The Steward Demonic Emperor

Proofreader: Papatonks

[Damn!]

Zhuo Fan narrowed his eyes and paled as his scalp went numb.

At this very moment, the longsword was already on top of him, just a hair's breadth away. With Void Annihilation fizzling out, he had no more time to employ Shift.

His only fate was to be skewered to death!

Well, there was one option left, to use the Void Annihilation that had yet to disperse and route the longsword.

[Like that's ever going to happen!]

Regardless of Void Annihilation's strength, it couldn't compare to the Qilin arm. If it got pierced by this thing's sword energy alone, how could a mere Void Annihilation block the longsword's attack?

Zhuo Fan was at the end of the road.

However, watching the longsword just about to tear him a new one, Zhuo Fan could only grit his teeth and risk it all!

[It's worth a shot, even if it's for nothing!]

Zhuo Fan's right eye flashed golden again, "Divine Eye of the Void's 2nd stage, Void Annihilation!"

Hum~

Zhuo Fan's right eye shot out a spatial ripple that collided with the longsword.

Clang!

It was like it hit metal. The longsword was pushed back by the blow. It flipped twice in midair before plunging into the wall filled with sacred stones.

Zhuo Fan was stunned, then he looked at his right arm, still bleeding heavily. With a flick of his hand, he smashed a big hole in the wall next to him.

[Sure enough, the Qilin arm is way stronger than Void Annihilation. So why couldn't it defend against this sword while the latter could?]

Crack~

As he was sinking into his thoughts, the cracking from the wall jerked him away. The longsword twisted around in the wall and was fricking wiggling out of the stone and charging for Zhuo Fan one more time.

Zhuo Fan narrowed his eyes, his face solemn. He no longer hesitated to use Void Annihilation on the spot.

Bam!

The sword was spun through the air again on impact.

With a deep frown, Zhuo Fan was curious why the puny Void Annihilation succeeded where his prized Qilin arm failed.

[Maybe they're naturally opposites?]

Zhuo Fan pondered over some more, and a realization struck him. Since Void Annihilation could handle it, what about the other skills of Divine Eye of the Void?

Whoosh~

The longsword was back again with a ferocious and far more savage attack than before.

Zhuo Fan narrowed his eyes, and this time Zhuo Fan no longer panicked. He was like an old fox biding his time for his prey to fall into his trap.

Finally, the longsword was within a hundred meters, and Zhuo Fan's right eye flashed golden four times. "Divine Eye of the Void's 4th stage, Space Crusher!"

Hum~

The whole cave shook, and the sacred stones littering the walls fell to the ground. But that was a mere jiggle, unlike how it usually behaved outside, where it pulverized everything.

[It shows that a sacred mine is tough beyond reason!]

Zhuo Fan nodded inside, then returned his attention to the incoming longsword. It was also shaking all over as it stopped approaching. All it could do was tremble and shake in the air.

It couldn't even get near Zhuo Fan to strike.

[Just as I thought, Divine Eye of the Void can restrain the sacred weapon.]

Zhuo Fan's eyes narrowed, and his right eye flashed again in three golden halos. "Divine Eye of the Void 3rd stage, Mirage World!"

Hum~

Suddenly, the vibrations stopped. Only the longsword was enveloped in invisible fluctuations preventing it from stabilizing itself. It spun around in place, unable to make heads or tails of what was happening around it.

"Humph, since you don't want to work with me and even tried killing me, there's no need for you to have consciousness." Zhuo Fan's eyes flashed with killing intent.

He knew fully well that sacred weapons had a mind of their own, and this one was no different, housing a spirit that controlled it.

Now he and the sword spirit were at odds. He would have to crush the spirit if he wanted to obtain the sword's recognition. Therefore, he was using illusions to control the sword spirit and calm it down.

If a sacred weapon lost its sword spirit, its quality would fall sharply. He had to put another spirit in its place.

Zhuo Fan looked around, pensive. A flash of red came out of his body and sank into the longsword.

Zhuo Fan started making signs while shouting, "Demon Transformation Art, turning the sword as one's own body, sword spirit renewal!"

Whoosh~

Black tendrils of energy flashed over the longsword along with Blood Infant's creepy snicker. A cry of fear echoed out of the sword. It was the original sword spirit.

However, because Zhuo Fan suppressed its divine sense with Mirage World, it had no way to fight back even if it wanted to. As Zhuo Fan used the Demon Transformation Art along with the Void Annihilation, the sword spirit slowly disintegrated, becoming nourishment for the new sword spirit.

Hum~

With a light ripple, the hovering longsword started trembling, and its previous glossy and impeccable blade now slowly took on a black color while crimson stripes spread over its surface, making it let out a sinister aura.

Stopping Mirage World, Zhuo Fan beckoned, and the sword fell into his hand.

Looking closely at it, Zhuo Fan smiled in satisfaction. "Henceforth, the world has lost a 6th-grade sacred weapon, but it has gained a sacred demonic sword! Little guy, you shall now be the spirit of this sword and my Blood Infant, the strongest 6th-grade sacred demonic sword of the Sacred Domain! How awesome is that? How annoying I can't unleash even a fraction of what you're capable of, not as I am now at least."

The sword shook, then it flew from Zhuo Fan's grip. It spiraled in the air, and Blood Infant appeared in a flash of light.

Then Blood Infant shot into Zhuo Fan's body without so much as a peep.

Zhuo Fan started, then he shook his head, "Little guy, are you trying to say that even if I can't use the sword, you're still one with me?"

Blood Infant simply rested in Zhuo Fan's body, like a child having gone to sleep.

"No wonder you've been my Blood Infant for so many years. You're so much better than some sword spirit. With you controlling the sacred weapon, I can rest easy, ha-ha-ha…"

Chuckling, Zhuo Fan's hand flashed, and a dozen sacred stones appeared, bringing them to his stomach. "Though this sacred weapon needs sacred stones to replenish. Eat up, little guy, eat up and grow strong."

Whoosh~

The sacred stones vanished, and when he looked inside, he noticed Blood Infant had taken them.

Zhuo Fan chuckled, "With so many sacred stones in me, I hope I won't get kidney stones, ha-ha-ha. Wait, with so many sacred stones around, why the hell am I forking them out of my purse?"

Looking at the ground, it was now littered with sacred stones from all the shaking. He sighed.

[I'm so stupid.]

No harm was done since he would just take these pickings, which would be all the same.

Zhuo Fan had no shame whatsoever. But then he noticed his still bleeding right hand and frowned, "Returning Dragon's Roar!"

Roar!

Following the roar, his hand was covered in a flash of green, filled with life, yet the Qilin arm was still wounded like before.

Startled, Zhuo Fan frowned.

[Is it that the Qilin arm can't be healed, or maybe the wounds from a sacred weapon can't be healed?]

Since this was his first injury to the Qilin arm, Zhuo Fan was a little unsure.

[Nevermind, I'll just let it recover with time. After so many years, I ended up bloody wounded in action. I best keep this under wraps, or my actions here will be revealed.]

Holding some bandage, he wrapped it tight around his arm. Then he let his sleeve hide it before he went deeper into the cave.

In the end, his main objective was to investigate the array. He wouldn't be at ease going back with just a sacred weapon.

"This is the place where the sacred mine is sealed. The cave couldn't be dug any further since it must have hit a wall." Touching the end of the tunnel, Zhuo Fan pondered.

He noticed light flowing along the wall, like some kind of barrier, covered in all kinds of symbols. His eyes widened, "I knew it. The one who set this array up must be a master. It's so ingenious I can't find the slightest weakness. It's as if…"

Zhuo Fan narrowed his eyes, "It is just like Lightning Canyon's who trapped Soaring Qilin. It can't be the same person or expert that set it up, right? That would mean this was another remnant of an Emperor!"

[Just what on earth happened in the mortal domain in the past? Why would such an expert leave his mark here?]

Even with the Nine Serenities Secret Records, breaking through this ingenious array was impossible as he was now.

He only got to enter the Lightning Canyon because Soaring Qilin used its life to make a hole. As for the other two forbidden zones, he wouldn't get in even if he risked his life. Their arrays were intact.

Forget about even getting in touch with those sacred beasts, not when he couldn't open the door…