Chapter 133: Slaying Black Mountain, Battling the Saint Lord of Seven Nights

Master Heishan, also known as the Old Demon of Heishan, was clearly at the Seventh Heaven of Martial Arts, the Human-Celestial Realm. The pressure from his manifestation was far stronger and more terrifying than that of the Sixth Heaven, descending like the true wrath of the heavens.

Jiang Ming felt an immensely heavy burden, yet he forcibly surged his blood energy, tearing through the layers of suppression as he leaped into the air, launching a punch at his opponent.

Inch Punch, Tenth Layer.

With an eleven-fold explosive force, this punch unleashed an attack power of 5,500 units of Vajra Strength. Yet, his pupils constricted.

The punch was lightning-fast, but he could still clearly sense that before his fist, there seemed to be tens of thousands of layers of resistance; for every inch he advanced, his power weakened by a fraction.

The suppression of the celestial mandate was also a form of weakening!

"What a delicious little snack!" the Old Demon of Heishan hummed. He clenched his fist, and with incomparable power, he smashed it down.

Yet, he was blasted back by that single punch.

Jiang Ming also flipped through the air and landed on the ground.

"As expected of a great demon at the Human-Celestial Realm, truly extraordinary!"

Jiang Ming did not rush to strike again.

The Old Demon of Heishan also wore a grave expression. With a flash of light, his figure shifted, transforming into a burly giant with messy, long hair and knotted muscles, revealing explosive power hidden within his body at a single glance.

"Such a powerful physique!" The Old Demon of Heishan landed on the other side and stared at Jiang Ming. "Such a powerful youth should not be unknown. What is your origin?"

"My name is Jiang Ming, a newcomer to the martial world," Jiang Ming replied. "Heishan, what is your cultivation level?"

"Have you not felt it already!" The Old Demon of Heishan was icy cold. "Daring to kill my subordinates, you truly have guts."

"Just a monster! If you weren't constantly hiding, you would have been slaughtered long ago." Yan Chixia, bold and daring, shouted angrily before turning to Jiang Ming. "Young Brother Jiang, it is in the Human-Celestial Realm, though it has only just entered it. If you can handle it, kill it and rid the world of this evil, lest it bring disaster to the world later. If not, take them and leave quickly; I will hold it off."

"Want to leave?" The Old Demon of Heishan gave a cruel smile. "Now that I am here, you want to leave? Today, I shall have a hearty meal. Eating you will surely be a great tonic—no, no, there is still a little ghost, I can play with her, directly shattering her soul. And the other one... this aura, why is it so annoying? Could it be from the Haotian Dao of the Great Tang?"

"Indeed, I am Ye Hongyu, Great Priest of the Verdict Hall!" Ye Hongyu snorted coldly. "If you were in the Great Tang, you would have been skinned, disemboweled, and served on a platter long ago; you would never dare to stir up trouble. It is only in the Great Song, with its dim-witted court and rampant monsters, that the martial world is in such chaos."

Yan Chixia's expression soured. He was from the Great Song.

"Ye Hongyu, I have heard of you, hailed as the strongest of the younger generation." The Old Demon of Heishan showed a look of wariness—not toward Ye Hongyu herself, but the Haotian Dao behind her.

"You are not enjoying your ease in the Great Tang, yet you come to the Great Song. Hmph, I will give the Haotian Dao some face. Now, leave, or I shall eat you today!" The murderous intent radiating from the Old Demon grew even more intense.

"Leave? You won't be leaving today!" Ye Hongyu looked at Jiang Ming. "Brother Jiang, you should be able to suppress him, right?"

"Oh, how do you know?" Jiang Ming asked curiously.

"Knowing full well that the opponent is a Human-Celestial existence, yet remaining so calm, shows that you are very confident—at least, you do not fear him. As long as you do not fear him, and with us assisting, it should not be difficult to take him down," Ye Hongyu smiled.

She felt even more curious about Jiang Ming.

Young as he was, he had clashed with the Old Demon of Heishan without losing ground, and his calm confidence suggested he didn't even take the opponent seriously.

As a peerless genius of the contemporary Haotian Dao, holding great power and having access to vast intelligence, she could find no record of him in her memory.

This was peculiar.

"Could it be that he was secretly cultivated by an imperial dynasty, or is he a direct descendant of some hidden force?"

That was the only conclusion she could draw.

"As expected of the greatest genius of the Haotian Dao!" Jiang Ming laughed. "Leave it to me! A monster, daring to run rampant in the human world—who gave him the courage?"

He stepped forward.

This confidence shocked and surprised everyone present.

"Brother, it is a Human-Celestial demon," Jian Chen warned. "It is a rare powerhouse in this world, be careful!"

"Shall we join forces?" Yan Chixia walked toward them.

"It is merely a beast!" Jiang Ming waved his hand.

Yan Chixia paused.

A great demon, and you call it a beast?

"I will cover you!" Despite his shock and disbelief, he still did not trust that Jiang Ming could take the opponent down, simply because he was too young.

Ning Caichen and Nie Xiaoqian stood behind, trembling. Even if they weren't the sharpest, they knew they couldn't intervene.

"You call me a beast? Heh... haha, how bold, truly bold." The Old Demon of Heishan was filled with earth-shaking rage. "Even if I went to the Haotian Dao, they would have to treat me with courtesy; even if I went to the Academy..."

He paused, his face slightly twisted.

The Academy?

Never mind, that was a force he couldn't afford to provoke!

"Even if I went to the major dynasties, who would dare curse me! Little beast, today I will tear you apart piece by piece, chew you up, and swallow you whole!" As the Old Demon roared, he pulled a blade from his back and slashed down through the air.

The black blade aura contained monstrous malice.

It carried the pressure of heaven and earth, forming a stifling force that caused Yan Chixia and the others to change color and retreat.

Jiang Ming's gaze sharpened.

This pressure was even stronger, far beyond what the Celestial Phenomenon Realm could compare to. Moreover, this strike seemed to contain the power of slaughter, yet it was more profound and mysterious, causing even him to feel a chill—it was the suppression belonging to the Dao Realm.

Boom...

The blood energy within his body shook, roaring like a surging sea, shattering all suppression. He stepped forward, his fist like a great bow, and shattered the blade aura.

"Die!"

Jiang Ming charged directly at him, his blood energy manifesting into a physical form, dissolving the demon aura radiating from the Old Demon of Heishan.

Ah...

A scream came from behind.

"Miss Nie, what's wrong?" Ning Caichen was startled and quickly supported Nie Xiaoqian, who was about to collapse.

He realized that this woman, whom he had just met but had already entered his heart, was melting.

Yes, melting like snow, and emitting wisps of smoke.

Yan Chixia looked over, frowned, and stood in front of them. Nie Xiaoqian felt much better, though she was still trembling, looking toward Jiang Ming with eyes full of terror.

In her eyes at this moment, Jiang Ming had completely transformed into a small sun, scorching and intense, capable of easily purifying and annihilating her. Fortunately, this pure-yang blood energy was blocked by Yan Chixia.

On the other side.

Jiang Ming was completely suppressing the Old Demon of Heishan with just his fists, but he was not rushing for the kill; instead, he used his opponent to measure his own combat strength.

The two fought, moving toward the back mountain. Wherever they passed, rocks shattered and trees were pulverized. The entire mountaintop seemed on the verge of collapse.

Bang...

Jiang Ming shattered the blade in the Old Demon's hand with a single punch and kicked him away, slamming him into the opposite cliff wall.

With a slight burst of power, the Old Demon of Heishan was no match.

"Die!"

Jiang Ming moved his feet, crossing space in an instant, appearing before the Old Demon just as he crawled out of the crater in the cliff. He slapped the demon across the face, directly blowing away the flesh on half of his face and knocking out all his teeth.

The demon went flying once more.

"I will have you die!" The Old Demon of Heishan roared with earth-shattering fury as he tumbled, but after crashing into the cliff, he flew back up in moments.

Black flames erupted from his body, and a black bear phantom, a hundred feet tall, appeared behind him, roaring at the sky with a fierce aura.

"A secret technique? Now this is interesting!" A whirlwind circled Jiang Ming's feet, lifting him as he hovered in mid-air.

He clashed with the Old Demon of Heishan once more.

On the side of the cliff.

"So strong!" Ye Hongyu arrived, witnessing Jiang Ming completely suppress his opponent, and could not help but be moved.

"His physical body is formidable, his blood energy like a dragon—it's even more terrifying than the physique of a Black Bear Demon. Incredible! Looking across the world, I have never seen such a powerful physique." Jian Chen also arrived, unable to hide his shock. "What's more terrifying is that his cultivation is not weak either."

"Not weak? It is far stronger than either of yours!" Ye Hongyu’s eyes were like stars. "You have just entered the Fifth Heaven, and I am at the peak of the Fifth Heaven, but him? His martial cultivation should also be at the Fifth Heaven, yet the slight bursts of True Qi he emits give me a feeling of being invincible. But even more terrifying is his physical body; he can actually suppress the Old Demon of Heishan, who is in the Human-Celestial Realm. No, he is completely at ease, even provoking the Old Demon to unleash his power—is he tempering himself?"

"You are a disciple of the legendary Wuming; the Central Pavilion has vast intelligence. Do you know his origin?" Ye Hongyu asked, though her eyes remained fixed on the two combatants.

"I have no impression of him!" Jian Chen shook his head. "Such a brilliant and talented young figure should have been famous throughout the world long ago. How is it that we have heard nothing? Is it truly as he said, that he has been cultivating in the depths of the mountains and has only just stepped into the martial world?"

There was no answer.

Bang...

The Old Demon of Heishan slammed into the mountain peak, sending dust flying and rocks tumbling.

"Are you really in the Human-Celestial Realm? Too weak!"

Jiang Ming landed, feeling quite disappointed.

He had many ways to kill him. Physical strength, martial cultivation, soul techniques—any one of them could torture the opponent to death.

The Old Demon of Heishan lay motionless, his aura weak, his life force seemingly on the verge of extinction.

Watching Jiang Ming approach, his eyes narrowed, and he spat out a fang, shooting it toward the center of Jiang Ming's brow.

The distance was too close, the speed too fast.

He had unleashed all his power in this final surge, confident that Jiang Ming could not dodge. But the next moment, his pupils constricted, and he screamed, "Impossible!"

Because in the nick of time, Jiang Ming had flickered and dodged it.

"Your injuries are severe, but not to the point of death. Clearly, you were faking it, trying to ambush me!" As Jiang Ming spoke, he saw the opponent leap up, trying to flee. Jiang Ming twisted his body and appeared in mid-air, his leg like a giant axe, splitting the opponent down.

Upon landing, he stepped directly onto the demon's massive head.

Jiang Ming, however, looked toward the distant horizon.

A white horse was crossing the void toward them.

The horse was as white as snow, without a single stray hair, with two dragon horns on its head. Sitting atop it was a man in white, possessing a magnificent aura and an overwhelming presence. The aura he naturally radiated was enough to suppress the void.

In moments, he landed on the mountain peak. Seeing the situation before him, the void behind him suddenly turned into darkness, as if a gluttonous beast were hidden within, ready to devour anyone.

"Holy Monarch, save me!" Seeing the arrival, the Old Demon of Heishan was overjoyed and hurriedly called for help.

"I followed your aura here precisely to kill you!" the Holy Monarch said indifferently.

"Holy Monarch, we are both demons, you cannot leave me to die!" The Old Demon grew desperate, struggling violently, but he could not break free. "As long as you save me, from this day on, my Heishan lineage will be under your command, to do as you bid."

The Holy Monarch did not look at him again, but turned his gaze to Jiang Ming. "How about you leave him to me?"

"How about no?" Jiang Ming exerted force with his foot, directly crushing the Old Demon's skull, and added, "My enemies are always wiped out completely, leaving no future trouble!"

He paused and asked curiously, "Holy Monarch Qiye?"

"Indeed!" Qiye nodded. His aura suddenly turned sharp, and a sword light burst from the top of his head, disturbing the night sky. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword. "In name, he is considered part of my Yin-Moon Dynasty, yet you killed him before my eyes. Although I wanted to kill him myself, I have no choice but to strike."

"Wait!" Jiang Ming asked, "Do you know Nie Xiaoqian?"

"Nie Xiaoqian? I do not."

"You don't?"

Jiang Ming's expression was complex.

As expected, the situation had changed again. When the Old Demon of Heishan appeared, he had considered the possibility of Qiye's presence, but he was puzzled: if Qiye was there, why was Nie Xiaoqian a ghost instead of a demon?

A mutated version of *A Chinese Ghost Story*?

At this moment, Ye Hongyu and Jian Chen rushed over, as did Yan Chixia.

Seeing the Holy Monarch, their expressions all changed.

"Holy Monarch, I am Ye Hongyu of the Haotian Dao!" Ye Hongyu cupped her fists. "Since you were also hunting the Old Demon of Heishan, the result is the same whether you kill him or Brother Jiang does. Why be at each other's throats?"

Jian Chen wore a cold expression.

Yan Chixia's eyes flashed with fierce light, but he did not speak.

"Haotian Dao, Ye Hongyu, I know. You are Ye Su's sister." Qiye said, "Back then, he challenged me without knowing his own strength and was nearly crippled by me. Years have passed, has he made any progress?"

Ye Hongyu's eyes narrowed, her face slightly unsightly.

"Heh..." Jiang Ming laughed instead. "As expected of Holy Monarch Qiye, not even fearing the Haotian Dao. I heard that Qiye's arch-rival is Sect Master Jin Guang of the Xuanxin Orthodox Sect, is that right?"

*Clang...*

Qiye's long sword vibrated, as if ready to unsheathe.

The sharp sword intent condensed into thousands of tiny sword auras, dense and countless, causing Ye Hongyu and the others to change color and retreat.

"I will not bully you. Take one strike from me; if you survive, the karma between us is cleared." As Qiye spoke, his momentum climbed continuously, clearing the clouds in the sky.

The moonlight fell upon him, causing his aura to rise again, twisting the void.

The terrifying power forced Ye Hongyu and the others to retreat once more.

"Holy Monarch Qiye, you are a peak Human-Celestial powerhouse, capable of stepping into the Land-Celestial Realm at any time. Do you really intend to bully the young?" Ye Hongyu shouted, "If you kill him, you will not only face the suppression of the Great Song righteous path, but also the hostility of powerhouses across the world. Have you considered this?"

She did not believe Jiang Ming could block him, even if he had easily killed the Old Demon of Heishan.

Because the opponent was too strong.

"Miss Ye, thank you for your concern, but I want to see what the means of Holy Monarch Qiye are really like." Jiang Ming turned to the three of them. "May I borrow your sword?"

"Use mine; my sword is harder and better at slaying demons and ghosts!" Yan Chixia said, tossing his Xuanyuan Sword over.

Jiang Ming caught it, his finger flicking the blade, causing it to hum.

"A good sword!"

True Qi poured into it without any feeling of obstruction. Moreover, the sword contained vast righteous energy, grand and majestic, capable of bearing his True Qi, which felt like a mountain-collapsing tsunami.

"Take one strike? That's too few!" Sword intent surged from the top of Jiang Ming's head, reaching the nine heavens and splitting the clouds. The Heaven Sword intent permeated outward, merging with the void.

*Hum, hum, hum...*

The swords in the hands of Jian Chen and Ye Hongyu vibrated, as if sensing the arrival of an emperor, causing both to change color.

"You have actually realized the Heaven Sword Realm!" Jian Chen exclaimed.

His master, Wuming, had also mastered this terrifying sword intent.

"Heaven Sword!" Ye Hongyu bit her red lips, her gaze burning. "Once the Heaven Sword appears, who can compete? I never expected to see it here; this trip was worth it."

She sensed carefully, wanting to peek into the mysteries contained within to improve her own swordsmanship.

"A truly great Heaven Sword, now this is interesting!" Qiye's Yixi Sword trembled slightly, his eyes lighting up. "I am striking, I hope you can survive!"

"Heaven-Slaying Sword-Drawing Technique!"

The long sword unsheathed abruptly, and the void suddenly split open.

This kind of story is not easy to write.

With so many worlds merged, the hardest part is correcting the power system—too strong is bad, too weak won't do.

There are also historical backgrounds and such that need to be corrected, providing a reasonable justification.

I failed to keep my promise.

Sorry.

I'll work hard to get back on track tomorrow!

(End of chapter)