C1360 Struggle
"No!"
Yu Yuan bellowed in fury.
He had accurately grasped Ji Ningshuang's intentions and understood her thoughts.
She was terrified that her impulsive arrival might lead to her death at the hands of Alonso, so without hesitation, she readied a sword strike of earth-shattering power!
What she didn't realize was the unique bond she shared with the snow bear, nor was she aware of the secret pact recently forged between herself and Alonso.
She was oblivious to the fact that, even if he couldn't best Alonso on the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan could still make an easy escape.
She didn't know that the snow bear would come to her rescue with a shimmering energy barrier if her life were in peril.
She knew nothing...
She assumed that because she stood with Boulderdawn, which had inflicted heavy damage on the Blood King, Alonso would certainly not spare her.
She believed that Alonso's delay in striking was not only to wait for Zhou You but also for her!
She feared that Alonso might obliterate her in an instant!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Countless tiny sword lights burst forth from the crimson blood sea, with numerous ice shards the size of fingernails, each harboring divine power.
Divine power represented the ultimate expression of the cosmic order within the sword!
"I knew it," Alonso exclaimed with delight, "the master of the Sword Sect had extracted his divine power and infused it into the scabbard of your Stardust Blade! You are his treasured protégé; naturally, he would safeguard you, escorting you until you ascend to the pinnacle of swordsmanship!"
His reaction was not one of shock but of elation, and he laughed heartily.
Among the Stardust Blade's sword light, more than a dozen ancient and enigmatic sword lights flickered, mingling with the crimson, blood-like crystals.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In the Glimmerdrift Nebula, the Frozen Wastes, home to the Shura, began to shatter and split apart!
The concealed sword light of the Sword Sect's master had reached divine levels!
Using the simulated Glimmerdrift Nebula, she had managed to permeate the actual sword force into the worlds corresponding to the blood-red stars.
Roar!
The roar of the snow bear resonated throughout the entire Glimmerdrift Nebula.
The cold fog, once drifting through the vast Star River and encircling the outer layers of the wall, surged like an untamed stallion, rushing into the core of the stars.
The perpetual cold fog that enveloped the Astral Domain began to settle, soothing the land that had been ravaged by the Sword Sect Master's formidable sword force. The core of the earth, severely damaged by his power, was now healing.
Puff! Puff! Puff!
One by one, the crimson "stars" burst before Ji Ningshuang's chest. Not yet having ascended to the state of a primordial spirit, she had forcefully summoned the divine might of the Sword Sect's master, injuring herself in the process.
The golden and silver strands of the Earth-Tethered Cage could not endure the master's peerless sword light, which pierced the cage and shone outward.
Blood involuntarily trickled from the corner of Ji Ningshuang's mouth, draining the color from her exquisite face, leaving her as pale and frail as Xi Quan. Yet, her Stardust Blade remained dazzlingly bright. When the breach widened, the sword light cradled her fragile, blood-drained body and shot out from the Earth-Tethered Cage.
Ji Ningshuang had escaped the Earth-Tethered Cage!
With a whoosh, her lithe figure hovered beside the Dragon Slaying Stage. Holding the Stardust Blade in one hand, she used the other to wipe the blood from her lips. Her eyes sparkled with a subdued excitement and joy.
She gazed intently at the Dragon Slaying Stage and at Yu Yuan, her pallid face glowing with a frost-like radiance.
"Long time no see," she murmured, her voice tinged with nervousness. Her free hand first clutched the fabric of her garment unconsciously, then, sensing it was improper, released it. Yet as she spoke, her hand once again found itself grasping the bloodied sleeve.
The tiny shards of crystal, no longer blood-red but resembling white porcelain, lay scattered around her, forming a natural halo. She appeared as a deity far removed from the earthly realm.
But the demeanor she displayed, her expressions and gestures, were those of a young girl experiencing the first pangs of affection, full of shyness and uncertainty in the presence of a man she admired.
Inside the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan, upon hearing her "Long time no see," was struck with a sense of profound separation from a bygone era.
In the blink of an eye, more than three hundred years had passed.
Vivid memories of their past lives together flooded Yu Yuan's mind!
The girl, with the Immortal Sword slung across her back, took him soaring over the vast mountains and rivers of the Everlands, vanquishing his foes.
She braved many perilous realms to help him gather rare spiritual herbs, and their moonlit conversations now seemed incredibly vivid.
He realized that no matter how much time had elapsed, those images had never faded from his memory.
Those recollections were etched so deeply that they were a part of his very soul, never to be worn away.
Yu Yuan's Lunar Spirit performed the pointless act of taking a deep breath.
"Silly girl."
He smiled wistfully at the lovely woman before him, her delicate face pale despite having wiped away the blood from her lips. "You didn't need to draw your sword. Alonso might not have been able to kill me."
"No."
Ji Ningshuang gently shook her head, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, sensing the Shura commander's watchful gaze. "You don't understand him. You don't realize that no one can truly restrain him, make him fully compliant. Not the Blood King, nor the Dire Bear of the Star River."
"Besides, you're now in the presence of his real body, not merely facing a drop of golden blood."
"…"
She had surmised that Alonso's earlier departure was due to Yu Yuan, and she was aware of many events that had transpired.
But she trusted her own judgment!
Yu Yuan's phantom wavered slightly on the Dragon Slaying Stage at her words.
Suddenly, Yu Yuan understood that she might be right!
If Alonso couldn't be fully controlled by the Blood King or Sabonis, then the "Dire Bear" likely couldn't ensure his compliance either.
Alonso only showed respect to the Shura when it suited his interests.
If Alonso decided that Yu Yuan must die, he would likely feign obedience to the "Dire Bear" only to strike a deadly blow at the opportune moment.
Ji Ningshuang was correct; previously, Yu Yuan had only faced a manifestation of Alonso's soul, not the complete entity of a true tenth level Golden Shura.
Ji Ningshuang turned and hovered alongside the Dragon Slaying Stage, the Stardust Blade poised in front of her. She cast a deep, smiling glance at Alonso, who stood on the icy ground. "I have drawn my sword as you wished. Are you satisfied now?"
Alonso, ever the gentleman, bowed deeply before straightening up to reply with a smile, "Very satisfied."
He pondered for a moment, holding a crystal ball in one hand and a silver lance in the other, soaring to the same altitude as Yu Yuan and Ji Ningshuang. "Yu Yuan, I promised you she would be alive. And I've kept that promise."
With a light chuckle, Alonso gestured towards the energy barrier enveloping the Shattered Star. "You're free to leave, taking our Ms. Ji with you to explore the Glimmerdrift Nebula. As long as both of you cease wielding your swords and refrain from harming our kin, you will remain free."
He paused, his gaze turning icy as he addressed Zhou Wen and Xi Quan, "However, my promise does not extend to the others. They are destined to die."
Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle!
Snow-white holy light burst forth from Xi Quan's body, the Withered Sword, accompanied by the crackling sound of her bones fracturing. The Withered Sword, crafted from White Bone, wailed mournfully, a harbinger of its bearer's impending doom.
Whoosh!
The Earth-Tethered Cage materialized once more, ensnaring Xi Quan. Fine strands of gold and silver, as slender as hairs, penetrated her flesh.
Xi Quan's spiritual energy, sword force, and remnant soul were impaled by the concealed power within the Earth-Tethered Cage.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The Withered Sword erupted, emitting bursts of gray-white light that blossomed into grotesque Death Blossoms, yet they failed to shatter the Earth-Tethered Cage.
Together with Xi Quan, the sword spirit and the Withered Sword met their end within the confines of the Earth-Tethered Cage.
