Slaughter: Decaying Sword Rain!
Whoosh!
A torrential downpour, but upon closer inspection, it was a storm of tiny short swords.
Even closer, one could sense the terrifying killing intent within each sword.
The dense sword qi fell like a deluge, enveloping all enemies within a dozens-of-metres radius.
Yet, guided by his will, it precisely avoided Thousand-Hand Demon General and Fire Wolf Demon General.
Tch, tch, tch, tch, tch…
The sword qi, infused with fearsome slaughtering intent, was unstoppable, invincible, causing anything it touched to rot and decay.
Those standing in its path had no resistance against this terrifying sword intent, collapsing one after another.
In that moment, no protective true essence or defensive treasure mattered.
If their strength was inferior to Ling Xiao’s, there was only one outcome—
Defeat!
In an instant!
Not even the blink of an eye!
As many rushed forward, just as many fell.
All were gravely injured, their faces showing terror and regret.
Ling Xiao sheathed the Rain-Covering Sword, no need to continue the assault.
With a swing of his Mortal Blade, these people became ghosts under his blade.
Severed limbs flew everywhere.
They didn’t even have a chance to beg or flee!
Ling Xiao was never merciful, if someone tried to kill him, he’d retaliate with tenfold, hundredfold force, giving them no chance.
Thousand-Hand Demon General and Fire Wolf Demon General were dumbfounded.
To think they’d considered helping just moments ago, clearly unnecessary.
Suddenly, they glimpsed a figure fleeing through the air.
“Brother Ling, the First Fortress Lord is escaping!”
Thousand-Hand Demon General shouted.
“He won’t get away!”
Ling Xiao sneered, thirty-six Tiangang Swords soaring from behind him, chasing the First Fortress Lord at lightning speed, riddling his body with thirty-six holes, not one more, not one less.
Thud!
The First Fortress Lord crashed dozens of metres away, like a dead dog.
Ling Xiao smiled faintly, retrieved the Tiangang Swords, and approached the corpse.
Searching it, he found three items—
Rare Attack Treasure: Azure Trident
Rare Defensive Treasure: Turtle Shell Heart-Protecting Mirror
And a storage ring.
Ling Xiao cared little for the Azure Trident or Turtle Shell Heart-Protecting Mirror, he was more interested in the Ocean Hearts embedded in them.
“Brother Ling, only the Sea Clan’s gemsmiths can embed or extract Ocean Hearts, pity the Sea Clan here has left, or we could’ve removed them.”
No sooner had Thousand-Hand Demon General spoken than he was stunned.
Ling Xiao had already extracted both Ocean Hearts.
One was water-attributed, the other earth-attributed, corresponding to the treasures!
Meaning, treasures of this grade could be embedded, but spiritual-grade or higher treasures couldn’t.
Extracting them was too easy for him, his Mountain River Martial Soul analysed it effortlessly, no need for a gemsmith.
Ling Xiao embedded the water-attributed Ocean Heart into the Rain-Covering Sword, nearly doubling the power of this rare treasure-grade sword, its toughness and sharpness now close to immortal-grade.
A weapon with an embedded gem versus one without was a world of difference.
The other Ocean Heart he re-embedded into the Turtle Shell Heart-Protecting Mirror, since no weapon matched its attribute, mismatched attributes could hinder rather than enhance.
The Turtle Shell Heart-Protecting Mirror, however, was excellent for boosting defence.
Ling Xiao had studied the treasure market before.
At least in the sect world, defensive treasures were valued far more than attack or support treasures.
The reason was simple: if you lost your life, nothing else mattered.
A rare treasure-grade defensive item could drive Mortal Realm warriors to fight tooth and nail.
An Ocean Heart-embedded defensive treasure? Even early Heaven-Human Realm warriors would go mad for it.
Mortal Realm warriors with such a treasure wouldn’t dare advertise it, as their strength couldn’t protect it.
For Ling Xiao, possessing it was like gaining an extra life.
With stronger opponents appearing, an extra layer of protection meant less danger.
After handling the Ocean Hearts, Ling Xiao checked the First Fortress Lord’s storage ring.
As expected, it was rich: one million low-grade spirit stones!
One hundred thousand mid-grade spirit stones!
Even a few dozen high-grade spirit stones!
High-grade spirit stones were unusable for Ling Xiao now, his cultivation too low to draw spiritual energy from them, even Heaven-Human Realm warriors likely couldn’t, perhaps only Cave Heaven or Yin-Yang Realm warriors could.
But mid-grade spirit stones were perfect for his current cultivation needs, a hundred thousand should be enough to advance from early Mortal Realm Ninth Layer to Half-Step Heavenly Venerate.
To go further, he’d need more.
The Second and Third Fortress Lords, along with other demon generals and elders, also had low and mid-grade spirit stones in their rings.
Low-grade spirit stones totalled about a million, roughly matching the First Fortress Lord’s.
Mid-grade spirit stones were far fewer, only ten thousand combined, just a tenth of the First Fortress Lord’s.
Besides spirit stones, their rings held weapons and martial technique manuals.
Most, Ling Xiao deemed useless and beneath him.
The only noteworthy find was an entry-level jade-grade movement technique, *Fish-Dragon Transformation*.
Ling Xiao studied it, noting similarities to *Golden Light Dragon Wings*.
The latter was a movement technique for flight.
The former, for deep-sea movement.
He could integrate *Fish-Dragon Transformation* into *Cloud Dragon Divine Movement*, making him unstoppable in sky or sea.
…
A day passed in a flash.
Demon Fortress City had undergone earth-shaking changes.
The teleportation array, once controlled only by the First Fortress Lord, was fully deciphered by Ling Xiao, allowing most humans imprisoned or trapped in the city to leave.
Thousand-Hand Demon General, Fire Wolf Demon General, and Tu Yan’s family were sent to the Divine Sword Sect under Ling Xiao’s arrangements.
Of course, some chose to stay.
They’d adapted to life here, free from worldly constraints.
More importantly, with the fortress lords, demon generals, and elders gone, they could control their own fates.
Staying wasn’t a bad choice.
