As Jiemie absorbed the blood of the fallen Martial King, the surrounding warriors stared wide-eyed in shock. They were stunned as they watched the blood flow through the air and into the sword.
"Master! That sword—it must be the legendary Demon Sword!" one of the warriors beside the Marquis exclaimed in excitement.
The sword, with its eerie markings, overpowering murderous aura, and its ability to absorb blood, matched the descriptions of the legendary weapon that was said to have brought about the fall of the Dilong Empire.
The other warriors, hearing this, were equally shaken. They had never imagined that the sword in Bai Li Changqing's hand would have such a fearsome history.
"The Demon Sword..." the Marquis muttered, a look of greed flashing across his face. "So, this is the sword that Atamu and Malqi have been searching for."
"I never thought it truly existed, and now it's right here," he said with a twisted smile. "Kill him! That sword will be mine!"
With the Marquis' order, a wave of warriors rushed toward Bai Li Changqing.
The remaining Martial King, still trembling, retreated. He could scarcely believe what he had just witnessed. His companion, a peak Martial King, had been slain in an instant by this assassin. Bai Li Changqing's sword had easily shattered the peak Martial King's energy shield, cutting through his defenses like they were nothing.
Now, the onslaught began as countless warriors closed in on Bai Li Changqing from every direction. However, Bai Li Changqing remained calm and unshaken.
Hell's Cross Formation!
With a single thought, he activated one of Jiemie's techniques, and the ground beneath him lit up with crimson energy, forming a blood-red pattern that spread out like a curse.
"Domain power," one of the Martial Kings floating in the sky remarked coldly as he observed the formation.
Phantom Dance!
In the next moment, Bai Li Changqing's form split into a hundred afterimages, each one brandishing a sword.
The warriors charging at him suddenly found themselves in a whirlwind of sword lights, as though they had entered a death trap.
One after another, the warriors fell, their bodies sliced apart. The courtyard quickly became a bloodbath as Bai Li Changqing's sword danced through the air, leaving only corpses in its wake.
[Killed Martial Artist. Gained 100,000 evolution points.]
[Killed Martial Artist. Gained 100,000 evolution points.]
…
[Absorbed Martial Artist blood essence. Gained 100 energy points.]
[Absorbed Martial Artist blood essence. Gained 100 energy points.]
…
As Jiemie devoured the blood of the slain warriors, some of that energy was returned to Bai Li Changqing, replenishing his strength. He felt his vitality surging, his blood boiling as his power grew with every drop of blood the sword consumed.
Bai Li Changqing continued his relentless assault, cutting down warrior after warrior. The sheer sharpness of Jiemie was unstoppable, cleaving through both their weapons and bodies with ease.
As time passed, the ground was littered with the bodies of the Marquis' soldiers. Bai Li Changqing had lost count of how many he had killed.
"Shadow Guards!!!" the Marquis suddenly bellowed.
With his command, the air trembled, and from the shadows, a group of warriors emerged, exuding an overwhelming pressure.
"What...?" Bai Li Changqing's eyes narrowed in shock.
Dozens of Martial Kings appeared, each clad in dark armor that shimmered with an eerie purple glow. Their aura was terrifying, far surpassing any ordinary Martial King.
"So much power," Bai Li Changqing muttered, his expression tightening.
"This is the power of the Demon Sword, is it?" the Marquis growled, his face twisted in anger. "You killed so many of my men... but now, it's your turn to die."
The Marquis raised his hand, and the Shadow Guards—the elite warriors under his command—began to release a purple radiance from their bodies.
"What's this!?" Bai Li Changqing thought, his brows furrowing as the light from the Shadow Guards filled the area.
The purple light converged, spreading across the ground like a massive web, forming a huge domain of energy.
"A domain power?!" Bai Li Changqing had never seen a domain technique executed in such a way—where dozens of Martial Kings pooled their strength together to create a combined domain.
Within the purple domain, all the Shadow Guards were wrapped in an additional layer of violet energy, significantly boosting their strength.
Bai Li Changqing took a deep breath, gripping Jiemie tighter. He had no choice but to push himself to the limit.
He summoned his inner strength, preparing for the battle ahead. His vitality surged as he continued to consume more of his blood essence, growing more powerful.
Ten Thousand Blade Formation!
With a roar, one of the Shadow Guards unleashed a technique that sent countless swords flying toward Bai Li Changqing from every direction.
Seeing the incoming barrage of blades, Bai Li Changqing's eyes flashed as he began to move, his body flickering in and out of sight.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
The flying swords missed their target, but they didn't stop. As if they had minds of their own, the swords turned and continued to pursue him, relentlessly hunting him down.
Though Bai Li Changqing excelled in assassination, he found himself at a disadvantage in this head-on battle. But there was no room for retreat. He had to fight.
Whoosh—
As the swords bore down on him, he made no attempt to dodge further. Instead, he raised Jiemie and charged straight into the attack.
"These blades will shatter soon," Ye Fan, the spirit of the sword, commented with a cold laugh.
"If Bai Li Changqing manages to defeat these Martial Kings, he will gain a tremendous amount of evolution points. It won't be long before I finally reach the SSS rank."
Ye Fan couldn't help but feel a bit excited at the prospect.
Clang, clang, clang—
Bai Li Changqing swung Jiemie furiously, each clash producing an earth-shaking sound. In a matter of moments, several of the flying swords were deflected or shattered under the impact.
Before long, many of the Shadow Guards' weapons were sent flying, their formation beginning to crumble.