Chapter 62: Gathering of the Hundred Masters

After transforming into a demon, the elders of the Azure Lotus Sword Sect were left with a fatal weakness: the utter loss of clear consciousness. Demons were once cultivators, but their minds had been corrupted and eroded by demonic taint, leaving their sanity in shambles—a natural consequence. What more was there to say to such walking corpses? There was only one answer: to kill them!

A brilliant sword strike flashed forth, swift as the wind, tearing through clouds and sky. With a thunderous roar, the boat—crafted from some unknown material—exploded instantly beneath the sword’s might. Yet the Azure Lotus Sword Sect elder remained unruffled, reaching out to seize the sword’s edge, unafraid of thunder or lightning. Though bereft of reason, he retained the primal instinct for battle.

Another deafening crash followed. The lake’s surface was blasted apart, surging waves rising in fury, echoing the tumult of rivers and seas. Amid the roiling torrent, the elder floated away, his robes stained anew with crimson, but his hands—pure as jade—remained unscathed, as if the clash of thunder and lightning had never touched him.

In contrast, Shen Yan’s sword-light shattered, his thunderous power dissipated. He fell, landing heavily in mid-air, stabilizing himself. Gazing at the blood-soaked elder, Shen Yan said nothing, merely summoned his mana.

With a burst of energy, his garments ripped apart, fluttering away in shreds. Bare-chested, Shen Yan called out, “Again!” His roar sent another blinding sword-light hurtling toward the Azure Lotus elder.

Lacking intelligence, the elder neither reacted nor retreated. Seeing this, Shen Yan did not hesitate; his sword-light crashed forward.

With a metallic clang, the elder raised his hand to meet the attack head-on. Shen Yan was unfazed, not bothering to change his tactics; another explosion resounded, shaking the heavens. The elder’s hand wavered minutely, its jade-like glow dimming, yet it did not break.

Though the defense held, Shen Yan’s assault did not relent.

One strike, then another, and another still—his sword-light thundered forth, sometimes as hard as iron, sometimes twining softly around its target. Fierce assaults alternated with subtle touches, overwhelming the elder’s demonic body.

In but a few moments, a tremendous crash rang out—the sword-light exploded, and the demon’s body was blasted apart. The demonic energy was swallowed by the sword’s radiance, and even the elder’s form was pulverized.

At last, only a single head remained—a hollow, faceless skull hurtling through the air, plunging into the now pitch-black Azure Lotus Lake.

Shen Yan, sword of thunder in hand, stood in the air, gazing into the lake’s shadowy depths in silence, patiently waiting.

Gurgling sounds arose as the water churned, dark currents twisting into a vortex. Seated grandly in its midst was the Azure Lotus elder. The surging black tide beneath him drew inward, all demonic energy condensing into his body, forming his power.

Without a word, Shen Yan raised his flying sword and struck again.

A resounding clang echoed; the sword’s force, enough to topple mountains, landed squarely on the elder, but only produced a metallic crash. Shen Yan flipped back, landing a hundred yards away, his divine light flickering, sword-light extinguished.

The elder’s protective demonic aura had only dimmed, showing no true weakness.

One exchange was enough to reveal the difference in power; the situation had changed.

But Shen Yan was not surprised. He leapt forward, thunder surging anew, swinging his sword at the demon’s body.

At that moment, from the hollow visage of the elder, a thunderous syllable boomed forth—a shattering roar, fierce and unyielding. It struck Shen Yan, extinguishing his divine light and shattering his sword-light. Forced back, Shen Yan retreated a hundred yards, then several more steps, the burden of the blow all too clear.

As Shen Yan drew back, ripples spread through the air, surging visibly toward him.

Was this the might of the Foundation Establishment realm?

Shen Yan did not attempt to meet it head-on. With a flash of lightning, he evaded, moving with swift agility.

“One Elemental Mystic Ice!”

A roar split the air, thunder erupting, five colors blazing—azure, yellow, red, white, and black.

Shen Yan stood unmoving, solid as a mountain, the five elements within him forming an internal world. With a single swing, his sword lashed out at the elder.

“Die!” the elder bellowed, one arm wielding a wheel that radiated black script and light, just as before—relying on the same trick.

But Shen Yan’s sword came crashing down.

A thunderous explosion sounded; the black light shattered, the elder’s body jolted, and his rear arm, along with the circular artifact, were blown apart.

Though only instinct remained, even instinct yearned to survive; the elder would not simply await death. His fearsome, hollow face suddenly expanded, as a pitch-black flying sword shot forth.

Swords collided with a metallic ring. The Cloud-Stream Sword, wreathed in lightning, surged forward, plunging entirely into the elder’s mouth.

In the next instant, five-colored lightning—azure, yellow, red, white, and black—flared within the elder’s swollen belly. The five-elemental divine thunder merged and erupted from within him.

From the inside out, from bottom to top!

With a violent burst, the five elements as one, thunder’s wrath unstoppable, Shen Yan’s sword shattered the elder’s skull.

A torrent of black light rained down from the sky. The sword soared heavenward, tearing through the shroud of darkness.

Witnessing this, the demons lurking near Azure Lotus were thrown into panic.

“The demonic energy is fading?”
“How can this be? Who did this?”
“Damn it!”
“Could it be a Golden Core master…?”
“Wandering spirits and wild ghosts, ruining my plans!”
“This place is no longer safe, we must leave quickly!”

Amid the chaos, several figures vanished into the shadows.

Meanwhile, around the distant prefectural city—

“The grand formation of Azure Lotus Lake has been broken?”
“How is that possible?”
“Could it be a Core Formation master passing through, moved by injustice, who intervened to suppress the demon?”
“Why would a Golden Core master travel so casually?”
“Perhaps the Azure Lotus elder left of his own accord.”
“Nonsense! It’s only been a day—how could the elder simply leave?”
“Well…”

Seeing the demonic energy disperse, all were thrown into greater confusion, debating anxiously, unsure what to do.

Elsewhere, sword-light sped across the sky, swift as a gale. Shen Yan did not reveal himself, but hurried away without pause.

A tree standing out in the forest is sure to be felled by the wind! There was no telling whether a wandering Golden Core master might be drawn to Azure Lotus Lake. Shen Yan still held some caution toward such top-level cultivators; after all, the gap in cultivation was clear—he was only at the peak of Qi Refinement. No matter how many battle techniques he possessed, facing high-level cultivators would be difficult.

Thus, he would do his best to avoid these Golden Core masters. This was not the pettiness of a small man, but the prudence of the weak facing the strong—a necessity for survival.

To respect the strong is to respect one’s own life!

Unless their cultivation was equal and strength matched, he saw no reason to believe they would treat him as an equal, or work together amicably. Without strength, there is no status; when would the elephant ever sit and discuss the Dao with the ant as equals?

Sword-light flashed, piercing the clouds and sky. Soon, he had left the three Azure Lotus prefectures far behind and entered a nameless, wild mountain forest.