Chapter Fifty: Two Fiends Enter the Sword

"The aura of Blood Fiend Miasma? It seems the trump cards of the Four Ferocious Beasts are all alike—this was to be expected. If there truly is a hidden master behind them, they would treat each beast the same. Still, that saves me some trouble," Qingxu thought as he restrained the aura of his Xuanmo Sword. He was waiting for Hun Dun and Taotie to repeat Taowu’s fate, so he could take them by surprise and devour them with the Xuanmo Sword in one fell swoop.

While Qingxu harbored such thoughts, Hun Dun and Taotie were seething with rage. The fortunes of the Four Ferocious Beasts were intertwined, and they shared a mysterious link; the instant Taowu perished, they sensed it—shock, anger, and terror surged within them. With one missing, their path to the Great Dao was severed, and their master would surely not spare the remaining three. The master's grand design would be crippled with a beast lost, and they themselves would lose all value, their lives hanging by a thread.

Escape? That was impossible. The master had placed curse seals upon them; a mere thought could annihilate them, body and soul. Now, all they could do was avenge Taowu, slay the murderer, and then consider their predicament.

The difference among the Four Beasts was evident. Hun Dun and Taotie were ranked first and second in power, but in cunning and treachery, they fell short of the third, Qiongqi. Qiongqi, in fact, had not come openly seeking revenge this time.

Qingxu was ignorant of these inner workings. At this moment, his only concern was to smoothly devour the two beasts before him with the Xuanmo Sword. He needed them to enter a pseudo-innate demonic state, for only then could he reap the greatest benefit.

Thunder roared. Lightning crackled and danced.

Heaven and earth were shrouded in darkness, black clouds pressed overhead, a suffocating gloom weighing heavily upon the land—a grim and oppressive atmosphere. The humans present were all pale as death, collapsed to the ground, unable to move, so terrifying was the scene. Of course, such pressure had no effect on Qingxu; the mere auras of two peak Earth Immortals were nothing in the eyes of a True Immortal of the Taiyi stage, even if it was his external avatar.

Silver lightning writhed chaotically in the sky, waves of destruction bearing down, and the land fell into a deathly silence as if calamity was nigh.

"What a display! But in my view, it’s nothing but a farce, fit only for ridicule. I advise you to withdraw at once—it’s not too late. Otherwise, Taowu’s fate will serve as a lesson to you." Qingxu’s voice rang out, righteous and forceful, exuding a noble aura that filled tens of thousands of humans with awe. They thought, "This immortal is truly the embodiment of virtue!"

"Hmph! Judging by your words, you’re the one who killed Taowu?" came Hun Dun’s thick, muffled voice, murderous intent surging around him.

"Brother, why waste words with this wretch? Let’s go all out and destroy him. I must have his three souls and seven spirits to vent my rage!" Taotie bellowed impatiently, his voice booming like thunder, causing thousands of humans to wince in pain.

"Taowu may not rival us, but he was no weakling. If this Daoist truly killed him, his power must be formidable. We must not take him lightly. Watch my cues—we'll strike together with overwhelming force. But first, let me speak with him to lower his guard, making it easier to catch him off guard." Hun Dun and Taotie communicated telepathically, a privilege of the Ferocious Beasts when in proximity.

"Brother, your strategy is unmatched—I concede," Taotie flattered, offering a bit of sycophancy.

Hun Dun basked in Taotie’s praise, a flash of pride crossing his face before he resumed his standoff with Qingxu.

"Taowu was a fiend, bringing calamity to all beings. I, moved by the heavens' will, could not bear to let him continue his evil, so I intervened. You two are no less guilty than he. Originally, I intended to destroy you as well, but remembering that Heaven cherishes life, I’ll spare you if you vow never again to cause harm. What say you?" Qingxu spoke with the air of a benevolent sage.

"Hmph! Spare us? I think you have it backwards. After your battle with Taowu, you must be gravely weakened. How can you boast so shamelessly?" Hun Dun sneered, exchanging a glance with Taotie, a cold gleam in their eyes. Taotie’s lips curled into a cruel smile.

"Kill!" At Hun Dun’s command, both beasts erupted with torrents of Blood Fiend Miasma, their force surpassing Taowu’s by at least thirty percent. Together, their might was over three times what Taowu had displayed.

A pair of dreadful howls split the heavens as Hun Dun and Taotie’s forms turned insubstantial, merging with the vast black clouds in the sky, fusing into the Blood Fiend Miasma. Crimson and obsidian radiance dyed half the sky each, then, in the blink of an eye, merged into one. In the sky, two colossal, shadowy beasts took shape, their forms identical to Hun Dun and Taotie.

The black clouds dissipated, yet the sun above seemed drained of strength—the oppressive aura of the two demonic presences stifled even the midday light.

With a shrill whistle, the blood-black beasts shot down at breakneck speed, streaking across the sky like bolts of demonic lightning.

"Just as I wanted!" Qingxu could no longer restrain his excitement. He unleashed the Xuanmo Sword at full force, its primordial demonic might surging to the limit. He must not give Hun Dun and Taotie a chance to break free from their current pseudo-innate demonic state.

"Not good, this aura—it’s the supreme demonic power from the primordial era!"

"Quick, undo the secret art!"

The moment the Xuanmo Sword appeared, the two beasts realized the danger and panicked, trying to revert from their demonic form back to their true bodies. But it was too late—the odds were against them, and Qingxu’s Taiyi aura further suppressed them. Escape was impossible. They could only watch in terror as the Xuanmo Sword shot upward, tracing an esoteric path through space, its speed beyond comprehension, enveloping them in the primordial demonic power.

"No!" Their despairing cries could not alter fate. As the primordial power enveloped them, their doom was sealed, and they met the same end as Taowu.

Blazing blood-red and obsidian flames erupted from the Xuanmo Sword, countless blades of sword energy shooting out in all directions, forming a web of destructive energy hundreds of miles wide. Even with his Taiyi avatar, Qingxu felt a chill in his heart.

"Blood Fiend Netherflame? Blood Fiend Nether Sword Energy? The gains are immense—this is only a notch below the Solar Truefire and the Later Heaven Chaos Sword Energy!"

Qingxu gazed at the Xuanmo Sword in delight. With three of the Four Ferocious Beasts devoured, only Qiongqi remained. Once all four were consumed, the Xuanmo Sword could manifest the innate Blood Fiend Netherflame and Blood Fiend Nether Sword Energy, surpassing even Solar Truefire and Later Heaven Chaos Sword Energy, second only to Primordial Chaos Spiritfire and Innate Chaos Sword Energy.

Eighteen layers of acquired seals, nineteen layers, twenty...

Within the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Xuanmo Sword ceased forming new acquired seals from devouring Hun Dun and Taotie. When Qingxu examined it with his mind, he was stunned. He murmured in disbelief, "Two layers of innate seals? Twenty-four layers of acquired seals? That adds up to a twenty-six-layered spiritual treasure."