Zhang Shaoqian burst into laughter.
Feeling the constant flow of energy pouring into him from the blade of Ye Fan Sword, he squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
The sensation of energy surging through his body was exhilarating, but the energy was also overwhelming and immensely powerful.
Soon, it became obvious that Zhang Shaoqian's body was swelling, his form inflating from the sheer concentration of the energy.
"This is bad..."
His eyes widened in panic as he realized what was happening.
Just moments ago, the endless stream of energy flowing into his body felt incredible, but now, as more and more energy surged in, Zhang Shaoqian realized he couldn't absorb or control it all.
The energy was too dense, too terrifying.
"Damn... I can't... I can't let this energy tear me apart!"
Zhang Shaoqian's face puffed up, and the veins on his face bulged as his body swelled further.
Sitting down cross-legged, he desperately tried to channel his cultivation technique to absorb the energy.
But no matter how hard he worked, he couldn't process it all.
The energy from five Martial Masters was far too concentrated.
In no time, his body continued to inflate even more.
Boom—
A muffled sound rang out as his arms swelled and then, in the next moment, exploded!
Blood and flesh splattered everywhere.
"Ahhh!!!"
Zhang Shaoqian let out an agonized scream.
His arms had exploded, leaving only the bare bones visible.
Though his arms were gone, the rest of his body continued to swell.
Boom, boom, boom—
The horrifying sound of flesh bursting apart echoed repeatedly.
His entire body was reduced to a gruesome, skeletal form, as all the flesh was blown apart in a matter of moments.
"So, he died like that," Ye Fan muttered, gazing at the remains.
Zhang Shaoqian had literally absorbed himself to death, overloaded by the energy.
"It must've been his cultivation technique, too inferior," Ye Fan sighed to himself.
"But now that I've absorbed a fair amount of energy, I can move on and explore new places."
With that thought, Ye Fan's intent stirred, and his sword body lifted into the air.
Whoosh—
The sword cut through the sky at great speed, heading off into the distance.
The wind howled past as Ye Fan's acute senses picked up on the presence of powerful warriors nearby.
Now, he needed to find a strong warrior to wield him.
If they were too weak, they'd just die like the others.
...
"Hahaha, Nalan Sword Saint, can you still move?"
On the peak of a cliff, an old man with long white hair clutched his bloodied shoulder, glaring at the men surrounding him.
"An Qing, you dare to ambush me!"
The old man, known as Nalan Sword Saint, looked furious.
"Heh, you've only got yourself to blame for being too careless," An Qing sneered.
"And with you dead, I'll be the one to claim all your sword techniques. Then, I'll become the new Sword Saint!"
An Qing was a muscular, dark-skinned man with a large cross-shaped scar on his face.
The long blade in his hand exuded a sinister aura.
The men around him grinned ominously at the Nalan Sword Saint.
Damn it!
Nalan Sword Saint grimaced.
He had been ambushed and poisoned, making it impossible to channel his energy fully.
In this condition, he couldn't hope to defeat An Qing.
Death seemed inevitable.
"Old man, you're finished," An Qing jeered, stepping forward with his blade raised.
"An Qing, you dare kill me?" Nalan Sword Saint growled.
"Killing you will make me the next Sword Saint!" An Qing's face twisted with malice.
...
"Crap! Why is the energy running out?"
At that moment, Ye Fan's sword body began to wobble, and soon, he started plummeting from the sky.
Not good!
Realizing what was happening, Ye Fan's eyes widened.
Whoosh—
The sword hurtled downward at alarming speed.
"Die!!!"
An Qing raised his blade to strike Nalan Sword Saint, aiming to cleave his head in two.
Boom—
Just then, Ye Fan Sword fell from the sky, crashing down between them.
"What's this?"
Sensing something, An Qing instinctively looked up, only to see a sword speeding toward him.
He quickly raised his blade to block the falling sword.
Boom—
But the sharp blade of Ye Fan Sword easily pierced through An Qing's weapon, then through his skull!
Blood spurted out instantly.
An Qing's eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
"What...?"
The surrounding warriors were equally stunned.
The sword had pierced through An Qing's skull with terrifying ease.
Where had this sword come from?
And this sword...?
Nalan Sword Saint, too, was shocked by the sight.
He had clearly seen the sword fall from the sky.
Though he didn't know why or how, he could sense that this sword was no ordinary weapon.
Seeing his opportunity, Nalan Sword Saint rushed forward, pulling Ye Fan Sword from An Qing's skull.
Blood and brain matter splattered everywhere as the sword was withdrawn.
As Nalan Sword Saint grasped the sword, his eyes widened even further, feeling the overwhelming surge of power flowing into him!