Fate-Defying Demon Emperor

Chapter 622: Subduing the Crane Sword Saint

A mournful wail echoed throughout the hall. The sounds of crying ghosts and howling gods erupted as countless Fierce Ghosts flew from the Myriad Ghosts Holy Banner, swiftly converging to form five Ghost Venerates, each with strength comparable to the Supreme Realm Seventh Layer.

BOOM!

The Nine Palace Golden Pagoda shone resplendently with twinkling golden light. Four of its palaces opened, unleashing a dense and intense suppressive force. It felt as heavy as Mount Tai bearing down, pressing straight toward the Crane Sword Saint.

ROAR!

Sinister, pitch-black Evil Qi coalesced into an Evil Dragon Shadow, which charged forward with endless resentment to kill the Crane Sword Saint!

CRACKLE!

A golden Thunder Light flared to life, like a strike from a clear blue sky. The Holy Thunder Golden Wheel spun at high speed, erupting with intense Taiyi Golden Thunder. It generated a terrifying cutting force that split space itself with its immense power.

WHOOSH!

A huge Kunpeng illusion materialized, its colossal body filling the entire hall. A mere flap of its wings could carry it ninety thousand miles into the sky. At that moment, a single Kunpeng Holy Feather fell like a Heaven-Slaying Divine Sword, sundering time and space and breaking everything in its path.

HUMMM!

Ripples of blue light spread out like the waves of a vast ocean, shaking the very space within the hall and causing it to churn into towering waves that crashed in all directions.

SWISH!

A Vermilion Bird let out a long cry, bringing with it a sea of flames hot enough to incinerate the heavens and burn everything to ash. A Vermilion Bird Holy Feather, bathed in fire, shot directly toward the Crane Sword Saint.

SWOOSH!

A beam of immaculate, supremely holy white light flew from the Purifying Holy Vial. It was a Holy Artifact of the Jade Pure Holy Maiden that specifically targeted the Divine Sense.

At this moment, the Eight Gates of Life and Death Formation was activated, and eight Holy Artifacts unleashed their power simultaneously. A myriad of lethal forces—suppression, divine sense attacks, slashes, and annihilation—burst forth, giving the Crane Sword Saint no chance whatsoever.

"What is this?"

The Crane Sword Saint never expected the Nineteenth Prince to move against him, let alone with eight Holy Artifacts at once. His face paled instantly, but it was far too late to defend himself.

RUMBLE!

Ferocious energy completely engulfed the Crane Sword Saint. The space he occupied collapsed and shattered, revealing a stretch of pitch-black nothingness.

"Nine Heavens Eye!"

Su Han quickly activated the Nine Heavens Eye, piercing through the illusion to see the Crane Sword Saint’s current state clearly.

The man was drenched in blood, his skin split and flesh mangled. His body was a blurred mess of gore, an utterly miserable sight. Although Su Han couldn’t fully unleash the power of the eight Holy Artifacts, he had managed to channel forty to fifty percent of their might by leveraging the Eight Gates of Life and Death Formation.

By catching the unsuspecting Crane Sword Saint completely by surprise, the eight Holy Artifacts struck home, leaving him severely injured and barely clinging to life. At this point, his wounds were grievous, and his strength was less than a tenth of what it once was.

"Thunderbolt Seven Absolute Slashes!"

"Golden Emperor Tanyang Fist!"

Su Han refused to give the Crane Sword Saint any opportunity to struggle. He had only one chance, and if he failed, all his previous efforts would be for nothing.

"You are not His Highness! Who are you?"

Feeling the aura of the Thunderbolt Seven Absolute Slashes and the Golden Emperor Tanyang Fist, the Crane Sword Saint’s heart shook, and his face turned ashen with shock. He was very familiar with the Nineteenth Prince; these were definitely not his Martial Techniques. Furthermore, the prince absolutely did not possess so many Holy Artifacts.

If this person isn’t the Nineteenth Prince, then where is the real one?

The Crane Sword Saint dared not contemplate the answer, for it implied a capital offense. He struggled to his feet, attempting to use Teleportation to evade Su Han’s attack. His injuries were too severe; he had to find a chance to recover, or he would be no match for his assailant.

"Divine Prohibition Heavenly Method!"

Su Han was well-prepared. He quickly used the Divine Prohibition Heavenly Method, causing the Crane Sword Saint’s body to stiffen, immobilized for one second.

Though brief, one second was more than enough for Su Han to close the distance and deliver a devastating blow. By then, he had already donned the Ghostly Face Mask, activated Physique Fusion, and channeled the power of the Character Secret to push his strike to its absolute peak.

SQUELCH!

The Black Blade fell. The Thunder Dragon Saber Aura fiercely slashed across the Crane Sword Saint’s body, carving a gash so deep that bone was visible. Blood flowed ceaselessly from the grievous wound.

THUD!

At the same time, Su Han’s Golden Fist Radiance, shining like a great sun crossing the sky, smashed directly into the Crane Sword Saint’s head.

As a Saint Realm powerhouse, the Crane Sword Saint was formidable. However, he was a Sword Cultivator whose skills were all in his swordplay, making his physical body far less robust than that of a Body Cultivator. When the Golden Emperor Tanyang Fist struck him, his skull caved in, leaving him dizzy, disoriented, and seeing stars.

One defeat led to another. Having lost the initiative and fallen for Su Han’s sneak attack, the Crane Sword Saint found his injuries worsening. He grew faint and disoriented, as if afflicted by a debilitating illness.

At this moment, he was at his weakest. But this still wasn’t enough. Su Han had to break his psychological defenses. Only then would the Vajra Subduing Demon Technique have a chance to succeed.

"Look. What is this?" Su Han reached out and retrieved the ancient bronze Holy Furnace from his Bronze Ring. It was the Holy Artifact of the Copper Tiger Saint.

The Crane Sword Saint had already suspected that the Copper Tiger Saint had met with misfortune. Now, Su Han was using the furnace to confirm his fears.

"The Nineteenth Prince is also dead. Do you recognize his Seven Stars Holy Sword?"

Su Han reached out again, taking out the Seven Stars Holy Sword and activating it.

The appearance of the ancient bronze Holy Furnace and the Seven Stars Holy Sword caused the Crane Sword Saint’s pupils to constrict and his Heart Spirit to tremble violently.

The Copper Tiger Saint’s fate is one thing, but the Nineteenth Prince’s status is noble. His death is sure to cause an uproar. As his Protector, I failed to safeguard him. The Flying Immortal Great Emperor will inevitably hold me accountable, and death will be my only destiny.

"Now, take a good look at who I am!" Su Han removed the Ghostly Face Mask, revealing his true face.

"It’s you! How is this possible?"

The Crane Sword Saint had seen Su Han before. The realization that this unremarkable youth was the perpetrator behind it all sent a surge of rage through him so powerful that he spat out a large mouthful of blood, feeling as though his lungs might burst.

"Divine Sense Star Map!"

Seeing the Crane Sword Saint’s Heart Spirit was unstable, Su Han struck while the iron was hot. From his sea of consciousness, the one hundred and eight Divine Sense Stellars formed a Star Chart that shot out and slammed into the Crane Sword Saint’s own sea of consciousness. Instantly, it was riddled with cracks, on the verge of complete collapse.

"Divine Method: Vajra Subduing Demons!"

It’s almost time. Su Han swiftly made his move. As he executed the Divine Method, the aura of Vajra’s Furious Glare and Buddha Nature enveloped him, overwhelming the Crane Sword Saint’s battered Heart Spirit. The technique offered a path to conversion, a call to submit and be transformed.

At that moment, the Crane Sword Saint’s eyes were vacant and his Heart Spirit had shattered. Gravely injured and at death’s door, he had reached the end of the line. Su Han’s plan had been long in the making and meticulously executed. Though powerful, the Crane Sword Saint could not withstand such a relentless barrage. He finally broke, accepting the conversion to Buddha Nature with his entire being.

"Greetings, Your Highness!"

The Crane Sword Saint’s eyes filled with utmost piety. He brought his hands together and bowed respectfully to Su Han.

Thus, the Crane Sword Saint became Su Han’s second devout follower, and the last hidden danger was eliminated.

Everything went just as I wished.