Chapter 69

This destructive storm devastated the entire desolate city, leveling all the buildings to the ground. Only a few areas were still being stubbornly defended by martial kings against the rampant sword blades.

When the storm subsided and the sword blades dissipated, the floating blood mist recondensed, forming seven rivers that all flowed into the giant sword hanging in mid-air. Dust, rubble, and broken limbs rained down like a curtain.

The seven sword beams, having consumed the blood of tens of thousands of martial artists and beasts, finally calmed down, transforming into seven ancient and simple swords that floated quietly in the air. Despite their varied styles, they all emitted a strong aura of blood and evil.

"Is it over?" Tang Qing gazed at the ancient swords in the sky, feeling a lingering fear. A hint of greed also began to grow in her heart, as if something was calling to her.

Smack! Tang Bayi slapped the back of his head and growled, "You're crazy, don't look at them!"

Tang Hao remained vigilant, "These ancient swords are sinister. I think... it's not over yet!"

At this moment, some surviving martial king-level experts appeared in various parts of the desolate city. They crawled out of the ruins, disheveled and trembling from the aftermath. But when they looked up at the sky, they all showed a greed similar to Tang Qing's. Some couldn't resist this emotion and rushed madly toward the sky, trying to seize the swords for themselves.

The result...

"Ahh!!" One martial king, the moment he grasped the sword hilt, suddenly let out a piercing scream. His robust body rapidly withered, looking like a deflated balloon from a distance. He screamed and struggled violently, but his body was firmly suctioned to the sword hilt. In a short while, the screams stopped, and his flesh and blood were completely drained, leaving a dry, cracked body that quickly disintegrated into dust and scattered in the wind.

"Hisss!!" The other martial kings who had rushed over drew in cold breaths, stopping in their tracks. They looked warily at the evil ancient swords, and no one dared to take another step forward.

"Too ruthless!! What the hell are these things?" Tang Bayi grimaced. A martial king was completely drained like that? Fortunately, he didn't rush over just now!

A violent explosion suddenly occurred in a part of the desolate city, with thick smoke rolling and spreading. A wild laugh echoed through the sky, "Haha, the Seven Kill Swords have been reborn! I, Mutuwa, thank you all!"

"That's Chishen? As expected, it's their doing!" Tang Bayi's face turned angry, but he quickly regained his composure, suppressing his impulse. He signaled to Tang Qing and Tang Hao, protecting the unconscious Tang Yan and the others, and carefully retreated to a distance. No matter what happened here, they didn't want to get further involved.

"Chishen!! You are declaring war on the three empires of Bianshan!" From a part of the ruins, a surviving imperial royal family member glared angrily but dared not make any rash moves.

"Whoever wants revenge, come to me! We, Chishen, will see it through to the end!!" Mutuwa appeared before a three-meter-long, blood-red killing sword, admiring its ancient and grand form with a mesmerized look.

A middle-aged beauty, also at the level of a martial venerable, appeared before a slender, snake-like silver killing sword, equally captivated by its perfect appearance.

"Clara!" Mutuwa called to the middle-aged beauty. They looked at each other, took a deep breath, and simultaneously grabbed the killing swords in front of them. Instantly, a strong pulling force surged from the sword hilts, as if they were gripping some kind of beast rather than a sword.

They were prepared, allowing the swords to consume their essence and blood while channeling their spiritual energy to envelop and control them. The other Chishen members stood guard around them, on high alert.

"Damn it! Let's go!" All the surviving forces left with a grudge. They had already suffered great losses and couldn't afford any more. Besides, Chishen had two venerables, and they had no right to challenge them.

After the storm ended, five figures approached from a distance, their vast auras like a flood covering the areas they passed. They were venerable-level experts arriving!

They were a mysterious organization collaborating with Chishen, coming for the other five killing swords.

But before they arrived, an old man in the depths of the ruins slowly stood up, took a deep puff of his pipe, and extended his withered right hand. A strong suction force instantly enveloped one of the purple killing swords.

Buzz!! The purple killing sword trembled violently, trying to resist but unable to break free, rapidly falling.

"Who is that?" The Chishen members were secretly alarmed, wanting to chase but wary of the terrifying killing swords, and even more afraid of disturbing Mutuwa and Clara, who were in the process of claiming the swords.

The surviving forces were secretly alarmed, realizing there were still hidden experts nearby. They stopped, focusing their attention on the dusty old man, wondering if he would be drained of his essence and blood, or if he could successfully control the sword.

"Lei Yun! I've been waiting for you for many years!" The old man, smoking his pipe, grasped the falling purple long sword. The sword bent and moved flexibly, as if it had a living soul, glowing with a cold, sharp, lightning-like purple light.

The Lei Yun sword was fiercely consuming the old man's essence and blood, and his arm visibly withered, followed by his entire body.

The old man, smoking his pipe, remained expressionless, seemingly unaware of the pain, and continued to smoke while allowing Lei Yun to consume his blood. He slowly walked toward the distant mystic forest, appearing to move slowly but actually covering great distances, silently disappearing from everyone's sight.

Mutuwa and Clara finally controlled their respective killing swords but couldn't find the old man's trace.

"Go, go, go!" The survivors no longer hesitated, fleeing the ruins.

Now everyone understood that this was a killing trap deliberately set by Chishen, and they were all pawns in it! This news must be spread to make Chishen a public enemy in the entire Bianshan region, subject to joint manhunts by the three empires.

Not long after, five figures wrapped in white mist approached from a distance, looking at the remaining four killing swords with unfriendly tones, "Mutuwa, you violated the agreement!! Where is the Lei Yun sword?"

"It was taken by an old man, just now! If you had arrived a step earlier, you might have caught him." Mutuwa, feeling the surging aura of the blood sword, had a murderous look in his eyes, exuding a confidence that he feared no opponent.

"An old man? Impossible! When the Seven Kill Swords are unsealed, they will consume millions of essence and blood, automatically recognizing venerable-level experts as threats and eliminating them. There can't be any martial venerables left here!"

"Hand it over quickly, our previous agreement still stands. Otherwise, no one in the world can protect you!"

Mutuwa, known for his fiery temper, roared, "Think with your waterlogged brains! Where could I hide it? Who else would dare to touch them besides me and Clara?"

Clara said, "Believe it or not, it's an old man who smokes a pipe, possibly a reclusive old monster."

Suddenly, a cold ice mist emerged from the white mist, enveloping two Chishen members, causing them to scream in agony.

"You..." Mutuwa was furious.

The white mist quickly released the two, and a voice full of resentment came out, "Yes, it's an old man who smokes a pipe, but unfortunately, he escaped."

"He won't escape unless he never uses the Lei Yun sword. Once he uses it, the other killing swords will sense its presence." The other four white mists no longer hesitated, each enveloping a killing sword and beginning the process of claiming and controlling them.

At the same time, in the Northern Desolate Region of the Great Zhou Empire, the Lingwang Manor!

Zhou Lingwang paced anxiously, a rare display of urgency. But now... he was eager to know the specific situation in the desolate city's cemetery.

"Your Highness, you seem even more anxious than I am." From the dark corner of the study, a white-robed old man slowly emerged, his skin dry and pale. Even with a smile, he couldn't hide the ruthlessness that radiated from within.

Zhou Lingwang smiled, "I am a bit excited. This is the first step of our plan. If something goes wrong..."

"Your Highness