The atmosphere was grim, spiritual energy stirred restlessly; the wind, no longer wind, merely drifted aimlessly; intentions were obscured, leading only to chaotic surges. Ye Xiu felt trapped between two world-shattering powers, long past the point of escape.

"Sword, Heavenly Will!" As Gu Ling's words fell, he raised the Tianmiao Sword high. Instantly, an endless sea of fire erupted along the blade. The flames blazed as if crimson serpents were dancing, soaring into the heavens. His eyes were fierce, having turned a deep crimson, his posture poised for a sky-rending strike that had elevated his cultivation to another realm. "Be it the Lord of the Demon Realm or a commoner, in my eyes there is only the sword. Martial artists of the Demon Realm, let us slay each other."

Seeing Gu Ling’s extraordinary might, Sha Jun turned aside slightly. His face remained calm, yet a fierce, golden flame ignited in his heart. At that moment, he hurled the Yu Huang Zhan into the air. A single long dragon suddenly pierced through the layers of clouds descending from the nine heavens. Within that blinding light, a colossal dragon claw materialized above the Yu Huang Zhan. "The lineage of the Death God will vanish completely after you, the Sword Demon of the Death Realm, perish. This battle is essential on my path to conquering the Demon Realm. Come!"

Ye Xiu could not withstand such intense killing intent. He knew the ending of this story: the Sword Demon of the Death Realm, Ba Fang Gu Ling, would be defeated by Sha Jun in this fight. Yet, this confrontation already transcended victory or defeat in its sheer momentum; it was a timeless exchange between two warriors, potent enough to shake heaven and earth.

"Tianmiao, Mad Energy Surge." Gu Ling’s resolve solidified, and he suddenly exerted force. At that moment, the Tianmiao Sword in his hand shot out like a long rainbow. Midway in the air, the entire blade began to swell, the flames on it growing fierce, each flicker transforming into a long serpent. The serpentine shadows writhed, resembling countless surprise troops.

"Hmph!" Cold sweat broke out on Sha Jun’s brow, daring not to underestimate the attack. He swiftly leaped off the top of the Imperial Tomb, narrowly dodging the sword’s imposing aura. Unfortunately, the spiritual energy of the Tianmiao Sword was potent; after instantly shattering a section of the tomb, it pursued Sha Jun’s movement, its serpentine jaws gaping wide, intent on swallowing the Demon Realm swordsman.

Gu Ling stepped forward, instantly flashing behind Sha Jun. At this instant, the Tianmiao Sword darted from its original trajectory, aiming directly for Sha Jun’s throat. Instantly, a wave of crimson energy enveloped Sha Jun; his life hung by a thread. "Sha Jun Tianxia, where is your weapon?"

Sha Jun did not look back, for the Yu Huang Zhan was already before his chest. It turned out Gu Ling had not lacked killing intent; rather, the moment the Tianmiao Sword approached Sha Jun, it was blocked by the Yu Huang Zhan. At this point, Sha Jun’s eyes focused, golden light flashing wildly. He spun his body, sweeping his blade at high speed, shattering the surrounding serpentine shadows into dust. "The sovereign among swords, you can no longer match my blade in speed. What else do you have?"

"Swoosh-thwack…" Gu Ling felt Sha Jun’s inner power surge suddenly, propelling his entire body backward along the path of the blade. He desperately used his sword to guard himself, but the edge of the Yu Huang Zhan seemed omnipresent, even drawing a line of blood across his own face. "What a fast blade. Truly the pride of the Demon Realm, as Zi Hen described!"

Sha Jun rose high, suspending himself in the heavens, holding the Yu Huang Zhan beneath him. The golden light shone across the land like the sun. At this moment, he had no desire to press the fight; he coldly advised, "Ba Fang Gu Ling, are you truly certain you can match me in battle right now?"

Hearing this, Gu Ling hesitated slightly. He looked straight up at the sky with disdain in his eyes. "A swordsman lives for one opponent, caring not for life or death!"

"A fine sentiment, living for one opponent and caring not for life or death!" Sha Jun’s expression turned solemn, and respect for this swordsman sprouted in his heart. "I know of the injury within your body; it directly affects your power. You should also know that, as you are now, you have absolutely no hope of defeating me!"

"Internal injury?" Ye Xiu understood this instantly upon hearing it. Back then, Ba Fang Gu Ling had taken a blow from the Death Realm's King Zhou to avoid harming him; that damage had remained, irreparable. No wonder the Sword Demon of the Death Realm would fall to Sha Jun; this was a massive influencing factor.

"Tianmiao, Shadow!" Ba Fang Gu Ling paid no heed. At this moment, he raised his sword again, unleashing his ultimate move. Scarlet clouds swept past as both his figure and the Tianmiao Sword vanished into the air.

Killing intent, malevolence—the scene was empty of men, yet it forced cold sweat from Sha Jun Tianxia’s brow. He slashed his blade down, only to be surrounded and chased by sword light in mid-air. He parried, thinking he had found Gu Ling, but it was only a single sword strike, for Gu Ling had already appeared behind him. Unable to evade, he was forced to dive into the ground. "The man is faster than the sword; the light follows the shadow. Truly the realm of a master!"

"Swish, swish-swish…" After several rapid sword strikes, it became impossible to distinguish man from sword, above or below. Gu Ling and the Tianmiao Sword seemed to have merged into one combatant entity. They were invisible yet could rush toward Sha Jun, their momentum shaking the River of Stars, moving freely.

"Clang, clang…" Sha Jun swept his saber, deflecting the Tianmiao Sword before him. Unexpectedly, Gu Ling’s figure appeared directly in front of him. He leaped back to evade, only to see the Tianmiao Sword descending like a river from above, lethally sharp. Helpless, he could only dive into the earth. Behind him, a fierce flame erupted from Gu Ling’s hand, blasting forward. Sha Jun, caught off guard, knelt on the ground, struck squarely in the chest. "Is that a clone, or an afterimage of speed?"

"So fast…" Ye Xiu could not observe closely but felt the sensation himself. He felt as if his entire being was constantly oscillating within the realm. Ba Fang Gu Ling’s figure seemed to appear in every corner of this space, each manifestation just as real and just as fast as the last.

"Sha Jun Tianxia, where is your blade?" Gu Ling, though unseen, repeatedly assaulted Sha Jun’s body. With sword strikes and fire blasts, his momentum was overwhelming, reaching the pinnacle of dominance, reducing the entire Imperial Tomb to near ruin.

"How I long to fight you honorably and openly," Sha Jun slowly stood up, spinning the Yu Huang Zhan rapidly before his chest. Sparks flew everywhere; even Gu Ling, for all his speed, found it difficult to create any opening. "Regrettably, time does not afford me that luxury. I must slay you to fulfill my ambition of unifying all realms."

"Kill!" At this moment, Gu Ling also felt Sha Jun’s continuously escalating power. A wave of red light swept through, and the entire realm was suddenly filled with figures of Gu Ling and the Tianmiao Sword. It turned out they had long since saturated the area, all stemming from Gu Ling’s ghost-like speed.

"Yu Huang Zhan, World Annihilation!" Sha Jun roared, veins bulging on his face. At that instant, the Yu Huang Zhan in his hand let out a creaking sound. In a flash, the blade transformed into a golden dragon with five claws. He brought the saber down in one strike; the dragon claws seemed poised to engulf heaven and earth as they blasted toward the myriad figures of Gu Ling. "Do not blame me!"

"Tianmiao Sword, Ten Thousand Kills Return!" The countless figures of Gu Ling across the landscape chanted this sword technique in unison. The sound was intensely three-dimensional and charged with power. Light and shadow shifted rapidly; those ephemeral figures converged toward a single spot, which was exactly where Gu Ling stood, sword in hand, adopting a stance, channeling soul energy into the sword to summon fire serpents whose gaping maws were opened wide. "To die by the hand of the foremost warrior in this realm—this is the wish of my life as the Sword Demon!"

"Sacrificing life for death!" Hearing this, Ye Xiu felt profound respect for the character of Ba Fang Gu Ling. He clenched his fists tightly, and for the first time, the ambition to dominate the world ignited in his heart. If you possess the strength, you must achieve something known to all—this was Sha Jun’s faith, and also the Sword Demon’s yearning!

"Swish, boom, crash…" The serpent’s maw spat out tongues of fire, colliding with the golden dragon’s five claws. The serpent’s form was immense and powerful, and the golden dragon’s claws were equally mighty, capable of crushing mountains. This was the confrontation of two ultimate forces. The moment they touched, the earth shook and mountains trembled, stones were overturned, and waves of golden-red light struck in all directions, destabilizing the entire realm.

"Crack-clang…" After a sharp sound, fragments of crimson began to disperse around Gu Ling—these were pieces of the Tianmiao Sword, and also Gu Ling’s destiny. The pride of the Death Realm he held in his hand had ultimately been destroyed by Sha Jun Tianxia’s Yu Huang Zhan. This was the fall of a divine sword, and the decline of an era.

"Sword Demon…" Ye Xiu was almost thrown into unconsciousness by the burst of golden light. In his hazy state, he felt his body being lifted upward. Ba Fang Gu Ling was kneeling on the ground with bent knees, facing the tyrannical Demon Realm Lord, Sha Jun Tianxia.

"Had your cultivation not been damaged, perhaps you could have halted the progress of my Demon Realm!" Sha Jun Tianxia swung the Yu Huang Zhan back and secured it at his waist. Blood stained his lips; he was severely injured, but the prestige of ruling the heavens forbade him from kneeling easily. "Ba Fang Gu Ling, you are a strong warrior. To die by my blade is perhaps the greatest rite for a warrior."

"Pfft…" At this moment, Gu Ling gritted his teeth and struggled to stand. A mass of red mist suddenly emerged from his chest, lingering around Gu Ling reluctantly—this was the spiritual body formed after the Tianmiao Sword shattered, the Soul of the Tianmiao Sword.

"Oh, this is the soul of a sword. Even a blade is so unwilling to yield?" Sha Jun raised his hand and drew the crimson spiritual body toward him. He coldly observed the light. A strong warrior must respect a divine weapon. "Truly a fine sword. Are you unconvinced? Unwilling that Ba Fang Gu Ling should fall to me like this!"

"Tianmiao…" Gu Ling naturally understood the sword’s intention. He knew this defeat was due to his own obsession, his choice of a sacrificial defeat. But the Tianmiao Sword itself did not see it that way; it was an undefeated sword, unwilling to perish just yet. Realizing this, Gu Ling could not help but shed tears. He used the last of his strength and pointed a finger into his own heart. At that moment, his entire body transformed into a stream of crimson flame, rushing toward the Soul of the Tianmiao Sword and merging with it.

"Waaah, Aah!" Ye Xiu felt his entire body burning intolerably hot. He screamed, trying to break free, but felt as if his body was melting too.

Sha Jun shook his head, looking at the agitated spiritual mass. He felt a pang of pity in his heart. He sighed and tossed the spiritual body toward the high heavens. "So that is it. I understand. You wish to help the sword soul seek a stronger master? To help it avenge this shame? Heh, I, the Lord of the Demon Realm, grant your wish. Go, I await your return, Undefeated Sword."