The flood of memories rushing through Feng Qi's mind made him fully grasp the life of the Demon Blade.
As he came back to his senses, a splitting headache tore through his skull.
Even though what he had seen were only fragmented memory shards—fleeting glimpses rather than a complete, uninterrupted viewing—the sheer weight of the memories was unbearable.
The pain was even more intense than when he had read the Sacrificial Line's memories.
A cry of agony escaped his lips as cold sweat dripped from his forehead. His eyes, already bloodshot, burned with an overwhelming pressure.
It felt as if his mind was about to explode.
At that moment, Feng Qi shut his eyes.
The memories of the Demon Blade still flickered within his consciousness, blurring the lines between his own self and the entity he had just witnessed.
And what shocked Feng Qi the most—was that deep within his heart, a faint sense of Blade Intent was beginning to take shape.
Through the memories, he had personally witnessed the Demon Blade's rise.
He had seen the painstaking process of nurturing new wielders. Those lingering images, seared into his consciousness, had subtly influenced his soul during the memory retrieval process, unknowingly allowing him to grasp a sliver of Blade Intent.
As the flames of Blade Momentum ignited within him, Feng Qi's eyes snapped open.
A sharp glint flashed across his scarlet pupils, and in that instant, the very ground beneath his feet trembled—a visible indentation appearing in the dust where his gaze landed.
Overwhelmed by disbelief, he closed his eyes once more.
The spiritual pain was so intense that his entire body trembled uncontrollably, his sweat forming pools on the ground.
The memories were too vast, too deep—even though they were merely broken fragments, he could barely digest them.
In this moment, he suddenly recalled something Mo had once told Ling Zhan.
Back then, Mo had admitted that he did not dare read the memories of ancient powerhouses, fearing that the sheer length of their recollections would obliterate his current form.
It was a chilling realization.
To read memories was to experience their past—and the act of retrieving them was far more terrifying than it seemed.
Even though the Demon Blade's memories weren't as overwhelmingly immersive as the Sacrificial Line, they still held far more weight than watching a mere film.
He had been a spectator, watching the Demon Blade's journey unfold.
He had felt the silent grief and mourning of Chao Tian when his sister passed away.
He had felt the cold resolve that overtook Chao Tian, as he transitioned from nurturing new warriors with care to closing off his heart entirely, becoming a blade forged solely for godslaying.
And Feng Qi had been there for every moment of it.
When the Demon Blade shattered "Ji", its insane laughter still echoed in his mind. At that moment, he too had felt an exhilarating sense of triumph.
It was this deep immersion that left him momentarily unable to distinguish between the memories and reality.
Panting heavily, Feng Qi felt his spiritual energy nearly depleted.
Dizziness set in. The world around him spun wildly, his vision doubling and distorting.
But despite the pain invading his body and mind, he forced himself to lift his head and look toward the Mist Lord.
The battle of wills between the Mist Lord and the Demon Blade was still ongoing.
Through the memories, Feng Qi could now confirm one thing—
The Demon Blade was not at its peak.
It was far weaker than the terrifying weapon it would become in 1,500 years, one that could fight the Mist Lord in his prime.
Yet even now, it was still a nightmare incarnate.
Had the Demon Blade's blood puppets not crumbled under the world's suppression, and had it fully recovered from its injuries—
It could have slain the Mist Lord and Feng Qi right here, right now.
Even so, the Mist Lord had gained the upper hand.
The blue light seeping from his body had begun to suppress the black mist spilling from the Demon Blade.
The Demon Blade's tremors were growing weaker.
And yet, Feng Qi could feel it clearly—the Demon Blade had not surrendered.
That unbreakable will, that uncompromising resolve, that unyielding obsession with slaying a god—
It was about to erupt.
As Feng Qi suspected, deep within the Demon Blade, Chao Tian's consciousness was gathering power.
"Another… miracle… I will not lose!"
The voice echoed in Feng Qi's mind, as if it had been carved into the depths of his soul.
In that moment, Blade Qi surged skyward, tearing through the clouds, splitting them apart like an unstoppable blade cutting through flesh.
"Miracle? So what… I can still… cut you down!"
The Demon Blade's tremors intensified, its unyielding will clashing against the Miracle Will suppressing it.
Both forces strained against each other, but it was Chao Tian who burned with greater fury.
A Miracle Artifact was an object that transcended the mundane, a creation of the gods.
But the Demon Blade's sole purpose was to slay the gods with a mortal body.
Blade Qi exploded outward, sending Feng Qi flying.
Across from him, the Mist Lord—clad in pitch-black armor—lowered his stance, taking on a draw-cut posture.
The energy radiating from his body soared to new heights.
Feng Qi recognized this technique instantly.
Blade Tyrant Style – Third Form: Rift Cleave.
A cold gleam overtook the Mist Lord's purple eyes, swallowing them in an abyssal black hue.
His right arm became a blur, slashing forward with devastating force.
The air itself howled in agony, the sheer force of the strike ripping through space.
Crack!
Like rolling thunder, an ear-splitting crack echoed through the air as a pitch-black bolt of lightning tore through the sky, carving a massive rift in space above.
For a brief moment, there was silence. Then, a violent windstorm descended from the heavens, scattering debris in all directions and distorting the spatial array. Within a radius of several kilometers, rocks were hurled into the air, caught in the chaotic surge of energy.
At first glance, the attack seemed aimed at the sky, but in truth, it was the Demon Blade's challenge against the invisible gods.
Staring at the Mist Lord, who had assumed a blade-drawing stance, Feng Qi was reminded of the Demon Blade's Ascension Challenge.
At this very moment, the Demon Blade had clearly recognized the Miracle Will within the Mist Lord's body as its new whetstone and had launched a direct confrontation.
The power of the Demon Blade surged dramatically.
At that instant, the Mist Lord suddenly spoke:
"A blade is its own sheath... Today, I open the gate and sever the divine!"
As his voice fell, the Mist Lord spread his legs slightly, lowered his stance, and positioned the Demon Blade at his left side.
The aura radiating from his body spiked once more.
A violent storm of razor-sharp blade energy erupted in all directions, forcing Feng Qi to retreat rapidly to avoid being shredded by the surging currents of energy.
Under Feng Qi's watchful gaze, the Mist Lord remained in his blade-drawing stance, but the black mist surrounding him began to rise and expand. Slowly, it began to match the radiance of the blue light, forming an eerie equilibrium.
Then, the black mist surged forward, coalescing into a humanoid figure wielding a blade.
This shadowy figure stood with its back to the Mist Lord, gripping a long blade that billowed with thick black smoke, its gaze locked onto the space ahead.
The shadow moved.
With a slow, deliberate motion, it raised its blade and swung.
There was no explosive force, no sweeping blade energy, just a slow and deliberate practice swing, as if perfecting each stroke.
But as time passed, the shadow's movements quickened, and blade energy began to emerge.
It was as if the shadow was locked in combat with an invisible enemy, its blade strikes growing increasingly sharp, and the killing intent it radiated pierced the heavens.
The blue light covering the Mist Lord's body began to wane, gradually falling into a disadvantageous position against the overwhelming presence of the shadowy blade wielder.
Feng Qi's eyes widened in shock.
The Demon Blade was overpowering a Miracle Artifact?
This was unbelievable.
Just as Feng Qi sensed that something was off, the blue radiance of the Mist Lord suddenly surged.
"I cannot lose… I have yet to revive my people!"
At that moment, the Mist Lord's will ignited, fueling the power of his Miracle Will to its absolute peak.
The blue light and black mist intertwined, clashing in a battle for dominance over the Mist Lord's body.
Boom!
The ground beneath them gave way, unable to withstand the sheer power of the two opposing forces. Cracks spread outward in all directions, originating from the Mist Lord, consuming everything in their path.
Feng Qi and the other onlookers immediately retreated further.
"Sever!"
The Mist Lord's voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
In an instant, the shadowy figure wielding the long blade unleashed an onslaught of strikes, each swing creating a cascade of overlapping afterimages.
The sky darkened, as an endless sea of blade shadows consumed the light of the sun, shrouding the battlefield in complete darkness. The interwoven blade projections carved through the sky as if splitting the heavens apart.
Even though they had already retreated a considerable distance, Feng Qi and the personnel involved in the spatial project still felt the aftershocks of the attack, forcing them to fall back even further.
Crack!
The sound of space shattering rang out repeatedly.
Looking up, Feng Qi's breath hitched—high above, spatial turbulence vortexes had formed, pulling and distorting the very fabric of reality.
It was as if the entire world was on the verge of collapse.
With that single strike, the Demon Blade's power skyrocketed, further suppressing the blue glow of the Miracle Will.
But this dominance only lasted for a few seconds before the Mist Lord reclaimed the advantage.
In that instant, the Mist Lord's aura surged explosively.
"I am… the Lord of the Mist Clan!"
With a deep growl, he slowly straightened his stance, standing tall against the howling winds.
His will resonated with the Miracle Will, amplifying its power several times over, instantly overwhelming the black mist.
The Demon Blade trembled once more.
A mortal weapon could never truly contend against a Miracle Artifact.
Even though the Demon Blade was being crushed, Feng Qi felt no relief.
Because he could feel it again—the unyielding will of the Demon Blade, refusing to bow, refusing to break.
Right before his eyes, the shadowy figure formed from black mist began to solidify.
This time, however, the blade-wielding figure did not resemble the Mist Lord.
Instead, it transformed into a woman's silhouette.
And Feng Qi knew this figure well.
She was the Demon Blade's true master.
She was the only obsession in Chao Tian's heart.
She was Chao Xuan—the greatest prodigy of the Blade Clan.
The shadow of Chao Xuan stood motionless, yet the power of the Demon Blade surged at an alarming rate.
At this moment, the Demon Blade had fully accepted the Miracle Will within the Mist Lord as its ultimate whetstone.
The stronger the whetstone, the sharper the blade that was forged.
Staring at the black mist forming the figure of Chao Xuan, Feng Qi's mind was suddenly flooded with fragments of memories.
"Old hag, even if I become a blade, I will walk this path with you."
"Elder sister, this is our promise—no matter if the enemy is a god, together, we will cut them down!"
Boom!
At that moment, the Demon Blade's aura surged violently.
It sought to sever the heavens! Sever the earth! Sever the gods!
Three blade inscriptions, marking the ultimate techniques comprehended through the Ascension Challenge, surfaced on the Demon Blade's body.
Under the overwhelming suppression of the Miracle Will, the Demon Blade's power began to rise, becoming sharper with each clash.
The initial disadvantage gradually returned to equilibrium.
With his left eye glowing purple and his right eye dark as the abyss, the Mist Lord and the Demon Blade continued their brutal struggle, neither side relenting.
Even from a distance, Feng Qi's heart pounded violently.
He understood just how deep the Mist Lord's obsession with reviving his fallen people ran. Countless timelines had proven this.
At the same time, through the fragments of memory he had glimpsed, he also knew how much the Demon Blade desired to sever the divine.
The Miracle Will made the Mist Lord stronger, but it also fueled the Demon Blade's unyielding will.
Every time the Miracle Will grew in strength, the Demon Blade's power escalated in turn.
This was the terrifying nature of the Ascension Challenge.
The stronger the enemy, the sharper the blade would become.
Feng Qi couldn't predict how powerful the Demon Blade would become in the future, but based on the visions of the previous timeline, the Demon Blade was already capable of battling the Mist Lord at his peak 1,500 years into the future.
By then, its strength would already rival that of a Miracle Artifact.
It was no wonder the Demon Blade constantly sought powerful opponents to challenge.
Because the goal of the Ascension Challenge was never to become a god—
It was to become a god-slayer.
At this moment, Feng Qi was completely shaken.
The future potential of this Demon Blade was unfathomable.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion jolted Feng Qi back to reality.
He lifted his gaze and saw the shadow of Chao Xuan slowly raising her blade, positioning it before her chest.
In that instant, a familiar memory surfaced in Feng Qi's mind.
It was the moment Chao Xuan first taught Chao Tian how to wield a blade.
"Little brother, watch closely—this is the technique."
The past and present overlapped, and at that moment, Chao Xuan swung her blade.
A single, plain yet flawless slash.
Above them, the phantom of the Demon Blade materialized instantly, mirroring her swing.
Feng Qi's gaze followed the arc of the blade, and in the distance, a mountain peak split neatly in two.
Only a moment later, the sound of the collapsing mountain reached their ears.
Boom!
It was as if the heavens and earth had shattered, and the very ground beneath them trembled violently.
With that strike, the Demon Blade's power surged again.
However, the Mist Lord did not yield either. Fueled by his unwavering will, he reversed the momentum and regained his advantage.
This battle was more than a mere clash between the Miracle Will and the Demon Blade—
It was a direct confrontation between the Mist Lord and Chao Tian.
In the previous timeline, their battle took place 1,500 years into the future.
But in this timeline, the fight had been brought forward.
The outcome remained the same—a deadlock.
Neither side could achieve absolute dominance.
As the battle raged on, the Mist Lord's body began to show signs of deterioration.
Cracks formed across his skin, as if his very being could no longer withstand the sheer power of the clash.
When the Mist Lord's body teetered on the edge of collapse, Feng Qi panicked.
If the battle continued, even if the Mist Lord won, he would not survive.
Feng Qi clenched his fists, preparing to forcefully activate his divine body, even if it meant risking his own life to intervene—
But just then, something unexpected happened.
The Demon Blade suddenly detached from the Mist Lord's grasp.
It hovered in the air for a moment before flying toward Chao Xuan's shadow, landing in her hands.
At that moment, she turned to look at the Mist Lord.
The Mist Lord snapped back to reality.
Without the Demon Blade's control, the eerie glow in his eyes faded, returning to normal.
Neither of them spoke.
They simply held each other's gaze in silence.
Then, the Demon Blade trembled.
The shadowy figure of Chao Xuan slowly opened her mouth and spoke:
"You are worthy of being my whetstone. I will remember you. Leave your name, and we shall fight again in the future."
The Mist Lord replied without hesitation:
"Mi Yun."
"I will remember that. I hope you do not perish along your path of growth. I will await you in the future."
With those final words, the Demon Blade slowly turned away.
"Your name!"
Just as the Demon Blade was about to depart, the Mist Lord called out to it.
"Demon Blade—Chao Tian."
A faint smile appeared on the Mist Lord's face.
"Are you interested in becoming my weapon?"
There was no hesitation in his voice, only confidence—
As if he didn't fear the possibility of the Demon Blade seeking vengeance.
The response was immediate.
"Not interested. You and I are the same—both possessing an unshakable will. You are not suited to wield a blade. You yourself… are the strongest blade."
As the words fell, the shadow of Chao Xuan disintegrated, and the Demon Blade shot into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, it had vanished beyond the horizon.
The battle had ended.
The entire surrounding area was in ruins.
Feng Qi made his way toward the Mist Lord, his voice laced with concern.
"Old Mist, are you alright?"
The Mist Lord stood with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance where the Demon Blade had disappeared.
He then turned to Feng Qi, a smile forming on his face.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. The Demon Blade… Chao Tian—I will remember him. He has taught me how to wield my Miracle Will. For that, I should thank him."
Hearing this, Feng Qi finally let out a sigh of relief.
"Let's head back."
As he spoke, the Mist Lord turned calmly—
Then collapsed face-first onto the ground.
Feng Qi: "..."
Staring at the unconscious Mist Lord, Feng Qi sighed in exasperation.
"If you were about to collapse, why act so damn cool?"