World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 571: Stars, Obey My Command!

As long as Qinglin... Qinglin? Shu Mountains?

Wang Sheng looked at the war slave and completely blanked out for a moment. Right after, he noticed that the enraged wolf was about to rush over to the war slave. Hence, he silently drew his sword and charged forward, launching a fierce assault against the wolf.

The swordsman was Qinglin, the sect master of the Shu Mountains a thousand years ago, the reason Xi Lian had fallen into devilry, and Wang Sheng's first solid link between the Heavenly Court and Earth's ancient immortals. How could Wang Sheng possibly allow him to fall into danger?

Still, this sudden, effortless discovery after his long and fruitless search didn't make him feel any joy. Gaining another combatant to their side didn't comfort him in the slightest, either.

On the contrary, he was even frustrated. Why did Qinglin have to be the war slave? And why did he have to reveal himself now, of all times? How furious would Big Sister be if she were to learn that the man she longed for had lived like a puppet for over a hundred thousand years? Who could possibly stop her from going to the Celestial Wind Sect and fighting them to the death?

Moreover, Wang Sheng already sensed a trace of death aura coming from the war slave. How could he not know how severe Qinglin's injuries were? He had inflicted them himself!

Above all, Qinglin was holding three jade nails. Though he looked imposing, Wang Sheng couldn't shake an ominous feeling.

Clearly enraged by the war slave's betrayal, Tan Lang growled lowly. However, Wang Sheng relentlessly attacked the wound on the elder's back, forcing him to turn and claw at Wang Sheng instead.

Wang Sheng now found himself in peril. The immortal power within him cut in and out, making him stagger repeatedly. Not only did he nearly get bitten several times, but it took less than ten clashes for Tan Lang to slap him away. Blood sprayed from his mouth, leaving Lishang no choice but to protect Wang Sheng.

The wolf had just flipped around to attack Qinglin when an angry shout rang out behind the former.

"I'm your opponent!"

With Flying Cloud wrapped in starlight, Wang Sheng burst past Lishang. He once again slashed at the wolf.

Furious, Tan Lang roared, "Today, all of you will die!"

He then split into countless dark shadows and lunged simultaneously at the trio. At that moment, Wang Sheng received a voice transmission, making him jolt in urgency.

"Be careful. The real one is pouncing at you."

Wang Sheng immediately steadied his mind. As the mass of shadows charged forward, he launched a fierce attack using the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art.

Sure enough, the shadows coming for Lishang and Qinglin disappeared. The real wolf revealed himself before Wang Sheng, who dodged his gaping maw and cut him several times in the face.

Wang Sheng had already been fighting with his life on the line. Now, he had completely disregarded everything and forced himself to endure.

Now only several hundred meters away from the fierce battle, Qinglin calmly asked, "Are you a disciple of the Shu Sword Sect?"

Wang Sheng frowned. While fighting the wolf, he transmitted, "I'm considered one of its elders. Please rest and recover at the side, Sect Master Qinglin. Once I've slain this wolf fiend, we'll return to the Shu Mountains together!"

Sounding gentle beyond words, Qinglin urged, "You have already depleted your immortal power. Stop forcing yourself and back down for now."

Wang Sheng gritted his teeth and refused to retreat. He even made the sword radiance enveloping Flying Cloud flare even brighter to prove that he could still fight. However, a wolf claw came down and tore off a large chunk of flesh from the outer side of Wang Sheng's right leg.

Had his Seven-Star Footwork been insufficiently exquisite and consumed any more than very little immortal power, he would have died long ago.

Qinglin sighed. "My death is already certain. If not for a lingering obsession keeping me alive, my Primordial Spirit would have already collapsed. Let me do a bit more for the sect and help you escape. Withdraw."

"But—"

"You're a disciple of my sect, are you not? You dare disobey your sect master's command?!"

Wang Sheng's eyes widened, and his heart churned like stormy seas. Though he managed to make Flying Cloud's sword radiance erupt, his mind wavered, causing his footwork to spiral into chaos.

A wolf claw once again descended on the sword cultivator, but a sweep of sword energy suddenly struck from behind the latter. It grazed past him and knocked the claw back.

The Green Lotus Ultimate earlier had dropped Tan Lang's aura two or three minor realms lower, but he was still as tough as a divine weapon since his cultivation revolved around his physique. Hence, the sword energy failed to actually injure him.

Wang Sheng retreated and immediately rallied himself with the intent to forcefully reenter the fight.

In the distance, Lishang trembled lightly. Not only was she deathly pale, but she also looked sickly. It was as if she were circulating all her blood to squeeze out the final traces of her immortal power.

Meanwhile, tension and panic appeared in the wolf's eyes for the first time. As though Qinglin had become the greatest threat among the three, Tan Lang turned and attacked him fiercely.

Qinglin took a single stride as immortal light bloomed from his chest. A jade sword core flew out and then shattered, releasing a faint shockwave. In an instant, the giant wolf, Wang Sheng, and Lishang were all coated in a layer of jade light, making them incomparably slow.

Qinglin sighed softly. "The forefathers bestowed this treasure upon me, yet instead of using it in the last battle I fought, I'm using it here now. Still, if it could save even just one of the Shu Sword Sect's disciples, I wouldn't consider it a waste. Young One, watch my next attack closely. This is the final technique of the Sword-Controlling Art, which was never recorded in the sword manual. Spontaneous combustion!"

Wang Sheng could only turn his head slowly as multicolored flames engulfed Qinglin, the sight shaking his Dao Heart violently.

No...

It didn't take long for Qinglin's physical body to be burned away completely. Now, within the flakes, only a phantasm in a Daoist robe stood proudly. He had his long hair casually tied back, accentuating his handsome and refined features, including his calm steadiness, his starlike gaze, and his sharp and thick eyebrows.

He smiled and nodded at Wang Sheng. Slowly, he said, "With my body as the sheath, and my soul as the Dao. Without end and without beginning, that is the true nature of the sword.

"That wolf fiend is physically powerful, but its Primordial Spirit is extremely weak. Remember this: when faced with a powerful enemy, do not throw yourself into chaos or fight blindly with your life on the line. For the weak to overcome the strong, they must find the enemy's flaw and strike it.

"Now that I have burned my Dao Body and divine soul, I've accumulated enough power to unleash one last sword technique. I hope it can slay this fiend here. Watch closely! This is the final technique of the Sword-Controlling Art!"

The phantasm's long hair fluttered, and the broken sword in his hand blazed up. Like a dazzling beam, he shot toward the giant wolf within the sealed jade domain.

The Wenqu Star had forged the artifact that had created the domain in preparation for the great war of the past. How could a heavily injured Heavenly Immortal Realm fiend possibly withstand it?

Terror filled Tan Lang's eyes. Qinglin's phantasm had already reached him. Encountering no resistance or even a trace of blood, the phantasm lifted his sword and charged straight into the wolf's forehead.

Wang Sheng roared deeply, causing a small wooden sword to drill out from his chest. The jade-colored radiance that had bound him vanished without a trace.

Wang Sheng grabbed the wooden sword and charged straight at the giant wolf without hesitation. As he rushed forward, he shouted Qinglin's name. Xi Lian's forced, carefree smile appeared before his eyes.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why did the war slave have to be Sect Master Qinglin? Of all places, why did I have to find him here?! Immortal power... Give me more immortal power! I don't care where it comes from. Just give me some immortal power!

As Wang Sheng broke into a charge, the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Intent appeared behind him. A massive purple star shot from the sword phantasm's tip to the hilt.

Wang Sheng abruptly threw his head back and furiously roared, "Stars, obey my command!"

Countless streams of starlight blossomed from all directions. Crossing the barriers of time and space, they wrapped around and forcibly seeped into him. The Dragon Sword behind him let out a resonant roar, and the grand array around them seemingly erupted with a thunderous boom.

The starlight shattered the jade light, allowing the wolf to break free and attempt to bite Wang Sheng.

Now engulfed in starlight, Wang Sheng did not attempt to evade at all. He looked as though he would be bitten in half before he could fully unleash the astral power. However, a sweep of green light shot in from the side at high speed, stopping just half a step ahead of Wang Sheng.

Lishang flicked her tail and braced her hands forward, forcibly blocking the wolf's maw. Sharp fangs pierced through her palms, yet she still managed to forcibly part the wolf's jaws for a brief moment.

With the wooden sword in his hand coated in starlight, Wang Sheng flashed past Lishang. Tan Lang shouted in fury.

Amid the utterly soul-shaking scene, Wang Sheng roared, "Green Lotus Ultimate!"

In truth, even before he could use Green Lotus Ultimate, Tan Lang's divine light had already disappeared. Just as Wang Sheng threw everything into striking first to kill Tan Lang and carve out a sliver of life for Qinglin, the Shu Sword Sect's old sect master had appeared behind Tan Lang.

Qinglin turned around and, in stunned disbelief, stared at the scene before him.

The giant wolf's midsection split open, and the twelve gashes he had sustained all over burst apart at once. A gigantic lotus flower, interwoven with starlight and blood, sprouted in the middle of the corpse and rotated slowly, cleanly cutting the wolf in half.

Its petals gradually unfolded. Blood surged endlessly, creating an indescribably eerie sight.

By the time the lotus fully bloomed, half of the giant wolf's body had completely vanished. Black-red blood drifted everywhere through space.

Meanwhile, Wang Sheng stood blankly as the starlight around him flickered several times before fading away. He then looked at Qinglin, who gazed back at him.

Qinglin shook his head and smiled. Calmly, he transmitted, "It seems I was meddling, after all. Are you really a disciple of the Shu Sword Sect? That sword technique isn't one of ours."

Wang Sheng could no longer sense even a trace of vitality from the phantasm. Having burned his own Dao Body and Primordial Spirit, Qinglin had left behind only an imprint that had fallen into the Great Dao.

Back then, the Eastern Kang Star Deity still had the possibility of transforming into a spiritual entity. Qinglin, on the other hand...

Wang Sheng smiled in misery. With his mind in chaos, he could only reply, "My name is Wang Sheng, Sect Master Qinglin. I have a jade pendant forged by the present-day Shu Sword Sect and currently serve as one of its elders."

He staggered half a step in space. Just as he was about to continue their conversation, Lishang struggled over from behind and supported Wang Sheng's arm.

Qinglin sighed softly, drifted over to Wang Sheng, and handed him the broken sword in his grasp. "Is the sect still around?"

"It is. It now has over a thousand disciples!"

"Is that so? That's good." Qinglin sighed once more, this time in relief. "What about the Heavenly Court?"

Wang Sheng smiled bitterly. "It's been hundreds of years since I left our homeland, yet I'm still searching for its location."

"Oh..." Qinglin murmured, then shook his head. A faint trace of sorrow appeared in his gaze. "Have you ever heard of San—never mind. You probably don't know them."

"I have heard of them, Senior Qinglin!" Wang Sheng's voice trembled. "Buddhist Master Santong and Xi Lian, right?"

The phantasm froze for a moment, then hurriedly asked, "Are they well?"

"There was a period in our homeland when primal qi was severed. Buddhist Master Santong has already passed away, while Xi Lian has now become an immortal. I consider her my big sister. All this time, she has been waiting for the chance to come out and search for you. She never stops longing for any news about your fate. Is there any way for you to survive this, Qinglin? You must have a way to live on!"

Wang Sheng's hand shook violently as he clenched his small wooden sword.

He added, "I truly don't know how I'll be able to face Big Sister. I promised her that I'd find you, yet I ended up injuring you myself. Had I known who you were, I would've risked my life to protect you. I..."

Lishang, who was heavily injured, didn't know what to say. She could only stand beside Wang Sheng and gaze at the phantasm that was about to disappear.

Qinglin replied, "Do not feel guilty about what you've done here. I should've passed on long ago. If our positions were reversed, and you were in this state of being that makes you neither human nor ghost, I would have personally helped you find peace as well. How did the Shu Sword Sect create an elder as dull-minded as you? Hahaha! To think you are also Little Lian's sworn brother. Fate truly is wondrous."

Qinglin chuckled softly as his phantasm faded. "I have left Sword-Controlling Art's final technique in the sword I have given you. Send me back to the Sword Mound, but do not carve any title upon it. Meeting you and getting the chance to return to the Shu Mountains is already a blessing beyond measure for me. The heavens' Great Dao has truly not treated me poorly."

Still smiling gently, the Daoist's phantasm traced his fingers across the severely damaged flying sword.

Wang Sheng asked hurriedly, "Is there anything you wish to give to Xi Lian?"

"There's no need for that. I know she has feelings for me, but we were never fated to be together. My name will eventually ebb into the far reaches of history, and as years pass, she will gradually forget about me. Why give her something else to cling to? Even I, a solitary soul, almost forgot where I came from. "

Turning away from Wang Sheng and Lishang, Qinglin gazed at the unfamiliar starry space. He drifted farther and farther away and gradually dissolved into points of light.

As Qinglin faded away like a distant whisper, his final words echoed in Wang Sheng's mind.

"The sword has no beginning, the sword has no end. With it one ascends the immortal gates, leaving behind no mortal name!"

Wang Sheng cradled the broken sword and slowly knelt. Facing where the points of light had drifted away, he bowed deeply and shouted, "I, Wang Sheng, an off-heritage sect member of the Shu Sword Sect, wish you safe travels until you reach the heavens, Sect Master Qinglin!"

Wang Sheng then vomited a mouthful of blood, and the immortal power within him rapidly fell silent. Still clutching the broken sword, he collapsed unconscious.