My Simulated Road to Immortality Chapter 7 - 7: The Dragon Swallows the Sword

The sky was a chaotic mess of crimson blazes and white sword light, their repeated collisions triggering a sequence of violent explosions. Below the battlefield, Xuanjing City suffered the consequences, quickly becoming trapped within a growing sea of fire.

The confrontation was brief. Kou Hong, whose Cultivation was already inferior to that of Dao Xuanzi, found himself rapidly losing ground as the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma further drained his strength. Sensing his advantage, Dao Xuanzi showed no mercy, his swordsmanship growing increasingly lethal with every strike.

Suddenly, the elderly voice from before resonated through the air once more.

“Dao Xuanzi is a treacherous man with a heart full of malice. Should he emerge victorious, none of us will survive! Brave warriors, follow my command and assist Immortal Teacher Kou Hong in his battle against Dao Xuanzi!”

Kou Hong was filled with joy upon hearing these words.

With a swift movement, he teleported away to create distance. As he watched Dao Xuanzi struggle against a barrage of incoming projectiles, Kou Hong shouted with triumph: “It is as they say—those who walk the path of evil shall be undone by their own machinations! I never imagined that the prestigious Dao Xuanzi would abandon his own principles only to meet such a pathetic retribution!”

Dao Xuanzi was already irritated by the interference of this hidden enemy. Kou Hong’s mockery pushed him over the edge, fueling a rage so intense he nearly coughed up blood.

“You absolute fool!” he roared, unable to restrain his frustration any longer.

“Excellent! Finally, you reveal your true thoughts!” Kou Hong retorted, fighting back with renewed ferocity. “You pride yourself on your intellect, yet why have all those you recruited—even the lowly mortals—turned against you? Your own arrogance has orchestrated your downfall!”

Speechless, Dao Xuanzi chose to ignore the idiot. He unleashed flashes of sword light, ruthlessly slaughtering the mortal soldiers who dared to strike at him. However, these mortals were like a plague of locusts; for every one he cut down, more surged forward to take their place, appearing faster than he could eliminate them.

Furthermore, Dao Xuanzi had to remain wary of the Immortal-Ordinary Miasma. This forced him to rely on energy-intensive long-range attacks to clear the area, resulting in a bizarre, grinding deadlock on the battlefield.

At that moment, the persistent, elderly voice echoed again, lingering in the air.

“Immortal Teacher Kou Hong, our ranks are devastated. Once Dao Xuanzi finishes his slaughter here, do you truly believe you will be spared? If you do not strike now, you will never have another chance!” The voice was frantic, trembling with the sound of desperate sobs.

The reminder jolted Kou Hong, forcing him to realize the gravity of his situation.

His expression turned grim as he looked toward Dao Xuanzi. “It is true. Dao Xuanzi, we have shared a friendship for a hundred years. Though the Golden Core Technique has turned us into enemies, we are both simply pursuing Immortality in our own ways. I will offer you one final path. Surrender the Golden Core Technique and withdraw, and I shall let this matter rest. If not, only one of us leaves this place alive.”

Dao Xuanzi offered only a silent sigh in response. He raised his blade, meeting Kou Hong’s gaze with cold defiance.

“Then so be it. During my time as a fugitive, I have mastered a new Taoist Technique. It is the perfect tool to send you to your grave!” Kou Hong declared solemnly.

His hands moved in a blur to form a seal: “Taoist Technique: Imprisoned Dragon!”

Suddenly, chains of fire manifested in all directions around Dao Xuanzi. They wove together into an array, forming a massive, blazing cage that sealed him within.

“Break!” Dao Xuanzi shouted, his face hardening as he felt a crushing weight descend upon him. He inhaled deeply as the ethereal image of a rusted iron sword materialized behind him.

Empowered by this sword shadow, his sword light surged with divine strength. When it struck the fiery bars of his prison, the violent flames were instantly silenced, their glow fading into nothingness.

Kou Hong, however, was undeterred. He let out a booming laugh. “Dao Xuanzi, we have fought as allies countless times over the last century. People claim my Cultivation is far below yours, and that is a fact. But Cultivation is not the sole factor in a fight. In a true life-and-death struggle, the victor is never certain!”

“Since we have reached this point, stop holding back! Let us see which is superior: your Taoist Mystic Sword or my Taoist Technique!”

A fierce, boundless fighting spirit ignited in Kou Hong’s eyes: “Taoist Technique: Devouring Dragon!”

The dimmed flames vanished entirely, but as the cage disappeared, Dao Xuanzi’s face grew pale with shock. Beneath the chains of fire lay hidden brown branches, coiled like venomous serpents waiting for an opening. With the flames gone, they lunged at Dao Xuanzi with incredible speed, twisting and multiplying as they moved until a mass of horrific, gnarled wood rose up to consume him.

“Dao Xuanzi Giant Sword!” Even in his surprise, Dao Xuanzi maintained his composure.

The mysterious shadow of the rusted giant sword fully manifested in the heavens.

The Curled Dragon Branch hesitated for a heartbeat, as if facing its natural predator. However, through some unknown stimulation, it quickly resumed its assault with even greater violence.

As Dao Xuanzi swung his blade, the massive shadow behind him mirrored the strike. The space before him seemed to solidify, turning brittle like water freezing in an instant.

The thrashing Curled Dragon Branch slammed into the Giant Sword Dao Xuan. It resisted for a mere second before being repelled, its form shattering into glowing fragments that drifted through the air. It appeared the Taoist Technique was no match for the Taoist Mystic Sword.

Despite his technique being shattered by a single blow and the giant sword shadow looming over him, Kou Hong did not flinch. His eyes remained devoid of fear.

“Taoist Technique: Transforming Dragon!”

At Kou Hong’s command, a portion of the broken Curled Dragon Branch shards suddenly surged with life. They converged instantly, reforming into a new branch that was darker and more sinister than the last. At its tip, two protrusions emerged, resembling the horns of a dragon.

The Curled Dragon Branch transformed into a piercing spear, lunging at Dao Xuanzi. As it flew, the faint, haunting sound of a dragon’s chant filled the air.

A flash of respect crossed Dao Xuanzi’s eyes, yet he did not slow the descent of his Giant Sword Dao Xuan. A battle to the death was a test of resolve—the more ruthless man would prevail.

The winner lives, the loser dies; there was no other outcome.

In that pivotal moment, the old voice that had been haunting Xuanjing City spoke once more.

“Immortal Teacher Kou Hong, we shall grant you our strength!”

Before the sentence finished, countless streaks of flame screeched through the sky from every direction, slamming into Dao Xuanzi and exploding in a mist of blood.

“Ah!” Dao Xuanzi cried out in agony. His momentum collapsed as he was caught completely off guard.

The Taoist Mystic Shadow began to flicker and fade. Seizing the opportunity, the Curled Dragon Branch tore through the frozen space and impaled Dao Xuanzi.

In contrast, Dao Xuanzi’s sword shadow had become a spent force; it only managed to make Kou Hong cough up blood before it dissolved into the air.

“Cough… cough…” Dao Xuanzi let out a grim, hollow laugh. He tried to speak, but the words would not come. Within seconds, the ravenous power of the Curled Dragon Branch consumed him, leaving nothing behind but a white skeleton.