At this moment, strands of grey gas charged out from between Wang Lin’s eyebrows. More than 3,000 strands of grey gas charged out and surrounded the half-moon blade.

But the half-moon blade was too fast. It took advantage of the moment the grey gas was still closing in to charge out. However, just as it broke free, Wang Lin appeared before it and flicked it back in.

Wang Lini said, “Gather!”

More than 3,000 strands of slaughter energy quickly condensed into a sphere. There were sounds of collisions coming from inside the sphere, but no matter what the half-moon blade did, it couldn’t charge out.

Wang Lin no longer looked at the half-moon blade and his cold gaze fell on Xu Liguo.

Xu Liguo’s body shivered and he giggled. “Master, what command do you have? Want me to go persuade Little Black? I’ll definitely make him obedient in the future!”

Wang Lin looked at Xu Liguo and asked, “Do you know why I won’t let you go look for that sword spirit?”

Xu Liguo quickly nodded and said, “I know, I understand!” Although he said this, he thought in his heart, “Clearly you just want to separate me and the little beauty. I guess there’s an 80% chance that you are eyeing the little beauty yourself. Alas, I, Xu Liguo, am so unfortunate to have my wife stolen from me at such a young age!”

“In Sky Demon City, experts are as common as clouds. Do you really think no one will notice you? Once you are found with your weak cultivation, you will only be caught, have your will wiped away, and become the sword spirit for their treasure. Xu Liguo, you still don’t understand?” Wang Lin’s voice echoed in Xu Liguo’s heart like a giant bell.

He was startled and was dumbfounded, then he weakly said, “This… I can’t be found…” His heart began to to pound. After listening to Wang Lin, he 80% believed him. He wondered if he was caught by someone else, would that person be as curious as the Giant Demon Clan Ancestor?

“However, if I were caught by the owner of the little beauty, it would be a good thing. Then me and the little beauty would be together…” Xu Liguo secretly thought this, but he didn’t dare to say it to Wang Lin.

Wang Lin coldly looked at Xu Liguo as if he had seen through Xu Liguo’s inner thoughts. Xu Liguo was nervous, but instead of backing down, he opened his eyes wider and looked at Wang Lin. He thought to himself, “Hold it, hold it and it will be victory for me. The more nervous I am, the more I have to maintain this act!”

Wang Lin slowly said, “You learned quite a bit from the blade spirit from the black, half-moon blade.”

Xu Liguo blinked his eyes and without hesitation told Wang Lin all of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the sword spells he had learned, including how he could conceal his presence, completely fuse with the celestial sword, and at full strength, make the celestial sword several times stronger and so on.

As he spoke, he secretly gauged Wang Lin’s mood and was very careful. He hadn’t experienced this kind of feeling in hundreds of years, but now that he was feeling it again, it didn’t feel unfamiliar to him at all.

After he finished listening to Xu Liguo speak, Wang Lin reached out toward the sphere formed by the slaughter energy. There was no longer any sound coming from inside it. When Wang Lin touched the small sphere, strands of slaughter energy returned to his body.

When only several hundred strands of slaughter energy were left, a ray of blade energy suddenly charged out, but because it was entangled by slaughter energy, it couldn’t help but slow down.

Wang Lin was already prepared. He pinched his fingers and the blade energy immediately collapsed. The black, half-moon blade struggled violently between his fingers. Wang Lin opened his mouth and spat some origin energy on the half-moon blade, then his eyes lit up. He didn’t have time to slowly refine it, so he went for the direct route. He didn’t care if he was going to harm the blade spirit and decided to directly engrave his aura into the half-moon ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blade.

After doing this, he waved his right hand and the half-moon blade flew out, releasing an unwilling blade hymn!

Wang Lin took out the celestial sword and threw it at Xu Liguo. Xu Liguo relaxed a lot as he revealed a joyous expression and fused with the sword.

The half-moon blade floated in the air, and when it noticed that Xu Liguo was no longer in danger, it hesitated. Although it disliked Wang Lin, in the end, it followed Xu Liguo’s example and floated beside Wang Lin.

To be more accurate, the half-moon blade was following Xu Liguo

Xu Liguo was inside the celestial sword as he looked at the black, half-moon blade and felt very proud. “See, even the fiend can’t subdue Little Black, and I all had to do was wave my finger to make him my little brother. It looks like my charm is much stronger than this fiend’s!”

Thinking about this, he felt very pleasant and thought, “No matter how strong this fiend is, he can never match me on this. Also, I am far more flexible than him! Also, I have better luck with beauties. Both the great beauty and little beauty are mine; he can’t match me on this.

“Aside from his cultivation level being a little higher than mine, I’m better than him at everything else. Alas, an outstanding devil such as myself is rare in this world. The loneliness…” Xu Liguo felt very good about himself; he even had sense of superiority. Now he looked at Wang Lin from the celestial sword with a trace of sympathy and pride.

Wang Lin slapped his bag of holding and Xu Liguo quickly flew inside followed by the half-moon blade. At the moment Xu Liguo entered the bag of holding, he suddenly stopped. He looked at the imperial city in the distance and thought, “Little beauty, your brother Xu is back. I’m not leaving anymore. If I can’t take you away, I’m not leaving this Sky Demon City!”

Inside the sword pavilion of the imperial palace, the serpentine sword trembled. Then it turned into the form of a girl, wrinkled her nose, and viciously said, “That despicable and shameless sword spirit better not let me see him again! If I see him again, even if it goes against the Emperor’s orders, I’ll take the sword and slice him in half!”

After retrieving the sword and blade, Wang Lin returned to Hong City. The day had gone by and it was now night as Wang Lin flew toward the Mo Mansion.

As he flew, he frowned, stopped, and said, “What is it!?”

Several people appeared on the others side of this long road. There were males and females among them, and all of them were at the Soul Transformation stage. Some had even reached ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the mid and late stages of Soul Transformation.

Wang Lin’s expression was calm as he looked at the cultivators before him without speaking at all. He found no killing intent coming from them but instead felt powerful grief and indignation.

A white-robed man walked out from the group. He had a bright look as he clasped his hands at Wang Lin and said, “I had already heard of brother Wang Lin’s fame back on planet Tian Yun. The battle at the demon general competition a few days ago made me and others admire you greatly.”

Wang Lin looked at everyone and more less knew what they were thinking. At this moment, he also clasped his hands and said, “You flatter me!”

The white-robed man let out a sigh and said, “I’m the junior sect master of the Jade Sword Sect. I was forced to get involved in the demon general competition. Brother Wang’s actions a few days ago were like a blow to my head that awakened me. In this Demon Spirit Land, we cultivators are lower than ants. Demon generals can’t die, and killing a demon generals means we die with them, so in the end only cultivators can die. We are like actors performing for the enjoyment of the demon generals!”

Wang Lin pondered and didn’t speak.

“This is demon general Ao Di’s helper!” The man pointed at the person beside him. A middle-aged man wearing a daoist robe stepped out, clasped his hands, and respectfully said, “Fellow cultivator Wang, Ao Di’s death has also awakened me. Although merits in the Demon Spirit Land are good, what’s the use if I don’t have a life to enjoy it?”

The white-robed man let out a sigh and said, “It is not by choice that we cultivators are here fighting for the amusement of the demon generals. These fellow cultivators with me are all ready to leave Sky Demon City. Today we are here to say goodbye to fellow cultivator Wang. Goodbye!” With that, he took a deep breath and flew into the sky.

The several cultivators behind him all said their farewells to Wang Lin and disappeared over the horizon.

Wang Lin quietly stood there as he stared at where all the cultivators went, and he silently pondered.

Cultivators were people who walked against the heavens and naturally had their pride! If they bowed down for power, then they were no longer going against the heavens but merely adapting!

However, going against the heavens had its own meaning. The cultivators that left weren’t rebelling, but avoiding!

A true rebellion was to not avoid the world, not avoid fate, not avoid the laws of the heavens, but to walk against it all!

“Cultivators without their own dao are no longer cultivators…” Wang Lin didn’t fly but walked down the road. His shadow under the moonlight was very long.

“Cultivation… Rebelling against the heavens… Having their own dao…” Wang Lin slowly walked on the road. This road seemed endless.

After an unknown amount of time, the Mo Mansion appeared before him. The light from the lantern outside the Mo Mansion was very gentle; it was like the beacon of light in the darkness. Wang Lin stopped walking and silently looked at it.

Although the light was small, it could illuminate the Mo Mansion’s plaque.

The night breeze caused the lantern to shake, and even the flame inside it was flickering. Although the weather was like this, the flame of the lantern stubbornly remained lit.

As Wang Lin silently stood in the dark, his eyes revealed a hint of enlightenment. However, this still wasn’t enough. He felt like he had caught something, but in the blink of an eye, it felt like there was nothing at all.

An astonishing metamorphosis was silently taking root inside Wang Lin.

Time slowly passed, and the darkness covering the earth was slowly forced to retreat by the sun rising on the east. In Wang Lin’s eyes, the darkness retreated like the low tide.

At this moment, it was as if lightning had flashed across Wang Lin’s mind while zither music echoed in his head. At this moment, it was as if he had reached a moment of enlightenment!

“Can the dark night being swept away by the sun be considered act of defiance? This defying nature will be the key to achieving the Ascendant stage!” Wang Lin had a vague idea. His understanding was not very deep, but it had taken root.

Wang Lin’s eyes revealed a mysterious light. Instead of returning to the Mo Mansion, he headed toward the lake. He sat on the riverside like an old monk meditating. Although there was no zither music being played, in his ears, the sound continued to echo.

“The zither music has no emotion, but due to the sadness in the heart, it becomes sad music. This isn’t rebelling, it’s different from what I felt earlier. Then why it is that when I listen to the zither music, I can feel the sense of rebellion…”

It was now noon, so the sun was blazing at the top of the sky. The boats arrived, and the young man from several days ago was beside the woman playing the zither. This time his gaze fell on Wang Lin while he was still far away.

As the zither music floated into Wang Lin’s ears, the young man stood up beside the woman, held his wine cup, and raised it toward Wang Lin.

Wang Lin picked up the wine jug, shook it, and took a drink. The young man shook his head as he pointed at the boat’s bow. He hadn’t taken a single sip.

Wang Lin chuckled. Although this young man looked ordinary, he gave off a carefree feeling. Wang Lin pondered a bit before walking across the river and landing on the bow of the boat.

The woman playing the zither didn’t notice that there was now an extra person on the boat. She continued to play the music filled with sadness.

The young man smiled and drank the entire cup, then he waved his sleeves and sat down. Wang Lin also sat down, and he drank from his wine jug. He listened to the zither music up close and quietly watched the woman’s jade hands.

None of the three people on the bow of the boat spoke. After the young man invited Wang Lin, he only smiled, and Wang Lin didn’t want to speak because this zither music had already moved him. Any other sound would just be white noise compared to the zither music!

The zither ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠music was endless as the boat floated down the river. Wang Lin spent the entire day on the boat with the young man. If the two of them ran out of wine, a servant would come out from the boat and prepare wine for them.

The day slowly darkened and lights were lit up on the sides of the river. There were even lights coming from the boats; they were quite beautiful.

When the boat returned to where Wang Lin first boarded, he stood up, clasped his hands at the young man, and was about to leave.

At this moment, the young man, who hadn’t spoken all day, softly said, “Brother seems to have a different comprehension when listening to the zither music.”

Wang Lin paused and said, “It reminds me of an old friend…”

The young man drank from the cup and bitterly said, “No wonder. Those without any worries wouldn’t be moved by this zither music. It looks like brother is the same as me.”

As the two spoke, the woman playing the zither trembled, and the zither music also trembled with her.

The young man said, “If brother has nothing to do, how about the two of us drink until dawn while listening to lady Ming Xuan’s zither music?”

Wang Lin pondered a bit, then he looked at the young man and nodded. “That’s good!”

The young man faintly smiled as he poured another cup and said, “I have observed brother for several days now. Although you are by the riverside, your heart isn’t there; it’s as if you are just a passerby.”

Wang Lin took a drink and said, “I’m merely a commoner. Even if I was a passerby, it was only an illusion. Are you not the same? Although your soul is here, your body is somewhere else.”

The young man gave Wang Lin a meaningful look and said, “Too many rude guests at home. It is too noisy there, so my soul came here to find some peace.”

Wang Lin softly said, “So you are a man with a family.”

The young man asked, “Brother doesn’t have a home?”

“I do; however, it is very far… very far…” The valley from Planet Suzaku appeared in Wang Lin’s mind.

The young man asked, “Is there anyone else at home?”

“No one. You?” Wang Lin picked up the wine jug and took a drink.

“I have a niece, but she is far too naughty, and recently she has been bothered by a bad customer!” While speaking of this, the young man smiled.

The two of them chatted for a bit before running out of words, then they just quietly sat there. Bathed in moonlight, the two listened to the zither music while drinking wine.

The night passed by, and a glimmer of light appeared over the horizon and slowly illuminated the earth.

Ming Xuan had long ago left to rest, but the two men still sat motionlessly on the boat. Although the zither was no longer being played, the zither music still played in their ears.

Wang Lin picked up the wine jug and clasped his hands at the young man. He then took a step and disappeared into the morning mist.

Inside the imperial city, the first round of the demon general competition had come to an end. Only 48 demon generals remained from the hundreds at the start. The rest all lost or were disqualified due to having a victory and a defeat.

During the several days the first round took place, no one other than Ao Di suffered heavy injuries among the demon generals. However, the deaths and injuries were very serious among cultivators.

After all, this was a slaughter between cultivators!

When the people of the Da Lou Sword Sect went against the demon generals, they stopped without doing much harm. However, against the cultivators, they were extremely vicious as if they were trying to display their strength.

The morning sunlight swept across the 10,000 foot square. There were even more people watching than before. After all, the following battle was when the real fights would take place. Except for a few that made it through luck, all of the remaining contenders were famous!

48 demon generals walked through the Sky Demon Gate. A powerful battle intent seemed to form a primordial beast that charged through the gate the moment it was opened.

The golden-armored man at the center of the square coldly looked at everyone that entered. When he saw Wang Lin, he let out a cold snort.

From his point of view, a mere cultivator had dared to seriously injure a demon general. In his mind, that was enough for him to kill this person hundreds of times!

“In my Demon Spirit Land, these so called cultivators are just a bunch of bandits. Their purpose here is nothing other than trying to get the ancient demon inheritance, so if they die, then they die. However, if they dare to hurt a demon general, then they have committed a great crime!” The golden-armored man was extremely dissatisfied with Wang Lin, and a killing intent appeared in his heart!

Wang Lin coldly looked at the golden-armored man. He cultivated the Celestial Slaughter Art, so he was extremely sensitive to killing intent.

After the demon generals and helpers had all walked through the Sky Demon Gate, it slowly closed with a thunderous roar. The golden-armored man pointed at the war drum and coldly said, “Following the Demon Emperor’s order, the second round has changed. It will no longer be a battle, but a competition to ring this war drum!”

After he said that, all of the various demon generals’ expressions changed and became bright. Even Mo Lihai trembled, and his eyes glowed like they never had before.

“War Demon Drum! This is a holy treasure of my Sky Demon Country, second only to the dragon lake! Normally, only when a vice commander-in-chief gets promoted to commander-in-chief are they allowed to ring that drum!”

“The demon general competition never changed before, so why did it change today… It looks like the matter of choosing two new vice commander-in-chiefs isn’t groundless after all!”

“It is said that every commander-in-chief rings this drum when they accept their position, but it is extremely hard to ring. So far, only the Heaven commander-in-chief has managed to ring it 15 times!”

Debates began to echo like never before; even the debates from when Wang Lin seriously injured Ao Di were much weaker than this.

The golden-armored man let out a cold snort that spread across the square like thunder, causing everyone to quiet down. Although he didn’t understand the Demon Emperor’s order, he still coldly said, “This drum was left behind by the first demon emperor of the Sky Demon Country, and rumor has it that it is made from the skin of an ancient demon. Those without enough strength will explode before they can even ring it once. If you can ring it three times, you are strong; if you can ring it six times, you are a genius blessed by the heavens. There are not many of you who can ring it three times.

The top 10 of this round move on!”