Eight thousand swords soared through the air, clanging together in a metallic storm. In front of Quinn Shepherd, they assembled into a massive shield—the curve perfectly arched to deflect shockwaves, built to withstand the fiercest force with the least resistance.
Quinn shifted sideways, dropping to one knee and bracing an arm behind the shield—this was the most powerful defensive stance for meeting a direct impact.
Behind him, his Primordial Spirit sent countless threads of vital qi streaming into the shield, strengthening its structure.
The flying swords forming the shield were linked together in a chain structure, each blade locking into the next, allowing the whole to absorb the strongest shock.
In addition, defensive runes shimmered across the shield—Black Tortoise sigils, with the main face patterned like a tortoise shell and the edges winding with serpent motifs.
Buzz—
The Heaven-Bane Bell’s shockwave came crashing in. No bell rang out, only space itself shuddered violently. Quinn felt no terrible force, but his Primordial Spirit behind him was struck hard, shivering once, and blasted away without a trace!
"This Heaven-Bane Bell is a divine art aimed straight at Primordial Spirits or souls!"
Quinn’s heart jolted—his Primordial Spirit rushed back, moving at the fastest speed in existence. Even if blown thousands of miles away, it could return in a blink. But the real question was whether his Primordial Spirit could survive another Heaven-Bane Bell attack!
He knew little about Nether City’s divine arts—he’d only seen Lou Qianchong use one move before killing him, so he’d never had a chance to witness more of their techniques.
His Primordial Spirit had just returned when a second shockwave from the Heaven-Bane Bell followed close behind, buzzing as it blasted his spirit even farther away.
Yet Quinn’s physical body still barely felt any impact.
“This Heaven-Bane Bell is powerful, but it only works on Primordial Spirits or souls! If that’s the case...”
Quinn’s mind controlled his body—suddenly, the shield shattered. In that instant, Quinn transformed into three heads and six arms; with six hands, he grabbed, turning eight thousand swords into six divine sabers, and lunged straight at the Heaven-Bane Bell!
He tore into the crowd like a tiger among sheep—six divine sabers flashing, blade-light swirling, heads and limbs flying everywhere. He killed as easily as cutting grass, unleashing Butcher’s Heavenblade Nine Forms in full.
The Heavenblade Nine Forms: Night Battle in the Storm-Lashed City, Sun-Tide Thousand-Wave Slash, Longblade Suspends the Moon, Galloping Horse Startles the Stars—every move was exquisitely profound and grand.
Blade-light swept like wind and rain, like sea and wave—truly the Longblade Suspends the Moon, Galloping Horse Startles the Stars!
Plus, with the highest divine art of the Chiming Era—three-heads-six-arms—three heads watched in every direction, six arms attacked with no blind spots. It was like three Quinn Shepherds teaming up, charging into the herd!
Suddenly, the blade-light snapped back. Quinn’s six arms raised high, six sabers collided and merged into one long blade. All six arms swung down together!
Shhh—
The blade-light dazzled—one slash split the great hall’s doors, sending them flying apart to either side. The hall lay wide open!
All around Quinn, bodies toppled—front, back, left, right—collapsing into pools of blood. Not a single one could stand again.
With a whoosh, his Primordial Spirit flew back, settling behind him once more.
Quinn rubbed his six hands together lightly, merging the long blade back into a Sword Pill that hovered before his brow. He paused, rolled up the little casket with his vital qi, caught it in his hand, and then stepped into the hall.
Clang.
Behind him, the Heaven-Bane Bell crashed to the ground, tumbling down the steps with a series of clangs.
Inside the hall, a demon god sat with imposing dignity, draped in a black cloak, two long crimson horns curving from his head, and eyes as black-and-white as a human’s.
This demon god was reading a book. As Quinn approached with the little casket, the casket snapped open with a click.
The demon god set down his book, looked at him, and chuckled: “It’s been ages since an outsider entered the Umbral World. The last one was twenty thousand years ago—back then, the Pioneer Emperor sent gods and demons to spy on this place, not knowing his own limits. So, what brings you here? Is there another arrogant fool from outside who thinks they can overturn the heavens?”
Quinn held the casket, bowed, and said, “Fenix Greenwood Keane, 107th-generation descendant of the Pioneer Emperor, greets a senior of Nether City.”