The Heavenly Sword!
"First, rule out the Devouring Heaven Demon Physique… This kid can't possibly share the same physique as me. In fact, his physique should be above mine."
Gu Yue Ningbing spoke slowly, her tone solemn.
Though she was a Saintess of the God Race, she had been born with the Devouring Heaven Demon Physique—a contradiction so profound it remained the greatest unsolved secret in the history of her people.
The Devouring Heaven Demon Art that Zhang Lingxiao cultivated was precisely the innate technique tied to her physique.
The reason she passed it on to him was simple: she needed him to grow quickly—strong enough to one day help her reconstruct her physical body and return to Kyushu.
"Then what is it?"
"An Ancient Desolate Saint Body?"
"Or… a Chaos Body?"
"No matter which it is… isn't this too absurd? How could a fallen youth from such a remote place possess something like that?"
---
Outside
Zhang Lingxiao continued his fierce battle against the bare-chested brute.
Boom!
Their fists collided once more, and both were sent flying backward by the violent surge of energy.
The brute steadied himself and subconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth.
He froze.
Blood.
He had actually been injured by this young man.
He was a pure Body Cultivator—his physique was his greatest pride. Even opponents at the Xuanwu Realm First Level could hardly harm him.
So what exactly was this boy?
"Kid… stop!"
Seeing Zhang Lingxiao raise his fist again, the brute hurriedly shouted.
"Stop your sister!"
Zhang Lingxiao snorted coldly. With every exchange, his excitement surged. His battle intent burned fiercely—he was completely immersed in the fight.
Why would he stop just because his opponent asked?
Besides…
He had come here to kill him.
"Primordial… Sky-Shattering Fist!"
Zhang Lingxiao roared, mobilizing seventy percent of his Spiritual Qi as he prepared a decisive blow.
The brute's expression hardened. Feeling the terrifying power behind the punch, he gathered all his strength, ready to stake everything on this clash.
"Explosive Palm!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bang!
The result was immediate.
Zhang Lingxiao's fist completely overwhelmed the brute's palm strike.
At its peak, the Primordial Sky-Shattering Fist could shatter the heavens themselves.
With a single punch, half of the brute's body was obliterated into a bloody mist.
"Sto—"
The brute struggled to remain standing, his lower body trembling, clinging to life with terrifying vitality.
"Is this the tenacity of a Body Cultivator?"
Zhang Lingxiao didn't give him the chance to finish.
He pressed forward.
"Nine Nether Sword Art—First Form!"
"Heavenly Fiend Sword!"
Buzz—
An ink-black longsword burst forth from Zhang Lingxiao's body, radiating dense demonic energy as it shot toward the enemy.
Whoosh!
Sword Qi arrived first—followed by a flash of black light.
The brute's remaining body was instantly shredded into countless fragments.
Silence fell.
"Return."
At Zhang Lingxiao's call, the sword flew back into his hand.
He gently caressed its blade, eyes filled with appreciation.
This sword did not merely stain itself with blood—
It devoured it.
It was the personal weapon of the Nine Nether Demon Emperor in his youth, obtained by Zhang Lingxiao within the Legacy Ancestral Land.
The Heavenly Demon Sword.
An Earth Rank High-Grade Spiritual Artifact—yet comparable to a Heaven Rank weapon.
Its design was simple and ancient, unadorned yet imposing. Despite its weighty aura, it was astonishingly light in his grip.
---
"Demon… he's a Demon Cultivator!"
A bandit shouted in terror while fighting Zhang Yuyang.
Their leader had been slain in a single strike.
Even they, hardened criminals, felt fear.
"Noisy."
Zhang Lingxiao glanced over coldly.
"Yu Yang-ge, your combat efficiency is lacking. You're taking too long with this trash. Leave it to me."
Zhang Yuyang's face flushed with embarrassment.
It wasn't that he was weak—the bandits were simply too cunning and experienced.
"Heavenly Fiend!"
Zhang Lingxiao stomped forward, executing Phantom Step to its peak.
Like a phantom, he swept into the battlefield.
The Heavenly Demon Sword danced wildly in his hand as sword Qi tore through everything in its path.
In mere moments—
All the bandits were annihilated.
---
"So what if I'm a Demon Cultivator?"
"The righteous can commit evil. The demonic can do good."
"Righteousness and demonism were never defined by morality—only by the prejudices of the world."
"Strength… is the true Dao."
"The weak can only submit—or hide behind hypocrisy."
Zhang Lingxiao spoke indifferently as he sheathed his sword.
Without hesitation, he activated the Devouring Heaven Demon Art, absorbing the dense blood Qi scattered across the battlefield.
Buzz—
Boom!
The energy surged into his body—but this time, it failed to push his cultivation further.
"As my realm rises, the energy required for each breakthrough increases…"
"…Good."
Zhang Lingxiao smiled.
---
At the side, Zhang Yuyang stood frozen, still immersed in the overwhelming power of that final sword strike.
"Hey—Yu Yang-ge, don't tell me you're still spacing out?"
Zhang Lingxiao waved a hand in front of him.
"Strong… too strong…"
"If that strike were aimed at me… I wouldn't stand a chance."
Zhang Lingxiao chuckled, slinging an arm around his shoulder.
"Relax. You're the future head of the Zhang family. Why would I ever use that move on you?"
Zhang Yuyang finally snapped out of it.
"Let's go. Collect their storage pouches and search the stronghold. There should be plenty of loot."
"Mm."
Zhang Yuyang nodded and began gathering the spoils.
When he finished, he handed everything over to Zhang Lingxiao without hesitation.
Zhang Lingxiao accepted them calmly.
After all—he had earned them.
---
Just as they reached the entrance of the stronghold—
"Don't… don't come in!"
A panicked female voice echoed from inside.
It sounded young, trembling with fear.
"I'd rather die than let you have your way!"
"If you open this door—I'll kill myself!"
Zhang Yuyang hesitated, turning to Zhang Lingxiao.
"She must have been captured by the bandits… Brother Cheng, should we—"
"Go in? Of course."
Zhang Lingxiao's expression remained indifferent.
Without another word—
Bang!
He kicked the door open in a single strike.
The wooden door shattered instantly.
Behind it stood a breathtakingly beautiful girl, about sixteen or seventeen, with delicate features—
And eyes filled with desperate resolve.