The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator launched another attack. However, during its previous assault, Ye Bufan had inflicted wounds upon it. Two gashes on its body were bleeding.
But this was of no consequence to the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator. It possessed formidable physical prowess. Even with such injuries, not only was its movement unaffected, but it became even more frenzied.
Ye Bufan took a deep breath and, with a reach of his hand, the broken sword slowly descended into his grasp.
"Perish!" the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator roared and charged, clawing fiercely at Ye Bufan. Ye Bufan held his longsword and once again unleashed the Sword Qi Dragon Roll. However, this time, the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator had also held something back.
The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator feigned being struck and sent flying into the air by Ye Bufan. Then, it whipped its tail savagely towards Ye Bufan, striking heavily at his chest.
Ye Bufan immediately placed his broken sword horizontally in front of him, blocking the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator's blow.
Simultaneously, through this exchange, Ye Bufan suddenly condensed his sword domain, his entire body enveloped in the power of lightning.
"Sword Opens the Gate of Heaven!" Ye Bufan took a deep breath. The broken sword lightly swept through the air. This strike carried Ye Bufan's ultimate sword technique. The broken sword was me, and I was the broken sword. He fused with his sword domain, and everything around him was within his control.
The broken sword swept lightly, yet it could cleave open the entire space. At this moment, Ye Bufan possessed an aura that looked down upon all beings.
"This brat is strange. How did his aura suddenly become so much stronger?" The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator was greatly alarmed by this sight.
It was at this moment that the broken sword reached the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator. The creature also unleashed all its true qi to defend itself.
"Bang—"
The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator never expected Ye Bufan's strike to be this powerful.
The instant they made contact, a ball of flame suddenly appeared, instantly engulfing the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator's front. Then, the broken sword sliced across the creature's body. The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator felt a chilling sensation as its body met the broken sword. The intense pain caused it to howl at the heavens.
Ye Bufan smiled slightly. Currently, he combined the power of lightning, the Purple Nether Cold Fire, and sword qi, driving them with true qi to unleash his sword techniques. This had been consistently effective and immensely powerful. Even cultivators with higher cultivation than him would, at the very least, be severely injured or forced to retreat.
However, at present, the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator's cultivation seemed unstable. Ye Bufan could sense that its attacks were always just a little bit short.
"Take another move from me!"
Ye Bufan was instantly filled with confidence. This time, Ye Bufan eschewed elaborate attack maneuvers, opting for the simplest thrusts, parries, cuts, and slashes against the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator.
"You look down on me!" The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator roared in fury. Ye Bufan smiled; the greater the creature's emotional fluctuations, the more opportunities he had to find its flaws and deliver a fatal blow.
Back and forth they fought, and Ye Bufan found his true qi depleting rapidly.
"Whoosh—" Ye Bufan took a deep breath and leaped high into the air. In that instant, Ye Bufan seemed to merge with heaven and earth, sensing his surroundings and the broken sword in his hand.
A sword was not merely a weapon in hand; it was a part of oneself. Sword and self were one, the sword heart was clear and bright.
Ye Bufan fought more bravely with each passing moment. Inexplicably, his comprehension of the sword dao seemed to have become significantly more profound.
"For a swordsman, whether defending or attacking, their best approach is singular: offense."
Ye Bufan recalled the words of Lin Xiaoyao from his first lesson. Back then, he hadn't fully understood, but now, he found them remarkably insightful.
"Kill!"
Ye Bufan brandished his sword and attacked. The Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator met him head-on, neither giving ground. The two clashed, and for a time, the sound of explosions from their collision echoed throughout the entire mountain range.
Not only the disciples guarding the entrance of the Overlord Saber Sect, but also the disciples guarding the entrances of other sects noticed the commotion.
"Fourth Elder! There's movement in the mountains," a disciple of the Overlord Saber Sect reported to Zhang Wei, the Fourth Elder, upon entering the sect's encampment.
Zhang Wei immediately stood up, thinking, *Could it be that a large demonic beast has appeared in the mountains again?*
But then, he recalled that Ye Bufan had entered the mountains some time ago. *Could it have something to do with Ye Bufan?*
"Send a few people into the mountain first. Follow the direction of the explosions and see if you can find anything out. I will report this matter to the sect immediately and see what the higher-ups say," Zhang Wei commanded. The disciples of the Overlord Saber Sect withdrew.
Zhang Wei took out a communication token and reported the recent events to the sect.
"What? Ye Bufan is in the mountains?" When the Sect Master of the Overlord Saber Sect learned that Ye Bufan had entered the mountains, he stood up abruptly from his chair.
"Sect Master, what happened?" Qu Fei was seated beside Ying Yao.
"It's Ye Bufan," Ying Yao told Qu Fei about Ye Bufan's situation.
"Ye Bufan's current strength has reached the middle stage of Core Formation. Theoretically, in the entire Nine Provinces, there are very few who can contend with Ye Bufan. Qu Fei," Qu Fei stated.
Qu Fei pondered for a moment. To be safe, he decided to inform Song Mingqin about this matter, as he had observed Song Mingqin's particular attention to Ye Bufan. Ye Bufan's achievements held great significance for the entirety of the Nine Provinces.
As Qu Fei had anticipated, when Song Mingqin learned of Ye Bufan's whereabouts, his voice volume increased significantly.
"My goodness, Old Song. Why does your attention towards Ye Bufan make it seem like he's your own child?" Qu Fei couldn't resist teasing upon seeing this.
"Ye Bufan's master is, in a sense, also my master. Therefore, Ye Bufan is like my junior brother, my family," Song Mingqin stated without reservation. "Besides, how could you bear to see such a rare genius in the Nine Provinces perish like this?"
Qu Fei was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head.
"I'm going to take a look now," Song Mingqin said. "Aren't you coming with me?"
Qu Fei immediately replied, "That place is extremely treacherous. I had originally planned to venture in. This is a good opportunity."
The two acted on their decision. After ending their communication, they both set off towards Rock City.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Ye Bufan was locked in combat with the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator. His stamina was depleted, but the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator, relying on its physical strength, still had one last strike in it.
Ye Bufan took a deep breath. His dantian continuously absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and the spirit mines provided him with an inexhaustible supply of energy.
"Illusory Sound Demonic Eyes!"
Taking advantage of the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator's momentary lapse, Ye Bufan unleashed his Illusory Sound Demonic Eyes, once again draining his body's true qi to execute a Sword Qi Dragon Roll.
Concurrently, Ye Bufan activated the energy of the Dragon Emperor Token, causing his power to surge.
"No! Impossible!"
Seeing Ye Bufan's sudden surge of power, the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator's eyes were filled with unwillingness.
A sword strike descended, and a gaping wound was torn from head to tail across the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator's back. Blood and organs spilled out. Finally, the Blood Sun Devouring True Alligator collapsed on the ground, lifeless.
A pungent smell of blood wafted through the air, detectable within a radius of one kilometer.