Eternal Swordmaster
Chapter 813 - 808: 9 Birds Two

Chapter 813: Chapter 808: 9 Birds Two

Amidst the overall contraction of Shadow City, the Heavenly Venerable was also held back by the battlefront on the Heavenly Alliance side, unable to return for support.

Lin Xin was simply unstoppable.

Soon, a massive, pitch-black fortress covered with spikes appeared on the plain.

The fortress seemed to sense Lin Xin’s arrival, and a black beam of light shot skyward from the topmost tower.

Hiss!!

The beam pierced through the clouds, connecting the heavens and the earth.

"This is the third checkpoint, Huiyang City. Are you the Divine Monarch Sherie of the Heavenly Alliance?"

A sharp female voice shouted from within the fortress.

Lin Xin slightly paused, squinting at the black beam.

For once, he actually felt a hint of threat from it.

"Who are you?"

His voice, without any amplification, was already like thunder, shaking the ground and shattering many stones.

Sound waves traveled far, causing the fortress to drop a large amount of dust.

The terrified cries of countless beings within the city immediately echoed out.

"This is Huiyang City, and I am its Guardian, Nine-headed Bird Huiyang."

The female voice answered.

"Esteemed Divine Monarch Sherie, we did not know about the Heavenly Alliance’s crusade against Shadow City. All news here has been completely sealed off by Fang Yu.

If we had known the Heavenly Alliance’s army was coming, our Nine-headed Bird clan would never have resisted recklessly. Therefore, upon sensing your presence..."

"Surrender, or die."

Lin Xin interrupted.

He had neither the mood nor the time to listen to the other party’s nonsense.

The fortress fell into silence immediately.

They had revealed their trump card, the black beam, in hopes of negotiating with the Heavenly Alliance and Lin Xin.

But they hadn’t expected that the other party wouldn’t even bother to listen, giving only two choices.

After a few moments.

Lin Xin lightly gripped the Joy Sword, ready to swing forward.

"We surrender!"

Nine-headed Bird Huiyang responded in a low voice.

"But we wish to submit under your command! Not the Heavenly Alliance!"

Lin Xin squinted his eyes, pondering for a moment.

"Alright."

Nine-headed Bird.

It was said to be a bloodline of an ancient Divine Beast surviving from primordial times, allegedly holding the blood of the Evil God King, though the specifics were unclear.

The exact abilities were also unknown.

Recalling the data on Nine-headed Bird Huiyang, Lin Xin soon saw a massive, pitch-black bird with feathers burning with black fire slowly flying out from the fortress.

It had nine necks and heads, each resembling a peacock.

Huiyang! Huiyang!!

The Nine-headed Bird tilted its heads and emitted strange cries.

This was also the origin of its name.

The huge black bird flapped its wings and flew up, like a massive black cloud. In an instant, it floated in front of Lin Xin.

"Divine Monarch, Huiyang is willing to submit willingly."

Its voice conveyed through divine sense, respectfully lowering its nine heads.

"Tell me your true name."

Lin Xin said coldly.

At their level, particularly with an entity like the Nine-headed Bird, which was a fearsome creature between Heavenly Venerable and Earth Immortal, only the true name could truly bind it.

Their true name, imprinted deep in the void of myriad realms, linked countless traces and history they left behind. It encapsulated all the mysteries of their life and divine powers.

Once mastered by someone with great divine power, their life and death would be at that person’s whim.

Not to mention, Lin Xin knew a Taoist art called "Proof of Karma."

It was a universal Taoist art recorded in Green Lake Mountain, requiring Earth Immortal cultivation to cast.

The art’s principle involved using the true name to directly materialize the countless world traces and history related to it, condensing them into a totem.

If this totem were destroyed by external forces, the true name’s owner would instantly perish, with no possibility of reincarnation or rebirth.

This art, involving karma, was one of the Karma Taoist Techniques.

Lin Xin previously had no qualification to view it, but by now, he had thoroughly understood it.

"True name....." The Nine-headed Bird trembled all over.

It didn’t expect Lin Xin to be so ruthless, asking for its true name immediately.

Once given, it would lose the freedom and leisure of tens of thousands of years, becoming a slave to this man before it.

"Hmm?"

Lin Xin’s eyes landed on it, and instantly an immense pressure fell heavily upon the Nine-headed Bird.

The space around it compressed intensely without a trace of breaking.

The Nine-headed Bird was shocked, indicating that Lin Xin’s sword intent had integrated tightly with space, greatly fortifying the surrounding space strength, transforming it into a usable space sword intent!!

It knew some sword techniques could achieve this effect.

But, it hadn’t seen Lin Xin use any such sword intent or sword techniques at all!

In other words....

He was forcibly twisting space to obey him purely with his other sword intents!

Understanding this, the Nine-headed Bird was horrified.

Feeling the increasingly dangerous sword intent radiating from Lin Xin, it finally spoke in a low tone.

"My true name is...." A complex, obscure sequence of sounds conveyed through its divine sense, entering Lin Xin’s divine sense.

After memorizing the Nine-headed Bird’s true name, Lin Xin retracted his sword intent, no longer wantonly destroying the surroundings.

After confirming the master-servant relationship, the Nine-headed Bird’s enormous body rapidly shrank, transforming into a silver-haired, curvy woman in moments.

"Huiyang greets the master."

Nine-headed Bird Huiyang respectfully bowed her head to Lin Xin.

"Did you know me beforehand?"

Lin Xin scrutinized this strongest subordinate he had ever accepted, slightly curious.

If Shadow City had sealed the news here, how did she know his information and plan to negotiate surrender?

Nine-headed Bird Huiyang, draped in a black velvet coat, wore a tight black vest underneath, her chest heaving impressively, and tight black jeans below, subtly highlighting her perfect curves.

She looked no different from an ordinary silver-haired beauty.

The only peculiar feature was her eyes, each with nine black dots arranged in a ring around the pupils.

"Master, our Nine-headed Bird clan’s greatest innate divine ability is time retrogression....."

Huiyang whispered through divine sense.

"Time retrogression?" Lin Xin’s interest was piqued instantly.

"Yes."

Huiyang confirmed.

"Our innate divine ability allows us to reverse the time of an individual, an environment, a past segment, and extract the desired information."

"Isn’t this like the Circular Light Technique Taoist art?"

Lin Xin frowned.

"No, our divine ability does not read residual memory of the surroundings, which is the principle of the Circular Light Technique." Huiyang shook her head.

"Our innate divine ability directly reads the past of a specific individual or environment. Whether there is residual memory of the surroundings or not is irrelevant."

"Interesting."

Lin Xin slightly smiled, yet even his smile gave a cold and heartless impression.

It seemed like a mere combination of facial expressions.

"From now on, you will follow me."

This innate divine ability was extremely useful, the best for reconnaissance and investigation.

"How long can you reverse the time?" he suddenly asked.

"A year, but it requires tremendous spiritual power supply." Huiyang swiftly answered.

"Enough!"

Lin Xin flashed over and grabbed her shoulder.

"Let’s go."

Before the words fell, the two vanished in the air in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few lingering shadows slowly dissipating.

*******************

Space twisted into a slender, curved glass tube.

Lin Xin brought Nine-headed Bird Huiyang sliding rapidly through the tube, surrounded by a myriad of colorful, bizarre scenes.

There were no complete objects, only strange forms distorted and blended at high speed.

Like an abstract painter’s random doodles, Nine-headed Bird couldn’t see or understand anything, only feeling a tearing pain inside her body.

She felt her entire body about to break, limbs as if crushed by a giant mountain, her bones and flesh senseless. Only an ocean of pain surged within.

She could barely control her breathing, struggling to inhale elemental energy.

Bang!!

Suddenly, she felt a firm grip on her shoulder.

A powerful force instantly fixed her in place, floating in mid-air.

The sudden transition from extreme speed to stillness was too abrupt, causing her vision to black out, blood to surge, nearly fainting and suffocating.

"I..... I...."

"You’re too weak; you can’t even withstand flying." Lin Xin coldly reprimanded.

"I..... I....."

Huiyang opened her mouth, trying to speak.

"If you want to vomit, just do it. Can’t even adapt to this speed." Lin Xin frowned, lightly patting her back.

Spurt!!!!

Huiyang tilted her head back, spitting a mouthful of blood.

The blood mist floated and dispersed, almost forming a red cloud.

Lin Xin was momentarily shocked, looking at his hand, then back at Nine-headed Bird.

He hadn’t used any force!

Spurt!!

The Nine-headed Bird spat blood a second time.

Mouthfuls of blood gushed out, falling freely.

"I..... I...."

"What do you want to say!!?"

Lin Xin hurriedly supported her; she was his first Earth Immortal level subordinate and couldn’t be sacrificed so easily.

"I.... I’m.... almost.... done for....."

Nine-headed Bird squeezed out a few words with difficulty.

Lin Xin immediately released a strand of true yuan to circulate within her body.

Finally understanding, he felt somewhat exasperated.

Nine-headed Bird’s physique was shockingly weak.

Not on par with Earth Immortals, or even Human Immortals and Nascent Souls, only comparable to Golden Core Cultivators.

A little faster speed earlier made her spit blood. Lightly patting her back with power meant for others of Earth Immortal level was a fatal blow to her.

Leaving her on the verge of death.

"Such a weak Earth Immortal Divine Beast...."

Feeling helpless, Lin Xin still imparted a strand of true yuan, helping her recover.

After vomiting blood for several minutes, Huiyang finally caught her breath, looking at Lin Xin with extreme reverence.

"Master, you are too powerful; Huiyang cannot endure."

"Your physique is too weak. Besides time retrogression, what other abilities do you have?"

Lin Xin regretted accepting this subordinate.