Chapter 566: Who of the Shu Mountains?

While fighting the war slave, Wang Sheng couldn't help but wonder,

Has the wood-carver already completely broken down? Are the others protecting him instinctively, as if guarding a comrade?

He shook his head slightly.

That can't be right.

War slaves were probably similar to puppets. They possessed a combat instinct, and once they were given a target, they wouldn't stop until they had killed it. They existed solely to execute that one command.

However, they also weren't entirely one-dimensional. They also seemed capable of supporting and even saving one another.

He wondered if they hadn't completely lost their free will. After all, before the Celestial Wind Sect turned them into war slaves, these immortals had left Earth ready to die in battle for the Heavenly Court.

They've been suffering for tens of thousands of years...

Wang Sheng truly hoped that they had completely lost their minds and rationality. Considering the unbearable agony that they had been subjected to, he preferred that they had been nothing but five emotionless corpses or puppets through it all. He wanted nothing more than to send them to the afterlife.

At that moment, Wang Sheng felt that if the Celestial Wind Sect weren't destroyed in the future, it would become a problem for his Dao Heart.

Where Flying Cloud passes, clouds remain. Heaven's stars, obey Ziwei's decree!

Wang Sheng was already fighting with full force. Aside from Spiritless's spirit, who wasn't around, he had unleashed all the power at his disposal.

The Green Lotus Ultimate could kill one of his opponents, but it used so much immortal power that he'd be at a disadvantage afterward. Against this many, he still had to rely on the power of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art.

After more than a thousand exchanges, the longsword wielder had been reduced to a mess. He had over a hundred wounds all over him. As his injuries worsened, they started slightly affecting his movements. Nevertheless, he continued fighting. He even seemed to have more light in his eyes now.

Guided by Wang Sheng's Great Dao, the war slave's Dao of the Sword seemed to be waking up from a long sleep!

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng had suffered twenty to thirty wounds on his left arm, along with a shallow cut on his cheek.

The two fought at equal speed. At times, to land a hit, he had to take a hit himself.

Wang Sheng only dared let himself get wounded because his opponent couldn't break his armor. Since injuries to his limbs couldn't affect his combat power, he only had to endure them and make sure his limbs weren't completely cut off. All he truly had to protect was his neck.

After all, he cultivated in the Dao of the Primordial Spirit. His body was only a vessel; the Primordial Spirit was his true core.

The war slave, on the other hand, was completely numb to his own injuries. When Flying Cloud pierced his heart meridian, he merely pressed on the wound casually. When Flying Cloud nearly pierced his neck, he stopped his meaningless breathing.

The two clashed fiercely like two stars in a fast orbit, unleashing sword techniques so smooth that they were impossible to track. There were even several moments when Wang Sheng missed the chance to break free from the sword slave's entanglement.

Wang Sheng concluded that he should kill the archer or the wood-carver first. Yet at that moment, two questions kept repeating in his heart.

Why am I still holding on? Why have I not fallen?

Their Dao of the Sword's collisions had already formed a deep connection between them. Beneath the swordsman's numb expression, Wang Sheng saw a painful and struggling lost soul.

New questions arose in Wang Sheng's heart during their fierce fight, but they vanished just as quickly.

Who was this war slave really? Was he a member or an enemy of the Heavenly Court? Was he one of the immortals who left Earth over a thousand years ago?

He had no idea.

The war slave's footwork technique was no weaker than Wang Sheng's Seven-Star Footwork. Moreover, though his sword art had no set structure, his Dao of the Sword realm wasn't far behind Wang Sheng's.

Wang Sheng relied on the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art and armor to slowly push back the war slave. After all, his opponent was a late-stage True Immortal, and the force behind his attacks was much stronger.

Eventually, Wang Sheng's sword momentum completely overwhelmed the war slave. Having forced the war slave to retreat, he gained full control of the duel's rhythm.

His next attack would be the end of his opponent.

Out of respect for the war slave, Wang Sheng unleashed Blooming Star River with all his strength. Of all the techniques in the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, it was second only to the Heavenly Ziwei Sword.

Starlight gathered across ten thousand

li

and swept toward the swordsman like a wave. The battered war slave's eyes gleamed with countless reflections, as if he had suddenly found himself.

He had nowhere left to retreat. Still too badly hurt, the archer couldn't stop Wang Sheng with arrows. The axeman tried to rush to his aid, but the sword phantasm within the starlight forced him back. Meanwhile, the flutist looked as though she was just quietly watching. She lowered her short flute as a trace of fatigue and relief appeared in her empty gaze.

Only the carver kept his head down. Completely unconcerned with the battle, he continued chipping away at the wood.

Wang Sheng seemed to hear a faint whisper in his mind.

"

Who... Am I...

"

The sound of the Great Dao and the resonance of the Dao itself made his Dao Heart tremble slightly just as he was about to kill the war slave.

The war slave had already stopped trying to dodge long before the starlight in front of him started attempting to swallow him. On the contrary, he even took half a step forward and allowed himself to be cut several more times.

Still, at that moment, the immortal sword in his hand shone far more brightly than at the start of their fierce battle! He then quickly went through the final three moves of a sword technique that he shouldn't even have any knowledge of.

Wang Sheng's eyes widened in shock as he watched, his Dao Heart feeling a sharp pain. He recognized the sword technique. Ever since he saw it in the Seventy-Two Swords, it had left a deep impression on him. Even so, he never expected to see it here!

The sword hums as it flies, dancing like strong wine.

From where do the sun and the moon arise? Borrow wine, and laugh with the clear wind!

A sweep of sword radiance cut through the stars. Within it, a full moon rose, and a red sun hung high. An endless land seemed to stretch beneath them, complete with mountains and rivers!

That's the Shu Mountains' supreme sword technique—the Qing Feng Sun-Moon Transformation!

However, the swordsman had already used up all of his strength. His sword radiance had only just appeared when it shattered.

Completely exhausted now, the war slave finally lowered his sword and let Wang Sheng's sword radiance devour him and slash him forty-nine more times. The immortal sword slipped from his grasp, and his broken body drifted in space.

Wang Sheng could've still pulled back his attack, but he had decided to let the swordsman rest in peace—to free him from the pain of being the Celestial Wind Sect's war slave.

When his attack dissipated, Wang Sheng appeared behind his target. He couldn't help but hurriedly turn around to sense the little remaining vitality in the damaged body.

When he saw the faint smile at the corner of the swordsman's mouth, his Dao Heart broke free from the fury that had grasped it. He gritted his teeth so hard they nearly ground apart and clenched his fists tightly enough for his fingertips to pierce into his palm.

He lifted his sword with the intent to sever the swordsman's last trace of vitality. He wanted to finally put him to rest, gather his remains, and send them back to his homeland.

However, Wang Sheng's Dao Heart trembled, preventing him from swinging down his sword. He didn't know where this feeling toward the sword slave came from. They should've had only a simple bond of shared origin, yet at that moment, he felt as though they were brothers-in-arms who were willing to die for each other.

He didn't recognize the swordsman in the slightest. Moreover, the swordsman had sustained far too many wounds to be identifiable.

Wang Sheng lowered his sword again.

This was not the time to hesitate. Not only were he and Lishang still in peril, but Lishang seemed to have fallen into a disadvantage. After all, her divine ability wasn't invincible and could not be sustained forever.

At that moment, a fierce wind struck from the side. Wang Sheng snapped his head around as killing intent burst from his eyes. A low roar escaped his throat as the axeman swept in.

Instead of dodging, Wang Sheng charged straight toward the attack and used Lightning Flash once again. The lightning struck at the axeman's chest, forcing him to back away!

Wang Sheng appeared at the end of the lightning. Standing right under the giant axes, he was nearly face-to-face with the lean war slave!

He opened his right hand, letting go of Flying Cloud. The Dragon Sword rose on its own as he raised his hand, allowing him to grasp it. His arm then shook violently as he swung the sword down from above, cutting the axeman's arms cleanly at the forearms!

Blood sprayed as Wang Sheng kicked the war slave away. With his eyes turning cold, he turned his head toward the wood-carver. The flutist stood beside him, seemingly intent on guarding him.

Wang Sheng shouted soundlessly, "Celestial Wind Sect!"

He had already gravely wounded the archer, put the swordsman on the brink of death after two thousand clashes, and cut off the axeman's arms. Using speed and excellence, he had dealt with the three most dangerous of the five war slaves. The only unharmed ones now were the flutist, whose spells the Dragon Sword had been nullifying; and the wood-carver, whose purpose remained unknown.

Wielding Flying Cloud with his left hand and dragging Dragon Sword with his right, he charged at the last two uninjured war slaves. The Heavenly Tribulation Sword Intent and killing intent surged in Wang Sheng's heart.

However, just as he was about to use Lightning Flash to create lightning, he suddenly halted in his tracks. As if time itself had stopped, all of his forward momentum vanished, and he froze completely in place.

On a closer look, Wang Sheng realized that the carver had stopped moving. With a wooden puppet in his left hand, he vacantly stared at Wang Sheng. The puppet then pointed at Wang Sheng's position.

Witchcraft from the Ancient Era!

Shock and fury surged in Wang Sheng's heart. Not only could he not feel most of his Dao Body, but his Primordial Spirit also seemed imprisoned within him. Although his immortal power still flowed normally, he had lost control of his body.

His eyes were open, yet he couldn't see anything. His heart still beat, yet he couldn't summon even a drop of his strength.

Using his immortal perception, he analyzed his surroundings and found it unchanged.

The heavily wounded archer seemed to have been waiting for this very moment. He had already climbed back up, drawn his longbow, and conjured a cyan arrow. He aimed it right at Wang Sheng's forehead.

The flutist also lifted a cauldron artifact. Dark light shone from within it and slashed straight at Wang Sheng's neck.

So this is the fifth war slave's spell. No wonder the other war slaves risk their lives just to stop me from approaching him. Still...

Wang Sheng mentally snorted coldly. His Primordial Spirit sat cross-legged within his Heavenly Abode, and six sword intents slowly revolved around it. A subtle Dao Rhythm bloomed from his immobilized Dao Body!

Come forth, sword heart!

From Wang Sheng's chest, seven-colored radiance surged forth. Flying Haze slowly emerged, carrying his sword heart with it.

Flying Haze drew immortal light out of Wang Sheng's shoulders and knees. Flying Cloud then trembled softly in his hand as four other Flying Clouds slowly emerged.

Though his Dao Body had been restrained, he could still use his sword heart to command swords! Trapped within him, his Primordial Spirit formed a sword finger and rapidly wove hand signs. Its low shout echoed through space.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"The sword has no beginning, the sword has no end! By the power of heaven and earth, Wind-Chasing Dual Swords!"

In an instant, two Flying Clouds shot toward the wood-carver, leaving behind two intertwining and spiraling trails. The other three circled Wang Sheng. They knocked back the dark light, then struck away the arrow flying toward his forehead.

This was Wang Sheng's final trump card.

The sword-wielding war slave opened his eyes slightly. "Sword-Controlling Art..."

Though his aura was so weak it seemed no more than a drifting thread, a faint light still gradually appeared in his gaze. It seemed to be the final radiance of a mortal on the brink of death.