C2288 The Source of the Sword
Lin Daoke's Star River psionic power was being voraciously harvested by the receding River of Swords.
Clutching the Divine Sword, Lin Daoke hovered in the inner world of the Primal Blood Continent, surrounded by clusters of purple light curtains fluttering like willow catkins in the breeze.
The seal Zhiya had placed on the Primal Blood Continent was now broken.
"You two, back off. I'll take her on."
Lin Daoke's expression was one of complete detachment, showing neither joy nor sorrow as he gestured for Ji Ningshuang and the little spinosaurus to retreat from the crimson star.
"Sect Master?" Ji Ningshuang called out.
Suddenly, she sensed the Arctic Breath and a cautionary note, her eyebrows giving a slight twitch.
Ji Ningshuang gave a subtle nod, but instead of leaving the Primal Blood Continent as Lin Daoke had suggested, she vanished underground, following a fissure that had opened in the earth.
Aooo!
The violet gold giant dragon, having heard the command of the Primal Blood, let out a cold snort and settled among the ruins of the palaces, transforming into a human shape.
"Lin Daoke, showing off is your prerogative, but we will not abandon this place!"
The little spinosaurus, brimming with aged defiance, called out Lin Daoke's name with neither respect nor fear.
"As you wish."
Lin Daoke gave a nod of acknowledgment. Watching the Dark Phoenix Zhiya slowly take form and the fragmented purple demon energy coalesce once more, he frowned and remarked, "You can't contain what lies beyond."
Zhiya's face, a paragon of beauty, was as chilling as the sword in Ji Ningshuang's grasp, exuding a fierce and icy menace.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Beneath her, the churning purple sea grew silent, as if gathering its strength.
The blood scent that sent shivers down the spines of all creatures in the Frostlands emanated from the enigmatic creature. The Abyssal Leviathan, sensing the intensity from afar, felt its breath grow heavy despite the vast distance from the Primal Blood Continent.
Weng! Weng!
An ear-splitting sword hum suddenly echoed across the Frostlands, reaching the border where it met the Straikepera.
A blinding sword light burst forth, piercing through the thick rock and ice!
It was none other than Lin Daoke's Solar Spirit Sword, emanating from the ice crystal mountains at the border of the Straikepera, reflecting like a polished mirror.
Beams of dazzling sword light sliced through the purple sea of demon energy, shattering the wall that enveloped the Frostlands into fragments.
Lin Daoke was masterfully wielding two Divine Swords simultaneously.
"It's the Sect Master!"
Xue Jiu, who was just about to return to the Everlands with Han Miaoyuan, suddenly paused in the starry sky, looking back with an excited expression.
Han Miaoyuan also turned sharply, his gaze landing on the crystal-like Divine Sword that had just shattered the dense purple demon soul.
The chilling intent radiating from the Divine Sword seemed poised to rip through the Straikepera's heavens, creating numerous luminous void cracks.
"Lin, you've once again surpassed my expectations."
Han Miaoyuan felt no rush to depart.
He observed the Divine Sword, aware that the recent shattering of the Sword Immortal Pendant had surely caught Lin Daoke's attention.
He planned to convince Lin Daoke, a prodigy in swordsmanship, to rejoin his ranks.
"There's a hole!"
Xue Jiu exclaimed, pointing to a sword hole in the ice mountain, a passage created by Lin Daoke's Solar Spirit Sword that led straight to the Frostlands.
"Don't go in!"
Han Miaoyuan urgently intervened, urging Xue Jiu to stay calm, "Something's amiss! Lin's Primordial Spirit Sword has undergone a wondrous transformation!"
...
In the Everlands, Yue Mu and Van Heqing of the Sword Sect suddenly sensed Lin Daoke's presence.
More precisely, they sensed his Primordial Spirit Sword.
"From this moment forth, my Primordial Spirit Sword shall also be known as the Sword Spirit, symbolizing the essence of the sword."
Anyone who practiced swordsmanship and attained the highest realm of the Primordial Spirit Stage could hear Lin Daoke's declaration.
The Most High could distinctly feel that Lin Daoke's sword, which he christened the Sword Spirit, was the origin and pinnacle for all swordsmen in the world.
Simultaneously, on Tyria, Jun Chen, having transformed the Solar Spirit into a myriad of starshards, wielded a bamboo flute as his sword. His dance and sword spell were in perfect sync with the celestial orbits.
In that moment, he sensed a power that subtly echoed his own.
"Lin Daoke!"
After some time, Jun Chen, who had realized what had transpired, collapsed in a heap, drained of strength.
Having attained the pinnacle of the Dao of the Stars, Jun Chen felt the presence of the primordial spirit sword and heard Lin Daoke's voice as the icy mountain peak split, revealing a sword-shaped fissure.
The sword spirit symbolizes the essence of the sword!
Born into the Starmoon Sect and mentored by Duan Yisheng, Jun Chen studied the night sky, unlocking the mysteries of the stars' movement.
Yet, his ultimate expression of stellar power was, in fact, through the sword!
Jun Chen, a swordsman himself, wielded the essence of swordsmanship to manifest the stars' paths into his battle prowess.
Any sword practitioner, regardless of their origin, even outside the Sword Sect, found themselves uncontrollably attuned to the primordial spirit sword upon Lin Daoke's mastery of the sword spirit's secrets.
Jun Chen's sense of helplessness stemmed from his realization that the star arcane he had mastered had been etched onto Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword as sword marks.
Faced with this, how could he possibly challenge Lin Daoke?
Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword was the ultimate destination for all swordsmen, embodying the origin and collection of the sword spell's profound meanings.
More daunting still, Jun Chen discovered within Lin Daoke's primordial spirit sword a sword arcane intertwined with the stars.
This arcane, deeply connected to the ice power, was undoubtedly derived from Ji Ningshuang's "Stardust Blade."
Merely perceiving the arcane of the stars informed him that Ji Ningshuang, with the aid of the extreme cold, had ascended to the Most High using the Profound Meaning of Extreme Coldness.
Even the Most High, with their profound understanding of swordsmanship, had their essence imprinted within Lin Daoke's sword spirit. What chance did he have?
Despite wielding the All Spirits Ban of the Genesis Continent and potentially mastering the ultimate rule of the stars and the Primal Anima to ascend to the Most High, it seemed to only augment Lin Daoke's combat capabilities.
No matter his efforts or pursuit, Jun Chen knew it was futile to dream of defeating Lin Daoke.
Jun Chen's interest waned suddenly.
...
Far off in the Wasteland, within the Stellar Phoenix.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
After traversing the vast expanse of the void, the Peak of Creation and the Wellspring of Creation had finally made their grand arrival.
"What a splendid place!"
The Tree of Life, rooted at the Peak of Creation, burst into vibrant greenery, its leaves tender as it let out a soft cheer.
This star-studded expanse, brimming with cosmic energy, was the Phoenix's lair and Zhiya's stronghold in the Wasteland.
"The Peak of Creation!"
Yu Zhu, peering through a slender space rift, caught sight of the majestic mountain and her expression subtly shifted.
Moments later, her eyes widened in amazement upon seeing the Wellspring of Creation.
The Astral Tiger and other Beast Gods, too, were stirred by the arrival of the Peak of Creation and the Wellspring of Creation, watching intently from the shadows.
"Hmm!"
Yu Yuan's real body faintly sensed Zhiya, along with the Primal Blood and the Arctic Breath.
When Lin Daoke's Solar Spirit Sword pierced a hole through Zhiya's demon energy seal, he felt a connection.
Given the vast distance separating him in the Wasteland from the Origin Realm, his perception was but a blur of those distant existences.
"Father..."
Yu Zhu stood within the void crack, her gaze complex as she looked upon him.
"There's nothing else; I simply wish to make use of this precious site."
Yu Yuan's smile shone as he spoke, "I'm curious if you and Zhiya can communicate. If so, advise her against causing trouble in the Frostlands, or I'll have to destroy her lair."
With an innocent look, Yu Zhu earnestly replied, "I'm unaware of my mother's whereabouts, and I'm unable to reach her."
Yu Yuan furrowed his brow but held his peace.
In time, his Solar Spirit, which had been surveilling the fleshly disturbances across the Wasteland's Star Rivers, shattered the void and returned to the Wellspring of Creation.
The instant his true form took hold of the Dragon Slaying Stage, his connection to the Frostlands significantly sharpened.
The clarity of Zhiya's incursion, the skirmish involving the little spinosaurus and Ji Ningshuang, and Lin Daoke's involvement—all were laid bare to him through the Primal Blood and the Arctic Breath in a mere moment.
His eyes took on an unusual hue as he nodded, murmuring to himself, "Truly worthy of Mr. Lin, to have carved out a new path and forged a sword spirit akin to my Soul Altar."
