C2034 The Sound of the Sword

The Everlands echoed with a whistling sound.

Within the fiery world, a thunderous noise erupted from the location of the Sword Sect on the continent of Euwrea.

The roar originated from the Sword Cave.

The Sword Cave, left behind by the Sword Sect and entombing thousands of Spirit Swords, suddenly burst into a chorus of clanging after a loud boom.

The Spirit Swords and Divine Swords, radiating with dazzling divine light, rejoiced with exuberance.

Shortly thereafter, the Divine Swords and Spirit Swords, embedded in the Sword Cave, mustered their strength like a swarm of industrious ants and soared out of the blazing inferno, emerging into the dim Star River.

The sound of the swords humming filled the air as the sword spirits, yearning for home, frantically searched for direction.

In the strange starry sky, in an unfamiliar world, there were none of the familiar faces or objects they knew.

Only the solitary Dragon Slaying Stage floated in the shadowy star sea, with a figure gazing upon them, their expression complex.

The Divine Swords and Spirit Swords, possessing rudimentary sentience, scrutinized the silhouette on the Dragon Slaying Stage, quickly discerning that this was not the one they sought.

Yet, they felt a profound affinity for this person, who had once shown them special care.

Whoosh!

Jihui appeared silently in the dark Star River, observing the Sword Cave as it departed from the Everlands.

"Sir."

His face etched with a tinge of sorrow, he noticed Yu Yuan's real body seated calmly on the Dragon Slaying Stage, also attentive to the Sword Cave's activity.

With due respect, Jihui bowed deeply.

"I shall take the Sword Cave with me. It houses numerous Divine Swords and serves as the cornerstone and support of the Sword Sect."

As he spoke, Jihui cautiously regarded Yu Yuan, who had never left the Everlands and had always been in its swift passage.

Yu Yuan gestured with a wave of his hand, indicating for him to depart.

Jihui hesitated briefly, then, clutching a broken flagpole, he traced lines of spatial light, enveloping the Sword Cave before taking his leave.

Meanwhile, Yu Yuan, perched atop the Dragon Slaying Stage and seemingly lost in contemplation, paid no heed to Jihui's movements or the departure of Jihui and the Sword Cave.

"Lin Daoke."

Yu Yuan whispered, his thoughts involuntarily drifting to the moment he received the legacy of the Titanblade and wielded the Heaven-Opening Sword Array to shatter the Nine Palaces Array amidst the grandeur of the Everlands.

Guided by the echoing sword chimes of the past, he did not intervene, allowing the Divine Swords and Spirit Swords to pay homage to the "true spirit" of the sword they revered.

The River of Swords in the Glimmerdrift Nebula, the legacy of the Grand Sword Immortal from the Sword Sect who perished in the extraterrestrial, carried the true essence of swordsmanship back to the Sword Cave, safeguarded by the Divine Sword.

This was his charge, a duty he was bound to fulfill after inheriting the legacy of Nie Qingtian.

He had no right to interfere.

...

The Abyss.

Yue Mu, Su Qingmo, and Xue Jiu, all Grand Sword Immortals, felt their refined sword spirits stir within them, and deep within their Mindscape, a sword shadow emerged.

This was the Divine Sword, crafted from Lin Daoke's primordial spirit!

This unparalleled Divine Sword, commanding reverence from all beings, had shattered the spatial confines of the Abyssal Gate, allowing them to sense its presence with sudden clarity.

The sword resided deep within their souls, now a beacon of faith and the cornerstone of their swordsmanship.

It represented both the foundation and the ultimate destination of swordsmanship.

As if it were both the origin and the culmination of the sword path!

"It's the Sect Master!"

Overwhelmed by the presence of the sword, Su Qingmo's face was wet with tears as she whispered, "It's our Sect Master. It feels like the Sect Master is watching over me."

A surge of exhilaration raced up Yue Mu's spine, and with a beaming smile, he exclaimed, "The Sect Master's swordsmanship has advanced further! Though we're unsure of what has transpired, here in the Abyss, we can sense the Sword Sect's Divine Sword!"

"Look over there!"

Xue Jiu, usually detached and stoic, pointed towards an obscure expanse on the seventh level of the Abyss.

In that lightless realm where countless Abyss Tribes were locked in endless conflict, stood a towering mountain etched with countless sword scars.

As the three from the Sword Sect felt Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword resonate within them, they gazed upon the mountain peak and witnessed a miraculous sight.

There sat Lin Daoke's likeness atop the peak, in meditative repose, as if in deep contemplation of the sword.

The sword's will emanating from his body carved dense sword scars onto the surface of the towering mountain peak.

As time swiftly passed, one day Lin Daoke seemed to have an epiphany. He withdrew his pervasive sword's will and drifted away from that place.

The primordial spirit sword, perceived by Yue Mu and the others through their spiritual sense, transported them back in time, allowing them to witness Lin Daoke's journey of understanding the sword.

Lin Daoke's departing figure embodied an extraordinary sense of liberation, as if he had achieved true freedom.

"Sect Master!"

The three Grand Sword Immortals were filled with admiration. They gazed into the sky above the Abyss, straining to sense Lin Daoke's presence.

...

In the Ashlands.

"Sect Master!"

"Lin Daoke!"

Lu Hongpeng, Van Heqing, and Jun Chen, who all pursued mastery of the sword spell, shared Yue Mu and the others' sentiments.

Staring at Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword and the image of his primordial spirit within it, they experienced a profound desire to pay homage to the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Van Heqing, who had cultivated a supreme primordial spirit, found his understanding of the sword's true essence resonating with Lin Daoke's sword.

Hiss hiss!

Within Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword, countless fine sword lights flickered and vanished in an instant.

With each flash of sword light, it seemed as though a truth of swordsmanship was etched into the Divine Sword.

Whether it was the Divine Sword or a swordsman, all formed a spiritual bond with this sword.

Cultivators from the Sword Sect, across the vast Everlands, and even from the extraterrestrial Boulderdawn Sect, were connected.

Any practitioner of the sword's true mantra who could sense Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword would leave their mark upon it with their sword's will and sword spell.

This was seen as the highest honor!

Those who could perceive Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword and envision it within their mindscape were the most gifted swordsmen in the world, destined to be immortalized in history.

Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword was the very essence of all swords!

Lin Daoke's mastery of the sword left all the experts gathered in the Ashlands in awe.

It was beyond anyone's imagination that Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword could replicate an effect akin to the mythical "source of the sword."

His swordsmanship had seemingly reached its zenith. Could this be what they refer to as the eleventh level?

"Listen up!"

Sensing trouble, Taishi called out sharply, "Jihui, Han Miaoyuan, Qin Luo, and the others, with the Primal Anima within them, are corrupting the Ashlands. Their presence and their lingering here threaten to unravel the foundational rules of the Ashlands. We must address this issue first."

With a swish!

A dazzling sword light burst forth from Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword, cleaving through the unseen barrier of the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone.

All eyes were drawn upwards to the sprinkling of starlight seeping through the breach.

Beyond the breach lay the familiar expanse of the Origin Realm.

This revelation dawned on everyone.

The so-called Starry Sky Forbidden Zones, like the Ashlands, Dark Realm, and Wraithlands, were all within the Origin Realm.

The distinction between a Starry Sky Forbidden Zone and a genuine Astral Domain lay in the massive walls that shrouded and isolated an Astral Domain.

The Ashlands were shielded by a wall to prevent the outflow of intense cosmic energy.

Without the Starry Sky Forbidden Zone's protective "cover," the formidable energy surging from Tyria's core would disperse into other Astral Domains, stripping the Ashlands of its unique properties.

The Ashlands' allure and mystery stemmed from the unparalleled concentration of cosmic energy within the Origin Realm.

Now, the invisible, colossal "wall" encasing the Ashlands had been breached by Lin Daoke's sword light.

Effectively, the Ashlands had gained an additional portal.

If Lin Daoke so desired, he could further wield his sword, transforming the enigmatic forbidden area crafted by the Old Titan Spinosaurus into a common Astral Domain of the Origin Realm.

Suddenly, the sound of countless swords resonating filled the air.

Boom!

The Sword Cave from Euwrea had descended through the opening created by the sword light, connecting two worlds.

Beside the Sword Cave, a peculiar light flickered. Jihui, clutching the Wraithbanner's flagpole, had vanished unnoticed and had somehow managed to escort the Sword Cave to the Ashlands.

Upon arriving, Jihui cast an embarrassed glance at Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit, uncertain of what to say. Deep down, he knew that Yu Yuan, the master of the Dragon Slaying Stage, could have prevented him from taking the Sword Cave and from transporting it to the Ashlands, yet Yu Yuan had chosen not to intervene.

"Senior, I implore you to call back the Dragon Slaying Stage," Lin Daoke entreated once more.

This time, even the Secular Bird Queen, Taishi, the Abyssal Greater Basilisk, and a supreme being like Reid agreed that Lin Daoke had earned the right to request Yu Yuan's full effort.

With a whoosh, another Yu Yuan and Youyu emerged from the Time Gate on Tyria, crossing the wall and hovering in the starry expanse.

Yu Yuan's Solar Spirit's eyes suddenly sparked with intertwining threads of crimson lightning. The chasm into which Jihui and the Sword Cave had fallen was swiftly mended by the thick, dragon-like strands of scarlet electricity.

The surface of Eiwrone, too, was interwoven with similar red lightning. The sole entryway to the Ashlands was sealed off by this lightning, barring any possibility of entrance or exit.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of Jihui and Han Miaoyuan, the once perforated Ashlands had become completely sealed off.

"The Dragon Slaying Stage is crafted from Eiwrone, imprinted with the cosmic order, and has undergone multiple refinements to become the mightiest artifact between heaven and earth," Yu Yuan observed the extraordinary celestial body.

A silver-white stone soared from the Eiwrone, settling into his palm. "Now, it has transformed into the Dragon Slaying Stage."

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