C1374 The Supreme Delicacy
First came the beast blood, followed by silver-like fish scales, and then large chunks of flesh.
In the heart of the Heaven-Opening Sword Array, the giant fish-shaped Abyssal Leviathan was being mercilessly sliced by countless sword lights. Blood, scales, and pieces of its flesh were stripped away one by one.
The Dragon Slaying Stage, akin to an unfathomable Maw of Oblivion, swallowed each severed part.
The Abyssal Leviathan, now in its original form, bore numerous bloody wounds that were bone-deep. Many of its vital areas, riddled with sword light, appeared exceedingly gruesome.
Yet, its vitality remained incredibly potent, and its torn flesh was rapidly regenerating.
Still, the rate of healing couldn't outpace the onslaught of the sword light.
The Rivers of Swords, which formed the Heaven-Opening Sword Array, were in fact diminishing, and the abundant sword force within them was depleting swiftly.
The Rivers of Swords had always supplied the sword force for both the Heaven-Opening Sword Array and the Nine Celestial Slashes.
But they were not inexhaustible...
Following Nie Qingtian's demise, these Rivers of Swords, having gathered psionic power over thousands of years, would eventually be drained, even reaching a point of exhaustion.
Especially if squandered recklessly as they were now...
"The true cosmic giant beast is horrifying beyond belief! Despite enduring such a prolonged assault by the sword circle, it's nowhere near death," Yu Yuan marveled in shock.
He gradually came to understand that the Abyssal Leviathan's core strength lay in its strange life power!
This life force endowed the Abyssal Leviathan with a healing prowess perhaps unmatched in the world.
If it couldn't be slain...
With this thought, he leveraged the expansive vantage point of the Dragon Slaying Stage to discreetly survey the current state of affairs.
Immediately, he noticed Alonso standing on the Frost Well that once belonged to Ciara, casting a chilling gaze upon him and the trapped Abyssal Leviathan.
In the Glimmerdrift Nebula of today, Alonso was the mightiest, second only to the Abyssal Leviathan.
Perched atop the Frost Well, Alonso seemed even more menacing to Yu Yuan, especially now that the Earth-Tethered Cage had been fully restored, radiating its sacred light anew.
"The power of the Dark Realm!"
The psionic power erupting from the well was dark and chilling, unmistakably originating from the enigmatic Dark Realm.
Contained within it was an unusual vital energy!
Yu Yuan immediately surmised that although the gravely wounded Blood King had not arrived in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, Sabonis was using his strength and influence to aid Alonso through the Frost Well.
His gaze shifted to Jun Chen, the Death Crane, along with Zhou Xuan and Tian Zang, who were intercepting the totem poles.
These totem poles, belonging to the evilkind and placed within the artificial sea mirroring the Embers Sea, were hurtling toward him.
Clearly, they understood that if the Starborne Ritual of Primeval Demons broke into the Heaven-Opening Sword Array and fell under the control of the Abyssal Leviathan, they might just manage to shatter the array.
Hence, they were united in their efforts to thwart it.
In the distance, the snow bear growled softly, its face alight with frenzied joy as it charged toward him.
The three Grand Sword Immortals of the Sword Sect stood suspended in the void, swords in hand, gazing rapturously at the Heaven-Opening Sword Array. They watched as the sword light carved long, shadowy gashes into the Abyssal Leviathan, witnessing its continual struggle against the inflicted wounds.
The trio of Grand Sword Immortals appeared entranced, as if deeply engrossed in deciphering the sword spell.
They were profoundly moved by the Heaven-Opening Sword Array, woven together by the River of Swords, and utterly captivated, striving to grasp the essence of the sword's will it embodied.
They were also diligently endeavoring to perceive the subtleties of the Nine Celestial Slashes, seeking to enlighten their own swordsmanship.
Hua! Hua! Hua!
Enveloping the totem poles, the simulated sea from the Embers Sea surged toward the Abyssal Leviathan, drawing the deep sea's power from the worlds it passed.
Azure psionic power burst forth from the stars, blending into the fantastical ocean.
Jun Chen, once known as the white-clothed Crane Rider, observed the deep sea with a grave countenance.
"The deep sea nurtures boundless life. If this Abyssal Leviathan, shaped like a colossal fish, can harness the deep sea's power within the sword circle, we could be facing some trouble. Once the giant fish plunges into the sea, its power is sure to surge anew."
Yu Yuan appeared contemplative.
He observed the Abyssal Leviathan, ensnared within the Heaven-Opening Sword Array, with meticulous attention. Over time, he began to understand more deeply, realizing many previously overlooked details.
When the Abyssal Leviathan was ambushed, it instinctively reverted to its primitive form, becoming a giant fish larger than the sun and moon.
In this form, its physical defenses seemed impenetrable. Indeed, not even the formidable Heaven-Opening Sword Array or the Nine Celestial Slashes could vanquish it or cause it to shatter.
This alone was testament to the colossal strength of the giant beast's body!
The primitive Abyssal Leviathan was immensely large, with unmatched bodily defenses and earth-shaking brute force. It could harness the sun and moon's eyes and wield its blood magic.
Yet, in this state, its agility was compromised, making it appear somewhat cumbersome.
Should it face an adversary of equal standing, such as a primordial spirit of the human race or a tenth level Blood Warrior from the extraterrestrial Star River...
A single opponent might be overwhelmed by its endless vital energy, potentially worn down to defeat.
Take, for instance, the current situation with the Heaven-Opening Sword Array and Nine Celestial Slashes, which were akin to Nie Qingtian's relentless sword strikes.
Even a warrior of Nie Qingtian's caliber might deplete his sword force, soul, and hidden strength without being able to slay the beast.
It's conceivable that Nie Qingtian would exhaust his power first, leaving the Leviathan merely wounded, capable of breaking through the Sword Array and retaliating fiercely against Nie Qingtian.
Had Nie Qingtian been an ordinary human primordial spirit or an extraterrestrial tenth level warrior, the outcome might have been just that.
But what if the Abyssal Leviathan were besieged by several human primordial spirits or multiple tenth level warriors from the extraterrestrial realms?
Confronted by numerous agile masters encircling him, unleashing a myriad of sword lights, intricate psionic powers, Divine Artifacts, and holy weapons, could the Abyssal Leviathan break free?
With such an enormous body, mere resistance would ultimately lead to death.
Escape might not even be an option.
Reflecting on this, Yu Yuan could almost see the cosmic giant beasts that once roamed the universe, falling one by one under the relentless assault of numerous tenth level warriors from various extraterrestrial races.
The secular bird, relentlessly pursued, met its end in the Annihilation Nebula.
Thus, its path to rebirth began in the Everlands, opting for a fresh start in a new form, taking on a human guise!
The Abyssal Leviathan had deliberately had him construct the Altar of Rebirth and forge the Solar Spirit, seemingly in pursuit of the same path.
It was not only powerful and brimming with immense vital energy but also nimble and capable of altering its form at will.
Only by possessing such traits could it deftly evade the onslaught of many formidable opponents, avoiding the fate of becoming an easy target for the barrage of Divine Artifacts and holy weapons due to its massive size.
In a daze, Yu Yuan envisioned the ancient human hunters of the Everlands, who used iron cages, spears, and torches to encircle wild beasts. With their numerical superiority, they would slowly wear down the fierce creatures.
How strikingly similar was this to the cosmic giant beasts being hunted down and slowly perishing at the hands of peak warriors from various races?
"Don't even dream of it."
With a huff, he watched the Abyssal Leviathan and sent a strand of his remnant soul into his own little world of vitality. There, he saw his transparent body, with its intricate network of bloodline chains, and the Solar Spirit breathing rhythmically.
The Solar Spirit yearned for the flesh and blood of the giant beast!
Not just his Solar Spirit, but also the Baneblade, temporarily resting within his acupoint, was eager to break free and sink its teeth into the blood and flesh that had separated from the Abyssal Leviathan.
The flesh and blood of the giant beast were like the ultimate delicacy, filled with the profound mysteries of the universe.
"Don't exhaust all the sword force."
Suddenly, Mo Baichuan's voice emerged beside him.
"Even if you deplete the sword force, you won't be able to kill the Abyssal Leviathan; at best, you'll severely wound him. Alonso is using the Blood King to fully recover and is frantically building up his vital energy. Once you drain those Rivers of Swords, neither you nor the Dire Bear will pose much of a threat to the Shura."
Over the years, Sabonis and the Shura have held the Dire Bear in high esteem. Not only because it has stood guard over the Wintermaw, providing the Shura with Ice Shards, but also due to its ability to wield the sword force left by Nie Qingtian.
"The Shura only believe in the strong, respecting only those individuals and alien beasts that pose a real threat to them," Mo Baichuan whispered from the shadows, seizing the moment when the others were distracted.
Yu Yuan's form shuddered slightly as he quickly grasped the implication and gave a subtle nod in acknowledgment. Scanning his surroundings, he utilized the Dragon Slaying Stage and finally spotted Mo Baichuan's silhouette, concealed beneath the stars at Ji Ningshuang's feet.
