Chapter 652

Chapter 652

I Can See Through Everything

Boom!

Cang Jue, his entire body ablaze with black flames, vanished from sight. When he reappeared, he was already before Lu Qing.

His speed was even faster than Lu Qing’s sword-light flight earlier.

The instant he appeared, Cang Jue’s bone claws slashed down with a force that seemed capable of rending space itself.

Yet at that same moment, countless strands of sword qi rose up around Lu Qing, completely enveloping him.

The sword qi’s defense was incomparably strong and flexible. The bone claws shattered layer after layer of sword qi, but still could not break through the endless defensive net.

Taking advantage of this, Lu Qing turned into sword light and swiftly retreated.

“Trying to run? You think you can escape me?”

Cang Jue’s eyes flared with black radiance, his aura growing even more violent.

With a surge of power, his speed climbed once again. He caught up to the retreating Lu Qing in an instant and lashed out with another claw.

But the sword qi around Lu Qing revived in the blink of an eye, instantly restoring itself to block the bone claws once again.

“I’ll see whether your sword qi regenerates faster… or my strength endures longer!”

Cang Jue had never expected that even after unleashing his ultimate trump card—melding his body with his demonic artifact—he still could not kill Lu Qing quickly.

But now, with his bloodlust surging, he no longer cared. He only pursued with reckless speed, madly striking at Lu Qing without pause.

From afar, the scene appeared as though Lu Qing was being utterly suppressed, suffering Cang Jue’s one-sided assault.

The watching demons immediately grew frenzied, cheering wildly.

“Lord Cang Jue is invincible!”

“Unstoppable! Unstoppable!”

“Slaughter this insect!”

But unlike the demons, the dozen mysterious figures hidden within the secret space were utterly silent, their expressions grim as they watched the scene unfold on the light screen.

“Cang Jue is using body-fusion with his demonic artifact… and even so, he can’t pierce that ghost-masked brat’s defenses. Isn’t he supposed to be a sword cultivator?”

One of the figures spoke in disbelief after a long pause.

The others were equally stunned.

Unlike the Golden Core Realm demons, as Nascent Soul experts they could clearly perceive the truth of the situation.

Though it looked like Cang Jue was suppressing the ghost-masked youth, in reality his attacks could not break through the defensive sword formation surrounding him.

That realization left them deeply shaken.

Everyone knew sword cultivators were famed for their attack power and speed, not their defenses. Yet even after being battered by Cang Jue’s frenzied blows, Lu Qing remained unscathed.

Such defense was beyond their understanding.

After all, melding with a demonic artifact was a unique technique of the Demon Clan—fusing the artifact with one’s body to dramatically boost strength. The more powerful the artifact, the greater the fusion, and the stronger the resulting power.

Though Cang Jue was only at the initial stage of this fusion, the artifact in his body was a superior-grade demonic weapon. Even in its initial stage, the power unleashed already far surpassed the limits of the Golden Core Realm.

And yet, even with strength surpassing that boundary, Cang Jue could not break through Lu Qing’s defense. How could they not be shocked?

“It’s a sword formation,” one of them said gravely.

“That ghost-masked brat has woven a formation within three feet of his body. It’s this endlessly regenerating formation that’s blocking all of Cang Jue’s attacks!”

“A sword formation?”

The others were taken aback. But since the speaker was a grandmaster of formations, they had no doubt his judgment was correct.

“To set a formation within three feet of one’s own body… and still block Cang Jue’s attacks? How profound must this formation be? Isn’t he a disciple of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect? How can he use such a sword formation?”

Doubts stirred among them.

The Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect was a legendary force, renowned across many immortal domains. Their path of the sword was fierce and relentless—cutting the heavens, destroying the earth, slaying all before them, like madmen of the sword.

The ghost-masked youth’s earlier sword intent had reflected this exact style.

But now he displayed a mastery of formations, and not just any formation, but one so subtle and powerful it could withstand even Cang Jue.

“It’s clear now. This brat walks the path of sword formations. That must be why Elder Chen said his sword intent wasn’t pure. As a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, Elder Chen must have seen it clearly—this boy does not tread the pure path of the Heaven-Shattering Sword Sect.”

The formation grandmaster analyzed calmly.

The others recalled what the ghost-masked youth had relayed about Elder Chen’s evaluation.

They had dismissed it before, but now it made sense. His true trump card lay not in pure swordsmanship… but in sword formations.

“This boy’s mastery of sword formations is extraordinary,” the grandmaster continued. “His formation looks small, covering just three feet, but within it lies a boundless cycle. His sword qi regenerates without end, impossible to count. Any power that enters the formation will be cut down layer by layer. No wonder Cang Jue can’t hurt him. Its defense rivals even the Nascent Soul Realm. It’s incredible—how could he possibly wield such a formation?”

Even with his mastery, the grandmaster could not fathom how Lu Qing had achieved this.

The others exchanged looks. Clearly, this battle was far from over.

Just then, the light screen changed once again.

“So, this is all the strength you have.”

Lu Qing, who had been fending off Cang Jue’s assault, suddenly spoke.

A surge of sword qi erupted from his body, blasting Cang Jue back and propelling Lu Qing far away in a flash.

“What?”

Cang Jue was startled. He hadn’t expected Lu Qing had hidden power all this time.

For the first time, unease crept into his heart. He halted, no longer rushing forward.

But he would never admit weakness aloud.

Coldly, he sneered at Lu Qing. “Insect, I’ll admit your strength is decent. You qualify as my opponent. But that turtle shell won’t protect you for long. In the end, victory will be mine!”

“My opponent?”

Lu Qing’s eyes gleamed with ridicule, as though he had heard something absurd.

“What makes you think you deserve to be my opponent? With your pathetic strength, you can’t even break through my protective sword formation.”

“Demon spawn, don’t overestimate yourself. With power like yours, you don’t even qualify to face me.”

“You’ve already gone all out, haven’t you? But I… haven’t even begun.”

As he spoke, Lu Qing extended his arm, palm opening.

A small orb of light, no larger than a fist, floated above his hand.

At its appearance, Cang Jue’s pupils shrank. An icy dread seeped from his heart.

That orb radiated a terrifying aura—so dangerous it set every instinct screaming.

Before he could react, the orb suddenly burst, expanding in an instant.

In less than a breath, the light engulfed ten miles around, swallowing everything—including Cang Jue.

Seeing panic flash across Cang Jue’s face, Lu Qing smiled arrogantly.

“Welcome,” he said softly, “to my domain.”

“Your domain? Tricks and illusions! Insect, use whatever move you like. Let’s see what you can really do!”

Though Cang Jue had been rattled for a moment, he quickly steadied himself.

With a superior-grade demonic artifact within his body, he didn’t believe Lu Qing could truly harm him.

“No need to rush. Soon you’ll learn the meaning of true despair.”

Lu Qing’s voice carried a strange weight.

After the battle at Sacred Tianxu Mountain, he had secluded himself for over ten years.

In that time, he perfected the Perfect Golden Core Technique through nine transformations, and cultivated the Heavenly Witch Body of Ten Thousand Tribulations to the Grand Witch Realm.

He had also pushed his various techniques to their limits—including the Minor Heaven-Shattering Sword and the Seven-Star Sword Formation.

Not only that, but he had fused parts of these Nascent Soul–level techniques together.

Combined with the domain Dao he had comprehended from his master, he had created this very Sword Dao Domain.

This was the strongest technique he could wield without relying on artifacts, divine abilities, or the Wu Clan’s bloodline power.

The protective sword formation earlier? That was just a test.

“Demon spawn, I can see how much you rely on your artifact. Very well. Let’s see if your artifact can withstand my Sword Dao Domain.”

Lu Qing clenched his hand lightly.

The domain shifted.

Countless stars appeared in the void, seven of them especially brilliant, dominating the heavens.

On the ground, the Dao Xu Temple’s Dao Heir, lying injured, widened his eyes in shock.

The starry phenomenon Lu Qing summoned was leagues beyond his own Starry Veil technique. The difference was like heaven and earth.

Even Cang Jue’s expression changed.

An unimaginable suppressive force pressed down on him. Even fused with his artifact, he felt its crushing weight.

And this was only the beginning.

The stars began to revolve. The pressure doubled, then tripled, until his body trembled under the weight.

Cang Jue’s fury exploded.

As the son of a Demon Sovereign, how could he be forced down by an “insect”?

Dark light blazed in his eyes, and he summoned every ounce of his power, straightening once more.

But Lu Qing’s voice was calm, cold.

“Useless. I told you—without true power, you can’t wield that artifact’s full might.”

The stars spun faster. The seven largest blazed brighter, each radiating sword intent.

Cang Jue’s knees buckled once again. Fear crept into his heart.

Within those seven stars, he sensed death itself.

“No… impossible! I bear a superior-grade demonic artifact! In the Golden Core Realm, no power can threaten me!”

Driven to madness by the looming shadow of death, he howled defiantly.

“Nothing is impossible,” Lu Qing replied, voice like steel. “Frogs in a well can never fathom the vast sky. Your ignorance is only proof of your narrow sight.”

With that, he pressed his palm downward.

One of the seven stars instantly transformed into a blazing sword light, slashing down upon the immobilized Cang Jue.

Boom!

The strike landed in a flash, engulfing him completely.

The black flames on his body dimmed at once.

The sword’s brilliance forced even the spectators—both demons and cultivators—to shut their eyes.

When the light faded, what they saw shocked them speechless.

Cang Jue was in a pitiful state. The black flames that once roared around him were now weak and flickering.

A massive sword wound split his body from shoulder to waist, nearly cutting him in two.

His aura was frail, gone was his earlier arrogance.

Yet he had not died.

Before their eyes, his wounds knit together, his aura rising again.

“Hahaha! I thought your so-called Sword Dao Domain was something mighty. But it cannot kill me! As long as I bear the Heavenly Demon Bone Claw, no wound can keep me down. You can’t kill me, insect!”

Despite his grievous wounds, Cang Jue laughed madly, taunting once more.

“Is that so?”

Lu Qing’s expression did not change.

“One sword light you can endure. But what about two? Three? Or… seven at once?”

The mocking smile froze on Cang Jue’s face.

Without another word, Lu Qing summoned his will.

The star that had already struck reformed in the heavens.

At the same time, the other six stars blazed with sword light, ready to descend.