Chapter 87: The First Use of Forbidden Magic

Although the cultivation of the Divine Path surpasses the Martial Path, the number of secret arts it commands is pitifully few. Moreover, to unleash the greatest power with the Yin Spirit in battle, one must exit the body, which also necessitates safeguarding the physical form. Against a formidable opponent like Ma Tiande, a master of the Celestial Phenomena, such tactics are utterly futile—a moment's carelessness could lead to a bitter end.

Then, forceful killing is the only way.

"Sword Six, Silver River Falls from the Ninth Heaven!"

The sword light, like a silk ribbon or a mighty river, cascaded from the sky, carrying the faint roar of turbulent waters, forcibly slicing through the domain of wind conjured by Ma Tiande.

Clang...

Blade and sword collided, bursting forth a shower of sparks, followed by scattered flashes of blade and sword energy that tore the mountain peak asunder, sending rocks tumbling down. The overwhelming aura swept in all directions, alerting the powerful figures still lingering in Bright Moon City; many climbed rooftops or stood atop the city walls to gaze at the spectacle, all equally astonished.

The blade energy and sword light soared skyward, possessing the might of destruction.

"Sword Four, With One Sword the Mountains and Rivers Tremble!"

"Sword Three, Nine Suns Incinerate Rivers and Seas!"

Jiang Ming erupted in full force, displaying the myriad sword forms of the Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One, his true energy surging as if without limit, condensing boundless sword aura—each strike an extreme explosion.

The output of true energy reached the very limits of what his meridians could endure.

Each sword pressed Ma Tiande back, yet it was difficult to form a decisive suppression.

"Sword Nine, A Sword Brings Forth Light!"

"Sword Ten, A Sword Brings Darkness to Heaven and Earth!"

These two swords were polar opposites: under the brilliance, even the most violent heart found peace, letting go of murderous intent and losing the will to fight. The soul itself felt a lazy tranquility.

But immediately after, sword light surged again, and the world was plunged into darkness, as if sun and moon vanished, entering utter night. Despair welled up uncontrollably, as though one had reached the end of life, unable to see any path forward or hope.

From light to darkness—this extreme illusion made Ma Tiande feel an urge to vomit blood.

He was also deeply shocked by Jiang Ming's terrifying power.

"How can he have comprehended so many terrifying realms? Unbelievable, incomprehensible, beyond imagination!"

Ma Tiande was truly astonished.

Light, darkness, yin and yang, water and fire—all far beyond what he had ever imagined.

He knew well how difficult it was to comprehend a realm; it stumped ninety-nine point ninety-nine percent of warriors in the world.

Even more shocking, the man before him shifted between realms with ease and natural grace, like an antelope leaping without leaving a trace.

And every form was exceptionally powerful, seeming to evolve into endless variations.

"Is this what a true genius is?" Ma Tiande felt a sense of despair, even rising jealousy and envy, his expression twisting slightly. "But what of genius? In the end, the difference in cultivation is as vast as the chasm between heaven and earth."

"Jiang Ming, today you are destined to die!"

Ma Tiande's murderous intent grew even stronger.

"Wind Sweeps Away the Clouds, Binding Dragon and Elephant!"

He merged his intent with heaven and earth, wielding the power of wind. As his long blade swept through, the force of his domain transformed into two threads, which, spinning with the blade, wrapped around Jiang Ming.

"The pressure of Celestial Phenomena can be used this way?" Jiang Ming's eyes widened; he sensed mortal danger. Instantly, he sent true energy out as sword light to block, but it was easily crushed.

Crunch...

The rotating blade light tore through his protective energy, wrapping around his waist, nearly slicing him in half.

Jiang Ming pushed the power of space to its limit, twisting reality, barely tearing open a gap to escape.

Landing far away, he glanced at the bloody mark on his waist, his face grim.

If not for the strength of his protective energy,

If not for his achievements in body refinement,

If not for desperately channeling true energy to form a third layer of defense within,

He would have been cut in two.

"I've ultimately underestimated the power of Celestial Phenomena!" Jiang Ming was more solemn than ever.

He suddenly realized: although Ma Tiande fell short of the blue-robed man inside the Tower of Ascension, that was only the first gate of the sixth floor.

The man's myriad tactics and secret arts, and the further application of Celestial Phenomena's pressure, had not been fully unleashed.

"Truly worthy of being a great demon from beyond the domain. And yet, you managed to escape!" Ma Tiande took a deep breath, forming a vortex that he inhaled completely, then spat out a roar that shook heaven and earth.

Roar...

It was like a dragon's cry, a howling wind, unleashing a torrent that swept forward, demolishing forests and shattering rocks.

The very sky twisted.

This was a sonic technique: Dragon's Cry and Tiger's Roar Shaking the Nine Heavens.

"Die!"

Ma Tiande attacked again.

This time, whether he activated a secret art or not, his aura rose even higher, power surged madly, making the pressure of Celestial Phenomena more terrifying than ever.

Endless wind swept forth, enveloping Jiang Ming, with blade light flashing incessantly.

The figure spun, reaching the ultimate speed, blade light flickering without pause.

Jiang Ming's heart pounded wildly.

"I can't wait any longer, or I'll die!"

He truly felt the threat of death.

Mortal danger.

"Sword of Immortal Execution!"

"Sword of Immortal Execution Two!"

"Sword of Immortal Execution Three!"

Three swords unleashed at once, the fabric of space and time roiled, heaven and earth trembled, the sweeping winds scattered, the attacking blade light shattered.

Even the endless pressure of Celestial Phenomena was smashed to pieces.

Ma Tiande retreated frantically, crossing a hundred-meter chasm to land atop another peak. Looking down, he saw a long wound across his chest, blood pouring forth.

Cold sweat broke out on his forehead.

"A little more, just a little more and I'd have been cut down."

"What terrifying swordsmanship!"

"Soul force, blood force, and sword intent—all fused into one, erupting in a monstrous strike."

"If not for my speed,"

"If not for my constant use of Celestial Phenomena's pressure,"

"If not for my battle experience,"

"I would have been slain just now!"

"But you..." Ma Tiande fixed his gaze on Jiang Ming across the way, eyes gleaming like a hungry wolf, bloodlust in their depths. "Jiang Ming, you will die eventually. You only have one strike in you; now that I've seen it, you pose no threat to me."

"My speed is greater than yours."

"I can manipulate the pressure of heaven and earth; you cannot escape."

"Jiang Ming, you are doomed."

"Because now I've seen through everything!"

"Yin Spirit Manifestation? Unmatched blood force? Sword intent defying the heavens?"

"None of it matters!"

Ma Tiande's urge to kill Jiang Ming was unprecedentedly fierce.

Because in this battle, he saw clearly how monstrous his opponent was—if not slain today, he would surely not be able to defeat him in future days.

For the imperial dynasty, for the land, for the people, but most of all, for himself.

"Kill!"

Ma Tiande rode the wild wind, bearing boundless power, once more traversing a hundred meters of empty space to attack Jiang Ming.

Blade whirled with the wind; the night was bleak and tragic.

Endless blade light overturned the sky.

Around the mountain peak, dense blade energy gathered; as wild wind swept, the pressure of Celestial Phenomena descended, all pouring onto Jiang Ming.

"If I had no true forbidden art, how could I dare come here to block my foe?" Jiang Ming stared at his opponent, eyes cold.

This battle was more difficult than facing the humanoid lightning in the Nine Yin Nine Yang World.

More terrifying than confronting the blue-robed man on the sixth floor of the Tower of Ascension.

Because if he lost, he would truly die.

Bang, bang, bang...

In the next moment, explosions erupted across his body.

It was the nodes of his meridians, destroyed as he struck them simultaneously with true energy and blood force.

This was his forbidden art.

Inspired in the Nine Yin Nine Yang secret realm, it was a self-destructive martial technique; once the meridians were destroyed, healing was nearly impossible.

But it also brought terrifying power.

With the channels broken, the restriction on true energy output was lifted—the larger the dantian, the more true energy, and the more frightening the power.

This was his true confidence.

Aside from the side effects of destroyed meridians, the berserk true energy could tear muscles at best, destroy organs at worst.

After the eruption, death was likely.

Even with nirvanic rebirth, even with soul force to shield his organs, Jiang Ming would not use this technique unless facing mortal danger.

But now, he had to.

Boom...

The terrifying flood bursting from his dantian was completely unrestrained, erupting like a volcano, like an atomic bomb, causing Jiang Ming's face to flush red as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

His organs had already taken damage.

But the true energy spraying from his body filled a ten-meter radius, forming a tangible wall of energy.

Wind blades, blade energy, pressure—all were blocked.

Whoosh...

Ma Tiande's long blade fell, easily slicing open the wall, but the closer he advanced, the slower his speed became. His eyes widened in disbelief.

"How can your true energy still be so terrifying?"

They had battled for ages.

His own true energy was nearly exhausted, yet his opponent not only showed no signs of fatigue, but unleashed true energy that made his soul tremble.

It was not merely terrifying.

It was absolutely appalling.

A monster, a demon, a fiend...

Ma Tiande's heart sank to the depths.

Bang...

In the next instant, the true energy exploded, blasting him away, its power shredding his clothing and protective energy.

He nearly died on the spot.

"Too much energy is also bad—it's hard to control!" Blood spilled from Jiang Ming's lips as he shouted, "Yin-Yang Rotation, Annihilate!"

Buzz...

Dense true energy spread abruptly, reaching three hundred meters, still viscous and terrifying. Spinning, it transformed into boundless Yin-Yang sword energy.

Within its range, trees were instantly erased, rocks pulverized.

The mountain collapsed.

Ma Tiande was trapped inside, his face turning deathly pale.

This Yin-Yang sword energy was at least ten times stronger than what he'd faced at the start.

"Blade Sweeps Away the Clouds, Storm of Madness!"

He roared, unleashing his ultimate move, even driving the pressure of Celestial Phenomena to the utmost—but it was useless, he still couldn't break free from the Yin-Yang sword energy.

And the spinning brought incomparably dreadful power.

Whoosh...

His protective energy was torn apart, and in the blink of an eye, thousands of tiny sword wounds appeared across his body.

"Though your cultivation is high, and you can command some of heaven and earth's power, so what? Before absolute strength, you too must kneel."

Blood continued to flow from Jiang Ming's lips.

Within his body, meridians shattered, muscles torn, bones trembling, organs heavily wounded. Fortunately, his vitality was astonishingly strong, and with soul force binding and the power of nirvanic rebirth, his body recovered as it was destroyed.

Destruction swift, recovery swifter.

"This is the power that breaks ten thousand arts."

"Ma Tiande, you still wish to kill me?"

"Go die!"

Jiang Ming raised a finger, and the speed of Yin-Yang sword energy's rotation surged, tearing his opponent to pieces, reducing him to a mist of blood.

(End of chapter)