Peerless in the World, the Astonishing Sword Immortal

That day was Xu Jinghong’s birthday.

Coincidentally, it was also the quarterly update day for the Peak Rankings of the chat group.

To solidify his ranking and secure richer rewards, he decided to head to the Demon-Slaying Trial Grounds first to grind some monsters and boost his combat performance score.

For a peerless sword immortal like him, this was child’s play—after all, he still held the record for the fastest clear time in the Demon-Slaying Trial Grounds. Confidence was his armor, and he even promised Xiuzhi he’d return before sunset.

And Xiuzhi had mentioned she had a birthday surprise waiting for him.

That day, he charged into the trial grounds with unstoppable momentum, cutting down monsters like melons and vegetables, eager to finish quickly and see what surprise Xiuzhi had prepared.

But halfway through the trial, a sudden unease gripped his heart!

At this point, he had already reached the mid-stage True Immortal realm. Nothing in this world could frighten him—not even a Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother. Nothing, except Xiuzhi!

Yes, Xiuzhi!

Without hesitation, he abandoned the trial, let his ranking falter, and logged off to rush back to her.

Yet, as fate would have it, the thing he feared most came to pass.

He was a step too late!

The moment he returned, he saw the sky torn apart, a bloody claw descending toward Xiuzhi, who clutched a sword case tightly in her arms.

Clang!!!

In an instant, the resonance of a sword shook the heavens, and a majestic sword aura slashed toward the bloody claw!

There was no denying it—his Swiftstrike Sword was fast. But no matter how fast, it couldn’t undo the tragedy about to befall her.

The Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother had made up its mind to kill. It tanked the Swiftstrike Sword’s blow, but the bloody claw remained unshaken as it continued its descent toward Xiuzhi.

Too late. Everything was too late.

Xiuzhi, who had been trembling in fear while clutching the sword case, suddenly looked up as if foreseeing her fate. With a serene smile, she mouthed to Xu Jinghong: "The Swiftstrike Sword Immortal—peerless under heaven!"

Her gentle voice never reached him. The Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother’s claw crashed down like a tidal wave, swallowing everything.

But Xu Jinghong understood her words all the same.

And yet, he could do nothing. He could only watch as Xiuzhi dissolved into motes of crimson light and vanished.

"NO!!! XIUZHI!!!"

In that instant, Xu Jinghong’s jet-black hair turned snow-white. All vitality seemed to drain from him as he collapsed to his knees, his mind blank, consumed by unbearable grief.

"Kekeke!!!"

The Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother thrust its grotesque head into the shattered sky, sneering at the broken man who could no longer stand. "Look at you. I just turned your beloved woman into dust. What can your sword do for you now?"

Xu Jinghong trembled in anguish, his hand stretching out desperately, as if trying to grasp the dissipating fragments of Xiuzhi’s soul.

The sight only made the Calamity Mother laugh even more maniacally. "Kekeke!!! You’re in agony, and your sword is useless! You’re nothing but trash!"

"Stop crying. I’ll send you to join her. This time, no one will come to save—"

Before it could finish—

The colossal body of the Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother suddenly shuddered!

The next moment—

A sword aura of unprecedented grandeur erupted into the heavens!

Xu Jinghong, now white-haired, rose slowly to his feet. Though he held no blade, his boundless love for Xiuzhi had crystallized into the sharpest edge, shattering all restraints. The very world transformed into a domain of swords!

This power surpassed anything he had wielded before—a force born from the failure to protect the one he loved.

The Swiftstrike Sword Domain ascended to a higher plane. Sword light flooded the heavens, forcing the Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother out of the world in an instant.

Was this still a mid-stage True Immortal?

No. With the Swiftstrike Sword Domain unleashed, he had forged his own world, refining all laws into his will.

He had ascended—to the Celestial Immortal realm!

"Impossible!!!" the Calamity Mother roared in terror, spewing a torrent of spatial annihilation toward him.

Sizzle—!

Useless. The moment it touched the Swiftstrike Sword Domain, the boundless sword intent reduced it to nothing.

Xu Jinghong’s face was expressionless, his eyes devoid of joy or sorrow. Step by step, he ascended the void until he stood before the Calamity Mother.

"Do you know what love is?"

"What?!"

"You understand nothing of love."

Xu Jinghong’s expression twisted into madness. With a single wave of his hand, the overwhelming sword intent crushed down, dissolving the Calamity Mother’s flesh in an instant, leaving only a wisp of indestructible essence floating in its place.

"Kill me? Impossible! I am eternal! I will return!"

Freed from its physical form, the Calamity Mother became even more elusive, slipping free of the Swiftstrike Sword Domain’s grasp as it prepared to flee.

"Ghh... Aaah!!!"

Xu Jinghong, already teetering on the edge of sanity, let out a guttural scream. His once-straight posture contorted grotesquely as he dropped onto all fours and scuttled across the void like a deranged beast—yet with terrifying speed. In the blink of an eye, he caught up to the fleeing essence of the Calamity Mother.

Then, with a sudden lunge—

He ate it.

"Tsk—" Chen Yi couldn’t help but suck in a sharp breath.

His opinion remained unchanged:

Xu Jinghong was truly a madman.

In the throes of despair and mental collapse, he had devoured something as vile and abominable as a Calamity Mother’s essence. No wonder he had fallen into a state of eerie corruption!

Shen Lingxi shot him a strange look before continuing, "Of course, consuming the Sub-Cosmic Calamity Mother’s essence wasn’t the root cause of Old Xu’s descent into corruption. The true source was Xiuzhi."

"Go on," Chen Yi nodded, intrigued.

Shen Lingxi sighed softly. "After his rampage, Old Xu regained his senses, only to be drowned in endless grief. He poured his Celestial Immortal essence onto the spot where Xiuzhi had perished, using his love to summon back a wisp of her lingering soul."

"But alas, that wisp was far too fragile. He tried countless methods to revive her, but each attempt failed, only weakening the remnant soul further—until it flickered like a candle in the wind, on the verge of vanishing entirely..."

"He grew afraid. He stopped trying. Day after day, he wallowed in despair, spreading negativity in the chat group. Eventually, the group leader had enough and told him that a Profound Immortal could embody the cosmos and create worlds. For Old Xu, it was the last lifeline. He threw himself into cultivation, desperate to forge a world where Xiuzhi existed."

"The result was obvious. The Profound Immortal realm was elusive, and his impatience shattered his mental state. Despite his prodigious talent, his turmoil dragged him into a state of eerie corruption. Now, he’s trapped in an endless cycle within the miniature world he created, reliving his past, torturing himself over and over..."

A trace of pity flashed in Shen Lingxi’s eyes as she added softly, "What Old Xu doesn’t know is that Xiuzhi’s lingering soul has already gathered fragments of her true spirit during his repeated cycles. She’s now trapped deep within his consciousness, watching him torment himself, helpless and frantic..."

Hearing this, Chen Yi immediately understood why the little golden dragon had sought his help!

This matter truly couldn't be done without him!