Chapter 57 - 49: A Taste of Their Own Medicine

Chapter 57: Chapter 49: A Taste of Their Own Medicine

A Sword Array was formidable because it could unite independent individuals in a special manner, creating an effect greater than the sum of its parts.

But a Sword Array was also vulnerable. If an enemy saw through its essence and disrupted its operational trajectory, the array would not only lose its original function, but those forming it would also suffer varying degrees of backlash. In certain unique circumstances, the Sword Array would not only fail to threaten the enemy, but it could even be exploited. The enemy could turn the tables and use it to attack its original creators.

And this was exactly what Lu Chen was doing right now. Not only had he dismantled the original Seven Kills Sword Array, but he had also usurped control over it as an outsider, preparing to use it against the Seven Sword Demons, giving them a taste of their own medicine.

This situation was like stealing someone’s girlfriend right in front of them—utterly despicable.

Within the Seven Kills Sword Array, as Lu Chen precisely severed the connection between one Sword Demon and the others, the oppressive killing intent that had been enveloping him vanished into thin air in an instant.

The ordinary Sword Demon that Lu Chen had stripped from the Seven Kills Sword Array finally came to its senses. It let out a furious roar, attempting to directly cleave Lu Chen in two with a single strike.

Unfortunately, without the aid of the Sword Array, an ordinary Sword Demon was nothing in front of Lu Chen. He casually swung his sword. A vibrating black light slashed straight across the Evil Sword in the Sword Demon’s right hand.

SQUELCH!

The twisted human face on the hilt of the Evil Sword instantly froze. Immediately after, a bloody line appeared across the face. The next second, that twisted, maddened visage split apart like tofu. Half of the blade slid to the ground, twitching continuously until it finally ceased all movement.

Without the parasitism of the Outer Evil Sword, the Sword Demon’s living corpse body naturally collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud, dead beyond measure. In just a single brief encounter, the Seven Sword Demons were reduced to six.

However, even though one Sword Demon had died, the Seven Kills Sword Array above their heads was still operating because Lu Chen had taken the dead Sword Demon’s original position within the array. But this was by no means a good thing for the Sword Demons; Lu Chen was about to turn the tables and use the array against them!

Standing at the core of the Seven Kills Sword Array, Lu Chen calmly swung his sword at the Elite Sword Demon not far away. Fierce Sword Qi erupted from the tip of his blade, transforming into a roaring silver Flood Dragon that lunged straight at the Elite Sword Demon’s face.

In this moment of crisis, the Elite Sword Demon attempted to control the killing intent within the array to manifest the Giant Sword of killing intent unique to the Seven Kills Sword Array. However, it quickly realized that the array, which had previously acted as an extension of its own arm, was completely out of control. No matter how it tried to mobilize the killing intent within the array, the energy remained entirely unresponsive, as if it had suffered a complete change of heart.

The Elite Sword Demon’s expression shifted to one of sheer terror because it had no idea what was happening.

Without the amplification of the killing intent, even though its Cultivation was higher than Lu Chen’s, the gap between it and Lu Chen—whether in the realm of Swordsmanship or the control of Spiritual Power—was like the difference between a plain and a towering mountain range. It was immeasurably vast!

Even so, the Elite Sword Demon refused to just sit around and wait for death.

SCREECH!

After a sharp, ear-piercing roar, the Evil Sword in the Elite Sword Demon’s right hand emitted a twisted black light. The disgusting flesh-and-blood blade began to swell rapidly. In an instant, a massive, python-like fleshy monster appeared before Lu Chen, its expression crazed.

This was the true face of the Outsider Sword Demon, or rather, the Blood and Flesh Evil Sword—the Outer Demon Body. Having revealed its true form, the Elite Sword Demon seemed to have broken some sort of seal. Half of its serpentine flesh body remained connected to the original living corpse, while the other half slithered on the ground, raising a head covered in fleshy tumors.

Madness, twistedness, and chaos.

This was Lu Chen’s first impression of the Outer Demon Body. He couldn’t imagine what kind of environment could spawn such a distorted entity.

The fleshy monster, now in its true form, glared at Lu Chen’s fiercely approaching silver Flood Dragon. It immediately opened its bloody maw, preparing to swallow the attack whole. But before it could act further, an immense oppressive force descended upon its body, causing it to plummet abruptly and pinning it firmly to the ground.

It was not unfamiliar with this pressure. It was the very same killing intent pressure it had intended to use on Lu Chen. The Elite Sword Demon, sprawled on the ground, looked at Lu Chen not far away, its eyes filled with both fury and fear. It thought, "Using the Sword Array I set up against me! You outsider are too tyrannical!"

Although Lu Chen saw the dread and confusion in the Elite Sword Demon’s eyes, he had absolutely no desire to explain himself, nor could he be bothered to.

"Slash."

As his words fell, the dancing silver Flood Dragon in midair crashed fiercely into the Elite Sword Demon, which was pinned immovably to the ground by the oppressive killing intent.

BOOM!

The fierce, vibrating Sword Qi effortlessly tore through the Elite Sword Demon’s Outer Demon Body, reducing it to a shower of bloody flesh fragments raining from the sky.

Without the aid of the Seven Kills Sword Array, even an Elite Sword Demon was nothing more than a slightly larger ant in front of Lu Chen. Under the amplification of multiple abilities, the current Lu Chen was already invincible against anyone at the Qi Cultivation Stage or below. As for those above Qi Cultivation, under certain circumstances, he could even manage a one-for-one mutual destruction at his limits. This was his true Power right now!

After dealing with this Elite Sword Demon, the remaining ordinary Sword Demons naturally posed even less of a challenge to Lu Chen. A moment later, Lu Chen looked around the completely empty first floor of the Sword Pavilion. He sheathed the Ink Flood Dragon Sword in his hand and looked at his interface.

[You have slain an Outsider Sword Demon (Qi Cultivation Ninth Level). Gained 120 Experience Points and Soul Crystal Fragment (White) x5.]

[You have slain an Outsider Sword Demon (Qi Cultivation Sixth Level). Gained 70 Experience Points and Soul Crystal Fragment (White) x1.]

[You have slain a...]

"Six ordinary Sword Demons and one Elite Sword Demon... A total of nine Soul Crystal Fragments (White) and 540 Experience Points. Not a bad haul," Lu Chen remarked.

Just like before, he directly applied these nine Soul Crystal Fragments (White) to his Talent Divine Technique, further accelerating the progress of its awakening.

[Talent Divine Technique (67/100): Unawakened]

[Current Experience Points: 2942]

He mused aloud, "The awakening progress of the Talent Divine Technique is already over halfway. It seems the day of my true awakening isn’t far off.

"Moreover, I’ve been saving that Soul Crystal Fragment (Green) without using it. Just one of those is equivalent to thirty Soul Crystal Fragments (White).

"In other words, I only need to get three more Soul Crystal Fragments, and I’ll be able to directly complete the awakening of my Talent Divine Technique.

"Although the quality of a Talent Divine Technique entirely depends on Luck, given my current Talent, even if the one I awaken can’t compare to Yezi’s... it shouldn’t be too far off, right?"

With these thoughts in mind, Lu Chen looked straight into his game inventory. Inside the inventory sat two special items.

[Soul Crystal Fragment (Green)]

[Effect: Can be used to upgrade the Tier Two Talent Divine Power Level, or exchanged for 30 Soul Crystal Fragments (White).]

...

[Special Tomb Key]

[Effect: Can open a certain hidden tomb.]

...

Looking at the mysterious key in his inventory, Lu Chen still had no idea how exactly to use it. After all, when he obtained this mysterious key in the Ancient Cultivator’s Tomb earlier, he hadn’t seen any system prompt indicating whether he could use it. Could it be that the tomb corresponding to this key wasn’t actually located in the first Dungeon—the Ancient Cultivator’s Tomb—but somewhere else entirely? If that was truly the case, then he would undoubtedly be looking for a needle in a haystack.

He muttered, "Forget it. I’ll worry about these things after clearing the current Dungeon.

"If nothing unexpected happens, as long as I clear this Dungeon, I should be able to collect enough Soul Crystal Fragments to awaken my Talent Divine Technique."

With those words, Lu Chen walked straight toward the stairs leading to the second floor, heading up to the mysterious second level of the Sword Pavilion...

...

PS: Pang Hu overestimated himself. After getting home from work, I always ended up slacking off for a bit, and in the blink of an eye, the time had passed, leaving me short on time to write.

The second update will still be uploaded before 10 PM. Let Pang Hu go grab a bite to eat first.