Chapter Ten: Supreme Sword Technique

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In the midst of the secluded valley, the Bloodshadow Master, his body riddled with corpse poison, had reached the very end of his strength—like a lamp running out of oil. Perhaps it was a final burst of vitality before death, for his ghastly and twisted countenance regained a trace of color. With what remained of his life, the Bloodshadow Master imparted to Qi Fei the essence of the three supreme sword techniques, as well as a cryptic and difficult formula for channeling inner energy. Before Qi Fei could ask any questions, the Bloodshadow Master slowly stood, picked up a broken branch from the ground, and continued, “These three supreme sword techniques are unfathomably profound. The method of channeling energy has always been passed down by word of mouth among the successive leaders of the Profound Heart Sword Sect. Only after witnessing the subtlety of these three sword forms will you be able to comprehend the power within. Gather your inner energy at the Zanzhu and Qingming points of your eyes, and watch closely from the side.”

Qi Fei cradled his longsword in both hands and, following the Bloodshadow Master’s instructions, slowly concentrated his inner energy at the Zanzhu and Qingming points. At once, his vision cleared; every blade of grass and tree in the valley came into sharp focus.

Astonished, Qi Fei immediately fixed his gaze on his master, not daring to blink.

“My martial cultivation is all but lost. Though a wisp of true energy remains within me, I can barely unleash a fraction of the power of these three supreme sword techniques. Once you have forged your own martial soul, their might will multiply.” The Bloodshadow Master, aware that his end was near, gathered his focus. After a moment, he summoned all the true energy left in his body. In a flash, his figure moved, and the withered branch in his hand became a blur, thrusting out with lightning speed.

“The first form—Cloud Piercing Thrust.”

Whizzing and howling, the sound of air splitting apart thundered out. The Bloodshadow Master, as swift and ghostly as a phantom, darted forward; the branch in his hand spun into three afterimages, each piercing the valley’s stone cliff.

In that instant, a deafening boom erupted. On the sheer rock face, the withered branch exploded a hole more than ten feet deep. The sword move was as fast as lightning; even with his inner energy enhancing his sight, Qi Fei felt dizzy watching it.

Before he could collect his thoughts, the withered branch in the master’s hand transformed again. It moved as though alive, spinning rapidly out of his grip and forming a swirl of afterimages, whirling around him like a frenzied gale.

“The second form—Wind Spirit Spiral.”

The Bloodshadow Master’s words still echoed in Qi Fei’s ears as the phantasmal wind conjured by the branch enveloped his figure completely.

A violent gust burst forth from the master, roaring through the valley. In an instant, the simple wooden hut collapsed; sand and stones whirled, and the sky darkened. The next moment, the swirling winds about him thundered forward. With a crash, the grass, stones, and trees on one side of the valley were ground into dust by the ferocious wind’s force.

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Qi Fei watched, utterly stupefied, barely able to believe this was the same master who moments ago had seemed on the verge of death.

His heart surged with excitement. Despite his master’s body being ravaged by corpse poison, with only a trace of true energy left, and wielding nothing but a withered branch, these two sword techniques were so overwhelming—just as his master had said. These supreme sword arts truly were capable of shaking heaven and earth.

Qi Fei could hardly take it all in. As he marveled at the exquisite intricacy of the sword techniques, the Bloodshadow Master suddenly leapt into the air, letting out a thunderous shout.

“The third form—Heaven Sundering Slash.”

The afterimages conjured by the withered branch merged into one in midair. Veins bulged on the Bloodshadow Master’s face as he brought the branch down in a swift and brutal arc, smashing it against the stone cliff.

Boom!

After a deafening crash, the withered branch in his hand disintegrated into fine powder, instantly swept away by the wind. When the dust in the valley settled, Qi Fei stepped forward and was shocked speechless—where the third sword move had landed, the cliff wall now gaped with an opening several yards wide, leading directly out of the valley.

Having expended the last of his strength to unleash these three supreme sword techniques, the Bloodshadow Master collapsed. Cold, sinister black vapors began to seep from every pore and limb.

Qi Fei hurried to his side, but was stopped by a weak moan from his master.

“Don’t come closer… If you touch this corpse poison, you will surely die.”

At that moment, the master's eyes, consumed by the poison, had become two ghastly, bloody pits. The Bloodshadow Master managed a sorrowful smile, drew a ragged breath, and summoned the last of his strength to speak his final words to Qi Fei.

“Leave this place at once… lest you run into that Hundred Ghosts Taoist… The world is treacherous; do not follow in your master’s footsteps—be decisive and ruthless when necessary. Let my fate be a lesson to you… You need not bury me—should you ever avenge me, come to this valley and tell me. In the underworld, I can rest in peace.”

Qi Fei felt as though his heart was being torn apart. Gazing at the dying Bloodshadow Master, he was filled with conflicting emotions. Though his master had once wished him harm, fate had twisted things so that, at the end, the master had bequeathed to him the Spirit Jade and all his knowledge without reservation. Perhaps it was the bitterness of past vendettas that drove his master into the demonic path, making him no hero, but the Bloodshadow Master had nevertheless changed Qi Fei’s destiny.

Now, a foul stench arose from the master’s body as black mist slowly oozed out. Before long, the entire body had dissolved into a puddle of inky, reeking blood.

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Once, he had been the most promising disciple of the Profound Heart Sword Sect’s head—a favored son of heaven whose martial arts had reached the eighth realm, the Bridge of Life and Death. Later, driven by a vendetta, he joined the Heart Demon Sect and retrained in the secret arts of the demonic path. Now, he vanished without a trace in this lonely, hidden valley.

Qi Fei knelt before the puddle that was all that remained of the Bloodshadow Master and bowed three times in deep respect, swearing silently in his heart: This debt of kindness, I will never forget. Luo Yunxiang, the traitors of the Profound Heart Sword Sect, and the Hundred Ghosts Taoist who killed my master—one day, I will destroy them all.

After bowing, Qi Fei dared not linger. He quickly gathered his belongings, gripped his steel longsword, and hurried out of the valley.

Two days later, the quiet valley was disturbed again—a new, uninvited guest arrived. It was the Hundred Ghosts Taoist, his wounds recovered, following the lingering scent of corpse poison.

He brought with him two hastily refined corpse slaves, striding into the valley with murderous intent, only to find it empty.

Face dark, the Hundred Ghosts Taoist searched the deserted valley carefully. Staring at the blackened bloodstains on the ground, he realized he had arrived too late and flew into a rage.

The Bloodshadow Master and the Hundred Ghosts Taoist had been enemies for twenty years, their feud tangled and deep. As old adversaries, the Hundred Ghosts Taoist was sharp-eyed and observant; over the years, he had come to suspect that the Bloodshadow Master possessed some extraordinary treasure. For some time, he had tracked his rival’s movements. Half a month ago, after the Bloodshadow Master broke with the Heart Demon Sect, the Taoist laid a secret trap and finally managed to ambush the one whose power slightly surpassed his own.

The Hundred Ghosts Taoist was supremely confident in his corpse poison. Even from hundreds of miles away, he could trace its scent and was certain the Bloodshadow Master, now a stray dog, could not escape him. Yet someone else had beaten him to it.

Rumor had it that the Bloodshadow Master had once been the Profound Heart Sword Sect’s favorite pupil. After he began cultivating demonic arts, the sect leader had crippled his martial abilities; the master then rebelled, leaving the sect to join the Heart Demon Sect and retrain in their secret ways. Could it be that the one who intervened was the Profound Heart Sword Sect?

Gazing at the shattered ruins in the valley, the Hundred Ghosts Taoist’s face twisted with hatred, blaming the Profound Heart Sword Sect for his loss.

With a wave of his talisman, the Hundred Ghosts Taoist vanished in a flash, transforming into a swirl of black mist. The two corpse slaves in tow, he departed the valley in an instant.