Volume One: Young Lord of the Demon God — Chapter 23: The Final Trial

Qi Yu stared at the Shadow Leopard, his expression grave.

What incredible speed!

Suddenly, the Shadow Leopard transformed into a streak of black lightning and lunged forward! Qi Yu recalled the training sessions with Xiao Yu’er, though back then, Xiao Yu’er had been the one evading while he had been the one chasing.

As the black flash descended, Qi Yu seized the moment, using his footwork to narrowly dodge the swipe. The Shadow Leopard landed, then launched itself off the ground at a wicked angle, pouncing at Qi Yu again. Caught off guard, Qi Yu felt his back being clawed once more.

"Damn it, come again!"

A surge of frustration welled up inside him. When he had chased Xiao Yu’er, he had been toyed with, and now, even while on the defensive, he was being played for a fool.

The Shadow Leopard, seemingly tireless, turned into a blur of afterimages time and again. Qi Yu focused solely on dodging. At first, he was repeatedly struck, but after losing a significant amount of blood, he began to adapt to the beast's speed. Finally, the Shadow Leopard could no longer land a hit, and Qi Yu decided it was time to end the trial of the eighth floor.

Gripping his blade, Cold Cicada, Qi Yu swung as the beast lunged—a brilliant, dazzling arc of sword energy! But to his surprise, the Shadow Leopard raised a front paw and swiped downward, unleashing several wind blades that collided head-on with his sword aura.

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed. Qi Yu was pushed back several steps, looking up in shock. The Shadow Leopard had been holding back as well!

The beast arched its back, a surprisingly human-like smirk curling at the corners of its mouth. In the next moment, it reared up and swiped, three wind blades screaming through the air! Qi Yu countered with a slash, shattering the blades, and then charged forward to close the distance.

The first move of the God-Slaying Sword Technique!

A flash of light tore across the ground, leaving a jagged, terrifying scar in the floor. But the Shadow Leopard had already vanished, seizing the split second of Qi Yu’s exertion to strike him in the waist. Qi Yu spun around, thrusting his sword in pursuit. The beast dodged with lightning speed, but a surge of terrifying sword energy erupted from the tip of the blade, slicing into the Shadow Leopard’s back and sending blood spraying.

After a brutal exchange, neither the man nor the beast had gained the upper hand; both were covered in wounds and soaked in blood. The Shadow Leopard stood trembling, blood dripping from its fur onto the ground. Qi Yu gripped Cold Cicada, a fierce fighting spirit igniting in his eyes.

Fight!

In that moment, the pain vanished, replaced only by a surging desire for battle. Sensing the change, the Shadow Leopard fired three wind blades and turned into a streak of black lightning, bolting in another direction. Qi Yu shattered the wind blades with a single strike, then unleashed a torrent of sword light that completely blocked the beast's path. The Shadow Leopard swiped desperately to deflect the incoming strikes, then turned to flee—but a sharp, resonant chime of steel rang out.

A flash of white light swept across the Shadow Leopard's neck, and blood erupted! A sword mark, dozens of feet long, was carved deep into the solid wall behind it.

Thump, thump.

The Shadow Leopard’s head rolled to Qi Yu’s feet.

Qi Yu breathed heavily. Instead of breaking open the beast's skull, he sat cross-legged to tend to his wounds. Seeing the dense web of claw marks across his body, he was stunned. Some were deep enough to expose bone—it was a gruesome sight! He channeled his spiritual energy to heal, while his consciousness dived into the Demon God Sword Domain, repeatedly practicing the true essence of the God-Slaying Sword Technique.

He had only mastered the first three moves. The fourth remained elusive; he had the form, but lacked the true intent to unleash its full power. After several hours of absorbing spiritual energy within the domain, his wounds were mostly healed.

Qi Yu stood up, took the teleportation token, and looked grave. The beasts on the eighth floor were nearing the fourth tier; would the ninth floor be a true fourth-tier beast? A third-tier beast was already equivalent to a master of the Profound Martial Realm, and he couldn't even imagine the power of a fourth-tier beast. It might even rival a master of the Profound Sovereign Realm.

He had heard that a formidable monster was sealed on the ninth floor of the Demon-Sealing Tower. For hundreds of years, every genius of the Sword Sect who challenged it had failed, some even paying with their lives.

Qi Yu stared at the token for a long time before sighing. "How could I be content to quit now?"

A soft click echoed, and a curtain of light flared. Not far away, the white-robed deacon and Elder Jiang stood together.

"This boy," the deacon exclaimed, astonished, "he actually cleared the eighth floor!"

Elder Jiang’s heart pounded. Fortunately, he had stopped trying to sabotage Qi Yu along with Ji Gang; otherwise, his fate would surely be worse than Ji Gang’s! After steadying his breath, he managed to say, "Indeed, a genius seen once in a century. The previous Saintess, if I recall, was defeated on the ninth floor."

The deacon nodded. "Correct. Passing the eighth floor grants one the status of Saint or Saintess. The last disciple to pass the ninth floor was four hundred years ago—the Sect Master himself, Chen Qingming."

"A peerless sword genius like Sect Master Chen only appears once every ten thousand years," Elder Jiang remarked.

The deacon looked thoughtful. "I have high hopes for this kid. Though, come to think of it, his father is Qi Zhenming, isn't he?"

Elder Jiang nodded, his brow furrowing as he recalled, "Qi Zhenming, back when he was at the Demon-Sealing Tower, he was..."

The deacon fell into deep contemplation. Suddenly, they both turned to look at each other, their faces pale with horror.

"That Qi Zhenming," the deacon whispered, "nearly shattered the entire Demon-Sealing Tower with a single strike!"

Only Chen Qingming and the Grand Elder had witnessed it firsthand. That year, many demons had escaped the tower, costing the Sword Sect dearly. The event had been sealed by the sect, known only to a few tower guardians, and the memory had gradually faded. Seeing Qi Yu appear on the ninth floor, the deacon’s voice trembled. "Back then, it was right at that spot where Qi Zhenming..."

Elder Jiang grabbed his communication token and alerted every guardian in the tower: "Dammit, notify everyone! Enter Level One alert status!"

***

On the ninth floor of the Demon-Sealing Tower, Qi Yu stepped out of the light. To his surprise, there was no dark chamber, but a human figure.

"Who are you?" Qi Yu asked, startled.

The figure turned, revealing a handsome young man. He smiled faintly. "Congratulations on reaching the ninth floor. I am your final trial."

"You?" Qi Yu asked.

"Indeed," the young man replied. "I am Shen Yuntian, the first Sect Master of the Heavenly Firmament Sword Sect. I founded this sect to cultivate more warriors for humanity and to slay demons."

"You... you are the first Sect Master?" Qi Yu was shocked. The sect had existed for thousands of years—was the founder still alive?

Shen Yuntian shook his head. "What you see is a remnant of my consciousness. My soul has long since faded. If you pass my test, you shall inherit a portion of my legacy! Oh, and I should mention—in life, I was at the Profound Saint Realm."

Qi Yu stood frozen. He had expected a beast at the level of a Profound Sovereign, but this was two realms higher than his wildest predictions! How could he fight this? There was no chance of resistance.

Shen Yuntian raised a hand, gathering spiritual energy into his palm until it formed a golden sword. "The test is simple. Use your strongest attack against me. If you can break this sword of condensed energy, you pass."

"You have three chances."

"Three chances... is anything permitted?" Qi Yu murmured.

Shen Yuntian nodded. "I feel a strange sense of familiarity from you. Perhaps it is just my imagination, but give it your all."

Qi Yu formed a seal, and Cold Cicada appeared in his hand. Shen Yuntian nodded in approval. "A fine blade."

Qi Yu’s expression turned somber. He poured his spiritual energy into Cold Cicada, which began to glow with a golden light, humming with intense power.

*Hum!*

The blade vibrated violently, reaching its limit. Yet, Qi Yu felt it wasn't enough. *A little more!* Finally, Cold Cicada began to ring with a sharp, piercing sound.

With eyes like burning torches, Qi Yu unleashed his strike!

In an instant, the world darkened. A silver moon seemed to cleave the space, tearing a rift open. The released sword energy erupted like falling stars, surging toward the golden blade in Shen Yuntian’s hand!