Chapter 924: Sword Wheel

Hum!

As the blood sword erupted, a low, resonant sword chant came from the opposite side.

Daoist Fang narrowed his eyes slightly. The next instant, dazzling sword light burst forth.

Qin Sang’s figure vanished, replaced by a sword wheel woven from countless streaks of sword light and sword qi. Like a bright full moon, it bloomed before Daoist Fang’s horrified gaze.

By now, Qin Sang had comprehended Sword Light Division to the advanced stage. Yet limited by cultivation, the number of true sword lights he could split was few. Most of them were actually sword qi in disguise.

The ebony sword’s genuine sword lights interwove with the illusory sword qi, forming a brilliant wheel impossible to distinguish between real and false, though its might was very real!

After grasping Sword Light Division, Qin Sang had once tried to comprehend the next Sword Dao stage of One Sword Births the Sword Array, but had found no clue.

According to the texts he had gathered, to achieve that realm one had to understand the profound principle of momentum, to grasp true sword force and sword will. Only then could thousands of sword lights gather into being and give rise to a sword array.

Though Qin Sang had not found the path, he had not given up. Drawing on the sword techniques he had learned on the path of swords, he eventually devised a weakened version, this sword wheel, which had only recently taken true form.

Though far from a real sword array, among Core Formation cultivators it was still a formidable supernatural ability. Back in Windy Archipelago, when sparring with that Nether Corpse Sect's Golden Core cultivator, the sword wheel had still been in its embryonic form. Otherwise, he could have defeated that man with ease.

Once he comprehended the true meaning of sword force, its power would rise even further.

Now, unleashed in full, Qin Sang’s sword light surged like boundless azure clouds, the wheel gleaming like a radiant moon, dazzling and unstoppable. Where it passed, nothing seemed unbreakable, its momentum awe-inspiring.

From afar, any who saw this sight would surely mistake it for the strike of a Spiritual Infant grandmaster, not knowing it was mostly a facade, more than half meant to intimidate.

Daoist Fang, however, knew clearly that his opponent’s swordsmanship was not as fearsome as it appeared. Yet within the Core Formation Realm, Qin Sang was undeniably among the very best. Now, he truly felt danger.

Buzz, buzz...

From Daoist Fang’s body came a chorus of insect cries. Inside his insect armor, strands of purple light abruptly spread, in a flash filling the entire armor, making it look like crystalline purple stone.

The cries grew urgent, and intense purple light erupted, enveloping him. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a gigantic beetle.

The beetle’s whole body glowed with purple light, its back lined with sharp spines, pincers like blades, radiating savage ferocity.

"This is the Purple Crystal Sky Beetle..." Qin Sang was astonished.

He had long wondered what Daoist Fang’s life-bound insect gu was. Now that it manifested, he realized it was the Purple Crystal Sky Beetle, ranked seventeenth on the Witch Insect Register.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

At this grade, such spirit insects were raised only by witch race sects. As Black Snake Mountain’s eldest disciple, it was no surprise Daoist Fang possessed such a life-bound insect.

The Purple Crystal Sky Beetle’s carapace was exceptionally tough. Transformed into armor, it was renowned as one of the most defensive insects on the Witch Insect Register, second only to rare supernatural insects.

Most precious of all, cultivating a Purple Crystal Sky Beetle was far easier than raising supernatural insects.

Daoist Fang had poured immeasurable effort into his beetle. It had already reached the late stage of the third metamorphosis. With its secret technique, the insect armor could withstand blows that early-stage Core Formation cultivators could not even pierce, much less harm Daoist Fang himself.

No wonder he had survived even after being struck by the

Lightning Control Technique

. Though he had long been prepared, this armor’s protection was undeniable.

Once manifested, the Purple Crystal Sky Beetle retracted its pincers, transforming them into a purple barrier that firmly shielded Daoist Fang.

At the same time, his true essence surged madly into the blood sword. Its crimson sword qi grew stronger and thicker like a towering pillar, a tide of scarlet light lashing straight toward the sword wheel.

Boom!

After a terrifying collision, visible shockwaves swept in all directions. The ancient trees below, which had stood for countless years, were instantly reduced to powder.

At the battle’s center, the sword wheel blazed brilliantly like a colossal disc. The scarlet sword qi was shredded, breaking apart cun by cun.

A moment later, the wheel shuddered, and the remaining sword lights cascaded down.

The Purple Crystal Sky Beetle’s phantom was engulfed in sword light. The air filled with sounds like a storm of rain, but no scream from Daoist Fang followed. Qin Sang’s eyes narrowed. His figure flashed after the sword wheel without hesitation, striking with his palm at the insect phantom.

Boom!

With a thunderous explosion, the two were blasted apart.

Daoist Fang looked disheveled but uninjured. Only the beetle phantom had grown faint, and his insect armor bore a few shallow scars.

His eyes gleamed with savagery. He opened his mouth to speak, but a scream split the air. From the corner of his eye, he saw his junior brother struck down by Qin Sang’s incarnation, then mauled by the Two-Headed Hou, losing an arm.

That man was only a middle-stage Core Formation cultivator. Against Qin Sang’s late-stage Core Formation incarnation and the Two-Headed Hou, he had no chance to resist, unable even to break out and flee.

"Senior Brother, save me!" The elder cultivator cried out, his voice wretched.

Daoist Fang’s face twisted. He bit his teeth hard, then suddenly turned to flee. He knew his junior brother could not last. Once he died, Daoist Fang would face three opponents alone. Qin Sang’s true strength was already no weaker than his. If he kept entangled, he might well perish too.

But as soon as Daoist Fang shot forward ten zhang, his vision blurred. Qin Sang blocked his path. His face darkened. He changed direction, but again Qin Sang cut him off with ease.

After several tries, Daoist Fang halted, glaring at Qin Sang, his face ashen, inwardly horrified. Qin Sang’s speed was too terrifying.

Though Daoist Fang was not skilled in evasion techniques, as a peak Core Formation cultivator he had believed no equal in his realm could stop him from escaping. Only now did he realize some Core Formation cultivators could indeed reach such speed.

Unless he defeated Qin Sang, there was no way out. That was the fact.

With his Heavenly Demon Transformation, Qin Sang’s speed was among the fastest at his realm. Combined with the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, though not yet at the level of a Spiritual Infant grandmaster, he was still far beyond Daoist Fang’s reach.

Otherwise, given his temperament, Qin Sang would have long since ambushed them with the Lightning Control Technique for a swift kill.

He had chosen to spar with Daoist Fang to test the results of his cultivation. From the looks of it, decades of bitter training had not been in vain.

Boom!

The elder witch cultivator’s corpse shriveled into a husk, tossed aside like ragged cloth.

The Two-Headed Hou and the incarnation sealed the other directions, standing guard for Qin Sang. Qin Sang steadied himself, ebony sword in hand, and pressed forward again, the sword wheel reappearing.

Seeing this, Daoist Fang understood there would be no easy end today. To surrender was impossible. His only choice was to fight to the death.

Daoist Fang threw back his head and laughed madly. His life-bound insect gu, sensing its master’s resolve, gave a low mournful cry.