The Cunning Treasure Hunter

Chapter 96 The Unyielding Blade

Monsters, strength, rebellion, and ghosts—

These four words form the phrase The Four Supernatural Forces: the unnatural and the divine.

Confucius once proclaimed that such matters were not to be spoken of.

But what is the martial world if not a realm where the energy of nature is gathered in the core,

And The Four Supernatural Forces are wielded as tools of power?

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In such a place, it's only natural that faith should exist—

Even faith in the incomprehensible.

A name that could not be spoken aloud by anyone other than the Heavenly Demon,

A being worshiped by the Demonic Cult, revered by all who follow the Heavenly Demon:

The Malefic Deity.

And the aura of the Malefic Deity was known as demonic energy—

A power gained by pledging eternal, fanatical devotion.

"Behold… this is the strength of this Sword Ghost."

The air turned heavy with oppressive demonic energy,

And everyone froze in place.

Even Regis and Adrian,

Masters who had stood firm through countless battles,

Could not move.

The Walls of Mastery

The wall of first-rate martial artists—

Encountered by the talented, surpassed by the extraordinary.

The wall of peak-level martial artists—

Faced by the exceptional, conquered by the extraordinary.

But the wall of the supreme level?

That required destiny.

For some, it came in the form of a sudden epiphany,

Much like the Buddhist concept of enlightenment.

For others, it was the result of mastering forbidden arts,

Like the Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique.

And for the rare few, it was simply their innate constitution,

Such as the Celestial Martial Body.

To encounter and overcome the supreme wall

Meant one was chosen—by fate, by the heavens.

For Daven, the Sword Ghost,

It was the culmination of decades of effort.

By the age of eighty, he had reached the pinnacle of the supreme level,

And now, by resurrecting the Heavenly Sound Blood Absorption Technique,

He was poised to step into the Heavenly Realm.

He was a man who defied the heavens to open the gate to his ascension.

Yet, amidst this overwhelming display of power,

There was one who refused to surrender—

Vera, small and fragile,

Struggling to rise.

Her slender body trembled as she forced herself to move.

"You foolish girl. Do you think struggling will save you?"

The Sword Ghost's laugh was sharp, mocking.

The demonic energy he had infused into her body would soon twist her meridians,

Reducing her to a screaming wretch.

Slowly, Daven approached her.

His footsteps echoed mockingly,

Each one a declaration of her impending doom.

Vera gritted her teeth and gathered her inner energy.

The demonic energy, though overwhelming,

Was being pushed out by her Mixed energy Foundation.

But her body…

Her breath hitched.

"...Hngh, ha… huff…"

Every inhale brought pain.

Her ribs were fractured—

Two, maybe more.

Her breaths came short and shallow,

Her chest throbbing with agony.

But she had no choice.

She couldn't run.

Running would only lead to the capture of her allies as hostages.

The only path was forward.

Her black blade shimmered faintly,

Gleaming as she drove it into the ground to prop herself up.

With a shaky breath, she stood.

Her dark eyes glimmered like stars piercing a moonless night.

This was no time to hesitate about the Celestial Blade Star's power.

She inhaled deeply,

Ignoring the pain that furrowed her brow.

"?Haaa… Huff…"

"You're already standing? Yes, yes, that's the Celestial Blade Star for you."

Daven laughed,

Pointing his sword cloaked in sword energy at her.

But Vera did not falter.

She inhaled the lingering malice and resentment of the dead,

The rancid stench of blood saturating the air.

"Did you really think… I would die so easily?"

Her hair and sleeves rippled in the growing storm of energy.

This place,

A graveyard steeped in death,

Was perfect for the Celestial Blade Star's power.

The Celestial Blade Star absorbed the malice and resentments,

While the Black dragon within her Mixed energy Foundation devoured the energy,

Releasing a sharp, oppressive aura.

With every breath,

Her blade filled with sword energy,

Solidifying into an unshakable blade.

"In the midst of this chaos… you're advancing beyond the entry-level of the supreme."

Daven chuckled,

His laughter tinged with disbelief.

"It's remarkable… I thought the Celestial Blade Star was a mere myth."

"Do you believe it now?" Vera shot back, her voice steady.

"Yes… those eyes. Black as the starless night.

The same eyes the Heavenly Demon once possessed."

The mention of the Heavenly Demon made Vera frown.

No one would be pleased to be compared to the Heavenly Demon.

Her fate might be tied to the Celestial Blade Star,

But she refused to walk the same path.

"I am not the Heavenly Demon," she declared.

"Of course not! The Heavenly Demon would never descend into the body of a righteous fool like you!"

Daven's roar reverberated like a thunderclap.

The force of his voice, laden with demonic energy,

Caused every warrior below the supreme level to vomit blood.

Ethan was unharmed, but the same could not be said for Marcus.

Though he avoided spitting blood, his insides churned violently.

It had been less than a month since he had stepped into the entry-level of the peak realm,

And the realm had not yet fully stabilized within him.

"Urgh…"

Finally, Marcus collapsed to his knees, trembling uncontrollably.

He desperately drew upon the energy of the Clear Mind Technique,

But it was not enough.

Vera, seeing this, bit her lip.

The Sword Ghost, Daven, smirked as he took two more steps forward.

When Vera assumed the initial stance of the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword,

He showed no alarm.

"A child wielding the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword already?

What a blessing for the Mount Suncrest Sect."

His tone was thick with mockery.

What use was her talent,

When her death was assured today?

That blessing would soon become a curse.

"Enough talk. Speak your purpose," Vera said coldly.

"Surrender your heart willingly,

And I shall let your senior brothers live and return unharmed."

Both Marcus and Ethan froze,

Their eyes widening in shock.

A tremor ran through Marcus's gaze,

And in the next moment,

He pushed through the oppressive demonic energy,

And let out a desperate shout.

"Never!!!"

Hack!

Unable to endure the internal damage any longer,

He coughed up blood.

Ethan supported his trembling brother,

Shaking his head at Vera.

Absolutely not.

His eyes spoke the words they could not.

Seeing this, the Sword Ghost let out a wicked grin.

"Well then, how about this instead?"

With a casual flick of his wrist,

He spun his sword in his hand.

The ease of a master radiated from his every movement.

"If you can graze me, even once, before you collapse…

I will let them all go."

"You're mocking me," Vera replied.

"How perceptive! How clever you are!"

This was no ordinary opponent.

He was a veteran demon, a master at the pinnacle of the supreme level.

No matter how extraordinary her vision was,

Could Vera, a girl of such youth,

Overcome the refined skill honed by eighty years?

Impossible.

This was Daven, the Sword Ghost,

Who had participated in The Great War of Light and Shadow and Demons fifty years ago.

A living legend.

While he had not yet crossed into the Heavenly Realm,

His skill and experience rivaled those who had.

In contrast, Vera was a prodigy,

A talent the world had never seen before.

But she was still young,

Her strength not yet fully realized.

"…Mock me all you want," Vera said.

Refusal was not an option.

There was only one choice.

Her resolve solidified,

And so did her sword energy.

Her feet planted firmly, her energy surged.

It was a farce.

No matter how fiercely she attacked,

The Sword Ghost deflected her strikes effortlessly.

When he used even a fraction of his Blade Blood Heaven Sword Techniques,

The result was devastating.

Boom!

"Argh… ugh…"

She was sent flying,

Her body crashing into a wall with a sickening thud.

Had she not instinctively drawn upon her inner energy,

She would have died instantly.

Even so,

The impact left her with internal injuries.

Her breathing grew labored.

Though exhausted,

She refused to fall.

"A stubborn child… Not bad for someone so fragile-looking," the Sword Ghost sneered.

"Thank… you…" she gasped between breaths.

The only one capable of matching the Sword Ghost blow for blow

Was Regis.

But he was still locked in battle with Adrian,

Both fighters restrained by the oppressive weight of demonic energy.

To act recklessly would leave an opening,

And in that single moment, a spear or sword could find their throat.

Time passed,

And with each exchange,

Vera was pushed closer to her limit.

The Sword Ghost refrained from killing her outright.

After all, he needed her heart—

Alive and still beating.

Instead, he struck her with the flat of his blade,

Sending her sprawling to the ground or crashing into walls.

"…No…"

Despite using almost every form of the Nine Heavens Cherry Blossom Sword,

The Sword Ghost remained standing,

Untouched and unscathed.

Her limbs screamed in agony,

Her legs trembling, her arms weak.

"No… I can't…"

She bit her lip,

Desperately trying to summon her inner energy.

But there was nothing left.

Her Black dragon, dormant,

Had retreated to her core,

Leaving only a faint trickle of energy to protect her meridians.

If she used even that…

Her body would seize up completely,

And she would be powerless to resist as her heart was taken.

"I… I have to move…"

She forced her body to rise,

But her trembling legs refused to obey.

Her slender arms quivered under the strain.

Muscles and bones alike screamed in protest.

And as she struggled…

The Sword Ghost licked his lips,

Taking slow, deliberate steps toward her.