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The black-robed revenant slowly spoke, its hollow, raspy voice asking, "Fontainebleau Lord, the Sword Emperor Blizzard?"

Chen Xuanfeng was slightly taken aback, as almost no one addressed him by the surname Blizzard. Nonetheless, he quickly composed himself and nodded. "What is your identity? Are you a member of Sacred Dragon Mountain?"

The revenant shook its head. "No. But I had intended to stop you—though I was too late. Had you not acted immediately upon reaching Jade Scale Peak, I might have had the chance to intervene... Speaking of which, I witnessed the technique you used to destroy Crystal Palace... That Demon Dragon did not perish, did it?"

"How do you know that? What exactly are you? The undead should have no ties to humans anymore."

"My identity, you will learn in time. My reasons, I shall also reveal. As for how I discerned the Demon Dragon's fate—it is because I can see... the traces of space." The revenant replied calmly. "In that moment, I saw the Demon Dragon, in harmony with your strike, plunge into a dimensional rift wrought by spatial distortion. Then, the entire Crystal Palace, uprooted by your technique, was cast into the chaotic currents of space. This was all part of your plan, was it not?"

Chen Xuanfeng's expression darkened slightly. If a human could perceive the traces of space, it would undoubtedly signify attainment of the Saint Realm. But the undead... weren't they incapable of mastering the art of drawing power from the Astral Sea? Though his thoughts raced, his reply was measured. "Correct. It was my design from the start. Though Winter Night is the heir to the Demon Dragon King and has inherited his power, he still falls short of his father's prowess—insufficient to traverse back to the Demon Realm alone. Hence this plan: the 'Spatial Exile Trap' to open a dimensional gate, allowing Winter Night to rely on his innate talent to navigate the chaotic currents and locate the coordinates of the Demon Realm. My 'Chaos Reborn: Violet Annihilation' absorbed Crystal Palace's magic, warping space to detonate its energy and propel him across dimensions. As for Crystal Palace, its massive structure of enchanted crystal served as a shield, protecting Winter Night from the ravages of spatial turbulence and ensuring his safe return home. So then—do you intend to avenge the dead?"

"If the grudges of the living must be settled by the dead, then such a race holds no value for existence." The revenant answered indifferently. "Since I failed to save them, I shall not dwell on it further. I sought you out for another matter."

"What matter?"

"I ask that you hand over the forbidden spell crystal in your possession—Water Sigil—Mercy."

Heroic Werewolf Scroll, Chapter 94: The True Sword Ancestor in the Law of Time and Space

Forbidden spell crystal?

For a moment, Chen Xuanfeng nearly laughed. Such a demand was akin to someone in his past life marching onto Peach Blossom Island and demanding the half-scroll of the Nine Yin Manual from his master, Huang Yaoshi—a request that would earn nothing but a swift blade to the face.

Yet he could not laugh.

Because he knew full well that if this entity dared make such a demand to his face, it meant it possessed the confidence to confront him—and win. Moreover, this eerie revenant was not ignorant of his combat prowess. Having witnessed him annihilate all of Sacred Dragon Mountain, yet still daring to issue such a challenge, it could only mean the revenant wielded power capable of the same devastation.

...Damnable revenant. Why didn’t Qigelifusi ever mention such a freak existed? No—that man did once say that the Isle of the Dead harbored ancient monsters who had lived for tens of thousands of years, typically reclusive, their true strength unknown even to him. Could this be...?

Chen Xuanfeng’s mind raced, though his expression remained unreadable. He merely sneered. "Fine. I had no means of using it anyway. If you want it, that’s no issue. But to demand it empty-handed—were you a beggar in life? If you want it, bring something of equal worth to trade."

His words were not truly a bartering attempt, but a probe into how deeply this revenant was still tied to humanity.

The revenant’s hollow voice betrayed no shift as it replied, "Fair enough. Then let us trade it for your life."

"Tch. How about your soul instead?" Verbal sparring was but a prelude. Before his words fully faded, the Sword of Divine Punishment had already thrust forth, its blade alive with Platinum Lightning, forming a radiant white line like the horizon at dawn. In an instant, it pierced toward the revenant’s brow.

Chen Xuanfeng struck fast—but his foe was stranger still. With a single “clang—”, his blade was deflected by a gray shadow striking its flat, sending it askew. As the shadow withdrew, Chen Xuanfeng glimpsed a slender rapier woven from bone fragments and black thorns, its hilt adorned with a trembling skeletal lily that seemed ready to shatter at any moment. Such a fragile-seeming weapon, yet it made Chen Xuanfeng’s pupils contract sharply.

Undeterred by the failed strike, Chen Xuanfeng pivoted his blade and launched an identical thrust—threefold faster this time, overtaking the momentum of the first as though it had never been blocked.

Yet the second strike, too, was deflected with a “clang—”. Then came the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh strikes—each faster than the last, the white trajectory in the air now unbroken. By the seventh, Chen Xuanfeng’s speed had peaked at nearly five times his initial strike. Yet still, his storm of attacks could not breach the revenant’s gray blade. That slender rapier seemed never to alter its pace, yet it steadfastly parried every lightning-fast assault. After seven strikes, Chen Xuanfeng exhaled inwardly and dispersed his sword’s radiance, conjuring a thousand phantom thrusts to encircle his foe before withdrawing.

"Manipulation of time? Your blade—it’s the most enigmatic of the Ten Divine Swords, the demonic blade Hundred Years' Solitude?" Chen Xuanfeng frowned. "Legend claims this blade can reverse the flow of time, turning moments into centuries, withering youth into bone. Is it true?"

The revenant replied placidly, "It is indeed the Demonic Blade."

"Good!" Chen Xuanfeng laughed defiantly. "Of the Ten Epic Divine Swords, I’ve destroyed three, claimed two, and forged one. Today, witnessing the Demonic Blade Hundred Years' Solitude, I've completed the set. Let us see if I can shatter one more!"