With a blast of thunderous energy, the majority of the Thunder Roc’s body was instantly displaced by some mysterious force, shifting it hundreds of feet away.
Then came the reshaping of its form; in a single breath, it recovered its normal appearance, though its expression was subdued, showing signs of weakness.
Zong Shou’s strike had not merely severed its head; it had driven strands of Gāng Qi sword essence, along with Zong Shou’s Martial Dao True Intent, deep into its very being.
Consequently, even though this Azure Thunder Eagle had borrowed external aid to evade a fatal blow, it remained profoundly injured and would not recover quickly.
Zong Shou’s eyebrow twitched. He wondered what this was—an intervention? Taking sides? Or was the entity reluctant to see these Divine Realm Thunder Eagles slain by his hand?
He couldn't be bothered to dwell on it. If he could slay it once, he could slay it a second time! And a third!
What did he have to fear?
His mind and intent remained utterly unaffected. Immediately, the third sword was drawn across the vast expanse of the sky.
It was still the five swords merged as one, yet the sword momentum was even more flawlessly integrated, utterly without blemish.
The Primordial Dragon Shadow manifested upon the blade was now fully scaled and vivid, alive and breathing.
As the sword light flashed, all the cyan lightning was swept away.
The four Azure Thunder Eagles flapped their wings frantically, dodging wildly. Gone was the overwhelming aura that once seemed to dominate heaven and earth.
Zong Shou chuckled, a hint of mockery in his tone. Using the seventy-nine Star Dao Seeds, his figure instantly shifted through space.
With a single flicker, he arrived before one of the Thunder Eagles.
It was still 'one,' yet this represented forty-nine in the Great Evolution count, with one having fled!
Sudden and entirely without warning, the sword phantom erupted from the void.
With a sharp 'hiss,' the entire hundred-mile vicinity seemed to freeze; even space and time appeared to be cleaved by the black flames upon the sword.
Where the dark light passed, the Azure Thunder Eagle beneath Zong Shou was cleaved in two by a single strike.
Before the force of the sword could completely shred the beast's flesh and nascent soul,
another surge of alien energy displaced the Azure Thunder Eagle, its body reforming once more.
However, this time, a cold snort echoed from the distant void: "Arrogant!"
The voice was ice-cold, enough to freeze one’s very blood. Six talismans of light suddenly plummeted from the high heavens, striking the bodies of these massive birds in succession.
This caused the auras of the six Azure Thunder Eagles to surge explosively. Scarlet-white flames erupted all over them, and their iron beaks, claws, and even their metallic feathers were now coated in sharp, potent Gāng Qi.
Zong Shou utilized the Dragon Elixir Dao Seed to flicker continuously through the void, constantly shifting his position.
He frowned slightly, instantly feeling the pressure from these six Thunder Eagles multiply sharply.
Not only had their abilities to command wind and lightning increased, but their evasion speed had also more than doubled out of thin air!
Furthermore, they could harness the Void-Burning Flames to disrupt the laws of this realm.
The six Thunder Eagles worked in concert, and after several exchanges, they nearly managed to wound him.
He had now endured within this eye of the storm for a full fifteen breaths. The Marrow-Burning Blood Spirit Curse energy within him was gradually climbing toward its peak.
At the corners of his eyes, thin streams of blood were beginning to leak out.
"Damnable!"
Zong Shou felt an intense vexation. This extreme pain, and these infuriating six Azure Thunder Eagles, were making his mood restless and unsettled.
He longed to shatter the heavens and flatten the earth, only then could he feel relief and attain tranquility!
Yet, deep down, he knew that such volatile emotions were the most perilous.
Taking several deep breaths, Zong Shou forced himself to clear his mind of all thought.
The 'Nameless' in his hand swept across the void, tracing a peculiar path of the sword.
He clashed his blade against the talons and fangs of the Thunder Eagles, allowing the myriad dazzling flashes of lightning and fire to collide with the cyan lightning and Void-Burning Flames of the six Azure Thunder Phantoms.
In an instant, there were over a thousand exchanges. Wind and fire converged, filling the entire circle of the storm.
The might of the six Thunder Eagles grew ever stronger, yet Zong Shou’s state of mind gradually settled.
The series of fierce battles had brought his concentration to an unprecedented level.
He finally forgot the pain wracking his body, and even disregarded the six shrieking Azure Thunder Eagles that lunged and struck him.
In his mind, there was only the sword, and his being was utterly focused on the sword!
Standing proudly beside the entrance to the Netherworld Abyss, Zong Shou no longer shifted through space with instantaneous movement.
Instead, he let his sword intent spill forth, resisting the seemingly endless torrent of lightning and fire.
Primal Yin!
Within ten feet, this is my Indestructible Sword Domain!
The entire three thousand-mile expanse of the sky was plagued by unending storms, yet the ten-foot area immediately surrounding Zong Shou gradually became calm.
No wind raged; no lightning flashed. It was exactly like any ordinary patch of ground.
The integration of swords was no longer confined to the Nine-Nine Dragon Shadow Sword.
The Law of Karma, the Law of Life and Death, the Law of Fate—all manner of Great Daos—the seventy-nine Star Dao Seeds, and the thirty-seven Imperial Dao Dragon Fang Swords could be woven into it.
It was awkward at first, but he grew increasingly adept, handling it with effortless grace, fully integrating it into this Primal Yin Sword.
Gradually, with every strike Zong Shou unleashed, the six Thunder Eagles shrieked and retreated. With every sword slash, countless eagle feathers drifted down.
Within the eye of the storm, it was impossible to tell how long had passed, or how many clashes they had endured.
However, the Ten-Foot Indestructible Sword Domain was expanding rapidly.
—One hundred feet! One thousand feet! Until it reached nine thousand seven hundred and thirty-nine feet, Zong Shou’s eyes suddenly snapped open. Countless runes flickered and jumped within his blood-red pupils.
He gazed quietly at the six Thunder Eagles in the distance, who were fighting with all their might but could not break through the sword domain. Their auras were fading, and they looked utterly wretched.
At this moment, he only felt a sense of regret: If these Azure Thunder Eagles could have held out a little longer,
his swordsmanship would surely have achieved another breakthrough!
Once the Indestructible Sword Domain truly covered ten thousand feet, there was even a ten percent chance it would allow him to step directly into the middle stage of the Sword Intent Soul Realm!
It was a pity; observing their condition, their vital energy was clearly weakening.
The effect of the light talismans was already receding, and the Void-Burning Flames covering their bodies were dimming, showing a definite depletion of reserves.
"Is this stimulating their latent core energy? That Saint Venerable is truly stingy—"
When their potential was exhausted and their life essence waned, they naturally could no longer persist.
Even if more light talismans were to fall, it would not be enough to sustain these six Thunder Eagles for further battle against him.
"But I truly don't know whether to thank myself for this Void-Burning Blood—"
If it weren't for the Void-Burning bloodline, if it weren't for being in the Nine Deaths Nether Prison, even possessing the power to contend with Divine Realm beings, he would have struggled against these six Thunder Rocs.
Even with supreme swordsmanship, he could not have held on.
As his thoughts spread, Zong Shou noticed that the Netherworld Abyss Gate seemed to have returned to normal at some unknown point.
The foreign force sealing this 'gate' had also vanished without a trace.
Only the pressure on his spirit remained constant.
"Since that is the case, it is time to conclude this!"
With his mind no longer pure, unable to achieve absolute focus on the sword, Zong Shou felt the agonizing pain he had suppressed suddenly surge up from his eyes.
It burst forth, making him involuntarily want to cry out.
Then, with a self-deprecating smile, Zong Shou flicked his sleeve, and six streaks of swift, knife-like light darted out.
Weaving and leaping through the void, the six Divine Flying Knives pierced the heads of the six incredibly weakened, fleeing giant birds in an instant!
As the light of blood erupted, Zong Shou’s figure completely vanished within the Netherworld Gate.