Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 161 The Ultimate Slash

He leaped down from the city tower, landing on the wasteland outside the city walls, drew his longsword, and faced the Heavenly Demon.

His blue robe fluttered in the strong wind, his long hair flew wildly, and his gaze was as firm as iron.

"Zhou Ning, you hold the great formation. I'm going to deal with it."

"Master!"

Zhou Ning was greatly alarmed.

"You alone are no match for it."

Yan Chixia did not turn around.

"I know. But I can't watch the great formation be breached. Even if it only delays us for a moment, it's worth it."

He flashed and rushed towards the Heavenly Demon.

A dazzling golden light shone on the longsword, a testament to his life's cultivation condensed into a single strike.

The sword light pierced the darkness like a falling meteor, heading straight for the Heavenly Demon's chest.

The Heavenly Demon snorted coldly, swung his giant sword, and a black sword aura rushed forward.

"boom!"

The golden sword light collided with the black sword energy, unleashing a deafening roar.

Yan Chixia was blasted away, tumbling several times in the air before crashing heavily to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Several fine cracks appeared on his longsword, and blood flowed freely from his tiger's mouth from the impact.

"Master!" Zhou Ning's eyes reddened.

He wanted to charge down, but the formation needed him to maintain it.

If he leaves, the great formation will collapse, and the people of Qingfeng City will be exposed to the clutches of the Heavenly Demon.

"Don't...don't act impulsively."

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth, shifted his gaze from Yan Chixia, and refocused on the great formation.

The Heavenly Demon looked at Yan Chixia lying on the ground with contempt in his eyes.

"Yan Chixia, this is no longer the era of cultivation. No matter how high your cultivation level is, your lifespan is limited. You are old. A half-step Dao Integration cultivator is no match for me."

It raised its giant sword, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Yan Chixia.

Just then, a purple-gold sword light shot down from the city wall, heading straight for the Heavenly Demon's head.

The demon quickly raised his sword to block.

"Ding!"

The sword light struck the greatsword, sending sparks flying.

The Heavenly Demon was forced back a step, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

It looked up and saw Zhou Ning standing on the city wall, holding the Qingfeng Sword in his hand, the sword still gleaming with a purple-gold light.

"Your opponent is me," Zhou Ning said coldly.

The Heavenly Demon laughed: "You? You, a junior who has just broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, dare to challenge me?"

Zhou Ning did not answer, but jumped down from the city wall and landed next to Yan Chixia.

He helped his master up, took out a healing pill from his bag, and put it into his mouth.

"Master, please return to the city first. Leave this to me."

Yan Chixia shook his head: "No. You're alone..."

Zhou Ning interrupted him: "Disciple can do it. Master, you believe in disciple."

Yan Chixia looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and finally nodded.

He struggled to his feet and staggered back into the city.

Zhou Ning turned around to face the Heavenly Demon.

In his hand, the Qingfeng Sword emitted a deep hum, as if the sword spirit was excited about the upcoming battle.

"Come on," Zhou Ning said.

The Heavenly Demon raised his giant sword and slashed down.

The black sword energy, like a giant dragon, rushed straight towards Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning was prepared and dodged the sword energy with a swift movement.

At the same time, he slashed out with his sword, and purple-gold sword energy shot out from the tip of the sword, heading straight for the Heavenly Demon's chest.

The Heavenly Demon swung his sword to parry, shattering the purple-gold sword energy.

It is extremely fast and powerful, with each sword strike carrying a world-destroying force.

Although Zhou Ning has broken through to the Nascent Soul stage, he is only at the initial stage, and the gap between him and the true form of the Heavenly Demon is still huge.

He could only rely on his agile movements and exquisite swordsmanship to contend with the Heavenly Demon.

"Demon-Slaying Technique!"

Zhou Ning concentrated all his spiritual power at the tip of the sword and unleashed the ultimate move of the "Demon Slayer Technique".

A dazzling purple-gold light shone on the Qingfeng Sword.

The light grew stronger and brighter, like a small sun, dispelling all the surrounding darkness.

"cut!"

A massive purple-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip, heading straight for the Heavenly Demon's head.

The Heavenly Demon snorted coldly, swung his giant sword, and unleashed a black sword aura to meet the attack.

"boom!"

The two forces collided, unleashing a deafening roar.

The land on the wasteland was ripped up, stones flew everywhere, and dust filled the air.

Zhou Ning was forced back several steps, his hands went numb, and a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.

The Heavenly Demon was also forced back a step, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Your righteous spirit still exists in this world, which makes you stronger than I imagined."

Zhou Ning did not answer, and instead unleashed another sword strike.

He combined the "Demon Slaying Technique" and the "Sky-Splitting Slash" to form a powerful offensive. The sword energy split in two in the air, then into four, transforming into four sword energies that attacked the Heavenly Demon from four directions simultaneously.

The Heavenly Demon swung his sword to parry, shattering the four sword energies. A jet-black sword energy blasted towards Zhou Ning, seemingly capable of corroding everything.

Zhou Ning snorted coldly, his body forming a protective aura of righteous energy, which forcefully withstood the terrifying sword energy.

"You truly live up to your reputation for the righteous spirit that once defeated me, but times have changed, and you can no longer win."

The Heavenly Demon laughed loudly, his body emanating countless black shadows that covered the sky and earth, as if the end of the world had arrived.

"My heart is drawn to the Way, and my Way is the Way of Heaven, which suppresses evil spirits."

Zhou Ning roared, and his righteous aura exploded forth, tearing countless black shadows apart and turning them into nothingness amidst the roar.

The situation reversed, and for the first time, the Heavenly Demon Watch showed shock.

"Nascent Soul stage? This is Nascent Soul stage?!"

The Heavenly Demon was utterly shocked.

Zhou Ning gave it no chance to breathe, concentrating the last bit of his primordial spirit power into the tip of his sword, and once again unleashing the ultimate move of the "Demon Slayer Technique".

"cut!"

A massive purple-gold sword aura shot out from the sword tip, heading straight for the astonished Heavenly Demon.

The Heavenly Demon watched in disbelief as the sword arrived, and he watched it fall directly onto his body.

"Pfft!"

The sword energy pierced through the Heavenly Demon's entire body, and countless black energies spread like waves, covering the sky and the earth, like a dark sky without a single ray of light.

The demon's scarlet eyes revealed countless astonishments, and its unwilling roar echoed throughout the heavens and earth.

Ultimately, it turned into countless black fragments and dissipated into the air.

Zhou Ning sheathed his sword, instantly feeling utterly powerless. He collapsed to the ground, his breathing disordered.

Large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead; his primordial spirit power was exhausted, and his arms trembled violently, as if out of control.

Yan Chixia walked out of the city, and a peaceful power flowed into Zhou Ning's body, then gently helped him up.

"I didn't expect you to actually do it."

Zhou Ning shook his head with a wry smile.

"I only repelled one of its avatars. The main body is still behind the rift."

He gazed northward, where the enormous crack still hovered in mid-air, emitting an eerie light.

Deep within the crack, the powerful evil aura still surged, even stronger than before.

"It will come again," Zhou Ning said.

Yan Chixia nodded: "I know. But this clone contains almost all of its abilities, so at least for the time being, it won't dare to descend again. In this battle, we've bought time."

He helped Zhou Ning walk back into the city.

On the city wall, the guards and the people erupted in thunderous cheers.

"Long live Young Master Zhou!"

"Long live the Immortal Yan!"

"We won!"

Looking at the cheering crowd, Zhou Ning felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

After the demonic clone was repelled, the wasteland fell into a brief silence.

The black fragments shimmered eerily in the moonlight, like obsidian scattered on the ground, gradually turning to ash and being blown away by the wind.

The enormous crack still hovered in mid-air, but it had stopped expanding, and the black mist at its edges had thinned.

Deep within the rift, the powerful evil aura still surged, like a wounded beast panting in the darkness.

With Yan Chixia's help, Zhou Ning walked back to the city. Every step felt like walking on cotton, his legs were weak and his whole body ached.

The illusory image of the primordial spirit in the dantian had dimmed and lost its luster, the purple-gold light as weak as a candle flame, as if it would be extinguished at any moment.

His clothes were soaked with sweat, and the wound on his arm was still throbbing; it was from the sword energy of the Heavenly Demon.

At the city gate, Han Wei and his guards came forward to greet them.

Their faces were filled with the joy of surviving a disaster, but even more so with worry about the future.

The people also came out of their homes and stood on both sides of the street, silently watching Zhou Ning and Yan Chixia.

No one spoke, but everyone's eyes were filled with gratitude and respect.

"Master Yan, Young Master Zhou, are you alright?"

Han Wei's voice trembled slightly.

Yan Chixia waved his hand:

"It's nothing. It's just that we were too exhausted. Lord Han, let everyone go back and rest. They probably won't be coming again for a while."

Han Wei nodded and ordered the guards to return to camp.