C1372 Heavenopening Sword Array
The Ghost King Tian Zang wore an expression of serene indifference, betraying no hint of surprise.
He was privy to the secret...
Upon learning from Taishi who Yu Yuan's first incarnation was, Tian Zang had pondered the immense power that would be unleashed if the Heaven-Opening Sword Array ever came into Yu Yuan's possession. After all, Yu Yuan was the ideal wielder of the Heaven-Opening Sword Array!
Regrettably, that individual perished in the extraterrestrial Star River before the Heaven-Opening Sword Array was even forged, slain by the combined might of the five supreme forces.
Boulderdawn was established to stand against the Star-Spawned Terror and the Nagas, to vie for supremacy.
The Star-Spawned Terror, after all, had been the undisputed sovereign of the vast Star River for eons.
Though the Nagas of the Everlands ventured into the Star River repeatedly, their efforts were mere trifles. They never managed to challenge the unrivaled status of the Star-Spawned Terror in the cosmos.
Boulderdawn's rise to resplendence was a testament to their struggle against the Star-Spawned Terror, growing from weakness to strength until even the Star-Spawned Terror had to yield and steer clear of their edge.
Tian Zang, once a Sky Fiend named Youqian, was well-acquainted with the fearsome tales of that individual.
The undying Demon God Bertain could, in a mere thought, unleash legions of devil souls capable of inhabiting the minds of beings within an entire star domain, compelling countless souls to perform varied tasks simultaneously.
Those ensnared by his possession would act differently, conceive disparate thoughts, and even harbor distinct plans for the future.
Bertain's horror lay in his control over millions of devil souls, allowing him to effortlessly manipulate and dictate the actions of countless beings, all while they remained blissfully unaware.
The dragon slayer had once employed a similar tactic to challenge Bertain in an ancient era.
Their devil souls and divine consciousness invaded a world of the Moonlit Wanderers in an instant, descending like a torrential downpour upon the unsuspecting inhabitants, seizing control of their beings in a flash.
Their devil souls and divine consciousness waged war within the minds of countless Moonlit Wanderers, a battle not of brute force, but of ethereal domination.
Tens of thousands of thoughts waged war within the minds of countless creatures, exchanging and validating each other while simultaneously deploying various mystiques and divine powers.
Ultimately, Bertain's myriad devil souls were forced to retreat...
In the realm of the Moonlit Wanderers, the countless members of their tribe remained blissfully unaware of what had transpired, and not a single one had perished.
Afterward, powerful beings from various factions sought to inquire and uncover the truth.
According to the Moonlit Wanderers, all they experienced during that time was an internal struggle, as if their spiritual wisdom and subconscious were at odds, wrestling over some matter.
Little did they know, this internal conflict was the result of the meddling devil souls and divine intentions of Bertain and the dragon slayer.
Tian Zang, once a Sky Fiend of remarkable talent, was privy to this secret and held the dragon slayer in the highest regard.
In a mere moment, tens of thousands of distinct thoughts each played their role, wielding a divine power that controlled the hearts of countless individuals. This unique ability belonged solely to the dragon slayer within the vast Everlands.
Yu Yuan had been nurturing his dominant soul with the Wraithbinding technique since he began practicing the Lunar Spirit.
His soul's origin was inherently different from others, endowed with an innate and intricate mastery that would never fade.
Moreover, when the Heaven-Opening Sword Array was initially created, it required the combined efforts of a Grand Sword Immortal from the Sword Sect and a primordial spirit from the Ebon Star to function.
This was because the primordial spirits of the Sword Sect and Ebon Star did not match the profound intricacies of the Boulderdawn's primordial spirits.
Yu Yuan, as the dragon slayer, had enhanced his dominant soul's inherent marvel through the practice of Wraithbinding in the Lunar Spirit, naturally enabling him to wield the Heaven-Opening Sword Array.
The mastery of the Heaven-Opening Sword Array did not rely on the strength of the soul or the vastness of Soul Power.
Rather, it hinged on the ability to split one's focus into tens of thousands of soul threads in an instant, employing them all in unison.
It depended on the capacity to instantly command the myriad sword lights and sword's wills with those tens of thousands of soul threads!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Innumerable sword lights, each carrying a unique sword's will, burst forth from the River of Swords, relentlessly assailing the Abyssal Leviathan.
Upon looking, the Abyssal Leviathan, taking the shape of a colossal fish, seemed to be ensnared in a dazzling sea of sword lights.
In every fleeting moment, tens of thousands of sword lights burst forth, each carrying its own unique sword's will.
Standing atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, Yu Yuan, whose Soul Power was rapidly depleting, had already mastered the layout and mechanics of the Heaven-Opening Sword Array.
His task was to guide the myriad sword radiance in accordance with the operating pattern of the Heaven-Opening Sword Array, directing them to their respective destinations each second with numerous remnant souls.
With tens of thousands of sword lights, there were just as many paths and directions to manage.
As long as he could employ the multitude of remnant souls to steer the countless sword lights, tracing out their fleeting paths, the sword light would act in harmony with his soul's will, forming the dazzling and complex Heaven-Opening Sword Array, embedded with the cosmic laws.
He slowly came to the realization that this task was surprisingly effortless for him.
It was as though he was naturally skilled in this art.
Slash!
A silver-white bone jutted out from the belly of the Abyssal Leviathan. As it was on the verge of unleashing a blood magic, seven sword lights of profound depth interlaced to create a new sword circle. It descended like a globe of icy sword light, shattering the fish bone abruptly.
The Abyssal Leviathan's blood-red eyes, fierce and crimson, had just kindled the fiery might of the sun, poised to unleash the devastating Sun Burst.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
A barrage of sword lights, some infused with the Stardust sword force, others transforming into myriad forms of ice and water sword's will, struck directly at his blood-red eyes.
The nascent blood magic brewing within his gaze was snuffed out before it could take shape.
Within his gaping maw, lined with rows of sharp fangs, a maelstrom of vital energy slowly swirled, carrying the potential to obliterate a minor world.
Yet, this very storm of blood was relentlessly assailed by intense sword lights.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Explosions rocked the Abyssal Leviathan's mouth one after another, his own uncontrolled vital energy turning his mouth into a bloody pulp, eliciting agonized roars of pain.
The Heaven-Opening Sword Array had assembled hundreds of the Sword Sect's most intricate sword spells and sword's wills, encompassing the natural principles of wind, frost, flame, ice, time, space, destruction, and the cycles of seasons and celestial bodies.
The Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect had dedicated their lives to mastering the laws of swordsmanship. It was as though hundreds of Grand Sword Immortals had encircled the Abyssal Leviathan, manifesting the Cosmic Order previously seen in the Everlands through their sword light.
At any sign of abnormality in the Abyssal Leviathan's massive form, a corresponding sword light would instantly arrive, capable of suppressing and destroying the beast. His struggles and subsequent actions were all stillborn.
To the Abyssal Leviathan, it seemed he was not contending with the Sword Sect's Heaven-Opening Sword Array, but rather the Sword Sect's Grand Sword Immortals themselves, who had discerned the Way of Heaven over millennia in the Everlands.
He felt as though he was pitting his own strength against the enigmatic laws of the Everlands, battling the many Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect who had long since departed.
Among these, the scarlet sword light from Nie Qingtian, imbued with the invincible sword force of the Nine Celestial Slashes, was primarily destructive and lethal, inflicting the deepest wounds on his colossal body.
The Heaven-Opening Sword Array restricted his movements, trapping him and preventing him from unleashing his full strength. Meanwhile, the Nine Celestial Slashes seized the moment to launch a relentless assault, causing him to suffer continuous injuries, his flesh and blood to rupture, his organs to shatter, and his soul to experience excruciating pain.
Gradually, his crimson and silver eyes clouded over, overwhelmed by his own vital energy. He was nearly blinded by the infinite sword light filling the sky.
Yu Yuan, atop the Dragon Slaying Stage, had vanished from his view long ago.
"Why is the Titanblade at Wintermaw? Why was it concealed in the deep sea?"
"The Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn conspired together against Sabonis and Grec in Ionodios, all to allow the Titanblade to freely break through the Dark Realm!"
"And here, amidst the River of Swords, the Divine Sword could strike repeatedly without end!"
The Abyssal Leviathan wailed in agony as he racked his brain. He wondered if his secret venture into the Glimmerdrift Nebula had also been a trap set by the Skyreach Consortium and Boulderdawn.
Did they anticipate his arrival and his intention to take over Yu Yuan's body? Did they foresee his plan to use Yu Yuan as a vessel for a novel form of rebirth? Is that why they deliberately sent the Titanblade here?
Could it be that Yu Yuan, along with the Divine Sword and the River of Swords, have been waiting for him all this time?
The Abyssal Leviathan, on the verge of losing consciousness, grew increasingly anxious and frightened.
He suspected that the God-King of Boulderdawn had already reached the Glimmerdrift Nebula.
Perhaps the God-King was lurking in the shadows, watching him become the laughingstock.
Little did he know that Yu Yuan, who was currently wielding the Heaven-Opening Sword Array and simultaneously executing the Nine Celestial Slashes, was himself one of the God-Kings of Boulderdawn!
Indeed, he was the dragon slayer who founded Boulderdawn, the one who elevated it to the pinnacle of the Star River and struck terror into the hearts of all Otherkin!
