The Tale Of The Demonic Sword God

The night air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of blood and decay as I sat beneath a withered tree, my eyes closed, listening.

"Shadow Steps is not merely a movement technique," Crimson Veil's voice echoed in my mind. "It is the art of stepping between light and darkness, slipping through the cracks in existence itself."

I exhaled slowly. Stepping between light and darkness, huh? Sounds like something made just for me.

The knowledge poured into me like a river of darkness, branding itself into my soul.

"At its peak, Shadow Steps will make you untouchable. But for now, you will learn the basics."

I pushed myself up, tightening my grip on Heaven's End. The moment I activated the technique, my vision blurred—I was there one second, ten paces away the next.

Faster.

I focused, channeling my demonic qi, and moved again. My body flickered in and out of existence, weightless, effortless. A ghost in the night.

A chuckle filled my mind. "Good. Now use it."

A smirk tugged at my lips. "With pleasure."

The world shifted around me as I shot forward—faster than the wind, leaving only rustling leaves in my wake.

The gates of Ironwood Sect loomed ahead, lanterns flickering in the dark. I didn't even slow my steps.

With Shadow Steps, I phased through the entrance, appearing in the center of the courtyard without a sound.

Several disciples patrolling the grounds stopped dead in their tracks, their eyes widening in confusion.

"Who—?! Intruder!" one of them barked, reaching for his weapon.

I lifted Heaven's End, the blade humming in my grasp.

"Your executioner."

The alarm bell rang.

Within moments, a hundred disciples flooded the courtyard, surrounding me like a swarm of insects.

A sea of enemies stood before me, their weapons gleaming under the moonlight.

One of them took a hesitant step forward. "Surrender and you may—"

I vanished.

Shadow Steps.

I reappeared among them, cutting the first row down before they could react. Heaven's End cleaved through flesh and bone like they were made of air.

Blood sprayed across the stone floor, and screams filled the night.

A spear shot toward my ribs—I caught it, twisting the weapon from the fool's hands before slamming the butt of it into his throat. He crumpled like a broken doll.

"Surround him!" another disciple yelled.

A dozen charged at once. Tsk. Too slow.

I flickered through the chaos, my blade carving through their ranks. One moment, I was before them—the next, behind them, their bodies collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

A flicker of movement—a disciple leapt from above, sword aimed for my head.

I raised my free hand, releasing a burst of crimson energy.

His body was sent flying, crashing into the stone wall. The sickening crunch of bones breaking echoed through the courtyard.

The remaining disciples hesitated.

Fear. I could smell it on them.

I grinned, tapping Heaven's End against my palm. "Is that all?"

They didn't answer. But I already knew. They were dead men walking.

By the time the last disciple fell, the courtyard was a graveyard.

Blood pooled at my feet, and with every corpse I struck down, I felt stronger.

Then, eight figures descended from the sect's inner chambers.

The elders.

I felt their power pressing down on me, but it only made my grin widen.

The bald one stepped forward first. "Mo Wuyuan," he said, his voice steady despite the carnage. "You have defiled our sect. You will not leave alive."

I twirled Heaven's End in my grip. "I'd like to see you try."

No hesitation. They attacked as one.

The bald elder moved first, his fists wreathed in golden qi, his punch tearing through the air like a meteor.

I Shadow Stepped, reappearing behind him. My blade came down—but another elder intercepted it, his flaming sword clashing against mine.

I slid back, chuckling. Fast. But not fast enough.

They surrounded me, their auras merging into a golden barrier. A sealing formation.

"Bind him!" one of them barked.

I smirked. "Clever. But useless."

I Shadow Stepped again, reappearing behind the elder who cast the formation—Heaven's End piercing his heart.

The barrier shattered.

Their expressions twisted in shock. Too late.

I moved like a wraith, slicing through the elders one by one. Their combined strength was impressive—but they were too slow. Too predictable.

One.

Two.

Three fell in an instant.

The bald elder trembled as he stumbled backward. "M-Monster…!"

I vanished.

He didn't even see it coming.

One clean stroke—his head hit the ground before his body followed.

I stood in the carnage, wiping blood from my blade as the doors to the sect master's chamber creaked open.

Qi Ming stood there, waiting.

Unlike his disciples and elders, he wasn't afraid.

"You came faster than I expected," he said, watching me with calm eyes.

I tilted my head. "You knew I was coming?"

"Of course. I have been expecting you for some time now."

My grip tightened around Heaven's End. "Then you should also know why I'm here."

Qi Ming smiled. "Naturally. But let me offer you a deal."

I raised a brow. "Oh? Do tell."

"I will serve you, Mo Wuyuan. This sect, my resources, my knowledge… all yours."

I scoffed. "You think I'm that gullible?"

Crimson Veil's voice echoed in my mind. "Lies. He stalls for time. Kill him now."

I sighed. "You should've just fought from the start."

Qi Ming's smile twitched. "I had to try."

Then he attacked.

His sword blazed with golden energy, slicing toward me with the force of a falling star.

The courtyard erupted.

I barely dodged, feeling the heat scorch the edges of my robes.

Fast.

I Shadow Stepped, appearing behind him—

But Qi Ming twisted, reacting instantly. Our blades clashed, sending a shockwave through the sect.

I grinned. "Not bad."

Qi Ming narrowed his eyes. "Let's see if you can keep up."

Qi Ming's eyes burned with determination as our blades clashed, sending sparks cascading like falling stars across the ruined courtyard. I could feel the raw power of his golden aura meeting the demonic energy pulsing from Heaven's End, each impact a shockwave that rattled my bones.

"Not bad," I taunted, my voice echoing in the stillness between clashes.

My every movement was a careful dance of death—a blend of ruthless precision and the fluidity granted by Shadow Steps. I twisted, vanished, and reappeared behind him more than once, my blade's cold promise slicing through the air with lethal intent.

Qi Ming's expression shifted from confident defiance to cold calculation as he parried one of my strikes.

"I warned you, Mo Wuyuan," he hissed, his tone edged with both respect and venom. "You may have grown strong, but you still walk a treacherous path."

A surge of demonic qi rippled through my veins.

"Your words are empty, Qi Ming," I replied, tightening my grip on Heaven's End. "I came here for retribution—and to claim every scrap of power that belongs to the betrayers of my past."

Our blades met again, this time with such force that the sound of our collision drowned out the distant howls of the fallen disciples and elders. I could feel the Crimson Veil urging me onward, its ancient presence merging with my own ambition. The knowledge of countless battles, the stolen fragments of Heaven's End's true power, and the taste of vengeance all lent me strength in that very moment.

Qi Ming stepped back, gathering his energy for a massive incantation. His eyes glowed with an inner light as he raised his saber high, golden qi spiraling around it in intricate patterns.

"I will show you the price of defiance!" he bellowed, unleashing a sweeping arc of brilliant energy that threatened to engulf me entirely.

For a fraction of a heartbeat, time seemed to slow as I prepared to counter. I focused, drawing on the mastery of Shadow Steps I had honed over countless battles. In one fluid motion, I dissolved into the darkness. The energy of his attack washed over the empty space where I had stood mere moments before, leaving nothing but echoes and lingering heat.

Then I reappeared behind him in a blur of motion—my steps silent, my presence like that of a specter.

"You're too slow," I murmured as Heaven's End arced gracefully from my hand.

I executed the first three forms of the Heaven's End Sword Art in swift succession: first, a clean, devastating slash that grazed Qi Ming's shoulder; then, the Abyssal Rend that split the air in a jagged line toward his midsection; and finally, the Oblivion Surge—a concentrated burst of dark energy that rocked his stance.

Qi Ming staggered, his eyes flashing with shock and pain as the force of my attack threatened to overwhelm him. The golden glow around his saber flickered, and he fought to reassemble his defenses.

"I… will not yield!" he roared, summoning his remaining qi in a last desperate attempt to counter the barrage.

In that critical moment, I allowed the Crimson Veil to guide me deeper. I stepped forward—each move precise, each motion a testament to my evolution into a being that was no longer the crippled outcast of the Azure Cloud Sect, but a monster of vengeance and ambition. My every step was powered by the unyielding strength of my demon blood, sharpened by the dark wisdom of the Crimson Veil.

Qi Ming's saber clashed with mine as I advanced relentlessly. Our weapons danced in a deadly duet beneath the pale moonlight—a clash of divine brilliance and abyssal darkness. I could feel the stolen power from the sect masters and the fragments I had absorbed surging within Heaven's End. My blade pulsed, eager to reclaim what was rightfully its own.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed and raw power, I feinted to the left, and using my perfected Shadow Steps, I reappeared directly behind him.

Before Qi Ming could react, I slashed downward with Heaven's End. The strike was precise—a dark arc that severed the tension in the air, and with it, Qi Ming's defiance. His eyes widened in disbelief as the blade found its mark, and his strength waned beneath the crushing weight of my assault.

For a long, heart-stopping moment, silence reigned as Qi Ming fell to one knee, his saber clattering to the ground. I stood over him, the glow of my dark power mingling with the fading golden light that once enveloped him.

"Your offer was nothing but a ruse," I murmured, my voice a low growl. "You sought to preserve what little dignity you had left in this pitiful sect."

Qi Ming's eyes, filled with regret and fading hope, met mine.

"Please…" he managed to whisper, though his words were lost beneath the rumble of my victory.

I lifted Heaven's End high, letting its ancient runes flare with a power that promised a future of reclamation and destruction.

"Begone, and remember this night," I declared. "Remember how the betrayers of the past have been avenged by the one you cast aside."

As Qi Ming's life essence slowly ebbed away, I took a moment to absorb the final surge of his stolen fragment into Heaven's End. The blade shuddered in my grasp, its dark form pulsing ever more intensely, a harbinger of the true power I was destined to unleash.

The courtyard lay silent, a testament to the ruin of a sect that once prided itself on its strength. I stepped over the fallen bodies and shattered weapons, the taste of victory and vengeance lingering on my tongue.

In a cold, dark tone, I mused to myself, "Such pitiful remnants—a sect so poor in spirit and strength that they could not protect even their own master. This world is mine to reclaim, and I will strip away every lie, every betrayal, until the heavens themselves tremble beneath my feet."

With that, I turned away from the scene of carnage, my resolve hardened like the tempered steel of my blade. The path ahead was long, paved with the stolen fragments of Heaven's End's true power, and I was determined to see it through—no matter how many more would fall before me.

The hunt continues.