Devour

Ren Yijian exclaimed in amazement, "Heavenly grade? Another sword unrivaled in the world has appeared! The weapon refiners of the Five Continents have tried to refine such a high-grade soul weapon, but have failed time and again. The talents of the Emperor Star are exceptional, their skills are superb, and they can easily achieve such feats, far beyond the reach of the Five Continents."

Guo Xieke shook his head and said, "Humph! The Changsheng Society's weaponsmiths are used to bragging. Back when the Lieyan Sect was at its peak, they even forged a Ten Evil Sword for our sect. But when they ask the Changsheng Society to customize a magic weapon, the quality is mediocre but the price is exorbitant. To put it bluntly, they're treating people like fat sheep to be slaughtered."

Cheng Bai chuckled and suggested, "That must be the Monument of Ten Thousand Swords, right? We're free now, why not go down and take a look?"

Duanmu Jun had been walking for a long time, growing impatient and anxious: "Why waste my energy and time in vain!" He then vented his anger with a long roar, leaped to the bottom of the peak like a flying bird, and shouted: "My Qinggong is unparalleled. I can reach the Ten Thousand Swords Monument in one step."

The sword maniac wanted to stop it but it was too late. He cried out in shock, "Saint Lord Duanmu has just arrived and has landed himself in trouble! The formations and restrictions in this place are very strict and do not allow for free flying. Otherwise, why would we have to walk to the top of the mountain?"

Before he finished speaking, Duanmu Jun, who was in mid-air, was already in a panic, repeatedly shouting: "Oh no!"

Suddenly, hundreds and thousands of sword lights appeared in the originally peaceful mountains, like a swarm of disturbed bees, entwining and intertwining like a dragnet, sweeping over in a chaotic manner!

Duanmu Jun was horrified by the situation and quickly formed his fingers into a sword, unleashing the "Moon's Slanting Shadow" move of the Dust Sword Technique. His movements were elusive and blended into the shifting light and shadows, making it difficult to predict his true form and false, thus allowing him to dodge the tidal wave of sword attacks.

Unexpectedly, the sword shadows were like a violent storm, chasing and attacking, forcing Duanmu Jun to be at a loss. He hurriedly raised his broken iron sword and used "Ten Thousand Sounds Transformed into Pine Waves" to defend himself.

The essence of this move lies in harnessing external forces for one's own benefit. The sword's movements are exquisite and strange, yet they contain a profound and powerful sword energy. However, when confronted with the sword formation, this sword force collapses like pine waves being torn apart by a nine-day gale, a silk thread breaking and a string ripping.

Cheng Bai knew the power of the formation immediately and whispered, "Master Duanmu is trapped inside and seems to be powerless to fight back. This sword formation is more exquisite than the one seen on Jing'ao Island."

The sword maniac explained seriously, "This is the Three Talents Sword Formation, a fourth-tier supreme formation. What Sect Leader Duanmu encountered was only the 'human'-shaped formation within it, which is specifically designed to trap the enemy. The initial changes were not very drastic."

Master Li shook his head and sighed, "Saint Lord Duanmu is in great danger if he falls into the human-shaped formation. We cannot let him die here."

Upon hearing this, the sword maniac immediately extended his finger and pointed. Several sharp sword energies shot out in response, piercing through the formation, accurately interfering with the changes in the formation and forcibly tearing a gap of escape through the airtight sword light.

Duanmu Jun didn't dare to hesitate. He seized the fleeting opportunity, rolled over and quickly escaped from the sword light, and returned to the top of the Burial Bone Peak.

Cheng Bai's brows furrowed slightly as he watched, thinking, "As the acting city lord, even if he's also the gravekeeper, Sword Maniac should be fully aware of the sword formation here and be able to control it at will. Why does he need to rely on his own sword power to suppress it in order to rescue someone?"

Duanmu Jun stood firm, looked down at his body, and saw several clear sword marks on his armor. He couldn't help but say with lingering fear: "What a fierce sword formation! If it had been a little later, I'm afraid I would have been shed blood on the spot!"

As the intruders retreated, the turbulent sword light in the mountains gradually subsided. The golden light column in front of the Ten Thousand Swords Monument flickered slightly, but its majestic and solemn aura remained undiminished.

At the bottom of the peak, a red-robed monk was startled by the battle in the air. He suddenly looked up, his eyes like a sharp blade shooting straight to the top of the peak, and swept over everyone in an instant.

Ren Yijian turned to avoid the sharp gaze and reminded, "The person below the peak is Venerable Dahui. We were rash just now and accidentally disturbed him."

Master Li said unconcernedly, "The wish has been fulfilled, so it's not really a disturbance. As both are top-grade soul weapons, the Sword of Wisdom, with the assistance of the First Sword Emperor, has the potential to surpass the Peace Sword and the Ten Evil Sword in power."

Guo Xieke was secretly unconvinced when he heard this, but he smiled faintly and said, "The battle between old and new famous swords is commonplace. Holding a sword is a sign of strength, and not fearing a challenge shows one's true character. If we could choose a day to decide the winner, it would be a great pleasure in the martial arts world."

Cheng Bai changed the subject and said, "Is it too late for everyone to pray for the new sword tonight?"

Master Li nodded slightly in agreement and suggested, "Why don't you all return to the Sword Fragrance Pavilion to rest and recuperate before visiting the Ten Thousand Swords Monument tomorrow?"

Seeing that it was getting late, the heroes lost interest and walked down the Bone Burial Peak leisurely. The Sword Maniac arranged for them to stay in the guest rooms temporarily.

As the lights came on, the Hundred Fish Feast was a must. Everyone was laughing and talking freely, enjoying the delicious food and wine. It was a very pleasant occasion.

Cheng Bai noticed that the monks from the Buddha's teachings had not appeared in the Jianxiang Pavilion. He was a little surprised and asked, "Why aren't Dharma King Miaoyin and the others here?"

The sword maniac said casually, "There are three pleasant residences within the Bone Burial Sword Tomb: the Sword Fragrance Pavilion, the Jade Dragon Garden, and the Green Blade Tower. The monks of the Buddha's teachings don't eat meat, so wouldn't they be staring blankly if they came here now? They're all in the Jade Dragon Garden, which is perfect for secluded cultivation."

Chang Yufeng tasted various delicious fish and meats one after another, praising them endlessly, saying, "This table is full of rare delicacies. You can't even get them in Tingyu Tower!"

Guo Xieke chuckled softly, "Hey...you've traveled to quite a few places over the years, even to the most famous building in Donghua Island."

Chang Yufeng chuckled and said, "Thanks to Master, of the five famous towers in the east, south, west, north and center, I've only just managed to see two: the Red Dust Tower in Ximangtuo Continent and the Yuxiu Tower in Zhongyuanrui Continent. The Five Continents are truly vast!"

Yao Shuang responded with a smile, "Senior Brother Yufeng has always been knowledgeable and experienced. I just had the opportunity to visit Yanbo Tower not long ago."

Bei Tingjun blinked and said slowly, "Sister Yao Shuang, is the fish in this Hundred Fish Feast tasty?"

Yao Shuang couldn't hear the hidden meaning in her words. She happily picked up a piece of Phantom Killer Whale meat with her chopsticks and took a light bite. The delicious juices overflowed, and she mumbled incomprehensible praise, "Sister Bei, come and try it. It's so delicious!"

Cheng Bai thought to himself, "Sister Bei is mocking Yao Shuang. She used to pity the weak shrimps and crabs and thought they shouldn't die, but now she feels comfortable enjoying the fish. But her question is so obscure that it's hard for others to understand."

Chang Yufeng laughed heartily and took the opportunity to take over the conversation, encouraging her, "Fairy Feishuang, if you travel around the world with your fellow Taoists more often, you will surely meet heroes and heroes from all over the world and visit famous places and historical sites across the five continents."

Cheng Bai savored the fragrant stewed large croaker belly, surveyed the various exquisite dishes on the table, and asked curiously, "Master, why aren't there any red carp on the table?"

Master Li stroked his beard and said, "That red carp is quite intelligent. The scholar intends to take it under his wing and tame it as a guardian beast."

Duanmu Jun was extremely envious and flattered him repeatedly, "You are indeed worthy of being called Master. You can even find such a rare pet! Taowu Academy will have another great helper in the future!"

Cheng Bai tasted the lips of the river-turning fish; they were tender, smooth, and melted in his mouth. He sighed, "If the red carp hadn't stood out among the sea creatures, attracting so many cultivators to raise them, it would now be nothing more than a dish on the table. Who can truly discern right and wrong in this world?"

The sword maniac had almost finished his meal. He casually picked up a wet towel and wiped the corner of his mouth. He warned the heroes present, "Please don't be offended by the occasional whistling and chiming of swords during the night. Remember not to enter the sword formation alone to avoid any accidents."

Faced with the Sword Maniac's warning, the swordsmen were all submissive and said, "Thank you for your concern, Sword Maniac City Lord," but they did not dare to show any contempt in their hearts.

After the banquet, the heroes were drunk and stayed in the elegant room of Jianxiang Pavilion to rest.

Cheng Bai sat alone in his quiet room, counting the dozen or so inner cores in his inventory, pondering, "I'm not far from the Unfettered Realm. Tonight, I'll devour them with my Taotie power, and I'm 80% sure I'll break through immediately. The materials for refining the Suzhen Flying Armor are also ready. Should I use these inner cores to improve my skills, or use them to refine Danling weapons?"

When facing a strong enemy, although magic weapons and equipment are extremely useful, improving your cultivation as quickly as possible is the most important thing.

It was difficult to tell which benefit the two brought, and Cheng Bai was unable to make a decision for a moment, so he closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, regulated his breathing, and calmed his mind.

As the Phoenix Force slowly expanded, he keenly sensed that the vital energy in the entire Bone Sword Tomb was flowing, as if tens of thousands of cultivators were breathing in and out at the same time.

Cheng Bai was astonished. "This... The population of the Bone Sword Tomb is only a few hundred people at most. Aside from the Sword Madman, who is an early Nirvana Realm expert, the other sword guards appear to be low-level disciples with rather mediocre cultivation. Adding in the visitors, there shouldn't be many powerful cultivators. How could such a huge amount of vitality be coming from this?"