C1738 The Answer
A vibrantly dressed figure suddenly ripped through a rift in the void, making a dashing appearance just outside the Plover Realm.
"Space-time Dragon!"
"Zhong Chichen!"
Exclamations of surprise echoed from the hidden corners of the Oblivion Starfield.
Van Heqing's face took on a grave expression, his demeanor instantly solemn.
Another arrival!
"I do enjoy a good gathering."
Zhong Chichen's smile shone brightly as he stood beside Loong Jie, who resembled a range of golden mountains. After exchanging a glance and a subtle nod with Loong Jie, he spoke, "Besides, this affair concerns our Nagas. Since I've sensed it, naturally, I must come to see for myself."
He had first detected the Demon Race's activity at the edge of the Dim Starfield. Then, through the Cold Abyss Entrance anchored in the Oblivion Starfield, he caught wind of Loong Jie's presence.
Loong Jie was expected to be in the Gray Domain, so his sudden appearance in the Oblivion Starfield had immediately caught Zhong Chichen's attention.
Upon his covert investigation, he learned that Yu Yuan had arranged for Loong Jie to make contact with Lin Daoke, the foremost warrior of the human race. Consequently, he temporarily set aside his current tasks.
For him, Loong Jie's safety was of the utmost importance, warranting his utmost caution.
He was here to reinforce their position.
"A confrontation could be beneficial."
Zhong Chichen's smile faded, his face turning serious as he addressed the Golden Dragon, whose massive golden eyes were fixed on him, "Without challenging Lin Daoke, you'll never truly grasp your own strength. I've always emphasized to you that the past is the past, and now is now."
"After the demise of Sabonis, your Golden Body has just begun to manifest. There are few who can penetrate your golden armor."
Looking down, Zhong Chichen turned his gaze towards Lin Daoke in the Plover Realm and continued with gravity, "Even the Sword Sect Lord might not manage to harm you, Loong Jie! The legendary might of your ancestor is no boast of mine! The revered patriarch I recognize, the Golden Dragon God who has reigned supreme over the Vast Expanse for years, is no ordinary being."
"Back in the day, even the Demon Phoenix would shy away from your ancestor's edge!"
Zhong Chichen's words were meant to bolster Loong Jie's morale.
Already seething with dragon's blood, Loong Jie coiled his sinuous golden form and let out a thunderous roar towards the Plover Realm.
With a roar that shook the heavens, stars and mother iron burst forth from the crevices of his dragon scales, shrouded in a golden glow akin to Primal Chaos Immortal Light, solidifying into tangible laws of gold metal.
They sliced through the air like the world's sharpest blades, wielded by unseen deities and demons, cleaving towards the Plover Realm.
With a hiss, the realm's barrier was effortlessly pierced as if it were mere film.
Brilliant beams of light, born from the depths of the Plover Realm, rose to intercept the gold metal laws, only to shatter mid-flight.
In an instant, over half of the Plover Realm's structural laws lay in ruins.
"Move the battlefield to the Outer Star River!"
Yu Yuan, from his distant post in the vast expanse beyond, bellowed with rage towards the sinister, mist-laden river where Youyu resided.
He hadn't anticipated that Loong Jie, the Golden Dragon God, would lose himself to madness at Zhong Chichen's behest. With a dragon's roar and seething dragon blood, Loong Jie's unleashed bloodline divine ability nearly obliterated the Plover Realm.
This realm, painstakingly crafted by Taishi, was home to numerous members of the Divine Soul Sect and the Chamber of Commerce, along with a host of trapped warriors from other races.
The blades, manifestations of universal laws mixed with Mother Star Iron and Primal Chaos Gold, threatened to riddle the Plover Realm with holes, undoing Taishi's laborious work.
Countless lives hung in the balance, threatened by Loong Jie's wrath.
"Sect Master Lin, I implore you to take the battle outside!"
Zhong Chichen, sensing impending disaster, feared Yu Yuan's wrath might descend upon the dragon descendants in the Gray Domain. In haste, he reached out, casting arcs of rainbow light into the sky.
Beneath the riddled barrier, a kaleidoscopic sea of clouds emerged as time and space underwent a sudden inversion.
The sword blades, once aimed at the Plover Realm, were now redirected to various microcosms, averting any real damage as they rained down upon the realm.
"Loong Jie!"
"Can the power from within these dragon scales truly condense into the Golden Laws?"
"Good heavens! The Golden Dragon God is truly formidable!"
The might of Loong Jie, barely revealed, had already left the mighty of the Plover Realm and foreign warriors like Brie, Rebecca, and Beru in awe of his staggering power.
They had never lived through the era when the Golden Dragon God wreaked havoc, so their impression of the Nagas was rather shallow. They considered the tales about the Dragon Race to be possibly embellished.
After all, the Dragon Race had ultimately been overthrown.
They found it hard to believe that the Tenth Level Golden Dragon God, who once roamed the vast starry sea, truly feared only the Great Demon God Beilstein.
Beyond that, the Dragon God had never met anyone who could force him to flee.
"Lin Daoke!"
Loong Jie, enveloped in an endless glow of divinity, extended his dragon claw like a golden anchor being lowered by the collective might of the gods. It descended slowly, as if to anchor itself within a starry river, allowing his massive dragon form to come to rest.
Boom! Crack! Crack!
The barrier between realms shattered, the arrays inscribed by Taishi and Tianqi, with their hidden patterns of the Great Dao, were torn asunder by Loong Jie's claw.
The golden anchor-like dragon claw descended slowly toward the Plover Realm, aiming directly for the crown of Lin Daoke's head.
All the mighty beings remaining in the Plover Realm looked up to see the golden dragon claw obscuring the heavens, bringing with it a dragon breath so potent it threatened to split their very souls.
In that instant, every shining star in the Oblivion Starfield seemed to dim, and every powerful individual seemed to hold their breath.
"Zhong Chichen! Keep him in check!" Yu Yuan bellowed once more.
He could see that Loong Jie had entered a frenzied state, beyond the reach of his commands and reprimands.
Loong Jie's dragon blood was in turmoil, with new and wondrous Bloodline Crystal Chains forming within his dragon heart, as if countless voices were screaming, spurring Loong Jie to engage in a fierce and unrestrained battle with Lin Daoke.
Consequences be damned!
At this moment, Loong Jie was consumed by a single thought: to annihilate Lin Daoke, with no room for anything else.
"You've come a long way."
Lin Daoke, seated at the Galaxy Crossing, watched the golden dragon claw, its joints like mountain ranges, playfully tear through the realm wall and erase the intricate patterns woven by Taishi and Tianqi. He nodded slowly in approval.
It seemed as though he finally recognized the godly stature that Loong Jie had attained.
The next moment, Lin Daoke manifested his divine form. Clad in azure robes, his form expanded a millionfold, yet his divine aspect bore not even the slightest deviation from his original appearance.
He seemed too indifferent to bother with sculpting or adorning his divine form, unwilling to expend even the slightest bit of energy on its outward appearance.
Lin Daoke raised his left hand high, like a colossal deity lifting a pagoda, and firmly caught the golden, anchor-like dragon claw that Loong Jie had thrust down. With a tightening grip, he seized the dragon claw in his hand.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
Five sword lights, capable of cleaving the heavens and earth, burst forth from Lin Daoke's palm, striking the massive dragon claw.
Howl!
Loong Jie let out a pained roar as his dragon form, as vast as a mountain range, writhed and rolled tumultuously.
Despite his efforts, his golden, anchor-like dragon claw, along with Lin Daoke's divine form, was flung from the Plover Realm into the outer reaches of the starry sky.
Amidst the infinite starry sea, Lin Daoke, with his divine form, still appeared diminutive compared to his dragon body. Yet, he maintained his hold on the dragon claw, which remained firmly in his grasp.
Lin Daoke then pointed his free hand toward his own brow.
The sword blade, born of his divine status, was drawn from the sea of his consciousness and held gently in his hand.
As the divine blade took its place in his hand, the entire starfield fell silent, the gaze of every sentient being captivated by the resplendent sword blade.
"I, too, wish to know the answer," Han Miaoyuan admitted, his voice tinged with a hint of nervousness and uncertainty.
In the past, he had never questioned Lin Daoke's swordsmanship, and Lin Daoke had never let him down. But this occasion was different.
This time, Lin Daoke had refined the "Extreme Golden Body," dissolving the Asura King Sabonis, the Tenth Level Golden Dragon God!
In the ancient era, beyond Beilstein and the Divine King, no one could contend with such a Golden Dragon God, not even the Demon Phoenix.
Yet the Lin Daoke he had mentored had already eclipsed all predecessors of the Sword Sect, becoming the most formidable Great Sword Immortal in history!
Could humanity's greatest warrior shatter Loong Jie's Golden Body, inflict severe damage, or even slay Loong Jie?
Everyone was eager for the answer.
A sword light, blindingly brilliant as if composed of billions of crystals, erupted from the sword in Lin Daoke's hand, targeting the very heart of the Golden Dragon God.
"It's similar, yet not the same!"
Yu Yuan was suddenly taken aback.
Despite the vast expanse of the starry sea between them, he could sense that within the radiant river of sword light formed by Lin Daoke's strike, there was only one type of sword intent among the billions of crystals!
The Sky Opening Array he had summoned was a fusion of blood and soul, encompassing a myriad of sword intents and techniques.
However, Lin Daoke's sword, with crystals as the embodiment of soul and spiritual power, seemed to be the fragmented essence of Lin Daoke's Yang God, yet it encapsulated only a singular sword intent and technique.
Billions, unified into one!
Clang!
A bizarre resonance that vibrated both the soul and the heart echoed out. All those fixated on this sword discovered that their vision and perception were warped, leaving them unable to see or feel anything.
Slowly, the starfield fell into a profound silence. No cries, no movement of the wind, and no one could intervene.
Only when tranquility was restored, when people's eyes could once again discern their surroundings, did they realize that Zhong Chichen and Loong Jie had vanished.
