What's going on with this guy?!
At that moment, Lin San's eyes widened slightly as his sword, aimed at Tang Shiwu, was blocked by the blade of the crimson longsword.
Clang!
The strike was deflected, rebounding back toward Lin San. Though the demonic sword was strange, the Demon-Slaying Sword remained incredibly sharp. Upon closer inspection, Lin San noticed a small dent had appeared on the surface of the strange weapon.
"If I break your sword, my blade will grow stronger," Tang Shiwu snarled, his face twisted into a savage grin as he fixated on the Demon-Slaying Sword in Lin San's hand.
With a violent swing, Tang Shiwu attacked again, the eerie red sword cutting through the air with an unsettling wail, as if the surrounding space itself was mourning.
"That sword is definitely demonic."
"If my guess is right, it might have been forged with human lives," Ye Fan, the sword spirit, remarked darkly.
He had heard rumors before about some fanatical weapon smiths who would use living people to forge weapons, creating blades that would grow stronger through killing. These weapons, though powerful, were forbidden and evil. While they couldn't compare to Ye Fan's true strength, this was the first time Ye Fan had encountered such a sinister blade, and his curiosity was piqued.
It wasn't just any ordinary weapon; despite being a B-grade sword, it had far more durability than expected. Even with the strength of an A-grade weapon like the Demon-Slaying Sword, it couldn't be easily cut down.
Tang Shiwu swung the demonic blade at Lin San again, the blood-soaked energy radiating from the sword so intense that even without making direct contact, the oppressive aura caused cuts to appear on Lin San's body.
"Damn it!"
Lin San's expression darkened. He channeled more of his source power into the Demon-Slaying Sword, not only increasing his strength but also triggering the sword's healing properties. However, the rate at which his source power was being consumed was alarming—he could feel himself nearing exhaustion.
"Breaking a normal weapon wouldn't give any evolution points, but breaking this demonic sword… could it be different?"
Ye Fan pondered, sensing the uniqueness of the blade. "I'll give you a hand—let's call it an experiment."
With that, Ye Fan unleashed his own power, causing the Demon-Slaying Sword to vibrate in Lin San's grip.
What the…!?
Lin San's eyes narrowed in surprise as he felt the sword move of its own accord. He instinctively followed its lead as the sword surged forward.
Tang Shiwu, readying another attack, found himself on the defensive as Lin San's sword struck with immense power.
Clang!
The Demon-Slaying Sword collided with the demonic blade once more, but this time, the strike was much stronger. A noticeable dent appeared on Tang Shiwu's weapon.
What's happening?!
Tang Shiwu's expression faltered, clearly sensing something different about Lin San's weapon. But before he could react, the Demon-Slaying Sword surged forward again, moving even faster and with greater ferocity under Ye Fan's control.
"Now this is exhilarating!" Ye Fan exclaimed, enjoying his newfound autonomy over the sword. The power he unleashed felt even more potent than before.
Lin San, though shocked, held firmly onto the sword, synchronizing his movements with its rapid strikes. The flurry of attacks overwhelmed Tang Shiwu, driving him back as more dents appeared on his demonic blade.
In this moment, the Demon-Slaying Sword had fully entered self-control mode, with Ye Fan leading the charge. A system notification appeared: [Entering Host Self-Control Mode].
Ye Fan was expending his energy at a rapid rate, but he didn't care. His only focus was to break the demonic blade!
"Sword and man, as one?!" Zhang Tiansha, watching from below, gasped in shock. His eyes were wide with disbelief as he observed Lin San's movements. The sword seemed to have come to life, striking with a precision and force that defied explanation.
Clang, clang, clang!
With each clash, the sound of metal reverberated across the battlefield. Tang Shiwu's demonic blade was rapidly accumulating more and more damage. Soon, it looked as though the sword would break entirely.
"Argh!!!" Tang Shiwu roared, sensing the impending collapse of his weapon. In a fit of desperation, his body exploded with blood-red energy.
"He's using the Demonic Disintegration Technique?!"
Zhang Tiancong shot to his feet in alarm.
The Demonic Disintegration Technique was a forbidden method that allowed a practitioner to burn their own blood and life force to gain overwhelming power for a short time. It was considered a forbidden art, prohibited by the sect.
Phantom Dance!
Ye Fan unleashed another skill through the Demon-Slaying Sword, and under his control, the sword danced through the air with unparalleled speed and force. Tang Shiwu, even with the Demonic Disintegration Technique, couldn't keep up. The blade struck his body repeatedly, leaving deep wounds all over.
Tang Shiwu's demonic blade, riddled with cracks, was on the verge of breaking.
"Stop!" Zhang Tiancong's voice boomed as he flew toward the platform.
An immense force erupted, sending both Lin San and Tang Shiwu flying in opposite directions.
Lin San managed to regain his balance in midair, landing on the edge of the platform, while Tang Shiwu collapsed onto the ground, his body battered and bloodied.
The intense backlash from the forbidden technique, combined with the severe injuries from the battle, left Tang Shiwu incapacitated. Zhang Tiancong's timely intervention had prevented further catastrophe, but the damage was done.
"I was so close to breaking his blade," Ye Fan muttered in frustration. He quickly assessed the energy expenditure: just over a hundred energy points had been consumed in this brief bout of self-control.
The rapid depletion left Ye Fan feeling a pang of regret. "Energy points… they're being used up too fast."
Absorbing energy points from blood alone wasn't enough. To gain more, they'd need to target higher-ranked warriors.
"Left Elder, Elder Zhang, take Tang Shiwu away," Zhang Tiancong ordered, his tone grave.
Two elders stepped forward, carrying the unconscious Tang Shiwu off the battlefield.
"Lin San, you've won this match," Zhang Tiancong announced, his gaze briefly resting on the broken demonic blade in his hand before he left the area.
"That demonic technique was terrifying."
"Demonic Disintegration… a forbidden art…"
The spectators murmured among themselves, shaken by the events they had just witnessed.
Lin San, ignoring the chatter around him, looked down at the Demon-Slaying Sword in his hand, still in awe of its power.