After Betraying the Whole World, You’re Telling Me They Were All Real? - Chapter 19:

Chapter 19: An Entire Sword Merged into Ling Qi’s Body

The once spiraling petal tornado instantly turned into a towering frozen sculpture. Hua Duanyu’s so-called Hundred Flowers Kill was completely neutralized—frozen solid.

“Who’s there?” Hua Duanyu and all his subordinates narrowed their eyes.

Then—BOOM! 

With a loud crash, the icy sculpture and all the frozen petals within shattered into a million particles of light, vanishing into nothing.

Every demon’s gaze was fixed straight ahead.

As the icy blossoms dissipated, Xiao Qian still stood where she was.

Her battle armor had a few damages, and a faint bloody scratch marked her cheek, but she was fine—alive and well.

At that moment, she stood there, head tilted upward, staring into the sky.

Two figures floated in mid-air.

A man and a woman—Ling Qi and Chu Xinyue.

At that moment, Xiao Qian couldn’t think of anything at all. It felt like the whole world had gone silent, and in her eyes… there was only Ling Qi.

It was him.

This time—it really was him.

His face, voice, expression—nothing was wrong.

He was truly alive.

Still here, still in the Forbidden Demon Region, and very much alive.

Xiao Qian felt overwhelmed with joy and surprise, but her throat was choked, and she couldn’t utter a single word.

She had imagined a hundred things she would say to him if they ever met again.

But now that he was standing in front of her… she didn’t know how to start.

The next moment, Ling Qi descended slowly with Chu Xinyue and landed in front of her.

“Sorry… for making you wait all these years,” Ling Qi said gently, smiling as he reached out and wiped the blood from her cheek.

Feeling his touch, Xiao Qian was finally certain—this wasn’t a hallucination. It was really him.

Suddenly, her eyes turned red, her breathing choked.

Staring at the smiling Ling Qi before her, she raised her hand—then fiercely slapped herself across the face.

But before her hand landed, Ling Qi caught her wrist and sighed, “What are you doing?”

Even if she was upset, there was no need to hit herself.

Xiao Qian choked back a sob and, the next moment, threw herself into his arms, crying as tears poured down her cheeks.

“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry…”

She held him tightly, her voice hoarse.

If she hadn’t been so stubborn, hadn’t refused to admit her feelings, maybe Ling Qi wouldn’t have gone to the Forbidden Demon Region. Maybe… they would’ve reunited much earlier.

In her heart, everything was her fault.

But Ling Qi knew—none of this was her fault.

He had always planned to come here. Back then, he just used her as an excuse and left her behind.

Truthfully, he had been a complete scumbag.

Ling Qi gently pulled her into his arms. “It’s not your fault.”

Feeling his embrace, Xiao Qian wept even harder.

Chu Xinyue watched silently and shook her head. Just like that, his ridiculous emotional debt was wiped clean with a single reunion?

What a bargain.

At the same time, Hua Duanyu stood frozen, staring at Ling Qi. Every demon was staring too.

Their eyes were filled with shock and fear.

It was him—he wasn’t dead?

That sword strike from years ago hadn’t taken his life?

This man—the Supreme Limit Realm cultivator—was still alive!

This was bad. Very bad.

“Let’s deal with the present first,” Ling Qi said, smiling as he gently let go of Xiao Qian.

“Mm!” Xiao Qian nodded heavily, raised her spear again, and stood beside Ling Qi and Chu Xinyue to face Hua Duanyu.

Hua Duanyu instinctively took a step back.

If he had to face Ling Qi alone, he knew he didn’t stand a chance.

To handle Ling Qi, it would take the combined effort of the entire demon race.

“The demon race’s peace talks were a complete lie,” Xiao Qian said quietly. “They lured me here just to see if you were still alive.”

“I know,” Ling Qi smiled, then walked forward and patted Chu Xinyue’s shoulder. “That guy’s one of the Seven Demon Kings. Want to try a one-on-one?”

“What about you?” Chu Xinyue raised an eyebrow.

With you here, do I really need to step in?

“You’re one of humanity’s strongest. I believe in you,” Ling Qi said with a smirk.

Chu Xinyue was a peak Heaven-Revering Realm cultivator—on par with Hua Duanyu. She might not be able to kill him outright, but she could at least hold her ground.

So Ling Qi was at ease handing him over.

He had more important things to do—like checking on the progress of the demon race’s reforged sword.

Chu Xinyue looked toward Hua Duanyu and nodded.

Fine. Let’s find out—between the strongest of humans and demons—who is stronger.

“I’ll leave this to you two,” Ling Qi said, turning to Xiao Qian. “I’ll be back soon. Stay sharp.”

“Mm!” Xiao Qian nodded again.

There would be time to talk later—right now, they needed to survive.

Now that Ling Qi was alive, that meant everything was still within reach.

He was Supreme Limit Realm—what did he have to fear?

Ling Qi didn’t stay any longer. With a turn, he vanished toward the heart of the demon domain.

Watching him leave, Hua Duanyu frowned.

What was that supposed to mean?

He just… left?

He left two women here and just walked off?

“I don’t know you personally, but I believe your demon race has investigated the human power rankings,” Chu Xinyue said calmly. “You should recognize me.”

“Heh. The number one heroine of the martial world—Fairy Chu. Of course I know you,” Hua Duanyu sneered.

They had indeed compiled lists of the strongest human cultivators. Chu Xinyue ranked among the top tier—undeniably one of humanity’s strongest.

“Then no need for introductions.” Chu Xinyue raised her hand and began forming seals. “Let’s fight.”

Buzz!

A snow-white sword of light suddenly formed above her head, radiating chilling energy. Nine white dragons coiled around the blade, emanating immense power.

“Just the way I like it,” Hua Duanyu chuckled, spreading his arms as a downpour of flower petals erupted behind him.

Swish! Swish!

The next moment, the two burst toward each other.

The sword energy, carried by the frost of nine white dragons, clashed violently with the cascading storm of petals.

A peak Heaven-Revering Realm battle broke out instantly.

Meanwhile, the surrounding demon soldiers charged at Xiao Qian.

But she, armed with her spear, wasn’t afraid.

With Chu Xinyue holding Hua Duanyu off, dealing with these minions would be a piece of cake…

…

At the same time, Ling Qi soared through the shadowy skies of the Forbidden Demon Region.

He soon reached the demon race’s core stronghold.

Here, the demon Qi was even thicker—almost suffocating.

The earth below was like a hellscape, the jagged peaks shaped like grasping claws. The scene was terrifying.

In the sky and across the land, countless demons of all sizes filled the region. Their numbers were staggering.

Even now, the scars from the battle seven years ago remained.

Ling Qi stood above the place where he had once been gravely injured. A faint smile touched his lips. “Back again, huh?”

Without delay, he shot toward the very center.

Immediately, demons noticed him.

“Intruder!”

With a roar, countless eyes turned toward him.

Like a blazing meteor, Ling Qi streaked across the dark-red sky of the demon realm.

“It’s him! He’s back—he’s really back!”

Seeing him triggered chaos.

This was the man who had once slaughtered tens of thousands of their kind.

And now he had returned?

Even after taking that sword strike, he hadn’t died?

And now he dared to show his face here again?

From the depths of the demon nest, the remaining five Demon Kings rushed out.

Upon seeing him, their expressions darkened.

They had been trying to confirm whether Ling Qi was alive.

And now, here he was—charging in on his own again, just like before.

Alive and well.

“Stop him!” the five kings shouted.

At once, countless demons from the skies and underground swarmed toward Ling Qi.

His lone figure looked like a grain of sand in a tidal wave of demons, soon to be swallowed whole.

But Ling Qi showed no fear. He unsheathed the emperor’s golden sword.

Then—BOOM!

His aura as a Supreme Limit Realm cultivator exploded outward. With one mighty swing, he slashed forward.

SHHHH!

A blinding sword light tore through the dark sky and blood-colored land, ripping open a massive path straight ahead.

Countless demons were instantly obliterated.

But that path quickly closed again—there were simply too many demons.

This was the demon race’s capital—their largest gathering in all the world.

Still, Ling Qi kept swinging.

Each strike claimed countless lives, carving a trail as he advanced toward the center.

“What’s he trying to do? Is he here just to fight again, like last time?” one of the demon kings growled.

Seven years ago, he had barged in without a word—just to fight—and dragged every demon into the chaos.

Was this just another round?

“No… that sword in his hand—it’s the emperor’s sword from the Great Yan Empire!”

One demon king finally realized the truth.

Ling Qi had clearly returned to the human world long ago—and had been living freely all this time.

No one had known.

“Whatever his motive, it doesn’t matter. Everyone—attack!”

One king barked orders. “We repelled him once before, and we’ll do it again!”

“For the demon race—kill him!”

The five kings and all peak Heaven-Revering Realm demons charged at once.

It was as if they were the victims, and Ling Qi was the villain crashing into their home…

BOOM!

A massive demon revealed its true form—its body stretching over a kilometer. Its fists and palms thundered toward Ling Qi.

But Ling Qi didn’t flinch.

He swung the golden sword—and sliced the giant’s hand clean off.

SLASH!

More demons fell, turning to ash.

Even so, some of the kings noticed something.

“Wait… this Supreme Limit Realm feels… weaker than before.”

Though still overwhelming, Ling Qi didn’t seem quite as terrifying as he had been seven years ago.

“That sword strike back then… it must’ve injured him more than we realized.”

One of the demon kings let out a cold snort and said, “Don’t let him escape. Today… we’ll kill him right here!”

Since Ling Qi’s strength seemed weakened, this was their best chance to kill him. Slaying a Supreme Limit Realm cultivator—even at the cost of half the demon race’s forces—would still be worth it.

Immediately, the several demon kings and all peak Heaven-Revering Realm demons charged forward, launching a full-force attack on Ling Qi.

Ling Qi sneered coldly. He couldn’t possibly kill every demon here, nor could he kill all the kings at once.

But the demon race wanting to kill him? That was even more impossible.

Sure, if this dragged on long enough, their endless numbers might eventually wear him down.

But would he really waste time with a battle of attrition?

He could leave whenever he wanted.

But he didn’t. Not yet. He still wanted to see what had become of the demon race’s sword.

He quickly locked onto a direction.

Then raised the emperor’s golden sword—his aura surging violently.

Whoosh!

A torrential wave of sword Qi erupted, cleaving open a massive rift in the center of the tightly packed demon army.

Just as the rift was about to close again—Whoosh!—Ling Qi’s second sword strike blasted forward.

Then the third. The fourth…

He slashed over ten times in succession, violently holding the gap open and preventing it from sealing.

At last, seizing the opportunity, Ling Qi dashed through and landed before a massive, bottomless abyss.

Turning around, he looked at the endless sea of demons in the sky and on the ground and chuckled, “If I remember correctly… that sword came flying out of here back then, didn’t it?”

As soon as he said this, the five demon kings’ pupils shrank. “No! His target is the demonic sword! Stop him!”

But it was already too late.

Ling Qi dove into the abyss below.

Behind him, the endless tide of demon soldiers surged downward like a sea of swarming bees returning to their hive.

Ling Qi moved swiftly, reaching the bottom in moments.

Below lay a vast blood pool.

The dark-red liquid churned and squirmed like something alive, giving off an eerie, gruesome vibe.

And at the center of that blood pool, stabbed upright, was the very same sword that had gravely injured Ling Qi years ago—the broken sword.

A dark-red hilt. A dark-red blade. Ancient, ominous runes danced across the shattered steel.

“Still not reforged yet, huh?” Ling Qi smirked, leapt forward, and stood before the broken blade.

If he took this sword away now, wouldn’t the demon race lose their trump card?

Then how would they ever start the thousand-year calamity?

He immediately reached out and grabbed the hilt.

But the moment his fingers touched the blade—

Thump!

Ling Qi’s heart gave a violent jolt, as if something inside him suddenly resonated with the sword.

It felt like every cell in his body was trembling in response to the contact.

“What the hell?”

Ling Qi narrowed his eyes, his brows tightly furrowed.

Buzz! BOOM!

Suddenly, the broken sword trembled violently and shot upward, piercing straight into Ling Qi’s chest.

He had no time to react.

The blade pierced directly into the old wound on his chest—sinking in slowly.

At that moment, a terrifying aura exploded from his body, shaking the entire abyss and halting the descending demon army.

“What… is happening?” gasped the surrounding demons.

They all stared in shock.

Ling Qi now stood with both arms outstretched as the broken sword slowly merged into his chest.

It was fusing.

The fragment of the sword that had remained in his body all these years had now connected with its other half.

The moment he touched it, it had triggered a resonance—one that made his entire body immobile.

As the blade entered him, sudden flashes of images—visions from the future—began to rush through his mind.

In those fragmented scenes, Ling Qi seemed to glimpse what would happen three years from now…

He saw the thousand-year calamity.

He saw the world in chaos, filled with screams, rivers of blood, and mountains of corpses.

He saw a man wielding the demonic sword, standing tall over all creation, slaughtering everything in his path—unstoppable.

That man… was himself.

Ling Qi’s pupils contracted violently.

What did this mean?

Why was he seeing these visions?

Was he the one destined to bring about the thousand-year calamity?

Was he the one who would plunge the human race into destruction?

No… no! That couldn’t be!

Buzz!

The broken sword was now fully merged into his body.

BOOM!

Another burst of terrifying energy surged from within him. Ling Qi couldn’t hold it in—he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

PFFT!!!

His blood spilled down into the pool below.

The moment it touched the surface, the blood pool churned wildly—as if absorbing it.

He nearly lost his balance.

Quickly, he grabbed a medicine bottle and poured all of Ye Youluo’s pills into his mouth.

Only then did his body stabilize slightly.

He raised a hand and pressed against his chest, his expression dark.

Originally, only half the sword had been in his body.

Now… the whole thing was.

Ling Qi had a bad feeling about this.

He looked up at the countless demon soldiers in the sky.

This wasn’t good. He had to get out of here first.

Above, the five demon kings stared in disbelief. “He actually… fully fused with the demonic sword?”

They had no idea this wasn’t his intention.

It was the sword that chose to merge with him.

“Kill him! Tear him apart! Throw him into the blood pool—we can use him to reforge the sword!”

One demon king roared, leading the army down toward the abyss.

Ling Qi gripped the emperor’s golden sword tightly. Fueled by the medicine, his aura burst out once more as he charged upward to fight.

…

From above, the abyss was now flooded with demons—like a black sea.

Suddenly—BOOM!

A deafening blast echoed, and a colossal light sword—thousands of meters long—pierced out from below, vaporizing countless demons.

As the light faded, Ling Qi’s figure reappeared in the sky.

Without saying a word, he turned and bolted toward the way he came.

He still didn’t understand why the sword had entered his body—or what those terrifying visions meant.

But he knew one thing: while the medicine still worked, he had to get out.

“Chase him! Don’t let him escape!” the demon kings roared.

The demon army surged after him, filling the sky like an endless tide.

…

Meanwhile, outside, Chu Xinyue and Hua Duanyu’s battle had reached its climax.

Relying on the Nine Dragons Sword Technique she had just learned and the Ice Essence Pearl Ling Qi gave her, Chu Xinyue had gained a slight advantage.

Though she looked a bit worse for wear, Hua Duanyu was in far worse shape.

One of the flowers in his hair had fallen off. His powdered makeup was smeared with blood, and his body was covered in sword slashes.

Xiao Qian, meanwhile, was handling the remaining demon soldiers with ease.

They both held the upper hand now.

RUMBLE…

Suddenly, the earth trembled violently.

Something was approaching fast—something massive.

“What is it?” Chu Xinyue and Xiao Qian both stopped and looked back.

In the distance, the mist was roiling—an enormous dark mass was rapidly approaching.

“Go!”

Ling Qi burst out of the fog, grabbed both Chu Xinyue and Xiao Qian, and flew at full speed toward the edge of the Forbidden Demon Region.

“What happened?” they both asked in confusion.

Then they turned around—and their expressions changed dramatically.

They finally saw what was chasing them.

It was an endless swarm of demon soldiers—big and small—stretching as far as the eye could see.

Some flew through the skies. Others thundered across the ground.

A tidal wave of monstrous force—truly boundless.

“My god…” Xiao Qian gasped.

Was this… the true size of the demon race’s army?

How terrifying!

What the hell did Ling Qi do to provoke all of them?

Ling Qi didn’t answer.

He simply clutched them tighter—and flew as fast as he could.

“You… what the hell did you do?” Chu Xinyue frowned. “Also… your pulse seems really off!”