This scoundrel is a bit of a swordsman.

The sword gleamed, and unparalleled sword energy permeated around Xiao Xingchen's body. He felt as if he had entered another world. This wasn't the first time he had felt this way; after transmigrating, there were always some opportunities that made him different from others.

In the ancestral temple, the world before his eyes was a fishing net; now, however, he sees a battlefield.

This was an indescribably horrific battlefield; the sky was stained crimson with blood, the ground a deep black, and black rivers rose and fell across the land, each surge devouring armored warriors.

Above, lightning continued to strike, bolts thicker than cables relentlessly lashing down at the group fighting in the air. He even heard the sound of horns.

Each corpse falling from the sky was corroded by the black liquid before it even hit the ground, dissolving into the air. It seemed the ground wouldn't allow these corpses to land on it, just as people dislike filth landing on their clothes. The black liquid continuously swirled, swallowing everything that fell.

As the clouds dispersed, the figures standing high in the sky were revealed. Xiao Xingchen stared intently, and the sight made him gasp in astonishment.

What I saw before me was strikingly similar to the scene of 100,000 heavenly soldiers suppressing the Great Sage; the sky was filled with countless heavenly soldiers.

On the ground, countless ghostly soldiers emerged from the Black River, which resembled a boat, carrying them and pointing their swords towards the sky.

If you think this is a battle between heaven and earth, heavenly soldiers and ghostly soldiers, then you are wrong.

Whether they were celestial soldiers or ghostly soldiers, they were all hostile to a group of people floating in the air—no, perhaps it should be said that they were a group of demons.

Although they all had human appearances, Xiao Xingchen knew that these were demons, demons that heaven and earth could not tolerate.

"war,"

A great roar resounded from among the demons, instantly changing the color of the heavens and earth. Enormous divine forms rose from behind the demons, ranging from dragons and phoenixes to rats and rabbits, all beginning to reveal their true forms. Some soared into the sky, others plunged towards the earth.

But such resistance was like ants trying to shake the heavens; from the sky, a judgment resounded throughout the world.

"The Jade Capital Heaven has decreed that the demon race has rebelled, defied Heaven, and is to be annihilated."

As the judgment descended from the heavens, a voice filled with murderous intent rang out once more from beneath the black river on the ground.

"The decree of Houtu commands: Exterminate the demon!"

With a deafening roar, the world was completely enveloped in crimson light following the two judgments.

A blue dragon was torn apart by five horses, and a fiery phoenix was pierced by ten thousand arrows.

Even the smallest pikas were beheaded and their bodies obliterated; crimson blood rained down from the sky, then was all swallowed by the black river, becoming part of it.

Like a shattered mirror, all the images began to disintegrate into countless smaller images. Just before their eyes, nine fox tails descended from the sky, about to disappear.

"Daji?"

His eyes were glazed over as he stared at the nine familiar fox tails and couldn't help but speak. As if sensing his presence, one tail rushed towards him, carrying immense power as it swept past his eyes. He could feel that although the fox tail possessed devastating power, it struck him with a gentle force, directly pushing him away from this world.

"Hmph, Demon Empress Daji, you have defied your authority and committed treason! I will behead you!"

In the very end, a flash of light appeared, and he saw the fox tail that had been pushing him away be severed by a single stroke, falling towards the earth.

The scene abruptly ended there, everything began to shatter, and in his dazed state, Xiao Xingchen seemed to have been struck a heavy blow to the chest, his divine embryo nearly shattered, and the sword energy that permeated his body vanished without a trace.

He suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

With a "pfft," as blood gushed out, Xiao Xingchen's eyes snapped open, and then she collapsed backward.

"Xiao Xingchen, what's wrong?"

Ruoxue was quietly observing him when she suddenly lost her focus. But as his chest caved in, Ruoxue was shocked. With her by his side, he had actually been hit hard.

who is it?

She looked around warily, supporting Xiao Xingchen's body with one hand and gently placing him on the ground. With the other hand, she swiftly drew a soft sword from her waist, cautiously scanning her surroundings.

She had already experienced it once at the ancestral temple; the eerie things hidden in the shadows seemed to be visible only to the young man before her. She couldn't help but wonder what was so special about this young man, why he was so different from ordinary people.

"Cough, cough, cough." After spitting out several mouthfuls of blood, Xiao Xingchen's consciousness slowly returned.

But when he looked inward at his body, he discovered that his once vibrant divine embryo had completely withered. A sword aura permeated his spiritual platform, relentlessly scorching the divine embryo. This sword aura even occupied half of his spiritual platform.

Half the aura was filled with the energy of blades, while the other half stood amidst a forest of swords, forming two opposing camps facing off from afar.

At their dividing line, the divine embryo had been ravaged and riddled with holes.

"How is this possible? What is this?"

His eyes revealed unspeakable shock. In that final, fleeting glimpse, the fox tail was severed, and the blade even transcended time and space to pursue him, striking his divine embryo directly.

"What happened to you? Why did you suffer such severe trauma?"

Ruoxue kept a close watch on all directions, not daring to relax for a moment, and could only look for an opportunity to ask.

"No need, the enemy isn't here."

Xiao Xingchen struggled to his feet, then took a deep breath. The excruciating pain from his sunken chest made it impossible for him to stand. He felt as if his sword immortality had been crippled.

Ruoxue also noticed the anomaly. Her earlier tension vanished, and when she gazed at Xiaoxingchen again, she was deeply moved.

All the sharpness in the young man's body was shattered and vanished.

This meant the death of a young sword immortal, but how could that be? If it hadn't all happened right before her eyes, she would never have believed it.

If someone told her that a sword immortal's sword immortal powers were crippled simply because he was momentarily distracted, she would slap that person to death.

But such an outrageous thing actually happened right before her eyes.

She even pressed her hand against Xiao Xingchen's pulse, feeling it carefully. Gone, everything was gone. Xiao Xingchen had been kicked down from the Ninth Heaven.

"What... exactly happened?"

She asked gravely, her heart in turmoil. She took a deep look at the boy; the secrets he held were far greater than she had imagined.

"Hey, you might not believe it, but I saw the heavens and earth slaughtering demons, I saw the Azure Dragon being torn apart, I saw the Heavenly Phoenix being pierced through the heart,"

With a wry smile, Xiao Xingchen mustered all his strength and, with Ruoxue's support, managed to stand up.

"I'm ruined. I can feel that extraordinary power disappearing. I've really lost out this time."

"Is it related to demons?" Ruoxue exclaimed in surprise.

"Perhaps, but I'm not sure. Maybe it's related to the heavens?" Xiao Xingchen asked casually, recalling that the sword light had fallen from the sky.

Do you know what Yujingtian is?

"what?"

Xiao Xingchen clearly felt that Ruoxue, who had been supporting him, trembled upon hearing these words. Fear flashed across her face, though she concealed it well, he could still sense it.

His heart tightened; it seemed he had truly encountered something extraordinary.

"Don't ask. You didn't ask when I was a Sword Immortal, and now that I've been crippled, you should ask even less. I dare not touch those words; it would bring immense karmic consequences."

"cause and effect?"

Xiao Xingchen scoffed. Damn it! How dare they cripple me? This grudge must be avenged!

The man's damned pride was reignited. Ruoxue told him not to inquire about that expression, and Xiaoxingchen felt his pride had been hurt.

A man can bleed and cry, but for a woman to show pity is something that really annoys him.