C1344 The Earthtethered Cage!

The Shura commander beamed as he revealed the origins of the River of Swords.

While he spoke, sharp spikes sprouted rapidly from his knees, elbows, and shoulders, resembling slender swords gleaming with a captivating golden light.

Shura warriors of the tenth level bloodline were also known as Golden Shura, just like Sabonis and Alonso.

Upon activating his bloodline, Alonso's spikes turned to gold, followed by a remarkable transformation of his bones, blood, and skin in a brief span.

Simultaneously, his previously soft demeanor vanished entirely.

He transformed into the epitome of fierceness, like a golden spear piercing the heavens with extreme sharpness.

Sizzle, sizzle!

With his bloodline surging, dense gold and silver lines flickered into existence around Ji Ningshuang, filling the starry space.

These lines, imbued with Alonso's essence, resonated with his bloodline.

Once all the golden and silver threads materialized, Ningshuang realized she was trapped within a colossal cage!

The cage ensnared her and the Stardust Blade, severely limiting her chances of escape.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At Alonso's command, the three Platinum Shura who had been waiting in the distance swiftly approached upon receiving permission.

The two men and one woman, all mature in age, saluted Alonso, "Greetings, commander!"

Alonso acknowledged them with a smile.

The female Shura, more robust than her male counterparts, had several broken platinum spikes on her shoulders and elbows, courtesy of Ningshuang's handiwork.

Despite her severe injuries, she felt a surge of relief seeing Ningshuang and the Stardust Blade confined within the cage.

"Commander, this Grand Sword Immortal's combat prowess may rival that of Du Yuan," Lollar, a towering and formidable woman with a gruff voice, stated. "We must do everything we can to eliminate her! Should she ascend to a Divine Level Grand Sword Immortal, her extraterrestrial combat strength would surely exceed that of Gu Xingkui!"

The other two male ninth level Shura concurred, echoing the sentiment of Ningshuang's formidable battle power.

Alonso nodded with a knowing smile, "I'm well aware."

Crackling and hissing, a succession of radiant sword lights burst forth like a galaxy in motion. Countless Ice Shards, akin to a multitude of Frost Stars, erupted from within the sword lights, casting a blinding brilliance.

As the sword lights attempted to pierce through the gaps in the gold and silver cage, the cage erupted with a blinding gold and silver glow.

The sword light from the Stardust Blade failed to penetrate the golden and silver radiance and couldn't breach the confines of the cage.

Ji Ningshuang squinted her eyes. She unleashed her remnant soul with force, but it too met resistance, repelled by the luminous barrier of the cage, unable to make its escape.

Her expression grew more serious. She refrained from drawing her sword again, opting instead for a moment of calm contemplation.

"An Earth-Tethered Cage?" she mused.

After a brief pause, she seemed to find her answer and inquired in a deep tone.

Predictably, Alonso responded with a smile and a nod. "Worthy of the Stardust Blade, you are indeed sharp-witted. Your guess is correct. I won't bore you with the details of the materials that compose this wondrous cage. But I will share one thing: in ancient times, our Shura were also known as Su Luo."

"This Earth-Tethered Cage was painstakingly crafted to ensnare and exterminate a certain being from your Everlands."

"Take a guess, what kind of being might that be?" Alonso asked, his tone unhurried.

With a cold snort, Ji Ningshuang replied, "The Nagas."

"Exactly. It is the Naga race that has now fallen from grace and lost its former power," Alonso said with a grave demeanor. "You see, before humanity's ascent, it was the Nagas who would often burst forth from the Everlands, wreaking havoc across the vast starry ocean. To counter those accursed dragons, the intelligent life from beyond the stars exhausted every conceivable strategy."

"Our Earth-Tethered Cage is a genuine holy weapon, capable of restraining even a tenth-level Dragon God."

"And so, it can certainly contain you, Ji Ningshuang," Alonso said, eyes narrowing into a smile.

From the moment the River of Swords shifted, as Ji Ningshuang's Stardust Blade swiftly approached, he had covertly deployed the Earth-Tethered Cage, lying in wait for her to ensnare herself.

Now, his objective was partially achieved.

"Commander, why merely confine her? Why not unleash your full power and strike her down?" Demian inquired with a grave voice.

"Besides her, the Sword of Destruction, Du Yuan, and Rillrender, Yue Mu, have also entered the Glimmerdrift Nebula," Alonso said with a hearty laugh, gazing into the distance. "I'll show them that Ji Ningshuang is imprisoned by the Earth-Tethered Cage, and they'll come searching for her one by one."

At these words, the Shura warriors present unleashed thunderous roars.

The battle fervor in the eyes of the five ninth-level Platinum Shura ignited with intensity.

The Shura, fearless in battle, discerned Alonso's true intentions and his grander scheme from his words. How could they not be stirred?

"Remember, the River of Swords naturally suppresses the masters of the Sword Sect. Not just Du Yuan and Yue Mu, even if Gu Xingkui himself were to come, his strength would be diminished!" Alonso's voice grew colder. "Du Yuan and Yue Mu, because of her entrapment in the Earth-Tethered Cage, will abandon their search for the Wintermaw and instead desperately come to the River of Swords."

"Here, their swordsmanship, their sword spells, and their sword's will, will all be somewhat suppressed."

"This place is the grave I've meticulously prepared for them!"

...

Above the domain veiled in cold fog, Ciara's lips curved into a smile. Learning that Ji Ningshuang had been ensnared by the Earth-Tethered Cage through the Frost Well, she felt as though the wounds inflicted by the Stardust Blade had transformed into badges of victory.

"The Earth-Tethered Cage is incomparable to Demian's Heartthumper Drum. The drum is merely a Quasi-sacred Weapon, whereas the Earth-Tethered Cage is a bona fide Sacred Weapon!"

In the ancient legends of their people, only a tenth-level Golden Shura possessed the power and privilege to wield such an artifact.

Even for someone like her or a native Platinum Shura of the Dark Realm like Demian, the Earth-Tethered Cage's true might would remain untapped.

It required the golden blood of the tenth level to unlock the marvels of this holy weapon.

No matter how formidable Ji Ningshuang was, without a cultivated primordial spirit, and with the Stardust Blade not being a Divine Artifact, she stood no chance. Trapped in the Earth-Tethered Cage, facing Alonso and the five ninth-level Platinum Shura, along with numerous eighth and seventh-level warriors, escape was impossible.

"You sought your own demise; you can't blame anyone else. There's a reason why the Glimmerdrift Nebula is deemed a forbidden area."

Ciara was muttering to herself with a beaming smile.

Suddenly, her smile stiffened.

She had caught sight of a sword sheath that had appeared out of thin air, a sight that made both her and the Frost Well she carried feel threatened.

A formidable sword's will emanated from the base of the sheath, seemingly connecting to the distant River of Swords.

A fearsome sword force descended out of nowhere, as if it had landed directly above her.

Then, she noticed a phantom materializing above the sword sheath...

"Yu Yuan! How dare you manifest in the Glimmerdrift Nebula with your Lunar Spirit!" Ciara shrieked, her voice a mix of rage and a sense of being affronted. "Aren't you content to stay put? Do you really think you can target me with just a sword sheath?"

"Is the Stardust Blade ensnared by your Shura's holy weapon?" Yu Yuan's voice was grave.

His real body remained seated in the Frozen Wastes below, refining his Solar Spirit on the Dragon Slaying Stage.

He had merely glimpsed the River of Swords from afar through the Dragon Slaying Stage when the "Stardust Blade" had briefly shimmered before abruptly fading.

Concerned, he attempted to shield his Lunar Spirit with the sword sheath and leave the Frozen Wastes.

To his astonishment, he discovered that in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, where the River of Swords flowed, the sword's will within the sheath seemed amplified, truly allowing his Lunar Spirit to withstand the onslaught of cosmic energy.

However, once his Lunar Spirit and the sword sheath departed, he found himself blind to his surroundings upon truly entering the starry expanse.

The view from the Dragon Slaying Stage had been far superior.

But by chance, he overheard Ciara's soliloquy and realized that Ji Ningshuang must be in peril.

"She's ensnared in the Earth-Tethered Cage. Her fate is sealed!"

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