World's No. 1 Swordsman-Chapter 43: Seven Evil-Vanquishing Swords!

As it turned out, rooster blood could indeed ward off evil.

Each day, roosters crowed at the rising sun, causing their blood to contain a faint trace of the sun's essence. Hence, their blood could already repel evil even before the resurgence of primal qi. Now that the world was infused with primal qi that allowed roosters to become fertile, that effect was even stronger.

Wang Sheng employed the same tactic once again, luring the fierce spirit into turning around and pursuing him. When the spirit pounced, he blocked its attack head-on and used the force of the impact to retreat effortlessly.

"Throw it!" Zhou Yinglong roared.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

More than a dozen blood packets accurately struck the fierce spirit.

The policemen had all undergone military training in grenade throwing, and Zhou Yinglong used his spiritual consciousness for precision and further enhanced it with his true essence.

Most of the blood packets hit their mark.

With a series of muffled splashes, rooster blood exploded across the fierce spirit's back, soaking it entirely!

The cops had likely drained even the very last drops of the two unlucky roosters' blood.

Sizzle!

A thick, pungent stench spread in all directions as the fierce spirit threw its head back and howled, its cry interwoven with agonized human screams. The hardened skin on its back melted instantly and dissolved into thick green smoke!

Wang Sheng's eyes lit up. They could not waste this opportunity!

He lifted Abyss Listener horizontally. After bouncing on his toes multiple times, he charged forward once more.

Within the dense mist, gleaming blood-red eyes locked fiercely onto Wang Sheng. It had shifted all of its boundless hatred and overwhelming fury to the young man who had thwarted its revenge!

Just as Wang Sheng was about to strike, the black smoke around the fierce spirit surged violently. Though momentarily unable to move, it still had methods to unleash its malevolence.

Ghostly wails rang out, and deep-crimson skulls emerged from the dense fog, howling as they hurtled toward Wang Sheng.

Wang Sheng held Abyss Listener up as he moved steadily. He formed a sword finger with his left hand and positioned it behind the blade of his weapon.

He then chanted, "Heaven and earth, bestow upon me your righteous qi, which flows in myriad forms."

Wang Sheng's Seven-Star Sword Intent began changing. A profound yellow aura surged around him, and his sword shone even brighter!

The sword's radiance forced back the malevolent skulls, unable to get within half a meter of him!

"Below, it flows as rivers and mountains; above, it gleams as the sun and stars."

Maintaining his Seven-Star Footwork, he swung his sword horizontally. Pure and boundless righteous qi radiated from him!

The Melodic Righteous-Qi Mantra?!

No, this is...

The Melodic Righteous-Qi Mantra of the Resplendent Sword Intent!

While chanting the Righteous Energy Incantation, Wang Sheng's attacks, sword intent, and even his very presence underwent a transformation.

As if divine authority had descended upon him, an imposing dignity and unwavering righteousness replaced his carefree air. His spiritual consciousness stirred the surrounding primal qi, causing it to surge toward him in waves.

Wang Sheng soon advanced. His spiritual consciousness was being rapidly drained, but in return, his aura pushed away the fierce spirit's thick, malevolent aura!

He did not recite the Righteous Energy Incantation on a whim. In his past life, there was a widely known "phenomenon" involving many of the ancient poems that people had memorized since childhood. After the resurgence of primal qi, they began unleashing unexpected effects when infused with spiritual consciousness.

Though Wen Tianxiang had originally written the Righteous Energy Incantation in the Song Dynasty to express his loyalty and patriotism while imprisoned, it could also conjure the pure righteous energy of heaven and earth. Even ordinary people reciting it often felt a surge of emotions. For cultivators, chanting it with a heart filled with righteousness could produce overwhelming power!

Wang Sheng unfortunately didn't fully understand the extent of the incantation's power until now. In his past life, he had only seen a widely circulated video of a Daoist master reciting the Righteous Energy Incantation. The Daoist master then used his spiritual consciousness to shake several rampaging fiendish beast to death, which left a deep impression on Wang Sheng.

Hence, only when he started chanting the incantation did he learn that it was draining his spiritual consciousness at an alarming rate in exchange for equally extraordinary effects.

Nevertheless, with the arrow nocked, there was no turning back. The rooster blood had already severely wounded the fierce spirit, corroding and immobilizing half of it. Now, it could only rely on its corrupt aura to put up a front.

Having already come this far, he decided to give it his all!

Wang Sheng dashed toward the fierce spirit. Just before he crashed onto it, he slightly tilted his head back, his long hair sweeping forward over his shoulders. He then used the most powerful Seven-Star Sword Formation attacks that he could currently unleash!

He swung Abyss Listener diagonally upward, leaving a trace of dazzling arc of light.

Step on Dubhe, strike Heaven’s Gate!

Pass through Merak and cut through the clouds and moon!

Reach Phecda and pierce the North Star down!

Leap at Megrez and crash like a waterfall

Descend to Alioth and split the Milky Way!

Turn at Mizar and bow your sword to the Purple Pole Star!

With Alkaid fixed, let the Seven Stars slay the fiend!

The Seven-Star Footwork was pushed to its peak. Flashing around the fierce spirit, Wang Sheng left behind seven afterimages—just like when Qing Yanzi had first demonstrated the Seven-Star Sword Formation to him!

The afterimages swung upward; thrust forward; lightly tapped but carried refined true essence; or moved with wide, powerful strokes that stirred the righteous energy of heaven and earth.

As soon as Wang Sheng stopped in front of the fierce spirit, the seven afterimages erupted simultaneously. Seven streaks of sword radiance, infused with a third of his true essence, cut different parts of the fierce spirit, their brilliance overshadowing even the surrounding floodlights!

The fierce spirit's massive arms were flung upward before disintegrating into thick smoke. Moreover, its grotesque, spike-covered body was severed into multiple parts. The black mist could not reassemble it either. Wang Sheng's sword intent was constantly tearing it apart and scattering it!

Continuing his attack, Wang Sheng took three steps back and forcibly drew upon what little true essence he had left. He then charged forward once more, thrusting Abyss Listener straight ahead. Imbued with boundless righteous qi and surging primal qi, he plunged into the billowing dark mist erupting from the fierce spirit!

Wang Sheng pierced through the dense smoke, and his boundless righteous qi surged into the sky, completely dispersing the sinister ghostly aura!

He covered another four to five meters. Soon, his longsword dripped with blood, its tip pressing against a small, jade-green cauldron.

Behind him, billowing smoke rose. Countless blood-red skulls swirled and wailed within it, their piercing cries echoing through the night. Despite the insane commotion, the fierce spirit was neither a millennia-old ghost nor an ancient soul of great evil. Hence, it swiftly dispersed.

By the time Wang Sheng took another five or six steps forward, the towering and terrifying fierce spirit behind him had vanished. All that remained was a young man, covered in blood and shrouded in faint corrupt energy. He slowly fell to his knees before collapsing forward, his condition remaining uncertain.

Eventually, the dark clouds in the sky also receded. Starlight cascaded down, but the bright lights illuminating every corner of the Li residence repelled it.

Wang Sheng's faint smile of relief was reflected in the eyes of the armed policemen and Zhou Yinglong.

The vast Li family estate quieted down. All that could be heard were the slightly heavy breaths of a few armed policemen, still tense from the ordeal.

Wang Sheng dropped the small cauldron to the ground and then stomped on it without hesitation. He could not allow corrupt artifacts that had harmed others to remain undestroyed.

Crack!

The high-grade ghost-rearing cauldron shattered into several pieces of wood scrap. Though a wisp of dark smoke seeped out, the lingering righteous energy enveloping Wang Sheng instantly dissolved it.

With the small cauldron broken, Wang Sheng sighed in relief. He stepped forward, intending to speak, but all he could muster was a wry smile at Zhou Yinglong. His eyes shut on their own, and he collapsed backward.

"Hey! Junior Brother Wang!"

"Daoist Master!"

"Quick! The hero has fallen!"

Wang Sheng had transformed his spiritual consciousness into boundless righteous qi, and he had exhausted all his true essence to deliver the seven ultimate strikes. Nothing but sheer willpower had fueled his final charge.

Nevertheless, this was all within his calculations. If he hadn't been confident, he wouldn't have put his own life on the line so easily.

Zhou Yinglong dashed forward, his eyes filled with urgency. He surged with true essence, allowing him to move as fast as he possibly could. No one else could have reached Wang Sheng in time.

He caught Wang Sheng before he could hit the ground. Anxiously, he asked, "Junior Brother Wang! Are you alright? Where are you hurt?"

Wang Sheng kept his eyes shut, but his right hand still firmly gripped the Abyss Listener. He barely managed to smile in the direction of the voice. Right now, he only had one thought in mind.

If senior sister were here, I would've at least had something soft to rest on.

At that moment, he realized he was becoming more and more like his master.

Fu Ai quickly holstered his pistol and bellowed orders. "What are you standing around for?! Secure the suspect! Call an ambulance!"

Finally showing their discipline and training, the armed policemen swarmed toward the two fallen figures.

There was a stark contrast in treatment. Several burly men carefully and gently lifted Wang Sheng carefully. Li Shishan then led them to a nearby attic for rest.

Meanwhile, two men pinned down Jiang—the blood-soaked, barely alive corrupt cultivator. They then wore gloves, pressed an electric baton against his neck, and delivered a heavy shock.

Before long, Wang Sheng was laid down on a small bed, and Zhou Yinglong kept him under watchful care. His pale face gradually regained color.

Meanwhile, Fu Ai reported the situation truthfully to his superiors.

***

Fu Ai found himself smoking much faster than usual that night. He paced back and forth, contemplating how to handle the situation. The flickering flame at his fingertips never ceased.

Fortunately, the superior he had contacted earlier quickly instructed them to restrain and keep the corrupt cultivator unconscious for now. Allowing him to wake up could pose a danger to the officers.

The Wudang disciple who had fought the fierce spirit also had to be monitored. A specialized department responsible for handling such incidents was already on the way. Until they arrived, the Wudang disciple had to be stabilized and questioned for official records.

Most importantly, the entire incident had to be kept strictly confidential. No videos could be allowed to circulate, and the Li family had to be properly settled. If necessary, they should all be brought to the station for psychological counseling.

Just then, Li Shishan hurried over and whispered a few words to Fu Ai, whose expression then turned troubled.

"Old Man Li, this goes against protocol. Even if I respect you, I can't just..."

Li Shishan sighed. He pulled out a card from his sleeve and whispered, "Please help me, Officer. I just want to ask Little Jiang what exactly I did to him that made him resent me so much. Otherwise, I won't be able to rest in peace—not even in my grave."

Fu Ai frowned slightly. He then waved his hand, refusing to accept what was offered.

"Alright, once the Wudang Daoist master wakes up, I'll see if we can arrange it. Otherwise, that guy might pull another stunt and put us all in trouble again."

"I understand. You do have a point, Officer Fu."

Fu Ai forced a slight smile, but it carried a bitter edge.

Little Jiang was severely injured, with over a dozen sword wounds all over him. The most critical one was a gash on his neck, though it had stopped just a few millimeters short of severing his artery. A wisp of jade-green true essence had sealed the wound.

Wang Sheng had clearly intended to kill him. With officers present as witnesses, he didn't have to fear being unable to justify his actions later. However, his final strike had been deliberately restrained, leaving the man with a sliver of life.

Little Jiang's injuries had only received minimal treatment before he was thrown into the armed police vehicle, secured in a straitjacket.

Even though his aura barely lingered now, the armed policemen remained vigilant. Following their training, they kept their firearms aimed directly at Little Jiang's forehead.

Meanwhile, the Li family members were called back. A few minutes later, reinforcements arrived and sealed off the Li residence completely, even blocking all roads leading up and down the mountain.