Behind Wang Ling was the masked swordsman, and in front of him was his unconscious disciples. Wang Ling quietly checked upon their body, and as he finished confirming their flow of qi and their life essence was left intact, he heaved a sigh of relief.

He raised his attention to the masked swordsman, "You are skilled, the best from what I have seen, actually… not a talkative type, I see, well, we are the same… though my emotions are perturbed. I find myself rumbling on when something that set off, you see." Wang Ling's tone was somber and calm, it was against the expectation of the masked swordsman.

What he expected was Wang Ling going off in an uncontrollable rage that he would slay and call it a day. But this — this was beyond what he prepared himself to, he didn't even begin to think that this kind of thing could happen.

[It's clear he cares for his disciples; he checks every nuance of their situation. He's not just doing it to buy time.] this conclusion only made the masked swordsman even more confused.

After a few minutes, when the atmosphere already drowned in a new form of calm ambiance, Wang Ling finally finished lining up his disciples next to a tree.

Wang Ling passed "the imposter's" corpse, and after sensing the holy qi and seeing the uncanny resembled he and it had, he finally understood why this fight happened, "I presume Leo saw this corpse and taught you killed me. I am touched yet he foolishly dove into a fight he cannot win. I have to reprimand these five about such an act… do you not think so?"

"You won't have the chance to do that." The masked swordsman uttered.

"Is that so." Wang Ling laughed and holding his sword with his left hand he made a move and just simply minced the "imposter's" head. He picked up the sword the impostor held and raised his brows after learning that it was created using materials meant for the use of his Holy Qi, "This is a good weapon… I apologize for making you, wait, come on, follow me, I'll give you the fight you have raring to get."

"You're awfully calm for someone who's about to die. If you're thinking I am going to spare you because you act differently unlike the other [Imposters] then you are wrong. You will die all the same." The masked swordsman said as he mocked, yet Wang Ling did not stop his steps.

The masked swordsman saw this disregard and became irritated. It had been thousands of years since someone did this. Since he ascended to the position that he now possesses, none would ever dare to show him such an attitude. Yet here he was now, staring at the back of a man he was about to kill.

Wang Ling's steps continued, he did not stop and even shouted when he felt the presence of people coming to their location, "Don't go looking for me, Alidia, you and the people with you will die." Wang Ling uttered and someone answered with a yes from afar.

"Now, let's go." Wang Ling dashed forth, he did not make any maneuver he simply walked made a beeline to get as far away from the town and the children as much as possible. All throughout this he remained silent his smile underneath his mask remained constant and unchanging as though he was on a nice stroll.

Then, after quite some time he stopped in the middle of a clearing. Wang Ling finally looked at the masked swordsman, he gently took off his mask and showed her his soft and gentle smile. A smile that seemed ethereal, his eyes glowing with kindness as though he was without malice, again, it threw the masked swordsman off.

"Now that I have confirmed your face, I will now kill you. I don't know what made someone like you go and make disciples of your own, and I don't know how you tricked them into believing your lies of being a good person, but all of that will end now. Do you have any last words for them?" the masked swordsman asked as he unsheathed his blade.

Wang Ling laughed gently, he drew the ordinary sword with his left hand and then tilted his head slightly to the right, "That's quite nice of you, but I don't have anything to tell them… but can you humor me with something?"

"What is it?"

"Can you tell me the name of the one who angered me to a point of no return in this life?" a contrasting question with the gentle smile, cracks now showed.

The masked swordsman didn't care as he answered with honesty, "I don't know if you are mocking me by acting you do not know me, but I will humor you. My name had long been forgotten by the world, it lost its meaning after I lost my family, but I can give you the title I was given to me when I reached the age of 13,000, is that all right with you?"

Wang Ling did not ask surprised, "I do not mind."

"My qi may be sealed because of poison, but I am one of the Five Gods, the one standing at the Apex of the Sword, they call me Bleeding Moon — the Sword God." An honest answer to respond to a genuine question.

The Sword God was the title of the person standing at the peak. The Sword God had lived since the past Era and now, this masked swordsman claimed that he was said person when his cultivation as suppressed to the earliest stages of Qi Cloaking Realm.

The masked swordsman expected this Wang Ling laugh, yet, no such thing happened, he simply smiled, "I would laugh at your claim, but sensing your sword intent… I can only agree. Haha… that's enough, do you want to know my name?"

"What? Are you going to claim that it is also Wang Ling?"

"I don't know what to tell you, other than that… well, if this is done now… I would like to begin now is that fine with you?" with already a sword in his left hand, Wang Ling began drawing the other with his right.

"Okay, let us begin—"

SLASH!

Wang Ling flashed from his position, the sword on his left clashed, a powerful clash of sword intent occurred. Two Masters of the sword collided their Quintessence clashes and resulted in creating another clearing around them.

"So you really are the Sword God." Wang Ling said as his skin began to show cracks from the intense strength of the Quintessence of Pure Death. A smile appeared on his face, a maniacal twisted grin that made him seem crazy and without control, "That's good… then you won't break even if I go all out… oh how nice."

The Sword God's face twisted; he did not think that a man from such a low world would produce someone who can control the Quintessence of Swordsmanship! Even the Impostors couldn't produce such an aura of pressure, yet, at this moment, this Wang Ling could.

That smile, that pure and adulterated rage, that aura of death that whispered in his ears! For the first time in so long, the Sword God felt, pressured.

The Sword God managed to meet Wang Ling's first sword, but another was coming for him. Quickly, the Sword God changed his entire nature. He used his hand and redirected Wang Ling's sword, pushing it upwards to redirect the devastating sharpness coming for his neck!

His palms bled from touching Wang Ling's sword, it bled. The Sword God's qi has been affected by a poison, he was weakened and far from his peak, but, it didn't change the fact that his body had been tempered with qi.

The fact that Wang Ling managed to cut him meant that this person before him was not some phony Quintessence.

He became serious without a moment's notice. The masked swordsman gathered what strength he could, "Get away from me!"

The Sword God pushed Wang Ling back with a slash! Wang Ling rode the force of the Sword God's attack and then before he could touch the ground the Sword God already crossed their distance.

He slashed out and Wang Ling met him with his right sword, parrying his blade and letting it pass to his side. The sword cut the ground that reached hundreds of meters away and created a fissure on the earth.

Wang Ling did not get cut, but summoning all his qi and sword intent was destroying his body already, yet, he did not care, he simply looked the Sword God straight in the eyes.

Wang Ling's right leg touched the ground, and with the Sword God's sword still stuck on the ground, Wang Ling made his move.

His flesh was quickly rendered, his blood flowed out, and his bones creaked with painful crackling! The pain was unimaginable but as Wang Ling smiled, his left sword moved horizontally, "Twilight Sword: Rending the Horizon."

Wang Ling slashed out, the Sword God quickly picked his sword from the ground and blocked Wang Ling's sword, yet once more, another was coming. Wang Ling twisted his body and with his right hand he summoned his Angelic Qi and then his Quintessence, "Blood Seeking Sword…"

Wang Ling followed up his movement, the Sword God saw this and knew that he would not be able to block, he strengthened his body as Wang Ling finished his words, "…Culling River."

From the Deepest South to the Highest North, Wang Ling slashed out!

SLASH!

The Sword God accepted Wang Ling's attack, a gash appeared on his arms and as he jumped back to gain distance, he heard Wang Ling speak, "Don't die just yet, I'm still testing out the harmony of my skills." He uttered as he activated what remained of his Holy Bloodline's Blood Essence.

The Sword God looked in Wang Ling's direction, he could see him recovering.

The Sword God exhaled and then cracked his neck, his eyes became serious and he looked at Wang Ling once more, this time with even more intensity, "I admit, you're good, by far the strongest I have a face. You are limited by your cultivation and body's strength, and I am limited by the poison… meeting you with any less of what I can do will be dishonorable. You may be an impostor, but I will now let you see what it means to be the Sword God."

Thus, the lowest of Worlds, the Sword God of this Era, and the Uncrowned God of the past prepared to kill each other.

The hesitation in their blades disappeared like the passing wind.

BOOM!

And as the two disappeared from where they stood, the fight of the Apex began.