C593 Sword in Hand
Deep into the night at the Moonfall Sanctuary, under the radiant moonlight, the landscape was pockmarked with countless craters, each a testament to the impact of extraterrestrial aerolites.
In that moment, the aerolites began to emit a ghostly glow. Deep within the sanctuary, a faint rumbling emanated from the earth's core. The Soulforge Pool, hidden beneath the surface and ever-shifting in its location, was swirling with dark Soul Power. The interlaced sword scars etched into its walls appeared to spring to life.
With a resounding boom, the Soulforge Pool burst forth from the earth, hovering in the chill of the moon's glow. The moonlight, akin to liquid silver, cascaded from the heavens, touching each meteorite in its descent.
As the Soulforge Pool levitated, the murky Soul Power at its base began to rotate slowly, generating a natural pull. Alien souls, concealed in every nook of the sanctuary and subdued by their confines, wailed as they were drawn inexorably into the pool.
For millennia, innumerable souls and otherworldly beings had been exiled to this realm, suppressed beneath the surface. Furthermore, the Boulderdawn sect had once deliberately opened a space tunnel beneath the bronze coffin, allowing the Star-Spawned Terror to enter. This was to hone the skills of the sect's disciples, providing those who had yet to forge their Solar Spirit—and thus were unworthy of venturing into the extraterrestrial realms—with the means to practice the sect's enigmatic Spirit Magic.
Terra Fiends, Alien Souls, and Star-Spawned Terrors were scattered throughout the sanctuary. Two years prior, Yu Yuan had entered for his trial, resulting in the death of many and the release of others. Yet, many more remained confined deep within the sanctuary, imprisoned throughout the year.
At this moment, numerous weaker alien souls and goasts, having hidden themselves well and evaded the previous disaster, found themselves targeted by the Soulforge Pool. They were drawn out by the lynchpin of the grand formation and vanished into its depths.
The Soulforge Pool, suspended in the air, devoured the alien souls and evil spirits, generating an abundance of dark Soul Power. After some time, the sky began to dim, the stars and moonlight struggling to pierce the gloom.
The Soulforge Matrix, briefly unveiled, was reactivated with renewed vigor after the Soulforge Pool had absorbed sufficient Soul Power, preparing to unleash its formidable might once again.
Deep beneath the earth, in the region vacated by the Soulforge Pool, lay a dark and gloomy space.
The four ancient black characters, "To Know All is to Suffer All," suddenly illuminated the darkness like a colossal black sun.
From this space, a demonic howl emanated, carrying with it an endless hatred for life and a death wish to extinguish all beings. The Star-Spawned Terror, more agitated and frenzied than ever, was desperately trying to force its way in, demanding the Everlands pay a steep price—the annihilation of all mortals.
The four ancient black characters, glowing with an eerie light, were initially suppressing the demons below and guarding against any spatial anomalies.
As the Soulforge Pool ascended, leaving blinding sword scars in its wake and absorbing the Soul Power of the souls, the words "To Know All is to Suffer All" in the space below also began to swell in a frenzied expansion.
The four ancient black characters exerted their utmost strength to keep the forces below at bay.
The roars of the Star-Spawned Terror were earth-shattering.
Suddenly, the Moonfall Sanctuary was plunged into darkness, the sky became impenetrable, and the Nine Underworlds were sealed off!
The fully activated Soulforge Matrix had locked down the Moonfall Sanctuary, preventing even the celestial light of stars and moon from filtering through.
This sealed realm had become a vast prison inaccessible to outsiders, imperceptible to the eyes and remnant souls, with no escape for those trapped within.
Whoosh!
A white figure traversed a thousand miles in an instant, arriving at the entrance to the Serpent Spine Mountains, which was also part of the Moonfall Sanctuary.
The newcomer was none other than the High Oracle, Zhou Cangmin.
Having returned to the Ruby Hand sect in the Crimson Sun Empire to refine a powerful Cursed Artifact, he was ready to take to the extraterrestrial skies for his customary battle with the Sky Fiend. Meanwhile, his main body and Lunar Spirit remained within the borders of the Crimson Sun Empire.
His intangible Lunar Spirit had made the journey here effortlessly.
Upon arrival, however, he discovered that the entire Moonfall Sanctuary was sealed off. Using his divine abilities to peer inside, he realized that not even his Solar Spirit or physical presence could penetrate the barrier.
"The full might of the Soulforge Matrix has been unleashed, locking down the forbidden area. Neither entry nor exit is possible."
Zhou Cangmin wore a grave expression as he gazed into the distance, his voice deep and serious, "There must have been an earth-shattering event within the forbidden area. In these tumultuous times, the Godsblight Marsh has inexplicably erupted into chaos. Now, something has happened at the Moonfall Sanctuary as well. What in the world is going on?"
After a brief pause, he added, "The only one capable of manipulating the Soulforge Matrix is Yu Yuan!"
Suddenly shaken, Zhou Cangmin exclaimed in alarm, "Could it be that rascal, Yu Yuan?"
...
Deep within the Marsh.
Yu Yuan, lost in his sword meditation, drifted through the Otherworld in a daze.
In an unnamed region of the Extraterrestrial Star River, a cold and shadowy area was littered with massive rocks from shattered stars.
The corpses of a Star River alien race lay scattered, including the vast remains of a warship, thousands of feet in length, suspended motionless in the void.
There were also fallen Otherkin, their bodies gleaming like gold, resembling rivers of gold standing in the Star River.
An alien beast, akin to a colossal crocodile, had its head severed by a sharp blade, its body dismembered.
The crocodile's serrated teeth, snapped off, twinkled with a chilling light amidst the cosmos.
Giants made of black iron had been cleaved into sections, resembling broken mountain peaks.
The bodies of these Otherkin, massive as mountains, floated in the starry sky, disregarded like refuse.
To the cultivators of the lower realms in the Everlands, these corpses would be considered priceless treasures, and they would desperately scavenge the flesh and bones to enhance their cultivation.
Yet now, these valuable remains drifted aimlessly through the starry sky.
The scene shifted.
Amidst a sea of Starshards, a flickering figure continuously executed sword strikes.
Each stroke unleashed a vast river of sword light!
Within the sword light, the cosmic order thundered, cleaving through all that exists, both seen and unseen, with ultimate precision.
Matter, flesh, souls, and even thoughts and memories were all shredded by the river of sword light unleashed by each strike.
Sky Fiends, resembling the Indigo Wraith, surged towards him like a tide, but before they could draw near, they were reduced to dust.
Many surviving, bizarre creatures from Alien Planets and Otherkin, some towering like thousand-foot mountains, others as small as human children, charged at him in an awe-inspiring procession.
With a single sweep of his blade, a myriad of stars were eclipsed, leaving only a radiant river of sword light that eradicated countless extraterrestrial beings.
The sword-bearer appeared to be protecting something, standing alone against the relentless and fearless onslaught of the Otherkin's numerous powerful adversaries.
Upon closer inspection, the object beneath his feet was a small, gleaming silver mountain.
It was none other than the Sword Prison!
In the instant that Yu Yuan glimpsed the Sword Prison, his consciousness fully immersed, he came to a sudden realization.
The one wielding the sword was none other than the Moon Slayer cultivator, the inaugural guardian of the Sword Prison!
As soon as he recognized this fact and the identity of the sword-bearer, his thoughts and consciousness seemed to be instantaneously drawn into the sword-bearer's form.
At once, he felt as though he had become the sword-bearer himself, confronting the extraterrestrial beings with the sword-bearer's body and blade.
The sword spirit hummed softly, resonating with him, spurring him on, and bolstering his resolve.
"Kill!"
He swung his sword in a natural motion. The sword spell announced itself, and the sword's will seamlessly coursed through his body and hands.
