Seeking the Flying Sword Path

Compared to Zhurong, Torch Dragon, and company, Patriarch Blood Sea’s realm was much lower. His attacks were cruder, but his strength stemmed from… the infinite powers of the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss! He wasn’t afraid of being exhausted! But overall, the threat he posed to Qin Yun was inferior to Zhurong and Torch Dragon.

“Die!” Qin Yun burned his Essence Soul Dharmic powers as he roared.

Under his control, the ten thousand flying swords that he condensed erupted with terrifying might as they tore through the sky. As they flew, they naturally blocked out the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss’s powers and formed a huge oblate spheroid, completely trapping the nineteen perfected Great Dao existences inside.

“Shoo! Shoo! Shoo!”

The ten thousand flying swords formed various sword arrays as they began attacking the ancient existences.

“Quick, flee!”

“Quick.”

These ancient existences were horror-stricken.

Zhurong transformed into a fiery stream of light that was extremely fast. He only cared for his own safety. As for Torch Dragon, he released his domain to weaken the surrounding sword array as much as he could. As he flew forward, Yin Yang Divine Light lingered around him, causing the surrounding space to change. Qin Yun’s flying swords would fly past his body, missing him by a hair every time.

Space and time underwent change around Torch Dragon.

One of them was fast, the other one was unpredictable.

Boxun was relatively weak. He could only pull back his Seven Emotions and Six Desires avatar into his true body and slash apart the flying swords when they came close. Boxun was at his strongest when he fused with his Seven Emotions and Six Desires avatar, but with his character… unless it was absolutely necessary, he would never use his true body to engage in a melee battle.

“Zhurong, save us.”

“Boxun, help us.” The other sixteen perfected Great Dao existences were relatively weaker. When they sensed the impending death, they began crying for help anxiously.

But at that moment, everyone was fleeing for their lives. Who could spare the time to help them?

Although Qin Yun had enveloped the whole bunch of ancient existences with ten thousand flying swords, he tried his best to obstruct Zhurong and the strongest few, making them fly at much slower speeds. Most of his strength was diverted to deal with the sixteen perfected Great Dao existences! They were much weaker and much faster to deal with.

“Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!” Three thousand of the ten thousand flying swords flew towards Hundun, one of the Chaos Three Banes, and another three thousand flying swords flew towards a green-haired burly man. The rest of the flying swords were used to obstruct the others.

Hundun and the green-haired burly man would be first to die.

That was because, for one, these two were riddled with heinous sins, and two, they did not have avatars! Their life preservation means were also relatively weak.

“Sword Immortal Qin, I’m willing to surrender. I’m willing to surrender.” When Hundun saw this, he sent a karmic voice transmission in horror. At the same time, a chain flew around him, doing its best to fend off the flying swords.

However, when the river of three thousand flying swords came surging over, Hundun only barely managed to withstand a few hundred flying swords before his chain was sent flying to the side. He couldn’t defend any longer.

“How is he this strong?” Hundun felt despair.

Even the three thousand out of ten thousand flying swords of Qin Yun were powered with the ignition of Essence Soul Dharmic powers; therefore, they had the might of the Heavenly Dao realm! How could he fend that off?

Densely packed flying swords tore through his body as streams of light.

Puah! Puah! Puah!

Hundun’s body was directly penetrated as his Essence Soul was decimated. His true form appeared, a breathless corpse. It was a massive monster shaped like an earthworm.

One of the Chaos Three Banes, Hundun, was dead!

Elsewhere.

The green-haired man who was also suffering a barrage of attacks from the three thousand flying swords carried a halberd. He had immense strength as he tried his best to parry the flying swords. Even though hundreds of flying swords pierced his body, his body rapidly recovered. Clearly, his vitality was much stronger. However, there were three thousand flying swords! He also revealed a flustered look as he roared via a voice transmission, “Sword Immortal Qin, this old pig is impressed. I submit!”

His body was powerful and he had immense strength. His recovery powers were astounding. Even half-step Heavenly Dao realm existences would find it difficult to kill him.

But at that moment, Qin Yun’s three thousand flying swords produced might at the Heavenly Dao realm. Although his body was rapidly recovering, in a blink of an eye, his body could no longer take it.

“I’m willing to submit! I’ll submit!” The green-haired man urgently sent a voice transmission.

But Qin Yun showed no mercy at all.

Now that there was an opportunity to kill these people with heinous sins, he naturally had to take it. Killing a single one of them was equivalent to saving billions of lives.

Puah! Puah! Puah!

Another thousand flying swords tore through the man’s armored body as his aura was decimated. His true form, a fat and colossal scaly creature, was revealed as he fell.

The Myriad Sword Killing Array enveloped the ancient existences as Qin Yun and the other mighty figures from the Daoists, Buddhists, and Heavenly Courts flew behind.

“The moment he took action, he killed two perfected Great Dao existences in a blink of an eye?”

“Sword Immortal Qin is just too powerful.”

“Such means are no less inferior to Hou Yi’s.”

The mighty figures of the Daoists, Buddhists, and Heavenly Courts were also astonished.

However, Qin Yun knew very well that in terms of decimation means, he was still weaker than Hou Yi. Even if he burned his Essence Soul Dharmic powers, the Myriad Sword Killing Array was only at the might of Hou Yi’s fifth arrow after he burned his Essence Soul. Qin Yun had witnessed Hou Yi’s ninth arrow personally before. However, Hou Yi had to expend all his Heart Force to deliver that strike. As for Qin Yun, he could last for quite an extended period of time while dealing his attacks.

In the Six Desires Great World, without being able to use the Heaven and Earth powers… Qin Yun’s Myriad Sword Killing Array’s might was even weaker. However, Torch Dragon and Zhurong were unable to use the Heaven and Earth powers either.

“Kill.” Qin Yun turned to kill the other perfected Great Dao existences.

“This Qin Yun is too powerful. He’s far stronger than what we speculated. Thankfully I have an avatar. Even if this one dies, I’d at most lose an avatar.”

“Brother Torch Dragon, Brother Torch Dragon, help me take my Connate Cardinal treasure away! God King Zhurong, help! Help me save my Connate Cardinal treasure!”

These perfected Great Dao existences with avatars had come to this battle, equipped with weapons that brought out their greatest strength. Many of those weapons were Connate Cardinal treasures.

It would have been fine if their avatars died as they could be cultivated back again, but the lost of a Connate Cardinal treasure would pain their hearts.

“Hmph!”

Zhurong and Torch Dragon continued escaping frantically as they ignored them completely.

Both of them knew that Qin Yun was now spending the greatest of his efforts against these ordinary perfected Great Dao figures. Once he focused on the two of them, the speed at which they could fly would greatly reduce. Escaping alive would even become a question.

Zhurong and Torch Dragon did not have avatars!

In the Three Realms…

Due to their cultivation Dharmic formulations, about half of perfected Great Dao existences did not have avatars. For instance, if Zhurong were to deliberately fracture his Essence Soul to cultivate an avatar, it would severely decrease his perceptivity and potential. Even Qin Yun did not have an avatar for all of his cultivation. It was only through the final Itinerant Immortal tribulation that he gained 129,600 avatars. It was the Itinerant Immortal system that allowed him to have so many avatars.

This was a result of his cultivation system, allowing him to possess avatars without influencing his perceptivity and potential. It was the same with the Dao Ancestors and Buddhist Ancestor.

“Puah Puah Puah!”

The flying sword tore through a white-dressed long-haired elder. Another one was killed!

“Even the lord of the Long Valley World has died.” Some of the remaining people felt a sadness for the loss of their kind, while others felt despair.

“Xi, you have an avatar. Save me, save me.”

“This Qin Yun’s sword array is too powerful. How can I save you?”

“Sigh, even if I die, do not let my Connate Cardinal treasure be taken by that Qin Yun.”

Puah Puah Puah!

One perfected Great Dao existence after another died! Sword beams would carry away the treasures that were left behind.

While burning his Essence Soul Dharmic powers, Qin Yun completely crushed these ordinary perfected Great Dao existences. If Patriarch Spirit Devouring from back then were there, he would have died almost instantly.

…

“Quick, fly out of the Six Desires Great World.” In space outside the Six Desires Great World, the Lord of the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, Patriarch Blood Sea, had already forcefully opened up a stable spatial passageway.

As for inside the Six Desires Great World?

Qin Yun had long sealed off space with his Misty Rain Array. Patriarch Blood Sea was unable to establish a stable spatial passageway in the Six Desires Great World.

“Quick.”

Zhurong and company flew upwards frantically.

However, although Qin Yun was concentrated on killing those ancient existences, he spared four thousand flying swords to hinder the rest. It made it impossible for them to fly quickly.

“Out of the sixteen perfected Great Dao existences, nine of them do not have avatars. Among the nine, two of them have sufficiently powerful life-preservation means. The other seven are already dead.”

“A total of seven perfected Great Dao existences were killed.”

“These are perfected Great Dao existences who have lived for ages. Without any certainty, they would not risk their lives, but this time, they were eliminated by Sword Immortal Qin.”

The mighty figures of the Daoists, Buddhists, and Heavenly Courts were astounded by this scene.

Far into the distance in midair.

About five seconds had passed, and the ten thousand flying swords had caused so many deaths that only Zhurong, Boxun, Torch Dragon, and two other perfected Great Dao existences were left. The rest were completely wiped out. Of course, seven of those which were wiped out had avatars. Therefore, it was still very difficult to wipe out these ancient existences entirely.

What Qin Yun did was terrifying enough.

“This Sword Immortal Qin’s strength is truly frightening.” A translucent elder flew as three thousand flying swords surrounded him, but they were just short by centimeters.

“He won’t be able to kill us two, but if his strength improves again, there’s no way we can escape.” As a golden thread flew, the three thousand flying swords failed to touch him.

Qin Yun gave up after that attempt.

“The Lord of the Misty Glow World and Worm Lord. I might only have a chance of killing them if I used all my strength when fighting them one-on-one. Now, I don’t have that much time to waste on them.” Qin Yun instantly made a decision. After all, Zhurong and the rest were charging towards space at full speed. They were attempting to flee into the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, so he had little time left.

“Zhurong!”

Qin Yun first dealt with one of the three half-step Heavenly Dao realm existences—Zhurong.

Although Zhurong’s body was strong and he had powerful offensive means, Qin Yun felt that he had the highest chances of killing him.

“Kill!”

The other four thousand swords were used to hinder Boxun and Torch Dragon while the remaining six thousand flying swords attacked Zhurong.

“Here it comes.” Zhurong’s heart tightened. Previously, Qin Yun was snipping away at the ordinary perfected Great Dao figures, but now, he was truly focused on him.

“Boom!!!”

Six thousand flying swords formed into two tidal waves! They began rampaging towards Zhurong.

Zhurong’s body became cloaked in flames as he resisted the attack with all his might. In the past, Zhurong would be the one crushing his enemies. Once upon a time, he stood atop a generation, but now, he was being completely crushed by Qin Yun’s six thousand flying swords! Their realms were close, but as a sword immortal, Qin Yun wielded an Intrinsic Connate Merit Cardinal treasure! Even when he split it into six thousand flying swords, Zhurong still felt despair.

He gave his all to defend against the deluge of flying swords, only to suffer another deluge of flying swords hitting his body and tearing through his chest.

“No.” Zhurong’s eyes were filled with mania as he tried his best to resist. At the same time, he hurriedly sent voice transmissions. “Boxun, Torch Dragon, help me.”

“Oh?”

The flying Torch Dragon came to help him with a flash, but two thousand flying swords quickly circled him and hindered him. They left Torch Dragon in quite a resigned state as well.

Another two thousand flying swords pestered Boxun, and he was completely trounced.

As for the two ordinary perfected Great Dao existences, Lord of the Misty Glow World and Worm Lord, Qin Yun gave up on them completely. He did not have the spare capacity to waste his strength on them.

“Let’s leave quickly.” When the two of them saw that they were not being hindered, they immediately flew into space at full speed.

“Fighting one against three! He is able to split his strength to engage all three of us; yet, he still holds the absolute advantage.” Boxun’s eyes wore a look of sorrow. “We are truly sad and pitiful.”

“Brother Zhurong, we can’t help you. Just two thousand flying swords are enough to suppress me.” Torch Dragon was unable to resist the attacks head on and was forced to constantly dodge. His speed was greatly reduced and was unable to help Zhurong.

Zhurong felt his heart chill.

They were very confident this time, but Qin Yun was far stronger than they imagined. He was already capable of sparring with those at the Heavenly Dao realm.

Boom! Boom!

Two deluges of flying swords surged, each with the might of the Heavenly Dao realm. Together, they were truly terrifying.

The flying swords tore through his body, slashing off his arm, causing his face to twist into a look of despair.

“Am I, Zhurong, going to die here?” At that moment, many thoughts went through Zhurong’s mind. He once wanted to dominate the Three Realms and was invincible for a period of time. Thinking back to how he was easily suppressed by Nüwa, and then later heavily injured by Hou Yi’s arrow… In this life, Nüwa and Hou Yi were the only ones who made him feel the threat of death. Qin Yun was the third.

Would there be a miracle this time?

Would Qin Yun be merciful and spare his life?

Zhurong wished to live, but his pride prevented him from pleading for mercy.

“Boom!”

Zhurong, who was getting increasingly weak, saw a deluge of flying swords rush at him. As he closed his eyes, the flying swords tore through his head.

Zhurong’s body blasted apart, turning into countless flames. Only his treasures were left in midair and swept away by the flying swords.

His life was annihilated as karma dissipated.

God King Zhurong was dead.

“Zhurong is dead.” Upon seeing this scene, Boxun and Torch Dragon felt their hearts chill even more.

“Zhurong is dead.”

The mighty figures of the Daoists, Buddhists, and Heavenly Courts, and all the other distant mighty figures of the Three Realms were watching the battle from afar. Goddess Houtu, Patriarch Subhuti, Jade Emperor, Medicine Buddha, Burning Lamp, Daoist Myriad Treasure, Old Mother of Blackfoal Mountain, etc. all felt mixed emotions.

A peerless expert in the Three Realms had perished!

“That’s not right.” Ancestral Dragon was feeling mixed emotions when he suddenly pointed at the remnant flames after Zhurong’s death. Those flames were scattering in every direction as they slowly extinguished. Only a few fire plumes remained in midair.

“Qin Yun, the perfected Great Dao existences who were good at fire such as the phoenix or golden crow are capable of rising from the ashes. There might be something happening with those few plumes of fire,” said Ancestral Dragon.

Qin Yun’s heart stirred.

Immediately, three thousand flying swords flew over and swept those fire plumes.

The flames extinguished one after another.

But at the moment one of the flames was touched, the fire plume transformed into the image of Zhurong. He looked at Qin Yun and let out an intractable smile. “I, Zhurong, have lived this life without regrets! Without regrets! Hahaha…” Amid his rapturous laughter, Qin Yun watched him coldly as the three thousand flying swords instantly decimated the fire plume, completely annihilating Zhurong.

“Just now, when his vitality was snuffed out and his karma dissipated, all of us thought he was dead,” said Maitreya with a sigh. “Who knew that he still had the means to rise from the ashes? We nearly allowed him to escape.”

“He’s now truly dead.”

As Qin Yun said that, he cast his gaze to Torch Dragon and Boxun. “Only you two are left.”

Two thousand flying swords continued pestering Torch Dragon while eight thousand flying swords were sent hurling towards Boxun.

“Qin Yun, you really think highly of me.” Boxun faced the eight thousand flying swords as his thin face revealed a smile. He faced it calmly as, with his Seven Emotions and Six Desires avatar fused into him, he attempted to fend off the attack with his immense strength.

However, just one combined strike of the eight thousand flying swords instantly decimated his body which was weaker than Zhurong’s. Instantly, countless flying swords penetrated, turning him to ashes that scattered across the world.

“He’s dead?”

The mighty figures present were puzzled when they saw this scene.

He was the King of Myriad Fiends, Boxun! He had once threatened all Buddhists by his strength alone and had fought Gautama for an extended period of time. Yet, he died just like that?

“Sword Immortal Qin,” said Maitreya. “This Boxun has been vanquished by Buddhist Ancestor several times in the past, but he would rise again every time. He won’t die so easily.”

“He’s not dead.”

Qin Yun looked far into the distance at the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss.

He sensed him.

In the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, Boxun’s aura which had originally vanished appeared there. Although it was weak, it was Boxun’s.

“Killing them sure isn’t easy,” thought Qin Yun. Then he cast his gaze towards Torch Dragon. “You are the only one left.”

“Boom!”

Ten thousand flying swords surged towards Torch Dragon.

Torch Dragon saw that space was just at hand. Previously, Qin Yun had to deal with the other experts, allowing him to live until this point.

“In five seconds, I’ll enter space.” Torch Dragon had shrunk his body to the size of a palm. His body swirled with Yin Yang Divine Light as he burned his Essence Soul Dharmic powers to fly forward rapidly.

Hu! Hu! Hu!

The ten thousand flying swords continued their attacks as Torch Dragon flew agilely. Despite the numerous flying swords leaving him nearly no space to dodge, he was able to tear open a void rift whenever they came close! It was as though the void had an additional space appear, allowing him to escape.

The space around him changed and the void was changing too. The ten thousand flying swords failed to touch him despite another two attempts.

“If that’s the case, I’ll just destroy the entire region.” Such a thought stirred in Qin Yun’s mind.

More than ten thousand flying swords condensed into one as they came all at once with a terrible suppression.

The entire space shattered.

Within this space, Torch Dragon also suffered the crushing forces; however, his body had his Yin Yang Divine Light, so the forces that slammed into him were dispersed. He was sent flying more than fifty kilometers away, but he immediately flew towards space.

“This Torch Dragon sure is a slippery one. Only a tenth of my strength can land on him.” Qin Yun learned this point. Previously, he was unable to touch Torch Dragon. Even when he delivered an area attack, he was only able to deliver a tenth of his strength. Clearly, it was difficult to kill Torch Dragon with just a tenth of his strength.

After Qin Yun’s numerous attempts, Torch Dragon finally flew out of the Six Desires Great World and entered space.

Swoosh.” Torch Dragon instantly tunneled through the spatial passageway.

“Patriarch Blood Sea looked at the Six Desires Great World remotely before closing the spatial passageway.

…

Qin Yun and all the other mighty figures pursued and flew into space.

At that moment, Qin Yun’s body was laden with golden aura. Immense amounts of merit had descended upon him. As would be expected, having killed several figures with heinous sins, he had naturally gained immense amounts of merit.

“Torch Dragon’s life preservation means are impressive.” Qin Yun said. He too grasped the Great Dao of Yin and Yang and could sense the potency of his Yin Yang Divine Light.

“Qin Yun, his life preservation means are impressive, but you are far stronger than he is. You managed to deal with a whole bunch of Chaos Godfiends, sending them scurrying in panic.” Ancestral Dragon laughed. “Including Zhurong, a total of eight ancient existences have perished at your hand. The others are either severely injured or have lost their Connate Cardinal treasures. This time, you have really struck terror in their hearts.”

Maitreya chuckled. “They are so frightened that they have all hidden in the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss. None of them dare to stay in a Great World.”

“This battle has completely determined the situation of the Three Realms.” Emperor Polestar laughed. “Even if we give them a Great World, they wouldn’t dare enter.”

“Haha, the Three Realms doesn’t need to worry anymore.”

“There will be no more fiends in the sixty Great Worlds.”

All the mighty figures were overjoyed.

Despite entering a fiendish Great World and suffering a terrain disadvantage, Sword Immortal Qin was still able to fully suppress all of them. He was truly terrifying, having a slight inkling of the powers of the Dao Ancestors and Buddhist Ancestor.

“We mustn’t let ourselves get careless,” said Qin Yun. “Now, they are all hiding in the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, so we will not be able to pursue them. But by doing so, they can send embodiments into Small World to incite trouble. They can even send avatars into Great Worlds to wreak havoc.”

Everyone present nodded.

The perfected Great Dao enemies who managed to live all had powerful life preservation means.

“Secondly, they have been always hiding. Over such a long period of time, perhaps there will come a day when one of them will reach the Heavenly Dao realm,” said Qin Yun. “As long as they do not break through their Essence Soul Dharmic powers, their strength will be very terrifying just with a realm breakthrough. Even Hou Yi and I might not necessarily be that person’s match.”

Bohan Island Lord was an example of someone who didn’t break through his Essence Soul Dharmic powers despite having his realm reach the Heavenly Dao realm. It took Hou Yi his ninth Essence Soul-burning arrow to kill him. And it was only an avatar.

If Boxun, Torch Dragon, or one of them reached the Heavenly Dao realm, Qin Yun and company were not confident of dealing with them.

The mighty figures present calmed down and indeed, they couldn’t be too relaxed.

“Haha, after our victory today, these old fellows will be hiding for a very long period of time at the very least,” said Ancestral Dragon with a loud laugh. “This huge victory is something worth celebrating for all of the Three Realms. We should really celebrate.”

“Definitely.”

“Let’s go.”

The mighty figures all returned to the Heavenly realm.

Only one mighty figure was left inside each of the ten Great Worlds previously in the fiendish dominion. They continued monitoring the World Transformation Array while the rest returned to the Heavenly realm to celebrate.

******

Tenebrous Fiend Abyss.

In a palatial complex. This was Boxun’s palace.

In a quiet chamber.

A bald, handsome man sat cross-legged. At his glabella was a symbol of a red flame.

At that moment, he slowly opened his eyes. His aura had long changed from an ordinary Skyfiend to that of Boxun’s.

“I do not perish as long as desire remains,” the man muttered to himself.

“Boxun.”

A will descended and transformed into Patriarch Blood Sea.

“Blood Sea.” The man looked at Patriarch Blood Sea.

“How is it? How long will you take to recover your strength?” Patriarch Blood Sea inquired.

“With my true body vanquished, I’m severely damaged. I’ll require a hundred thousand years to fully recover,” said the man.

“How was it fighting Qin Yun? Do you have any means to deal with him?” asked Patriarch Blood Sea.

The man said softly, “He’s very strong. There’s even an inkling of resemblance to the Dao Ancestors and Buddhist Ancestor. Unless our realm reaches the Heavenly Dao realm, there’s no way to deal with him head on.”

“Reach the Heavenly Dao?” Patriarch Blood Sea frowned. “I got it.”

Following that, he dissipated from the hall.

******

In the Chaos.

Fiend Ancestor Black Lotus was fleeing frantically. At that moment, his Essence Soul was nearly drained and he was exhausted.

“The second day after I left the Three Realms, I discovered a perilous land! But there were so many strange creatures living in there that even I felt threatened,” said Black Lotus. “Back then, I thought I had completely escaped the Three Pure Ones and the rest. Who knew that, in just a few days, they would come chasing up to me. I burned my Essence Soul Dharmic powers again and again, escaping them time and again, but the Three Pure Ones would also burn their Essence Soul to chase after me. It’s only been five days and my Essence Soul can no longer take it.

“If another perilous land appears, I’ll definitely rush in.”

“But in five days, this vast Chaos… There’s only the Chaos. No new perilous land has shown itself.” Fiend Ancestor was burning with anxiety.

The Chaos had some terrifying places.

At that moment, those dangerous lands could be places that wound up saving Ancestral Fiend.

He knew that he would definitely die if he continued on. Entering a perilous land on the other hand might bring him a chance at survival.

“Whoosh.” An aura approached and it was none other than Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor. He chased up leisurely and said via a karmic voice transmission, “Black Lotus, how many times have you burned your Essence Soul in the past five days? I can tell you won’t last more than two hours.”

“Elder Lord, we all came from the Three Realms. Why must we engage in fratricide? There are unpredictable dangers in the Chaos. Having another partner would always be beneficial.” As Black Lotus fled, he sent a karmic voice transmission.

“We wouldn’t dare to make you a partner,” said Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor with a laugh as he chased.

“Tell me, tell me what I need to do to have you spare my life,” Black Lotus said via a voice transmission. “Everything is negotiable.”

Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor ignored him completely.

Black Lotus felt depressed.

His past actions resulted in his present-day karma.

If he had not wreaked havoc in the Three Realms and instead sucked up the sins of the Three Realms proactively to help the Three Realms and bring merit to himself, he would not have such an ending. However, he did not regret doing so. Being unbridled for that lengthy period of time was indeed a joyous experience.

“There’s definitely an opportunity for escape.” Black Lotus continued burning his Essence Soul as he fled. He even released some of his aura to confuse Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor.

However, Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor remained careless and unhurried.

He had the advantage when it came to the Dao of Space-time. Without burning his Essence Soul, he could chase up to Black Lotus easily. Even if he was thrown on the wrong path occasionally, he could immediately and briefly burn his Essence Soul to close in again.

This pursuit would only enervate Black Lotus.

Time continued to fly.

“Elder Lord has sent news that Black Lotus won’t be able to last long.” Gautama, Amita, Numinous Treasure, Primordial Beginning, and Nüwa were together.

Nüwa said in reflection, “Black Lotus has wreaked havoc in the Three Realms for so long and had immense ambition. He will finally be ended today.”

“Regardless of how cunning he is, he will face retribution today,” Amita said.

…

Ahead, Black Lotus was desperately fleeing.

As he burned his Essence Soul again and again, he felt the strain of his diminishing Essence Soul.

“I can’t hold out any longer.” Black Lotus felt his Essence Soul dissipating as he was close to being forced into a slumber. “I’m about to fall into a slumber soon.

“I can’t enter a slumber. Once I do so, I’ll definitely be caught up. I’ll be doomed that way.

“I can’t enter a slumber.

“I can’t enter a slumber.”

Black Lotus persisted. His cultivation state of mind was extraordinary, so he was able to forcibly endure it.

Once one burned their Essence Soul to a certain limit, they would enter a slumber. This was a type of protection for the Essence Soul! This was because if it carried on, one’s soul would completely disintegrate!

“I’d rather disintegrate than enter a slumber.” Black Lotus persisted as he felt his surroundings blur. All he could do was traverse space-time by instinct in a desperate bid to flee.

Suddenly—

“Oh?”

He suddenly sensed a terrifying horror somewhere in the space around him.

“There’s a huge horror and danger there.” Black Lotus’s snapped to his senses and turned much more alert. “It’s a perilous land, one that even I feel extreme danger from.”

He immediately took a step forward and traversed space to approach it.

He saw it.

It was a pool of water in the Chaos. The pool spanned five thousand kilometers and looked ordinary at first glance. However, carefully sensing it made it seem like the pool effused another space-time dimension. It was impossible to determine its depth.

Danger! Danger! Danger!

He felt a vague sense of immense threat.

Black Lotus instantly sensed it as his eyes lit up. He felt immense joy. “Good, what I need is a perilous land. It’s sufficiently dangerous to the point of making the Three Pure Ones and Nüwa afraid.

“Even a perilous land should provide a chance of survival. As long as I grab this chance, I’ll live.

“I’ll risk it!”

Black Lotus immediately flew towards the mysterious pool in the Chaos.

Swoosh.

Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor also arrived nearby.

“Oh?” Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor’s expression changed when he saw the deep pool. He also sensed the terrifying danger in the pool. Then, he saw Black Lotus flying towards it.

“Elder Lord, if you have the guts, follow me.” Black Lotus laughed as he arrived near the pool. But just as he finished his sentence, his expression changed. Because at that distance, he felt the surrounding space warp. The deep pool emitted a terrifying devouring force that was so large that he involuntarily was pulled towards it.

As he approached, he saw what it was.

It wasn’t a pool, but a space that had been distorted and compressed to its limits. Every drop of pool water was an immensely wide space. The entire pool was massive and unfathomable.

“This devouring strength is too potent. I can’t resist it.” Black Lotus’s body shrank as he approached the suction singularity.

“Oh?” Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor watched with a frown as he saw Black Lotus shrink. Yet, he did not dare take action hastily.

At that moment—

Suddenly, an alien beast the size of a palm appeared out of the pool. While it flew out, it expanded rapidly.

When it flew out, it was only the size of a palm, but not long after that, it had become a behemoth spanning five thousand kilometers. In its gaping mouth was an endless dark vortex, and it was directed at Black Lotus. Seeing that he was about to be swallowed, the horrified Black Lotus waved his palm in a bid to retreat, but he was still swallowed whole! “No—” Black Lotus’s indignant shout resonated.

After closing its mouth, the alien beast glanced at Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor before returning to the pool. The pool’s surface restored its stillness.

Black Lotus was dead!

Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor watched all of this solemnly.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh…

Soon, five figures arrived.

“Where’s Black Lotus?” Nüwa inquired. “His karma has vanished. Is he dead?”

“The Dharmic powers I left on him have vanished as well,” said Gautama. “He should be dead. Elder Lord, how did Black Lotus die?”

Numinous Treasure, Primordial Beginning, and Amita looked at the deep pool with curiosity.

“It’s that thing.” Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor pointed towards the pool. “Black Lotus discovered a perilous land and, hoping to seek survival in there, he rushed in. But after approaching the pool, he was sucked in. An alien beast appeared out from the pool and swallowed him whole.”

“It ate up Black Lotus in one mouthful? What strength does this alien beast have?” Numinous Treasure was astonished.

“Could it be that it exceeds the Heavenly Dao realm?” Amita inquired.

Grand Supreme Dao Ancestor said, “I sensed that the alien beast is only at the Heavenly Dao realm. Compared to that alien beast, I find this pool of water more dangerous.”

“Let me give it a try.”

Gautama said as he suffused an avatar emitting golden light as it flew into the deep pool of water.

Everyone present watched carefully.

The golden avatar flew towards the pool and was sucked towards it involuntarily. It also began shrinking, and once again, a palm-sized alien beast flew out from the pool. As it flew out, it expanded dramatically and swallowed Gautama’s golden avatar whole with its gaping mouth.

“Begone.” Gautama’s avatar shone with immense golden light as it struck at the gaping mouth with one palm strike.

However, the terrifying suction force caused Buddhist Ancestor’s avatar to be swallowed involuntarily.

Gautama’s expression paled.

“What is it?” The Three Pure Ones, Amita, Nüwa all looked at him.

“That alien beast is indeed at the Heavenly Dao realm. In terms of strength, it’s about my equal,” said Gautama. “However, when it attempts its devourment, it will use a portion of the pool’s strength. That pool is formed from compressed space time. Every drop of pool water is bigger than a Great World. Despite just using a portion of the pool’s water, my Dharmic power avatar was unable to fend it off and was devoured. Therefore, the alien beast only remains inside the pool and is unable to come out. Without the pool’s aid, I’m fifty percent confident I could take it down.”

“What else is there in the pool?” asked Amita.

“No idea.” Gautama shook his head. “I can only sense great danger. I had wanted to send my avatar deep into the pool to probe it, but that alien beast was guarding the area.”

The Three Pure Ones, Nüwa, and company tried many means to probe the pool; However, with the alien beast guarding it, all their attempts were fruitless.

Finally, they chose to give up and continue heading to other regions in the Chaos. There were just too many unknowns in the Chaos, so they naturally needed to be careful.

******

The battle in the Six Desires Great World completely determined the situation in the Three Realms.

Qin Yun’s days quickly became leisurely.

With him presiding over the Three Realms, Boxun, Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, and the other ancient perfected Great Dao existences could only hide in the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss and secretly use their various underhanded means.

“The Heaven and Earth spiritual energies are still declining. I wonder when the change in the Three Realms will stop.” Qin Yun stood atop Mt. Lightning Roar as he overlooked the vast lands.

Suddenly, an ethereal figure descended. It was Numinous Treasure Dao Ancestor’s embodiment.

“Master.”

Qin Yun hurried to bow reverently.

“We are aware of what you have done in the Three Realms,” said Numinous Treasure with a smile. “Well done. You did far better than I expected.”

“Now that they have hidden in the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, I can’t do much to finish them for good,” said Qin Yun.

“There’s nothing perfect in the world. Even when I was in the Three Realms, was I not helpless against the fiends?” Numinous Treasure laughed. By the way, “Fiend Ancestor Black Lotus is already dead.”

Qin Yun revealed a look of delight. “Fiend Ancestor is dead?”

As long as Fiend Ancestor was alive, he would remain a huge threat!

“When we were pursuing him, he fled into a perilous land in hopes of grabbing a slim chance of survival, but it ended his life,” said Numinous Treasure.

“Perilous land? Even the Fiend Ancestor perished?” Qin Yun was secretly alarmed.

“The Chaos is very mysterious. After pursuing Black Lotus for many days, we discovered two perilous lands,” said Numinous Treasure. “In the future, you are not to go too far from the Three Realms until you reach the Heavenly Dao realm.”

“I understand, Master,” replied Qin Yun.

Numinous Treasure turned his head to look at the world before him and sighed. “This world’s Heaven and Earth spiritual energies are thinning. I wonder what will happen after the change in the Three Realms happens.” With that said, his figure dissipated.

Qin Yun could sense his master’s longing feelings for the Three Realms. His master and the rest had really treated the Three Realms as their home.

“Yes, I wonder what will the Three Realms be after it’s done with its changes,” thought Qin Yun.

…

Days passed one after another.

The changes in the Three Realms continued. Countless Small Worlds had their Heaven and Earth spiritual energies thin at an astonishing rate. Many Small Worlds nearly had the path to immortality severed.

In a blink of an eye, the changes to the Three Realms had been going on for half a year.

In a Small World known as the Cangyong Small World.

“This Small World’s Heaven and Earth spiritual energies are thinning. Even Essence Soul realm existences in the Small World are shattering the void to ascend. Now, apart from me, everyone here is a mortal!” In a restaurant sat a white-dressed man. He looked coldly at the mortals outside, thinking, “Living with countless mortals is indeed boring. Killing mortals will result in sins that haunt me, to the point of me having to resist the urge to kill.”

The white-dressed man wasn’t happy.

Back when the Daoist-Fiend war erupted, he was still rather happy. But as the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies thinned, it was no longer suitable for cultivators. Essence Soul realm existences could only barely survive absorbing the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies in such Small Worlds. It did not permit them to engage in battle. To kill, one would drain their Dharmic powers quickly. The thin Heaven and Earth spiritual energies were not even enough to replenish the expenditure.

Without being able to kill, the criteria for shattering the void and ascension was greatly reduced. Therefore, many at the Essence Soul realm ascended and left.

Only the accumulated hatred from tens of thousands of years caused the mortal cultivators from both sides to continue the war.

“They are all mortals.

“I’m the only ninth firmament Skyfiend!” The white-dressed man was very indignant. “But what can I do? How can I dare to return to the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss? Once I return, Sword Immortal Qin can easily kill me through karma. According to Ancestor, even the legendary God King Zhurong died under his hands. What am I, Kuifu, in his eyes?”

The white-dressed man was none other than Skyfiend Kuifu.

Many years ago, he had abducted Qin Yun’s wife and snatched Qin Yun’s daughter.

“My grudge with him is irreconcilable. Back then, I abducted his wife and snatched his daughter. He will definitely kill me if he gets a chance,” thought the white-dressed man. “Thankfully, I was clever enough and quickly hid in a Small World once I learned he became a mighty figure. No matter how powerful a mighty figure is, they can’t do anything to me.

“But it’s strange. He didn’t send his subordinates to pursue me even after I hid in a Small World,” thought Kuifu. “Thankfully, I have set up many dead man switches and even an array. I’ll drag all the mortals in this world with me in death. Killing me is equivalent to killing all the mortals in the world. Even a Skyimmortal who’s at the strength of a mighty figure will have to consider it.”

It was also because Kuifu had been forced to this state.

To survive, that was the only thing he could do.

Even his Ancestor, Patriarch Bojia, did not dare leave the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss because of Qin Yun’s huge grudge with him! And since Kuifu was in the same boat, Bojia had helped him.

“Whatever.

“I’ll continue living with these mortals. No matter how thin the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies are, my Skyfiend body can last very long,” thought Kuifu. “If things really turn for the worse, I’ll choose to enter a slumber. In the time it takes me to have a long slumber, who knows if us fiends will produce an impressive existence that is Sword Immortal Qin’s match. However, this Qin Yun is way too powerful. According to what Ancestor says, he wiped out a huge bunch of mighty figures by his strength alone. He’s invincible everywhere but the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss. How did I offend such a powerful mighty figure?”

While living in a Small World filled with mortals, Kuifu spent most of his time reminiscing.

He reminisced about his past and his conflict with Sword Immortal Qin.

“Oh?”

Kuifu’s expression changed. “What? The Small World’s Heavenly Dao has changed?”

He sensed a vague piece of information.

From that moment forth, Skyimmortal or Skyfiends were unable to enter Small Worlds! It was just like how mighty figures were unable to enter Small Worlds with their true bodies. Now, even Skyimmortals and Skyfiends were incapable of doing so.

The third Firmament Essence Soul realm… was the limit to all life in a Small World.

“Whoosh.”

A wave swept Kuifu up.

Sou!

He was forcefully made to ascend!

At that instant, all the Skyimmortals and Skyfiends in the Small Worlds in the Three Realms were forcefully expelled and made to ascend!

The Skyfiends all ascended to the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss! Skyimmortals, Bodhisattvas, Skydragons, and Grand Magi all flew into Great Worlds.

“No, I can’t go back.” Kuifu reeled with anxiety.

But how could he defy the Heavenly Dao?

Even the Dao Ancestors and Buddhist Ancestor had to obediently leave when faced with the Three Realms’ Heavenly Dao expulsion.

“Whoosh.”

Kuifu only felt the surrounding void turn illusory, and when the scene before his eyes turned clear, he felt the rich fiendish auras around him. There was only one place in the Three Realms that had such an environment—Tenebrous Fiend Abyss.

“I’m back in the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss? I have no way of entering Small Worlds again?” Kuifu revealed a look of despair.

His ancestor, Patriarch Bojia, was a pinnacle mighty figure after all. Qin Yun was unable to kill Patriarch Bojia solely with karma, especially when he was inside the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss.

But to kill Kuifu?

With the deep karmic ties between them, killing him through karma could really be accomplished with a thought.

…

Just as Kuifu was panicking—

Heavenly realm, Mt. Lightning Roar.

Qin Yun was accompanying Yi Xiao as they drank tea and ate pastries.

“Yuluo is cultivating in Mt. Plumblossom and has taken in three disciples,” said Yi Xiao. “I’ve asked her before, and she has the intention of setting up a sect.”

“Setting up a sect?” Qin Yun laughed. “That’s good news. Yuluo is talented and has quite a deep amount of insight accumulated. However, she has yet to figure out a Great Dao even after all this time. She lacks that opportunity, so it’s good to experience new things.”

An expert who could match a mighty figure had the qualifications to set up a major sect in the Heavenly realm.

“Oh?” Yi Xiao frowned slightly as she looked up into the sky.

“The Heavenly Dao has changed.” Qin Yun looked up and frowned slightly. “Skyimmortals are unable to enter Small Worlds with their true bodies?”

Yi Xiao also sensed the vague information and nodded. “From my point of view, it’s the Heavenly Dao’s way of protecting the Small Worlds. There are countless mortals in Small Worlds. If Skyimmortals and Skyfiends spare no expense and risk their lives, they can cause quite a disaster. If Skyimmortals and Skyfiends can’t enter… leaving at most Essence Soul realm existences in the Small Worlds, the threat would be relatively lesser. If these Essence Soul realm existences dare to slaughter mortals wantonly, just the sins that haunt them will immediately cause calamities to descend upon them, killing them.”

“Yes.” Qin Yun nodded. “There’s a limit to the amount of destruction an Essence Soul realm existence can cause! The Heavenly Dao is indeed protecting the Small Worlds.”

Following that, Qin Yun smiled. “By the way, we have an enemy named Kuifu. Do you remember?”

“Of course, how can I forget him?” Yi Xiao said in resignation, “Back then, our family was nearly eternally separated because of him.”

“Yes. I have long sworn to kill him,” said Qin Yun. “However, he’s cunning. He quickly fled into a Small World and set up numerous array formations, threatening to cause countless living beings in the Small World to die with him. I wasn’t in a rush to take action, but now that the Heavenly Dao has changed, he has been sent into the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss. Even the heavens are helping me with this change in the Three Realms.”

“Yes, he’s a Skyfiend. He can’t enter a Small World anymore.” Yi Xiao’s eyes lit up.

“Time to send him on his way.”

Qin Yun streaked his finger into the distance.

A sword beam passed through the karmic connection he had with Kuifu, reaching into the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss and shooting right through Kuifu’s body.

…

Kuifu was still panicking in the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss.

“It’s been so many years. Sword Immortal Qin did not even send his subordinates into the Small World to deal with me. Could he have forgotten me?” Kuifu consoled himself, hoping that luck was on his side. “If he were to forget me despite such a huge grudge, he is truly kind hearted. However, he abhors evil. No, no, no… The present me is nothing in his eyes. He should have long forgotten me.”

Just as these thoughts surfaced in his mind, he suddenly “saw” it. A sword beam came slashing over from a distance.

“He really took action.” Kuifu was enlightened.

Following that—

“Pfft!”

Kuifu’s body was decimated silently as he scattered into the void.

Qin Yun abhorred evil, so there was no way he would let such a huge grudge pass.

“Kuifu is dead?” In the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss, Patriarch Bojia sensed his karmic connection with Kuifu vanish. He thought in alarm, “Kuifu was immediately killed after he returned to the Tenebrous Fiend Abyss. From the looks of it, I have to be more careful.”

*******

The changes in the Three Realms lasted for exactly a year before finally ending.

Qin Yun and Hou Yi stood side by side in midair as they looked at the vast lands of the Heavenly realm.

“You entered seclusion the moment the Three Realms changed. The moment it ended, you exited seclusion,” said Qin Yun with a laugh. “Back when we were battling Zhurong, Boxun, and company, trying to reach you was impossible.”

“Having you is enough. Didn’t Zhurong also die at your hands? Also, seven perfected Great Dao existences were killed by you. I might not have been able to do that even if I was there,” said Hou Yi with a laugh.

Qin Yun said, “If you were around, Torch Dragon probably wouldn’t have escaped.”

“It’s hard to say unless you actually do it,” said Hou Yi. “Regardless, the goals have been met. The Three Realms are now at peace.”

Qin Yun nodded slightly.

Hou Yi added, “During this change in the Three Realms, I studied the process carefully for a year and gained lots of ideas. Now that the Three Realms are at peace… I plan on consuming the Spirit Enlightening Fruit in a couple of days and beginning an extended seclusion.”

“You are consuming the Spirit Enlightening Fruit?” Qin Yun was surprised.

“I hope I can use this opportunity to break through to the Heavenly Dao realm,” said Hou Yi. “However, this step will be very difficult.”

Qin Yun laughed. “Brother Hou Yi, after you figure out the Heavenly Dao realm, don’t be in a rush to break through your Essence Soul Dharmic powers! We still can adventure in the spatial tide.”

“I’m very curious about the spatial tide as well,” said Hou Yi with a nod. “The Dao Ancestors and Buddhist Ancestor are now traveling through the Chaos. We can join hands to probe the spatial tide and get to know more cultivators from other universes and learn more secrets. Perhaps, we might be able to help the Dao Ancestors and company.”

Qin Yun nodded.

His master and the rest were still exploring the Chaos.

And the spatial tide was the fastest and most direct way of coming into contact with cultivators from other universes. The first two explorations were too short, and they had not come into contact with too many other-universe cultivators.

“Hu! Hu! Hu!”

A wind blew across them.

Qin Yun sensed the changes in the Three Realms and said, “Although the Three Realms have changed and the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies have thinned, the Heavenly realm has turned even more stable! Even the gravity has intensified.”

“The Heavenly realm and Great Worlds have become more stable. The strengthening of gravity will make it difficult for some mortals to walk if they are too weak.” Hou Yi said with a nod. “However, the stabilizing of the world is a good thing.”

…

Qin Yun and Hou Yi viewed the Heavenly realm, the numerous Great Worlds, and also descended their embodiments into various Small Worlds.

“In all the Small Worlds, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies have thinned too much.” On a stone bridge in a Small World, Qin Yun and Hou Yi condensed two embodiments. As he looked at his own body, Qin Yun could not help but say in resignation, “Condensing the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies to form an embodiment using this world’s thin Heaven and Earth spiritual energies only results in an embodiment with the strength of a pinnacle Postnatal. It’s not even at the strength of a Connate realm.”

“With the spirit energies so thin, Dharma spells and divine powers will probably be lost heritages to the Small Worlds,” said Hou Yi. “As cultivating Dharma spells will be useless, close combat arts will become more common.”

“I once dreamed for a hundred years and went to such a world,” said Qin Yun with a smile. “In that world, the Heaven and Earth spiritual energies were thin. Warriors were the mainstream and Dharma spells and divine powers were lost heritages. In fact, many Small Worlds in the Three Realms of the past had mostly warriors. In the future… perhaps all the countless Small Worlds in the Three Realms will share the same fate. The path to immortality will be severed and martial arts will become mainstream.”

Hou Yi added, “Warriors have to reach an extremely great level of strength before they can shatter the void and ascend to a Great World. Cultivation can only continue in Great Worlds.”

“Those that can shatter the void are limited to the extremely talented ones in each Small World. All of them will enter Great Worlds,” said Qin Yun. “In the future, Great Worlds will be truly a place to gather the cultivation geniuses of a dominion. It will be unlike the past where many Skyimmortals chose to stay in Small Worlds.”

“Small Worlds will be the foundation! After entering a Great World or the Heavenly realm, they will be able to seek eternal life. Competition will also be intense,” said Hou Yi in approbation. “Interesting. The changes in the Three Realms sure are quite interesting.”

“These are all our guesses. No one knows what will happen in the future,” said Qin Yun.

Suddenly, two figures were fleeing a distance away as six figures chased after them.

“Fiends, don’t you think about escaping.”

“You won’t escape!”

The pursuers were bellowing as they chased.

Soon, the six figures chased up and surrounded the two.

There were a man and woman in front with the woman protecting the man. She looked around her in horror as she hurriedly said, “Senior Brother Zhang and heroes, please spare us. My husband has already renounced his fiendish sect and will no longer do evil. Please give us a chance.”

“Junior Sister Huang, Master has long announced your expulsion because of your relationship with that fiend. Now, if you show repentance and kill this fiend, we can still spare you. If you refuse to be penitent… Hmph, you should die for having a relationship with the fiends,” a sword-wielding man bellowed angrily.

“Hehe, kill me? If you want me dead, half of you will die.” The fiendish man’s eyes suffused a red glow.

“Destroying evil and upholding justice is what we of the orthodox lineage ought to do. Kill!”

“Kill!”

The six immediately took action.

“Stop, stop!” The woman displayed her sword arts in a bid to protect her husband and fend them off.

On a stone bridge not far away.

Qin Yun and Hou Yi saw this scene.

“Now that Skyimmortals can no longer enter Small Worlds, the Daoist-Fiend wars in these countless Small Worlds will never end,” Qin Yun lamented with a sigh. “With the path of immortality severed in the countless Small Worlds, martial arts will flourish. However, the grudge and hatred left behind by tens of thousands of years of the Daoist-Fiend war will continue among these mortal warrior sects.”

“This is a brand new Three Realms!” Hou Yi smiled. “You can only accept it.”

“Haha.” Qin Yun laughed as well. “Yes, a brand new Three Realms!”

…

The End.

Author’s Note: Seeking the Flying Sword Path ends here.

IET feels that the story of the Three Realms is very complete. It is meant to be the story of Sword Immortal Qin’s growth, a sword immortal that abhors evil. It is also a story of the first Itinerant Immortal to gain eternal life in the Three Realms.

If there’s anything regretful, on careful thought, it has to be the lack of stories of Sword Immortal Qin’s campaign against demons and fiends in his homeworld. For instance, the saga involving Sword Immortal Mortalworld, his search for his wife across the world, and his ridding of demons during this period of time were all quickly narrated. I should have gone into more details. I once thought… to end the book after Qin Yun became an Itinerant Immortal after killing Star Destruction and saving his homeworld.

Because by doing that, it would have encompassed all the elements of ridding fiends and demons, emotions, obsessions, etc which I wanted in the book. But later, I was afraid of being cursed! Afraid that it would be considered a shitty ending! Now, having finished writing the story of the Three Realms, I think it’s sufficient.

There are parts in SFSP that I’m pleased with and regretful about.

I will rest well and prepare well for my next book.

The next book is planned to be in three months, released on 21 August!

See you on 21 August. I will work hard on the new book.

Lastly—

Here’s wishing everyone a happy Labor Day!

IET

1st May 2019, Before Dawn.