The Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array was completed in an instant.
Countless spirit refiners in Dongtian Wangcheng and Yunlun Shanmai suddenly achieved enlightenment in a single moment.
After breaking through to clarity, these individuals gazed at the intricate array patterns in the sky, too mesmerized to stabilize their realms, their eyes fixed in awe.
A massive Heavenly Mechanism Array spanning 100,000 li!
Though it was set up only above Yunlun Shanmai, it encompassed even Dongtian Wangcheng—what an astonishing and unprecedented feat?
“If this Heavenly Mechanism Array were to attack us...”
No one dared to continue that thought.
A saint-level Heavenly Mechanism Array could instantly obliterate even a Tai Xu expert, let alone ordinary spirit refiners.
The power of a saint's strike was boundless!
Yet, clearly, the array laid out by Dao Qiong Cang across two domains was not aimed at mortals, but at the Demon Emperor Black Dragon on the inner island of Xukong Dao.
“Thump-thump!”
The heartbeat from within the Sheng Di Long Lin suddenly accelerated, as if gripped by fear.
“Buzz-buzz!”
The Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu, which had just triumphantly destroyed the arrow of the Evil Sin Bow, now seemed deflated, trapped by the array and trembling uneasily.
Rao Yao Yao stared at the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array, like all the spirit refiners gazing at the sky, her heart filled with anticipation.
Dao Qiong Cang, once ranked third among the Ten Venerables, now the master of the main hall of Sheng Shen Dian Tang, with his semi-saint cultivation—how many years had it been since he last acted?
People often say that the gods favor the Dao, allowing spirit refining to flourish in this world.
And Dao Qiong Cang was virtually the god in the minds of all spirit refiners on Sheng Shen Continent, supreme in authority, status, and power, the undisputed foremost figure of the era.
Faced with the provocation from the Demon Emperor Black Dragon of Xukong Dao's inner island, would he respond with thunderous force to suppress all opposition?
In the midst of everyone's eager anticipation, the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array stirred into action!
The array patterns covering 100,000 li erupted with endless brilliance in that instant, like a scorching sun, too intense for the naked eye to behold.
“Sacred power!”
“What blinding sacred power—it’s taken on a completely tangible form. What a terrifying force?!”
Some Tai Xu experts were so frightened their scalps tingled.
Among them, those who had witnessed saintly manifestations compared them and found the sacred power of those manifestations to be like a wisp of smoke against the vast sea of the array's sacred power.
Everyone feared that, like the Sheng Di Long Lin, Dao Qiong Cang's strike might require sacrificing the flesh and blood of those on the Dao path or Tai Xu level.
But Dao Qiong Cang's actions were precisely measured.
He directed his sharp edge toward the Sheng Di Long Lin and the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu.
Yet, he reserved all his gentleness for the unrelated spirit refiners present, as if afraid that even a trace of his power's spillover might reduce Dongtian Wangcheng and Yunlun Shanmai to dust.
All the spirit refiners enveloped by the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array felt only a slight discomfort at the moment the array patterns flared.
In the next second, that discomfort was replaced by pure pleasure.
“Mmm, that feels so good.” Someone began to moan in delight.
“I feel like I’m back in infancy, in my mother’s embrace. This sense of attachment... it’s so comforting! But my dear mother has already passed away. Why am I suddenly thinking of this?” Someone else teared up.
“I feel like I’ve entered a world perfectly suited to me. This lazy, contented sensation—only... well, only after complete release does it come.” Someone’s face flushed with a spring-like glow.
“Is this really leading to a war?”
“The way Dao Hall Master is acting... his control over power is simply masterful, not affecting us at all.”
“What warm sacred power, what a considerate Dao Hall Master.”
All the spirit refiners felt as if they were basking in a spring breeze, their souls enlightened and floating, on the verge of rising into the air with the surging sacred aura.
But then, the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array trembled abruptly, changing the winds and clouds, jolting everyone awake.
In the void, drifting clouds outlined the vague form of a saintly figure, towering like a pillar of heaven, indistinct and ethereal.
Though the figure’s face was impossible to discern clearly, everyone who looked upon it sensed his majestic and refined demeanor, with the immortal grace of white hair, perfectly matching their ideal image.
The saintly figure stepped through the air, unmoving yet expanding infinitely in everyone’s minds.
He approached the minuscule Sheng Di Long Lin and Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu, and suddenly, a profound enlightenment echoed from all directions.
“The Great Dao has three thousand paths, named as seals, transformed into chains, to imprison your form...”
The echoes resonated endlessly.
Everyone’s spirits were cleansed, feeling a sense of elevation.
Then, after uttering the sacred words, the cloud-formed saint smiled faintly, raised his sleeve, and pointed with an immortal finger.
“Decree!”
His word became law, and the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array responded as if summoned by a deity.
From the unseen depths of the sky, three thousand white chains emerged, carrying immense sealing power, lunging toward the Sheng Di Long Lin and the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu.
“Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump...”
The heartbeat of the Sheng Di Long Lin pounded frantically, as if in utter desperation.
Each beat disrupted the heart rhythms of thousands of spirit refiners, making them feel intensely uncomfortable.
“Clang—”
The Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu refused to be bound, responding with a resounding sword cry the moment the array moved, soaring into the air.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh...
It danced wildly, instantly slashing out three thousand black sword shadows in the void, clashing head-on with the three thousand sealing chains of the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array.
Boom-boom-boom!
Space shattered, black holes collapsed.
The terrifying explosions burst eardrums, causing them to bleed.
This was a clash at the sacred power level, something mortals should not witness, let alone eavesdrop on with their ears.
The cloud-formed saint, seeing this, showed a look of compassion, paused in the void, and pointed like an immortal guiding the way.
“Return to peace...”
The gentle sacred sound reached everyone’s ears once more.
With that, the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array released endless radiant light, purifying all the battle sounds and restoring the tormented spirit refiners to perfect condition.
Everyone looked up in shock.
The battle in the sky raged on, with chains and sword shadows still colliding.
Though space was fracturing and the momentum vast, it no longer felt unbearable—as if they were watching through a protective screen, the experience now quite enjoyable.
Even the booming noises had turned into crisp “pop-pop” sounds.
All disturbances were purified.
“Sacred power!”
“What masterful use of ability—Dao Hall Master is considering us mortals, not wanting us to suffer from the sacred war!”
“What a warm voice, what a considerate Dao Hall Master.”
Unconsciously, all the spirit refiners were influenced by every move of the cloud-formed saint, fostering deep reverence and faith.
“Terrifying...” Rao Yao Yao watched with a chill running down her spine.
She knew well that Dao Qiong Cang wasn’t deliberately using sacred power to affect everyone’s minds.
Yet, at the semi-saint level, every action could profoundly impact the souls of ordinary spirit refiners and even the Heavenly Dao itself.
Once word of this battle spread, in the Dong Domain, the title of “Dao Hall Master” would likely stand equal to “Eighth Sword Immortal.”
At the horizon,
The Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu, facing the might of a semi-saint alone, couldn’t hold out for long.
As a famous sword, not the actual Sheng Di itself, destroying the Evil Sin Bow’s arrow was already a tremendous display.
But with Dao Qiong Cang unleashing his full power, and the famous sword’s effectiveness depending mainly on its wielder, the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu lacked a holder, unable to unleash even a tenth of its potential. How could it withstand a saint-level array like the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array?
Crack-crack-crack!
After shattering one wave of chains, faced with the endless second and third waves, the demon sword finally faltered, bound by the Heavenly Dao chains manifested by the array, tied up like a sword dumpling.
“Woo...”
A choked sword cry pierced the hearts of all sword cultivators at that moment.
“It’s calling to me!”
Sword wielders in Dongtian Wangcheng and Yunlun Shanmai had their eyes glow red with excitement.
The cry’s message was clear only to sword wielders.
“Help me...”
“Become the demon sword’s wielder, and together we can slay the semi-saint. Hurry and help me...”
Dongtian Wangcheng descended into chaos!
Yunlun Shanmai fell into chaos!
After that mournful sword cry, countless sword wielders soared into the sky, intent on drawing the demon sword from its bonds and becoming its legendary wielder!
On the fourth dragon vein, Mu Zixi, who was Xu Xiao Shou in disguise, also received the summons.
As a true ancient sword cultivator and rightful famous sword wielder, the call he heard was even clearer than for ordinary sword wielders.
“You are the master of the sword path, you are the reincarnation of the sword god, you are the future of ancient sword cultivation!”
“Come on, boy, draw me, control me, possess me. Become the demon sword’s wielder, and you’ll have the qualification to look down on the world, the power to slay a semi-saint!”
“I can give you everything, everything you desire!”
The voice was so clear and seductive.
Yet, before Xu Xiao Shou’s eyes could even turn red,
“Clang—”
In his Yuanfu world, a sword cry rang out, even clearer and more piercing than the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu’s.
The proud You Si Jian, like a disdainful fierce spirit unwilling to glance at the mundane world, snorted coldly and commanded: “Begone!”
The usually silent Yanmang, now provoked, raged like a fire god, scorching everything: “A demon sword that never acknowledges a wielder’s qualification and has never undergone heavenly refinement—what right does it have to stand among the famous swords? It doesn’t belong in the twenty-one famous sword seats; it should be reduced to an ordinary sword!”
“???” Xu Xiao Shou was stunned by what he heard.
His own two swords had such vibrant spirits that they could speak? They’d always been silent before?
This time, the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu must have truly enraged them, prompting them to voice their disdain.
Xu Xiao Shou took a long time to recover from the shock of his swords speaking.
He realized this was just his swords communicating through his soul with the demon sword, but it was still incredibly surprising!
Yet, the next second brought even greater shock.
Zang Ku, like a little brother trailing behind his two big brothers, couldn’t stay quiet once they spoke. But the demon sword was also a formidable presence, so he chose his words carefully and hesitantly scolded: “G-g-get lost...”
It didn’t dare say “begone” as boldly as You Si Jian, nor launch into a long tirade like Yanmang. That was all it could manage.
After speaking, it twisted into a worm-like shape in the Yuanfu world: “Hiss-hiss-hiss, so scared...”
Xu Xiao Shou: ???
His eyes nearly popped out.
Zang Ku could speak too?
When had that happened?
Xu Xiao Shou examined it closely and saw that Zang Ku was still just a sixth-grade spirit sword, with no sudden leaps in rank.
But its intelligence had matured significantly.
This level of awareness was typical of third-grade spirit swords, and even freshly forged third-grade ones rarely achieved such maturity.
“That doesn’t make sense. I’ve been busy causing trouble in the wangcheng or training in Yunlun Shanmai lately, with hardly any time to contemplate swords. How did Zang Ku grow so quickly?” Xu Xiao Shou wondered.
Soon, he thought of “fame nourishment.”
In this world, spirit swords had two paths to advancement.
One was reforging, a dead-end method that made developing intelligence difficult.
The other was the path of famous swords, relying on the wielder’s fame to cultivate with the power of the Heavenly Dao.
Zang Ku had an extra boost from the “sword contemplation technique,” but even that shouldn’t have sped things up this much.
The only explanation Xu Xiao Shou could come up with was the authentic “fame nourishment.”
On this continent, the most renowned sword to follow this path and achieve fame was Ba Zun An’s first sword, Qing Ju.
Qing Ju started as an unnamed sword, not even ranking among the ten grades.
But as Ba Zun An rose to fame, Qing Ju grew alongside him to heights rivaling famous swords.
Among swords on the “fame nourishment” path, aside from the ancient twenty-one famous swords, Qing Ju was the strongest in the current era!
Though Qing Ju was broken in the battle when Ba Zun An “fell,” it didn’t fade. Instead, it earned the title of “broken sword.”
“Heaven soars a foot with Ba Zun An; who dares face half of Qing Ju?”
The broken Qing Ju, though not in the twenty-one famous sword seats, held a reputation equal to ancient famous swords like the Evil Sword Yue Lian, Flame Sword Yanmang, or Demon Sword Nu Lan.
This highlighted Qing Ju’s extraordinary strength!
And now, it seemed Zang Ku was on the same path?
Xu Xiao Shou looked at Zang Ku in his Yuanfu, who was twisting and turning after chiming in, only to be beaten by his two big brothers, and his expression grew odd.
So, all this time, Zang Ku had been nourishing itself with its budding fame while training with his two big brothers?
Could it really be...?
It was just a passing thought before, but Zang Ku might truly have the potential to become a famous sword.
If it did, what would its title be?
In the skies above Yunlun Shanmai,
With the two swords standing guard, the Mo Jian Wan Bing Mo Zhu’s tempting words failed to sway Xu Xiao Shou’s mind or reveal that he was a sword cultivator.
But for sword cultivators elsewhere, the effect was entirely different.
After the demon sword’s mournful cry, hordes of sword wielders flew from Dongtian Wangcheng and abandoned their trials in Yunlun Shanmai, surging into the air en masse.
Nearly nine out of ten sword cultivators in the Dong Domain.
This dense swarm ascended like a plague of locusts, their quest for the sword innocent in intent but inevitably disastrous in outcome.
It couldn’t be stopped by force, nor could they be killed outright, and even Rao Yao Yao watched with a headache.
The cloud-formed saint, however, paid it no mind, merely uttering a light command.
“Deceitful words to mislead the crowd—punishable!”
With a boom, the Ten Epochs Holy Spirit Array released ten streams of light, shooting straight into the demon sword’s body, which was already bound by the Heavenly Dao chains.
The pitiful demon sword, without a wielder, was struck by the semi-saint’s mighty power, instantly dimming and losing its luster.
[18 minutes ago] Chapter 979: Dragon Tamer
[30 minutes ago] Chapter 977: Crack
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