"Hm!" Shou Xin's face stiffened as he slashed the area above him, a blade similar to the Sea Spring Sword appearing in his hands.
A loud noise rang out!
He turned to look, and his gaze widened slightly.
"It has begun?" Shou Xin picked up the Sword Stone which had extremely powerful Sword Qi bouncing off of it.
He closed his eyes and quietly sensed the area, his mind suddenly feeling an immense pain!
"Guoooo!!!!"
"Ruaa!!"
Countless roars erupted all around him, some of them belonging to familiar faces!
People he had executed using the Sea Spring Sword surrounded him, even those he did not know were there, their eyes bloodthirsty!
His mind moved at a thousand miles a second as he tried to understand the situation, his instincts in a scramble!
"Perhaps because the Sea Spring Sword became Living Metal from absorbing so much Primeval Qi, it began to collect the souls and not just their killing intent?!" Shou Xin's facial expression darkened, "Then, how many do I have to fight here? How many has this blade killed!?"
The faint Sea Spring Sword in his palm and the Sword Stone which vibrated with an intense Sword Qi which seemingly wished to erupt and destroy everything both seemed to synergize!
In a moment of raw instinct, he crushed the Sword Stone!
It's insides flew everywhere!
Yet, just as it was about to erupt it's vicious Sword Qi, Shou Xin waved his Sea Spring Sword, collecting it all on the blade's edge like a long trail of starlight illuminating everything around him!
Immediately, he sensed the presence of his Sanguine Sword Law fighting tooth and nail to restrain the Sword Qi which had just invaded his body!
"If I can restrain and use this power, then my strength will soar!"
He felt the iron will of the Sword Qi to not submit, and smiled.
"Fine then!" He shouted and charged forward, "I will not make you submit, I will make you acknowledge me instead!"
The Sanguine Sword Law hummed violently!
Immense waves of Sanguine Sword Qi fell down all around him, the threads engraved with intense killing intent which together created his field!
Sanguine Sword Field!
Three floating blades made of pure Qi and killing intent rose, wailing violently!
Against these wails, the Sea Spring Sword rang out like a ferocious dragon!
Now atop the Sword Mound, Shou Xin looked at the thousands of bloodthirsty demons all around and grinned wryly as he flicked his wrist!
"Why can it never just be easy?!" He cried out, yet his face was lit with a smile.
His field chopped through the first waves of bloodthirsty demons like a scythe through wheat, reacting to all instances killing intent their accuracy was pinpoint.
Hundreds of demons fell at once, with the suppression of his foundation and Sanguine Sword Law, they could not fight at full capacity either!
However, the main combat capability of the demons had yet to be truly revealed!
An hour later, and the horde didn't not seem to have been reduced at all!
"Damn it!" Shou Xin let off a powerful Sanguine Slash that cuts tens of them to pieces, however just as fast they were regenerated, the horde advancing slowly, but surely upon the Sword Mound such that he could no longer see the base!
His foundation creaked under the pressure!
After constant battle, his Sanguine Sword Law was also beginning to tire, his inner sea too thin of Qi and his comprehension of the law too shallow, making it work to it's bone!
Shou Xin's eyes were bloodshot!
Swinging his head around he searched for anything! Any clue!
His gaze glimmered as he heightened his senses which dulled his ability to control his field for a moment.
"I can absorb them if they die on the Sword Mound!"
The Sanguine Sword Law was devouring the killing intent of those dead demons close by!
The depths of his eyes flashed with inspiration and his field fell back to a very small range!
The Sword Mound shook violently as it threatened to crack under the sudden, immense weight!
Countless killing intents converged on Shou Xin's position, his back up against the Sanguine Sword Law!
Sanguine Slash!
Tens of the bloodthirsty demons were felled in a single blow!
Yet, this time while the horde overtook it once again, he could feel it!
"Sanguine Absorption!"
He shouted the name of the new technique he had just understood from watching!
His comprehension of his law increased!
The Killing Intent which was thick enough to create these demons was directly absorbed into the Sanguine Sword Law and instantly crushed under the dense Sanguine Sword Qi within, turning into low quality, but high quantity Qi!
Shou Xin's eyes showed a fierce light as he began to fight violently down the Sword Mound!
He did not stop until he had reached the bottom and then he retreated back to the top, using those few moments to recover his Qi and then continue to battle!
The Sword Mound was soaked in blood! His Inner Sea turned crimson in an instant!
---
"What is happening?!" Liu Gang rushed into the bamboo forest accompanied by the hundred strong warrior group he lead.
Yui Luo was not far behind!
"Don't come closer!" Elder Yu shouted as his Law Qi expanded through the entire area, cutting it off, "Your Master is undergoing an inspiration with his Law at the same time as forging an Artifact! Any interference here can cripple him, or worse, kill him!"
Behind Elder Yu, Shou Xin's body was covered in ripples of crimson energy which burned high like a bonfire in the midst of the night.
Wailing rang through the bamboo forest echoing across the entire Shou Clan!
"...Lock everything down! No one leaves their rooms, anyone who does, kill them!" Liu Gang turned ruthlessly to his subordinates, his face like an angered buddha!
Yui Luo nodded and rushed back to the administrative hall, giving out orders immediately!
Liu Gang stood cross-armed just outside of the barrier, his back turned to Shou Xin and his face incredibly pale, he drew his sword, prepared to battle against anyone.
One night turned into two...
----
"What is happening?!" Guo Long called out at the gate of the Shou Clan!
Yui Luo arrived shortly, "Mentor! Come in, quickly!"
A large portion of the Sea Spring Town's inhabitants felt terribly uneasy as if every inch of their bodies were being subjected to pins and needles constantly.
No one could sleep the previous night without countless nightmares.
Yui Luo brought Guo Long to a side hall, where tea was served hot as he preferred it.
"What is going on?" Calmed slightly, Guo Long spoke in a low voice.
Yui Luo nodded, "Master Shou is undergoing a Law Inspiration!"
"What?" Guo Long's pupils shrank, "Girl, you must not lie."
"I'm not! Elder Yu from the Tai School told us so!"
"Elder Yu?" Guo Long felt that his question had only led to more mysteries, how much did this little clan have hidden away?
"...I am not allowed to say more!" She shook her head and apologized by cupping her fists.
"Miss Yui! We need you, the young lords are growing more restless!" A disciple called out, and Yui Luo gave Guo Long and apologetic look, but he waved his sleeve.
She left swiftly.
Once she had done so, a man appeared from Guo Long's shadow.
"What is going on?" Guo Long asked once more, his gaze solemn.
"As the girl said, Little Master Shou is undergoing a Law Inspiration. However, he is also purifying his sword in order to create an artifact."
The man's words put Guo Long in a strange mood, his facial expression becoming tense as his eyebrows furrowed.
"Is he a monster?" He muttered.
"Perhaps?"
One had to know, that to get a Law Inspiration before the Law Reinforcement Stage, was extremely rare as it was an insight into a key skill of one's Law!
A signature of sorts!
Yet, to have this very experience in the midst of battle was even more ridiculous, it was as though one had a break through on a very hard writing problem which one is in the midst of writing with one hand while one is also fighting with the other hand and someone is teaching in front of them, and one cannot lose focus at any moment or it is gone!
"His talent is disgustingly low." The man said calmly, "However, if he had even a single shred of his instinct as talent, he would be among those geniuses on a State level. Of this, I am certain!"
Guo Long looked at the man, his pupils shivering.
Who have I involved myself with?
---
Seven nights of tortuous hell.
Seven sleepless nights.
Seven days of constant unease.
Seven days of fear.
Yet, on the morning of the seventh day, it stopped.
The people of Sea Spring awoke to a calm atmosphere and a cool sensation through the city as though a fog had been lifted and one could see the sun again.