Chapter 423: Chapter 45: Three Parts Wicked, Three Parts Killer – Part 3
Lu Qingshan’s achievements of single-handedly slaying three Great Demon Kings had subdued all cultivators.
They were waiting for Lu Qingshan’s decision.
Lu Qingshan slightly closed his eyes, and after a moment, he opened them.
He swept the Qingfeng Sword through the air.
Wherever the tip pointed,
the Demon Clan’s allied forces!
“We have surrendered, why press for a total annihilation?!” The Demon Clan was panicked, angry, and dissatisfied.
“A thousand years of battle, innumerable bloodshed, deep-seated hatred, now that you are at a disadvantage, you choose to surrender,” Lu Qingshan’s voice was full of murderous intent, “But as soon as you of the Demon Clan accumulate enough strength, you will surely make a comeback, and it will be another bloodstorm.”
“Therefore, I will cut the weeds and dig out the roots, to prevent future troubles!” Lu Qingshan said coldly.
The Human Cultivators faithfully followed Lu Qingshan’s command, swarming forward.
In the chaos, everything suddenly became empty, all sounds disappeared, and both the cultivators and the Demon Clan disintegrated like bubbles.
This was a world of emptiness.
Clad in black, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, his presence was restrained.
Lu Qingshan was startled for a moment, but quickly came to his senses and saluted, “I pay my respects to Sect Master Liu.”
“No need for such formalities, it’s just a residual image left behind,” Liu Han said indifferently, “I have left this residual image only to tell you two things.”
“I am all ears.” Lu Qingshan said.
“First, the Demon Clan had already secretly contacted the Sect Master of the Mysterious Yin Sect, offering terms to make him the leader of the Human Race in exchange for betraying the Human Race and helping the Demon Clan win this war.
The Sect Master of the Mysterious Yin Sect did not agree… but neither did he refuse.
If I hadn’t taken action against him, the resentful Sect Master of the Mysterious Yin Sect would surely have betrayed the Human Race. With this uncertainty, the outcome of that battle would have been unknown.
This killing was the right choice, and it had to be done.
Second, after the Demon Clan’s surrender, I also chose to eliminate them completely, which caused thousands of losses for the Human Race, and there was no small amount of resentment.
If I had chosen to accept the Demon Clan’s surrender, whether the outcome would have been better than this, I do not know.
So the certainty of this killing, I am not sure, but I still had to do it.”
“Lastly, I leave you with these words: A Sword Cultivator fears not the slaughter; even with sins upon him, it is but a matter to be settled by one slash of the sword. As long as his conscience is clear, that is enough.”
Lu Qingshan respectfully said, “I will take your lesson to heart.”
Liu Han smiled gently, the residual image gradually disintegrating into tiny particles and disappeared.
Atop the mountain summit.
Li Zhao and Yan Qingfeng likewise watched Liu Han’s residual image dissipate, lost in thought.
The conversation between Liu Han and Lu Qingshan had also reached their ears.
“To be human is to bear a trace of evil; to be a Sword Cultivator is to carry a hint of slaughter.
If one is a Sword Cultivator, he must nurture a trace of murderous intent in his heart.
Too little, and one’s Vital Essence is insufficient, with no sharpness showing, hindering the attainment of greatness.
Too much, and one strays from the path, bound to be devoured by an addiction to killing.
Over so many years, countless Sword Cultivators have come and gone on Mount Tai, yet none could satisfy the Netherworld Prison Master.
Who would have thought, a Sword Cultivator from the mortal realm, lost in the Netherworld, would become the only one to successfully ascend the mountain.”
“Your long-standing troubles can finally be resolved, Prison Master,” Li Zhao and Yan Qingfeng congratulated him.
The Netherworld Prison Master shook his head slightly. “Passing the tests of others is not enough; he also needs to pass my final challenge.”
“The final challenge?” Both Li Zhao and Yan Qingfeng were puzzled.
The Netherworld Prison Master was not a Sword Cultivator.
As an outsider, how would he test a Sword Cultivator?
“The heart and character of the Sword Cultivator have already proved satisfactory,” the Netherworld Prison Master said slowly, “However, on the path of the Sword Dao, talent and aptitude are equally crucial. Without talent, it’s difficult to truly excel.
Therefore, my final challenge will test his talent in the Sword Dao!”
The blank world gradually burst into color.
The surrounding scenery began to take shape, and the narrow mountain path of Mount Tai slowly appeared beneath Lu Qingshan’s feet.
The peak that had seemed unreachable was now just one last step away.
Without any hesitation, Lu Qingshan took a bold step forward.