Chapter 1024: The Sword Art of the Yin Queen

Since achieving mastery of the Yi Jin Jing and thus reaching the level of a grandmaster, Kai Xin’s strength had seen further leaps and improvements. Filled with confidence, he faced the Yin Queen this time.
Yet it was precisely for this reason that Kai Xin realized a disheartening truth—even the Yin Queen, at the peak of her mythical power, no longer posed a real threat to him.
Without activating his “True Vital Energy Field,” thanks to the 10% damage reduction granted by his mastery of the Yi Jin Jing, he could already confront Zhu Yuyan head-on.
In terms of defense, his Immortal Body combined with the Yi Jin Jing, along with his full set of four-stage magical weapon equipment and his extraordinary innate attributes, allowed him to withstand the Yin Queen’s attacks. His Lingbo Microstep was equally remarkable, allowing him to move just as swiftly as the Yin Queen.
With these advantages, along with his Dark Iron Heavy Sword and the Magic Hong Mie Shi Jue, Kai Xin was able to hold his own against the Yin Queen even after escaping the crowd of thousand Buddhas!
The Heavenly Demon Energy Field! The Dark Iron Heavy Sword!
Although the energy field slowing down his movement, Kai Xin quickly adjusted his sword techniques and used the Dark Iron Heavy Sword in a defensive stance, effortlessly blocking all of the Yin Queen’s attacks—the sword’s blocking success rate was extremely high.
“Master Zhu, there’s no need to be merciful with a junior like me…” Kai Xin taunted as he blocked her attacks.
“Little brat, watch me pull out all your teeth!”
A gleaming long sword emerged from the mystical misty figure, instantly transforming into thousands of icy stars that rushed at Kai Xin from various directions.
Kai Xin tensed slightly—he had only intended to lightly provoke the Yin Queen, but she still retained her full strength. He had never heard her use sword techniques before.
Being able to force Zhu Yuyan to draw her weapon was already a considerable achievement…
While feeling pleased, Kai Xin soon sensed overwhelming pressure!
The Yin Queen’s sword techniques were inscrutable and incredibly fast. Combined with the Heavenly Demon Energy Field, the threat multiplied instantly.
Ding! Ding ding!!
His Dark Iron Heavy Sword was already heavy, and its speed couldn’t compare to that of the Yin Queen. Now, trapped in the Heavenly Demon Energy Field, its speed was even slower. The Yin Queen’s sudden shift to sword combat threw Kai Xin, who was used to her other fighting styles, into chaos…
So fast! Too fast!!
Despite trying his best to anticipate her sword movements and block them, he was still constrained by the limitations of his Dark Iron Heavy Sword and the Magic Hong Mie Shi Jue—full defense was impossible, and soon several bloodstains appeared on his body…
Puh!

The appearance of the scar filled Kai Xin with shock, yet he couldn’t help feeling a sense of relief. He had come here to seek Shi Zhi Xuan in order to experience that elusive essence between life and death and make progress in the “Meridian Purification Scripture.” But now that his strength had greatly increased and he no longer felt pressured even in the face of the Yin Queen, how could he immerse himself in such a state of life and death? Although the Yin Queen had become even more ferocious and dangerous by switching to swordsmanship, it finally made Kai Xin feel a slight sense of tension…

Comprehension! Where was the comprehension between life and death? As the seventeenth scar appeared on his body, Kai Xin fought off the Yin Queen’s fierce attacks while sensing the changes within himself. Yet to his disappointment, the “Meridian Purification Scripture” remained unchanged at level 1.00, just as dull as before, even though he was now covered in blood and in a pitiful state.

“What exactly do I have to do?” Kai Xin’s forehead was covered in sweat. The Yin Queen and Shi Zhi Xuan were the most powerful demonic masters in the Central Plains he could think of. If he couldn’t gain any insight into the mysteries between life and death from them and meet the requirements of the Mad Monk, it seemed no one in the entire Central Plains could help him advance further in the “Meridian Purification Scripture.”

“Do I really have to die once?” Kai Xin felt helpless.

Suddenly! As the Yin Queen’s ever-shifting, elusive figure vanished completely from all directions, her demonic aura also dissipated.

“Hm?” With the pressure gone, Kai Xin felt a sudden relief, as if a tremendous burden had been lifted. But as the Yin Queen reappeared clearly atop a ruined pillar nearby, his pupils constricted…

The Yin Queen said nothing after reappearing. Zhu Yu Yan’s face turned ashen and dark, almost dripping with anger. Failing to defeat even a junior disciple from the secular sect of Shaolin after such a long time was unbearably frustrating for her. Her gaze turned as cold as frost, staring down at Kai Xin cruelly and mercilessly…

“Very good.” The Yin Queen’s voice grew even colder. As she spoke, she gently stretched her arms, her long sword emitting a dark glow that instantly darkened the surrounding space. “It’s been a long time since anyone has forced me to draw my sword…” “…” “It’s also been a long time since anyone has pushed me to this extreme. I must admit, you really impress me. If only you were a disciple of the sacred sect… What a pity!” Facing such a talented and powerful disciple of the righteous path, the Yin Queen’s heart was filled with an uncontrollable desire to destroy everything. “Soul Demon Sword!”

As the four characters were slowly spoken from the Yin Queen’s mouth, the entire space seemed to pause slightly under the sudden intensity in her gaze. A black beam pierced through Happy’s body in an instant! “That’s…” The moment it came into contact with the Yin Queen’s gaze, the black sword light seemed to merge with it, combining an extremely destructive sword intent with the might of a mythic warrior—so fast that Happy didn’t even have time to raise his hand to defend himself… Pop! His body was instantly pierced through by that fierce black light! A gush of blood sprayed from his chest and back! At the moment the sword pierced his chest, a snow-white figure swiftly flew in from afar and landed on the open ground opposite the Yin Queen, Zhu Yuyan. After stepping forward a few times, she stopped immediately. The woman covered in a white veil glanced at the Yin Queen with complex emotions, then at Happy, whose body was pierced by the long sword and was on the verge of collapsing. Her expression darkened first, and she let out a deep, resonant sigh. Then, suddenly noticing an almost imperceptible paleness on the Yin Queen’s face, she turned back and glanced at Happy again, involuntarily exclaiming in shock, “I never thought the Yin Queen, who hasn’t used a weapon in years, would be forced to use the ‘Heavenly Demon Sword Technique’ by a junior!” “Hmph! You do have good eyesight.” The Yin Queen sneered disdainfully, “But this dying kid isn’t any weaker than you. I don’t know who taught him his skills, but he’s quite troublesome. Even I had to exert quite a bit of effort.” “…What a pity.” How could Shi Feixuan fail to realize that the unknown young warrior whose body had been pierced by the Yin Queen still carried traces of her sword intent within him? Moreover, his mind seemed to have collapsed entirely, out of his own control. No matter how excellent he had been before, this man was finished. “I never thought the mighty Yin Queen would use the ‘Soul Demon Sword’ from the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique—a move that drains so much vital energy—against a junior…” “Your master must have invested a lot of effort in you, even teaching you the ‘Soul Demon Sword’.” A hint of wariness flashed in the Yin Queen’s eyes. Shi Feixuan drew her long sword back: “The ‘Soul Demon Sword’ is the most powerful move in the Heavenly Demon Sword Technique. It combines the user’s will, vital energy, and sword intent, making it incredibly formidable. Even in my Cihang Jingzhai’s Sword Canon, one must reach a level of perfect sword mastery to barely resist it. How could a junior not study in detail the technique that the Yin Queen once relied on to become famous?”

After a pause, Shi Feixuan changed her tone and said, “Moreover, I happen to know that once the ‘Soul Demon Sword’ is used, it not only consumes a great deal of vital energy and reduces one’s strength but also shakes and wounds the will. At such times, Master Zhu can barely exert even 70% of his usual strength.”
“Hmph!”
How could the Yin Empress not understand the meaning behind Shi Feixuan’s words? Seeing her long sword pointed at her, the Empress raised an eyebrow and said, “Even with just half of my strength, it would take me but a moment to destroy a little girl like you.”
“Then Feixuan will offend you!”
With a sharp cry, Shi Feixuan swung her sword, creating before the Yin Empress a river of light filled with danger.
“Good! Truly worthy of being Fan Suying’s favorite disciple from Ci Hang Jing Zhai. I didn’t expect your mastery of the sword art to have improved further!”
The Yin Empress’s expression changed as she took a step back.
Shi Feixuan had already reached the mythic realm years ago, and now her sword skills had improved even more, which naturally shocked the Yin Empress and made her feel threatened for the first time.
“Thank you for your praise, senior!”
Though Shi Feixuan spoke politely, her sword attacks did not weaken at all; instead, they grew more fierce as she pressed forward…
Zhu Yuyan, the head of the Yin Gui Sect, was forced into a disadvantage by Shi Feixuan’s sword and had to retreat deep into the Great Buddha Temple.
The two women completely forgot about their joy at having been struck by the sword yet not dying on the spot!
In the Yin Empress’s eyes, anyone struck by her Soul Demon Sword was doomed to death…
Shi Feixuan also believed that someone with the Empress’s destructive sword intent still lingering in their body and suffering from mental collapse had no chance of survival. Now, she only wanted to seize this opportunity to avenge the unnamed young righteous disciple—taking advantage of the Empress’s greatly weakened strength.
Unbeknownst to them!
Three seconds after they left, the last trace of sword intent remaining in Kai Xin rampaged unchecked, destroying many of her meridians before finally disappearing completely.
But…
That trace of sword intent failed to push the barely alive Kai Xin into reincarnation!
The “Yi Jin Jing”
Thanks to the existence of the “Yi Jin Jing,” Kai Xin’s meridians possessed greater capacity and resilience than those of ordinary people!
When the sword intent crashed into her body, it actually triggered her vital energy to protect her. Surrounded by this vital energy, the sword intent quickly collapsed.
But Kai Xin paid a heavy price for this—she lost most of her internal energy, her face turning pale as she became extremely weak…
Her weakened body made it even harder for her to withstand the pressure on her will!
The mightiest strike, containing the Empress’s full strength, utterly shattered Kai Xin’s will!
It was like the sun melting snow! Darkness engulfed everything!

His weak body was almost crushing the last vestiges of Happy’s consciousness; in his daze, it seemed as though a voice was singing a lullaby in his ear, urging him to fall asleep.