[Ronghe County, Wilderness Breath.]

[On the plains, an ever-blowing gentle breeze caressed Ah Feng as he spread his arms and employed the "Gentle Breeze Breathing Technique." His body was lifted by the wind, as if he was lying upon it.]

[Ah Feng, Ding Ying, and Ying Hong, the three Grade-Entering Swordsmen, were pursuing the culprit and joined forces to slay a demon-possessed swordsman here.]

[After the demon-possessed swordsman’s body absorbed the "Demon Spirit," it underwent constant mutation, growing coarse, tough fur, beastly eyes, fangs, and inverse patterns, all very peculiar.]

[This was merely one of the weakest demon spirits in the "True Realm," the "Tooth Wolf Beast," a low-end link in the food chain with the Giant-Toothed Beast Liu Xiu killed years ago. Yet having a body, it could fight against three Grade-Entering Swordsmen.]

[What if a higher-tier demon spirit from the "True Realm" descended, one could hardly imagine how ordinary people would cope.]

[Though under my guidance Ah Feng reached the Inner Qi Realm of the Three Realms of Martial Arts, he was barely on par with the high-tier knight "Long Yi."]

[I found it quite strange.]

[How could the "Demon Spirit" guide a person’s flesh body to transform like this? Bloodline? Do the people of the Dongzhou Hundred Countries all possess this peculiar bloodline?]

[To transform the human body? Or is it that only swordsmen with this bloodline, when driven to extremes, attract the corresponding demon spirit to possess them—I had several guesses flash through my mind.]

[Sword Demon Heart Eye showed no anomaly on the corpse, so I had to suppress my inner doubts.]

[At night, I exhausted seventy percent of the "Sword Demon Heart Eye" to take Ah Feng into the "True Realm," and this time we saw a hundred-foot giant whale riding the wind. A long cry pierced the eardrums, and then everything went black, ejecting us from the True Realm.]

[Ah Feng went to the local Inspection Bureau to investigate the origin of the whale demon spirit—"Giant Beast: Breaking Sky Dragon Whale" was slain in the New Calendar year 1200 by the contemporary Seven Swords’ "Divine Wind Sword Master."] 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

[Before long, this created the endless gentle breeze on the wilderness plain.]

[Are you kidding? This giant beast could be killed by humans? Even if the high-tier knight Long Yi were a thousand times stronger, he would still be killed by just a single charge from the Breaking Sky Dragon Whale. He could only scratch its surface if his "acupuncture" skills were decent.]

[I signaled Ah Feng to continue reading through the history, as I felt as though we were in a myth. Dongzhou, three thousand years ago, giant beasts rampaged, both on land and sea, and various bizarre giant beasts roamed unchecked. I even witnessed records of a Molten Giant Beast like Godzilla, which were astonishing.]

[Yet these giant beasts were all slain by the tiny, ant-sized human Sword Saints.]

[Looking at recent Sword Saints, their strength is much weaker than before, the strongest could only match a thousand troops. A hundred years ago, there were even records of one person leading three thousand armored warriors to surround and kill a Sword Saint.]

[The disparity among Sword Saints is enormous, isn’t it?]

[Could it be that the Ancient Sword Saints could invoke the "Power of Heaven and Earth," making them so mighty?]

[Moreover, these uniquely gigantic creatures, without parents, seemed to emerge out of thin air due to mutations.]

...

[The Wilderness Breath offers perfect conditions for practicing the "Gentle Breeze Breathing Technique," so Ah Feng and his two companions have been devotedly cultivating in this vast area.]

[During this time, his feelings for Ding Ying finally blossomed, and they became a couple.]

[That night, Ah Feng was filled with an indescribable joy, the surrounding breezes seemed to dance and leap with him in celebration, his "Gentle Breeze Breathing Technique" had reached Great Success.]

[Above that lies an even more wondrous realm—Perfection, or perhaps "Breaking Limit"!]

[Seven days passed swiftly, and at this moment, a young swordsman came to challenge Ah Feng, who wielded the Top-grade Mortal Sword gifted to him by Ding Ying.]

[In a few rounds, he easily defeated the opponent, who sought to ride on his "reputation" for their rise. Finding that Ah Feng defeated him with the weakest "Top-grade Mortal Artifact," the young swordsman felt deeply humiliated, shamed to the core, and opted to draw his sword to commit seppuku.]

[The young swordsman hailed from a renowned swordsman family in "Ronghe County," a family with extensive branches, widespread friends, and relatives.]

[Since that day, the young swordsman’s friends and relatives came in droves, burning with anger, vowing to seek justice for the deceased.]

[Initially, Ah Feng attempted to explain the misunderstanding and show mercy, but again and again, his concessions were met with increasing demands, leading him to kill another of the young swordsman’s relatives.]

[From then on, the situation spiraled out of control.]

[The Patriarch of the swordsman family, furious, rallied his friends, seven formidable Grade-Entering Swordsmen, along with family elders and dozens of elite swordsmen, vowing to root out Ah Feng and his companions.]

[Ah Feng, in self-defense, slew dozens but eventually could not contend against so many, and had to lead his two companions in a bloody bid to break out from the encirclement.]

[Ying Hong, knowing he could not escape, decided to cover their retreat.]

[Unwilling to let go until revenge was exacted, the Patriarch offered a bounty of gold and even presented his "inherited Top-grade Treasure Artifact" and "Upper Grade Sword Skill" as rewards, swearing to claim Ah Feng’s head.]

[Once the news spread, Sword Disciples throughout Ronghe County were stirred, swarming like flies to the chase, even the local Feiyan Guard was tasked to join the pursuit.]

[Using my "Sword Demon Heart Eye," Ah Feng and Ding Ying managed to evade capture, hoping to return to Beixuan County for refuge under "Long Yi."]

[Yet they were still caught up to, and faced a torrent of hundreds of charging swordsmen, their swords’ edges grew dull.]

[Ding Ying, pierced by a hundred swords, yet still clung desperately to life, her trembling hand gently raised to caress Ah Feng’s steadfast face. Her lips slightly parted, as if to convey countless words, but ultimately remained just a silent sigh.]

[She passed away in Ah Feng’s arms.]

[Ah Feng wanted to save her, but there are limits to human strength, just like he couldn’t save Ying Hong before.]

[In the Jianghu, one cannot control their fate; if you don’t kill, others will kill you.]

[From within Ah Feng’s abyss of near-despair, I managed to descend, unleashing the "Unrivaled Heavenly Sword," its light like a dragon, and wherever it passed, hundreds fell dead, then quietly left.]

[After the battle, Ah Feng’s swordsmanship exploded like a butterfly emerging from a cocoon, significantly advancing, touching upon that barrier.]

[Finally, he comprehended both the "Thirty-Six Paths of Cross and Vertical Swordsmanship" and "Flying Swallow Swordsmanship," creating a daringly unprecedented sword technique—"Wind of Suffocation."]

[This technique contained thirteen styles, each harboring deadly intent, guaranteed to draw blood with every strike, mercilessly killing without hesitation.]

[To avenge Ying Hong and Ding Ying, Ah Feng single-handedly slaughtered the Patriarch and the seven Grade-Entering Swordsmen.]

[After that, he further slaughtered every member of the enemy’s family, leaving none alive.]

[Including a high-tier knight who was invited.]

[When the news reached Ronghe County, it caused an uproar, spreading fear and rampant rumors like wildfire. Some said that "Flying Swallow Thirteen" must be possessed by a high-tier demon spirit, having already become demon-possessed.]

[The majority of Ronghe County was indignant.]

[Of course, this was simply a fabricated lie by those with ulterior motives, seeking to uncover the secret behind "Flying Swallow Thirteen’s" sudden surge in strength, forcing Feiyan Guard Commander Long Yi to step back.]

[Before joining the Feiyan Guard, Flying Swallow Thirteen was but a commoner, having only mastered the "Gentle Breeze Breathing Technique" and "Flying Swallow Swordsmanship," achieving Great Success could never amount to such strength.]

[The Ronghe County sect and eight major families, desiring the secret, joined forces to capture "Flying Swallow Thirteen," hoping to uncover its mysteries.]

[Ah Feng did not flee.]

[Since being possessed by me once, he could no longer smile, his heart felt dead, all things desolate, caught in despair, he was nearing the non-living, non-dead state of the "Sword Demon," and he didn’t want to leave it.]

[The next day, Ah Feng killed several pursuers, casually leaving one alive to spread the word—if they wanted to learn the secret of his newfound strength, they should come to the Wilderness Breath, where he would await for seven days, to settle everything.]

[Ah Feng thought of something, calmly adding a sentence.]

[If you have a grudge against me, please bring your friends as well.]

...