Chapter Forty-Four: The Counterfeit "Killing Sword"

Chen Xiang’s simple phrase, “Invincible, such loneliness!”—just five words—landed like a heavy hammer in the minds of those present. At once, their bodies trembled, and an intense fear engulfed their hearts.

“How… how is that possible!”

A cultivator at the peak of the Core Formation stage collapsed to the ground, his gaze vacant as he muttered to himself, truly scared out of his wits.

A Nascent Soul stage cultivator, fifth level, had been obliterated by a single move, and Chen Xiang had said he’d used only a tenth of his strength! Didn’t that mean he could even kill those at the Soul Transformation stage?

“Ding! Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang’, for instilling fear in cultivators, earning forty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang’, for instilling fear in cultivators, earning fifty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang’, for instilling fear in cultivators, earning eighty reputation points.”

“Ding! Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang’, for instilling fear in cultivators, earning sixty reputation points.”

…

At this moment, Chen Xiang’s reputation points increased by nearly five hundred—a windfall.

“No! This is fake, it must be fake!”

A female cultivator at the third level of the Nascent Soul stage roared in shock and anger. She then drew out a blood-red longsword, its blade winding sinuously like a serpent.

She let out a muffled groan and spat a mouthful of blood onto the blade. Instantly, the blood-colored sword gleamed brilliantly. Her face turned a shade paler, but her aura steadily grew stronger.

“This is my family’s ancestral demon weapon, the Blood Serpent Sword. When activated with a secret art, every life it claims absorbs all of their blood essence and cultivation, instantly boosting my strength—up to threefold. But the backlash is severe; after use, I’ll be weakened for months. Now that I wield it, I refuse to believe you can withstand my Blood Serpent Sword!” Her terror gradually receded, replaced by growing confidence, until finally she spoke with delight.

The surrounding cultivators, upon hearing her words, were overjoyed, as if seeing hope spring anew. Yet an uneasy feeling lingered, though they couldn’t quite pinpoint its source.

Li Qiner’s expression grew grave at the mention of such a demonic artifact—Young Master Li was in grave danger! She glanced at Chen Xiang and saw his face darken, assuming he too was at a loss. Her grip tightened on the Frost Scar Sword, ready for any sudden developments.

Chen Xiang’s expression darkened? In truth, he was trying not to burst out laughing, his facial muscles nearly twitching from the effort.

Good grief, what Blood Serpent Sword? That was clearly the “Sword of Killing!” Back on Earth, he’d been a seasoned League of Legends player, a master of the “Sword of Killing” and “Book of Killing.” This so-called Blood Serpent Sword was obviously a knockoff, and it even came with a backlash!

“System, do you have the ‘Sword of Killing’ and ‘Book of Killing’ for sale?” Chen Xiang asked silently.

“They’re for sale!” came the reply.

“Show me. I want to see all the details!” Chen Xiang demanded, reminding the system to list everything, lest it try to trick him.

A panel appeared before his eyes, displaying a right hand, fist clenched, but with the middle finger extended.

Chen Xiang nearly cursed aloud, “Oh, you little brat, how dare you look down on me?”

The image flashed away, and the system shop appeared, listing two items:

[Mysterious Sword]:
A weapon produced by the system, inspired by League of Legends. Grade: Low Earth tier. Commonly known as the Sword of Killing, or Vincent’s Blade. Increases host’s attributes; killing enemies enhances its power.

Item attributes: +10 attack power

Unique passive: The Mysterious Sword starts with five stacks. Each kill of a cultivator at the same level increases the stacks by one; killing a higher-level cultivator adds two. Each stack doubles the host’s attack power, up to a maximum of twenty. At full stacks, attack speed increases by 20%. Each time the host is injured, one stack is lost.

Price: 800 reputation points.

[Mejai’s Soulstealer Scroll]:
A weapon produced by the system, inspired by League of Legends. Grade: High Earth tier. Commonly known as the Book of Killing. Increases host’s attributes; killing enemies enhances spiritual power.

Item attributes: +20 spell strength, +200 spiritual energy

Unique passive: Each kill of a cultivator at the same level adds one Glory stack; killing a higher-level cultivator adds two. Each stack doubles the power of the host’s spells, up to twenty stacks. At fifteen stacks or higher, increases movement speed by 10%. Each time the host is injured, one stack is lost.

Price: 3000 reputation points.

“What the heck, why is the Book of Killing so expensive?” Chen Xiang was stunned.

Both items boosted strength, yet the Book of Killing was classified as high Earth grade, while the Sword of Killing was only low Earth grade. The gap between the two was immense, despite both being Earth grade.

On closer inspection, he realized the Mysterious Sword increased attack power, while the Soulstealer Scroll enhanced spell strength—a crucial difference. Cultivators relied on spells; no amount of attack power could replace that.

He most frequently used the Emperor’s Seal Art, which depended on spell strength. If he could equip a fully stacked Book of Killing, the power would be overwhelming—he might even dare to face Soul Transformation stage cultivators head-on!

But the Book of Killing cost three thousand reputation points—outrageously expensive! Even after two waves of gains and what he had before, he barely had just over three thousand. One Book of Killing would drain his entire fortune; the thought was simply too depressing.

“Ah, how vexing!” Chen Xiang sighed deeply.

Although the Book of Killing suited him best, he was too poor to afford it. He had to settle for the Mysterious Sword instead.

“Ding! Congratulations, host ‘Chen Xiang’, for successfully redeeming the ‘Mysterious Sword’. 800 reputation points consumed.”

Whoosh!

With a flick of his wrist, a green short blade appeared in Chen Xiang’s hand, which he promptly tucked at his waist. Instantly, he felt a powerful sensation surge through him.

It was the perfect time to test the Sword of Killing’s might.

He’d have to be careful not to get injured during the fight—each initial stack counted. The Sword of Killing started with five stacks, each injury causing one stack to drop.

And “injury” wasn’t limited to grievous wounds. Even a light scratch in battle would count, just as in League of Legends, using the Sword of Killing demanded real skill! Otherwise, if he carelessly brushed against a minion and lost a stack, it would be a real shame!

…

The crowd saw Chen Xiang standing motionless and assumed he was afraid, their confidence growing ever higher.

The female cultivator’s eyes flickered as she cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention. She addressed the group with a gentle smile: “Fellow Daoists, as you have seen, this man’s power is extraordinary. He dispatched a fifth-level Nascent Soul cultivator with a single blow—something even those at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage could not do.”

The cultivators pondered her words, then nodded in agreement.

She continued, “Therefore, our only chance lies with the Blood Serpent Sword in my hand. I will need everyone’s assistance!”

The crowd exchanged glances. Someone spoke up: “Fairy, whatever you require, just say the word. He has killed so many—practically a demon in human form. We must uphold justice and rid the world of his evil. Tell us what you need!”

The others nodded lightly in agreement.

The woman smiled faintly and said, her tone ethereal, “Very well. What I need from you is to offer sacrifices to the Blood Serpent Sword.”

“To be continued…”