The Unparalleled Sword Emperor
Chapter 1656 - 1653: The Old Man of the Lonely Boat’s Fish Hook (5 Updates)

Chapter 1656: Chapter 1653: The Old Man of the Lonely Boat’s Fish Hook (5 Updates)

Ling Luo, Lin Anyang, and Zhang Jianxing stepped forward together.

Ling Luo’s sword split the heavens and earth, forcing all the surrounding warriors to retreat in complete disarray.

"Junior Brother Dongfang, I don’t care what has caused you to become like this, but today, you have enraged the masses. We can no longer stand idly by." Ling Luo said coldly.

"Junior Brother Dongfang, stop! Though this is a trial ground, your current state is not for cultivation, but pure slaughter!" Lin Anyang said urgently.

"Brother Dongfang, why have you become like this?" Zhang Jianxing asked icily.

Lin Bai raised his eyes to look at the trio and coldly said, "Do not block my path! Those who do shall die!"

Lin Bai’s eyes glowed blood-red, while the mocking smile on the Demon Flower sneered at the three, belittling their overconfidence!

Ling Luo’s expression flickered, and her figure immediately darted forward. The power of the Four Gods Sword Slash fully erupted, slashing horizontally with the might to sever the heavens, aimed directly at Lin Bai!

Simultaneously, Lin Anyang also struck with his sword, charging toward Lin Bai.

Zhang Jianxing followed closely behind, the Demon Sword emitting a cold, dazzling brilliance!

These three were considered the supreme sword cultivators of the Lingnan Continent, the strongest of their generation. Now, their combined effort unleashed an overwhelming sword might, pressing down on Lin Bai together!

"Begone!"

Lin Bai roared furiously, and the Demon Sword surged with blinding light, unleashing sword energy that instantly blasted the three away!

"You court death! Don’t blame me for being ruthless!" After repelling the trio with one slash, Lin Bai’s gaze turned savage. With a single step forward, a peerlessly sharp sword strike aimed directly at Ling Luo.

Ling Luo’s heart wavered, and she hastily dodged, but Lin Bai’s sword was too fast. In the blink of an eye, it was at Ling Luo’s throat, poised to pierce through!

At that moment, a streak of Sword Qi, enveloped in the Destruction Realm, viciously cleaved toward Lin Bai’s back. An icy voice rang out at the same time: "Dongfang Bai! I don’t care what you’re doing! You’d better wake up now!"

Bang—

Lin Bai was struck by Zhang Jianxing’s sword and sent flying, his face contorted with fury. "Zhang Jianxing, you seek death! Do you truly think I cannot kill you?!"

Lin Bai flipped midair, his sword light roaring like a dragon as it surged toward Zhang Jianxing.

Clang! Clang! Clang!—

The Demon Sword clashed wildly against the nefarious Demon Sword in midair.

After exchanging over a dozen moves, Zhang Jianxing was struck by one of Lin Bai’s slashes, sent flying a thousand meters away, landing in utter disarray. He coughed up blood, his demeanor disheartened!

"Junior Brother Dongfang!" Lin Anyang now spoke coldly.

Lin Bai’s chilling gaze swept over him, and with a single strike, he sent Lin Anyang flying as well.

In an instant, Ling Luo, Lin Anyang, and Zhang Jianxing had all been defeated under Lin Bai’s sword!

Standing proudly in midair, Lin Bai carried an aloof indifference. His hollow gaze was devoid of any emotion. At this moment, Lin Bai seemed less like a person and more like a soulless monster.

Cough, cough—

Lin Anyang, Ling Luo, and Zhang Jianxing continuously coughed up blood, their faces filled with shock as they gazed at Lin Bai.

Holding the Demon Sword in hand, Lin Bai walked toward Zhang Jianxing, his expression growing colder.

"Brother Dongfang, do you intend to kill me?" Zhang Jianxing asked coldly as he watched Lin Bai approach.

"If you insist on blocking my way, then you leave me no choice." Lin Bai’s icy eyes pierced through as he spoke.

Immediately, Lin Bai thrust his sword toward Zhang Jianxing.

But at that moment, Zhang Jianxing pulled out a jade talisman from his storage bag. As he crushed it forcefully, a massive black hole appeared above his head.

Lin Bai was momentarily startled by the scene unfolding before him. He quickly raised his head to see a verdant land of green mountains and flowing rivers on the other side of the black hole, with a cold river winding its path.

By the riverbank stood a small thatched cottage.

At this moment, beside the cottage sat an old man on a small boat, dressed in a straw rain cape, leisurely fishing.

As the black hole appeared, the Fishing Old Man on the solitary boat slightly raised his head, peering through the other side of the black hole. His gaze landed on Lin Bai.

When he saw Lin Bai, his expression showed a hint of surprise, followed by a smiling remark: "Young friend, your sword skills have reached the realm of divinity; why must you rely on external forces? Such powers do not belong to you and will only lead to losing your sanity!"

"The sword in your hand is one of the most malevolent and ominous swords under heaven!"

"With your current strength, you cannot fully control it. This sword will only further cloud your mind... Let me safeguard this sword for you for the time being. Once you have steadied your heart, you may come to the Cold River Thatched Cottage of the North Frost Dynasty to retrieve it!"

Saying this, the Fishing Old Man smiled warmly. With a flick of his fishing line, the hook shot through the black hole, piercing into the Demon Sword in Lin Bai’s hand!

With a firm tug, the Demon Sword was wrenched from Lin Bai’s grip, soaring through the black hole.

The black hole then closed, and the Demon Sword disappeared completely!

As the Demon Sword vanished, the Demon Flower in Lin Bai’s eyes rapidly dimmed, and his snow-white hair returned to its natural black color.

The demonic aura left Lin Bai’s body, and humanity returned to his demeanor.

"Junior Brother Dongfang!" Lin Anyang and Ling Luo now cautiously called out.

Lin Bai looked pale, his face etched with deep exhaustion. He raised his eyes to survey the area, finding it littered with corpses. Countless warriors had perished here, the terror of their final moments frozen on their faces.

To his astonishment, Lin Bai realized he was standing right in front of Zhang Jianxing.

Zhang Jianxing lay on the ground, staring at Lin Bai with bewildered eyes while cursing the Fishing Old Man inwardly: Why didn’t you subdue Dongfang Bai? At least you could have knocked him unconscious!

"Brother Zhang..." Lin Bai reached out to help Zhang Jianxing to his feet.

Hearing Lin Bai speak those words, Zhang Jianxing exhaled slightly in relief. He knew the Dongfang Bai he once knew had returned.

Lin Anyang and Ling Luo swiftly approached. Lin Anyang beamed, "Junior Brother Dongfang, it’s a relief you’re alright."

Curious, Lin Bai asked, "What happened here?"

Zhang Jianxing forced a bitter smile. "Do you truly not know what happened?"

Lin Bai frowned, searching his memory. From the moment he wielded the Demon Sword, his recollections became hazy—it was like seeing fragmented pieces of a shattered mirror.

Lin Anyang interjected, "Don’t think about it anymore. It’s over now."

Lin Bai scanned the area. Seeing the lifeless bodies strewn across the ground, he asked grimly, "Were all these warriors killed by me?"

Lin Anyang and Ling Luo’s expressions stiffened, falling into silent discomfort.

Zhang Jianxing responded, "Brother Dongfang, what exactly happened? How did you end up in that state?"

Lin Bai’s gaze darkened. He muttered inwardly with horror, "I didn’t expect the demonic nature of the Demon Sword and Demon Flower to be this overwhelming, causing me to lose my sanity in such a short time!"

"It seems I mustn’t use the Demon Sword to cultivate the Demon Flower in the future!"

"The Demon Sword inherently harbors demonic nature, and the Demon Flower’s power only amplifies it further. With these two forces combined, my current strength is insufficient to resist their influence!"

Lin Bai spoke gravely.

Zhang Jianxing added, "It must have been because of that sword!"

Lin Bai forced a bitter smile but did not provide an answer.

Zhang Jianxing continued, "That sword was taken by my master. Once we leave the Stars Secret Realm, you can visit him at the Cold River Thatched Cottage in the North Frost Dynasty. He’ll return the sword to you there!"

"Rest assured, my master isn’t someone who covets treasures. Since he said he’d return it, he will honor his word!"

Zhang Jianxing said calmly.

"Alright. Once this is over, I will visit Senior Guzhou in the North Frost Dynasty." Lin Bai responded with a faint smile.

At this moment, from the distance, a group of disciples from the Donglan Sword Sect, led by Ye Jianqiu, arrived.

As Ye Jianqiu gazed at the carnage and the corpses of over three hundred Yangshen Realm warriors scattered lifelessly on the ground, his pupils contracted sharply, and his expression turned wary!

Lin Bai’s eyes turned to Ye Jianqiu, but he did not see Jian Ruohan. Immediately, he shouted coldly, "Ye Jianqiu, where is Jian Ruohan?"