In the path of sword cultivation, Sword Intent was the ultimate goal of all swordsmen.

However, the ability to project sharpness into one’s sword and enhance its cutting power was only the beginning of sword cultivation. 

When Sword Intent can be freely given form without a medium, that is when Sword Intent reaches the next level, Sword Soul, the sword of the mind.

The ability to give form to Sword Intent purely with one’s mind to cut one’s foes; that is Sword Soul.

…

The four inner disciples trembled in fear, but they could neither move nor speak, eternally frozen in place by the lofty pressure of Albion’s killing intent and the threat of death that hung overhead.

After laying Fenriri on the ground, Albion closed the distance on the closest disciple, Jiang Zhihao, the inner disciple of the Nine Sun Sect.

“The Nine Sun Sect, huh?” 

Albion quickly identified the symbol on Jiang Zhihao’s bloodstained robe before his glare intensified.

Jiang Zhihao immediately felt the suffocating pressure of someone clenching his throat, causing his face to flush red with protruding veins.

“M-mercy, Your Excellency…”

Jiang Zhihao forced the words out of his mouth. 

However, it fell on deaf ears as Albion made a grasping gesture and dragged the other three disciples over with mental force to form a line of four kneeling disciples in front of him. 

“Nine Sun Sect, Frozen Moon Palace, and Duality Star Gate…” Albion identified all the disciples’ origins from the symbols on their robes.

“Your Excellency, the Dark Emperor… We did not know this place was yours…” said Yang Xiaomei, one of the two female inner disciples, with a pale expression due to blood loss.

Not wanting them to die too early, Albion flicked his blood essence into their mouths.

“What you know and don’t know isn’t important. What’s important is what you did. How dare you hurt my cute little wolf-girl?” Albion glared at them. 

Although he brought murderous aura under control with Goldfinger’s help, it didn’t relieve the fire in his heart.

The lives of his people were his to toy with. 

“Nothing to say, huh?” 

Albion watched the four disciples have nothing to say in their defense. Even if they had something to say, he wouldn’t listen either.

The four disciples also knew that. 

“Let us begin the punishment. I’ll make sure you all understand what it means by; life is worse than death.” 

The four disciples trembled at Albion’s words.

His eyes flickered with cruelty as he snapped his fingers and asked, “Who knows the 1000-minus-7 method?”

“1000-minus-7 method?” the four disciples showed confusion. 

They never heard of such a thing, but they all assumed that it was some terrible torture method intended to be used on them.

Snap!

All four disciples had one of their fingernails ripped off with a snap of Albion’s finger, causing them to cry in pain. 

“Ahhhh!”

Tears quickly flowed down from the two female disciples’ cheeks, but Albion remained indifferent to their cries. 

Man or woman, their genders did not matter; there was no mercy for his enemies.

“1000 minus 7, is what?” Albion indifferently asked.

“1000 minus 7…?”

“What…?”

Snap!

“Ahhhh!”

Albion removed another one of their fingernails with a snap of his fingers before asking indifferently again, “What is 1000 minus 7?”

The four disciples could not comprehend the purpose of the Dark Emperor’s question. 

Albion proceeded to remove their fingernails each time they failed to answer his question. 

After removing all their fingernails, Albion targeted their toenails. 

Once those nails were also gone, Albion moved onto their bones, removing one small piece at a time, starting from their hands to feet. 

After their limbs were gone, he forced them to watch their removed parts disintegrate into black ashes.

Albion made sure all their lives hung by a thread, so close to death yet so far away.

They couldn’t die unless he wanted them to die.

The four disciples gradually had their minds broken from Albion’s torture and answered his every question each time they were raised.

By the time Albion was done torturing the four disciples, he had learned everything there was to know about the ancient sects and why their disciples had appeared.

“Since you have outlived your use, you can all die now,” Albion stated expressionlessly.

Some color returned to the four disciples’ lifeless faces, feeling relieved that they no longer had to endure any more torture. 

As the four disciples’ remaining bodies disintegrated under Albion’s black flames, a group of men in black suits arrived at the hilltop mansion. 

“B-boss! Instructor Maverick sent us to guard your home.”

The Blackthorne Group’s members reported to Albion with astonished expressions, taken aback by the remnant traces of the four disciples.

“Those people were…?”

“Inner disciples of ancient sects; the Nine Sun Sect, Frozen Moon Palace, and Duality Star Gate,” Albion casually answered as he wiped his hands clean.

None of his previous cruelty was further present on his face.

Nevertheless, the Blackthorne Group’s members were even more astonished to hear his words.

“The ancient sects…?! Aren’t the inner disciples from those sects supposed to be really strong?!” One of the group’s members exclaimed.

“Were they?” Albion casually glanced at the piles of black ashes on the ground and shrugged, “I couldn’t tell.”

“R-right…” the men uttered. 

No matter how strong the ancient sects’ disciples were, they were nothing in front of their boss, a True Immortal.

Nevertheless, the men were strangely nervous in front of Albion before one of them pointed out, “By the way, boss… What is that thing…?”

The person pointed at the enormous red sword in the sky.

“Oh, that?” Albion glanced up and said, “That’s my murderous sword aura. Give me a moment.” 

Shortly after, Albion kicked the ground and shot straight into the sky. 

He appeared next to the enormous red sword, the manifestation of his murderous aura and sword intent, Murderous Sword Intent.

He raised his arm and slowly twisted his hand as the angle of the enormous red sword changed accordingly.

“Fly, my Sword Soul!”

Albion’s eyes flickered with crimson light before he hurled the Murderous Sword Intent in the direction of the western mountains.