52: Chapter 52 Returning to the Sea and Making a Name for Themselves

Chaos sword light, like a blade splitting Chaos, shuttles rapidly under the colorful yet dangerous Guixu Sea sky.

Lin Wan travels by sword; the guixu sword's Chaos-colored body leaves a clear, restrained trail amidst the dense Five Elements Spiritual Qi and Guixu mist.

He does not deliberately conceal his tracks; his Golden Core Great Perfection Spiritual Pressure and the Dao rhythm of the Five Elements Returning to Ruins Dao Seed, which seems to assimilate all things, act like a beacon in the dark night, attracting the dangerous entities lurking throughout the Guixu Sea.

The first to lose patience are a group of "Space-Splitting Demon Bats" nearest to the "Five Elements Turbulent Zone."

These demon bats are pitch black, possess fleshy wings, are adept at hiding in space rifts, and emit silent sonic attacks that can tear apart a Divine Soul; they are fearsome hunters in the outer reaches of the Guixu Sea.

At this moment, there are over a hundred of them, with several leaders having reached the 3rd stage, equivalent to Golden Core Cultivators; like sharks smelling blood, they swarm out from the space rifts, forming a black cloud that blots out the sky, rushing toward Lin Wan with sharp sonic waves converging into a silent tide to launch the first attack.

"Noisy."

Lin Wan does not even stop his sword light; he merely frowns slightly and swipes the guixu sword in his hand toward the black cloud.

"Guixu — Silent Sound."

A grayish, void-like sword mark, seemingly capable of devouring all sound and light, extends quietly from the tip of his sword and instantly sweeps across the black cloud.

There is no earth-shattering sound, nor any sight of gore.

The sonic tide, capable of tearing apart a Golden Core Divine Soul, vanishes silently upon touching the sword mark, like a mud cow entering the sea.

The hundred-plus Space-Splitting Demon Bats freeze as if hit by a pause button; their forward momentum halts, and immediately, a gray, decayed color rapidly covers their bodies, their life force instantly severed, and they fall from the sky like dumplings, turning into fly ash before they even hit the ground, dissipating into the Five Elements Spiritual Qi.

One sword, and the flock is wiped out.

Lin Wan does not even glance at them; his sword light does not diminish in the slightest as he continues forward.

However, the dangers of the Guixu Sea are far more than this.

The sea area ahead suddenly boils without warning; countless thick, five-colored water pillars, carrying intense corrosive toxicity, erupt from the sea surface like volcanoes, intertwining into a death net covering dozens of li, shrouding Lin Wan!

Within the water pillars, countless fine, faintly glowing blue toxic needles are mixed in, clearly containing deadly poison.

It is a flock of "Five Poison Jellyfish"!

They are a gregarious 4th-stage Yao Beast that can spray a mixed, highly toxic Five Elements acid; individually, they are only at the 3rd stage, but their numbers are massive, and their venom's power increases exponentially when mixed, enough to strip a layer of skin off even a Nascent Soul Cultivator.

"Five Elements poison? Interesting."

A strange light flashes in Lin Wan's eyes.

Instead of dodging, he increases his speed, charging straight into the sky-filling venomous water pillars!

Just as the venom is about to touch him, a faint, Chaos-colored layer of Five Elements spiritual light quietly emerges around his body.

The power of the Five Elements Returning to Ruins Dao Seed — Five Elements Defense!

Those acid and toxic needles, containing the Five Elements poison of gold, wood, water, fire, and earth, do not explode with terrifying corrosive or piercing effects upon touching the Chaos spiritual light; instead, they dissolve and decompose rapidly like snow meeting the scorching sun, turning into the purest, slightly toxic Five Elements Spiritual Qi, which is then absorbed and assimilated by that layer of Chaos spiritual light, not only failing to harm Lin Wan in the slightest but actually replenishing a negligible amount of his consumption.

Using their own path against them; no, it is controlling the Five Elements, immune to all poisons!

Lin Wan's figure passes through that death-trap net of poison as if taking a leisurely stroll; behind him are the corpses of countless Five Poison Jellyfish, wailing as they wither and dissolve due to the backlash of their own venom.

He continues forward.

"ROAR—!!!"

A heaven-shaking roar comes from the deep sea below, and the seawater explodes!

A "Three-Headed Black Turtle," comparable in size to a small hill, covered in blue-black scales, possessing three ferocious heads, and with an aura reaching the 4th-stage Middle Stage (Nascent Soul Middle Stage), breaks through the water and blocks Lin Wan's path!

This turtle not only has astonishing defense, but its three heads can also separately spew ice, poison fire, and heavy water; its power is immense, making it one of the hegemons of this sea area.

"Human! Leave behind the Legacy aura on your body! I will spare your life!"

The middle head speaks in an obscure, ancient human tongue, its eyes filled with greed; clearly, it has also sensed the supreme Five Elements Returning to Ruins Dao rhythm on Lin Wan, which is unlike anything common, and mistakes it for some Heaven-Defying treasure.

"Those who block me, die."

Lin Wan's tone is flat; he does not even spare it a second look.

A point of Chaos light condenses at the tip of the guixu sword.

"Arrogant! Profound Ice Breath!" "Poison Fire Burning Heaven!" "Heavy Water Suppressing Sea!"

The Three-Headed Black Turtle is furious; its three heads open their giant mouths simultaneously, and a dark blue ice stream, a pitch-black poison fire, and a turbid heavy water—three terrifying attacks with distinct yet complementary attributes—come crashing toward Lin Wan in a triangular formation!

Wherever they pass, space freezes, corrodes, and collapses; the power is far greater than any previous attack.

Facing this combined attack capable of threatening an ordinary Nascent Soul Late Stage Cultivator, Lin Wan finally stops his sword light.

He hovers in the air, holding the guixu sword, facing those three earth-shattering torrents of energy, the Chaos light swirling in his eyes as if he is calculating, deducing, and... controlling.

"Five Elements rotation, mutual generation and restriction. Ice is a variation of water; poison fire contains wood, fire, and earth; heavy water contains earth and water. It looks fierce, but in reality... it is chaotic and disorganized."

He whispers to himself, and with the guixu sword in hand, he gently points three times toward the three energy torrents.

The first sword points toward the dark blue ice stream; a gray light flashes at the sword tip, the ice stream suddenly stagnates, then reverses, its coldness stripped and converted, counter-attacking the turtle's left ice head.

The second sword points toward the pitch-black poison fire; the gray light passes, and the poison fire trembles violently as if encountering its nemesis, then internally decomposes, its wood, fire, and earth poisons forcibly separated and annihilated, turning into a stream of pure thermal energy that counter-attacks the middle poison fire head.

The third sword points toward the turbid heavy water; the gray light enters, the heavy water instantly becomes clear, and its earth and water forces are separated and reorganized into a more condensed water arrow, counter-attacking the right heavy water head.

Using their own path, splitting and resolving, reversing the backlash!

"ROAR?! No—!"

The Three-Headed Black Turtle's eyes show horror; it wants to retract the attack, but it is too late.

The three heads, struck by the backlash of their own power, simultaneously let out painful roars; the ice head is covered in a thick layer of ice, the poison fire head is burned by its own fire, and the heavy water head is pierced by the water arrow!

Its massive body sways violently, and its aura instantly withers.

"It is over."

Lin Wan does not give it another chance; the guixu sword flies from his hand, turning into a streak of Chaos, instantly piercing the vital spot on the neck where the three heads of the black turtle converge!

The power of Guixu annihilation erupts, instantly severing its life force and returning it to nothingness.

The massive turtle corpse crashes into the sea, splashing up towering waves.

Lin Wan recalls the guixu sword; the blade is unstained by a single drop of blood, and the Chaos brilliance flowing on it seems even more restrained and profound.

He continues forward.

Along the way, he encounters several more waves of attacks.

There are "Heart Demon Illusion Moths" adept at mental illusions capable of creating endless nightmares, which are destroyed by Lin Wan using the Chaos Dao Seed to guard his Divine Soul, severing their Origin with a single sword strike.

There are groups of "Spirit-Devouring Demon Insects," tiny in size but capable of burrowing into a Cultivator's body to devour their Golden Core and Nascent Soul, which are enveloped by Lin Wan's Five Elements Returning to Ruins power and turned into fly ash.

There are even several naturally formed Five Elements forbidden lands and space mazes capable of trapping and killing Nascent Soul Cultivators, which are also easily seen through and traversed by him using the Void Dao Seed and his profound understanding of the Five Elements Returning to Ruins.

Wherever he passes, any Yao Beast, ancient beast, or remnant spirit that blocks his way is killed by a single sword strike or easily brushed aside.

His Golden Core Great Perfection cultivation, combined with the terrifying control of the Five Elements Returning to Ruins Dao Seed, as well as the peerless sharpness of the guixu sword, makes Lin Wan walk through this deep Guixu Sea—where Nascent Soul Cultivators are everywhere and danger is rampant—as if it were an empty land!

His fame, or rather, his unique and terrifying Chaos sword light, along with his shocking battle record of pushing forward all the way and killing several Nascent Soul ancient beasts, spreads quickly like wildfire among the surviving Cultivators in the Guixu Sea, as well as among those intelligent ancient beasts and remnant spirits.

"Have you heard? A fierce star has appeared in the deep Guixu Sea! A streak of Chaos sword light, killing everything it sees! Even the 4th-stage Middle Stage Three-Headed Black Turtle was slaughtered by him in one sword!"

"More than that! It is said that the 'Five Poison Jellyfish' flock and the 'Space-Splitting Demon Bats' flock couldn't even last a single exchange in front of him!"

"Who is that person? Is he some hidden Nascent Soul old monster? Or a Prodigy who obtained the Five Elements Hall Legacy?"

"I don't know, I only know his sword light is chaotic, his aura is strange, but he is ridiculously strong! Everywhere he goes, he leaves nothing behind... oh no, I mean, not even a blade of grass survives!"

"Quickly avoid his route! Do not provoke him!"

For a time, many Cultivators and forces in the Guixu Sea who were originally fighting and treasure hunting hear the news and flee in fear.

Even some awakened, intelligent powerful ancient beasts and remnant spirits choose to hibernate or retreat after sensing the aura of that Chaos sword light, unwilling to clash head-on with this god of slaughter.

Lin Wan's trip to the Guixu Sea, from the initial exploration and contention to the later Legacy trials, has now... turned into one-sided crushing and making a name for himself.

He is not a bloodthirsty person, but the Guixu Sea is survival of the fittest; he needs to leave as soon as possible and return to the Tiannan Ruins.

He will clear any obstacle in his path without hesitation.

Moreover, he is also taking this Opportunity to familiarize himself with and hone his newly acquired Five Elements Returning to Ruins power, accumulating practical combat experience for the upcoming Nascent Soul condensation and future, more difficult challenges.

Thus, after spending several more days, Lin Wan finally crosses the core danger zone of the Guixu Sea and arrives at the relatively safe outer sea area near the northeast exit.

Here, one could already see some figures of Cultivators from the outside world; most were Cultivators who had failed to enter the Five Elements Hall earlier, or who had entered but failed to pass the trials and exited early, continuing to explore the outer sea area to try their luck.

When they saw that legendary Chaos sword light and felt that heart-palpitating Spiritual Pressure, they all turned pale with shock, retreated far away, and watched with awe as that figure streaked across the sky like a shooting star, disappearing into the mist of the Guixu Sea.

"Is that... the 'Chaos Sword Revered Master' who has been the subject of so much heated discussion recently?"

"What terrifying pressure! I feel like a single glance from him could shatter my Divine Soul!"

"The direction he is heading... is the exit of the Gate of Guixu! He is leaving the Guixu Sea!"

"Quick! Spread the news! The 'Chaos Sword Revered Master' is about to appear!"

The news, like a storm, spread rapidly towards the exit of the Gate of Guixu, towards the Tiannan Ruins, and across the entire cultivation world of the Tiannan Continent.

At this moment, Lin Wan had already arrived near the "Gate of Guixu" exit in the northeast.

Unlike when he entered, the exit area was relatively much calmer now.

The three gigantic phantom doors still stood tall, but the gushing spatial turbulence and Guixu mist had significantly weakened; clearly, the "weakening period" was coming to an end, and the portals were about to close again.

There were still many Cultivators loitering near the exit, either waiting for companions, exchanging gains, or healing and resting.

When Lin Wan rode the Chaos sword light and appeared in the sky near the exit, it immediately caused a huge commotion.

"It is him! The 'Chaos Sword Revered Master'!"

"He has come out!"

"Look! He... he seems to only have Golden Core cultivation? How is this possible?!"

"Idiot! That is Golden Core Great Perfection! Besides, look at the Dao aura on him; is that an ordinary Golden Core? I fear even a Nascent Soul True Lord is no better than this!"

Countless gazes, whether shocked, awed, greedy, or inquisitive, focused uniformly on Lin Wan.

Especially the Cultivators from some major forces; their eyes flickered as they secretly transmitted messages.

Lin Wan turned a blind eye to the reactions around him.

His gaze swept past and he saw several qingming boats of the Qingyun Sect, which were anchored near the exit, seemingly waiting.

Han Lingtian, Xu Feng, and others had not yet come out, but the remaining Qingyun Sect Disciples had clearly received the news and were watching him with excitement and nervousness.

He did not immediately fly towards the Qingyun Sect cloud boats, but instead cast his gaze towards another area near the exit.

There, several giant boats, snow-white all over and flying banners with ice crystal snowflakes, were anchored—the fleet of the Ice Soul Palace.

At this moment, above the Ice Soul Palace fleet, a terrifying aura that was old, cold, and contained monstrous rage and Killing Intent suddenly erupted like an eternal iceberg descending, firmly locking onto Lin Wan!

"Little bastard! You killed our Ice Soul Palace Elder Hanyue and seized our Sect's Opportunity; today, leave your life behind to pay tribute to Hanyue's spirit in heaven!"

Accompanied by a sharp shout like cracking ice, an old man wearing dark ice battle armor, with a withered face and hair as white as snow, whose aura had reached the Peak of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage, stepped out from the main boat of the Ice Soul Palace, hovered in the air, and stood opposite Lin Wan from a distance.

He was none other than the leader of the Ice Soul Palace's expedition into the Guixu Sea, Elder Hanyue's Revered Master, and one of the Grand Elders of the Ice Soul Palace—True Lord Xuanming!

A Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak True Lord was taking action personally, wanting to avenge his Disciple and also seize the shocking Opportunity that Lin Wan might possess from the Five Elements Hall!

The area near the exit fell into instant silence.

All the Cultivators held their breath, watching this scene nervously.

A Nascent Soul True Lord personally attacking a Golden Core Cultivator; this was a scene that had not been seen in the Tiannan Continent for many years!

Even if that "Chaos Sword Revered Master" had a fierce reputation, could he withstand a veteran Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak?

On the Qingyun Sect's side, the remaining Golden Core Elder's expression changed drastically; he wanted to step forward, but was deterred by True Lord Xuanming's terrifying Spiritual Pressure, unable to move, and could only watch anxiously.

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Lin Wan slowly turned around to face the murderous True Lord Xuanming, his expression still calm.

"Ice Soul Palace, Xuanming?"

He spoke indifferently, as if confirming an insignificant name.

"It is I! Junior, kneel and accept your death!"

True Lord Xuanming's eyes flashed with cold light, and the dark ice Law surged around his body, freezing the surrounding space into fine ice crystals.

"Heh."

Lin Wan suddenly chuckled and shook his head, "I originally intended to settle accounts with you after leaving the Guixu Sea. Since you are in such a hurry to die, then... I will fulfill your wish."

As his voice fell, the guixu sword in his hand was slowly raised, its tip pointing towards True Lord Xuanming from afar.

The Chaos-colored sword body, at this moment, actually lit up without any light source, and an indescribable, supreme Sword Intent that seemed capable of ending everything and returning all things to Chaos slowly permeated the air.

"Arrogant! A mere Golden Core, yet you dare to draw your sword before me? Today I will let you know what the might of a Nascent Soul is! Xuanming—Ice Seal of a Thousand Li!"

True Lord Xuanming laughed out of extreme anger and slammed his hands together!

The terrifying power of the Nascent Soul Law erupted, and with him as the center, endless dark ice cold air swept out like a tsunami; wherever it passed, space froze, seawater solidified, and even the mist gushing from the Gate of Guixu seemed about to be frozen into substance!

With this strike, he had used his full strength, determined to freeze and crush this ignorant Junior, along with his Divine Soul!

Facing this terrifying strike capable of Ice Seal of a Thousand Li and killing an ordinary Early Stage Nascent Soul, Lin Wan only slowly spat out four words:

"Five Elements Returning to Ruins—"

"—One sword, to slay the True Lord."

The guixu sword moved.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no vast Sword Qi spanning a thousand li.

There was only one Void sword mark, only a zhang long, Chaos in color, containing the birth and death of nebulae, and seemingly able to sever Karma and destroy all Laws, that flew quietly from the tip of the sword, meeting the dark ice cold tide that swept over and seemed capable of freezing ten thousand li.

Wherever the sword mark passed, the frozen space cracked silently, unable to heal for a long time.

The terrifying dark ice cold tide, the moment it touched the sword mark, melted and disintegrated rapidly like thin frost under the scorching sun; even the dark ice Law within it was forcibly decomposed, assimilated, and returned to nothingness by the more essential and supreme "Guixu" Dao aura contained within the sword mark.

The sword mark's momentum did not diminish in the slightest, as if it had only sliced through a layer of insignificant mist, and it continued to slash leisurely towards True Lord Xuanming.

The ferocious grin on True Lord Xuanming's face froze suddenly, and his eyes revealed the same deep-seated, incredible, and bone-chilling fear as Elder Hanyue, You Gu, and others before!

"No—! This is impossible! What kind of sword is this?! What kind of Dao is this?!"

He roared frantically, sacrificed his Lifebound Treasure "Xuanming Ice Soul Pearl", which transformed into a thick ice crystal shield to block in front of him, while his body retreated violently, wanting to tear through space and escape.

However, in front of that Chaos sword mark, all defenses and all escape arts seemed to have lost their meaning.

"Sss..."

A slight sound, as if fabric was being torn.

The ice crystal shield shattered like paper.

True Lord Xuanming's violently retreating figure froze suddenly in mid-air.

He lowered his head and looked at his chest.

There, a grayish sword mark, containing the birth and death of nebulae, had unknowingly imprinted on his heart, piercing through his entire person, along with the Nascent Soul within his body.

At the wound, there was no blood spraying, only a gray, dead silence; his Physical Body, Nascent Soul, and Divine Soul were all rapidly... returning to nothingness and extinction at a speed that was incomprehensible and unstoppable.

"Five... Elements... Returning... to Ruins..." True Lord Xuanming made a rattling sound in his throat, the luster in his eyes dimmed rapidly, and finally extinguished completely.

His withered body, like a weathered sand sculpture, began to disintegrate and dissipate inch by inch from the sword mark, turning into fly ash filling the sky, and together with the "Xuanming Ice Soul Pearl", returned to extinction without a trace.

The Ice Soul Palace Grand Elder, the Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak True Lord Xuanming—had fallen!

He was thoroughly killed by Lin Wan with Golden Core Great Perfection cultivation in one sword "Slay the True Lord", his body and soul completely destroyed!

The entire scene was deathly silent.

Everyone was as if frozen by a binding spell, dumbfounded, looking in disbelief at the fly ash slowly dissipating in the air, and then looking at the green-robed figure who was still standing with his sword, his expression calm.

One sword to slay a Nascent Soul Middle Stage Peak?

This... is this really something a Golden Core Cultivator can do?!

"Chaos Sword Revered Master"... no, perhaps he should be called—"Guixu Sword Lord"!

With the body of a Golden Core, he defied the odds to slay a Nascent Soul True Lord!

Such a battle record was enough to shake the entire cultivation world of the Tiannan Continent!

It was enough to make Lin Wan's name spread throughout the five great regions, and even the Central Province!

Lin Wan slowly sheathed his sword, his gaze sweeping over the few Ice Soul Palace warships below that were silent as cicadas in winter and trembling, then sweeping over the surrounding gazes filled with awe, fear, and even fanaticism, and finally, it landed on the Qingyun Sect's qingming boat.

He took a step and had already appeared on the deck of the qingming boat.

"Return to the Sect."

Two calm words, yet they carried unquestionable majesty.

The remaining Qingyun Sect Elders and Disciples woke up as if from a dream, trembling with excitement, and hurriedly bowed to acknowledge: "Yes! We respectfully follow the decree of Elder Lin... no, True Lord Lin!"

True Lord! Being able to defy the odds to slay a Nascent Soul with a Golden Core, his status and strength were already not inferior to any Nascent Soul True Lord!

He was worthy of the respectful title of "True Lord"!

The qingming boat slowly turned its direction, and under the gaze of countless complex eyes, it carried this legend who had just made a name for himself in the Guixu Sea by slaying a True Lord with one sword, and broke through the air towards the Tiannan Ruins, towards the Southern Region, and towards the direction of the Qingyun Sect.

The turmoil in the Guixu Sea had temporarily come to an end.

But everyone knew that an era belonging to "Lin Wan", or rather, the "Guixu Sword Lord", had already begun.

A greater storm was perhaps quietly brewing in the Qingyun Sect, in the Southern Region, and in the entire Tiannan Continent.

And how would Lin Wan, who had just obtained the supreme Legacy and was just beginning to show his edge, face the upcoming Sect disputes, the wooing or suppression by various forces, and that more terrifying enemy of "the end" in the dark?

Everything had only just begun.