With a single strike, dragon scales flew, and Hen Wu Feng turned and ran. He knew he was no match and didn't want to get entangled.
Gui Qi Zhu had instructed him to kill if possible, but if he couldn't, he was to wait for another opportunity.
Hen Wu Feng never intended to die. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, he immediately fled.
Xun Wu You's mind was somewhat lost, his swordsmanship seemingly aided by a demon.
The rusty sword flickered, thunderous waves echoing, shattering the dragon scales in the air. Guided by demonic energy, he slashed out again with the thundering power of the Rolling Thunder Sword towards where Hen Wu Feng had disappeared.
A "puff" accompanied by Hen Wu Feng's pained groan clearly indicated a hit despite the distance.
Xun Wu You was about to give chase, but his heart trembled inexplicably. He snapped out of it, glanced at the surrounding blood and flesh, and instinctively threw the rusty sword away.
Damn it!
My mind has been beguiled! Even the Emperor's Aura can't hold back the influence?
Xun Wu You, drenched in cold sweat, recalled the night the old ghost appeared.
Back then, a malevolent aura had also seeped into his flesh and blood. He ultimately turned misfortune into good fortune, advancing his cultivation even further.
He knew then that the Emperor's Aura could not suppress the demonic energy, but he never imagined that this sword could easily manipulate his will, turning him into a bloodthirsty butcher.
The flickering, luminous rusty sword was sinister and seductive, like the chilling laughter of a demon from the abyss, or perhaps a mocking laugh at Xun Wu You's belated realization.
Xun Wu You was furious. Gathering his immense internal energy, he prepared to shatter this wicked, eerie weapon.
He was a transmigrator, a pioneer carrying a system. He usually didn't bother, but…
If he truly were manipulated by a demonic weapon, he would have lost all face as a transmigrator.
Going berserk at the sight of blood was a common occurrence in the Pili world, where martial arts are everyday life. This rusty sword could control him once, twice, thrice, or countless times.
In the long run, he might not need some grand boss to destroy the world. He could simply slaughter Shenzhou himself.
The thought chilled him to the bone. Xun Wu You no longer hesitated. Pure and holy internal energy swept through the evil.
"Please bring a sack!"
The system suddenly spoke: "Don't do anything rash. You can't destroy this sword, not even Nie Han, the masterful blacksmith who forged countless divine weapons, has that ability."
"What? What do you mean, system?"
Xun Wu You furrowed his brow: "You know the origin of this sword?"
Very Jun knew only a little and hadn't revealed much to Xun Wu You.
The gist of it was that it was a relic of a sword demon who traversed the heavens and earth, shrouded in mystery.
"Of course!"
The system proudly declared: "This system is fully aware of the Pili world's settings."
Xun Wu You said with some annoyance: "Since you know, why didn't you say so earlier? If I were to become deeply entangled and unable to extricate myself, you wouldn't be far from useless either."
The system relies on its host. If the host loses their self, the system is essentially useless.
"Do you think this sword is bad?"
The system asked in surprise: "Its sharpness is unparalleled, it naturally carries a captivating and sinister aura, its shape and weight are exceptionally well-suited to you, and it can also indirectly enhance the Emperor's Aura. What's the difference between this and something custom-made?"
"Go to hell!"
Xun Wu You spat out angrily: "Suitability is one thing, being able to use it is another. Stop beating around the bush. What's the real deal with this sword? Tell me everything."
"Do you know the Chong Xie Sword?"
"Are you kidding me?"
Xun Wu You rolled his eyes in exasperation.
The greatest boss in the Pili world is a deity. What about the Six Realms' First Martial God, Qi Tian Di, or the Death God, the ruler of the Dead Country? These characters' appearances were all signs of a catastrophic disaster.
Shenzhou was in turmoil, vast landscapes reduced to desolate wastes.
The Chong Xie Sword and the Eight-Headed Evil God are inextricably linked. It's a legendary and rare demonic blade. Could this rusty sword be the Chong Xie Sword? You're pulling my leg!
"It's not the Chong Xie Sword, of course."
The system explained: "But the rusty sword surpasses the Chong Xie Sword. It's the Evil God's companion sword. The reason it influences people's hearts is that, during its forging, the Seven Emotions and Six Desires were incorporated into it."
Xun Wu You was surprised: "Original Sin?"
"That's right, Greed, Cruelty, Envy, Lust... the Seven Original Sins!"
The system continued explaining: "Isn't the Evil God the embodiment of Original Sin?"
From the Celestial-Demon Battle to the subsequent War of Calamity Evil God, the entire plot revolves around the Eight-Headed Evil God.
Even in the later stages of Pili Xia Feng, the Eight-Headed Evil God is still active.
Early bosses like Ni Shen Yang were pawns of Di Ming. The Blood Dark Five Calamities were a process for gathering resentment and condensing Blood Dark Essence, hoping to use this power to destroy the Eight-Headed Evil God.
But the Eight-Headed Evil God is the embodiment of Original Sin. At its root, it's still following a path of using evil to combat evil.
How could the rusty sword be related to the Evil God if they have nothing in common?
Xun Wu You didn't understand.
"Do you think the Eight-Headed Evil God's birth was purely coincidental?"
The system continued with an "I've seen through it all" tone: "You've read the original work. You should know that Ba Tian Xuan Zun gathered eight swordsmen to slay the dragon. What happened before that?"
"Before the Evil God formed a physical body, it used its consciousness to forge this sword."
"On the day the sword was completed, the heavens and earth darkened, demonic energy stirred the Six Realms!"
"The Evil God cast the sword into Shenzhou to create chaos."
"This sword has passed through nine owners. The last one was the sword demon who asked you to go to the You Realm to dig up bones."
"Without exception, each owner was ultimately slain by the demonic sword. Dao Huang, one of the four creators, saw through its scheme and used a thousand years' worth of pure profound skill to mask the sword's demonic energy."
"That's the rust you see now. It's been damaged over the years. Most of the Daoist profound energy on it has been depleted. Very Jun's limited understanding couldn't possibly know the origins of the demonic sword."
Xun Wu You's face changed drastically.
He was starting to think the system might be trying to kill him. Other sword-wielders met tragic fates, why should he be any different?
The Evil God!
Was that something humans could contend with?
Even Yi Ye Shu, so incredibly powerful, a near-god, could only withstand the Evil God for a few moves?
This sword was born from the same source as the Eight-Headed Evil God. How could its power be any less?