Upon the sword's spine—
A wisp of black qi coiled like a drifting thread, faint and elusive.
Li Zhexian's eyes narrowed slightly.
Even with his eyesight, he had to hold his breath and focus entirely just to see this wisp.
A solemn chill swept across his handsome face.
The Qinglian Sword was the embodiment of extremity—
its sharpness absolute, capable of severing all things.
What kind of evil force
could cling to its edge like maggots on bone?
Li Zhexian dared not be careless.
He immediately sat cross-legged, eyes closed, the azure blade resting across his knees as he calmed his mind to sense it.
Qian Renxue stood beside him, flawless features clouded with worry, her gaze soft as water, never leaving him for a moment.
A stick of incense later—
Li Zhexian suddenly opened his eyes.
He brought two fingers together like a sword and slowly swept them along the sword's spine.
The black qi seemed to be alive—
sliding along the body of the Qinglian Sword, and suddenly flowing into his fingertip!
Immediately—
Before his solemn gaze—
His right hand grew mottled with purple-blue corpse spots at a speed visible to the naked eye, spreading like ink diffusing through water.
"Zhexian…"
Qian Renxue's eyes trembled; her pearly teeth bit lightly.
But even with her heart aching, she did not interrupt.
She knew…
Li Zhexian always had his measure and his plans.
"This power…"
"It feels similar to the Sword Intent of Death I comprehended…"
Li Zhexian murmured quietly.
His corpse-spotted hand slowly clenched.
Four-colored radiance glimmered faintly beneath his skin.
The Quadform Spirit Meridian Body not only rendered him immune to absorbing fire, ice, and lightning attributes, but also granted him a Blood Essence physique.
His blood surged like a rushing river—able to overcome decay and birth new flesh.
"This power is similar to Sword Intent of Death…"
"Even if I comprehend it completely, it won't greatly advance my sword dao."
"But…"
A light of excitement—bordering on madness—flickered in Li Zhexian's eyes.
"Between bodily decay and rebirth!"
"Could I refine a new sword-intent?!"
"It's possible!"
"Completely possible!"
He was now a grandmaster of the Sword Dao, no longer the youth of the past who merely harbored dreams of the sword.
Only now—
did Li Zhexian truly understand why, that day, when Chen Xin heard he wished to walk the path of 'using all phenomena to prove the One Sword,' he sighed immediately:
"Too difficult. Far too difficult."
Because—
The further the Myriad Forms Sword Dao went,
the harder it became.
Consider his first sword technique—
Yaoguang (Starlight).
He merely gazed at the stars, drank a cup of a Yaoguang Wine, and with a clear heart, stole a thread of starlight from the night sky.
But from the second to the fourth—
He endured countless hardships of tempering the body to glimpse sword intent.
The fifth sword intent—
He had practically died once
to comprehend the Sword Intent of Death— Nether Shore.
The sixth, the Sword Intent of Slaughter— Blood Pagoda,
was earned by slaughtering three thousand fallen, cutting his way through the Slaughter City to swing that sky-filling scarlet strike.
The seventh, the Spiritual Sword Intent— Boundless Thought,
came only after enduring brain-rending agony day and night.
It truly grew harder each time—
Like climbing a mountain ten thousand meters high.
Every step after halfway became near impossible.
"But I have never regretted it."
"Even if I lived again ten thousand times, I, Li Zhexian, would still walk the path of proving the One through all phenomena."
"This is my sword dao."
He rose suddenly, eyes like cold stars cutting through the gloom.
"If it's difficult…"
"Then I must never miss a single chance to comprehend the sword!"
"In this Rakshasa Secret Realm, I will comprehend a new intent!"
A soft, warm hand gently closed around his.
He turned—
Meeting a pair of gentle golden eyes.
"I'll stay with you."
Four or five hours passed.
A waning moon hung upon the dark-purple heavens.
The three scythe-bearing shadows drifted to the city gate again and turned once more into statues.
Li Zhexian and Qian Renxue left their dwelling, swiftly passing through the ruined streets and arriving at the rooms of the elders.
Only upon confirming everyone's safety did they relax slightly.
Yu Yuanzhen stroked his beard and said:
"After last night, I fear less than a third of the powerhouses from the various sects in the city remain."
Ning Fengzhi thought for a moment and said:
"Not necessarily."
"Zhexian's shout last night revealed the secret of the houses."
"And those who could enter this place are no mediocrities."
"Some should have deduced the rules."
"There are many Command Banners in the city. We should collect them and confirm the top-three sect rankings."
As Chen Xin and the others were about to leave—
Li Zhexian spoke solemnly, relaying Qian Renxue's discovery from yesterday.
Hearing such chilling news—
Chen Xin, Feng Bailong, and the others all changed expression.
They immediately sat down to sense carefully.
Sure enough—
They felt the erosion of that decaying black qi from within their Spirit Power and Martial Souls.
It took quite some time—
Before they fully purged it.
"Fortunately, thanks to young friend Zhexian's companion for telling us, or else… something disastrous might have happened!"
"Bibi Dong is truly vicious. She wants to use this secret realm to corrupt the strong who enter—turning them into her puppets!"
"I even suspect that if the corruption grew deep, these yellow-mud black-tile houses would become our true 'homes' forever."
After Chen Xin and Feng Bailong spoke, chills still crawled down their backs.
"We cannot stay here long!"
Ning Fengzhi said sternly:
"Once we gather the Command Banners and confirm the rankings, we must leave immediately!"
Everyone nodded.
Only Li Zhexian remained silent for a moment, then said:
"When that time comes, seniors should leave first."
Chen Xin and Feng Bailong frowned immediately.
"Zhexian— / Young friend Zhexian, you…"
"I still need the Blood of a God, and I must comprehend a new sword intent here. I have to stay longer."
Li Zhexian had forged his own sword dao.
Even Chen Xin and Feng Bailong could not offer advice.
They understood how important both the sword and the girl were to Li Zhexian—
so they did not try to dissuade him.
After a quiet moment, they said:
"In that case, we won't rush out either. We'll stay and safeguard you."
Li Zhexian smiled and shook his head.
"There's no need, seniors."
"This decaying black qi erodes the body constantly. The longer you remain, the greater the danger."
"I have my own methods of defense."
"Once the city's powerhouses are cleared, if the waning moon vanishes, I'll hide in a house. I'll be perfectly safe."
Seeing Chen Xin and Feng Bailong still frowning—
He continued:
"Seniors must return to the outside world quickly."
"If Bibi Dong has more methods…"
"You will have to keep watch."
Having said all he should—
Chen Xin, Feng Bailong, and the others nodded.
"We'll do as you say."
As they were about to leave the house to sweep the marshal banners—
Ning Fengzhi suddenly said:
"There is a light screen outside the secret realm showing our every move…"
"What we just discussed…"
"No issue."
Li Zhexian smiled:
"Xue'er told me—once we enter the houses, even the light screen cannot observe us."
Regarding this—
Li Zhexian guessed…
Bibi Dong still wasn't the true Rakshasa God.
She could not fully control the Rakshasa Secret Realm.
Hearing this—
Ning Fengzhi and the others finally eased their hearts.
Spirit Power burst open the doorway.
They stepped into the light of the waning moon.
No scythe-bearing phantoms pursued.
With five Titled Douluo—and the equally powerful Qian Renxue added—
This lineup could walk the ruined city unhindered.