Beyond the ancient forbidden grounds, the birdsong and the serene mountains remained undisturbed, save for the faint sounds of distant conflict echoing from afar. A gentle mountain breeze blew in from afar, causing the lush greenery to sway as if it were a scene not of this world.
Below the four vigorous characters inscribed on the entrance of the Mystic Moon Grotto, the ancient stone walls, now worn and weathered, seemed to bear witness to the endless passage of time. At this moment, the mountainous wilderness itself appeared to be silent, watching as two men stood silently facing each other.
How many years had passed quietly, and when one looked back, how many old friends remained?
Lin Jingyu remained silent, but his expression constantly changed, except for his eyes, which never left Gui Li’s figure. Could that man standing before him, so still and composed, truly be the Zhang Xiaofan he once knew?
Finally, he spoke, his voice low and slightly hoarse, “Why did you kill him? He was just an old man in the twilight of his life.”
Gui Li’s face twitched, and he raised his eyes to meet Lin Jingyu’s. The childhood friend’s face, veins pulsing faintly, showed that he was struggling to control his emotions. Yet, that fierce expression was as familiar as ever.
As if it were from their childhood, when they were close. Now, he stood there, in the sunlight, questioning him…
In the deep forest, it seemed that a pair of dark, cold eyes were also watching the two men.
Gui Li gazed at him for a long while, then slowly said, “He was in my way.”
Lin Jingyu snorted, then looked up at the sky, taking a deep breath, as if speaking to his own heart. After a moment, when he turned back, his face was cold and stern.
He stared deeply at Gui Li, looking at the once familiar but now foreign face, and said coldly, “From the day the massacre at Grass Temple Village left us as the only survivors, I always considered you my brother. Do you know that?”
Gui Li’s lips twitched, and he slowly nodded.
Lin Jingyu fixed his gaze on him and said, “In my heart, I always believed that we were the closest of kin. Even when you betrayed Azure Ethereal Conclave ten years ago, I held onto hope that one day you would return to the righteous path.” For the first time, a pained expression crossed his face, tinged with resentment, and he laughed bitterly, “But I was wrong. I should have known that you are no longer the Zhang Xiaofan I once knew. You are now the ruthless and bloodthirsty Gui Li of the Demon Sect.”
He laughed again, his face more resolute, and a clanging sound echoed as the azure light of the Dragon Slaying Sword surged forth. The sword’s aura, like a dragon, raged and roared, ready to devour all, contrasting with Lin Jingyu’s young yet furious face, making it seem almost ferocious.
“The bond between us ends here, severed with one stroke!”
His words were as resolute as a hammer striking iron, and with them, a blaze of azure sword light tore through the silence, slicing across the hard ground with a loud crash that took a long time to subside. After the dust settled, a deep, unerasable mark scarred the stone floor, separating the two men.
Gui Li’s face suddenly changed, and even his body trembled slightly. He stared intently at the deep mark, pain etched in his features for the first time.
The mark was so deep, embedded in the stone, and could never be erased. He stared at it so intently that he almost missed Lin Jingyu’s words.
That deep mark, so familiar, where had he seen it before?
Perhaps, there was someone he cherished who had cut off all ties, with such decisiveness!
The deep mark, carved into the stone, severed the ties of the world, but whose heart was wounded?
As if unable to breathe, Gui Li gasped, his body trembling uncontrollably. But in the next moment, he regained control. The fleeting look of anguish on his face vanished, replaced by a quiet gritting of his teeth.
Then, he looked up, staring at Lin Jingyu for a long time, clenching his fists so tightly that they dug into his flesh.
But on his face, a smile appeared.
Lin Jingyu grew angrier, “What are you smiling about?”
Gui Li gazed at him for a long time, then said softly, “Return to the right path?” He suddenly laughed, his laughter filled with bitterness, “I am lost, I cannot find my way, but what is the right path? Is it your path?”
Lin Jingyu replied harshly, “Yes, the right path is the righteous path. You abandoned it, and thus you have strayed.”
“Ha!”
Lin Jingyu’s body shook, and he was stunned.
Gui Li’s face became grim, and he looked up at the sky, spitting out, “Who said the righteous path is the right path? Did you say it? Even if the righteous path is the right path, how can you be so sure that Azure Ethereal Conclave is on the righteous path?”
Lin Jingyu’s brows furrowed, his face showing a murderous intent, “Since our bond is severed, why waste words!”
Gui Li looked at him coldly, “Do you want to kill me?”
Lin Jingyu replied sternly, “The old man who died at your hands had been my mentor for ten years, treating me like a son, and his kindness was as vast as the mountains. He is like a father to me. You killed him and remain unrepentant. I must rid the world of you and avenge him.”
Gui Li sneered, “This world is full of wolves. I have no intention of dying, for my purpose is not yet fulfilled.”
Lin Jingyu laughed mockingly, and the light of the Dragon Slaying Sword flared, “Enough talk. Let us settle the enmity of these past ten years today!”
Gui Li snorted, and a faint blue light appeared in his right hand. The black, flickering staff rose quietly.
The birds sang softly, the mountains grew more serene, and the wind blew gently. Beneath the boundless azure sky, before the ancient cave, the two childhood friends faced each other, ready for a fight to the death.
At that moment, a low rumble came from behind them, emanating from the Mystic Moon Grotto. The ground began to tremble, and their expressions changed. Before they could react, a purple light flashed from the ancient cave, and in an instant, the purple aura enveloped the cave, with clouds surging and a thunderous sound, the purple light soared into the sky.
Now, the two men, appearing small before this wondrous spectacle, faced each other once more, their clothes fluttering in the wind.
The wind howled.
********
At the peak of Mount Tongtian, the atmosphere was solemn and grave. Not only was the righteous path silent, but even the swarm of demon beasts in front seemed to sense something and fell silent, raising their heads to watch the sky.
Standing on the massive head of a bone demon, the Beast God’s colorful silk robes fluttered in the wind. His youthful face, yet his eyes bore the weight of countless trials, also watched the grand sword array gradually taking shape in the sky.
The majestic purple aura first rose from the rear of Mount Tongtian, swift as lightning, and powerful beyond compare, soaring into the sky like a colossal purple pillar. It appeared in this vast world, and the purple aura surged and flowed, finally settling on the ancient Immortalbane Nexus.
In the next moment, the Immortalbane Nexus glowed, and even from a great distance, countless living beings could feel something stirring within the ancient sword, slowly awakening from a long slumber.
The Immortalbane Nexus radiated brilliant light, illuminating Daoxuan’s face.
His dark green robe billowed without wind, flapping loudly. He held the sword in his right hand, his face solemn, and his left hand clenched the sword formula. A low, chant-like voice, like a distant hymn or incantation, resonated through the air. Suddenly, he waved his left hand, pointing the sword formula at the sky. Almost simultaneously, six-colored lights rose from the other six towering peaks of the Azure Ethereal Vapors, like rainbows piercing the sky, converging on the Immortalbane Nexus.
In an instant, the Immortalbane Nexus was engulfed in dazzling light, like a rising sun, too bright to look at. Brilliant light burst from the ancient sword, instantly dispersing the dark aura that had been swirling in the sky.
In the intense light, the seven colors merged, forming a giant, colorful sword in the sky, with rainbow hues flashing. Then, under the continuous infusion of energy from the seven peaks, the giant colored sword began to grow larger, and in the process, it separated into smaller, single-colored swords, densely filling the sky.
On the ground, the crowd erupted in cheers, and countless young disciples, whether or not they were from the Azure Ethereal Conclave, gazed up at the magnificent sword array with reverence and admiration.
Many who had experienced the turmoil of the Azure Ethereal Conclave ten years ago felt a mix of emotions—some were happy, some were silent.
Among the crowd, Lu Xueqi looked up at the dazzling, majestic Immortalbane Nexus, her face illuminated by the reflected light. Her cold, beautiful face showed no emotion, only her bright eyes reflecting the seven colors, shimmering with a hidden feeling, but no one could see into her heart.
Ten years had passed, and who could remember the anguished cries on the Azure Ethereal Conclave? Who could remember the despairing young man?
Lu Xueqi’s body trembled slightly, as if she had thought of something unbearable, and her expression turned gloomy. She subconsciously gripped her Celestial Blue Sword tighter.
The sword shadows grew denser, and the glorious light covered the entire sky.
In the Beast God’s eyes, the sky full of sword shadows reflected. After a moment, he nodded, his face serious, and sighed, “Truly a masterpiece. I never imagined that there would be such a prodigy in the Central Plains, capable of gathering the mountain’s spiritual energy to create such a magnificent sword array. Truly remarkable!”
He applauded, repeating, “Remarkable!”
“Remarkable!”
“Remarkable!”
Though he praised it, his face showed no fear. Or perhaps, who could know if such a being, part human, part demon, could feel fear at all?
In the midst of the storm, the giant bone demon roared, slowly rising into the air, facing the Water Kirin and Daoxuan on its back.
The wind howled, and the sky fell silent!
The noise from the crowd and the beast demons below seemed to fade, and only the two faced each other, the vast sky seeming narrow, barely able to contain them.
They locked eyes.
Daoxuan said coldly, “Under the Immortalbane Nexus, no demon or evil spirit has ever escaped. If you are wise, surrender now and stay confined in the Azure Ethereal Conclave for the rest of your life. I will spare you.”
The Beast God was taken aback, then laughed, ignoring him, shaking his head with a mocking expression. Seeing this, Daoxuan stopped talking, took a deep breath, and tightened his grip on the Immortalbane Nexus. With a sudden wave of his left hand, a small orange sword shot out from the sword array, streaking towards the Beast God with a sharp whistling sound.
The Beast God’s face remained indifferent, but his eyes followed the incoming sword. As the orange sword approached, the Beast God lifted his left hand, spreading his fingers towards the flying sword.
Black aura condensed in the air, forming a shield in front of the Beast God, blocking the orange sword.
Moments later, the orange sword collided with the black shield!
For a brief moment, the world was silent.
“Boom!”
Then, like a rising sun breaking the surface, a tremendous boom erupted, echoing like thunder. In the clash of black and orange light, several flashes of electricity appeared before slowly fading.
These two forces, both formless, collided like the hardest treasures, filling the sky with the deafening sound.
The invisible shockwave swept over the Azure Ethereal Conclave, and everyone’s ears rang, their faces pale. Although they knew that both were masters of high cultivation, the sheer power of their initial clash was unexpected, and the outcome of this battle was even more unpredictable.
Some even wondered what the Azure Ethereal Conclave would look like after such a fierce battle.
********
In the sky, Daoxuan and the Beast God faced each other, their faces expressionless, showing no surprise. The black aura surrounding the Beast God contrasted sharply with the brilliant colored sword light.
After a moment, Daoxuan gave a slight, cold snort, and with a wave of his left hand, the sword formula, the Immortalbane Nexus flashed, and a sudden gust of wind arose. The entire sky of sword shadows seemed to tremble, and the light was so dazzling that it was almost impossible to look at.
The Beast God’s face changed, and he focused intently. Indeed, in a short time, dozens of colored swords turned around, pointing at the Beast God, and the icy aura surged. Soon, half of the sword array turned towards the Beast God, controlled by an unseen force.
The world was filled with a sense of deadly tension. But before anyone could marvel, the Immortalbane Nexus in Daoxuan’s hand emitted a blinding light, and like a tidal wave, hundreds of single-colored swords formed a giant rain of swords, crashing down.
The sound of the swords cutting through the air filled the heavens. The Beast God, facing the overwhelming sword rain, let out a mighty roar, and the massive evil spirit beneath him howled in response. He spread his arms wide, his movements archaic, and a strange, mournful song echoed in the ears of everyone on Mount Tongtian.
The song was different from the music of the Central Plains, wild and powerful, like a beast’s cry in a stormy night, carrying a sense of endless sorrow. As the deep, ancient sound mixed with the clanging of drums, the black aura around the Beast God surged, forming a black dragon, commanding the world.
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