“What are those?” Ling Xue screamed in horror.
Countless skeletons crawled out from the fissures, their eye sockets burning with eerie green ghost fire, their bones grinding with harsh, grating sounds.
They clutched rusted long knives or broken ancient swords, clearly the remains of past cultivators who perished in the Sword Tomb.
Driven by the malevolent energy, these skeletons moved with astonishing speed, exuding a thick aura of violence and bloodlust, surging toward Chen Ping like a tide.
“Chen Ping!” Mo Chen’s face paled as he raised his sword to charge forward.
But as he took his first step, an invisible barrier suddenly appeared.
The Sword Tomb’s latent sword domain erupted at that moment, forming a transparent wall that completely isolated Chen Ping from the outside.
Mo Chen’s sword struck the barrier, causing only a faint ripple. The recoil sent a surge of energy through him, blood trickling from his mouth.
“This sword domain… it’s become so strong!”
Mo Chen was stunned. He could feel that the sword domain was now several times more ferocious, as if deliberately repelling outsiders.
Over a dozen Sword Sect disciples attacked together, their sword energies slashing at the barrier, but all were repelled.
Hu Mazi unleashed a talisman, smashing it down with a loud clang. The impact sent him flying backward, his arms numb.
“Damn it! We can’t get in!” Hu Mazi roared, his eyes filled with anxiety.
Inside the barrier, Chen Ping was completely surrounded by the skeleton horde.
He snapped his eyes open, showing no trace of panic, only ignited battle intent.
The insights from the “Sword Saint Scripture,” gained during his resonance with the sword intent, raced through his mind. He gripped the Dragon-Slaying Sword beside him, golden light bursting forth, starkly contrasting the surrounding black malevolent energy.
“Bring it on!”
Chen Ping let out a low shout, advancing instead of retreating.
The Dragon-Slaying Sword sliced through the air, tracing a brilliant golden arc. It was the “Dragon Ascend Style” he had mastered during his fight with Zhao Jingfeng, now infused with the ancient sword intent of the Sword Tomb.
With a sharp sound, the first dozen skeletons were swept by the sword light, instantly shattering into fragments of bone.
But more skeletons surged forward over their comrades’ remains, fearless of pain or death, their weapons slicing toward Chen Ping’s vital points with whistling force.
Chen Ping moved with mysterious footwork, weaving through the skeleton horde.
He abandoned deliberate defence, instead pushing the “Sword Saint Scripture” to its limit. The black malevolent energy rushing toward him was actively drawn into his body the moment it neared.
The instant the malevolent energy entered, Chen Ping felt his meridians pierced as if by countless steel needles, the intense pain coating his forehead with cold sweat.
Yet he endured, guiding the violent energy to circulate through his dantian.
Miraculously, under the harmonising effect of his sword intent, the pure energy within the malevolent force was gradually extracted, merging into his spiritual energy.
“Loose Immortal Realm, Eighth Grade… the barrier is loosening!” Chen Ping felt a surge of joy.
These skeletons were born from the malevolent energy. Killing them caused the energy to grow denser.
Chen Ping slashed through the unending waves of skeletons while actively absorbing the energy within the malevolent force.
His movements grew faster, the golden light of the Dragon-Slaying Sword intertwining with the black malevolent energy, creating a strange yet domineering scene.
Amid flying bone fragments, Chen Ping’s aura visibly surged.
Each sword swing shattered dozens of skeletons; each absorbed bit of malevolent energy refined his spiritual power further.
Gradually, his swordplay transcended the “Dragon Ascend Style.” The ancient characters on the Sword Tomb’s stone tablet seemed to come alive, transforming into invisible sword shadows that guided his movements.
