
A tall, straight figure, towering like a mountain, appeared silently amid the arena.
He wore the Fubo Profound and Pure Dao Robe, a jade belt at his waist, wide sleeves like clouds, his bearing calm and composed.
His appearance was ordinary, but his features were sharp, his eyes shining with divine light, and his presence radiated an overwhelming demonic aura.
He was He Miao.
A direct descendant of the True Demon Hall, master of five runes, Foundation Establishment perfected, and had, by the method of Heavenly Demon Path Seizure, refined a Void Demon Serpent as a demon rune avatar.
So long as his true self remained, the demon rune avatar was indestructible.
As soon as He Miao appeared, all murmurs faded.
A famous name casts a long shadow.
No matter how brilliantly Pang Yue had won the previous two rounds, doubts lingered in everyone’s hearts.
Could he win the third round?
He Miao’s gaze swept the arena, pausing briefly on Xu family’s Floating Cloud Immortal House, then moving on.
At last, he looked to Pang Yue, nodded slightly in greeting without speaking.
Pang Yue cupped his hands in return.
“Begin.”
Li Xian-an’s voice fell from the heights.
Suddenly, Pang Yue sensed something amiss at his side.
Turning, he saw the void twist like an invisible maw, snapping down viciously toward him!
He flicked his finger, unleashing the Frostbolt Thunder Gale.
Boom!
Lightning burst forth.
A void serpent, formed of dense black demonic energy, slithered out, its demonic aura roiling from the blast of frost thunder.
Void Demon Serpent!
He Miao had long hidden this serpent at Pang Yue’s side, waiting for Li Xian-an to announce the start before striking!
The serpent lashed its head and tail, darting forward to bite Pang Yue once more.
Midway, its form suddenly vanished, disappearing from sight.
Warning signals flashed constantly in Pang Yue’s mind. He knew that if this demon serpent bit him, he would not escape unscathed!
This Void Demon Serpent could even shatter a first-tier treasure with its jaws!
He unleashed Frostbolt Thunder Gale again, sweeping across the void, forcing the serpent out into the open.
Suddenly.
A flash of demonic energy behind him.
Pang Yue’s heart chilled. He spun swiftly, transforming into a pale sword light, darting unpredictably within a narrow space.
Snap! Snap!
Two invisible maws bit down hard on the spot where he had just been.
As the sword light soared, it seemed caught by an unseen force.
The fourth demon serpent appeared and lunged at the sword beam.
The Seven Slaughter Sword suddenly moved, twisting like a dragon, cleaving the void and leaving a thin white scar in the air with a muffled thunder.
The demon serpent’s demonic aura boiled, its massive body split in two by the sword light!
In the next instant.
This Void Demon Serpent collapsed into a dense cloud of demonic energy, rapidly shrinking and condensing into a three-foot-long black rune!
Upon this rune, countless dark golden patterns shimmered in the sunlight!
A terrifying demonic aura spread, as if to stain the bright heavens and turn them into an endless demon domain!
This was… the Demon Rune.
Heavenly Demon Path Seizure—refining the Demon Rune!
The core legacy of the Demon Rune Sect was to seize the essence of the heavenly demon with boundless wisdom and supreme power, refine countless demon rune avatars, and rule the world!
If not for the immense peril of the Heavenly Demon Path Seizure, where one could easily be devoured by the demon and become a scourge, the Demon Rune Sect would have conquered the East Sea cultivation realm long ago.
After the Void Demon Serpent was slain by Pang Yue’s sword, it transformed into a demon rune. The rune swelled in the wind, then morphed back into a demon serpent, swinging its head and tail, lunging at Pang Yue again.
Even more terrifying, this demon serpent showed no difference in aura or vitality compared to before it was slain, completely unharmed!
This was the most dreadful aspect of the demon rune avatar.
Pang Yue merged sword and body, weaving through the air as a sword beam, evading the encirclement of the four demon serpents with his exquisite swordplay.
Then, the sword light leapt like a star pellet, abruptly accelerating and flashing near He Miao.
He Miao remained motionless. The void before him twisted suddenly, forming a giant maw that snapped at the sword light.