Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 56

Volume 7 Chapter 56: Stealing the Master From the Apprentice

"It seems you are still not satisfied with your current power, are you?"

After a long silence, the Demon Ancestor, with a blank expression, slowly spoke without revealing what he was thinking.

"It is better to improve slowly and steadily. Although I gained insights into the Heavenly Way from Senior Liu’s understanding of the magical tools not long ago, this is still a shortcut. It could be very harmful for my future progress. Time is not on my side. The Shura Clan could wipe out humanity at any moment, and Zhang Xusheng might destroy this world anytime. To protect myself, I have to take this shortcut. I will worry about the future later. Right now, I just want to gain enough strength quickly."

Xu Qingfan was silent for a moment, then whispered.

The Demon Ancestor fell silent again, quietly looking at Xu Qingfan, and suddenly said, "Stand up."

"Thank you, Senior."

Until this moment, after seeing the Demon Ancestor, Xu Qingfan finally straightened his bent body.

On the other side, Niu Wenxing was completely stunned by the conversation between Xu Qingfan and the Demon Ancestor. For many years, he had assisted Feng Qingtian and understood the meanings of the "World Defying Sword" and the "Holy Spirit Sword" very well—one is the greatest killing weapon in the world, and the other is a powerful treasure that defeated the Demon Ancestor.

How could these two seemingly incompatible existences be combined? Is it possible? If successful, how powerful could they become together?

Of course, Niu Wenxing did not know the uniqueness of Xu Qingfan’s cultivation method. Otherwise, he would realize that once combined, it would create the most suitable treasure for Xu Qingfan. No one could imagine how powerful this divine sword would be in Xu Qingfan’s hands.

"The stronger the treasure, the greater the pressure on the body. Are you sure you are ready for this?"

Just as Niu Wenxing was shocked, the Demon Ancestor slowly asked Xu Qingfan.

"I know my own body very well, and now I have a plan."

Xu Qingfan’s face was calm as he said softly.

The Demon Ancestor looked deeply at Xu Qingfan, as if trying to understand his true thoughts. After a long while, he said, "Alright. The ‘World Defying Sword’ is second only to the ‘Nine Demon Bead’ in the demon path, and the ‘Holy Spirit Sword’ was the only thing that could restrain me back then. I am curious to see what kind of power will arise when the two are combined in your hands as someone who practices both righteous and demonic paths."

Hearing the Demon Ancestor’s words, Xu Qingfan finally smiled and asked, "So, does that mean you agree to give me the ‘Holy Spirit Sword’?"

The Demon Ancestor’s timeless expression revealed a hint of a smile at that moment as he said softly, "I told you that from now on, I will no longer interfere in any matters of the Shenzhou Continent; I will just be a spectator. The ‘Holy Spirit Sword’ was never mine to begin with, so giving it to you is not interfering. As a spectator, I hope this grand performance will be even more exciting and that some unexpected changes will occur."

"Thank you, senior."

Xu Qingfan said respectfully, bowing his head.

However, the Demon Ancestor ignored Xu Qingfan and turned to look at the bustling Middle-earth, vaguely facing south, as if recalling that earth-shaking battle between good and evil from years ago.

After a long time, the Demon Ancestor sighed, waved his right sleeve, and a stone shaped like a sword flew in front of Xu Qingfan.

Xu Qingfan was slightly surprised; in front of him was what seemed to be just a stone that looked like a sword.

But Xu Qingfan still reached out to take it.

At the moment he touched the stone, Xu Qingfan’s eyes moved slightly because he suddenly felt that the "Flourish Qi" inside him seemed to be moving very quickly at that moment.

Feeling this, Xu Qingfan gently directed the "Flourish Qi" from his body into the stone in his hand.

Then, when the "Flourish Qi" flowed into the stone shaped like a sword, Xu Qingfan felt a strange illusion, as if the world around him shook suddenly, and a loud sound rang in his ears, followed by a buzzing sound that didn’t stop. But when he looked around, he found that neither the Demon Ancestor, Little Black, nor Niu Wenxing felt anything.

Xu Qingfan shook his head, trying to clear the ringing sound in his ears caused by the loud noise, then continued to look at the stone in his hand.

Next, both Xu Qingfan and Niu Wenxing nearby let out an amazed gasp.

Just as Xu Qingfan had guessed, the stone in his hand was merely a shell; as the "Flourish Qi" flowed in, the thick outer layer of stone began to peel away, revealing the true form of the "Holy Spirit Sword."

There were no dazzling rays of light, no grand presence, and no changing clouds; the "Holy Spirit Sword" quietly appeared before Xu Qingfan’s eyes.

In fact, Xu Qingfan and Niu Wenxing gasped not because the "Holy Spirit Sword" looked impressive or magnificent, but because its appearance was surprisingly shabby compared to its fame.

Xu Qingfan held a long sword that seemed to be made of white jade, but upon closer look, it had a crystal-clear quality. Holding it made him feel warm and comfortable, as the "Flourish Qi" flowed within him, while the "Qi of Demonic Death" became extremely obscure.

However, this sword was broken; the tip, about one-third of the sword’s length, was missing, lost who knows where, and the remaining part was riddled with cracks, resembling a spider web.

At first glance, it looked like a decorative jade sword that had been dropped many times. Xu Qingfan even suspected that if he applied a little pressure, this legendary "Holy Spirit Sword" would crumble into dust.

Is this really the legendary "Holy Spirit Sword"? The powerful artifact that could defeat the Demon Ancestor?

Xu Qingfan looked at the Demon Ancestor in disbelief and saw a rare, proud expression on the Demon Ancestor’s face as he slowly said, "It is true that I was defeated by it back then, and it counters my cultivation method, but to truly defeat me, you must pay a price."

Xu Qingfan nodded, yet there was little disappointment on his face.

In fact, even though this damaged "Holy Spirit Sword" was in such terrible condition, its power was still greater than that of the "World Defying Sword" in Xu Qingfan’s hand, and the "World Defying Sword" had only slightly evolved so far because Xu Qingfan had chosen to do so.

Because Xu Qingfan knew that the complete "Holy Spirit Sword," or the fully evolved "World Defying Sword," was something he could never merge with. Even if he forced a merge, the "Qixia Sword," which served as a vessel and regulator, could not withstand such powerful opposing forces of good and evil.

So, seeing the "Holy Spirit Sword" so badly damaged at that moment did not make Xu Qingfan feel disappointed; instead, it felt like a sigh of relief.

If it were a complete "Holy Spirit Sword," Xu Qingfan truly wouldn’t know what to do.

After carefully examining the "Holy Spirit Sword" in his hand, Xu Qingfan bowed again to the Demon Ancestor and said, "Although you possess limitless power and have no desires, I still owe you a favor. If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know, and I will do what I can."

"I said, I am just a spectator. There is nothing you need to do for me," the Demon Ancestor replied calmly. "Take care of yourself."

As he spoke, the Demon Ancestor’s form began to waver again, and in an instant, he seemed to be disappearing.

Suddenly, just before disappearing, it seemed the Demon Ancestor remembered something and looked up at Xu Qingfan, asking, "By the way, what happened to that little girl?"

Xu Qingfan paused for a moment, but then he seemed to remember something, a strange smile flashing across his face as he bent slightly and said to the Demon Ancestor, "Thank you for your concern. She… should have fully recovered by now."

However, when Xu Qingfan straightened up again, he saw that the Demon Ancestor had completely vanished.

This time, no matter how Xu Qingfan sensed it, he could no longer find any trace of the Demon Ancestor.

With a slow sigh, Xu Qingfan turned to Niu Wenxing and said, "Let’s go."

However, Niu Wenxing was still in a daze, showing none of the brilliance of the world’s top wise men. He blankly asked Xu Qingfan, "Is that person the Demon Ancestor? Is that the ‘Holy Spirit Sword’?"

Seeing Niu Wenxing’s expression, Xu Qingfan couldn’t help but chuckle and replied softly, "That person is indeed the Demon Ancestor, and this is the ‘Holy Spirit Sword.’ We should not just judge things by their appearance, should we?"

After hearing Xu Qingfan’s words, Niu Wenxing paused for a moment as if deep in thought, but soon his expression returned to its natural, carefree state, and he laughed, saying, "You’re right, I was thinking too much. Let’s go! Do you have anything else to do? By the way, go catch your apprentice!"

Xu Qingfan smiled slightly and flew with Niu Wenxing on a cloud, heading to another place in the Western Desert.

…

Ever since his defeat by Xu Qingfan and Master Bo Guangyan, "Ri" returned to his original home.

"Ri" was his codename in the "Ming" organization, and his real name was Xu Hui. He was a descendant of a long-lost royal family in the Western Desert, blessed with great talent, and had created a unique technique to control the sun and moon. Since then, he had lived in seclusion at the ruins of his homeland, rarely going out.

If his brother had not been killed by Xu Qingfan, he would not have gone out to join the "Ming" organization.

Since the last defeat, Xu Hui has returned to his old home to practice hard, hoping that one day he can take revenge on Xu Qingfan and Master Bo Guangyan.

However, the cultivation method of the Original Soul has always been the hardest to achieve, and both Xu Qingfan and Bo Guangyan have succeeded, with Xu Qingfan even becoming one of the top ten masters in the human world, while Xu Hui still struggles painfully between the peak of the Golden Core Stage and the Nascent Soul Stage.

One day, Xu Hui was sitting cross-legged hundreds of feet below in the Western Desert, practicing as usual, when suddenly, a very familiar voice resounded above him.

"Old friend Xu Qingfan has come to visit; dear friend, you may come out to meet me."

The voice was powerful and caused countless grains of sand to fall.

Xu Hui suddenly opened his eyes, and in them were reflections of a silver sun and moon.