"Boom—"
In an instant, it was as if time and space froze.
The sword light struck the blazing sun, and for a moment, time seemed to stop before resuming in a sudden burst. A radiant brilliance illuminated the heavens, and an unparalleled shockwave swept across the sky, tearing through everything.
All cultivators within a hundred miles were thrown to the ground, staring at the sky in shock. Their hearts trembled at the scene above.
When the chaos subsided, the blazing red sun that had struck against its foes in all directions finally dimmed and fell silent.
Elder Liu, who had wielded the Red Sun Void-Searing Furnace to fight off several late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators, succumbed to the strain. Exhausted of magical power and vitality, he perished.
"Drip..."
Elian stood silently in the void, his white robes stained with blood, his face calm as he watched the scene before him.
After the fusion of the Heavenly Twin Swords, their power had reached the level of the Golden Core stage. Even with Elian's cultivation and divine sense, he struggled to control such a strike.
The fused sword's attack, once unleashed, was unstoppable and invincible.
The way of the sword emphasizes advancing without hesitation, a principle that aligns with the highest ideals of swordsmanship.
To execute that single strike, Elian had expended 90% of his magical power. His meridians had suffered slight damage. If not for the Pure Water Green Lotus Platform restoring his strength, he might have been gravely injured.
Moreover, the Heavenly Twin Swords had sustained slight damage. Unless he risked their destruction, the fusion would require at least ten years of nurturing before being used again.
Though Elian suffered backlash from the strike, its results were tremendous. Without the fusion of the Heavenly Twin Swords, the power of the Red Sun Void-Searing Furnace would have likely caused the deaths of at least two late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators.
"Clang—"
Meanwhile, the battle in the heavens was nearing its conclusion.
Jiang Linglong, having forged a Supreme Golden Core, possessed magical power far superior to that of an ordinary Golden Core cultivator, and her combat strength was extraordinary.
Patriarch Xu, despite being at the third level of the Golden Core stage, had only formed the weakest Lesser Golden Core. His strength was far from Jiang Linglong's match.
Even with the fourth-rank top-grade defensive treasure, the Qingyang Demon-Suppressing Tower, his insufficient magical power rendered him incapable of unleashing its full potential.
After barely holding on for dozens of moves, the defensive treasure was shattered by Jiang Linglong's sword.
"Jiang Linglong!" Patriarch Xu roared as he was struck down onto Tianxu Mountain, grievously injured.
Covered in blood and disheveled, he glared at Jiang Linglong with icy malice.
"Do you really want to fight me to the death?"
"The fish may die, but the net will not tear," Jiang Linglong replied calmly, sword in hand, stepping through the air toward him.
Patriarch Xu's pupils contracted, and his gaze turned cold before he burst into a wild laugh.
"Hahaha… You will regret this!"
His expression solemn, he shouted loudly, "Please, Ancestor, emerge and protect the Qingyang legacy!"
As his voice echoed, the void fell silent for a moment, and then the world within hundreds of miles began to tremble.
"Buzz—"
A gentle hum resounded as a blinding white light illuminated the land for thousands of miles.
Elian raised his head and saw a white, ethereal treasure mirror rise into the sky from the peak of Qingyang Mountain. Its radiant light cascaded across the heavens and earth.
"The Radiant Heaven Mirror!" someone exclaimed.
The cultivators' faces turned pale, and their hearts quaked in fear.
The Radiant Heaven Mirror, a supreme treasure for subduing demons, was a legend that had existed for thousands of years, predating even the Qingyang Sect itself.
For millennia, this treasure had vanquished demons and protected Chu Kingdom, playing an instrumental role in countless battles for humanity.
The mirror was said to fully awaken only in the presence of a powerful late-Golden Core-level demon, a testament to its might.
Now, as it hovered above the heavens, its presence alone exuded unparalleled power.
Elian's heart pounded as he sensed the overwhelming energy emanating from the mirror, vast as an ocean. If unleashed, it could sink the land for a thousand miles.
"So this is the power of a supreme treasure for subduing demons," he thought.
Even Purple Mansion cultivators felt their will to resist waver in the face of such a force. Only a late-Golden Core expert might survive its might.
Hovering above, the Radiant Heaven Mirror bathed the world in a soft, majestic light. To everyone's surprise, it spoke:
"I made a pact with the Qingyang Sect's founder. They would sustain me, and in return, I would protect their legacy."
"You are no demon. I have no desire to act against you. Leave of your own accord."
Jiang Linglong remained composed, gazing calmly at the mirror.
Looking at Patriarch Xu, she said evenly, "There's no need for me to elaborate on Patriarch Xu's character. You must already understand."
"If you aid him, you enable his tyranny, harming millions in Chu Kingdom."
"Buzz—"
A faint hum resonated, and the mirror hovered silently, as if pondering.
At that moment, from the distant sky, a purple light streaked through the clouds and illuminated the horizon.
Everyone looked up to see a treasure furnace, engraved with mysterious bird patterns and forged entirely of purple gold, floating in the heavens.
The Radiant Heaven Mirror's glow trembled slightly as it ascended to confront the Purple Abyss Furnace.
The mirror's voice, tinged with authority and a hint of anger, rang out:
"Purple Abyss Furnace, are you here to oppose me?"
"Do you wish to fight me?"
The heavens trembled as two invisible forces clashed, splitting the sky into purple and white halves.
The confrontation continued for what seemed like an eternity before the Purple Abyss Furnace finally spoke.
"I am here to persuade you."
The furnace hovered quietly, its engraved patterns resembling a living divine bird in the process of awakening. It seemed as though a Nascent Soul-level demon emperor was sealed within, spreading its wings in defiance of the heavens.
Calmly, the furnace continued, "The Abyssal Cataclysm two centuries ago drained much of our strength."
"If we deplete our accumulated power in internal conflict now, we risk calamity in the future."
"Let us instead lie dormant and restore our strength to prepare for the next Abyssal Cataclysm."
The Radiant Heaven Mirror fell silent.
When the Abyssal Cataclysm struck, even peerless Dao Lords couldn't guarantee their survival, and no one could escape its grasp.
Every thousand years, the calamity forced all Golden Core and higher cultivators to join the fight. Two centuries ago, Chu Kingdom had over a dozen Golden Core cultivators. Now, only five or six remained—a testament to the calamity's devastation.
Although the Radiant Heaven Mirror was a supreme treasure for subduing demons, bound by cause and effect, it too could not escape the calamity's reach.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D