C2051 The Divine Sword's Sound Transmission

The Evil Temple, perched at the peak of the Abyss, fell eerily silent.

The Holy Temple now occupied the space where the Abyssal Gate once stood, unhurried in its movements.

Beneath the Holy Temple lay the land bathed in the glow of the Light Spirit, a beacon within the Abyss.

The humans of this land, along with the Unbound realm cultivators scattered about, all gazed upward, witnessing the departure of the legendary Holy Temple.

Those in the know recognized this grand structure as the emblem of the Abyss.

They were also aware that the Evil Gods of the Abyss had banded together at the behest of the protector to subdue the Demon God Bertain.

As it emerged from the perpetual darkness and soared towards the heavens, it seemed poised to exit the Abyss and enter from the Origin Realm. Both the mighty humans of the Origin Realm and the native creatures of the Abyss kept a watchful eye on it.

Its abrupt halt sent a wave of tension through the beings of the Abyss, leaving them uncertain of what had transpired.

From within a chair that was a spectral projection of Yu Yuan, Bertain observed Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian. The disturbance in Tan Xiaotian's soul revealed to him that Tan Xiaotian had fractured his divine seat.

Bertain, unfazed by Tan Xiaotian's decision, continued to smile in admiration.

But the scene shifted, and to his astonishment, Lin Daoke also came into view. Bertain was taken aback, "Sword Sect, Lin Daoke, this fellow has always been a bit slow-witted. Could it be that he's been swayed so easily by Yu Yuan because his dedication to the sword has dulled his senses?"

"Bertain, we are about to lay the groundwork for your demise."

The Guardian's voice, ancient and profound, resonated within the vast Holy Temple, "You were created by a being of extraordinary power, just like yourself. That's why you can draw upon the dense Soul Power from the darkest depths of the Abyss."

"The deeper into the Abyss, the fainter its power, the more concentrated the Soul Power."

"The reason you've eluded death is that you've been able to continually harness this Soul Power from the darkness to sustain yourself."

"But that ends now," the Guardian declared softly.

Like Yu Yuan, Bertain, the formidable Demon God, was a creation of the Primal Soul and could feel the overwhelming Soul Power within the infinite darkness.

As long as the Holy Temple was situated there, Bertain could harness his power to absorb Soul Power and convert it for his own use. Now that the Holy Temple had soared from the shadows to the location of the Abyssal Gate, Bertain found himself unable to draw upon the infinite Soul Power to replenish himself from the darkness. Consequently, there was a chance he could be refined.

"Haha, it'll come down to your skills!" Bertain cackled, unfazed by the prospect of death, and exclaimed, "One is Tan Xiaotian, and the other is Lin Daoke. The human race indeed boasts an impressive array of talent. It truly astounds me."

...

Only those with immense determination and intellect possess the courage to detach from the Primal Soul and shatter their divine status. Such individuals alone have the requisite power. Yu Yuan considered two candidates capable of escaping the soul's bonds: Demon Lord Tan Xiaotian and Sword Sect's Master Lin Daoke. He believed they had the best chance of liberation.

Others, at this stage, would likely struggle to overcome the will of the Primal Soul, even if they wished to break their divine positions. Before calling out Tan Xiaotian's name, Yu Yuan's soul was undergoing a metamorphosis. The awakening of his memories prompted him to recall numerous events, including a mystique that allowed one to separate from their original source without descending in realm.

It seemed as though he had been preparing for this moment for eons. His struggle with the Primal Soul of the Abyss was relentless and unending. As the Primal Soul escaped its confinement and departed from his sea of consciousness, the method to counter it began to emerge.

Crack!

Deep within Tan Xiaotian's sea of consciousness, the black crystal symbolizing his Divine Position burst asunder. Yet, Tan Xiaotian's dark primordial spirit remained within his brain. The azure-black source force was forcibly expelled from his mind, taking flight from his brow.

Yu Yuan was rendered silent. He had intended to share the proper mystique for detaching the original source, but before he could impart this knowledge, Tan Xiaotian had already freed himself from the source's constraints, with his primordial spirit remaining undiminished.

At the eleventh level, one possesses such confidence and qualifications that no additional interference is necessary.

"So what if I abandon the primal source?"

Tan Xiaotian let out a cold laugh in the Dark Realm. Having ascended to the eleventh level, he did not experience a decline in his realm despite the departure of the primal source. His primordial spirit's power remained undiminished.

As the primal soul took flight, he felt a profound sense of liberation, as if his soul had achieved ultimate freedom and ease.

For years, the shackles that had confined the Demon Lord were finally shattered by his ascension to the eleventh level, spurred by Yu Yuan's guile and provocation.

In that moment, he heard a sigh from the Dark Anima deep within the Abyss, a sign of emerging unease and fear.

Because Tan Xiaotian had fractured his divine position and separated a portion of his essence, the Dark Overlord's Primal Anima, out of respect and fear for his ally, was clearly anxious and terrified.

The Dark Anima was evidently fearful of that individual, concerned about the forthcoming circumstances.

...

Deep within the Everlands.

The instant Tan Xiaotian severed his primal soul, he vanished from Yu Yuan's soul perception, as if a corresponding star had been erased from his soul.

This seemed to indicate that the dark soul sea floating in the Soul Altar had also relinquished its control over Tan Xiaotian.

"Lin!"

Han Miaoyuan let out a piercing cry, clutching the Banner of Duality as he rushed to Lin Daoke's side.

The vast flag unfurled, attempting to envelop the starry space where Lin Daoke was, in a bid to halt his actions.

"Please, do not hinder me."

Lin Daoke shook his head, his expression impassive.

The dazzling primordial spirit sword silently emerged from his brow, eliciting the reverence of myriad Divine Swords and Spirit Swords as if they were in the presence of the deity of all swords.

Lin Daoke's eyes became exceptionally clear, his sword heart as luminous as his gaze.

With a whoosh, the multitude of Divine Swords and Spirit Swords that had besieged the Secular Bird Queen swiftly retreated to the Sword Cave, aligning behind him, all hilts directed towards him.

Chen Qinghuang, her face etched with frost, was backed by the grand visage of an Azure Bird soaring behind her head. Her Divine Visage, with three heads and six arms, was enveloped by clouds of destruction, death, and poison.

Caught off guard by her sudden release, she was momentarily dazed and did not immediately seek revenge against Lin Daoke.

She was trying to understand what had transpired.

"Mr. Lin, no!"

God-King Jihui, from Tyria, also felt a sense of foreboding and instantly materialized beside Lin Daoke.

He, along with Han Miaoyuan, Qin Luo, and Zu Ann, had heard Yu Yuan's taunts directed at Tan Xiaotian and his persuasive words to Lin Daoke.

Yu Yuan's voice echoed in the minds of all the supreme beings who had merged with their primal source, making them aware of the situation.

Tan Xiaotian had been swayed by Yu Yuan's argument and chose to shatter his Divine Throne in the Dark Realm.

Yet, having reached the storied eleventh level, Tan Xiaotian's primordial spirit remained intact even after losing a portion of his primal source, leaving his combat prowess undiminished.

The loss of the primal source seemed to have no negative impact on Tan Xiaotian; if anything, it appeared to be advantageous.

At the eleventh level, Tan Xiaotian seemed to possess the right to shatter his Divine Throne and sever his primal source.

Tan Xiaotian's actions had little effect on him, but they risked provoking the ire of humanity's creator.

Lin Daoke's case was different, however.

Having not ascended to the eleventh level, Lin Daoke was already of considerable age. His time was up, and with the loss of his primal source and the fall from his exalted status, he faced the prospect of dying of old age.

A fall from grace meant certain death for Lin Daoke, as had been witnessed by many in the Everlands.

Should he perish, the ultimate swordsmanship that Lin Daoke had sought would be nothing more than a fleeting fantasy.

His Primordial Spirit Sword, Solar Spirit Sword, and Lunar Spirit Sword would all vanish into the annals of time with the decline of his realm.

He would be remembered as a legend, revered by future generations, but his path in swordsmanship would cease to advance.

The so-called source of the sword would remain an unattainable, beautiful dream.

No one understood why Lin Daoke had made such a decision, why at this critical juncture, he would so firmly defy Han Miaoyuan and its intentions.

Lin Daoke had always been Han Miaoyuan's most formidable sword, seemingly devoid of personal conviction.

He had always heeded Han Miaoyuan's guidance, and nothing had changed. Was he truly considering defying Han Miaoyuan and the very creator of humanity, risking the fragmentation of his divine status, all because of a few words from Yu Yuan?

Was he seeking his own demise?

Suddenly, it dawned on everyone that they had never truly known Lin Daoke. They were clueless about the thoughts of this seemingly obtuse man.

Whoosh!

Cao Jiaze materialized as a wisp of ghostly light, hovering before Lin Daoke, silently observing his stoic visage.

This gesture brought silence to Han Miaoyuan, Jihui, and the rest. To the exalted ones present, Cao Jiaze embodied the will of the Everlands' heart and the creator of humankind. With his presence disturbed by Lin Daoke, no further words were necessary.

He shook his head gently at Lin Daoke.

The radiance of Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword abruptly retracted, and the myriad dark patterns transformed into a smoky haze that ensnared Lin Daoke's mind and spirit.

Lin Daoke's once clear eyes and sword heart now appeared clouded and obscured.

"Mr. Lin."

"Please listen carefully."

Specks of soul light emerged within the Divine Sword, coalescing into runes of memory.

The Divine Sword was none other than the Titanblade!

Yu Yuan had previously entrusted Taishi with the task of selecting a successor for the Titanblade, the bearer of the 'Nine Celestial Slashes.' Now, it resonated with Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword in the Ashlands.

The sword spirit within the Titanblade shared a soul connection with Yu Yuan, allowing it to grasp his innermost thoughts.

A mystique designed to safely and harmlessly sever one's origin surfaced within the Titanblade, inspired by Yu Yuan's inner voice.

This Spirit Magic had only just emerged with Yu Yuan's reawakening memories.

It was the wisdom he had acquired while resisting the Primal Soul of the Abyss, a spell that enabled the highest echelons of human primordial spirits to maintain their realm even after losing their origin.

In that moment, as Yu Yuan wrestled with the Primal Soul and delved into the intricacies of the soul essence, his insights were mirrored in the Titanblade.

The sword spirit of the Titanblade, in tune with Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword, transmitted every epiphany of Yu Yuan's heart through the Divine Sword.

...