C1343 Who Was She Humiliating?
The scars of the blade remained, yet the sword soul had long since departed. In the Plover Realm, the sword soul seized the chance to step into the Dark Domain and become one with the Optimus Sword. It was this union with the Divine Sword that allowed Sabonis to shatter the seal of the Dark Domain and gain tremendous freedom at a time when he was unable to split his essence.
With the sword soul gone, only a trace of sword intent lingered in the deep marks on his arm. Sword intent! A flicker of realization crossed Yu Yuan's mind as he understood the reason behind the scabbard's departure from the Universe Ring and the searing pain in the sword scars on his arm.
He cast another glance at the Cold Domain Bear and sent a soul whisper to the Dragon Slash Platform. The platform, now with a thousandfold increase in its perceptive powers, illuminated the cosmos and scenes beyond his star with vivid clarity.
There, he saw Ciara, her expression dark and fraught with urgency. She was channeling her Qi into the Frost Well, seemingly still in communication with the Asura King in the Dark Domain, and appeared to be reporting something with great haste.
Yu Yuan noticed her frequent glances towards a particular location... With a swift shift of thought, he followed Ciara's line of sight to where the Platinum Asura Warrior was looking. This led him to behold the dazzling, swiftly moving river of sword light, confirming his earlier suspicion.
The anomaly of the sword scabbard and the heat in his arm were due to the eternal river of sword light left by Nie Qingtian, now approaching his position! And the star he was on was also hurtling forward, eager to converge.
Barring any unforeseen events, the expansive and resplendent river of sword lights would inevitably meet with the star he was on. Hidden deep within these rivers of light was the sword intent of the Optimus Sword. Similarly, the sword scabbard and the mark on his arm bone harbored a faint sword intent.
Sharing the same origin, they resonated for reasons unknown, prompting the scabbard to fly out autonomously and the sword mark on his arm bone to respond.
"Hehe!" The Violent Bear, towering like a snow-capped mountain, let out a foolish chuckle, brimming with self-congratulation.
The unmistakable demeanor of the creature before him made it clear that the arrival of the river of sword lights was its doing. Yu Yuan was profoundly shaken by this revelation.
He began to ponder the age of the enigmatic "Cold Domain Bear." In the Deep Starfield, he had experienced a sense of familiarity with the bear, yet he held no significant memories of it, suggesting that they had crossed paths in his previous life.
Back then, he might have been a towering figure at the zenith of the cosmos, commanding respect from all living beings. The bear's power and status at the time were likely far beneath his own, which is why it hadn't captured his attention.
But the man he was in that first life had surely attained the Primordial Spirit Stage, possessing eternal life and immune to natural death. How many years had it been since he left that life behind? Tens of thousands of years.
Chen Qinghuang and Beru had said that only the Human Race's Primordial Spirits, the Devaputra Race's Great Demon Gods, and the Starry Behemoths were blessed with the gift of infinite life. The vast Demon Race, alien beasts, and the ultimate warriors from various races would all eventually succumb to mortality.
Yet, this bear remained vigorous and full of life today, showing no signs of impending death. It had lived through Nie Qingtian's illustrious era, using its peculiar cold mist to encircle the river of sword lights and even nurturing the Asura Clan, with its influence spanning several Asura Kings.
Yu Yuan inhaled deeply, absorbing the gravity of this realization.
With a low growl, the bear gestured towards Yu Yuan's chest and then to his Yellow Court Little World, as if to say, "Stay focused, and continue to refine yourself."
"The essence of my Yang God's soul is my Heavenly Soul, and the first of the Soul Arts I practiced was the Soul Forging Technique. Yet, the crafting of my body has been tainted with an array of foreign bloodlines," Yu Yuan reflected.
Enveloped in the chilling mist, he was free from the phantoms that once haunted him, and any signs of spiritual disturbance had vanished into thin air.
Reflecting on his time since entering this realm marked by the Cold Abyss Entrance, Yu Yuan realized that moments of contemplation here often sparked brilliant insights. He felt an unparalleled tranquility, convinced that this place was conducive to nurturing the mind and pacifying the soul.
The Cold Domain Bear had brought him here, sensing that his Yang God was on the cusp of transformation.
Could it also sense that his greatest challenge would be the risk of losing control?
An imbalance of various powers leading to chaos?
The Soul Forging Technique could refine the Heavenly Soul and purify the mind, enhancing wisdom.
Yet, his Yang God was a novel entity, primarily a "Life Altar," infused with the blood crystal of the Great Demon God Grec, the blood of numerous Ninth Level alien beasts, and devoured alien creatures, including formidable demons.
The complexity was overwhelming, and as the Yang God took shape, detaching from its host, numerous risks surfaced.
Typically, human cultivators face their inner demons and the peril of going berserk at the pivotal moment of advancing to the Yang God stage.
For him, the danger was exponentially greater due to the uniqueness of his Yang God.
"Here! The frigid realm of the Cold Abyss Entrance naturally aids the Yang God's formation! It purifies the soul, brings tranquility to the spirit? Your presence, amidst these cold mists, significantly amplifies this effect?"
He addressed the Cold Domain Bear, sharing his speculation in search of confirmation.
The bear responded with a delighted chuckle.
Yu Yuan instantly grasped the full picture.
When they had encountered each other in the Deep Starfield, it likely perceived his imminent breakthrough.
Bringing him here was a premeditated act, a decision it had made earlier.
Yu Yuan even suspected that the Empress was well aware of the challenges his Yang God would face during the breakthrough.
She also recognized the Cold Domain Bear's benevolence towards him!
She refrained from taking him to the Dark Wing Starfield, knowing he was destined to meet the bear, which would lead him here to successfully advance.
"Thank you!"
He expressed his gratitude earnestly and heeded the Cold Domain Bear's advice, setting aside the anomalies of his sword sheath and arm scars to dive back into his breakthrough.
He persisted in purifying and assimilating the tainted crystals emanating from the Yang God.
...
Jee Ningshuang opted for the river of sword light.
Wielding the Starfrost Sword, she glided like a dazzling meteor, effortlessly evading the encirclement of the three Platinum Asuras, her sword qi bursting forth like a vibrant rainbow.
As she watched the broad rivers of sword light draw nearer, the pressure on her mounted exponentially.
Beyond the reach of her naked eye, these rivers of sword light, capable of crushing stars, contained countless minuscule sword glimmers that seemed to perpetually operate on their own.
As she approached, the Starfrost Sword she had been studying and practicing appeared to trigger something.
Almost instantly, several dazzling rivers of sword light began to quiver.
An immeasurable and mysterious sword presence bore down from the void, and the sword soul within the Starfrost Sword emitted a cry of alarm.
Jee Ningshuang's form shuddered violently as the frost at the hem of her garment burst forth.
A wave of sorrow washed over her.
The Sword Sect, revered by all, had stood proudly for countless years.
Yet the Optimus Sword, a creation of the Sword Sect, manifested not in the skies they revered but in the Asura Clan's Firefly Starfield.
Generation after generation of the Sword Sect's descendants were bound by the rules of the forbidden lands, barred from this place.
She lamented their inability to witness this spectacle, to approach the rivers of sword light and grasp the profound mysteries of the sword, to imagine the grandeur of the Great Sword Immortal of old.
Defying the forbidden land's rules, she had forced her way in, only to find herself continually suppressed by the proximity of the sword light.
"How has it come to this?"
She sighed deeply, mourning the possible strongest Sword Immortal in the Sword Sect's history, Nie Qingtian, and the unresolved grievances with the sect.
"Starfrost Sword, Jee Ningshuang."
Then, she spotted a handsome Asura man with a gentle demeanor on a fragment of a star adjacent to the rivers of sword light.
"Alonso!"
Jee Ningshuang huffed.
She had learned from Qiao Yuling that Alonso, the Asura Clan's grand commander, now presided over the Firefly Starfield.
Unintimidated, her lithe figure hovered above the Starfrost Sword. Disregarding the three Platinum Asuras closing in behind her, she called out icily, "The Asura Clan has dared to preserve and allow the flourishing of what our Sword Sect ancestors left behind. How could you?"
"Is this your way of reminding your descendants of the shame they once endured?"
She didn't hold back her mockery.
"Humiliation?"
Alonso couldn't help but laugh, waving his hand to signal the infuriated Demian to be quiet, while also gesturing to the other three Platinum Asuras to remain calm.
"Do you honestly believe that these rivers of sword light were left behind by his slaying of Asuras?" Alonso said with a smile.
"Isn't that the case?" Jee Ningshuang arched an eyebrow.
"No."
Alonso shook his head, his laughter emerging. His snow-white teeth gleamed, radiating both brightness and health, hardly the look of a commander who led one of the most formidable Asura armies in the outer domains.
"These rivers of sword light were left behind from his battles with the mighty warriors of the Human Clan."
Alonso's laughter grew louder. "Aside from the Cold Abyss Entrance and the Firefly Starfield, which you regard as forbidden, there's another significant reason."
"These rivers of sword light harbor malice not just toward the Sword Sect, but also toward the Profound Sky Sect, the Primordial Yang Sect, the Devil Palace, and the Demon Palace!"
"The sword light rivers naturally suppress the aura of your successors."
"Isn't that fascinating? Isn't it laughable?"
The more Alonso spoke, the higher his laughter soared, his excitement palpable.
"Why haven't we crushed them? Why have we allowed them to flourish and grow stronger? It's because they are not a disgrace to our Asura Clan! Their presence has always been an affront to you, and they will eternally keep you in check!"
