The Divine Bronze Mirror clung to his arm like a red-hot branding iron. Even though Yu Ci, now severely weakened and less sensitive to pain, couldn't help but groan aloud.
It was then that he finally took notice of the bright moon above.
"This thing..."
"Great Brahma has buggered off." The tone and choice of words were odd, carrying an emotion not previously expressed.
Yu Ci, no longer willing to tax his brain and lacking the energy to do so, could only blink hard, forcing himself not to drift off to sleep, and managed a weak response, "That's good..."
"Indeed, it's good!"
The words were spoken deliberately, and at the end, there was a smile: "Qu Thunderbolt-Free has always wanted to do it but never dared. You and Great Brahma did it for him; you really are doing good deeds."
"What?" Yu Ci was jolted, suddenly much more alert. He also felt it—the source of the Boundary River was still in turmoil. With the absence of the Great Brahma Demon King, the projection of the Black Magic Altar had vanished, and the tide of blood released by the Xuan Huang Killing Sword no longer transformed into the power to break the boundary. The impact itself, however, had increased, which Yu Ci initially thought was the reason.
But after the sarcastic comment, he sensed more carefully and vaguely felt that it was not as he had imagined.
"What exactly is going on?"
"You know too much. If you want to live, shut your mouth, and close your eyes and ears. If you can't do that, find a way to forget. Junior, this is my advice to you."
Yu Ci snorted but before he could respond, a piercing howl tore through the sky: "Qu Thunderbolt-Free!"
The sharp sonic waves sliced through the air like sword light, shattering it. Yu Ci immediately spotted his howling target and couldn't help but feel puzzled: "Lord Yuan Dao's..."
"Shut up!" In the short, stern voice, Yu Ci heard more anxiety than anything else.
Yuan Dao's Physical Body burst forth from the surging Crimson Fire Demon Flame. The extraordinary appearance of deep purple pupils rimmed with gold had disappeared, replaced by a murky aura and behind that aura, a resentment burning like fire. Shadow Ghost, now realizing he had once again been used as a pawn—and a disposable one at that—resigned himself to it after many upheavals.
At this moment, Shadow Ghost, also known as the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, understood more clearly than ever that he would never achieve the goal buried in his heart for nearly ten thousand years: Qu Thunderbolt-Free had left him no chance. Even if he had possessed Yuan Dao's Physical Body, what of it? His goal remained out of reach, and what was left here was merely an ancient projection. Even if he destroyed it, Qu Thunderbolt-Free would remain unscathed.
Yet, he could still escape! With the Origin Force catalyzed within him by the Great Brahma Demon King and Yuan Dao's Physical Body, it was very possible for him to completely erase his fatal flaw and henceforth live fearlessly and openly in the Cultivation World. Yes, what the Great Brahma Demon King had given was not something else but confidence and hope.
Stirred by this, it roused its fighting spirit, and its mind became more spirited, recalling another matter: indeed, it was powerless against Qu Thunderbolt-Free, but it could still wreak havoc!
"Qu Thunderbolt-Free, whatever you plan to do, you can't hide it from me!"
Taking a deep breath, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave methodically stimulated every corner of his body, challenging the remaining obstructions. With his movements, a majestic divine light surrounded Yuan Dao's Physical Body, faintly revealing the might of a Sword Immortal. The intense reaction with the surrounding void influenced the collapse process of the Void Structure.
At the same time, it began to sprint. Regardless, this place was orchestrated by Qu Thunderbolt-Free's lingering presence. By obliterating it, the plans prepared for thousands of years could be ruined in an instant!
Sensing the current situation, the lingering presence of Qu Thunderbolt-Free made no move. However, the sky's bright moon cast its light, as if it were dealing with the Great Brahma Demon King.
Bathed in moonlight, Yuan Dao's Physical Body's momentum faltered, but quickly, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave overcame the moonlight's entangling force on the Yang Spirit. Sword energy burst forth, shattering the moonlight, its momentum increasing: "Under the same circumstances, the Great Brahma Demon King has to be distracted by the battle in the Skyless Scorched Purgatory, while I am solely focused. Moreover, how can the compatibility between me and Yuan Dao's Physical Body be compared with the Great Brahma?"
How much distance could there be from the center of the collapsing space to the location of Qu Thunderbolt-Free's lingering presence?
In the blink of an eye, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave had already charged before the lingering presence. The vast difference in power meant that without even exerting its full strength, the surging divine light already distorted the lingering presence, warping its smile into an eerily strange shape.
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Seeing this image, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave, as if facing the real Qu Thunderbolt-Free, let out a piercing scream of exertion: "Die!"
The lingering presence twisted to its limit, dissolving into a meaningless burst of colorful light that scattered in all directions.
The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave laughed heartily, but halfway through, it sensed something was amiss. The collapse of the Void Structure had not ceased, which could be attributed to natural inertia, but where was the incomparable power contained within it going?
Its nerves tensed instantly, and at that moment, the colorful light coalesced, and the lingering presence reappeared, almost touching its face. The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave's reaction was top-notch, but no matter how fast its thoughts, a body that wouldn't respond was futile.
A wave carrying unique information seeped in, resonating with a specific orifice within, stirring up waves inside Yuan Dao's Physical Body. The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave felt this very clearly, yet, like a nightmare, it was utterly paralyzed.
In an instant, Yuan Dao's physical body solidified.
Trouble! The Master of the Sunken Sword Cave reacted with remarkable speed, making a swift decision upon realizing something was amiss. It gathered the Yang Spirit it had cultivated for thousands of years, intending to break free, but at that moment, Yuan Dao's physical body became a massive lock, firmly holding onto its Yang Spirit.
"Is this a pre-set trap? Qu Thunderbolt-Free, you..."
"Knowing your intentions, how could I allow you, a mere jester, to tarnish the lifelong reputation of Brother Yuan Dao?"
The reconstituted Qu Thunderbolt-Free did not even bother to spare a glance, simply saying, "Please, Brother Yuan Dao, let go."
Yuan Dao was long gone, his spirit dissipated; these words were but a commemoration. However, the person in question found it hard to see it that way. At that moment, Yuan Dao's physical body seemed to possess its own spirit, slowly but surely expelling the Shadow Ghost's Yang Spirit. Under the bright moonlight, it was also gradually absorbing it.
These were not the original methods of Qu Thunderbolt-Free, but for the Shadow Ghost at this time, they were irresistible. The process was slow, yet it left no opportunity for escape.
"Ah, Qu Thunderbolt-Free, I will not accept this!"
Qu Thunderbolt-Free's projection completely ignored the outcry, simply lifting his head to peer through the bright moonlight at the void beyond. With the moon's light obstructing the view, it remained unnoticed that behind the brightest light source in the sky, a piece of the void had indeed emptied, the original stars erased, leaving a bottomless darkness.
The clash between the Blood Purgatory Ghost Mansion and the Cultivation World continued, but the channel for the dissipation of power was slowly twisting. Using the source region of the Boundary River as a medium, a passageway formed, pointing towards the void behind the moon.
"You and the Great Brahma Demon King are cut from the same cloth!"
In the end, the Master of the Sunken Sword Cave was one of those who knew Qu Thunderbolt-Free best. In its despair, it cursed loudly, inadvertently speaking a profound truth—regarding both the current situation and the root hidden behind the facade.
This statement reverberated with a thunderous echo throughout the heavens and earth.
"What does it mean by that?"
Yu Ci, having long forgotten the agreement not to speak, unexpectedly received an answer after a long silence: "He once had the power to shatter three thousand worlds with his sword, yet lacked the ability of Void Positioning; now, Void Positioning is not an issue, but he no longer possesses the Sword Energy of the Purified Flying Immortal of yore, huh!"
To anyone else, the words were as clear as mud, but Yu Ci seemed to grasp their meaning. However, his mind struggled to keep pace, and he foolishly asked, "What will happen?"
"The same fate—for this realm."
The reply came coldly, but with a warmth that followed, "You've been a great help, and I'm surprised you've made it this far. Now, take your elder and run as far as you can!"
As the voice faded, Yu Ci saw Yu Zhou, blood-soaked, hurtling towards him, reaching out to drag him away: "Hurry, the Xing Tian Magic Sword is imminent, this place won't hold!"
"Is that so?"
Yu Ci, drained of even the strength to lift his arm, could only offer Yu Zhou a smile. Then, in a manner now familiar to him, he covertly sought the counsel of another presence:
"Elder Xing Tian, what will you do?"
No response came, only the Boundary River's source region, where the continuously shrinking spatial walls suddenly ruptured. A ring of cold-toned blue light flared like a flame, spreading along the spatial fissure.
Qu Thunderbolt-Free's afterimage seemed taken aback. It turned its head towards the freshly torn spatial wall. From its perspective, all that was visible beyond the fissure was a black void, but further still, a chilling intent lurked like a beast in ambush, fixing its murderous gaze upon it without concealment.
Time seemed to stand still.
The next moment, a ghostly blue Sword Light sliced across the void, shining through the Void Rift. In a flash, Qu Thunderbolt-Free's afterimage shattered, scattering prismatic light in all directions.
Only then did the sword's piercing cry and the groans of the collapsing earth follow, a chasm ten zhang wide casting doubt on the land's ability to endure any longer. The already constrained heavens and earth had been cleaved in two by the raw force of Sword Energy!
Not just the earth was torn asunder; the skies and the various void worlds were thrown into chaos by this single stroke. The newly formed passage connecting two spaces showed signs of instability.
At a level beyond the reach of ordinary mortals, a message was sent: "Why such extremes for an old acquaintance's reunion?"
The reply came as a pervasive blue glow that filled the heavens and the earth. The light, using the Boundary River's source as a relay, penetrated every neighboring void world, locking onto the residual aura of Qu Thunderbolt-Free's afterimage. It used this trace as a thread to weave through the various void worlds in search of the true form behind the afterimage. But it was a fleeting touch, for Xing Tian soon realized that such a feat was impossible.
The blue luminescence converged at the Boundary River's source, saturating every corner of the universe, mingling with the surging tide of blood to emit a series of sharp, hissing sounds. At the height of the blue light's intensity, Yu Ci felt as though he were plummeting into the deep sea, every muscle and bone in his body crying out in agony, and a chill piercing to the marrow—all defenses seemed transparent, allowing the light to penetrate with ease.
And when the tide of blood also roared in, he was still at the "ocean floor," only now it was also swirling with magma.
The sword's cry, like the snapping of strings, inserted itself into that special level, sending out a message for the first time:
"Where is the Thunderbolt-Free Sword Immortal, who once sliced through tribulations and ascended without relying on others?"
"He followed to the Eternal Abyss."
The answer was indifferent, clearly a falsehood, yet carried an unquestionable sincerity.
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