The terrifying red light illuminated the entire sky.
Suddenly, the vast expanse above the Pei family turned blood-red.
A scene of evil, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood, floated in the air.
The red light gradually became clearer.
Revealing its true form within.
It was a hiltless short sword, about three inches long.
Dense, dark-red patterns were imprinted on it, resembling veins or layers of beast scales.
A total of forty-nine artifact patterns were distributed on both sides of the blade.
However, these golden artifact patterns were not very strong at the moment, appearing somewhat dim.
Despite this, it remained a formidable weapon of Profound Grade Middle Rank, a fearsome killing tool.
It was also known as the weapon of a Martial King!
Generally, only martial experts at or above the Giant Spirit Realm could forge Profound Grade Middle Rank spirit weapons.
And only those at or above the Giant Spirit Realm could unleash the full power of a Profound Grade Middle Rank spirit weapon.
Martial artists below the Giant Spirit Realm were simply incapable of activating its true might.
If they were to forcefully wield it, with a single strike, a Profound Grade Middle Rank spirit weapon could drain all the power of a quasi-Giant Spirit Realm expert!
What was even more terrifying was.
At the level of Profound Grade Middle Rank spirit weapons.
Weapon spirits began to be born within the spirit weapons.
Therefore, spirit weapons of Profound Grade Middle Rank and above possessed considerable intelligence. Some powerful Profound Grade Middle Rank spirit weapons could even attack autonomously when without a master.
The hiltless short sword before them was such a powerful weapon.
And it was no good thing.
Its malevolent aura was overwhelming.
Clearly, it was a terrifying, bloodthirsty killing weapon.
"Ancestor, the Pei family is in crisis. Your unworthy descendant, Pei Ming, is incompetent and could only shatter the bone tower on his own accord. I implore you to emerge and suppress this villain!"
Unexpectedly.
Pei Ming, the patriarch of the Pei family, after struggling free from the ground.
Actually knelt down and paid homage to the King's weapon in the sky.
He even addressed the sword as Ancestor.
He prostrated himself on the ground, his body trembling with fear. It was evident that he held extreme reverence and awe for this sword.
This scene stunned everyone.
Even the Pei family experts were bewildered.
What was going on?
Wasn't this spirit weapon trapped in the forbidden ground a great malevolent entity?
How could it be their Pei family's Ancestor!
As everyone was filled with doubt,
In the sky, the red light from the short sword flickered unstably.
Waves of evil energy permeated the air.
Although it was merely a weapon, it gave the illusion of a living being.
Its tip pointed at Pei Ming, as if staring at him, instantly increasing the pressure on Pei Ming, drenching him in cold sweat.
However, this malevolent sword did not attack him in the end.
Instead, it turned its tip to the side.
The tip pointed at Ling Fan for a moment.
Then it landed on Pei Nanwei, and an aura of evil greed and desire instantly emanated. It did not attack Ling Fan immediately, but transformed into a red afterimage as fast as lightning, rapidly streaking towards Pei Nanwei.
As this malevolent sword approached.
A terrifying, world-shattering pressure erupted.
It was as if a peerless Martial King had descended.
All bowed in submission.
At that instant.
Within the entire Pei family territory, even the distant onlookers felt a terrifying oppression that made them tremble and want to prostrate themselves.
Pei Nanwei, who was at the forefront, felt her entire body locked by an irresistible force, rendering her immobile.
The red short sword emitted a bloodthirsty excitement.
Then, one by one, thin red lines peeled away from the dark-red patterns on this malevolent short sword, like countless monstrous tentacles, or like countless blood-sucking insect proboscises, enveloping Pei Nanwei all over.
"Master, please escape... don't mind me! Since its target is me, hurry and leave!"
Pei Nanwei finally gave up struggling.
She had vaguely sensed this destiny of hers for a long time.
Now it had merely arrived earlier.
She looked at Ling Fan with her beautiful, sorrowful eyes, forcing a smile for him.
At that moment.
The dense, scalp-tingling red lines finally descended. Just as these lines, like countless insects, were about to pierce Pei Nanwei's body.
A young figure with gray hair flashed.
His not-so-tall body stood in front of Pei Nanwei.
But he was like an unshakeable, towering mountain!
Even the Martial King's pressure from the malevolent sword could not affect him in the slightest, nor could it cause his movements to falter even a bit.
Circles of terrifying, blazing martial qi surged out from his body like a tide.
It was as if a blazing sun emitting endless light and heat had appeared within Ling Fan's body.
Powerful, unparalleled vital energy roared.
Qi surged around him.
Ling Fan threw out a punch.
Instantly, a visible circular fist force swept out in all directions. Amidst this earth-shattering roar, the red lines, capable of annihilating all beings below the Giant Spirit Realm, shattered inch by inch, transforming into a malevolent red mist that recoiled.
"Who exactly are you, to dare disturb my feast!"
The red malevolent sword trembled.
An angry mental fluctuation emanated from within.
It also carried a hint of solemnity.
It was clear that it recognized the seemingly ordinary youth before it as a formidable enemy that could not be underestimated.
In fact.
The sword had witnessed Ling Fan breaking the sword formation and suppressing the quasi-Giant Spirit Realm Pei Ming with a single palm, observing the entire process from within the bone tower.
Therefore, the moment it broke free from the bone tower, it did not intend to attack Ling Fan immediately.
Instead, it planned to devour Pei Nanwei's sword body to fully recover its strength.
Only then could it more reliably deal with this mysterious young man.
However, what made it extremely furious was.
It had not even initiated an attack on that young man.
That young man actually dared to attack it and obstruct its consumption, how presumptuous!
Ling Fan's expression was calm.
There was no trace of fear.
He raised his eyelids, his gaze indifferent as he looked at the malevolent sword.
His gaze was incredibly deep.
As if it could see through all the secrets of this sword.
He sneered and said, "Just a Giant Spirit Realm expert who lost his physical body. To prolong his existence, he chose to forge his spiritual body and spiritual domain into a spirit weapon, becoming a sword spirit. You call yourself a king, an anomaly like this?"
"You are merely a coward who fears death, an ant!"
As these words were spoken.
Everyone stared at the red malevolent sword in disbelief.
Their expressions were filled with shock.
Was what Ling Fan said true or false?
This sword was actually transformed from a Giant Spirit Realm expert of their Pei family?
This was too incredible.
As everyone was half-believing, half-doubting.
The red malevolent sword began to tremble due to Ling Fan's words, as if enraged by Ling Fan exposing its true nature.
Boom!
An unprecedented terrifying pressure instantly enveloped a large area of heaven and earth, and the red light rapidly spread.
In the blink of an eye, it covered an area of several thousand meters.
Within this area.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth trembled and boiled.
It was as if the sword was the only king in this world at that moment.
Demanding submission to the sword.
"Die!"