Chapter 196 - Please Ancestors, Enter the Cycle of Reincarnation
The sword demon had caused such a commotion, yet not a single life was lost, and Divine Dawn remained unscathed. All attempts to manipulate public opinion were completely foiled.
As long as the Divine Dawn Empress stood firm, her reputation would only soar higher... And now, the Azure Leaf faction's false imperial decree had turned into grave sins, a handle for their opponents!
The Grand Temple Sage had only murmured a few words, giving Divine Dawn the leverage to execute him outright!
"Form up, retreat!" Ye Qingtian roared, sweeping his hand and addressing Li Shishi, "Summon the three Demon Emperors! And the Violet Emperor too!"
"Think you can escape?!"
Just then, a thunderous voice shook the heavens!
Everyone was startled; it wasn't Divine Dawn who spoke, but Yun Xiao in the sky!
As Ye Qingtian turned to flee, he abruptly looked back. His gaze clashed with Yun Xiao's, his pupils shrinking. "Forging an imperial decree, toppling the Sword Dao Monument, insulting our ancestors, you shall face heaven's wrath and karmic retribution!"
Retribution had arrived!
BOOM! The billion souls' blood vortex swirling around Yun Xiao hadn't dissipated! At that moment, he raised his Sword Soul to the sky, a sword that could cleave the heavens!
"Ancestors, lend strength to my sword, to elevate the path of the sword, to grant eternal justice to all!" Yun Xiao roared.
BOOM BOOM BOOM! As his words echoed, the blood vortex transformed into a tidal wave of swords, pouring into the azure Sword Soul. An ocean converged into a single blade! The fury of the sword demon earlier was now fully integrated into Heaven Burial!
Faces of rage materialized upon the Sword Soul! But this time, they were no longer twisted or sorrowful, only burning with clear, righteous anger.
"Blood for blood!" It was the aristocrats of the Heavenly Realm, like Ye, Mu, Han, and You Clans who had sent these billion souls to their doom. Their descendants were still persecuting Sword Cultivators, controlling public opinion, distorting truth and lies. Even nearly causing these billion martyrs to commit a regrettable act! How could this be tolerated?
The Sword Soul could absorb the power of Sword Hearts, bridging the gap between generations. It represented the wishes of the ancestors and the will of the Sword Dao!
At that moment, the billion departed spirits from the Sword Dao Monument, now demonically empowered, poured into Yun Xiao's Sword Soul. Their bridge, still, was the selfless and eternal love of ancestors for their descendants. And an immortal fury!
A sea of blood entered the sword, igniting a billion flames of rage. Yun Xiao's azure Sword Soul transformed for the first time into a crimson hue.
HUM! The crimson even seeped into him, crawling up his arm, turning his fierce eyes and flowing hair blood-red. His white robe, now stained with the heavy scent of blood!
In that instant, Yun Xiao was no longer himself; he was the reincarnation of a billion angry spirits, returning to the living world through his Sword Soul, seeking justice for themselves and all Sword Cultivators!
They resonated deeply with Yun Xiao in one aspect—they, too, had died with towering grievances, their souls reaching the heavens. Perhaps this was why they couldn't vanquish Yun Xiao!
"What's happening?"
"Has Yun Xiao turned into a demon?"
The tens of thousands of students from the Grand Temple, who had laughed heartily moments ago, were now fleeing in terror, flanking the Ancestral Temple Guards.
"No worries! Even if we've revealed our true colors, our Azure Leaf faction is deeply rooted, and the Demon Emperors will protect us!"
"We are the future pillars of the Immortal Empire. Without us, the Empire would collapse!"
Even at this moment, these aristocratic scions still felt superior.
They were already dreaming of a comeback on the day of the final battle.
Just then, the blood-drenched figure in the sky, with a sword of blood and eyes blazing red, set his sights on the fleeing students of the Grand Temple—these self-proclaimed future pillars of the Immortal Empire!
"Cultivators without a Dao heart. If the Immortal Empire continues to be governed by the likes of you, that would truly be a futureless path!" Yun Xiao, with the cold fury of a billion spirits, spoke out!
HUM! His crimson Sword Soul suddenly transformed into a three-inch Flying Sword! And with a flick, the sword shot out!
Constellation Slaying Sword, Meteor Shower!
BOOM! The three-inch Flying Sword unleashed a three-hundred-yard storm in the sky!
As the crimson sword flashed, the heavens were cleaved with a scarlet wound! The sword energy storm descended like a billion swords transformed into furious dragons, swooping down upon the tens of thousands of Grand Temple students!
“Ah?” One after another, aristocratic youths bearing the surnames Ye, Mu, Han, and You turned in shock, only to be engulfed by the storm in an instant!
PUFF PUFF PUFF! With one sweep of the sword, blood and flesh flew wildly! Limbs and heads, eyes wide with terror, were flung into the air, their blood spraying everywhere, swallowed by the crimson storm!
HUM! As the Meteor Shower passed, the tens of thousands of Grand Temple students vanished, leaving behind a layer of blood, flesh, and bone dust on the ground. Countless jewels, jade, and Spirit Stones, released from their Pouches of Holding exploded into view.
BOOM! The storm swept away the souls of the tens of thousands, locking them into the Sword Soul!
Inside the Sword Soul, young faces screamed in agony and despair, their cries echoing like ghosts and wolves! They were annihilated! The Immortal Empire had no future left!
The Azure Leaf faction, with its lineage spanning thousands of generations, was extinguished in an instant!
“AHH!” Ye Qingtian, You Fengya, Mu Tianshi, and the others turned to witness this bloody scene, standing frozen, their insides shattering.
BUZZ! In the sky above, the blood-stained youth caught the Flying Sword. The tens of thousands of intact souls on the sword were surrounded by the billion departed, their wails piercing the heavens!
“You brat!” Ye Qingtian stopped, unleashing a heart-wrenching roar. Even Divine Dawn couldn't achieve such a slaughter!
“Lost your cool already?” Yun Xiao smirked coldly, his hand transforming the crimson Sword Soul into a six-foot Sovereign Sword! Stepping onto the sword, he executed Fleeting Moon, diving down with the sword!
BOOM! The blood sword tore through the void, suddenly transforming into the thousand-foot greatsword! It whipped up a storm of bloody rain, crashing down like a meteor on the heads of the five hundred thousand Ancestral Temple Guards!
PUFF PUFF PUFF! Where the greatsword swept, a bloody storm, flames, and sword light ravaged through. Bodies intact one moment were blasted into blood mist the next, their souls sucked away by the Sword Soul!
The Sovereign Sword moved unpredictably, flashing in and out seven times among the five hundred thousand Ancestral Temple guards. The rage of the billion departed spirits, timeless and relentless, rolled over these guards, slaughtering them over and over again!
This was a blood-drenched hell! Within this hell, Yun Xiao was the reaper! Those Ancestral Temple Guards, even if they wanted to scatter, had no time. They could only watch as the bloody sword engulfed them, their flesh withering, crumbling to death! Like a chariot's wheel crushing ants!
"Toppling the Sword Dao Monument, forcing a billion ancestors into a demon form, gathering over a millennia of resentment, these beasts have brought the stone down upon their own feet!"
"Karmic retribution! Karmic retribution!"
Divine Dawn stood unscathed, and with Yun Xiao's intervention, the outrage of the hundred thousand Sword Cultivators tonight was ignited into a raging fire.
The distant cultivators of the Heavenly Realm were utterly astounded!
"The obsession of these billion Sword Cultivators is terrifying!"
Everyone was retrospectively horrified. Everyone knew how frightening these billion grudges were, but previously, their ancestors had stood firm, never becoming the very demons they loathed the most.
"My God!" People were rigid with shock, watching as Yun Xiao, wielding the sword of a billion ancestors, in and out seven times, annihilated the five hundred thousand Ancestral Temple Guards!
All dead! These guards were the core lineage of the Ancestral Temple, not part of the Heavenly Realm's aristocratic families. Most were recent graduates from the Grand Temple, peers on the same path. With their death, and that of the Grand Temple students, the Azure Leaf faction was utterly wiped out!
“Ughh...!” Ye Qingtian, You Fengya, Mu Tianshi, Ye Qingli, and other Azure Leaf faction powerhouses, witnessing this bloody scene, slowly knelt, tears of blood streaming down their faces!
Over half a million souls, all locked into the Sword Soul, unable to enter the cycle of reincarnation! Their faces were practically torn apart with humiliation! Endless agony etched sword scars across their visages.
"Yun Xiao, die!" Mu Tianshi roared. Only Ye Qingli remained of his family; everyone else was dead. Driven to madness, he charged towards the blood-soaked youth!
WHOOSH! A Meteor Shower infused with the essence of the Ten-Step Scale flew towards him!
Yun Xiao’s swordplay was unparalleled in the Heavenly Realm! When such a monster had sufficient killing power, the terrifying versatility of his swordplay was fully unleashed.
SPLATTER! Mu Tianshi only saw a flash of blood before his head soared through the air!
PUFF PUFF PUFF! The blood-red Flying Sword whirled through the Azure Leaf faction's powerhouses in an instant!
With each flash of blood, dozens of clan heads flew into the sky!
THUD THUD THUD! Mu Tianshi, You Fengya, Ye Qingli, and the others' eyes bulged in death, their heads neatly arranged before Ye Qingtian, all staring at him! The shocked faces were almost too much for Ye Qingtian's heart to bear.
"NO!" he roared, but as his voice rose, a blood shadow charged towards him.
It was Yun Xiao! His Sword Soul still harbored the last vestige of ancestral power! Constellation Slaying Sword, Streaking Comet! That sword, slicing down, executed the trajectory of a constellation three times, its movements so complex that Ye Qingtian's muscles twitched in confusion!
Ye Qingtian couldn't comprehend the changes! PUFF! In that instant, the sword's blade cleaved into his head!
"Demon Emperors! Violet Emperor!" Ye Qingtian, as if in a dream, cried out for these allies. In the next instant, he was cleaved in two, his blood and remains scattering in all directions!
RIP! A crimson Sword Aura whirled away, shooting thousands of yards, its brutal aftermath slashing the flourishing Eternal Joy Inn in half!
BOOM! Even the Eternal Joy Inn, symbolizing the harmony of humans and demons, was split in twain, collapsing with a thunderous crash!
With this, the core powerhouses and geniuses of the Azure Leaf faction were completely annihilated! They died at the hands of Yun Xiao! And under the wrathful spirits of a billion Sword Cultivator ancestors!
Justice arrived late. But it arrived nonetheless...
With that final strike, the Sword Soul returned to its azure color. The youth reverted to his white robe! He seemed to awaken from a great dream, utterly drained, collapsing weakly amidst the pool of blood!
And the billion spirits, with gentle gazes, shed their crimson hue, transforming into a white mist. They smiled at Yun Xiao, slowly drifting towards the heavens...
"Ascend to reincarnation, our ancestors!" Yun Xiao's forehead touched the blood-soaked ground, tears rolling down his cheeks.
"Ancestors, enter the cycle of reincarnation!" The hundred thousand Sword Cultivators knelt, weeping profusely!
The only way to let go of their resentment and be reborn was to repay that debt. To let them rest in peace.
At that moment, a figure in a dragon robe appeared beside Yun Xiao. She proclaimed to the heavens and the earth...
"Today, barring the Chen Clan... the Ancestral Temple and Azure Leaf faction forged an imperial decree. Not only have they smeared my name, they've toppled the monument of our human heroes and forced our ancestors into demonic forms to slaughter their descendants. Their sins are grievous and unforgivable! The common people have been deceived. You have every right to be outraged. And I share in your fury!
"Effective immediately, the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire abolishes the Ancestral Temple. I hereby decree the extermination of the Ye, Mu, Han, You, Mo, Ling, Chai, and Xia Clans. Not a single one shall be spared!" With these words, she gazed into the distance.
Behind the ruins of the Eternal Joy Inn stood four dark figures—the Gu Demon Emperor, Red Lotus Demon Emperor, Eclipse Demon Emperor, and Violet Emperor. They had watched Ye Qingtian meet his end.
Facing them, Divine Dawn Empress declared with commanding authority, "From this moment, the gates of the Heavenly Realm will be temporarily sealed until every member of the above-mentioned clans is exterminated!"
This decree of extermination was clearly meant for these outsiders to hear! Internal stability before dealing with external threats! After this declaration, she turned to address the masses of the Heavenly Realm.
"Furthermore, I have three imperial decrees to be enacted immediately!
"First, rebuild the Sword Dao Monument at the gate of the Heavenly Realm and establish an altar. I declare today as Heroes Day. Every household in the Heavenly Realm must offer incense and honor their ancestors on this day each year.
"Second, effective immediately, Sword Cultivation shall be the most revered path in the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire. I command an empire-wide search for Sword Cultivator talents. Acknowledge the historic contributions of ancient Sword Cultivators to our race. Should anyone gather to distort history, they shall be executed!
"Third, reestablish the order of the Heavenly Realm! I appoint Sword Saint Sun as the Prime Minister, and Nangong Xi, You Yue, and Su Lianlian as the heads of the Grand Temple, jointly managing the legacy of the Immortal Empire. Henceforth, the Grand Temple will lift its aristocratic restrictions. Talented individuals from all regions of the lower realms, if gifted, may also enter the Grand Temple for study!"
These three imperial decrees were seismic in their impact!
All who heard them were left reeling, their minds ablaze.
In that moment, cries of approval were all that were needed!
Without a doubt, these decrees, coupled with the abolition of the Ancestral Temple, were swift and decisive moves by Divine Dawn to thoroughly revolutionize the very foundations of the Divine Dawn Immortal Empire!
"Excising a tumor hurts, but it's the only way we can survive, the only way to see tomorrow!
"I refuse to believe that without the Azure Leaf faction aristocracy, our Divine Dawn Immortal Empire can't produce outstanding talents!
"Without them leeching off us, the talents of our Empire will emerge in greater numbers, with more opportunities and fairness!" Divine Dawn was clearly moved, adding these three statements after her decrees! And the effect was positive! More and more common people, hearing these words, fell into a frenzy of celebration.
"Even those of humble origin can enter the Grand Temple? We can become officials?"
The Grand Temple was a ticket to glory!
"Long live the Empress!"
What transpired here resonated like seismic waves throughout the Heavenly Realm!
Tens of millions were stirred!
As the three imperial decrees from the Divine Dawn Empress in her dragon robe spread across the Heavenly Realm, the billion aggrieved souls formed into white clouds, finally finding release and dissipating.
They knew that a desperate battle between humans and demons lay ahead. But in such a world, they now had confidence. Generations of grievances could finally rest in peace...
Yun Xiao looked up, bidding farewell to the countless ancestors. This face-off would undoubtedly lead to greater conflicts.
The Demon Emperor's lackeys were slain, and the Heavenly Realm's overt veneration of Sword Cultivators was a resounding slap, mercilessly delivered to the faces of the Demon Continent.
And it wasn't over yet! Divine Dawn glanced down at the despairing souls of the Azure Leaf faction powerhouses, Ancestral Temple Guards, and Grand Temple students in Yun Xiao's sword.
With a cold laugh, she commanded the hundred thousand Sword Cultivators, "I order you to construct a statue of a human body with a dog's head within an hour, kneeling before the Sword Monument. Then lock these over half a million souls in it to burn eternally. When future generations worship the Sword Dao Monument, they must spit on it!"
After saying this, she pursed her lips, adding one more line. "Anyone who dares not spit, I'll slap them myself, hmph!"
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