Shu Huang met Li Muchen for the first time 250 years ago.

At the time the former was making waves in the Orthodox Cultivators for his otherworldly talent and cultivation speed. The latter was also somewhat famous but for the opposite reason.

Gu Yue of the Purple Cloud Sect, Hua Jiahao of the Azure Sky Sect, Dharma of The Buddhist Temple, Han Yue of the Frozen Flower Holyland, Jing Yuan of the Flaming Lion Sect, Mei Ling of the Illusive Dream Palace, and Long Tian of the Dragon Clan.

Each of these era-defining geniuses were part of the same generation as Li Muchen. Each of them soared higher and higher redefining the Cultivation society. Among them was Li Muchen, the first disciple of Sky Mending Siant, someone from the first Genius generation.

Thus, people expected the same from him, yet he failed to deliver. Unlike his fellow disciples, Li Muchen was quickly forgotten as a mediocre cultivator who couldn’t even become a golden core before turning 100.

That was when Li Muchen left on his journey and arrived at the Iron Palm fortress to meet with the Fist King. However, he happened to clash with Shu Huang in the market which devolved into a messy fight.

Shu Huang was arrogant, he sat at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm only at the age of 80. Not even the early golden cores could keep up with him at the time, however, he tasted defeat for the first time and by a cultivator of the same realm at that. None of the strikes he was proud of landed, and the arm he claimed to be tougher than iron was split in two. But what hurt more was the look on his opponent’s face.

“Oh… sorry about that. I misjudged the strength.”

Dead. His opponent’s face looked like he wasn’t even trying, like this was the same as waking up for him, the same as eating a meal or taking a shit, a mundane task he did every day.

Defeating Shu Huang didn’t even need his attention.

The wounds were healed, yet the scars remained. The whispers of the incident became shackles, the talk behind his back stung him like a million daggers. The small changes in everyone’s eyes started to grow, the problem wasn’t his defeat but who he lost to.

The top genius of a generation lost to the black sheep. Even if the elders and his followers brushed it up as a coincidence or him being unprepared, Shu Huang couldn’t accept those words. His cultivation speed plummeted and he couldn’t even sleep without facing the uninterested eyes of Li Muchen.

Eventually, the pressure built to the point that he left the fortress to train. And while hunting demonic cultivators, he met someone. A woman covered in clothes as dark as the starless night. She wielded an equally black sword so masterfully that one would doubt the cloth covering her eyes.

“Little one… I can feel your desire for power… your thirst for revenge. It is so sweet and innocent that I can’t help but want to take it from you.” Her presence was like a flower dyed in blood. “But the hand has to obey the eyes, so make your choice.”

She extended towards him her hand, her palm gripping a beating heart. It belonged to the elder who tried to protect him, his uncle by blood who was his only family, someone who raised him. And she wanted him to eat that heart.

The offer was simple, the woman showed no hostility. However, the clothes, the blandness of her voice, the way she walked, even the gaze behind that cloth, it was a thousand times more intimidating than the one in his nightmares. Even then, only one thing dominated his mind.

“Are you saying that you can make me stronger?”

“The strongest on the continent, that should be enough for your goal, right?” The woman smiled for the first time, a maniacal smile of the devil that mirrored Shu Huang’s.

“I am in.” He chewed on that heart like there was no tomorrow.

That was the day Shu Huang left everything and joined the Demonic cultivators. His only reason was to kill Li Muchen.

“I was sent to track down that kid and Bian Que, but look at my luck!” Shu Huang cackled as he slapped away five flying swords, two of them bent and broke. “I could smell your cowardly ways from a thousand miles, those traps, the little formations, and fake traces!”

Muchen jumped back to avoid the flaming fist that turned the soil into slag. 50% of the forest had been blown to bits by the continuous clashes.

“I didn’t expect you to turn into a stalker, let alone stalk a man like that.” Muchen said, his tone unhurried.

He had the place in lockdown with a formation so no one else could enter.

“Those taunts of yours won’t work on me this time. I know all your methods.” Shu Huang tried to give chase, but he noticed the red light shooting out of the ground.

It was a talisman with the characters for ‘Explode’ blinking bright, the qi flared to warn of a huge explosion. In the moment he jumped back. But his bare feet touched the paper, and not just one. Without the indication of the light or Qi, the stacked talismans exploded with enough force to blow up a mountain.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Shu Huang couldn’t feel his left leg and his right foot was without support making him fall in the crater below. A cloud of smoke covered his eyes while his ears rang because of the explosion. Vision, hearing, and freedom of movement, in an instant he had three important aspects of combat locked away.

Knowing the trick, he looked out for the sword’s gleam, and sure enough, he saw the green gleam. But instead of one, there were tens of gleams. Flying swords clad in green qi rushed in. He couldn’t feel which one was real as they all had the same trace of sword Qi, however only one of them would be fatal. In a hurry, he put his guard up to protect his neck.

Shing!

Five swords dug into his muscles only a little shy of his bones. The sixth sword sliced his right arm from the elbow in a swift motion. The passing wind cleared the smoke and the Muchen sheathed his sword.

“Azure Sky Swordsmanship: Mountain Splitter.” Muchen said facing his opponent. “You don’t know all of my tricks, you only know the ones I’ve shown.”

“And you don’t know anything about me!” Shu Huang smirked. “Dark Semblance: Blood Payment.”

The sliced bone elongated and strands of flesh wriggled around it to reform his arm and leg. In less than two seconds his wounds were gone.

“Those expensive talismans of yours went to waste, and a move like that should zap half of your Qi, all for nothing.” Shu Huang waved the healed hand in front, his confidence rising. “I will feast on your flesh and blood to wash away my suffering, it will be the perfect winning banquet!”

“I see. You’ve long crossed the point of no return.” Muchen’s face lacked any emotion just like his voice, however, in the corner of his heart he felt a sting.

A promising prodigy had turned like this. Why? Because of him?

Being in his position, the first disciple of the Sky Mending Saint came with an equivalent burden. A burden too heavy for his talents. That was what pushed him to a state of despair, a point where he started to doubt his efforts. His actions in those times affected Shu Huang.

Everything the guy did after that, or what he did in the future, all the blood he spilled, and the people he murdered, Li Muchen believed that he was responsible for them too.

So, he decided to end the flames of revenge before they could reach his family this time. Thus, arranging this battle became the first thing he planned for.

Muchen took his stance, his hands gripping the unsheathed as he dropped low. His Qi vanished, every last bit of it covered the edge bathing it in green sword qi.

“I pray that the Tenth Court grants you entry.” He said.

“You want the Wheel of Rebirth to accept a Demonic Cultivator?” Shu Huang’s body dropped low to the ground. Like a beast ready to pounce he growled at Muchen. “Do you intend to belittle me till the end!!”

Muchen didn’t say anything else, the time for words had long passed.

Shu Huang leaped forward. Leaving the obliterated ground in his wake he extended his right hand ahead. A brown claw formed around his palm, the sharp nails slicing the wind. His body covered in Martial Qi was like a chariot charging full speed ahead.

With a smile like the crescent moon, he intended to end his opponent with overwhelming power.

However, Muchen didn’t look hurried. He hadn’t even moved as the beast in human form closed in. He was far outclassed in speed and strength. It was difficult to rely on normal senses in these situations and he hadn’t used any of them till now to dodge the attacks.

Knowing Shu Huang’s nature and hatred, only a frontal rush made sense. His ample knowledge of enemies in similar realms showed Muchen the correct time to move or block the attack.

1.63… 0.89… 0.65… 0.43 He waited for his opponent in place as even a fraction of a second could cost him his life.

And the moment arrived soon.

“Qilin Rush!”

“Azure Sky Sword: Mountain Splitter…” Muchen’s eyes shot open.

His sword left the sheath at blinding speed. It shot straight to Shu Huang’s neck. Seeing the attack his arrogance rose. The strike was swift and powerful but it wouldn’t be enough to kill him. Just a slight crack of the neck and the sword would only cut the air.

I’ve got you! He could already feel his hand crushing Muchen’s throat.

That was what would’ve happened if the attack ended with only one strike.

The sword reaching for his neck seemed to slow down, no it was like the world had stilled. However, this was all an illusion created in Shu Huang’s head. In that moment, Muchen’s body shifted leaving a silhouette behind, then again, and again, and again.

The process was repeated six times each shift giving birth to a new slash that connected to the previous one. He had used Sword Silk paired with his trick to connect different attacks and bring them down at the same time.

“…Six Fold.” Muchen sheathed his sword.

The web of attacks left no escape.

The first cut tore upward, swift and unforgiving, slicing through the air with lethal precision.

The second strike followed immediately, descending with the weight of inevitability, bearing down like a judgment rendered from the sky.

The third slashed diagonally from left to right, cutting across the body, while the fourth swept back in the opposite direction, carving an unmistakable X on Shu Huang's chest.

The fifth strike came in an upward arc, aimed to end any hope of escape. Finally, the sixth and final blow lashed out horizontally at neck level, sealing the onslaught with a line that bisected the enemy in its path.

“…Y…ou…” Shu Huang’s eyes stayed wide open, he couldn’t even let out the hatred in his heart.

His body fell in pieces and blasted past Muchen, carved apart without mercy, each segment slipping away, life extinguished before he could even realize the battle had already ended.

Muchen stood over the scattered of bodyparts drenched by the mist of blood. His right hand swaying in the wind like silk. 32 factures, his right hand soon swelled up as pain coursed through the minor fractures he suffered throughout his legs and spine.

“As expected, it’s still not enough.” Muchen muttered, his eyes looking on the horizon.