"If you're asking what the Demon Lord thinks, I don't know. But as for me..."

Lan Cang drew out his words, "Of course, it's to grab it."

No sooner had he spoken, he made a sudden move. Azure mist blasted in all directions, and wherever it passed, life was utterly extinguished.

"Annihilate all life and slaughter the souls."

The corpse qi, yet not quite like corpse qi. The azure mist Lan Cang emitted contained a sense of death but lacked the chill typical of corpse qi, instead possessing a somewhat ethereal quality.

However, this mist was far more insidious than corpse qi.

The azure mist swiftly enveloped the surroundings, engulfing Qing Yu, Mo Guming, and the master and disciple duo of Qiu Jiling.

"Sizzle... sizzle..."

The moment the Protective True Qi came into contact with the mist, it immediately sizzled, with death qi continuously eroding the Protective True Qi while absorbing the surrounding Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, rapidly proliferating.

Meanwhile, sounds of battle emanated from within the mist, suggesting that Qiu Jiling and his disciple had already engaged the adversary.

"What do we do?" Mo Guming asked.

There were two options now: interfere in the battle or head straight into Sword God Lake.

Qing Yu didn't hesitate and chose the latter.

"Let's go, we head in first."

"Alright."

With Sword Qi protecting their bodies, the two transformed into Sword Light, darting out of the misty veil, heading toward the Lake Heart Island, the location of Sword God Lake.

However, before they were halfway there, layers upon layers of Sword Qi rose from the lake's surface beneath, with waves of Sword Light forming two Sword Curtains that extended horizontally on both sides, creating a road three zhang wide, stretching from the lakeshore to the Lake Heart Island, towering a hundred zhang high, with the top difficult to discern.

"Sword Lake Thousand Shadows, it should have been destroyed already!" Mo Guming exclaimed in shock.

Sword Lake Thousand Shadows is the name of this Sword Light-formed Sword Curtain, originally used to test challenging swordsmen. Only by passing through the Sword Lake Thousand Shadows could the challenger enter Sword God Lake to challenge the Sword Masters of Sword Discussion Hall.

Every Sword Light on the Sword Lake Thousand Shadows came from the swords submerged beneath Sword Immersion Lake. To traverse under Sword Lake Thousand Shadows across Sword Immersion Lake, one needed at least the peak strength of the Divinity Realm.

But now, Sword Immersion Lake had become Defeated Sword Lake; with the source gone, the Sword Lake Thousand Shadows should not have appeared.

"These Sword Lights originate from the defeated swords in Sword Lake," Qing Yu observed.

Wherever the gaze went, the Sword Light was filled with a tragic aura of defeat, with many Sword Light-revealed sword objects only half-intact, evidently broken and incomplete beneath the lake.

Yet, even so, these swords could still form Sword Lake Thousand Shadows, even merging with remnants of energy in the air, exuding stronger killing intent and ferocity.

Despite being remnants, they remained unabated; this was the state of the swords in Defeated Sword Lake.

"Whoosh——"

A piercing sound echoed, as if triggering a switch; Sword Lights in the Sword Curtains on both sides split in unison, firing countless strands of Sword Qi, piercing toward the center.

Sword Lake Thousand Shadows fully activated, with Sword Qi shooting fiercely, colliding with the Protective Aura of the two, creating countless tiny specks of Light.

"This little Sword Light won't hurt us," Mo Guming maintained his Protective True Qi while scanning the surroundings, "but I feel a sense of threat lurking in the dark, seemingly of considerable harm."

The earlier astonishment was merely due to Sword Lake Thousand Shadows still being operational. In reality, with the two's strength, they could have seated themselves as Hall Master or Deputy Hall Master in the Sword Discussion Hall before; why fear this Sword Lake Thousand Shadows that tests challengers' strength?

But Mo Guming sensed a mysterious threat quietly lurking.

"There is indeed a threat..."

Qing Yu's eyes glinted with a layer of blood light, and the Nirvana Sword suddenly swung backward, blocking a pitch-black sharp sword.

"Who's there?"

Mo Guming was likewise attacked, wielding the Rebellion Sword to parry on the right, clashing with the black sword.

"Clang——"

After a crisp clanging sound, the black sword merged into the Sword Light, with the wielder also completely vanishing from sight.

"What's going on?" Mo Guming frowned deeply. "There shouldn't be such things in Sword Lake Thousand Shadows."

Among the Demon Sword Dao predecessors, someone nearly ascended to the chief position in the Sword Discussion Hall. Thanks to that predecessor's favor, Mo Guming was well-acquainted with the setup in Sword God Lake and could not be mistaken.

In his memory, Sword Lake Thousand Shadows merely tested challengers' power; the earlier black sword should not have been present.

"Regardless, entering Sword God Lake is essential. Let's just force our way through."

Having said this, Qing Yu shot forward like a meteor, trailing a long shadow, moving toward the Other Shore of the Lake Heart Island. Along the way, Sword Qi continuously shot forth, yet such Sword Qi could not deplete even a fraction of the Protective Aura. Qing Yu pressed forward unhindered, soon approaching the Lake Heart Island.

Yet, the black sharp sword wouldn't allow Qing Yu to enter the Lake Heart Island unopposed. As Qing Yu drew closer to Lake Heart Island, the dark shadows hidden within the Sword Curtains could no longer hold back.

Weighted Sword Shadows, like heaven's wrath, charged downward with overpowering pressure. The black sharp sword reappeared, wielded by a solidified black shadow.

"Sure enough, you possess intelligence."

Qing Yu smiled faintly, thrusting the Nirvana Sword upward, pinpointing the black sharp sword's tip.

Patient, waiting for the opportunity. Qing Yu pressed onward throughout, until nearly reaching Lake Heart Island, did this black shadow make a move. This was unlike the actions an inanimate setup like Sword Lake Thousand Shadows would perform.

Furthermore, the black shadow's attack solidified its intelligence to Qing Yu.

Punishment Heaven Sword, one of Sword God Lake's Absolute Skills, was not a move an inanimate object could perform.

Slightly raising his head, Qing Yu's blood-tinted eyes stared at the eye region of the black shadow as if meeting its gaze.

Boom——

In that instant of eye contact, Qing Yu seemed to glimpse an abyss of destruction and chaos, followed by a sword shadow filled with killing intent appearing in his pupils, rapidly growing larger and slashing toward him.

"Heart Sword of Silent Annihilation."

At the critical moment, Qing Yu's eyes emitted a jet-black Sword Light; the Heart Sword of Silent Annihilation clashed with the killing intent sword shadow, both nullifying each other silently.

"Boom——"

At the same time, a loud explosion came from not far away; it was Mo Guming encountering a black shadow as well, with both battling ceaselessly. That shadow was like a living being, wielding myriad sword techniques as if an extension of itself, evenly matched with Mo Guming.

"Buzz——"

A sword whistle suddenly echoed, with two figures embracing by the distant lakeshore, pouring Sword Qi into the Heavenly Talent Sword Body, breaking through the endless hindrance of Sword Light, slicing through the air as they came.

Behind them, azure mist eroded Sword Light, plowing through with unstoppable force.

"Mo Guming, I'll go on ahead; if you can't keep up, keep those behind you company."

Qing Yu loudly shouted, with a Heavenly Sword flying out from behind, instantly obliterating the black shadow, then controlled by Qing Yu to charge forward, breaching into the range of Lake Heart Island.

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