World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 515: Fall of the Spiritual Consciousness Residue

The skeleton had cleaved Ji Li in half in one swing.

Meanwhile, the cultivation of the wild-looking man who had suddenly leaped out of the blood mine fluctuated between the Primordial Immortal Realm and the True Immortal Realm. His power then became completely unreadable. Over a hundred immortals attacked him, yet with a sword in hand, he easily killed his way in and out of their encirclement.

The duo's overwhelming, bone-slicing power made the disciples of the Celestial Wind Sect panic.

Wang Sheng removed half of the restrictive seals on the unaffiliated miners. Most of them chose to seize the moment and revolt.

Everyone knew the truth: the Celestial Wind Sect would never allow them to survive now that the skeleton had destroyed the blood mine. From the day they were captured and brought here, they had accepted that nothing awaited them but death.

Now, however, the Celestial Wind Sect was in complete chaos, and the array's barrier was falling like a curtain. It gave them a sliver of hope.

No one knew who was leading, but a few unaffiliated practitioners flew toward the area where another group of miners had been held. Dozens more followed with fierce intent.

Seeing the incoming group, the dozen or so celestial soldiers who were still guarding the cells stepped aside. Instead of fighting, they formed a small defensive array and cautiously watched their opponents.

The unaffiliated practitioners had no strong desire for revenge; they didn't charge in prepared to throw their lives away. On the contrary, they only freed others to increase the number of people fleeing in different directions once the barrier had been completely broken. This would increase their own chance of surviving.

This was entirely different from what Wang Sheng had imagined. They had chosen the most realistic option instead of rising and shouting lines like, "Are you not ashamed, Celestial Wind Sect?"

Amid his own fierce battle, Wang Sheng noticed this oddly "wholesome scene" and felt only mild confusion. This was the choice they had taken, though. He did not dwell on it.

The starlight of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword blazed. Facing a hundred enemies alone, he cut them down in great numbers.

Above him lay the true battlefield.

Ji Li's Heavenly Immortal blood hadn't even clotted yet when the skeleton completely overpowered Elder Long.

Elder Long's cultivation, however, surpassed that of Ji Li by a wide margin. Moreover, he had an abundant immortal power and a trace of ancient azure dragon DNA in his blood. All those factors allowed him to continue defending against the skeleton's barrages.

The aftershocks of their clash sped up the collapse of the surrounding array. Contrary to their expectations, the skeleton didn't deplete its spiritual consciousness residue. Rather, it grew fiercer and more violent. It even began to regain more of its awareness, which was evidenced by the change in its fighting style.

When the skeleton had first burst out of the mine, it swung its greatsword purely on instinct, attacking anyone who had black flames around their ankles. Its strikes also had no form or structure. Despite looking powerful, it was full of openings.

Hence, Ji Li and Elder Long had concluded that they could stall it.

But once Wang Sheng had leaped out of the mine and shouted "General" and "Star Deity," the skeleton seemingly regained fragments of memory. Not only did its offense gain order, but it also targeted the weaker Ji Li, pounding him relentlessly. It even launched two strikes to ease the pressure on Wang Sheng.

By then, Ji Li and Elder Long had already started considering retreat. They sent voice transmissions back and forth, trying to find a way to escape. Unfortunately, the skeleton had completely locked Ji Li down. Considering even his many celestial treasures were useless before its massive sword, the slightest lapse in attention would have cost him his life.

Elder Long couldn't stop Ji Li's death. After all, he couldn't even see it coming.

The skeleton suddenly used fiend-blood energy to trap its enemy. The vertical attack that followed was imbued with a mysterious and obscure Dao Rhythm.

At that moment, Elder Long realized that he couldn't handle the powerful being before him. It could break past his defenses and cut him down long before the spiritual consciousness residue dissipated.

He found it shocking that a Golden Immortal's power could reach such terrifying heights.

Aside from their vice sect master, a few True Immortals down below also seemed to have been killed. In nearly a thousand years, the Celestial Wind Sect had not suffered such severe losses.

During the fierce battle, Elder Long forced aside the greatsword and utilized that gap to crush a jade talisman. Using voice transmission, he shouted across the battlefield, "Run, you useless fools! Save yourselves! This fiendish devil can kill you as easily as cutting grass!"

The array collapsed faster. The barriers around them dissolved.

Though he was speaking to the disciples of the Celestial Wind Sect, the unaffiliated practitioners were the first to run. They turned into streaks of light and scattered like drifting petals in the wind.

The Primordial Immortals who had been fighting Wang Sheng also seemed to receive a command. Although they had suffered heavy losses, several dozen managed to withdraw and retreat with the celestial soldiers.

Instead of giving chase, Wang Sheng continued fighting the remaining True Immortals.

Perhaps they had only lost a few experts because his sudden burst of strength earlier had stunned them. Now, the Celestial Wind Sect's generals and soldiers had regained their senses.

Two late-stage True Immortals took the lead in the assault. The one who specialized in close combat and focused on pinning Wang Sheng down, while the others relentlessly bombarded him with treasured artifacts, spells, talismans, and small arrays. They used every technique they knew to try to kill Wang Sheng.

At that moment, a draconic cry echoed. Elder Long transformed from an old man into a dragon-headed humanoid with a scaled torso and a long tail, slightly strengthening him. Now fighting with no regard for his own life, he used a secret art that burned his lifespan to increase his power. Without it, he would have been caught in the skeleton's relentless assault and met the same end as Ji Li.

Unbeknownst to him, the skeleton had turned its head toward the nearby ancient battlefield, where faint lights flickered. Its forehead glowed softly as it fell deep into thought. Right after, it unleashed a flurry of irregular sword strikes, forcing a big enough opening to kick Elder Long away.

Turning sharply, the skeleton then dove down.

The True Immortals fighting Wang Sheng cried out in alarm. A dozen scattered in panic, but Wang Sheng stopped the strongest among them with a single strike. The skeleton then cleaved the target in half.

The True Immortal they had killed had been cultivating for twenty thousand years and had grasped the realm of the undying true spirit. Moreover, he had the resolve to reach the Heavenly Immortal Realm and seek immortality. It was a pity that it had only taken one hit for his journey to end.

After cutting down the True Immortal, the skeleton stood five meters away from Wang Sheng.

The atmosphere became unsettling.

Wang Sheng was about to clasp his sword and offer a Daoist salute when the skeleton suddenly raised its hand. He couldn't even react. The moment he felt the skeleton's left hand press against his chest, an inexplicable, powerful force pushed against his back. In the blink of an eye, the world around him twisted, and the blurred remains of broken stars rapidly flashed past his eyes.

He had no idea how far he had been flung. With a heavy crash, he slammed into an enormous boulder, the impact nearly shattering his bones.

Before he could even struggle to stand upright, the skeleton had already pointed its greatsword at his throat. Following the length of the blade, he saw hollow eye sockets deep within black-red flames.

"Who are you really?"

Wang Sheng felt the skeleton's sharp and overwhelming killing intent pour over him. He let out a tired laugh and was just about to explain when Spiritless faintly tremored. His spiritual power was drawn away, instantly drowning him in fatigue. He leaned against the stone.

Meanwhile, Yaoyun appeared before him, standing between him and the skeleton.

Immortal light rippled violently across the skeleton's forehead and nose bridge. The flames in its eyes rose even higher.

"Thirteenth Princess?!" The skeleton immediately withdrew the greatsword, held it before itself, and bowed respectfully. It then telepathically said, "Pardon my rudeness. I pay my respects, Your Highness."

Yaoyun bowed slightly in return, then smiled faintly. "There is no need for ceremony, Star Deity. I never thought that after so many years, we would be reduced to such a disheveled state."

The skeleton quickly asked, "Was your reincarnation unsuccessful, Your Highness?"

"I faced many obstacles along the way. Now, I'm no more than this man's sword spirit. I have been traveling with him for a few hundred years in search of the Emperor's traces."

A hint of discontent spread through the skeleton's telepathy. It didn't even bother hiding any of its hostility toward Wang Sheng. "You are a princess of the Heavenly Court, noble beyond measure. How could you stoop so low and become this boy's sword spirit?"

Yaoyun sighed softly, her expression turning complicated. "He did me a great favor, and he is upright in character. Based on what I have seen, he is essential to the restoration of the Heavenly Court. Take a look, Star Deity."

She raised her hand. A dot of light bloomed at her fingertip and slowly sank into the skeleton's forehead, making it freeze briefly. Its gaping jaw then dropped further. Even after a while, it still failed to find a proper response.

Eventually, it stepped back two paces. "Impossible. This is impossible. His Majesty could not have—"

"Star Deity!"

"My apologies, Your Highness. I misspoke." The skeleton raised its head, seemingly sighing deeply. It then looked at Wang Sheng, stepped forward, and knelt on one knee beside him.

As he stared in stunned confusion, the skeleton silently lowered its head.

Though clever, even Wang Sheng felt as if his brain had stopped working. He turned to Yaoyun, but she only gave him a calm look that seemed to be telling him to wait.

Finally, the skeleton let out a quiet, desolate sigh.

"Star Deity," Yaoyun said, "the Heavenly Immortal from the Celestial Wind Sect is already on his way. We should move elsewhere to discuss our next move."

The skeleton shook its head. "Nothing awaits me beyond this battle, Your Highness."

"Cultivation as a spiritual entity could be difficult, but not hopeless—"

"I already died in that battle long ago. This is only the final lingering fragment of my consciousness—a single strand that stayed here in hopes of asking those who came after me whether our Heavenly Court won in the end."

It turned toward the distant space, already sensing the pursuers.

Li Mouzhen's spiritual consciousness residue continued, "I died for the Heavenly Court without sorrow or regret. If you wish for me to keep dragging on this broken spiritual consciousness residue, Your Highness, then I'm afraid I cannot obey. Whatever His Majesty may have done, he remains the emperor I swore to follow for life. I shall return to him now. Meeting Your Highness again has fulfilled my last wish."

Yaoyun quickly reasoned, "We don't even know where Emperor Ziwei or the others are. No one can tell if they are alive or dead!"

"Then I must trouble you and this young man to find out for me, Your Highness."

It turned to Wang Sheng. Although it was nothing but bare bones, its gaze felt strangely layered, filled with emotions that he could not decipher.

Wang Sheng forced himself upright and was about to speak when the skeleton raised its hand. A faint aura of fiend-blood energy wrapped him against the star fragment beneath his feet.

"The Celestial Wind Sect seems to be your and this young man's enemy, Your Highness. I shall kill one or two of their immortals."

The skeleton laughed silently, leaped aside, and hit the fragment with a heavy palm strike, shattering it. However, a circular rock that was about ten meters wide shot free, dragging Wang Sheng and Spiritless with it into the depths of the endless space.

The skeleton then gripped the greatsword. Engulfed in black-red flames, it charged straight toward the incoming immortals. Its assault tore open a path of blood.

Even its shrinking silhouette looked fierce and proud, utterly unyielding.

The hurtling rock carried Wang Sheng through the vast ancient battlefield, breaking the countless drifting fragments in its way. Eventually, it flew out of the entire battlefield.

Looking back, he saw a surge of blood light stretching thousands of li. He also felt the tremor of the Great Dao itself.

More than an hour later, a space tunnel opened before him. Two flashes of immortal light appeared. They dropped the skeleton's greatsword and armor, which then clung to the black flames that lingered around his ankles.

The tunnel closed, but a final message echoed in Wang Sheng's mind.

"Young Man, In all of my three hundred twenty thousand years of cultivation, I've never asked anyone for any favors. However, for Her Highness, I beg you for one now: please take good care of Her Highness."

Wang Sheng slowly closed his eyes. Heavenly tribulation power surged from within him, and lightning sliced apart the lingering fiend-blood energy.

The rock kept flying through space far faster than his escape techniques.

He bent down and picked up the greatsword and the immortal armor. Strangely, they felt so heavy in his hands that he almost dropped them.

"Yaoyun, we need to have a proper talk."

His sword spirit did not respond at all. She seemed to have exhausted her spiritual power and gone quiet to recover.