Chapter 601: Zhenzhen’s Flying Sword
The black sword qi pulsed with an ominous, profound aura.
Zhang Yu sensed that wherever the sword qi passed, its life-extinguishing force seemed to even render the normally vibrant spiritual energy in the atmosphere inert.
Kuang Tianqing’s Profound Abyss Void-Returning Art, which had proven virtually invincible in their earlier clashes, blocking nearly every attack, now struggled against the black sword qi. Though the technique continuously absorbed the encroaching darkness, faint cracks began to appear in its defenses.
“Not just spiritual energy — even Gang Qi and Magic Power show signs of dissolution wherever this sword qi passes…” Zhang Yu murmured, his heart racing. “Is this the true power of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao?”
“This force… it’s the ultimate weapon of destruction.”
“We can win!”
“This sword! It can shatter Kuang Tianqing’s Profound Abyss Void-Returning Art!”
Seeing this, Zhang Yu felt a surge of elation, inwardly congratulating himself that his earlier charade had not been in vain.
Earlier, during his entanglement with Kuang Tianqing, Zhang Yu had feigned humiliation in order to further ignite Bai Zhenzhen’s Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.
“As long as A-Zhen’s strength can advance further, what does it matter if I’m truly humiliated?”
Zhang Yu sighed inwardly, “I suppose I’ve been influenced by the Kunxu way of thinking after all.”
As these thoughts swirled through his mind, Zhang Yu poured all his military-grade power into relentlessly restraining Kuang Tianqing, ensuring she couldn’t evade Bai Zhenzhen’s imminent strike.
But just then, a subtle unease crept into Zhang Yu’s heart — a nagging dissonance, as if he had overlooked something crucial.
“Why…?”
Zhang Yu’s gaze snapped back to Kuang Tianqing.
He finally identified the source of his unease.
Even as the Profound Abyss Void-Returning Art before them gradually crumbled, not a trace of surprise, tension, or shock flickered across Kuang Tianqing’s face.
Even the lecherous gleam that had filled her eyes during their earlier clash had vanished, leaving only a profound stillness.
Now, Zhang Yu could only see an abyss-like stillness in Kuang Tianqing’s eyes — a dark, fathomless void that defied all attempts to discern its depths.
Witnessing this, Zhang Yu’s heart sank instinctively. An ominous premonition arose: “What have we overlooked? Where exactly have we gone wrong?”
In the next moment, Kuang Tianqing said calmly, “After all this time, you’ve finally broken through, have you?”
“At least all my efforts weren’t in vain.”
“And thank you too, Immortal Scum.”
Kuang Tianqing glanced at Zhang Yu as if he were a dead object, her face completely devoid of the madness and debauchery that had possessed her moments before. It was as if everything before had been an illusion, a fleeting dream.
Then, under Zhang Yu’s shocked gaze, Kuang Tianqing abruptly ceased circulating the Profound Abyss Void-Returning Art and turned toward the source of the black sword qi, declaring with absolute certainty, “Bai Zhenzhen, now you’ve earned the right to ascend from being a mere captive to becoming my sword.”
“I will use you to defeat Dao Qiankun.”
In Kuang Tianqing’s mind, she had never focused on the immediate gains or losses of this battle.
Even the overall outcome of the first team match, including Heavenly Demon University’s ranking, paled in comparison to her ultimate goal.
Kuang Tianqing’s sole, overriding goal was to seize first place in the Ten Greats League!
Although her rapidly advancing power had already instilled immense confidence, granting her a seventy, eighty… even ninety percent certainty of defeating all opponents and becoming the strongest among the Ten Great Universities, yet no matter whether it was eighty or ninety percent, it still fell short of absolute certainty.
“What other methods are there?”
“What other means are available?”
“To push my strength even further.”
“To give me absolute certainty, allowing me to crush all opponents and seize the Ten Greats League championship with overwhelming combat power?”
In the month leading up to the competition, Kuang Tianqing relentlessly pondered, speculated, and sought answers.
Upon sensing the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao emanating from Bai Zhenzhen, Kuang Tianqing had a revelation.
“Cultivators of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao make the finest materials for flying swords.”
“But normally, with the protection of Divine Monarch Seven Emotions, I could never obtain them.”
“Today, however, in this competition, even Divine Monarch Seven Emotions cannot stop me.”
“This is my best chance to capture Bai Zhenzhen and refine her into a flying sword!”
“Once I possess a flying sword refined by an heir of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, no one in this arena can stop me.”
“My success rate in claiming first place in the Ten Greats League will be… 100%!!”
Burning with this ambition, Kuang Tianqing entered the arena with finding Bai Zhenzhen as her top priority.
To this end, she sent a notice to the group chats of the Heavenly Demon, Netherworld, White Bone, and Joyous Union universities:
“Anyone who spots Bai Zhenzhen, notify me immediately.”
The moment Kuang Tianqing found Bai Zhenzhen and Zhang Yu, a triumphant cheer seemed to erupt in her mind.
“Jackpot!”
“No! Not just luck — this is… my Qi Luck!”
“Students, teachers, the university, Spirit Transformation cultivators… countless people are expecting me to take first place.”
“And today! Even fate is on my side!”
“I am destined to win the Ten Greats League championship!”
Just before the black sword qi struck, Zhang Yu felt the space before him suddenly empty. Kuang Tianqing, who had been tightly entangled with him moments before, seemed to transform into an intangible shadow, passing straight through his body.
Heavenly Demon University’s military-grade daoist arts — Heavenly Demon Void Technique!
Zhang Yu’s heart jolted. “The intelligence reports never mentioned Kuang Tianqing mastering this military-grade daoist art…”
Then realization struck him. “The Heavenly Demon Illusionary Body Technique was something Kuang Tianqing had cultivated on her own.”
“This Heavenly Demon Void Technique, however, was bestowed upon her by the Divine Monarch of Heavenly Demon University…”
In an instant, over half of Kuang Tianqing’s body transformed into an ethereal shadow. Empowered by her military-grade Bionic, she forced the remaining portion of her body into the same shadowy state, allowing her to instantly phase through Zhang Yu and reappear behind him.
In the blink of an eye, Zhang Yu had become Kuang Tianqing’s shield, firmly blocking the black sword qi.
Seeing this, Bai Zhenzhen roared in fury, desperately trying to redirect both the sword qi and her flying sword.
But Bai Zhenzhen had committed nearly all her power to her initial attack. The sudden reversal caused the sword qi to backlash violently, erupting from her body and creating a bloody mist around her.
Simultaneously, though most of the sword qi was redirected, wisps of black sword qi still grazed Zhang Yu’s side, leaving dark, blade-like scars across his flesh.
Kuang Tianqing smirked faintly and took a step forward, leaping toward Bai Zhenzhen’s position.
Zhang Yu extended a palm, unleashing a wave of Earthly Fiend Gravity. The force swept across Kuang Tianqing’s body, yet it felt as if he had grasped only a shadow — he failed to restrain her.
Gazing at the severely wounded Zhang Yu, Kuang Tianqing said indifferently, “You’re just trash on the path of the Immortal Dao. If it weren’t for Bai Zhenzhen, you wouldn’t even qualify as my opponent.”
Then she turned to look at Bai Zhenzhen, her expression softening slightly. “You, on the other hand, are different.”
“Become my sword.”
Witnessing this scene, Zhang Yu gritted his teeth. “Damn it…”
He felt the black sword qi that had grazed him tearing through his body, relentlessly destroying his Gang Qi, Magic Power, flesh, meridians…
Seizing the moment, Zhang Yu quickly donned the Civil Engineering Sacred Body armor. Only then did his internal injuries stabilize.
Yet as he stared at Kuang Tianqing ahead, his spirit remained tense.
Nearby, Bai Zhenzhen let out a ferocious roar. Drenched in blood, she remotely controlled her flying sword, channeling all her black sword qi into it as she charged at Kuang Tianqing.
Zhang Yu’s heart sank at the sight. “No, A-Zhen will lose if she keeps fighting like this.”
Just as Kuang Tianqing had revealed one daoist arts trump card after another, after clashing with her, Zhang Yu gradually realized that his initial assessment of her had been completely wrong.
Only after feeling Kuang Tianqing’s chillingly indifferent gaze did Zhang Yu finally begin to grasp her true nature.
“Madness, arrogance, debauchery… these are all mere facades. According to her own words, her entanglement with me and provocation of A-Zhen were calculated moves to forge A-Zhen into her blade…”
As if peeling away layer after layer of disguise, Zhang Yu stared at Kuang Tianqing before him, thinking to himself, “This creature… even against the weakest opponent, she never considers a straightforward confrontation.”
“Using vile methods to achieve her goals, exploiting her strength to crush the vulnerable…”
“Power without restraint, victory by any means necessary… this is likely Kuang Tianqing’s true essence.”
Just as Zhang Yu’s heart sank further, a message flashed across his Bionic Eye.
Wen Wuya: “The two of you, do you require long-range support?”
Upon reading this, Zhang Yu’s expression brightened, and a faint smile curved his lips. “Finally,” he murmured.
Above the floating continent, Wen Wuya sat cross-legged in the sky, silently observing the land below.
At the same time, her consciousness soared beyond the Nine Heavens, remotely controlling countless Sky-Patrolling Flying Swords that swept across the vast arena. These swords scanned the continent’s every feature — mountains and rivers, grasslands and forests, deserts and lakes, volcanoes and glaciers — imprinting every detail upon her mind’s eye.
As Wen Wuya observed, battles erupted one after another across the floating continent. The fierce clashes spread relentlessly, gradually igniting her own fighting spirit.
“Sky-Patrolling Flying Swords fully calibrated.”
“Global coordinates adjusted.”
“Now…”
Wen Wuya clenched her hand, as if gathering the entire battlefield into her palm. “The entire arena lies within my attack range.”
Glancing at Zhang Yu’s earlier request for support, she swept her gaze across the approximate location he had marked.
“Kuang Tianqing, eh?”
“In a direct confrontation, I would indeed be no match for you.”
“But at this distance, with this scope… I am unstoppable.”