C15 The Peerless Cultivation Technique the Desolate Immortal Slaying Force!

"Grandpa Jiang, let's go to the Capital City to find a renowned doctor to heal your wounds!"

Jiang Zhong's complexion was ashen, his injuries worsening by the moment. Ling Dao was deeply concerned. Despite the risks of returning to the Capital City, he couldn't hesitate. Jiang Zhong's life was paramount, and the thought of the dire consequences of delaying treatment was unbearable.

"Your Highness, please, there's no need. I'm well aware of my own condition. No physician, no matter how skilled, can heal these wounds. Let's not waste precious time."

Jiang Zhong understood his fate; his internal organs were damaged beyond repair, and his time was running out. Returning to the Capital City for treatment was out of the question, especially since it had become the most perilous place for them. Given their current strength, any Zhenqi realm cultivator could easily end their lives.

"It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, Grandpa Jiang, you wouldn't be in this state. I'm the one who's failed, unable to even protect you."

Ling Dao was consumed by guilt. If he hadn't needed protection, Jiang Zhong would not be in this condition. He cursed the myriad sword qi within him that weakened his body, preventing him from reaching the Zhenqi realm sooner.

"Your Highness, why speak such words? Without the Prince, I would've perished in the wilds long ago. Serving by his side through countless campaigns, I've lived a life full of honor. Even in death, I have no regrets.

Now, with the Prince still within the Celestial Dragon Forbidden Area, it's my duty to protect you. It's my own shortcomings that have brought you such hardship. Had I been stronger, you would never have had to endure so much."

Watching Ling Dao grow up, Jiang Zhong had come to love him as his own kin. As the Crown Prince Xiao Yao, Ling Dao was meant for a life of ease, not the hardships he now faced. As Ling Dao grappled with his own remorse, Jiang Zhong couldn't help but share in the blame.

"Oh no!"

Ling Dao had more to say, but abruptly, he fell silent. Jiang Zhong, too, noticed Ling Dao's alarming shift. While Jiang Zhong was clueless about the unfolding events, Ling Dao was acutely aware that his life was now hanging by a thread.

"Zheng zheng!"

A crisp sword chime emanated from within Ling Dao's body. His already pale complexion lost all traces of color, and in his eyes shimmered the reflections of divine swords.

For some time, his body had harbored countless sword qi, which had reached a delicate equilibrium, posing no threat to his life. But the disruption of the Celestial Sword Formation had allowed an influx of sword qi into his system, shattering that balance and sending the sword qi into a violent frenzy.

"Swish!"

His clothes were shredded to tatters in an instant. The excruciating pain made him gasp for air, his forehead's veins throbbing wildly. It felt as though numerous longswords were chaotically thrashing inside him, causing his organs to ache fiercely.

"Grandpa Jiang, get out of the way! The sword qi inside me is uncontrollable!"

With those words, Ling Dao bolted away, eager to put distance between himself and Jiang Zhong. Given his perilous state, he was determined not to drag Jiang Zhong into danger. The sword qi, originating from Immortal Sword Mountain, was formidable—so much so that not even Wu Kuangyun, the Sect Leader of the Celestial Sect, could withstand it, let alone Jiang Zhong.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, what's happening to you?"

Jiang Zhong chased after Ling Dao, his face etched with concern. Ling Dao's transformation was sudden and unexpected, and the sword qi he emitted felt as though it descended from the highest heavens, exuding an intimidating force.

Around Ling Dao, a tumultuous field of energy formed, with rampant sword qi causing chaos. The earth split, ancient trees crumbled to dust, and fierce gusts of wind blasted in every direction. Jiang Zhong tried to approach Ling Dao but found it impossible, and could only stand at a distance, watching the scene unfold with growing anxiety.

"Puchi!"

A gash opened on Ling Dao's body, quickly followed by more, as if in a chain reaction. In moments, his body was riddled with wounds, each a testament to the internal damage wrought by the rampant sword qi.

If things kept going this way, Ling Dao was doomed. True, he had shattered the Celestial Sword Formation, but in doing so, he had sealed his own fate. Given his current state, the sword qi coursing through his body could rip him to shreds, leaving him beyond redemption.

"The Dao gives birth to one, one to two, two to three, and three to all things. Chaos yet to split, heaven and earth in turmoil, a vast expanse, unseen and unheard by all..."

A faint, ethereal voice echoed in Ling Dao's mind. The agony that had been on the brink of breaking him suddenly subsided, replaced by an unexpected serenity. The pain that had wracked his body seemed to vanish into thin air.

"From the moment I began my cultivation, I was unmatched among my peers. As an adult, my renown spread far and wide; even the most venerable elders bowed before me. My cultivation triumphs allowed me to dominate the nine heavens and ten earths, to push unchallenged through the three thousand great worlds! Throughout my life, I fought countless battles, big and small, and never once tasted defeat.

Beneath the vast skies, no one could stand as my equal. The pinnacle of power is a lonely place. In my spare time, I poured all my energy into forging a new cultivation method. The emergence of the Desolate Immortal Slaying Force caused an uproar in the cosmos—the sun, moon, and stars raged, and the octasia quaked. This technique was never meant for this world!"

Ling Dao seemed to glimpse a towering, majestic figure standing above the clouds, exuding an air of unrivaled dominance. His face remained unseen, only his imposing silhouette visible—so tall, so grand!

"Desolate Immortal Slaying Force!"

In his past life, Ling Dao had acquired this technique, but tragically, he was unable to unlock it. After his reincarnation, the Desolate Immortal Slaying Force had remained with him, unbeknownst to him. Little did he expect that what seemed like a curse would turn into a blessing, allowing him to finally unleash the Desolate Immortal Slaying Force.

Ancient scripts, each character etched with bold strength, unleashed a wild and desolate energy that hit Ling Dao like a gale. He envisioned an age-old realm where the Kun Peng soared to dizzying heights of ninety thousand kilometers, the divine dragon glided through the heavens, the Phoenix twirled across the vast sky, and the white tiger's furious roar quaked in all directions.

"Thud, thud, thud!"

Muffled sounds echoed from within Ling Dao's body as the Desolate Immortal Slaying Force reshaped his very flesh. It was as though a legion of giant hammers tirelessly pounded at him from within and without. Each hammer strike brought with it an agony that tore at his soul.

Had it not been for Ling Dao's indomitable will, forged under the relentless torment of a thousand arrows piercing his heart beneath the Immortal Sword Mountain, he would have surely succumbed to unconsciousness. In such a state, the Desolate Immortal Slaying Force might have very well forsaken him.

"The sword qi within me is now refining my body?"

To Ling Dao's delight, the very sword qi that had plagued him for years was now honing his body, becoming one with his flesh. He yearned to burst into a deep, liberating laughter, to release the pent-up frustrations of many years in one triumphant sweep.

From this moment forward, he was as free as a fish leaping through the vast ocean and a bird soaring high in the boundless sky!