The Void Thought Art.
A technique capable of absorbing another person's inner strength and converting it into one's own.
It could be said—
this was an exceptionally domineering demonic cultivation method!
Yue Fengcheng had relied on this very art
to ascend to the very peak of power.
"With the Void Thought Art,"
"stepping into the Divine Wanderer Profound Realm is only a matter of time."
Ye Dingzhi withdrew his focus.
This system suited his tastes perfectly.
Now that he had fallen into demonic cultivation,
what he needed most was a group—
and with fame came followers.
Since that was the case—
he would walk the same road his master once walked,
and fight through Nanjue all over again!
And as for the first target…
Ye Dingzhi had long since chosen someone.
...
Five days later.
A rainy day.
Above the river.
Mist shrouded the waters, vapor rising and drifting.
"Chilly ripples skim the waves,"
"On the boat, jade-like smoke is born."
...
The voice arrived before the person.
A lone figure stepped lightly atop a single bamboo pole, drifting in leisurely fashion from afar.
Yan Lingxia.
The Blade Immortal of Nanjue.
Only—
unlike last time,
the one challenging her today
was not Yusheng Mo,
but Yusheng Mo's disciple—
Ye Dingzhi.
"It's you?"
Seeing who it was, Yan Lingxia immediately frowned.
"You're no match for me. Go back."
"If you wish to avenge your master, cultivate for another ten years."
"There's no need to come here and throw your life away."
Her great battle with Yusheng Mo had spread throughout Nanjue just days ago.
At present,
in the eyes of all Nanjue,
Yusheng Mo was the undisputed number one expert.
But she knew the truth.
For that title,
Yusheng Mo had overdrawn his life—
he was already at death's door.
As his disciple, she believed Ye Dingzhi had been blinded by anger, coming here only to die.
She had no desire to kill him.
After all, he was a rare talent.
"Please enlighten me."
However—
before Yan Lingxia could continue, Ye Dingzhi spoke coldly.
His entire being was like a sword saturated with baleful aura.
The humble, pure youth from before was gone,
replaced by a sharp, chilling presence.
"Demonic cultivation?"
Yan Lingxia's beautiful eyes widened.
She had not expected Ye Dingzhi to have changed so drastically.
"The one who entered demonic cultivation a few days ago—was it you?"
She suddenly recalled the terrifying phenomenon that had shaken all of Nanjue days earlier.
But—
the only response she received
was a frigid sword strike.
The sword thrust upward from the depths of the great river!
Carrying surging sword qi,
it instantly shattered the bamboo beneath Yan Lingxia's feet into pieces.
She steadied herself atop a remaining bamboo pole,
her heart already in turmoil.
"Divine Wanderer Profound Realm?!"
Her eyes went wide with disbelief.
But quickly—
she realized something was off.
"No… but it's extremely close to the Divine Wanderer Profound Realm!"
"It's only been a few days—how could he have progressed so fast?!"
"How is this possible?!"
"This kind of talent is unmatched in the world!"
"Yusheng Mo… Yusheng Mo…"
"I finally understand now."
"That sword you struck back then—
it was never about fighting me for the title of Nanjue's strongest."
"It was… for this child standing before me."
"You wanted him to witness your strongest sword."
At that moment,
Yan Lingxia was struck with sudden enlightenment.
She finally understood
just how terribly wrong she had been back then.
"What a pity—having fallen into the demonic path, this child must be eliminated,
or he will become a calamity for the world!"
With that—
she drew her blade and unleashed her strongest strike.
In the sky,
it was as if countless blades followed in unison,
sword qi surging like waves, filled with boundless killing intent, rushing toward Ye Dingzhi.
Back then—
it was precisely this move
that Yan Lingxia had used
to receive Yusheng Mo's strongest sword!
"Your master overdrawn his life to use the Demonic Immortal Sword Technique to block this strike,
and in the end his soul was extinguished."
"Today, you and your master shall die beneath this same sword."
"And it will be fitting, when you go down to meet him."
...
"So noisy."
Ye Dingzhi spat out the words coldly, murderous intent exploding within his pupils.
With a single wave of his hand—
the fully mastered Immortal-Demonic Sword Art converged into his blade.
Then—
he slashed out.
A massive purple sword phantom stretched across the sky.
Whether in speed or power,
it was purer, sharper, and far more terrifying than Yusheng Mo's.
This—
was the Great Completion Immortal-Demonic Sword Art!
Not only stronger—
but without any side effects whatsoever.
"How is this possible?!"
Yan Lingxia was shocked.
She struggled desperately,
but in less than half a breath, she was defeated.
Before she could even react—
a flash of blade and sword.
A cold, razor-sharp longsword
was already pressed against her throat.
"Submit,"
"or die!"
The chill in his voice was like ice from the ninth heaven,
allowing no doubt.
"Kill me if you want!"
"Make me submit? Even your master didn't have that ability!"
Yan Lingxia spat out a mouthful of blood and shouted in defiance.
But then—
her pupils briefly lost focus.
In the next instant,
like a puppet whose strings had been seized,
she knelt on one knee before Ye Dingzhi.
The anger from before was gone from her expression.
All that remained—
was reverence.
"Greetings, Master."
Her voice was utterly calm, without the slightest ripple.
If anyone were to witness this scene,
their jaws would surely drop in shock.
The second strongest expert of Nanjue—
the famed Blade Immortal, Yan Lingxia,
a woman who had lived for martial pursuit, unyielding and indomitable—
was kneeling before Ye Dingzhi.
Calling him—
Master.
"So it succeeded on the first try."
Ye Dingzhi slowly withdrew his sword.
When Yan Lingxia had been speaking earlier,
he had already used the demonic secret technique—
Soul Seal.
Once branded with the Soul Seal,
a person would be enslaved for life and eternity,
only escaping through death.
There was no need to worry about betrayal.
This—
was the tyrannical nature of demonic secret arts!
Originally,
Ye Dingzhi had thought Yan Lingxia's will was firm,
that she wouldn't be so easily enslaved.
Yet she fell on the first attempt.
"So this is the Blade Immortal of Nanjue—nothing special."
Ye Dingzhi sneered lightly, then spoke:
"Yan Lingxia, transmit my command."
"Within three days,"
"defeat one hundred experts of Nanjue."
"Let my name shake Nanjue!"
As his voice fell,
Yan Lingxia prostrated herself fully, her reply firm and resolute:
"Yes, Master!"