Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 442 428: Headless Swordman

In the pitch-black ship's cabin, the damp smell of mold and the scent of rust mingled in the stagnant air.

A handsome figure, robed in white purer than snow, stepped silently into this dark place.

The white robes brushed across the rain-soaked wooden planks, yet made not the slightest sound.

Pei Yuhang's eyes, as cold as winter stars, narrowed slightly. His long lashes cast a shadow in the dim light as his gaze slowly swept across both sides of the corridor—

Over a dozen headless bodies leaned against the walls in grotesque poses. The cuts on their necks were as smooth as a mirror, without a single trace of blood seeping out.

These were the Dao Sect disciples assigned to guard the Dragon Heart. They were undoubtedly the Sect's elite, yet now they all lay dead in silence, without even a single sign of a struggle.

A one-sided slaughter had just taken place here!

Pei Yuhang walked past his fallen comrades. As he passed each one, he used his Divine Sense and Willpower to gently close the wide, furious eyes on their severed heads, which were scattered on the ground.

His gaze swept over the necks of the headless corpses, his expression growing solemn.

'Such domineering and pure Sword Qi.'

When Pei Yuhang was at the Divinity Transformation stage, he was already hailed by the world as a "Sword Immortal." This title didn't mean he was the strongest among Sword Cultivators—many old monsters with profound Cultivation also used swords and were naturally far stronger than him.

The name Sword Immortal was more a praise for Pei Yuhang's pure path of the sword; his skill with the blade had reached a level unprecedented in history.

It was precisely because Pei Yuhang himself had advanced so far on the Sword Dao that he could discern the profound purity of this sword-wielder.

"Pure" was high praise Pei Yuhang rarely gave for someone's "skill."

He quickened his pace. The tips of his snow-white boots stirred a faint current of air as they skimmed the floor. In just two steps, he reached the deepest part of the cabin.

The Bronze Gate, which should have been sealed by layers of ancient Restrictions, had been sliced in two right down the middle. The cross-section was as smooth as a mirror, glinting with a cold, metallic luster in the light of the ever-burning whale oil candles.

Behind the gate, countless thick chains, like pythons, writhed and coiled, emitting a grating metallic screech that set one's teeth on edge.

In the center of the chains, a colossal heart as tall as three men beat slowly. Dark red blood vessels knotted on its surface, oozing a viscous fluid with every beat. Each contraction made the entire cabin tremble.

If not for the chains restraining it, the massive heart's beating would erupt with the sound of thunder.

And before that terrifying, giant heart stood a strange, black-robed Swordman.

The figure was as straight and tall as a pine tree, their black robes moving without any wind. Judging by the distinct curves of their body, it was a woman.

The reason she was described as strange was that she had no head.

The stump of her neck was frighteningly smooth. A strangely shaped longsword was thrust down through her throat, its dark purple hilt exposed, gleaming with a cold, faint blue light in the dimness.

The blade trembled faintly in time with the heart's rhythm, emitting a soft hum.

Pei Yuhang looked at the Swordman's body, which served as a living sheath, sealing the longsword within her neck cavity. The hilt remained exposed while the blade merged with her flesh and blood. Faint, vein-like dark patterns could be seen pulsating on the blade.

'Refining a weapon with one's own body...'

Pei Yuhang said in a solemn voice,

"The path of the Soldier Immortal, lost to the Cultivation Realm for eight thousand years!"

ZING—

The hilt plunged into her neck suddenly vibrated, letting out a hum like a dragon's roar.

The ancient seal script character for "Cang" on the sword's guard flashed with a bloody light. A hoarse female voice unexpectedly emerged from the blade's edge, raspy as scraping metal and tinged with the corrosion of ages.

"Lost for eight thousand years... My dao lineage has actually been severed?"

"No wonder I can no longer smell the metallic tang of a Sword Embryo in this world."

"Your Divine Abilities and legacy?"

Pei Yuhang narrowed his eyes, staring at the mottled character "Cang" on the hilt protruding from the Swordman's severed neck. He recalled a strange tale from a scripture he had once read.

"Legend has it that eight thousand years ago, there was a Loose Cultivator and Swordman of peerless talent named Yan Cang. She was originally an ordinary woman from the Mortal World who, after witnessing the atrocity of an Immortal Sect slaughtering her village, took up the sword in fury."

"After ten years of honing her skills, she entered the Dao through the sword and annihilated her enemies' entire sect with a single strike. From then on, she roamed the world as a Loose Cultivator. Later, because her Sword Skill was too flagrant and she refused to obey the secular rules set by the major sects, she was surrounded by the Immortal Sects and beheaded."

"But legend says she did not die. By plunging her sword into her neck, she was reborn by lodging her Divine Soul within the blade. She even advanced further on the Sword Dao, reaching an unprecedented realm."

"According to folk tales, if one were to encounter a headless sword ghost on the road, with the character 'Cang' carved on its sword, that would be Yan Cang herself."

As he spoke, Pei Yuhang gave Yan Cang a deep look.

"You're that undying Sword Demon, Yan Cang? But it's impossible for a Cultivator from eight thousand years ago to live until now without any word getting out..."

"Have you been hiding from the world, working for the [Chosen One] all this time, or did they use some bizarre method to summon you to this era?"

Pei Yuhang's deduction was bold and extravagant, but it earned the praise of the Swordman, Yan Cang.

"Pei Sword Immortal, I have admired you from afar for a long time since my revival."

"After all, even I was never hailed by the world as a 'Sword Immortal' back in my day. Now that I've met you, I see your reputation is well-deserved."

"I didn't undo the seal on the Dragon Heart immediately because I was waiting here for you. I wanted to see the prowess of this era's Sword Immortal!"

A hoarse laugh rumbled from the Swordman Yan Cang's full chest. She suddenly reached up and gripped the sword hilt at her neck.

Pei Yuhang instantly felt an intense sense of danger. He saw the muscles in her shoulders and neck writhe like living things as she slowly drew the three-foot blade out of her body.

In that instant, an incomparably sharp aura of Sword Gang swept past Pei Yuhang, blowing back his ink-black hair.

He drew a Spirit Sword he had picked up from one of his comrades and said with a smile, "I thought you were going to invite me to join you first. I didn't expect you to attack so directly. Quite decisive."

Yan Cang shook her non-existent head and said, "I don't waste time on pointless things."

"Those who have reached the pinnacle of 'skill' will not change their stance over a few words from others. Even if the side I'm on is the one favored by destiny!"

Yan Cang shouted, and with a flash of her sword, she slashed toward Pei Yuhang.

Pei Yuhang also drew his sword from its sheath and met her blade with his.

VMMMM—!!

A turbid white aura of sword energy erupted from the point where their weapons met.

Even though the room holding the Ancient Dragon Heart and the Spirit Wheel were reinforced by a special Grand Array, they still rumbled ceaselessly at this moment, shaken by the frenzied Sword Gang Sword Qi.

...

...

"The battle has started on Fellow Daoist Pei's end as well."

Chen Xiuxian glanced toward the eruption of Sword Qi and breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He could feel a terrifying Sword Gang mixed in with Pei Yuhang's Sword Qi. Fortunately, in that recent clash, he could sense that Pei Yuhang's Sword Qi had the upper hand.

Chen Xiuxian turned back to face the Vortex Daoist before him.

By now, he had completely refined the corpse-fluid of countless Demon Fiends. His body was constantly expanding until it was half the size of the Spirit Wheel.

His body's surface was covered in vortices of all sizes. The terrifying suction could pull a person in from over ten meters away and grind them into paste.

Previously, if Chen Xiuxian had faced the Vortex Daoist in this state, he would have had to consider retreating with the Ancient Dragon Heart and the Dragon Corpse first.

But now...

VMMMM—!!

The lithe, ghost-like masked woman brandished her longsword, which erupted with a surging, cold light. With a single strike, she severed the massive vortex arm.

"How is that possible! My Vortex Divine Abilities have no effect on your sword!"

"What is that sword?!"

The Vortex Daoist retreated two steps in apprehension. The movement of its colossal body even caused the Spirit Wheel to begin to tilt.

Jiu retreated with the Silent Sword in hand, moving behind Chen Xiuxian.

Facing the terrifying vortex suction, Chen Xiuxian stood in front of Jiu, using his Void Refining Cultivation to block it all for her.

Now, Jiu was the main attacker, able to inflict true damage on the Vortex Daoist, while Chen Xiuxian was the main defender, blocking the Vortex Daoist's Divine Ability attacks for Jiu, whose Cultivation and survival skills were weaker.

If this battle of attrition continued, this Vortex Daoist from ancient times would undoubtedly lose!

But...

"How is it? Can you still wield Pei Sword Immortal's sword?"

Chen Xiuxian asked with concern as he looked at the slightly breathless Jiu.

The power Pei Yuhang had infused into the masked woman was, after all, an external force. She wouldn't be able to last for too long.

Although the Vortex Daoist was sure to lose a prolonged battle, it wasn't certain that Jiu could hold on for much longer either...

"Hah... hah."

In response to Chen Xiuxian's concern, Jiu let out a slow, heavy breath.

She raised the Silent Sword again, straightened her back, and looked up at the vortex monster before her.

"It's alright, Senior... I can still hold on."

"We have to finish this freak off quickly... I need to return the sword to Pei Yuhang. The enemy he's facing is even trickier."