The heavens darkened.
Not because of the Void.
Not because of the Heavenly Eye.
But because every strand of spiritual energy within the battlefield had begun flowing toward a single point.
Lin Feng.
Far above, the Heavenly Eradication Formation continued descending.
Millions of golden runes rotated endlessly.
Entire mountain ranges were already beginning to disintegrate beneath its pressure.
The city formations groaned.
Cracks spread through ancient defensive arrays.
Even Saint Realm experts struggled to remain standing.
The First Heavenly Regent remained expressionless.
To him
everything unfolding below was already decided.
No matter how talented Lin Feng was.
No matter how terrifying the Azure inheritance became.
The difference in foundation remained too great.
At least
that was what Heaven believed.
But inside the Azure Sword World
something ancient was awakening.
BOOOOOOOM!!
The floating continents trembled violently.
Azure flames surged across the shattered skies.
Ancient ruins buried for countless years began glowing.
The distant Tomb Palace radiated endless light.
And before it
the Azure Sovereign stood silently.
His azure robes fluttered in the ancient wind.
His eyes reflected countless eras.
Countless wars.
Countless rebellions.
For a brief moment
Lin Feng's consciousness appeared within the Sword World.
The Sovereign looked toward him.
Neither smiled nor frowned.
"Do you know why I created the seals?"
Lin Feng remained silent.
The Sovereign answered anyway.
"Because power without understanding becomes slavery."
The Sword World trembled again.
The gigantic palace gates slowly opened.
Ancient azure light poured outward.
"The fourth seal was never meant to grant strength."
Lin Feng frowned slightly.
Then what was it for?
The Sovereign looked upward.
Beyond the Sword World.
Beyond reality itself.
Toward Heaven.
And for the first time—
his expression carried disdain.
"To remember."
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!
The palace gates opened completely.
An endless ocean appeared behind them.
Not water.
Memories.
Countless fragments of ancient history flowed through the ocean like stars.
Lin Feng's pupils contracted.
The Sovereign's voice echoed across the world.
"The Fourth Seal."
"The Seal of Truth."
Outside
the Azure Sword exploded with light.
SHIIIIIIIIING!!
A pillar of azure radiance pierced the heavens.
The descending Heavenly Formation trembled.
The First Heavenly Regent finally narrowed his eyes.
Something had changed.
The aura around Lin Feng was different.
Not stronger.
Not larger.
Different.
The Azure Sword slowly left its sheath.
Azure flames flowed along the blade.
The nine dragon heads roared simultaneously.
And behind them
the shadow of the Tenth stirred faintly before becoming still again.
Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes.
Within them
countless azure runes rotated.
The battlefield appeared differently now.
The Silver Dragon of Wisdom had once expanded his perception.
The Fourth Seal expanded understanding itself.
The world no longer looked simple.
Golden laws covered the sky.
Ancient chains wrapped around reality.
And hidden behind the silver heavens
something vast watched everything.
The Regent noticed the change immediately.
"Interesting."
The Heavenly Eye darkened.
Almost as if annoyed.
Lin Feng raised his head.
Then finally understood.
The silver heavens were not natural.
The chains were not protections.
The cycle was not balance.
Everything had been altered.
The Sovereign's rebellion had not begun because of pride.
It had begun because of a lie.
The Gate Lord suddenly laughed.
A deep, ancient laugh.
"You see it now."
Lin Feng remained silent.
The Fourth Seal continued stabilizing.
Fragments of ancient history flashed through his mind.
A golden heaven.
An original sky.
Ancient sovereigns.
Dragon kings.
Sword saints.
And then
war.
Not between Heaven and the world.
Between Heaven and itself.
Something had happened.
Something had changed the natural order.
The First Heavenly Regent raised his hand.
The Heavenly Eradication Formation accelerated.
Millions of runes descended.
The battlefield groaned beneath the pressure.
Heaven had no intention of allowing further revelations.
Lin Feng stepped forward.
One step.
The battlefield shook.
Not from overwhelming force.
From resonance.
The Azure Sword hummed softly.
The Blue Dragon of Sword Intent awakened.
Yet Lin Feng did not immediately use an Azure Sword Art.
Instead
he raised his free hand.
Cloud Palm Art.
But different.
Enhanced.
The Fourth Seal illuminated.
Suddenly
Lin Feng saw the weaknesses hidden inside the formation.
The gaps between laws.
The imperfections hidden within perfection.
His palm struck upward.
Cloud Palm Art
"Truth Revealing Sky."
BOOOOOOOM!!
A gigantic azure palm erupted upward.
The Heavenly Formation trembled.
Then
one section shattered.
The entire battlefield froze.
The attack itself wasn't overwhelmingly powerful.
Yet it had struck a flaw.
The Regent's eyes narrowed further.
The Gate Lord laughed louder.
Xu Tian's expression changed.
"He can see the structure of the laws..."
That was dangerous.
Far more dangerous than raw power.
The Regent finally moved.
This time
his figure disappeared completely.
Not speed.
Not teleportation.
Something deeper.
Lin Feng's instincts erupted instantly.
The Silver Dragon roared.
The Fourth Seal activated.
Reality unfolded before his eyes.
He saw it.
The Regent was standing behind him.
Already attacking.
Lin Feng spun immediately.
Dragon Sovereign Fist.
"Sovereign Dragon Collapse."
BOOOOOOOM!!
Golden and azure force collided.
The battlefield exploded.
For the first time
the Regent took half a step backward.
Silence followed.
The Heaven Executors froze.
Commander Yue stared blankly.
Xu Tian's eyes sharpened.
The Gate Lord's flames surged.
Because something impossible had happened.
The Regent looked down at his hand.
A small crack had appeared in the heavenly law covering it.
Tiny.
Insignificant.
Yet it existed.
The Regent slowly raised his head.
His gaze locked onto Lin Feng once more.
This time
there was no indifference.
No superiority.
Only seriousness.
"The Fourth Seal."
The Heavenly Eye trembled above.
The Azure Sovereign's will echoed faintly from the sword.
"Now the war truly begins."
Far above the battlefield
the Heavenly Eradication Formation suddenly stopped descending.
Not because it was damaged.
But because something else had appeared beyond it.
Something hidden behind the silver heavens.
Something ancient.
And for the first time
even the Heavenly Eye turned toward it.