225: The destiny of Kendo, the choice

"Boom—!"

Hua Yingxiong's broken body plummeted from mid-air, smashing heavily into the deep pit below that had already turned into scorched ruins.

Blood gushed out from the bowl-sized hole in his chest, quickly soaking the ruins beneath him.

His limbs twitched, his eyes unfocused, yet he still stared fixedly at the figure standing in the high sky like a demon god.

He was a Heavenly God, a Prodigy even in the outside world, and he had believed this sneak attack was a once-in-a-lifetime Opportunity for a killing blow.

Yet the result was such a complete defeat!

He was unwilling to accept this!

"Why... why..."

Blood flowed from Hua Yingxiong's mouth as he said in despair.

"You... would be this... strong..."

Images of their first meeting at the Kunpeng Nest flashed through his mind; back then, although he felt the youth was extraordinary, he had been confident he could still fight him.

Who would have thought that in such a short time, the other party would have grown to a height that required him to look up!

The gap between them was like a chasm.

However, for his words, Qin Wushang didn't even have the interest to glance at him.

The wailing of a defeated dog was not worth listening to.

His gaze had already fallen on another figure.

In the distance, the Sword Demon barely steadied his figure, leaning on the pitch-black heavy sword that had already lost its luster, preventing himself from collapsing.

His face was pale as paper, strands of pale golden blood continuously spilling from the corners of his mouth, his aura withered to the extreme.

He stared fixedly at Qin Wushang, his chest heaving violently.

"I... lost."

The Sword Demon spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and dry.

He had been sincere to the sword and loyal to the sword his entire life; a defeat was a defeat, and there was no need to make excuses.

However, he had a huge question in his heart.

"Tell me..."

He raised his head, staring intensely at Qin Wushang, and asked word by word: "At the last moment of the collision just now... I felt... I seemed to have lost something extremely important."

"It was not an injury, nor was it cultivation, but a kind of... connection in the dark, something that supported my Dao of the Sword."

"Everything on my body is unchanged, but I just feel... something is wrong."

His brows were locked tight, his expression ugly.

He hadn't lost anything, but in the dark, he just felt he had lost something.

"Why... is this?"

He needed an answer, otherwise this crack in his Dao Heart...

Qin Wushang looked at his anxious eyes, his expression calm, and slowly spat out four words.

"Luck of the Great Dao."

"What?"

The Sword Demon's pupils contracted sharply, his hand gripping the sword hilt trembling uncontrollably, almost losing his grip.

Luck of the Great Dao!

It was ethereal, yet real.

It concerned a Cultivator's Opportunity, and even a glimmer of survival at the moment of life and death!

It was the favor of destiny that countless Cultivators dreamed of but could not force!

He had diligently cultivated the Dao of the Sword, was able to Awakening the Supreme Sword Body, and could comprehend the Sword of the Heavens; all of this had the blessing of Luck in the dark.

And now, Qin Wushang actually said that the slash just now had severed a portion of his Luck of the Great Dao.

This was even more terrifying than severing his Physical Body.

"Is... is it true?"

The Sword Demon's voice tightened as he asked again.

"I'm not sure."

Qin Wushang shook his head, his tone indifferent.

"It was my first time using the Three Slashes of the Heavenly Dao against an enemy; its power is profound, and I am still exploring it myself."

"Severing Luck... is only based on the true meaning of judgment contained in that slash; whether it actually has this effect remains for you to verify."

His gaze fell on the Sword Demon, looking him up and down.

The System said so, but regarding Luck, he wasn't sure if it had actually been severed.

"Are you still fighting?"

Qin Wushang's voice sounded again, interrupting the Sword Demon's chaotic thoughts.

"In your current state, if you fight with your life, you might be able to take my next slash."

"As for whether you live or die after taking it..."

"That depends on how many trump cards you are still hiding."

Qin Wushang said.

He could still use the second slash of the Three Slashes of the Heavenly Dao, but it also came at a great cost.

All the Prodigies were looking at the Sword Demon at this moment.

He had admitted defeat; theoretically, he should die, as the two had agreed on a fight to the death.

Now it depended on how the Sword Demon would choose.

"Plop!"

A dull sound broke the dead silence.

Under the gaze of countless shocked eyes, the Sword Demon actually knelt on one knee!

His right knee slammed heavily into the Void Realm, stirring up a subtle ripple.

The pitch-black heavy sword in his hand, which was intertwined with his life, was also backhanded into the Void Realm in front of him, the sword body trembling slightly, emitting a low roar.

"He... he knelt?!"

"The Sword Demon... he... he actually knelt?"

"My god! The Supreme Sword Body, kneeling to someone?"

"Is he going to... submit?"

"Could it be the aftereffects of that slash from Qin Wushang? He couldn't hold on, injured too heavily?"

"Although his aura is very withered, it's impossible to just kneel down like that."

The crowd discussed, all of them confused.

Why did he suddenly kneel?

A trace of surprise also flashed in Qin Wushang's eyes, his eyes quietly watching the kneeling Sword Demon, without speaking.

The Sword Demon slowly raised his head and said in a hoarse voice.

"I lost."

"I am convinced, heart and mouth."

He paused, his Adam's apple rolling, as if swallowing bitterness.

"I still have strength left, and I have techniques to risk my life that I haven't used, but you, you also haven't used your full strength; you definitely have killing moves."

"A God King against a Heavenly God, fighting to this point, I have no face... nor is there any need, to continue this meaningless struggle."

"A defeat is a defeat; I, the Sword Demon, accept it."

"But I don't want to die."

"Life is still long; dying just like this is not worth it, and I still have promises unfulfilled."

"I still have many things to do."

His tone was calm, and he did not feel any so-called shame.

A defeat is a defeat!

Qin Wushang looked at him with great interest, the crimson blood blade in his hand slightly raised: "What you and I said before was a fight to the death; you have admitted defeat now, yet you say you don't want to die..."

His tone was playful as he continued to ask: "Then what do you want?"

The Sword Demon took a deep breath, staring straight at Qin Wushang, and said clearly and firmly, word by word: "I lost, and I am convinced, but even ants cling to life; I also do not wish to perish here."

"I am willing to follow you."

"Become the sharpest sword in your hand."

As soon as these words were spoken, the surroundings fell into dead silence again.

Follow!

The Sword Demon actually said with his own mouth that he wanted to follow Qin Wushang!

This meant that he would abandon all his former pride and freedom, from now on taking Qin Wushang as his master and acting under his command!

【Ding! Triggering choice...】

【Choice One: When one person attains the Dao, their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven; agree to let the Sword Demon follow, and take him to soar.】

【Script: You agree to let the Sword Demon become your follower, shocking many Prodigies.】

【The Sword Demon will be loyal from now on, with only the sword and you in his heart, striving to be the sharpest sword in your hand.】

【The news of you subduing the Sword Demon spreads across the Desolate Ancient Great World, and powerful Ancient Emperor Sons become interested in you...】

【Reward: Five-Phase Sun-Moon Saber.】

【Choice Two: Desolate Ancient Lone Traveler; refuse the Sword Demon's following and say to him, "You are not worthy."】

【Script: You reject the Sword Demon, causing countless Prodigies to be shocked.】

【The Sword Demon is also stunned, unable to believe it.】

【Powerful as he is, you actually look down on him, making him feel incredibly humiliated.】

【He says, "Although I am not as good as you, I, the Sword Demon, can still look down on other Prodigies."】

【You still do not agree to his following; he has no choice but to give up and decides to fulfill the bet.】

【He commits suicide, dissolving his Dao in front of everyone.】

【He looks at you and says: "Qin Wushang, I just didn't want to die, but I am not afraid of death. Since I admitted defeat, then I lost, and I have nothing to say."】

【The Sword Demon dies; many Prodigies feel pity, all saying he was a figure, and all saying you do not know how to cherish talent.】

【Reward: Great Strength Defecation Saber.】

【Please choose!】

"What the hell? Are you serious?"

"Great Strength Defecation Saber?"

Qin Wushang's gaze swept over the reward description of the second choice on the System panel in his mind, the corners of his mouth twitching uncontrollably, his brows raised high.

That bizarre name and the description that could be called bad taste left him speechless.

【Great Strength Defecation Saber: Swing the blade with the posture of taking a powerful dump; one slash causes mountains to collapse and the earth to crack, two slashes send excrement gushing like a mountain!】

【Great Strength Defecation Saber, does not care about technique, only cares about force; no matter what movement technique or Martial Skill you have, in front of this thunderous defecation-style slash, all will be hacked to the point of Physical Body shattering, and the Primordial Spirit will be crying and screaming to find an outhouse!】

"Awesome!"

Even with Qin Wushang's Heart-Nature, he couldn't help but give a thumbs up to this powerful saber technique.

"This reward looks worth it no matter how you look at it... cough, but I still think Choice One fits my needs better."

"I choose One!"

He secretly thought in his heart.

After all, Choice Two's swinging the blade in a defecation posture...

The image was too beautiful; he really couldn't imagine himself holding the crimson blood blade and posing in that posture to fight the enemy.

The Five-Phase Sun-Moon Saber sounded more normal!

And it was practical.

"Follow me?"

Qin Wushang composed his mind, his gaze falling back on the Sword Demon kneeling on one knee, and questioned.

"Are you sure you've thought it through?"

"The two words 'follow me' are as heavy as a mountain. Once spoken, you are no longer a free man."

"Your sword, your Dao, your life, all must obey my command; you will become my servant."

"Glory, fame, freedom... these things you once possessed might all leave you."

"Even so, are you willing?"

The Sword Demon heard this, slowly raised his head, and in that ashen, dead calm on his face, a strange radiance emerged.

"Drifting for half a life, only seeking the ultimate of the Dao of the Sword."

"Freedom? Without a path to the peak, freedom is just rootless duckweed, drifting with the current."

"Becoming the sword in your hand, so what?"

"Your strength allowed me to see where destiny belongs."

"The battle today, rather than saying I was defeated by your hand, it is better to say... my Dao of the Sword has met the master it was destined to follow."

"This is not humiliation, but the destination of my Dao of the Sword."

He paused, a trace of reminiscence flashing in his eyes.

"My master once divined for me that on this trip to the Desolate Ancient, I would meet a noble person and attain destiny."

"At that time, I did not believe in destiny, only in the sword in my hand."

"Now..."

He smiled self-deprecatingly and said earnestly: "I believe it."

"Qin Wushang, I, the Sword Demon, am willing to serve you as my master, using this remaining life and broken sword to slash open all thorns on the road ahead for you, witnessing you ascend to the peak and grasp destiny!"

"I only ask... that on the day you succeed in the Great Dao, you allow me to witness the scenery of that supreme Dao of the Sword!"

After speaking, he lowered his head again, his posture respectful.

Qin Wushang listened quietly, looking at the person before him who had put down all pride, the expression in his eyes changing.

For a long time, he slowly raised his hand.

"Since that is the case..."

"From today on, you are a warrior under my, Qin Wushang's, command."

"I accept this sword of yours."

As the voice fell, the Sword Demon's body trembled slightly, and then he bowed respectfully.

"Sword Demon, greets the Master!"