Utter Despair

Utter Despair...

Qin Wentian's ascent continued, determination blazing in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on the summit. No one could hinder his path.

"KILL!" Qin Wentian roared, and in an instant, the resounding clash of swords reverberated throughout the area. The ancient trees and long vines protecting Luo He were shredded apart. Simultaneously, the sword energy surged, overwhelming the ability of the trees and vines to regenerate.

"Bzzz!" A dazzling burst of light shot directly toward Luo He, coalescing into a colossal sword that swept horizontally, radiating an aura of destruction that engulfed the surroundings. Suddenly, a figure appeared before Luo He, intercepting the strike as he peered down at Qin Wentian.

"Everyone, although the demon sword is formidable, if we can eliminate Qin Wentian, the sword won't pose a threat without a controller," the person said. Following his words, the experts surrounding Qin Wentian unleashed their Astral Novas. The oppressive pressure in the area was suffocating, making it difficult to breathe.

Yet, it seemed as though Qin Wentian paid no heed to their actions. His blood continued to flow onto the demon sword as he steadily climbed the steps.

"My intention is the sword's intention," Qin Wentian's voice resounded calmly, merging seamlessly with the melodious sound of the sword. There was no distinction between the two.

His voice became the sword's voice.

His will was indistinguishable from the sword's will.

In this moment, Qin Wentian felt a deepening synchronization between himself and the demon sword.

Meanwhile, an expert from the Great Solar Chen Clan stepped forward. His aura erupted, scorching the air as the flames of Great Solar energy transformed into a hellish flame demon. The colossal demon lunged at Qin Wentian, capable of shattering everything in its path with a single strike.

Yet Qin Wentian continued, seemingly unfazed by the unfolding chaos. He steadfastly advanced, one step at a time.

"BOOOOM!"

His foot landed on the next step. As he did, the relentless sword energy formed a towering blade, piercing through the flame demon without any conscious effort. Sparks flew in all directions, turning to ashes in the wake of the overwhelming sword intent.

This unexpected turn of events left everyone stunned. The sword intent surrounding Qin Wentian was overwhelmingly potent.

"Brother Wang," the expert from the Chen Clan called out to a counterpart from the Wang Clan. The Wang Clan expert stepped forward, clutching a ball of silken thread in his hands. He hurled it into the air, where it unfurled into a net that sought to ensnare Qin Wentian.

The ferocious sword qi slashed down upon the net, but it couldn't pierce through. Clearly, this silken thread was an immensely powerful divine weapon.

Qin Wentian turned his head, his gaze fixed on the Wang Clan expert. His eyes exuded a bone-chilling coldness, so icy that it seemed capable of freezing one's soul.

Suddenly, the Wang Clan expert heard the piercing shriek of a bird. He watched in horror as a colossal roc, its wings blotting out the sun, descended upon him. The roc's razor-sharp wings aimed straight for his throat.

"BOOM!" The roc's figure vanished, yet the sword's keening remained. The Wang Clan expert's heart pounded with fear. In the next moment, he felt a chilling breeze graze past his throat. Startled, he frantically retreated with lightning speed, but it was already too late.

Though it takes time to recount, in reality, this happened in the blink of an eye. Fresh blood oozed from the expert's throat, and the spectators gaped in disbelief at the surreal scene.

As the Wang Clan expert's figure plummeted from the sky, the sky-encompassing net transformed back into a ball of thread, descending to the ground with him. With his death, the divine weapon was left without a controller.

"Sword keening that produces a manifestation attack? Isn't that the second level insight in the Mandate of Swords, Sword Melody?"

Qin Wentian had harnessed the power of the demon sword. His will was the sword's will.

The onlookers' pupils constricted, a shiver coursing through them. This young man was truly formidable.

The demon sword, dormant since ancient times, even though Qin Wentian couldn't fully control it and had to drag it along, the fragment of power he could borrow was enough to render all these experts powerless.

In all of Grand Xia, no one had ever fathomed the immense might hidden within the demon sword buried beneath the Sword Precipice.

If someone could truly master this sword, wouldn't they dominate all of Grand Xia, reigning supreme at its pinnacle?

The legend of the demon sword had circulated for countless years. The most influential figures in all of Grand Xia had attempted to extract it, only to meet failure every time. The demon sword had never budged from its precipice, as if it was inexorably bound to the stone.

So why, then, had a young man, even if he was the reigning champion of the Heavenly Fate Rankings, managed the impossible? Did he somehow harness the ancient fortune or represent Heavenly Fate itself? Could this sword have been destined for him since the dawn of time? That seemed implausible, but the evidence was irrefutable.

Now, Qin Wentian, a lone figure dragging a colossal sword, ascended the heaven-reaching steps of the Pill Emperor Hall.

He reached the peak, and as he took the final step, the entire Pill Emperor Hall quaked under the weight of his presence. The demon sword followed him, cleaving through the ninety-nine steps. When he stopped, his gaze burned with an icy intensity, fixing on the Wang Clan experts who hadn't retreated.

"You think of me as worthless, an easy kill at any moment. Well, in that case, I consider all of you as nothing more than ants. What does it matter if I make enemies of all of Grand Xia?"

As Qin Wentian spoke, the coldness in his eyes surged. The sword's keening continued to intensify, and the sharpness of its aura became unbearable. A colossal wind roared to life, the shadow of the enormous roc reappeared, and with a blinding flash, a pair of wings that resembled indestructible, razor-sharp swords descended. Everywhere these wings swept, a rain of blood followed. In an instant, countless experts lay dead.

Qin Wentian's words had proved true. These transcendent powers had never considered him, the Heavenly Fate Rankings champion, a threat. To them, he was disposable, a genius who hadn't lived long enough to mature into a true threat. In their eyes, he was already a walking corpse, and their thoughts dwelled on how to divide his secrets and treasures once he met his inevitable end.

If that was their stance, there was no need for further discussion. Killing him was the only option.

"BOOM!"

Qin Wentian moved forward, dragging the demon sword. The sword's keening continued, its killing intent intensifying.

Luo He's heart raced. The sword's power far exceeded her expectations.

"DIE!" Qin Wentian bellowed in fury. A draconic shadow charged at Luo He, intent on devouring her. Luo He's expression shifted, and she conjured an ancient tree in her defense. A series of explosive impacts followed, ultimately propelling Luo He backward, where she collided with a stone wall.

Qin Wentian paid her no mind. Instead, he walked toward Mo Qingcheng.

"Anyone who obstructs me, perishes."

His voice was chilling beyond measure. Those around Mo Qingcheng fell to the ground, lifeless, crushed beneath the weight of the sword's relentless power. Only Mo Qingcheng remained untouched, her gaze filled with a hint of bewilderment as she watched Qin Wentian.

"I will never leave you behind," declared Qin Wentian, his voice resonating with unwavering determination.

But Mo Qingcheng sadly shook her head. Suddenly, a surge of powerful energy enveloped her, accompanied by an ominous voice.

"You won't be able to rescue her."

In the towering halls of the Pill Emperor Hall, a sinister figure gazed upon Qin Wentian. His eyes were deeply unsettling, capable of piercing through the very fabric of space. The force of his presence grew stronger with each passing moment.

As the ominous voice echoed, Mo Qingcheng was forcibly dragged away by an invisible force. Qin Wentian watched helplessly as she was pulled further from his grasp. There was nothing he could do to stop it.

The moment he distanced himself from the demon sword, his ability to save Mo Qingcheng dwindled. It was a dreadful choice, a cruel dilemma where he couldn't save her without risking his own life.

Mo Qingcheng extended her arms, her eyes filled with a profound mixture of sadness and longing. Agony gnawed at Qin Wentian's heart as he saw her slipping away from him, gradually disappearing from his sight.

Burning with a cold rage, Qin Wentian used his perception to track Mo Qingcheng's journey through the Pill Emperor Hall. A sense of malevolence emanated from the forbidden region she was being drawn into. It was a place veiled in mist, but Qin Wentian sensed a sinister presence lurking within.

"Take care of yourself, my foolish one," Mo Qingcheng whispered, her eyes closing in resignation. She hoped that, whatever her fate, Qin Wentian would survive.

Then, with a buzzing sound, Mo Qingcheng plummeted into the abyss below. As Qin Wentian followed her descent with his perception, he felt the overwhelming malevolence that lay beneath.

A thunderous boom resonated as the forbidden gates sealed off his perception. He couldn't see what lay beneath the chasm, but he knew it concealed a horrifying and incomprehensible entity.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Qin Wentian's anguished cry reverberated within the Pill Emperor Hall, blending with the mournful cries of the demon sword and the sharpness of its eerie melody. He howled with despair and fury, sprinting toward the forbidden gates. His overwhelming killing intent radiated outward, chilling the spectators to their very core, even though they weren't its intended target.

Why was Qin Wentian's behavior so erratic and desperate?

In a flurry of movement, several imposing figures materialized in the grand hall, encircling Qin Wentian. They observed the young man's frenzied outburst with cold detachment, their expressions devoid of emotion, as if they were watching a condemned soul.

"Despair? You've merely tasted the beginning," a chilling voice taunted from the midst of the encircling experts. In a synchronized motion, they activated their powers. Massive stone pillars descended from the heavens, crashing onto the ground to form an imprisoning ring around Qin Wentian.

"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!"

The stone pillars connected through unseen forces, and their eyes bore into Qin Wentian with icy indifference. One among them spoke, his voice dripping with malevolence, "Daring to defy the Pill Emperor Hall? Your female companion has been cast into eternal darkness, and as for you, we shall peel away your soul piece by excruciating piece."

As his voice trailed off, an overwhelming pressure coalesced in the center of the stone pillars, pressing down upon Qin Wentian. His entire body trembled uncontrollably, his every fiber quivering under the irresistible force.

"These are the vice-leaders of the Pill Emperor Hall. They've actually triggered the Soul Annihilation Formation to deal with Qin Wentian. No matter how formidable his sword may be, his fate is sealed today, a death sentence," someone lamented, feeling a deep sorrow for the promising young genius. No amount of talent could save him now. And then, there was Mo Qingcheng, their once-inseparable bond torn asunder by the malicious schemes of others.

However, Qin Wentian appeared to be deaf to their words. He tilted his head upward, fixing his gaze upon the unforgiving heavens with eyes that seemed to have emerged from the depths of hell itself. A solitary tear trailed down his cheek.

Suddenly, his lips began to move, uttering an incantation of sorts.

In that moment, a gust of frigid wind swept through the Pill Emperor Hall—a bone-chilling, arctic gust.

Columns of starlight descended from distant constellations, showering down upon Qin Wentian's form.

He remained standing there, his countenance serene to the point of terror. He appeared as if he hailed from an ancient epoch, an otherworldly deity receiving the reverence of the mortal realm.

Between the heavens and the earth, a colossal demonic tempest surged forth. The echoes of demonic chants filled the air.

"With the chants of the ancient demonic deities and the will that spans the skies, I gather the demonic qi from all directions and consume the astral energy from the starry heavens. I fuse them into one, offering my mortal self as a sacrifice. Transform my destiny into that of a demon," an archaic voice intoned, seemingly emanating from the primordial era.

As a tear fell from Qin Wentian's eye to the ground, his body convulsed violently, undergoing an earth-shattering transformation.