Five months later, at the Kunlun Sect's Rebirth Formation.
Yuyi could now control hundreds of people being slaughtered in the Rebirth Formation. His sword technique grew faster, his killing intent denser, each strike carrying fierce killing aura. mingjing stood to the side, watching him quietly. In the Rebirth Formation, Kunlun Sect disciples continuously surged forth, then fell one by one beneath Yuyi's sword. Fresh blood stained the blue stone slabs, the air thick with the scent of blood.
"Yuyi." mingjing spoke, "Do you think killing has become a normal habit for you now?"
Yuyi stopped his sword and turned to look at her: "What do you think?"
mingjing shook her head: "I don't know. You should know best yourself."
Yuyi was silent for a moment, then said: "I... don't know."
"Then continue killing." mingjing said, "Until you know."
Yuyi raised his sword again and continued the slaughter. Kunlun Sect disciples continuously emerged from the Rebirth Formation, falling one by one beneath Yuyi's sword. Fresh blood stained the blue stone slabs, the air thick with the scent of blood. Yuyi's sword light wove like fabric, each strike precisely piercing vital points without the slightest hesitation.
"To what level has my killing aura accumulated?" Yuyi suddenly asked.
mingjing circulated her technique, and after a moment said: "Already accumulated to an extreme amount."
"Not enough." Yuyi said, "My Nirvana Sword always feels like it's missing something. It likely needs sufficient killing aura as support to truly merge with the sword intent."
"How far will you kill?" mingjing asked.
"When the killing aura reaches perfection." Yuyi said, "If there's still no change by then, I planto give up."
mingjing nodded, saying nothing more.
A few days later, mingjing said to Yuyi: "I need to leave for a while."
"Where to?" Yuyi asked.
"To do trials that increase comprehension." mingjing said, "I need to accumulate reputation to learn the Netherworld True Scripture."
Yuyi frowned: "Chunyang Patriarch is terrifying, are you sure you want to go?"
"I'll ask for help." mingjing said, "I don't want to owe the Nitian Alliance favors."
"What help do you need?"
"No need." mingjing shook her head, "I'll solve it myself."
After mingjing left, Yuyi continued slaughtering at the Kunlun Sect Rebirth Formation. His sword technique grew more refined, his killing intent more condensed. Every day, he accumulated killing aura, waiting for the moment of breakthrough. In the lonely slaughter, he began thinking about mingjing's words, pondering the meaning of killing becoming a normal habit.
More than two months later, at the Youming Mountain Range.
mingjing stood at the foot of the mountain, beside her a woman dressed in red. The woman had peerless beauty but carried an eerie aura—she was Xueji, the top expert among the Ten Great Masters of Tianyin Pavilion. mingjing's face showed exhaustion; these two-plus months of travel had cost her dearly.
"Are you sure you want to challenge Chunyang Patriarch?" Xueji asked.
"Yes." mingjing nodded, "I need to accumulate enough reputation to learn the Netherworld True Scripture."
"Do you know Chunyang Patriarch's strength?"
"I know." mingjing said, "That's why I asked for your help."
Xueji smiled faintly: "I help you not because of your Spirit Stones, but because you remind me of someone."
"Who?"
"Someone who's already dead." Xueji's voice carried a trace of confusion.
The two flew up, heading deep into the Youming Mountain Range. Chunyang Sect's Daoist temple sat on the mountain peak, surrounded by clouds and mist, suffused with immortal energy. The temple was ancient and solemn, rich in spiritual energy, one of the holy lans of the cultivation world.
Chunyang Patriarch was sitting in the Daoist temple when a disciple ran in to report: "Patriarch, someone is storming the mountain."
"I know." Chunyang Patriarch slowly opened his eyes, "Observing the celestial phenomena at night, I knew today would bring a calamity of blood."
Moments later, Xueji and mingjing walked into the Daoist temple. Chunyang Patriarch looked at them, saying indifferently: "Two visitors from afar, what brings you here?"
Xueji smiled: "Hehehehe... end yourself."
Chunyang Patriarch stood up, saying: "I, Chunyang Patriarch, have domingated all my life, honored as the world's number one expert. Today, a junior girl actually asks me to end myself."
"If you don't end yourself, I'll help you do it." Xueji's voice remained calm, but her eyes flashed with killing intent.
"Such arrogance!" Chunyang Patriarch shouted in rage, his spiritual power erupting, transforming into a golden light charging toward Xueji. His technique was profound, each move carrying vast righteous energy, the golden light brilliant as the sun in the sky.
Xueji's figure instantly vanished, appearing the next moment behind Chunyang Patriarch, her palm striking toward his back. Chunyang Patriarch turned to block, their palm forces colliding with a tremendous boom. Energy waves surged, shattering the temple's tiles.
Battle instantly erupted. Chunyang Patriarch's technique was profound, each move carrying vast righteous energy. His palm technique was fierce and powerful, each palm possessing mountain-splitting, stone-shattering power. But Xueji's speed reached the ultimate limit, her figure like a ghost, weaving freely through Chunyang Patriarch's attacks. Her palm technique was bizarre and unpredictable, each palm carrying cold killing aura.
mingjing stood to the side, circulating her observation technique, carefully watching their battle. She saw that Xueji's spiritual power wasn't stronger than Chunyang Patriarch's, but each strike could break through his defenses. That breakthrough wasn't through strength, but through a special power.
"That's the secret of killing aura!" mingjing's heart shook.
Xueji's figure wove through Chunyang Patriarch's palm winds like a fish entering water, effortlessly. Each of her palms precisely struck Chunyang Patriarch's weaknesses, making his defenses seem like nothing. Chunyang Patriarch's face showed shock—he had never seen such a bizarre technique.
Moments later, Xueji's palm pierced through Chunyang Patriarch's chest. Chunyang Patriarch spat blood, his body slowly falling. His eyes showed disbelief, seemingly unable to accept being defeated by a junior.
"You..." Chunyang Patriarch widened his eyes, looking at Xueji in disbelief.
Xueji withdrew her hand, saying indifferently: "Your technique is strong, but your killing aura is insufficient."
Chunyang Patriarch closed his eyes and died. Xueji turned to mingjing, saying: "What did you see?"
"I saw the secret of killing aura." mingjing said, "Your spiritual power is inferior to Chunyang Patriarch's, but you could break through his defenses."
Xueji nodded: "That is the secret of killing aura! Tell no one—this is my strictest requirement."
mingjing was silent for a moment, then said: "As long as we kill Yuyi now, he won't know this secret."
Xueji looked deeply at her, saying: "Hehehehe... mingjing, you're truly falling in love with him, or perhaps already have."
mingjing didn't answer, turning to leave.
Xueji watched her retreating figure, her eyes showing complex emotions.
mingjing returned to Youyue Valley and began seclusion to cultivate the Netherworld True Scripture. These two-plus months of travel had cost her dearly. She had spent tens of millions of Spirit Stones hiring experts, using Dao talismans to increase efficiency, finally accumulating enough reputation to learn the Netherworld True Scripture.
She recalled the hardships of these months. She had traveled through the cultivation world's major sects, hired dozens of experts, helped them complete missions, accumulating reputation. She used Dao talismans to increase efficiency, saving time. She traveled day and night, barely resting, just to complete the trials as quickly as possible and return to Yuyi's side.
Three months later, at the Kunlun Sect Rebirth Formation.
Yuyi's killing aura finally reached the realm of perfection.
In that moment, he felt a terrifying power surging within him. That power was like a flood washing through his meridians, his body, his soul. His meridians expanded, his spiritual power surged, his soul ascended.
"Ah—" Yuyi let out a long roar, his spiritual power circulating madly. His body emitted blood-colored light, illumingating the entire Rebirth Formation.
Realizations of Heavenly Dao principles surged in his heart:
Killing aura perfected, foundation advanced, cultivation base rose another level.
Golden Snake Sword Art sword intent merged completely, technique returned to original true form.
Hunyuan Mental Method dissolved on its own, making space for a deeper mental method.
Heavenly Dao sent down trials, guiding the path to find the Golden Snake Divine Sword.
Yuyi felt the techniques within him changing. The Golden Snake Sword Art's sword intent merged within him, transforming into a completely new sword technique. That technique was like a golden snake, swimming through his body, merging with him as one. The Hunyuan Mental Method was forcibly dissolved by Heavenly Dao principles, replaced by an even more powerful mental method.
He opened his eyes and found the world before him completely different. Everything was covered with an extremely faint blood-colored veil, as if seen through red gauze. The sky was blood-colored, the earth was blood-colored, even the air carried a blood-colored aura.
"Is this a side effect of killing aura?" Yuyi murmured to himself.
He circulated his technique and found the Golden Snake Body Technique's speed was no slower than Cloud-Soaring Step, with lower spiritual power consumption and stronger ability to borrow external forces. He tried circulating internal qi—speed was faster, spiritual power continuity extremely strong. Attack explosive power wasn't great, but could instantly increase strike speed.
"Too perfect." Yuyi praised, "Simply a technique tailored for me."
He stood up, feeling his whole body filled with power. But he knew this was just the beginning. He still needed to find the Golden Snake Divine Sword to truly master the Golden Snake Sword Art's secrets.
Yuyi left the Kunlun Sect Rebirth Formation, flying toward Youyue Valley. In his eyes, the world had become blood-colored, but he didn't care. This was the path he chose—whatever the cost, he would walk it.