Beneath the endless waterfall, the area was suddenly ablaze with light. Before Ye Xiu could raise a hand to shield his eyes from the glare, a sharp cry of an eagle echoed from the sky, and a powerful gust of wind forced him to look down: "Lao Liu, Meiyi! Are you two alright?"

"Damn it, why is it so hot here!" Lao Liu struggled to his feet. When he looked up, the waterfall was gone. All that remained was a desolate, scorched desert under the blazing sun, making him sweat profusely. "The environment shifts in these ruins far too quickly."

"Isn't this sun the Corona we were looking for?" Meiyi stood steadily in the wasteland, sweat trickling down her elegant shoulders, revealing her alluring collarbone. She pointed toward the dark silhouettes in the distance. "It looks like those fellows aren't easy to mess with. Look at those birds—they seem much fiercer than common vultures."

Ye Xiu finally stood up with relief. He gazed into the distance where birds with golden-yellow feathers were tearing at some carcass. They had vast wings and very sharp heads, but seemed to lack hands or feet. "What kind of monstrosities are these now? The ruins of the Yuyu Fengdao Alliance are clearly underground, yet there's a sun and stars here."

"Whoosh..." At that moment, one of the strange birds seemed enraged by Ye Xiu’s words. It lowered its head and dove toward him, intending to strike him with its spike-covered head.

"Hah!" Ye Xiu leaped up, intending to evade the bird’s trajectory, but just then, a dazzling celestial saber swung through the glare of the sun. Trapped between an enemy above and below, he stumbled, turned, and fell to the ground, launching his Black Flame at the bird. The creature opened its sharp beak and spewed a ball of fire that actually managed to neutralize the Black Flame.

"Clang!" Lao Liu drew his Demon-Shattering Sword and met the great saber, but the force of the strike was so immense that it sent him sprawling onto the ground.

"Ten-Bodied Flame Birds, stand down." At that moment, a figure flashed by in gray clothing. The silhouette suddenly appeared before them without warning. None of his clothes were intact; he was of average build, but the muscles in his arms were exceptionally pronounced. The saber that had descended from the sky originated from those very arms.

"Senior..." Meiyi, sensing the man's heavy killing intent, lowered her head to pay respects, only to be forcefully pushed back by a palm strike.

"Those who venture to the lands of the Sun, Moon, and Stars must have their own ambitions. No need for pleasantries. Defeat me, Dao Kuang, first! Hahaha!" Dao Kuang threw his head back in wild laughter, then casually swung the great saber onto his back. "If you want the Corona Essence, you must defeat my Heavenly Saber first!"

"Hmph!" Ye Xiu had heard tales of Dao Kuang—a master smith, but also a peerless saber expert. Though there were three of them, he didn't wish to outnumber him. "Old man, let me handle this."

"Hold it!" Dao Kuang didn't even bother to look at Ye Xiu. He gestured with his saber toward Lao Liu. "I never spar with those who are unarmed. Seeing you carry a sword, you seem to have some substance. Come at me."

"Me?" Lao Liu hadn't expected the man to single him out. He had no intention of fighting one-on-one here. Facing Dao Kuang's challenge, he pointed at Ye Xiu. "Senior, this fellow is far more powerful than I. Perhaps you should choose him instead."

Ye Xiu spread his hands in exasperation at Lao Liu's words.

"Nonsense..." Dao Kuang’s eyes flared, the veins on his forehead instantly bulging. He swept his single saber in a powerful downward strike, sending a sharp blade of light slicing toward Lao Liu.

"Waaah!" Lao Liu shrieked and dove toward the sand to the side. While this action allowed him to dodge the attack, the sand churned up by the saber light buried him instantly. Unable to breathe, he was forced to transform into a sand worm just to burrow out of the pile.

"Oh, some minor sorcery?" Dao Kuang tucked his Heavenly Saber behind his back with one hand and advanced slowly, scanning the area. "I, Dao Kuang, also dislike fighting those who use magic. And I never strike women."

Lao Liu emerged once Dao Kuang stopped his attack, gasping for breath. "This old fellow is truly strange. No weapon, no fight. Knows magic, no fight. Doesn't hit women. Then how are we supposed to proceed amongst the three of us!"

"Kid, catch this!" Dao Kuang roared. The surrounding sands whipped up, coalescing into the shape of a tornado. When the dust subsided, a long saber glowing with yellow light appeared before them. Dao Kuang flicked his hand, and a current of air hurled the long saber directly toward Ye Xiu. "Consider this the Corona Long Saber, forged for you. It may not be a supreme artifact, but it has absorbed Corona Essence and matches my Heavenly Saber. Use this blade to fight me!"

"..." Ye Xiu stared coldly at the saber emerging from the sand. The hilt was wrapped in simple canvas, the blade wide and long, possessing no features other than sharpness. However, the fact that Dao Kuang could instantly forge a weapon using Corona Essence and the surrounding sand meant this was no ordinary item. He slowly reached out and grasped the hilt, feeling as if violent sandstorms were surging within him, instantly unleashing an aura of aggression.

"Haha, now it's up to you..." Lao Liu cheered from the side, moving to stand beside Meiyi with the air of someone enjoying a grand show. "Let’s see if brute force can beat this old saber master."

"Hya!" Seeing Ye Xiu draw his blade, Dao Kuang instantly gripped his own saber with both hands and lunged forward, bringing it down heavily directly above Ye Xiu.

"Clang!" Sparks flew wildly. The moment the two long blades collided, a deafening noise erupted. Ye Xiu gritted his teeth, trying to withstand Dao Kuang's attack, but this strike carried excessive force; his feet were driven deep into the sand. Time passed in a flash, yet Dao Kuang's power did not diminish in the slightest, and the sand was already reaching his waist.

"Wahahaha, I love a contest of pure strength!" Dao Kuang exerted more force, the muscles in his arms bulging. He angrily forced his wrists downward, and the long saber was now perilously close to Ye Xiu's shoulder.

Ye Xiu struggled to resist. Within his body, a strange power began to surge. It turned out that the Soul Stone Jade Ring still harbored latent Strength Souls, and these Strength Souls were originating from the surrounding yellow sand. "Whoa! Kill!"

"Boom!" A tragic explosion ripped through the air, scattering yellow sand everywhere. Dao Kuang leaped back, stumbling slightly as he landed. He stared at Ye Xiu in amazement and laughed, "Good kid, it’s been a long time since I lost a contest of strength. Again!"

"Susu, this..." Ye Xiu looked at the yellow light emanating from his hand, confused. "Where is this endless power coming from?"

Purple smoke began to swirl. Susu cautiously approached Ye Xiu's ear, equally puzzled by the situation. "Strange, why is all the sand in this desert composed of Strength Souls! And these Strength Souls have no master; I can absorb them freely."

"So my power can still increase?" Ye Xiu smirked, gripping the long saber tighter. Strength Souls poured into the Jade Ring, then surged up into the long saber. The normally plain blade instantly burst into a dazzling golden sheen. "Come on, Dao Kuang!"

"As you wish..." Dao Kuang raised his saber with both hands, spinning, and shot toward Ye Xiu. He struck once, which Ye Xiu powerfully neutralized. He spun his body and followed with an even mightier strike aimed at Ye Xiu's head.

"Clang!" Ye Xiu met force with force. Blocking this blow made his hand tingle, and the two blades clashed mid-air, churning up the surrounding sand. All that remained in the center was a deep pit, above which countless Ten-Bodied Flame Birds cried out in anguish.

"Take another of my strikes!" Red light flashed across Dao Kuang's face as he brought his saber down again, intentionally striking Ye Xiu's long saber. "Wahaha, I love this kind of duel! Nothing is more exciting than blade against blade. Come on! Come on!"

Ye Xiu blocked again, but he started to feel his own saber growing weightless. As the Strength Souls flooded in, every swing felt weaker. Although Dao Kuang's force continued to increase, Ye Xiu’s hands were already numb; in essence, he had lost all sensation of gripping the blade. He could only roar to release the power within him. His final horizontal strike was aimed directly at Dao Kuang's weapon.

"Crack! Crack!" The two massive saber bodies flew wildly away from their hilts, leaving only two men gripping broken blades in the swirling sand. Ye Xiu stared coldly at Dao Kuang's expression; beyond excitement, there was a trace of deference in the man's eyes.

"Oh no..." Lao Liu opened his mouth wide. He glanced at Meiyi. "Have you ever seen this guy this strong?"

Meiyi shook her head. In her heart, Ye Xiu was more than just Death God now: "Dao Kuang, as a smith, the blades he possesses and forges are considered supreme artifacts. To break a divine weapon purely through physical strength is not something an ordinary person can achieve."

At that moment, Dao Kuang suddenly dropped his broken saber and stretched his body with ease. "Kid, I can feel your strength constantly growing. To break a divine artifact that has absorbed Corona Essence—your true strength is beyond my calculation."

"I merely seek Yanluo to repair my own weapon," Ye Xiu said, highly unaccustomed to his sudden power. He let go of the broken blade, but his hands trembled uncontrollably. "My Netherworld Holy Sword, Riyuantu, was severed by Yuhuang's slash. I wonder if Senior has any means to repair it."

Hearing the name of Ye Xiu's weapon, Riyuantu, Dao Kuang shook his head. "I naturally cannot repair artifacts forged by Yanluo. However, I suspect the Netherworld Holy Sword is no longer worthy of your power; it doesn't suit you. While I don't know where Yanluo is now, I can tell you this: there is no weapon left in this world suitable for you!"

For more novels, visit storyread.net.