Chapter 1 Stalemate

Beneath the stone pillar at the peak of Giantwood Peak, the negotiations between Headmaster Hong of the Wanhua Sword Sect and Qiu Changling clearly weren't going well.

At Qiu Changling's signal, two Qingxi Sword Sect disciples sent flying swords shooting out, piercing the shoulders of the young woman bound to the stone pillar. Blood immediately flowed.

A painful scream echoed, and many cultivators in the surrounding crowd showed expressions of pity, but no one spoke a word of "justice."

"Junior Sister Yue!" The Wanhua Sword Sect disciples showed anger and anxiety. Some of the younger ones couldn't restrain themselves and tried to rush forward, but were stopped by their elders.

"Wei Ming! You are indeed skilled at hiding, perhaps because the Nine Deaths Demonic Art includes techniques for disguise."

"But it doesn't matter. If you don't come out, I will flay Yue Dongling alive with a thousand swords and send her to see her father. I think after she dies and goes to the underworld, she will tell her father how much you, her disciple, 'cherished' her..." Qiu Changling's voice echoed on Giantwood Peak.

"Fiend! He's truly a fiend!" An old cultivator who hadn't yet crossed the Sea of Bitterness gritted his teeth as he spoke, but that was all he did.

Ye Chuxiao nodded slightly to the surrounding Wanhua Sword Sect disciples, and then walked out.

"Stop! I'm here!" As he spoke, Ye Chuxiao raised the so-called complete Nine Deaths Demonic Art that he had prepared long ago.

This Nine Deaths Demonic Art was indeed a complete version.

But its 'completeness' wasn't the original text, but rather another 'complete' version that Ye Chuxiao had compiled based on Yue Tingshan's cultivation experience.

It was more of a 'translation' than a complete version.

Although the difference wasn't huge, sometimes a small difference could lead to a vast divergence.

"What I have in my hand is the complete Nine Deaths Demonic Art, only this one, and no other." Ye Chuxiao then slightly pulled down his collar, revealing the red lines and symbols beneath it.

"I also have pre-drawn Xionghuo (Male Fire) talismans on my body. With just a thought, my whole body will ignite... including the complete Nine Deaths Demonic Art in my hand." Ye Chuxiao's next words interrupted Qiu Changling's flying sword, which was already in motion.

Qiu Changling looked at Ye Chuxiao, seemingly scrutinizing him, with a hint of doubt in his eyes, but he didn't voice it.

"Very good! I'm glad you came out on your own."

"In exchange, I can spare Yue Dongling's life, but I will sever her path of cultivation. Not only that, but I will also destroy her ability to bear children, to prevent her from giving birth to some brats in the future and instilling them with the wrong idea of revenge."

"As for you... Wei Ming, if you give me the Nine Deaths Demonic Art, I can leave you a whole corpse and let your soul reincarnate," Qiu Changling said.

Ye Chuxiao laughed loudly, "Qiu Changling! Stop talking to yourself. You care so much about the complete Nine Deaths Demonic Art, there must be some secret within it that's extremely important to you!"

"Release Junior Sister Yue. If she loses even one more hair, I will perish together with this complete Nine Deaths Demonic Art."

"If you want the complete Nine Deaths Demonic Art, then seal your cultivation and return to the Bitter Realm (ku jing), and fight me fairly. If you win, the manual is yours, and my life is yours too. If you lose, I want you to cut off one of your arms and let me and my junior sister leave."

Qiu Changling stared at Ye Chuxiao with icy eyes.

Until he saw the red mark appearing on Ye Chuxiao's fingertip, flashing with flowing firelight.

The cover of the Nine Deaths Demonic Art was being scorched by the hot air.

The madness and ferocity on Ye Chuxiao's face were well-acted, and combined with 'Wei Ming's' bitter and hateful persona, his words didn't seem out of place.

No one doubted his determination to die.

"Fine! Since you want to die a more miserable death, I don't mind granting your wish." Qiu Changling finished speaking, and his aura gradually receded.

His cultivation, which had surpassed the Bitter Realm (ku jing) by four levels, returned to the Bitter Realm (ku jing).

Although he suppressed his cultivation, the battle that was about to break out was still asymmetrical.

True qi, magical power, and sword qi could be temporarily restrained, but in terms of basic physical qualities, Qiu Changling was still at the level of surpassing the Bitter Realm (ku jing) by four levels. His combat awareness and the height of his cultivation thinking were still beyond Ye Chuxiao's reach.

Ye Chuxiao casually tucked the Nine Deaths Demonic Art into his belt, then crossed his hands and drew out two sabers from the small of his back on either side.

These sabers were still those that Ye Chuxiao had seized from the cultivators who had blocked his path before. After using them for a few days, he found them quite handy.

Qiu Changling stared at Ye Chuxiao, then without another word, and without any so-called air of superiority,

he took the initiative and struck first.

Ye Chuxiao had just gotten into position when Qiu Changling's flying sword was already launched, with a hint of impatience.

Having restrained his cultivation, the speed of Qiu Changling's flying sword was much slower than what Ye Chuxiao had seen through Time Reversal.

But the flying sword was still as fast as lightning.

As a cultivator system whose offensive power has consistently ranked in the top one or two at mid-short range, sword cultivators' flying swords have too many advantages.

And all these advantages were displayed under Qiu Changling's control.

Ye Chuxiao, facing the incoming flying sword, straightened his chest, strode forward, held the two sabers, and opened his arms, allowing the flying sword to pierce through his chest.

*Puchi!*

Blood splattered, and sword qi began to sweep through Ye Chuxiao's body, ravaging and destroying his meridians, muscles, bones, and organs.

But even in this unguarded state, Ye Chuxiao rapidly closed the distance with Qiu Changling, and the two sabers in his hands, like scissors, simultaneously slashed towards Qiu Changling's neck.

A small gasp of surprise came from the crowd.

They hadn't expected that this battle would begin so bloodily and tragically from the start.

'Wei Ming' actually wanted to exchange his life for Qiu Changling's, using the opportunity to forcibly take him away.

But could this method succeed?

The answer was of course no.

Qiu Changling had rich fighting experience. As early as when Ye Chuxiao used the Nine Deaths Demonic Art as a threat to set mandatory limits for him, he had already anticipated this possibility.

So, facing Ye Chuxiao's close-quarters scissor attack, Qiu Changling simply waved his sleeves and moved his fingers, and two more flying swords shot out from his sleeves, simultaneously colliding with the two sabers in Ye Chuxiao's hands.

Not only that, but he also lightly stomped his foot on the ground, and dozens of pieces of gravel were entangled with his fierce and sharp sword qi, shooting towards Ye Chuxiao like dozens of swords.

Having suppressed his cultivation of Energy Realm (neng jing), Qiu Changling couldn't shake the power of heaven and earth and directly unleash a large amount of sword qi, but he could still imbue ordinary stones with a sharpness that seemed indestructible.

A lion uses all its strength to hunt a rabbit; Qiu Changling only suppressed his cultivation, not his experience and methods.

Although Ye Chuxiao had obtained all of Yue Tingshan's saber technique experience buffs, he was still not coping easily at this time.

After only a few breaths of exchanging blows, he had already been battered by the sword qi mixed with gravel, his bones broken and his flesh blurred, losing his human form.

Pain!

It was too painful!

This pain of being torn apart and destroyed was even several times more intense than when crossing the Sea of Bitterness before.

But beyond the pain, there was also a different kind of pleasure.

New blood, new bones, new muscles, skin, and internal organs were all being reborn from the old 'ruins'.

Nine Deaths Demonic Art, seeking life in death, transformation and rebirth.

Although Ye Chuxiao had not 'died', he was already in a near-death state, burning a large amount of medicinal power and energy that had long been stored in his body, reshaping a new life.