Chapter 188: What Realm Has the Sword Sovereign Truly Reached?

—

Gu An channeled his power into the earth, drawing the spiritual energy of the five elements toward Heavenly Mending Platform.

On the platform, the kneeling cultivators noticed wisps of spiritual energy rising, all converging in one direction.

Their gazes followed the flow—

The Heaven-Splitting Axe!

Zuo Yijian, still kneeling beside the Heaven-Splitting Axe, felt it most deeply.

His pupils dilated, and his heart surged with excitement.

“He’s going to act!”

The gathered spiritual energy swirled into a vortex, rapidly forming into a dark purple demonic shadow—

Gu An’s Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body!

Under the radiance of the golden formation, the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body appeared majestic and domineering, filling the surrounding cultivators with awe and exhilaration.

The Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path had manifested!

—

The massive ethereal face in the sky locked its gaze onto Gu An’s Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body.

The golden formation erupted with blinding rays of light—

But this time, it was as if a torrential downpour had descended from the heavens, covering the entire sky.

For those standing on Heavenly Mending Platform, the visual impact was overwhelming.

Within Zuo Yijian’s peripheral vision, the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body suddenly reached back—

And gripped the handle of the Heaven-Splitting Axe.

—

A weapon that no one in Taixuan Sect had ever been able to lift—

Was effortlessly raised.

As if it weighed nothing.

Standing alone against the golden downpour, the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, with the Heaven-Splitting Axe in hand, appeared insignificant in the vast heavens.

But at that moment—

All eyes were upon him.

With his presence, the suffocating pressure on every cultivator in the Outer Sect City began to lessen, allowing them to turn their heads.

No one knew why—

But simply watching the Sword Sovereign holding the axe made their fear vanish entirely.

—

Time itself seemed to slow.

Zuo Yijian lifted his gaze, his eyes blazing with fanaticism.

Though he remained kneeling, it felt as though he were kneeling in reverence before the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body.

With the Heaven-Splitting Axe in his right hand, the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body shifted the axe to his left side—

Then, with a mighty swing, he lifted the axe high.

Axe Raised to Cleave the Heavens!

With a single slash—

The entire world lost its color.

The endless golden light shattered in succession.

The massive golden formation, which spanned the sky, was cleaved in half.

Even the enormous ethereal face was bisected.

And the very firmament itself cracked, revealing a gaping rift in space, a wound upon the heavens.

—

“Who… are you?! How have you mastered the Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe to this extent?!”

The once-calm, indifferent voice now trembled with fear.

Gone was its previous composure.

—

BOOM!

The halved golden formation suddenly exploded.

A storm of devastating winds erupted, obliterating everything in its path.

Zuo Yijian instinctively lowered his head, shutting his eyes tightly against the sheer force.

Within the Third Medicine Valley, all disciples were thrown into the air by the shockwave.

Even Gu An’s true body was momentarily displaced.

Across the entire valley, countless defensive formations activated, forming protective barriers—glowing shields of light flashing to life.

Beyond the Medicine Valley, the forests swayed violently, the trees quaking as if they might be ripped from the earth at any moment.

The same scene unfolded in Xuan Valley—

And across the Outer and Inner Sect Cities, as well as the Main Sect City.

Every cultivator across the Taixuan Sect had witnessed the golden formation’s destruction.

Even if they hadn’t clearly seen the battle, the gaping rift in the sky told them all they needed to know.

—

Ji Xuanyu stood upon a rooftop, shielding herself with her spiritual power against the gale.

Tiles from the roof were ripped away by the storm, yet she stood firm, her eyes filled with disbelief.

Above her, the heavens were torn apart, golden remnants lingering in the sky like shredded fabric.

“The Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe…”

Ji Xuanyu muttered under her breath, her gaze locked onto the sky.

She had always known that the Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe was one of the Nine Great Inheritances of the Seven Star Spirit Realm.

At first, she had assumed that the Sword Sovereign had simply obtained an old relic from the Xuantian Ancestor.

But now—

It was clear that he had not only mastered it but taken it to an unimaginable level.

Judging by the words of the mysterious enemy, it was not just mastery—he had surpassed it.

Did this mean the Sword Sovereign had always been an enemy of the Seven Star Spirit Realm?

Or… was he actually one of their own?

As the storm continued, Ji Xuanyu’s thoughts spiraled.

—

The violent winds raged on for a long time.

Zuo Yijian finally managed to open his eyes, just in time to see—

The Sword Sovereign turning away.

With deliberate ease, he returned the Heaven-Splitting Axe to its resting place.

Then, he approached Zuo Yijian—

And lightly patted his shoulder.

Zuo Yijian froze, overwhelmed with joy, his mind going blank.

Before he could process it, the Sword Sovereign vanished into thin air.

—

As the storm finally subsided, more and more cultivators rose to their feet.

They looked skyward, seeing only golden clouds and a rift stretching across the heavens.

“We’re saved!”

“That enemy must have been at the Immortal Dao Realm—and the Sword Sovereign slew him with a single strike!”

“He must be dead! Otherwise, why has he gone silent?”

“Who was that mysterious figure? He nearly wiped out Taixuan Sect… Thank the heavens for the Sword Sovereign!”

“Did you hear him? The Sword Sovereign is at the Immortal Dao Realm! They say even Grand Ascension cultivators cannot reach such heights!”

In the Outer Sect City, the cultivators erupted into thunderous cheers.

—

Floating in the sky, Lu Lingjun and Su Xin remained silent, their emotions far more complex than the others.

When the Sword Sovereign had swung his axe, they had felt a chill so terrifying that even recalling it filled them with dread.

The mysterious enemy, whom they had stood no chance against, had been eradicated in a single strike.

Su Xin turned to Lu Lingjun, sighing.

“It seems that even the Profound Mind Realm has not escaped mortality.”

Lu Lingjun remained silent.

She had once dreamed of reaching the Profound Mind Realm.

But now that she had attained it—

She had never felt weaker.

This time, Gu An did not perform a Soul Search.

Instead, he directly obliterated Lin Jingtian’s primordial spirit with his divine sense, killing him instantly.

[You have successfully seized 1,709 years of lifespan from Lin Jingtian (Scattered Immortal, Sixth Layer).]

With a flick of his hand, Gu An retrieved Lin Jingtian’s storage pouch.

Then, he summoned the Taichedan Flame and incinerated the body.

A powerful Scattered Immortal, slain in the depths of a forest, without a sound, without a witness.

Once Lin Jingtian had been reduced to ash, Gu An vanished into thin air.

—

Roughly half a stick of incense later, several figures materialized in the forest.

Their expressions darkened as they took in the scorched remains where Lin Jingtian’s blood had burned the land to cinders.

There were eight of them, both men and women, all exuding an imposing presence.

“Lin Jingtian… is dead?”

“Not certain. Check his soul jade. That will confirm whether he still lives.”

“I didn’t expect the Sword Sovereign to be so powerful… His Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe seems to be catching up to Elder Lin’s level.”

“In terms of mastery, he isn’t as refined as Elder Lin—his sheer magical power is simply overwhelming.”

“If Lin Jingtian is truly dead… how do we explain this to Elder Lin? And what do we do about Taixuan Sect?”

A heavy silence fell over them.

None of them had personally gone to Taicang Empire, yet they had felt the terrifying presence of the Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe.

Now, they were even more reluctant to approach Taixuan Sect.

Finally, a black-robed elder spoke, his voice deep and solemn:

“We should leave. If the Sword Sovereign follows us here, we won’t stand a chance.”

The moment he finished speaking, the expressions of the others shifted, and without hesitation, they vanished into the void.

—

Back at the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An had been watching them the entire time.

Eight Scattered Immortals.

The sheer depth of the Seven Star Spirit Realm’s forces left even him astonished.

No wonder the Hatred Heaven Ancestor had feared stepping onto this continent.

But at least, they feared him just as much.

Turning his gaze northward, Gu An felt the encroaching presence of the Demon Ancestor.

First Lin Jingtian… now the Demon Ancestor.

Today is truly a pain.

—

Lu Lingjun had returned to the Medicine Valley.

Upon seeing Gu An, she immediately pulled him aside into the pavilion, leaving him temporarily unable to leave.

After shutting the door, Gu An raised an eyebrow.

“What’s wrong?”

Lu Lingjun responded with a serious expression,

“After the Demonic Cataclysm is over, I plan to leave Taixuan Sect and explore the secret realm that Shen Zhen discovered.”

Gu An couldn’t help but ask,

“You’re that confident we’ll survive the Demonic Cataclysm?”

Lu Lingjun shot him a glare, clearly annoyed.

“You didn’t see the battle today, did you?”

“The Sword Sovereign only needed a single axe swing to obliterate the intruder. With him here, how could humanity possibly lose?”

Gu An felt pleased but still feigned concern, furrowing his brows.

“No matter how strong the Sword Sovereign is, he can’t possibly wipe out every demon, can he?”

Lu Lingjun scoffed, folding her arms.

“He doesn’t need to. As long as he takes out the Demon Ancestor and the Demon Emperor, the crisis will be over.”

“Today opened my eyes. I had never before seen the Sword Sovereign truly fight…”

She then began describing the battle, her voice filled with admiration and awe.

—

At the edge of a cliff, Xuantian Yi stood motionless, gazing toward the demon-infested horizon.

Figures constantly flickered into existence beside him—

All of them high-ranking cultivators from various sects.

Their eyes followed his gaze, staring at the barren wasteland before them.

The land was shrouded in demon fog, the horizon muddied, as if a black storm were about to consume everything.

—

Liang Canghai, the Sect Master of Cang Heaven Sect, turned to Xuantian Yi and spoke gravely:

“Earlier, we sensed an overwhelming pressure from the direction of Taixuan Sect. Could something have happened?”

The others also looked at Xuantian Yi, awaiting his answer.

Xuantian Yi, however, remained unconcerned, replying casually:

“It came fast and left fast. That means everything is fine. If it had been an enemy… with the Sword Sovereign present, anyone who dares invade Taixuan Sect would be dead.”

—

Despite his calm exterior, Xuantian Yi’s mind was in turmoil.

The pressure exuded by Lin Jingtian had been so terrifying that even he, a Grand Ascension cultivator, had felt suffocated.

It had to be an Immortal who descended upon Taixuan Sect!

Xuantian Yi was the strongest among them, meaning he had sensed even more than the others.

The mysterious Immortal had barely manifested before being instantly annihilated by an even stronger force.

This meant that Taixuan Sect had just experienced a battle between Immortals—

A battle that ended in mere moments.

This led him to one inescapable question—

What realm had the Sword Sovereign truly reached?

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