Chapter 553

Chapter 553: Avenge and Clear the Grudge

But as soon as this treasure appeared, the watching experts couldn’t help cursing.

"Hmph! That’s West Kunlun’s Nine Dragon Cup! These East Kunlun scoundrels dare use another sect’s treasure? How shameless!"

"Borrowing treasures now? Pathetic!"

"East Kunlun truly schemed hard for this battle! Sacrificing elders to nurture a sword soul, borrowing allies’ treasures—such thorough preparations!"

"Good! If they lose after all this, those East Kunlun fools will never show their faces again!"

The East Kunlun disciples flushed with shame under the criticism, except the stone-faced Sword God.

Mo Qianxun chose this moment to speak, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "So that’s why you challenged us with such high stakes. Senior brother Sword God, your cunning plan leaves me in awe. I admit defeat in scheming!"

Though his words were polite, the mockery stung.

The Sword God’s brow twitched. "This concerns my sect’s vital interests. I had no choice. After this matter, I’ll give you an explanation."

The old Sword God would’ve never yielded so easily, preferring death over compromise. But things had changed.

Nurturing Ao Jianzi’s sword soul had damaged his own, reducing his combat power by thirty percent. He could no longer suppress Mo Qianxun, let alone defeat him.

Meanwhile, Mo Sect’s strength grew while East Kunlun faltered. Provoking Mo Sect now meant certain loss. Combined with their underhanded tactics—boosting Ao Jianzi’s power and forcing Fang Lie into the wager—the Sword God had no choice but to swallow his pride.

Just as he thought victory was assured, the battle shifted.

Though the Nine Dragon Cup’s surprise attack halved the Fire Spirit Gu’s numbers, the swarm regenerated shockingly fast. Within breaths, 200 billion fiery insects again surrounded Ao Jianzi and his treasures, bombarding their defenses endlessly.

Observers noticed the anomaly—Fang Lie’s Fire Spirit Peak clearly held far more than 200 billion Gu. The replenishment speed suggested double that number!

Most assumed Fang Lie had kept reserves, as any wise cultivator would. But as the battle dragged on, the swarm maintained its size despite massive losses, sparking confusion.

"Half an hour of fighting! Millions lost per blast—total casualties must exceed 30 billion! Why does the swarm still number 200 billion?"

"Ao Jianzi’s Eighth-rank treasures are failing! The gold ingot’s shrunk to a dozen zhang. Seven of the Nine Dragons are dead—the rest barely cling to life. Yet Fang Lie’s Gu show no losses? Impossible!"

"I heard Fang Lie obtained the Fire Spirit Peak years ago in Wanxing Sea after it killed a Thunder Tribulation Immortal. Back then, it only had millions of Gu—not enough to sustain the Gu King or Mother Gu. How did he rebuild such numbers so quickly?"

"Even with small spirit pearls and heaven-earth treasures, 20 billion would be the limit. Yet Fang Lei commands at least 50 billion! How?"

"Baffling!"

Even the Sword God grew uneasy. Ao Jianzi’s Eighth-rank treasures, weakened by his Qi Sea cultivation, could only unleash half their power. Under endless Self-Detonations, they crumbled.

The gold ingot shrank relentlessly—from thousands of zhang to dozens, then mere ten. Finally, a coordinated blast by Jin Min Fire Spirit Gu shattered its form, reducing it to walnut size. It flew back to Ao Jianzi’s palm, spent.

When a transformation treasure is forced back to its original form during battle, it suffered heavy injuries, its spirit weakened, and its strength would decline. Severe injuries might even cause it to drop a rank.

Fortunately, the gold ingot proved sturdy enough, and the Fire Spirit Gu’s limited power only inflicted minor damage.

Still, the gold ingot required over a decade of recovery to fully restore itself.

As the gold ingot reverted, the last two Azure Dragons on the Nine Dragon Cup let out heart-wrenching screams before being shattered by countless Fire Spirit Gu. Hundreds of millions of Fire Spirit Gu then surged into the vast ocean and detonated!

Exploding fireballs vaporized massive swathes of seawater. Within moments, the thousand-mile ocean lay in ruins.

This ocean and the nine Azure Dragons represented the Nine Dragon Cup’s spiritual essence—its very foundation. Their destruction dealt a crippling blow to the treasure.

Ao Jianzi hastily retrieved the Nine Dragon Cup, only to find its nine dragons shattered and the ocean fragmented. The cup’s rank plummeted from Eighth-Rank High-Grade to Seventh-Rank High-Grade—a full major rank lost!

While Ao Jianzi and the Sword God remained composed, the West Kunlun Sect Leader crushed his tea cup in anguish.

This treasured item belonged to West Kunlun’s sect inheritance. Persuaded by the Sword God, the Sect Leader had lent it to Ao Jianzi for protection—East Kunlun’s peerless swordsmanship lacked strong defensive treasures.

Yet the loan resulted in permanent damage. Restoring the cup’s spirit might require tens of millennia, making the Sect Leader feel like a traitor to his sect.

Overwhelmed by regret for accepting the Sword God’s request, the Sect Leader turned angrily toward them—only to find their situation worse.

Deprived of two protective treasures, Ao Jianzi now relied solely on his sword soul against the Fire Spirit Gu onslaught. Billions of fiery insects engulfed him, their thunderous explosions destabilizing his soaring Sword Energy and making his sword soul tremble.

To all observers, Ao Jianzi teetered on defeat’s brink. Without Fang Lie’s undying nature, his loss was certain.

Ao Jianzi’s death would cost East Kunlun a Ninth-Rank Treasure wager—losing both a disciple and a treasure while humiliating themselves publicly. For the prideful Sword God, this repeated disgrace cut deeper than death.

Now ashen-faced and trembling, the world’s greatest swordsman neared collapse. The sight softened even the West Kunlun Sect Leader’s anger.

Yet the Sword God quickly recovered after realizing his schemes had failed. "We concede," he declared. "Order Fang Lie to stop!"

"Agreed," Mo Qianxun replied with a faint smile, preparing to speak.

But Fang Lie struck first. His 32 clones activated empty-space divine claws, brutally ripping out Ao Jianzi’s internal organs and viscera.

With Ao Jianzi’s spatial restrictions lifted during the prolonged battle, Fang Lie had regained this supreme divine skill. Previously toying with Ao Jianzi for revenge, he now acted decisively before Mo Qianxun could intervene.

The crowd gasped at Ao Jianzi’s mutilated corpse—dozens of gaping wounds covering his body.

"You did this deliberately!" roared the Sword God.

"Indeed," Fang Lie smirked. "Just like your deliberate scheme against my father. The difference? I own my actions, while you cowards hide from yours."