In the direction of the Illusory Moon Cavern, a resplendent radiance grew ever more dazzling, accompanied by a faint, low-pitched, and otherworldly howl.
Standing before the Ancestral Shrine, the withered elder gazed intently at the brilliant light, lost in thought, until Lin Jingyu, overcome with surprise, asked him, “Venerable Elder, is that the ultimate treasure of our Azure Ethereal Conclave, the divine Sword Immortalbane Nexus?”
The elder nodded silently, then suddenly turned away, as if no longer wishing to engage, and whispered, “Once Immortalbane emerges, especially on this Azure Ethereal Mountain, and with Daoxuan’s profound cultivation, no one under heaven can stand against it. Go now!” As he spoke, his figure had already half-vanished into the shadows of the shrine.
Lin Jingyu felt a sudden reluctance, calling out, “Elder!”
The elder paused, as if struck by a thought, and said abruptly, “If you have the heart for it, find an opportunity to speak with Daoxuan privately. Tell him that the servant in the Ancestral Shrine, having been cooped up for over a century, now wishes to see you more often. See what he says.”
Lin Jingyu, taken aback, asked in astonishment, “What?”
But the elder did not answer, disappearing entirely into the darkness.
Lin Jingyu stood stunned for a moment, then turned to look. In that brief span, the radiant pillar of light had grown even brighter, almost too intense to gaze upon. At the same time, he was worried about Zhang Xiaofan still outside, so he immediately ran out.
After a short sprint, he returned to the crossroads where he found two people: Zhang Xiaofan and Lu Xueqi from Bamboo Peak. But what shocked him most was the sight of bloodstains marring the ground and the trees, painting the area like a scene from the underworld.
The black-robed figure who had been confronting Zhang Xiaofan earlier was now dead, his body desiccated and pale, as if all the blood had been drained from it.
A sense of foreboding rose in Lin Jingyu’s heart, and he rushed to Zhang Xiaofan, shouting, “Xiaofan, are you alright?”
From the moment Lin Jingyu appeared, Zhang Xiaofan had not looked back, instead facing Lu Xueqi. Lu Xueqi, her face a complex mix of shock, anger, and sorrow, held the Sky-Scouring Sword in a defensive stance.
Lin Jingyu, who considered Zhang Xiaofan as a brother, was furious. “Junior Sister Lu, what are you doing?”
He stepped in front of Zhang Xiaofan, facing Lu Xueqi.
Lu Xueqi, her expression already troubled, stammered, “You…”
At that moment, a bloodied hand suddenly placed itself on Lin Jingyu’s shoulder, staining his white robe. The pungent scent of blood wafted into Lin Jingyu’s nostrils.
Lin Jingyu, startled, spun around, asking, “Xiaofan, are you alright?”
Before him, Zhang Xiaofan’s eyes flickered with a faint, dark red glow, revealing a hint of pain. His expression blank, his lips moved, and finally, the red glow faded as he murmured, “I’m fine.”
Lin Jingyu let out a sigh of relief, then said, “Alright, the Master might be coming out soon. Let’s get ready to join him in battle!”
Zhang Xiaofan nodded, silent, but gripped the Demon Subduing Rod tighter.
Lu Xueqi, watching him, slowly sheathed her Sky-Scouring Sword, saying nothing. Lin Jingyu, puzzled, wanted to ask what had happened, but just then, the low, otherworldly howl from the Illusory Moon Cavern intensified, rising to a crescendo, and the radiant light grew even more blinding.
Amid the radiance, a figure rose, bathed in luminous light. Realmsmaster Daoxuan, his right arm enveloped in a searing, incandescent white glow, was completely indistinguishable from what he held.
His body, which had been gravely injured, now showed no signs of hindrance, as if the emergence of the divine Sword Immortalbane had replenished him entirely.
Daoxuan, clad in a deep green robe, floated within the radiant column, his face pale under the brilliant light. He seemed oblivious to Lin Jingyu, Zhang Xiaofan, and the others, flying directly towards the Jade Clear Hall.
Lin Jingyu and the others were awestruck, wondering how powerful the Sword Immortalbane would be if used.
They stood in a daze for a moment, then realized they should follow.
Not long after they left, a slender figure emerged from the depths of the forest, watching the retreating form of Zhang Xiaofan, her expression inscrutable. It was Biyao.
※※※
Since Daoxuan’s departure, the battle between the forces of good and evil, centered around the Jade Clear Hall on the mountain, had become exceedingly fierce.
More than a hundred years ago, on the slopes of the Azure Ethereal Mountain, the three major orthodox sects, Azure Ethereal Conclave, Heavenly Sound Temple, and Fragrant Valley, united to defeat the Cult of Evil. But now, with Fragrant Valley absent and the Heavenly Sound Temple’s masters, including the revered Master Puhong, injured by impostors, the burden fell almost solely on the Azure Ethereal Conclave.
However, the 2000-year-old conclave proved its depth. Chief Elders Tian Buci, Shang Zhengliang, and Zeng Shuchang, along with several venerable elders from the other seven peaks, fought alongside Master Pukong and Fazhxiang of the Heavenly Sound Temple. Despite the overwhelming onslaught from the Cult of Evil, they managed to hold their ground.
The intense battle raged, shaking the magically reinforced Jade Clear Hall. The grand roof collapsed in a cloud of dust, and the combatants, now fighting in the sky, filled the air with flashing lights and sharp clashes.
The Cult of Evil unleashed a myriad of bizarre magical weapons, while the conclave’s elders wielded divine swords, employing the Tai Chi Xuan Qing Dao. The divine sword’s radiant light, wielded by the masters, cut through the sky, and only the sheer number of the Cult of Evil’s fighters prevented them from being overwhelmed.
However, the ordinary disciples of the conclave were in grave danger. The Cult of Evil, meticulously planned, took advantage of the chaos, using ambushes to devastating effect, causing heavy casualties among the Azure Ethereal disciples.
But one thing the Cult of Evil hadn’t anticipated was the Azure Ethereal Conclave’s guardian spirit, the Water Qilin.
Since the passing of the Founder Greenleaf, the Water Qilin had remained in the Blue Water Pond, never truly unleashing its power. Even during the great battle a century ago, it had not participated. The current generation of conclave members, including Master Cangsong, had no idea of its true might.
Awakened by the conflict, the Water Qilin, as the guardian beast, unleashed its fury. Dozens of water columns, powered by the Qilin’s spiritual energy, attacked the Cult of Evil, causing immediate carnage.
Initially, the Cult of Evil did not take the Qilin seriously, but they were quickly overwhelmed. Several high-ranking members, including the Three Beauties and Poison God, intervened, stabilizing the situation.
The Three Beauties, with her mysterious, invisible silk, and the Poison God, with his poisonous powder and glowing dagger, worked together to weaken the Qilin. The Qilin, however, fought fiercely, combining its water columns into a massive, unstoppable force, soaring into the sky.
The skies above echoed with the roars of the Qilin, and all those present stopped their battles, staring in awe. Tian Buci and the others, touched by the spectacle, were deeply moved.
The legendary divine Sword Immortalbane, once wielded by Founder Greenleaf, reappeared in the hands of Realmsmaster Daoxuan during the conclave’s darkest hour.
Hovering in the air, the Qilin carried Daoxuan, its head bowed in reverence. A deep, breathy sigh, and Daoxuan raised the divine sword, chanting strange incantations.
Suddenly, the sky above the Azure Ethereal Mountains trembled, and a deep, eerie howl echoed. From the direction of the Illusory Moon Cavern, a purple aura surged, illuminating the Qilin and Daoxuan. Moments later, six brilliant beams of light—yellow, green, red, azure, orange, and blue—shot from the six other peaks, converging on the divine sword.
The sky darkened, and a thunderous boom resonated. Seven beams of light, radiating from the divine sword, formed a multicolored, ethereal blade, expanding and splitting into countless smaller blades, filling the sky with a dazzling, beautiful, yet chilling display.
Master Cangsong, trembling, murmured, “The Immortalbane Nexus, the Immortalbane Nexus…”
The Poison God and the Three Beauties also returned, and Cangsong, pale, said, “This array, created by our founder, enhanced by Founder Greenleaf, is unimaginably powerful. We must retreat!”
Ghost King, however, was hesitant. Yangzi, enraged, refused, but Ghost King, sensing the dire situation, decided, “We must go, now!”
The Poison God and the Three Beauties, though reluctant, followed. The array, however, began to change, with the main blade growing larger and spawning more, covering the entire peak in a rainbow of colors.
In the sky, Daoxuan, slightly swaying, chanted, and the divine sword, with a sharp hiss, released a rain of ethereal blades, cutting through the Cult of Evil’s defenses.
The battle became a hellish scene, with bodies torn apart, blood splattering, and the air thick with the stench of death. The conclave and the Heavenly Sound Temple, witnessing the carnage, were shocked, and Fazhxiang, head bowed, muttered a prayer.
The four leaders of the Cult of Evil, seeing the dire situation, combined their efforts, but the array’s power was too great. They barely escaped, wounded and exhausted.
The rain of blades gradually subsided, and the bloodstained sky slowly cleared. The ethereal blades disappeared, and Daoxuan, with the Qilin, descended. Tian Buci and the others rushed to him, but before they could speak, Daoxuan, collapsing, fell unconscious in Tian Buci’s arms.
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