Quest for the Heavenly Abyss

Chapter 4: The Struggle for the Sword Prodigy

Ye Mo woke up in an ice-blue spiritual energy cage and found himself suspended thousands of feet in the air. Below was the main peak of the Lingxiao Sword Sect, shrouded in misty clouds. Three hundred and sixty sword platforms were arranged in the shape of the Big Dipper, and each platform had a blood-stained broken sword inserted into it.

"Woken up?" A cold female voice came from overhead. Ye Mo looked up and saw a woman in a moon-white Daoist robe floating in the core of the formation. Seven bronze bells hung from her waist, each engraved with different sword patterns.

"Xian Ling'er, the contemporary sword maiden of the Lingxiao Sword Sect." The woman shook her wrist, and the seven bells rang simultaneously. "The Nine Netherworld Fire on you... is the dirtiest power I have ever seen."

Just as Ye Mo was about to speak, the Nine Netherworld Fire in his body suddenly erupted. Nine-headed serpent demonic patterns emerged under his skin, and the ice crystals of the cage began to melt, revealing the densely packed observing disciples outside.

"Look! His skin is burning!" "Is this the legendary Nine Yin Absolute Pulse?" "Such strong demonic qi... Why did the sect leader spare his life?" Amid the discussions, Xian Ling'er suddenly summoned the Immortal Slaying Sword. This legendary immortal sword that had once slain an ancient demonic dragon was now trembling in front of Ye Mo, and the dragon patterns on the sword body began to distort.

"Impossible!" Xian Ling'er's pupils constricted. "What did you do to the Immortal Slaying Sword?"

Ye Mo looked down at his palm. The Nine Netherworld Fire was spreading along the spiritual energy chain. When the fire touched the Immortal Slaying Sword, the sword body suddenly burst out with a dazzling golden light, and a majestic voice resounded in the clouds:

"The Nine Netherworld Fire is indeed here!"

Ye Mo felt his sea of consciousness being forcibly torn apart. The key in the copper furnace suddenly flew out and transformed into a hundred-meter giant sword in the air. At the moment the giant sword fell, Xian Ling'er's sword formation was blasted into pieces, and the spiritual vein of the entire main peak trembled.

"Enough!" An old voice came from deep within the sword platform. "Ye Mo, are you willing to join the Lingxiao Sword Sect?"

Ye Mo followed the sound and saw an old man in a golden Daoist robe sitting on a Tai Chi diagram. A rhombus crystal was embedded in his brow, and inside the crystal was sealed a broken sword.

"Sect Leader!" Xian Ling'er hurriedly saluted. "This person practices demonic arts. Keeping him will surely become a great disaster!"

The sect leader waved his hand, and the rhombus crystal suddenly emitted a red light. Ye Mo felt a huge suction force coming from his dantian. The blood bead transformed from the Foundation Establishment Pill actually left his body and floated in the palm of the sect leader.

"The blood sacrifice formation... indeed needs this." The sect leader murmured. "But your Nine Yin Absolute Pulse interests me even more." He suddenly pointed at Ye Mo's brow. "From now on, you are an outer sect disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect. Your code name is — Dark Sword."

Before Ye Mo could react, he was pushed into a teleportation formation by a spiritual energy. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in front of a floating sword mound. Tens of thousands of broken swords were inserted into the ground, and each sword emitted a different sword intent.

"Welcome to the sword mound trial." A cold mechanical voice sounded. "You have three days to subdue a natal sword."

Just as Ye Mo was about to touch the nearest broken sword, the copper furnace suddenly vibrated violently. The nine dragons on the furnace cover opened their eyes simultaneously, and nine golden lights shot into the sword mound. All the broken swords suddenly emitted a mournful cry.

"What's going on?" Ye Mo frowned. He saw his shadow twist on the ground and transform into the form of a nine-headed serpent, devouring the spiritual energy of the sword mound. When the phantom of the ninth Taotie appeared, a bronze sword covered in cracks suddenly pierced through the air, and a blood-colored silk thread was wrapped around the hilt.

"This is... the treasure of the Taixu Sword Sect?" The moment Ye Mo grasped the hilt, countless images flooded into his mind: Three thousand years ago, the first sect leader had held this sword and perished together with the Demon God. The cracks on the sword body were caused by the corrosion of the Demon God's bone and blood.

"So your name is Slaughtering Heaven." Ye Mo murmured. The bronze sword suddenly emitted a dragon's roar, and black blood seeped out from the cracks on the sword body, outlining a Nine Palaces Eight Trigrams Array on the ground. When Ye Mo stood in the eye of the array, the entire sword mound began to rotate counterclockwise.

"Interesting." The sect leader watched from the main peak. "He actually awakened the sword spirit of the Slaughtering Heaven Sword."

Xian Ling'er's face was ashen. "Sect Leader, have you forgotten the curse of the Slaughtering Heaven Sword? The last wielder was..."

"Silence!" The sect leader reprimanded. "This is the only opportunity to counter the Nine Netherworld Fire."

Inside the sword mound, Ye Mo was undergoing a life-and-death trial. The sword spirit of the Slaughtering Heaven Sword transformed into a phantom of the Demon God and stabbed at him with the same bronze sword. With each clash, Ye Mo's body would have an additional sword mark, but the Nine Netherworld Fire would condense into ice crystals at the wound and reflect the sword intent back.

"What a wonderful way of repaying in kind!" The sword spirit let out a hearty laugh. "After three thousand years, finally someone who can withstand the Slaughtering Heaven Sword."

When dawn of the third day arrived, Ye Mo was standing bloodied in the center of the sword mound. The Slaughtering Heaven Sword was suspended above his head. The cracks on the sword body had all healed, and yin and yang qi flowed on the surface.

"Now, go to the Ten Thousand Swords Assembly and prove yourself." The voice of the sword spirit was filled with relief. "Remember, your opponents... are not just the living."

On the square of the Ten Thousand Swords Assembly, thirty thousand disciples were eagerly awaiting. As soon as Ye Mo stepped onto the sword platform, he felt thirty-six fierce sword intents locking onto him. These sword intents came from the previous candidates for the sword prodigy. At this moment, they were transmitting a death threat through the sword formation.

"Dark Sword, an outer sect disciple." The master of ceremonies announced. "Challenge... the candidates for the sword prodigy!"

The first challenger was Xian Lingxiao, Xian Ling'er's cousin. He held the Chasing Star Sword and stepped on seven satellite swords. "Demonic cultivator lackey, die!"

Before Ye Mo could make a move, the Slaughtering Heaven Sword suddenly unsheathed itself. The Chasing Star Sword stalled in mid-air, and the sword body began to melt, revealing the demonic cultivator's inner core wrapped inside.

"You... You actually practice evil arts!" Xian Lingxiao retreated in horror. The Slaughtering Heaven Sword took the opportunity to strike out and split his natal sword in two.

"Next." Ye Mo said calmly.

In the next three hours, Ye Mo consecutively defeated seventeen candidates for the sword prodigy. Whenever an opponent summoned a magic weapon, the Slaughtering Heaven Sword would devour the demonic qi within it, and the sword body became increasingly translucent. When the thirtieth challenger was knocked off the sword platform, the entire square fell into silence.

"Who else?" Ye Mo scanned the audience. The Nine Netherworld Fire was dancing in his eyes.

"I'll meet you." A cold voice came from the clouds. Xian Ling'er stepped on the Immortal Slaying Sword and came. Her Daoist robe fluttered without wind, and the phantoms of past sword maidens appeared behind her.

"Be careful!" The voice of the sword spirit suddenly rang out. "She practices the Transparent Sword Heart and can predict all your movements."

Just as Ye Mo was about to warn, the Slaughtering Heaven Sword suddenly vibrated violently. He saw a trace of pain flash in Xian Ling'er's eyes, and the phantoms behind her began to distort.

"What's going on?" Ye Mo frowned. His Nine Netherworld Fire suddenly resonated with the Slaughtering Heaven Sword. In the phantoms behind Xian Ling'er, he "saw" the remnant soul of the Demon God that was sealed.

"So that's it." Ye Mo sneered. "The so-called Transparent Sword Heart of the Lingxiao Sword Sect is just an evil art cultivated with the remnant soul of the Demon God."

He raised his hand and shot out a Netherworld chain. The chain penetrated Xian Ling'er's defense and exploded into a cloud of blood mist behind her. Xian Ling'er staggered back, revealing a half-rotten arm under her Daoist robe.

"Impossible!" She looked at her arm in horror. "I clearly have already..."

"Already suppressed the demonic transformation with the remnant soul of the Demon God?" Ye Mo approached. "But you forgot that the Nine Netherworld Fire loves to devour its kind the most."

The Nine Netherworld Fire spread from Ye Mo's fingertips. Xian Ling'er's body began to melt, revealing the golden core wrapped in demonic qi inside. The Slaughtering Heaven Sword suddenly let out a joyful chirp, and the phantom of the sword spirit emerged from the sword body and swallowed the golden core in one gulp.

"Thanks for the treat." The sword spirit licked its lips. "Now, it's time to settle accounts with your old master."

Before Ye Mo could react, the Slaughtering Heaven Sword suddenly took him and rushed towards the main peak. The rhombus crystal on the sect leader's brow emitted a red light, and the protective formation of the entire sect began to activate. But the Slaughtering Heaven Sword easily penetrated the formation, and the tip of the sword pointed directly at the sect leader's brow.

"How dare you!" The sect leader summoned his natal sword. "Do you know what you are doing?"

Just as Ye Mo was about to speak, the Nine Netherworld Fire in his body suddenly went berserk. His consciousness was pulled into the sea of consciousness, and he saw the phantom of the first sect leader fighting with the remnant soul of the Demon God.

"Quick! Use the Slaughtering Heaven Sword to cut the causal red lines!" The first sect leader shouted. "Otherwise, the entire cultivation world will become the sacrifice of the blood sacrifice formation!"

Ye Mo suddenly woke up. The tip of the Slaughtering Heaven Sword was only three inches away from the sect leader's brow. He saw countless causal red lines floating behind the sect leader. Each red line was connected to the life soul of a sect disciple.

"So that's it..." Ye Mo murmured. "The sacrifice of the blood sacrifice formation is all the disciples of the Lingxiao Sword Sect."

He flicked his wrist, and the Slaughtering Heaven Sword slashed out a crescent-shaped sword aura. Where the sword aura passed, the causal red lines were broken one after another. The sect leader's natal sword suddenly let out a mournful cry, and the sword body was covered with dense cracks.

"You... How do you know..." The sect leader retreated in horror.

Ye Mo didn't answer. His Nine Netherworld Fire was devouring the broken causal red lines. When the last red line was devoured, his right eye suddenly turned golden, and his left eye was burning with black flames.

"Now, it's time to settle our accounts." Ye Mo approached step by step. The Slaughtering Heaven Sword dragged a long trail of sparks behind him. "The curse of the Slaughtering Heaven Sword should be returned to its true owner."