Spirit Ruin, Sword Coffin, Blind Swordsman

Black Tortoise Continent was a small continent, the farthest from the Daxia Sword Sect. Its total area was roughly equivalent to the combined area of two regions in the northeast of the Azure Cloud Continent. Yet despite its modest size, the continent was home to many powerful figures and was shrouded in mystery.

Even this small continent possessed two forbidden areas. One was the Eight Directions Dao, and the other was the Heavenly Massacre Sea.

Meng Wanshu’s piercing gaze was full of vigilance. The jade bracelets on her wrists glowed faintly, enveloping her in a powerful, mysterious pale-blue barrier.

Tap!

Meng Wanshu stepped lightly on a lake, freezing its surface. In the blink of an eye, the ice extended downward dozens of zhang.

Heavy clouds shrouded the night sky, and not a whisper of wind could be heard. The entire mountain range was eerily silent, so much so that even her own breathing sounded loud.

Meng Wanshu’s face was calm as she gazed at the distant mountains. Her ice-blue eyes flashed. In the darkness, the distant peaks resembled a crouching beast, waiting for prey to arrive.

Nine Heavens stirred on her left wrist. Its body coiled like a spirit snake on her shoulder, and it telepathically said, “It’s dangerous! Extremely dangerous!”

Meng Wanshu became extremely alert.

Peng Luo, seated on her left shoulder, stared at the distant mountains and swallowed nervously. “Mistress… this damn place gives me the creeps. Just the outer area alone has this much murderous aura…”“The beasts here don’t feel like ordinary demonic beasts at all. How about we—” Before Peng Luo could finish, Meng Wanshu was already moving into the forest, Frost Severing Sword in hand. “Hey, hey! Mistress! Wait for me!”

Why the Heavenly Massacre Sea was a mountain range despite its name, no one knew.

Nine Heavens’ dark golden eyes swept the surroundings, its senses stretching outward in a frantic sweep. Peng Luo clutched Nine Heavens’ neck and whispered, “Nine Heavens, this place is way too dangerous. I’m freezing. Shouldn’t we talk Mistress into leaving?”

Nine Heavens’ head twitched, and with a flick, it flung Peng Luo aside. Scorching dragon breath hissed from its nostrils, a look of disdain flashing in its eyes. Nine Heavens sensed the danger, but this was not the moment to retreat. Despite the dangers, they had to press forward.

Meng Wanshu slowly raised her hand. Wave after wave of water-like energy rippled outward, spreading across a hundred li.

Boom!

The heavy clouds churned violently. The calm spiritual energy went berserk, and all the surrounding space seemed to boil like scalding water. Bubbles of air formed everywhere, exploding into black voids.

Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!

Amid the rolling clouds, thunder raged uncontrollably. A blinding bolt of lightning shot from the sky, the thick arc clearly visible from a hundred li away.

Its terrifying power made even Peng Luo swallow nervously. “Good grief… If that hit me, I’d lose a layer of skin!”

Nine Heavens’ eyes glinted with cold light. Its body coiled and twisted, ready to reveal its true form at any moment.

ROAR!

A deafening lion’s roar echoed across the sky, and atop a distant mountain, a massive shadow shot upward. The terrifying sound wave shattered the void across a thousand zhang.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the world as if it were daytime. What had been casting that massive shadow was now clear: a colossal white lion, easily a hundred zhang long, leaping from the mountains. A thick mane of white fur encircled its neck, crackling with lightning, and a mysterious mark on its forehead cast a purplish-red glow.

A terrifying aura erupted from the beast. Its mountain-like claws snatched a descending lightning bolt from the air, and it opened its mouth and devoured it.

Peng Luo froze. His eyes went wide, and he pointed at the white lion, stammering, “S-S-Suanni[1]!”

Terrified, he grabbed Nine Heavens’ neck and ran. “Run! A tier-seven Suanni! And a mutated one at that! There’s no way we can hunt this thing, even if it just broke through!”

Peng Luo’s mind was reeling. No wonder the entire Heavenly Massacre Sea had been devoid of beasts within a hundred-li radius. The Crimson Lightning Suanni had exterminated every creature in the area.

But Meng Wanshu stayed still, her beautiful eyes blazing with fierce fighting spirit.

Nine Heavens shook off Peng Luo and revealed its true form: a colossal dragon, over thirty zhang long.

It hovered in mid-air, its dragon eyes glowing. A deep, resonant roar erupted from its throat, echoing across a hundred li.

Nine Heavens bent down and lifted Meng Wanshu, letting her stand on top of its head. As he straightened, the surrounding space within hundreds of zhang began to fracture.

Facing the ancient demonic-blooded Crimson Lightning Suanni, a surge of battle fervor ignited within Nine Heavens for reasons it couldn’t explain. Its prideful nature would not allow it to flee.

The surrounding void cracked, countless arcs of lightning dancing in the air.

Peng Luo, still airborne, stiffly turned his head. As expected, the Crimson Lightning Suanni spotted Nine Heavens at once.

Burning greed erupted in the Suanni’s eyes upon seeing Nine Heavens. It spoke in a human voice, “A true dragon? Hahaha! What a heaven-sent blessing!”

The arrogant Suanni didn’t take Meng Wanshu or Peng Luo seriously at all, ignoring them entirely.

Boom!

The towering mountain peak exploded, and the massive Suanni roared, charging toward Nine Heavens.

Lightning arced along Nine Heavens’ dragon horns, enveloping Meng Wanshu in their power. Its eyes flashed with ferocity. With a snort, Nine Heavens lashed its tail through the sky and lunged at the white lion[2].

Seeing Nine Heavens move, Peng Luo cursed under his breath. They couldn’t flee anymore. Purple veins surged beneath Peng Luo’s skin, and he grew ten zhang tall.

Atop Nine Heavens, Meng Wanshu took a deep breath. Her eyes blazed with killing intent. She raised her left hand, forming a sword with her fingers, and swept it upward.

“Spirit spell number eighty-two, Ice Barrier Wall!”

Boom!

Nine massive ice walls, each over a hundred zhang tall, materialized in front of the Crimson Lightning Suanni.

Boom! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Explosions rang out one after another, but Meng Wanshu’s expression remained calm. With a flash of light beneath her feet, she vanished.

1. A Suanni (or Suan Ni) is one of the nine sons of the dragon in Chinese mythology, resembling a lion. It is associated with fire and strength, and is often depicted as a guardian or mount of the Buddha. I’ve attached an image for your reference ☜

2. The author used the term 白狮 here, which literally means “white lion.” This is regarding the Suanni, which is a lion-like beast. ☜