Wang Hao has always believed that education should start early.

In the distance, the New Emperor Sword roared.

"I can hear you!"

Wang Hao said calmly, "I meant for you to hear."

The New Emperor Sword was so furious it nearly suffered a backlash of sword energy.

But it quickly vented all its anger on the three ancient corpses.

Sword shadows covered the sky.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse shattered a dozen sword shadows with one punch.

But one true form had already circled behind it.

The New Emperor Sword struck down with a single slash.

Black-gold sword light cleaved into the back of the Flesh Ancient Corpse's neck.

Crack!

A section of withered bone was split apart.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse roared and reached back to grab.

But the New Emperor Sword had already vanished.

The next instant, it appeared at the edge of the Death Domain Ancient Corpse's domain.

The sword tip pierced into the black mist.

Devouring power erupted.

A chunk of the death-qi domain was forcibly absorbed by the sword.

The Death Domain Ancient Corpse's hollow eye sockets flickered with corpse fire, seeming to show anger for the first time.

It raised a hand and pressed down.

Thousands of corpse hands reached out from the domain, grabbing toward the New Emperor Sword.

The New Emperor Sword did not retreat—it advanced.

"Come!"

"Give me a feast!"

The blade spun madly like a black-gold millstone.

The reaching corpse hands were shredded.

Shattered death-qi, sinister thoughts, and corpse poison were all devoured by the blade.

The more it fought, the fiercer it became.

The more it devoured, the stronger it grew.

Though the increase was not as exaggerated as when it had devoured the intact Spiritual Ancient Corpse, its sword might was still slowly climbing.

Ji Wushang's face grew uglier and uglier.

He finally realized the problem.

This sword could suppress the ancient corpses.

Not through elemental countering.

But through something far more disgusting.

It ate.

The more the corpses released their sinister power, the more it feasted.

If it was not suppressed quickly, the remaining three corpses would be ground down by it bit by bit.

Ji Wushang formed hand seals with both hands.

On the Nine Coffin Altar, the remaining eight ancient coffins trembled simultaneously.

Scarlet blood light surged from the crack of the coffin lids.

He said coldly, "Three corpses, return to positions."

"Use the residual formation to seal the sword!"

The three ancient corpses paused as one.

Then they stopped chasing the New Emperor Sword and tried to return to their three formation positions on the altar to reconstruct the residual formation.

Wang Hao's eyes shifted.

"Sword-bitch, stop them."

The New Emperor Sword snorted coldly.

"Do you need to teach me?"

It shot into the sky.

On the blade, black-gold light condensed into a gigantic sword-shadow dharma form.

That dharma form towered ten thousand zhang, standing in the abyss like a bizarre god holding a heavenly sword.

The spirit of the New Emperor Sword stood at the dharma form's brow, both hands raised high.

"Today!"

"I'll let you know!"

"What it means when Sword Lord takes on ten!"

Wang Hao couldn't help but say, "It's three."

The New Emperor Sword erupted in fury.

"Shut up!"

Boom!

The ten-thousand-zhang sword shadow descended.

This slash was not one of the Nine Heavenly Swords.

Nor was it any martial skill Wang Hao had taught.

It was a sinister weapon killing move the New Emperor Sword had developed on its own after devouring the Spiritual Ancient Corpse.

When the sword light fell, countless black fissures appeared across heaven and earth.

Those fissures all laughed at the same time.

The laughter turned into sword intent.

The sword intent turned into a black-gold flood.

The Slaughter Ancient Corpse bore the brunt.

It raised its spear to block.

Crack!

A clear gap finally split open in the broken spear.

The Slaughter Ancient Corpse was knocked kneeling by the single slash, its knee shattering the void, bursting black blood mist.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse tried to return and assist.

Wang Hao suddenly stood up.

His injuries had not fully recovered, but he had caught his breath.

"Did I say you could move?"

The Thunder Abyss Demon Suppression Tower flew up.

The eighth floor tower gate opened.

The Thunder Phoenix came out again!

The thunder qilin phoenix screeched mournfully and slammed into the Flesh Ancient Corpse's face.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse punched the Thunder Phoenix to pieces.

But the explosion of thunder light delayed its movements by half a breath.

The New Emperor Sword seized the opportunity, and the second slash fell.

This slash targeted the Death Domain Ancient Corpse.

The Death Domain Ancient Corpse turned its domain into a shield.

Sword light cut into the black mist.

The two sides stalemated for an instant.

The New Emperor Sword suddenly opened its mouth.

To be precise, the sword spirit opened its mouth.

It actually inhaled like a human.

"Slurp—"

A large swath of death-qi was sucked into the blade.

A gap instantly appeared in the Death Domain Ancient Corpse's domain.

Wang Hao watched with a twitching corner of his eye.

"Can you at least have some manners when you eat?"

The New Emperor Sword said indistinctly, "What do you know? This is efficiency!"

The Demon Lord muttered, "Your Majesty, it really resembles you."

Wang Hao glanced sideways.

"Say that again?"

The Demon Lord immediately shut up.

The battle began to reverse.

Without the Spiritual Ancient Corpse, the three remaining ancient corpses, though still strong, could no longer unite their four powers to fully suppress everyone.

The New Emperor Sword's late Martial God combat power erupted, and with its ability to devour the corpses' sinister energy, it actually forced the three corpses back step by step.

The Slaughter Ancient Corpse's broken spear kept crumbling.

More and more sword scars appeared on the Flesh Ancient Corpse's body.

The Death Domain Ancient Corpse's domain was sucked full of pits and holes, like a black cloth chewed on by a dog.

Seeing this, Wang Hao was completely reassured.

He sat back down cross-legged.

He even pulled out a pot of spirit tea from his storage ring.

The Demon Lord was stunned.

"Your Majesty, this is..."

Wang Hao said righteously, "Recovering from injuries."

Yue Ji looked at the teapot in his hand.

"Do you need tea to recover from injuries?"

Wang Hao said indifferently, "A good mood makes injuries heal faster."

Yin Jiuyou couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, aren't you afraid that after it wins, it won't listen to you?"

Wang Hao took a sip of tea.

"Why should I be afraid?"

"It is my sword."

"No matter how arrogant a sword is, it is still a sword."

"If it truly dares to rebel, I have a hundred ways to deal with it."

In the distance, the New Emperor Sword roared.

"Wang Hao! I can still hear you!"

Wang Hao put down his teacup and said seriously, "I meant for you to hear."

The New Emperor Sword: "..."

It decided.

After the fight ended.

It had to let Haozi know what the dignity of a late Martial God sinister weapon meant!

But before that.

It needed to chop these three old pickled corpses up first.

The New Emperor Sword suddenly turned its blade and locked onto the Slaughter Ancient Corpse.

It saw clearly.

Among the three corpses, the Slaughter Ancient Corpse had the strongest attack.

As long as it was crippled first, the remaining two were just one meatter and one poisoner ingredient.

The Slaughter Ancient Corpse seemed to sense the danger, holding its broken spear horizontally.

The residual killing intent within its body erupted.

A grey-black spear light shot into the sky, actually condensing into a phantom of an ancient battlefield.

Mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Torn war banners.

Ten thousand spirits lying dead.

That was the echo of its living slaughter memories.

Seeing this, the New Emperor Sword was not afraid—it grew excited instead.

"Good!"

"This one has the right flavor!"

The sword spirit gripped the blade with both hands.

On the sword body, all the devouring patterns lit up.

Its voice turned suddenly sinister.

"Old thing."

"You've been chopping others for so many years."

"Today, it's my turn to chop you."

The next instant.

Sword light and spear light exploded simultaneously.

Black-gold and grey-black collided in the abyss.

Heaven and earth lost all sound.

All anyone could see was a single thread of light.

That thread of light cut through the slaughter phantom.

And it cut into the Slaughter Ancient Corpse's broken spear.

Crack!

The broken spear snapped.

Half a spearhead flew off.

The Slaughter Ancient Corpse's chest was split open by the slash.

The New Emperor Sword laughed wildly as it charged into its body.

"Second meal!"

For the first time, the Slaughter Ancient Corpse let out a roar that sounded like fear.

But it was already too late.

Devouring power erupted.

Sword light burst out from its chest, its back, its eye sockets, and the cracks in its limbs.

Wang Hao set down his teacup, his gaze sharpening.

The second half-step transcendence ancient corpse.

Was about to be gone.

Ji Wushang could no longer sit still.

He stepped forward, and the nine coffins behind him trembled together.

"Stop!"

Wang Hao immediately rose, blocking him midair.

With a full smile.

"Ji Wushang."

"Weren't you enjoying the show just now?"

"Now it's my turn."

Killing intent surged coldly in Ji Wushang's eyes.

"Get out of my way."

Wang Hao smirked.

"You'd better mind your tone."

"Your emperor stands with a sword at his back now."

BOOM!

The Slaughter Ancient Corpse exploded.

The New Emperor Sword devoured the core of the second ancient corpse, its might surging once more.

It burst forth from the remains, black-gold radiance flooding the abyss.

The weapon spirit's crazed laughter shook the heavens.

"WHO ELSE?!"

Wang Hao stared at that arrogant figure and casually added:

"Gotta say..."

"That's actually kind of impressive."

The New Emperor Sword turned around.

"Haozi, you convinced yet?"

Wang Hao smiled.

"Finish the other two first, then I'll decide whether or not to rein you in."

The New Emperor Sword: "..."

Damn it.

How was this tyrant more annoying than the ancient corpses?

With the Slaughter Ancient Corpse dead, the residual formation of the Nine-Coffin Altar completely collapsed.

The three-directional array patterns that had barely held together now went dark in great swaths, like cobwebs snipped by scissors.

High above the abyss, countless cracks spider-webbed across the towering black prison.

Light leaked down through the fissures.

Faint light.

But it felt like the first glimmer of dawn prying open a coffin lid.

The Da Xia soldiers saw the light and erupted in long-suppressed cheers.

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty has held the line!"

"That sword... that sword killed an ancient corpse!"

"No, it killed TWO!"

"Long live His Majesty!"

"Long live the Sword—uh, long live His Majesty!"

One soldier nearly blurted the wrong phrase before a comrade clamped a hand over his mouth.

Han Shanyue broke out in a cold sweat.

"Don't yell nonsense!"

"No matter how strong that sword is, it's still His Majesty's sword."

"Shout 'Sword' and His Majesty will dock your pay."

The soldier went pale.

Almost dropped to his knees on the spot.

Docking pay was something His Majesty would absolutely do.

Wang Hao stood in midair, heard the commotion in the distance, and gave a slight nod.

Old Han was indeed a seasoned official.

He understood.

After devouring the Slaughter Ancient Corpse, the New Emperor Sword's aura grew even more ferocious.

Its blade was no longer purely black-gold.

A gray-black killing pattern now marked its surface.

The pattern resembled a miniature broken spear etched into the spine of the blade, radiating a chilling murderous intent.

The weapon spirit stood atop the blade, hands on hips, laughing up at the sky.

"HAHAHAHA!"

"This lord feels better than ever!"

"Late Martial God?"

"No!"

"This lord is already LATE-LATE stage!"

Wang Hao said flatly: "In plain speech."

The New Emperor Sword said: "Nearly at peak!"

Wang Hao nodded.

"Oh, not at peak yet."

The New Emperor Sword's laughter cut off abruptly.

"Can't you praise this lord just once?"

Wang Hao thought about it seriously.

"You eat well."

The New Emperor Sword: "..."

It snarled: "This lord just saved your life!"

Wang Hao corrected it.

"Saved me, yourself, and all of Da Xia."

"Broaden your perspective."

The New Emperor Sword's blade qi lashed out in fury.

"Haozi, just you wait!"

Wang Hao's gaze turned dangerous.

"You calling me that again?"

But the New Emperor Sword, swollen with pride and power, wasn't about to back down.

"So what if I—"

Before it could finish.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse came crashing in.

It had gone completely berserk.

Though mindless, two of its kin corpses being devoured in succession triggered a residual instinct that recognized this sword as a mortal threat.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse's body swelled.

Beneath its withered skin, black veins bulged.

Those veins writhed like ancient hornless dragons slumbering for eternity, churning through rotting flesh.

It threw a punch.

No flourishes.

No laws.

Only the absolute power of the flesh.

Where the fist passed, layers of void caved inward, as if chewed apart by an invisible beast.

The New Emperor Sword turned and slashed.

CLANG!

Sword met fist.

This time, the New Emperor Sword was knocked back dozens of zhang.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse's fist was also split in half, black blood spraying.

The New Emperor Sword glanced at the shocklines marring its blade and grew furious.

"You DARE hurt this lord?!"

Wang Hao called from afar: "Can a sword feel pain?"

The New Emperor Sword snapped: "It's wounded DIGNITY!"

Wang Hao nodded.

"Then your dignity is pretty fragile."

The New Emperor Sword took a deep breath of nonexistent air.

It decided to ignore Wang Hao for now.

If it kept engaging, it would die of anger before killing the other two corpses.

The Death Domain Ancient Corpse also moved simultaneously.

Without the residual formation, it could no longer suppress the entire field, but its death-qi domain remained vast.

Black mist spread, turning into a sea of decaying darkness.

Within that sea, countless bones rose and fell, pale arms reaching out, trying to drag the New Emperor Sword down into the depths.

The Flesh Ancient Corpse attacked from the front.

The Death Domain Ancient Corpse devoured from the side.

Working together, they briefly gained the upper hand against the New Emperor Sword.

Wang Hao watched, in no hurry to intervene.

He recovered his true essence while observing.

The New Emperor Sword was formidable now, but it had just devoured two Half-Transcendence ancient corpses in quick succession.

Its power had grown too fast.

Fast growth bred arrogance.

Arrogance bred opening.

Letting it take a few hits wasn't a bad thing.

Wang Hao had always believed that discipline came early.

Especially when it came to swords.