CHAPTER 146: 146 - UPGRADE

’Is this one of your fragments?’ Qingyi asked Ruxue, taking a single step back.

That old woman was powerful, even among cultivators of the third stage of the Iron Body Realm.

"Yes, for those damned pigs to dare to dishonor my steel like that..." The spiritual beauty couldn’t hide the angry tremor in her voice.

She only controlled herself when she felt Qingyi’s gentle grip on the hilt of the heaven-defying thunder sword.

"They’ll pay for this," Qingyi whispered as the sword slid out of its sheath.

"Who the hell are you? What are you doing to so many innocent people?" Juechen’s voice exploded as he stood up, his great sword gleaming gold as he held it tightly.

"Me? I’m... uh... A good servant of my lord, the lord who will bring true light to this cursed world!"

The old woman shouted, her long neck stretching almost two meters while a smile revealed rotten teeth and a black tongue.

"And you will be the fuel for it!"

" You wretch!" Juechen gritted his teeth, his feet sinking into the ground as his body exploded towards the old woman.

"Wait!" Huntao tried to stop him, but it was too late.

The old woman raised the piece of steel in her hand, defending herself against Juechen’s great sword.

She didn’t even tremble, her Iron Body Realm aura surrounding Juechen as her face was filled with a distorted smile.

"Yes... that’s decent strength! Your blood will be of great help."

She pressed down and Juechen’s body was thrown backwards, hitting the wall with a thud.

Without giving the others time to react, she got down on all fours, her long, sharp, thin fingers tearing at the ground as her mouth opened unnaturally wide.

In the next moment, she screamed, her hoarse, thunderous voice echoing around the room, bringing all four of them to their knees.

"S-shit..." Ruhu clutched his ears, feeling the blood pool between his fingers as his eardrums burst.

He barely managed to stay conscious for more than a few moments before everything was overtaken by darkness.

"Master, what should we do with them?" A shadowy figure landed next to the old woman, fifty others appearing behind him.

"They’ll be sacrifices too. With four bodies of such high quality, our master will surely be very happy! Hahahaha!" The old woman laughed as she turned away.

The demonic cultivators jumped over the lake of blood, each of them grabbing one of the disciples with the intention of throwing them into the lake.

But one of them suddenly stopped, a guttural choke escaped his lips and he shuddered.

"Uh? What’s going on?" One of the demonic cultivators looked at his companion, his eyes widening in realization.

There was a bloody sword sticking out of his back, his pounding heart still beating at the tip of the blade.

"Fuck!" The demonic cultivator let go of Juechen and tried to draw his sword, but it was too late.

Qingyi was already upon him, his eyes glowing with an intense purple light as he used the first form of the tempestuous monarch’s sword art.

The heaven-defying thunder sword easily overcame the demon cultivator’s defenses, piercing his throat and launching his head into the air.

"You all die today!" Qingyi roared, using the second form of the Storm Monarch’s sword art towards the other demonic cultivators.

Desperate cries rang out as the blade of thunderous Qi expanded.

Not even those at the peak of the Golden Core realm were able to defend themselves.

The strongest among them held off the attack for a single moment before his abdomen was ripped open and he fell to the ground, choking on his own blood.

"Did you resist that?" The old woman’s eyes widened. "No... it’s impossible, that was a gift from the lord to me, that attack is a gift, HOW DARE YOU RESIST THAT?" She shuddered, opening her mouth again.

Another loud scream echoed, but Qingyi was unaffected.

The three-bladed monarch’s set already protected his body well against that kind of attack that used Qi, and the little that passed through the set was just enough to cause a slight tingling in his eardrums.

Even without the set, his constitution alone would be more than enough to resist it.

He took a single step forward, smoothly and lightly, his panting breath slowly coming under control before he used the lightning steps.

The shock on the old woman’s face deepened as Qingyi’s body disappeared in a dark, thunderous cloud that soon became a blur.

In the blink of an eye, he was already above her.

"I just need to come into contact with the fragment and I’ll be able to absorb it!" Ruxue’s voice echoed in Qingyi’s head, who only nodded positively.

Raising the heaven-defying thunder sword over his head, he used the third form of the Storm Monarch’s sword art, a descending cut falling on the old woman.

"DON’T DARE!" The old woman roared, her hideous body distorting as she turned, using the steel fragment in her hands to defend herself.

’That’s exactly what I wanted!’ A huge smile appeared on Qingyi’s face.

A metallic clang echoed, the old woman’s eyes filling with terror as her thin, fragile arms broke, unable to cope with Qingyi’s strength.

But it wasn’t her broken arms that made her eyes fill with terror.

In fact, it was seeing the fragment of metal melting between her fingers that did it.

"N-no! Impossible! Impossible! Impossible!" The old woman repeated to herself without stopping as the last piece of metal left her hands.

everything flowed towards the heaven-defying thunder sword, spinning around the purple-silver blade before slowly being absorbed by it.

Qingyi paid no attention to the old woman’s crazed words.

His eyes were totally focused on the flurry of system messages reaching him.

[You have recovered one of the fragments of the heaven-defying thunder sword! 2/9]

[The heaven-defying thunder sword has been upgraded! Rare Grade - Legendary Grade]

[A new feature has been unlocked in the heaven-defying thunder sword: World of Mind].