Upon the ruined hills, Ye Jingyu, equally covered in blood, struggled to rise, gripping the Heavenly Venerable Saber tightly and using it to prop himself up. In his eyes, there was no fear, no despair, only an intense will to fight!

Unyielding, unforgiving, unresigned, fearless, undaunted!

“You have lost your mind, possessed by the Sword Spirit. Is this still you?” A cold voice issued from Ye Jingyu’s mouth, his gaze fixed intently on Xiao Geng’s pair of red eyes.

But Xiao Geng’s blood-red eyes stared back just as fiercely at Ye Jingyu’s. The Reverse Soul Sword in his hand hummed, and faint streams of light flowed from its blade toward his body.

As if responding to the Reverse Soul Sword, the Heavenly Venerable Saber in Ye Jingyu’s hand also began to tremble, as if a divine being was struggling to break free.

“Die…” was the only word that escaped Xiao Geng’s lips, and his body suddenly lunged forward, unleashing a sword strike while still airborne…

This seemed to be more than a single strike; the sword’s perimeter was engulfed by the wails of ten thousand ghosts and the frenzied dance of myriad demons. Around the sword light, various Yin spirits clawed and roared, as if intent on devouring the very soul.

The blood-red sword light instantly surged outward, stretching for scores of feet, seemingly solidifying into a colossal blood-red blade that pierced toward Ye Jingyu with infinite pressure.

Such a sharp attack—not to be struck by it, but even to be lightly brushed by it would shatter a person’s entire body into fragments.

Not just a Grandmaster, but even a Martial Saint meeting this blow would have to briefly avoid its edge.

Yet, Ye Jingyu’s eyes still held no trace of fear; his body did not retreat a single step. He reversed his grip on the saber and slashed directly against the downward-plunging blood-sword.

The pitch-black Heavenly Venerable Saber looked so ancient and weathered against the brilliant Reverse Soul Sword, like an old man on the verge of collapse, ready to break at any moment.

But when the Heavenly Venerable Saber struck the Reverse Soul Sword, the blood-red sword light instantly exploded, sending a surge of massive energy outward. The rust on the Heavenly Venerable Saber could no longer withstand this tremendous force and began to fracture.

Beams of magnificent purple light burst forth from the Heavenly Venerable Saber, resembling purple meteors.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

A hundred streams of purple light shot out, and the rust on the Heavenly Venerable Saber completely shattered. A blade body, crystal clear and magnificent, radiating purple light, appeared before everyone’s eyes. Vaguely, a streak of purple lightning shot out from the hilt, winding around the blade. Soon, more and more currents surged forth, enveloping the entire Heavenly Venerable Saber in purple electricity, emanating an aura of utter destruction!

“Hummm…” The Heavenly Venerable Saber suddenly began to vibrate intensely, as if a demon bound by chains was struggling to break free, or perhaps like a peerless master spotting an equal opponent, thrilled beyond measure.

With a light Clang!, the blade of the Heavenly Venerable Saber and the blade of the Reverse Soul Sword violently collided. The immense recoil instantly hurled both Ye Jingyu and Xiao Geng backward, slamming them heavily onto the ground.

But the purple Heavenly Venerable Saber and the blood-red Reverse Soul Sword remained locked in opposition, streams of purple current and flashes of blood-red light constantly emanating from their bodies, fiercely battling each other.

“Wuuu…” Faint sounds of howling emanated from the Reverse Soul Sword, seemingly unable to withstand the powerful electrical current.

“Hummm!” Meanwhile, the humming from the Heavenly Venerable Saber grew louder and more resonant, as if growing more excited the fiercer the clash became.

The purple light shot forth once again, dyeing the entire sky a deep purple, and sweeping toward the blood-red radiance.

With another sharp Clang!, a blinding flash erupted between the saber and the sword. The Reverse Soul Sword was violently repelled, flying straight back to embed itself beside Xiao Geng, where it continued to moan “wuuu.” A slight fissure appeared on its previously transparent blade.

The Heavenly Venerable Saber, however, remained suspended in mid-air, its body vibrating ceaselessly. Purple currents roared around it, and vibrant purple light scattered everywhere, like a triumphant rooster preening with self-satisfaction.

Luo Haitian, Luo Feng, Luo Muyan, Luo Hailong, and the other Young Lords, along with Qin Yunxiao and the others, watched the Heavenly Venerable Saber hovering in the air, utterly dumbfounded.

They could scarcely imagine that a mere saber could possess such sentience, let alone such immense power.

If the Reverse Soul Sword was a demonic sword, then was not the Heavenly Venerable Saber a demonic saber as well?

The Reverse Soul Sword possessed its own Sword Spirit; the Heavenly Venerable Saber harbored its own Saber Soul, and this seemed to be an extraordinarily potent one, having defeated the Reverse Soul Sword through its own consciousness. Was this the broken blade Ye Jingyu had always kept by his side?

Luo Haitian even recalled the ridicule Ye Jingyu had drawn when he carried this battered saber into the contests; yet who could have foreseen such power residing within such an unremarkable, broken blade?

Perhaps the rust coating it was merely a seal.

Luo Ling’er, Princess Xiyue, and the others focused their gaze on Ye Jingyu lying on the ground. They cared little for the nature of the saber or the sword; they only cared whether Ye Jingyu was harmed.

Faced with the Heavenly Venerable Saber still swaggering in the sky, no one dared to step forward. Nobody knew what this Saber Soul might do next.

As if sensing the imposing aura of the Heavenly Venerable Saber, the blood-red glow on the slightly cracked Reverse Soul Sword slowly receded. The sword stopped its mournful cry and gradually reverted to its original appearance.

Entirely transparent, devoid of any light whatsoever.

It seemed to have conceded defeat to the Heavenly Venerable Saber.

Only then did the Heavenly Venerable Saber cease its vibration, and the magnificent purple light slowly dissipated. The purple currents vanished without a trace, and a layer of grayish-black rust gradually coated the blade’s surface. Soon, it returned entirely to its pitch-black, iron-clad appearance, lightly falling beside Ye Jingyu, as if everything that had just occurred had been nothing more than a dream.

“Xiao Yezi!” At that moment, Luo Ling’er could hold back no longer, turning and rushing toward Ye Jingyu’s body.

The others simultaneously snapped back to attention, exchanging bewildered glances, their eyes filled with confusion. Who, in this duel, was the victor?

Slowly, a figure staggered to his feet. Though his clothes were tattered and his body drenched in blood, his eyes were filled with sheer stubbornness.

He glanced at the iron saber lying before him, then at Luo Ling’er rushing toward him, and a faint smile touched the corners of his lips.

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