Death… and me

"Oh my God! Ancestor, just trust me," Xie Dan Qiong would've stamped his foot in anger if he hadn't been seriously injured.

Xie Zhi Qiu coldly snorted. He didn't have a better option. So, he believed Xie Dan Qiong, and opened his aged mouth. Then, he didn't know from where a pill was precisely thrown into his mouth with a 'pop' the next moment.

[So, it was true…]

Xie Zhi Qiu was startled by this. He thought, [I don't know whether it'll work or not… But, who threw it?] However, he didn't have the time to look around.

Suddenly, he felt an upsurge of heat in his almost dry Dantian. He then regained nearly half of his strength within a breath's time. And, he became pleasantly surprised as a result.

Then, he roared and rushed out. He made a violent and ferocious attack. [My strength… is entirely restored already?!]

Xie Zhi Qiu's happiness-level had gone off the charts!

He had the strength of a first grade Monarch level Expert. So, it wouldn't be a difficult thing for him to deal with these people of Ao Clan if his strength got completely restored. He madly roared and rushed forward whilst bursting with vigor.

Cai Xiong Cheng just sneered while receiving a palm blow on his chest. He thought, [You old bastard, I would've been afraid of you if you had been at the peak of your strength. But, ninety-percent of your vitality is gone already. I don't fear your fu*king weary ass now!]

However, Cai Xiao Cheng felt an earth-shattering strength suddenly rushing over into him when he thought of extending his palms to counterattack. So, he loudly shouted, and exposed a look of disbelief in his eyes. Suddenly, blood gushed out of all seven orifices of his head. And, his body was sent out flying like a ball. He resolutely slammed into a big tree, and all of his ribs broke with snapping sounds.

He loudly screamed before losing consciousness, "What the hell? This is impossible!"

Xie Zhi Qiu burst into laughter. His white beard fluttered in the air. He finally vented out the anger that he had pent up while being chased down the entire way. He leapt forward, and entered into the crowd of enemies like a tiger. Then, he ferociously started to kill with the palm of his left hand as well as the sword in his right hand.

He realized that his home had been destroyed. The hard work of several hundred years had gone up in smoke. However, he had been fleeing the entire way. And, countless of his descendants had died before his eyes… Xie Zhu Qiu sorrowfully laughed, and angrily attacked. He had tears in his eyes. But, his tears vaporized with his rage before they could trickle down.

Blood was continuously splashing under his sword and palm attacks. It made this old man Xie Zhi Qiu feel a boundless pleasure of taking revenge. He would see the soul of a brave hero of Xie Clan rest in peace every time bright blood splashed. He would see those heroes closing their eyes in death, and dying with a content heart…

"Bon voyage! Bon voyage! Bon… voyage, ah! ~~~" Xie Zhi Qiu was crazily shouting in sorrow whilst launching his attacks. He was delivering his blessings to the souls of those heroes… whom he hadn't been able to save.

[It's because I'm avenging you people!]

It seemed as if he was looking at that quiet and noiseless road to the netherworlds… as if he could see that his clansmen had a smile of contentment on their faces after witnessing their enemy's downfall… as if they were floating on that shining road… as if they had no cares or regrets, and they didn't need to look back…

"Look! Look! I'm avenging you all! I'm avenging…!" Xie Zhi Qiu attacked more rapidly and more fiercely. His strength was recovering at a crazy speed at this moment.

A glittering jasper flower blossomed from his background at this moment. It was Xie Dan Qiong… He had also become healthy after he had taken an incomplete version of Nine Tribulations Pill. His strength had gotten restored instantaneously. He fiercely leapt down from the back of his ancestor. And, the first thing he did was to launch his jasper flower!

A bright, glittering, and magnificent jasper flower went out… It gave rise to bloodbath and terror wherever it went!

Jasper Flower blooms, and all other flowers wither!

This world's best concealed weapon had suddenly set into action. And, the results were absolutely outstanding!

It was completely unexpected. No one had thought that the Young Clan Lord of Xie Clan would suddenly regain his strength. The lives of many people were suddenly taken away by his jasper flower.

Jasper flower brilliantly fluttered about in the air. It carried a chilly and colorful blood-light with it. The bright petals of the flower penetrated the body of a man. Then, it again came out. Then, it penetrated into the body of another man, and that man issued loud screams.

Then, Chu Yang's Nine Tribulation Pill flew out, and Lou Ke Di started vigorously killing the enemies. His injuries had also been healed all of a sudden.

Dong Wu Shang bellowed amid the fierce battle. He suddenly launched nine crazy and overbearing blows from his saber in a row whilst ignoring the load it would have on his body.

Li Chang Long on his opposite side immediately felt extreme pressure on his body.

Dong Wu Shang made a brave move along with the Black Saber of about 285 kg weight. He had no thought of personal safety. The sharpness of the Saber Emperor and a god-like bold and powerful imposing aura were fully exhibited. And, he was successful in bridging the disparity between the strengths of the two sides in this manner…

Dong Wu Shang's first saber-blow went out and resisted Li Chang Long's horizontal sword blow. The sword got smashed with a clanging sound. However, blood fiercely flowed out from the seven apertures of Dong Wu Shang's head.

However, Dong Wu Shang didn't stop even for a moment. He clenched his saber, and launched the second saber-blow.

Li Chang Long bellowed. And, a white aura emitted out from his whole body. He welcomed the saber-blow with his bare palm.

His left palm and the edge of the saber came in contact and stopped. Then, he took a step back. After that, he thrust his right palm to block while moving back seven steps continuously. He managed to resist the sharp point of the saber with his pure-white palm when he issued his seventh palm-attack. Then, he fiercely counterattacked!

The Black Saber was shaken, and it turned upwards… Dong Wu Shang glared with his bell-like eyes. Then, the web between the forefinger and thumb on both of his hands ruptured with a rumbling sound. However, he still launched his third sky-splitting saber blow!

Selfless and Heartless Saber!

Dong Wu Shang had displayed the Heartless Saber to the peak! Every saber-blow was mixed with all of his vigor and energy. The enemy couldn't dodge the attacks. The enemy could only defend with all his strength.

Li Chang Long let out a sharp cry, and his body spun. Then, countless palm-attacks popped out from his body. His palm-attacks collided with the point of the saber one after another…

The fourth saber-blow was launched!

Then, the fifth saber-blow…

….

Dong Wu Shang faced upwards, and shouted wildly. A perfectly round pillar of blood spurted out from his mouth. Suddenly, the sleeves of his robe floated in the wind with flapping sound as he jumped up. Then, he gripped his saber in midair! He then turned upside down, and hacked his ninth saber-blow using his vitality!

Li Chang Long bellowed. He intuitively knew that this was his opponent's last attack. So, he ferociously urged the circulation of his primary energy. Then, he suddenly shot both of his palms.

However, he had ignored the fact that he had been using just his hands for a very long time. So, his hands had already sustained several hundred saber wounds! He had been relying on his Emperor Level strength and domain, and they hadn't broken down yet. However, his palms were riddled with scars…

Li Chang Long had stimulated the entirety of his power in this move. His hands started to emit thin wisps of blood like a fountain. Li Chang Long was gob-smacked. He hurriedly tried to dodge and move back. But, it was too late now!

Dong Wu Shang's 'world-ruling' saber-blow had arrived!

Li Chang Long bellowed. He didn't have any other option but to move forward and resist the attack with his palms.

'Kacha'! Li Chang Long screamed as his palms got chopped into pieces!

The saber-attack continued onwards. However, there was no time for him to retreat. So, his arms got cut off!

However, the saber point continued its pressure, and his shoulders also got cut off!

Then, the saber hacked down further, and his sternum shattered!

After that, Dong Wu Shang shouted out loud. And, the overwhelming and irresistible saber energy surged up violently, and broke into Li Chang Long's insides.

Li Chang Long let out a long scream. He was suddenly stunned… as if he had received an electric shock!

His eyes opened extremely wide, and his gaze turned blank.

It seemed as if his entire life was flashing in his mind at this moment!

The hardships of youth, the happiness of betrothal, the ambitions of youth, the struggles… [I had followed my master and stepped on the road of Jianghu that day. I haven't looked back since then… The sun had been as bright as blood that day. After all, someone had been weeping behind me…]

[I entered into Jianghu step by step. I crawled my way up step by step. I climbed up to a high position step by step… But then, I suddenly turned around, and realized that I had lost the willpower to keep going…]

[I only saw a lonely grave with no boundaries when I returned. Weeds were growing all around it… Pan Pan!]

[I got poisoned by lust poison and lost all sense of morality and taboos since then… I became depraved… Is it still me? Is it truly me – the person that Pan Pan had suffered and longed for her entire life?]

[I'm going to meet her now. But, do I still have the face to meet her?]

[How will she accept my nasty and filthy body…?]

"A real man of the world mustn't take a wrong step… on his countless journeys!" Li Chang Long stood there disappointed and frustrated. His body had been smashed into pieces. His insides had been shattered like fine dust. It seemed as if he didn't have any feelings. He muttered, "…even one wrong step won't let you return home. There's no turning back even if it is the road to the netherworlds…"

Li Chang Long sighed in disappointment and frustration, "Alas~~~~" He seemed to have sighed out the entirety of his life's bitter experiences with this sigh.

Suddenly, Li Chang Long lost all the radiance in his eyes. Then, he suddenly saw a peasant-maiden in that darkness. She had braided black hair. There was an expression of longing on her simple face. She was dressed in a printed cotton jacket, and pure joy was flashing in her eyes. She was running towards Li Chang Long whilst taking small and quick steps.

It seemed as if a wife was greeting her husband after waiting for a thousand years.

Li Chang Long suddenly became happy. He muttered, "Are you forgiving me?"

Dong Wu Shang thought that Li Chang Long was speaking to him. So, he doubtfully asked, "What?"

Li Chang Long didn't pay any attention to him. Instead, his aged mouth revealed a childish happiness as he said, "Have you come to greet me? This… filthy me?"

His voice became lower and lower. Dong Wu Shang had to incline towards that side to be able to hear clearly. He was just about to ask. But then, he heard Li Chang Long sighing in satisfaction. He heard him saying with a smile, "Pan Pan, I'm very happy…"

Dong Wu Shang stayed still, and waited to listen more. But, he noticed that Li Chang Long had stopped breathing…

A feeling of infinite content remained on the face of that dead Emperor Level Expert. However, it was mixed with a kind of guilt as well. It seemed as if he was pleasantly surprised of someone's compassion. However, he was also ashamed of his mistakes. But, when it's all said and done… he was finally happy…

He died.

Dong Wu Shang shook his head. His head felt a bit dizzy. He muttered, "A real man of the world mustn't take a wrong step on his countless journeys. Even one wrong step won't let you return home. There is no turning back even if it is the road to the netherworlds…"

He shook his head and whispered, "Maybe… you need to go back. But, I only move forward. I don't need to go back."

This strong enemy was gone… Dong Wu Shang felt his whole body aching. His body had become as light as feather… He felt as if he wanted to float. He didn't have any strength left. He staggered for a while, and almost fell on the ground.

He then unloaded his Black Saber on the ground with a 'clang'.

Suddenly, he heard a voice, "Wu Shang, open your mouth."

"Big Brother?" Dong Wu Shang lifted his dizzy head, "Where are you? Am I hallucinating?"

A pill suddenly got into his mouth with a popping sound. Then, a familiar fragrance went into his nostrils. He then felt his whole body becoming relaxed and peaceful…

Gu Du Xing's silhouette moved swiftly. His mind seemed to be floating away in this moment even though he was facing enemies from all around.

He had shot his sword, but he had forgotten…

He had forgotten about the enemy… He had forgotten about the fight… He had forgotten about the world…

What remained was… only his lone self.

A lonely swordsman with Unruffled Sword Play!

Gu Du Xing was floating and swinging in a manner that made it seem as if he was sleep-walking. In fact, his vision had become intensely blank. His Black Dragon Sword also seemed to be sleep-walking in the air.

It seemed like a weak sword-blow when the sword-light flickered. However, it rushed out like lightning. Then, splendid blood-lights bloomed from the throats of the enemies one after another.

Gu Du Xing looked like a blind man who had lost his memories… It seemed as if he had lost his consciousness, and was now dancing in the weightlessness of space.

However, every movement he made was taking a life!

…