Immortal Sword Master

Chapter 267: Chapter 263: 2 Hidden Stages

A Sea of Blood fell, blanketing everything.

The entire space turned a crimson red, and the thick, metallic stench of blood was nauseating.

”Powerful. Too powerful.”

”Is this the technique that can defeat a Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm expert? With this move, he’s earned his place among the monsters.”

Duan Lengya and the others trembled.

They had no doubt that a strike like this would obliterate them without a trace, even if there were ten of them.

The Boundless Sea of Blood seemed intent on tainting everything in the Human World, surging forward with immense, unstoppable power.

”Ning Jiang, it is your honor to fall to this technique.”

Having unleashed this technique, Madman Tu was completely drained and pale. He believed this one move was enough to sweep away anyone below the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm.

It was this very technique that gave him the confidence to contend with those other ”monsters.”

Ning Jiang could not possibly escape this attack. Unless... he was a monster, too.

He struggled to keep his eyes open, wanting to see the descending Boundless Sea of Blood crush Ning Jiang into dust.

’It’s over.’

As Duan Lengya and his two companions shook their heads, the Sea of Blood fell, swallowing Ning Jiang’s figure.

”Madman Tu is a cut above, after all. After this battle, his name...”

Duan Lengya’s voice abruptly caught in his throat.

”Brother Duan, what’s wrong?”

Du Bing and Yao Yingkuang were startled. Seeing Duan Lengya dumbfounded, they followed his gaze. Instantly, they too fell silent.

”How can he be so strong?” Jian Xinghe’s voice trembled with disbelief.

He was witnessing a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life.

A Sword Aura that pierced the heavens and the earth slowly rose and slammed into the vast Sea of Blood. In an instant, the entire Sea of Blood was annihilated.

The one who had swung this sword was Ning Jiang.

His figure was like that of a god.

”How is this possible? How can this be?”

Madman Tu froze on the spot, letting out a dazed shriek.

”I’ve said it before. Is defeating someone in the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm so strange?” Ning Jiang’s gaze was distant, like the deep night sky. ”I can also tell you this: this sword has slain an expert of the Primordial Spirit Fourth Tribulation Realm!”

In that instant, the entire area fell deathly silent.

PFFT.

Madman Tu’s body disintegrated. Or more accurately, this wisp of his consciousness dissipated.

The Four Extremes One Sword had not only destroyed the Boundless Sea of Blood, but its residual Sword Qi had also annihilated this wisp of Madman Tu’s consciousness.

’I can’t believe it. *He* is the real monster.’

Duan Lengya and the others stared at the white-haired youth in utter shock, unable to believe that a technique as tyrannical as the Boundless Sea of Blood had still been defeated by Ning Jiang.

Thinking back on their earlier words, they all felt ridiculous.

Was Ning Jiang arrogant? Conceited? Clueless?

The truly clueless ones were them.

It was they who had underestimated Ning Jiang from the very beginning.

”Ning Jiang. I will remember that name!”

”How many years has it been since Qing Province produced a monster-class youth? I wonder what changes his appearance will bring to the Six Eastern Provinces?”

If there had been any doubt about Madman Tu’s ”monster” title, then for Ning Jiang, there was none.

’Inside this Treasure Box...’

Ning Jiang reached out to take the Treasure Box when it suddenly trembled. A dazzling divine light burst forth.

Everyone looked over in surprise. The Treasure Box cracked open, and a Light Gate materialized, standing tall in the sky.

”This is...”

Duan Lengya and the others were shocked as a thought occurred to them. ”Could the rumors be true? That after the seven trials, there are two more?”

In that moment, none of them could remain calm.

The legend was ancient, but no one had ever been able to confirm it. Duan Lengya and his group had always assumed it was a baseless rumor, fabricated to add to the mystique of the Profound Celestial Ancient Hall.

But now, the appearance of the Light Gate seemed to confirm that the rumors of two more trials after the seventh were true.

’If the rumors are true, what kind of trials could the next two be?’

Their eyes filled with intense curiosity. What kind of trials awaited Ning Jiang in the final two mysterious stages?

And if he passed them all, what kind of reward would he receive?

”Interesting.”

Under everyone’s watchful eyes, Ning Jiang took a step and entered the Light Gate.

”Let’s go! Let’s go see.”

They all wanted to follow him and find out what was happening, but a force appeared and ejected their consciousnesses from the scroll world.

’We’re back.’

They found themselves back in their own bodies. At the same time, a teleportation force enveloped them, sending them directly out of the Profound Celestial Ancient Hall.

Their trial was over.

”I wonder if anyone inside passed the seventh trial.”

”If anyone passed the seventh trial, I bet it was Madman Tu.”

”With Madman Tu’s strength, he definitely has the best chance of passing the seventh trial.”

Outside the Ancient Hall, the crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Suddenly, with a flash of light, several figures appeared, causing an uproar.

”Duan Lengya and the others are out!”

”Is the trial over? What’s the result? Did Madman Tu pass the seventh trial?”

All eyes in the area immediately focused on them.

The crowd saw Madman Tu, but they noticed he looked grim.

”Huh? What happened in there?” the crowd wondered, surprised.

”Why isn’t the Ninth Elder out yet?”

The members of the Yanyue Sect all frowned. Everyone else had appeared, but Ning Jiang was nowhere to be seen. What had happened?

”Don’t worry,” Liu Bingxue said soothingly. ”With his strength, he must still be in the trial. He might have even passed the seventh stage.”

”The seventh trial? Liu Bingxue, you think too highly of him.”

Not far away, Yuwen Chi of the Fire Cloud Sect heard this and sneered, ”He is indeed strong, but passing the seventh trial? Absolutely impossible. In the last hundred years, only that woman from the Evil Spirit Sect has succeeded. To put it bluntly, he probably died inside from some accident. Isn’t that right, Brother Xinghe?”

Yuwen Chi looked toward Jian Xinghe, only to see him with a grim expression, not saying a word.

At that moment, a bad feeling suddenly welled up inside him.

”Brother Duan, what happened in there? Did none of you pass the seventh trial?” the crowd asked eagerly.

”We did not pass the seventh trial. However, someone did.”

Duan Lengya gave a bitter smile and looked toward the Yanyue Sect. ”Ning Jiang of the Yanyue Sect... he successfully passed the seventh trial!”

The statement was earth-shattering.

HISS!

A series of sharp, astonished gasps rang out.

Yuwen Chi’s pupils contracted violently. He staggered back two steps, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

Ning Jiang passed the seventh trial!

Those words echoed in his mind like a clap of thunder.

The seventh trial... that was a height he could only gaze up at. After all, he hadn’t even passed the fifth.

”Yuwen Chi, why are you so quiet? Weren’t you just saying I thought too highly of Ning Jiang?” Liu Bingxue taunted.

Yuwen Chi’s lips trembled, but in the end, he couldn’t utter a single word.

At this moment, despair washed over him—the despair of realizing he could never catch up to Ning Jiang.

Even after Ning Jiang had defeated him before, he had been confident he could catch up. But now, all of his confidence had been shattered to pieces.

Ning Jiang was like a great Roc, spreading its wings and soaring ever higher.

”If he already passed the seventh trial, why isn’t he out yet?” someone asked.

”According to the legends of the Profound Celestial Ancient Hall, there are two hidden trials. If our guess is correct, he’s probably challenging them right now!”

Duan Lengya’s words once again plunged the area into silence.

The two rumored trials... had they appeared because of Ning Jiang?

Could he succeed in the challenge?

No one could be sure, as this was uncharted territory. But one thing they knew for certain: after today, Ning Jiang’s name would be known far beyond Qing Province.

The younger generation of Lei Province would also learn that Qing Province had produced such a monster.