Chapter 293: The Flash of the Immortal Path!
"Activate, Heavenly Mirror!" The Withered Bone Keeper stood beneath the swirling vortex, his body emitting a dim, bone-like deathly light.
HUM! A pallid storm of deathly light swirled around his stooped figure, gradually enveloping over 3,000 meters. Wherever the storm touched, flowers and trees withered rapidly. Vast tracts of land lost their vitality as if life itself had been drained, turning into a dull gray.
For a moment, even the Withered Bone Keeper's body cracked open with several bloody fissures. His expression was ferociously twisted; activating the Heavenly Mirror was no small feat for him. Yet, he gritted his teeth and exerted all his strength to do so.
BOOM! A mirror, resembling a white bone, emerged from his chest! Its appearance made the surrounding mountains tremble, and countless creatures were paralyzed with fear. A chilling storm of death swept through the Eternal Sword Prison, as if the mirror was a gateway for the dead.
Around this circular mirror, pale skulls hovered, its back adorned with crossed white bony arms. The mirror itself swirled with gray mist and shadowy souls, as if thousands of faces were trapped within.
Clearly, the Heavenly Mirror was no ordinary artifact, but a weapon of unparalleled malevolence. Its emergence finally coaxed a slight smile onto the silent face of Ling Chen.
The other powerful beings of the Sword Ruins, gathered around the Withered Bone Keeper, also saw a glimmer of hope for a turnaround, to take control of the Sword Ruins.
"Whether it's the Heavenly Mirror or the Sword Relic, they were obtained by my ancestors. These are rightfully ours; why should we care about outsiders' opinions?" Ku Xuan, standing aside, spoke with a hint of excitement.
The Ku Family had always aspired to learn from other hells, to have a hereditary Hell Warden, but Sword Cultivators, unlike demons or devils, didn't prioritize lineage. Change and renewal were the lifeblood of Sword Cultivators!
Even the Ku Family couldn't overturn the tradition of meritocracy in the Eternal Sword Prison.
That's why the Withered Bone Keeper ended up teaching the Sword Warden. When he was younger, he didn't think much of it, until the Sword Warden defied him over matters like the Sword Relic, leaving him filled with regret.
"Right! These treasures all belong to our Ku Family!"
"Why can't our descendants use them, when our ancestors contributed them to the sect?"
The Ku Family's desire to reclaim control over the Sword Ruins had reached a point of no return. Each one of them had become a gambler, and Ling Chen was their sole bet.
Under the intense gaze of the rest of the Ku Family, the Withered Bone Keeper raised the ominous Heavenly Mirror with both hands. Now over 300 meters tall, it hung in the sky like a deathly sun, absorbing the essence of all creation. Due to overuse, cracks on its back worsened, with new ones forming.
Yet, this didn't diminish the terrifying power of the Heavenly Mirror!
"Assist me!" the Withered Bone Keeper commanded with a chilling voice.
Ku Xuan, Feng Buhui, Yun Xinghe, and several other Overseers floated forward, pressing their hands on the old man's back, channeling their sacred power into his body and into the Heavenly Mirror.
They were all beings beyond the Fate Sea Realm, with divine might capable of moving mountains and filling seas. When their vast divine power bolstered the Heavenly Mirror, it let out a resounding clang as if a million lost souls were screaming in agony.
It was hard to imagine that a guardian treasure of human Sword Cultivators could be such a malevolent object; no wonder the Sword Warden was reluctant to use it.
BOOM! With the sacred power of the Overseers, the Heavenly Mirror suddenly unleashed a dazzling beam of grim deathly light, like a gigantic sword born from thin air, piercing into the swirling vortex.
With a loud explosion, the vortex channel shook violently, like a lake struck by a giant stone, with its waves crashing wildly, shaking the ground under everyone's feet.
This explosion neared the power of the Great Merciful Tribulation, a testament to the strength of the Heavenly Mirror!
"Did it work?"
After the shaking subsided, the vortex channel gradually calmed, its spatial fluctuations visibly altered.
"It must have widened!" Ling Chen, standing beside the vortex, couldn't help but smile.
"Good!" The Withered Bone Keeper took a deep breath. He staggered back, almost falling over, a clear sign of the immense toll the Heavenly Mirror had taken on him.
CRACK CRACK CRACK! The Heavenly Mirror returned to his hand, now a small gray mirror, its color dimmed and its back riddled with new cracks, indicating its impending doom.
At least for now, the Heavenly Mirror wouldn't be able to strike the vortex a second time.
Tucking away the Heavenly Mirror, the Withered Bone Keeper said to his son Ku Xuan, "You go up and try."
"Alright." Ku Xuan nodded. For decades, he and his father had a strained relationship. It was only after the rise of Qingzan and the fallout between the Withered Bone Keeper and his disciple that father and son thawed their icy relationship, united by a common goal.
Ku Xuan, the strongest Overseer, leaped into the air, his Sovereign Sword piercing through the vortex like a needle through fabric, disappearing into its depths.
"Did it work?" Everyone watched with bated breath. If Ku Xuan could pass through, the vortex would be wide open, leaving the Endless Netherworld at a disadvantage, unable to contend with the Sword Cultivators. Alas, it wasn't long before Ku Xuan returned, head hung low.
"Still no passage. But I reckon Peak Masters and Supreme Adjudicators of the Fate Sea Realm might make it through," he said, a touch of frustration in his voice.
"That's something," the Withered Bone Keeper remarked, who quickly arranged for several Peak Masters to try their luck.
Unlike Ku Xuan, these Peak Masters didn't return immediately, a clear indication that those in the Fate Ocean Realm could indeed pass through.
"It's fine as long as we can suppress the devils of the Endless Netherworld," Ling Chen said coldly.
"These despicable devils, promising peaceful exploration and then betraying us first," Ku Xuan said icily. "It's time we stormed in and taught them a lesson."
The Withered Bone Keeper glanced towards the direction of the Sword Ruins. "The commotion from the Heavenly Mirror was large; undoubtedly, many have seen it. We have no way back now."
He turned to his trusted direct descendants, his voice raspy with command, "All Sword Cultivators of the Fate Ocean Realm, follow Exile Ling to the Heavenly Land, and defend it with your lives!"
In his bloodshot eyes, there was a flicker of mad determination.
"Yes!" About thirty Sword Cultivators from the Ku, Feng, Yun, and Shuang Families, all in the Fate Ocean Realm, stepped forward, rallying around Ling Chen.
"Ku Qinglian, Feng Xuxu. As Supreme Adjudicators, you two will guard Exile Ling closely and ensure his protection," the Withered Bone Keeper addressed two women in the crowd.
Both women, similar in age to Mu Dalong and likely under forty, exuded grace and beauty, their curves not hidden by the wide sword robes they wore. One in emerald, the other in cream, both radiating a mature charm and in the prime of their lives.
Ku Qinglian, Ku Xuan's daughter and Qingzan's sister, along with Feng Xuxu, daughter of Overseer Feng Buhui, were chosen. Since the three Overseers couldn't enter the Heavenly Land, the security of Exile Ling naturally fell to others.
"Oh?" Ling Chen glanced at the two women, whose eyes were filled with untold stories, and smirked internally, finally getting the Yun Xiao treatment, and with two guards, no less!
"We are willing to die for Exile Ling," Ku Qinglian and Feng Xuxu stepped forward, bowing slightly, their voices gentle.
"Are you married?" Ling Chen suddenly asked.
The two women paused, exchanged a glance, and Ku Qinglian replied, "To answer Exile Ling, we both have partners and children over ten years old."
"Is that so?" Ling Chen nodded nonchalantly.
"We have met Exile Ling."
Two elegant middle-aged men stepped forward from the crowd, clearly the husbands of the two women, and part of the accompanying team. They, too, were Supreme Adjudicators, albeit slightly less powerful than their wives, evidently marrying into the family.
For women from such prestigious families to marry outside, their partners must have even higher status, like Qingzan's husband, the Talisman Emperor.
"The Heavenly Mirror, hand it over." Ling Chen didn't say much more, instead extending his hand to the Withered Bone Keeper.
"We wish Exile Ling a triumphant campaign!" the Withered Bone Keeper said, bowing low and trembling slightly as he offered the Heavenly Mirror.
"Thanks for the good luck," Ling Chen replied, taking the mirror and whispering to the Withered Bone Keeper, "If Yun Xiao and his group come, don't stop them. Let them in."
"Exile Ling, we don't have the power to stop them anyway," the Withered Bone Keeper said with self-deprecation.
"Right."
More than twenty Overseers sided with the Sword Warden and Yun Xiao, a consequence of Ling Chen's disastrous defeat in the Immortal Sword Rankings. Otherwise, why risk using the stolen Heavenly Mirror?
"Let's go." Without further ado, Ling Chen led thirty Fate Ocean Realm Sword Cultivators into the passageway. Among them, twenty were top-tier Peak Masters, all in the Late Fate Ocean Realm. The remaining ten were Supreme Adjudicators, at the Perfect Fate Ocean Realm!
This group represented the true elite of the Nine Hells, far surpassing the Sword Judges and prodigious disciples of the Dao Heart Realm. They were the masters of their generation!
After they all entered, only a few Sword Ruins Overseers remained with the Withered Bone Keeperseven in total.
"Is Exile Ling sure about this?" Ku Xuan asked, his gaze serious.
"He said he knows how to get to the core of the Heavenly Land," the Withered Bone Keeper replied.
"Mu Tianjian might make a move now," Ku Xuan said coldly.
"It's useless," the Withered Bone Keeper's eyes darkened. "In the end, the decisive factor will be the two Exiled Sword Immortals. Even considering Yun Xiao's strength at the Early Dao Heart Realm, there are many who could defeat him."
"We can only trust Exile Ling now," Ku Xuan said.
"What we should trust is the Heavenly Land. As for Exile Ling, it's a fact that he's not as capable as the other one." The Withered Bone Keeper shook his head.
"Father..." Ku Xuan was shocked that his father had admitted this.
"It's all or nothing now!"
They exchanged glances, their expressions stern, silently guarding their position.
A while later
"Old Warden, someone's coming!" Feng Buhui reported as he returned on his Sovereign Sword.
"Is it them?" the Withered Bone Keeper asked.
"Yes!"
"How many?"
"Over a hundred!"
Feng Buhui's voice carried a hint of coldness.
"Have they really left no one behind?"
The Withered Bone Keeper and Ku Xuan frowned deeply.
"A day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father, yet this ungrateful wretch shows no regard for past kindness, ready to sever all ties..." The Withered Bone Keeper's eyes were filled with deep gloom.
"What should we do, old Warden?" Feng Buhui turned his head towards the Sword Ruins, where faint sword lights could be seen.
"Let's go." With just seven of them, they stood no chance against over a hundred Fate Ocean Realm cultivators. They couldn't defend this spot any longer and had to relinquish control of the entrance.
"By the time they get in, Exile Ling might already have obtained the core and become their nightmare," Ku Xuan said with a cold laugh, confident in their swift action.
HUM! Seven chilling sword lights skimmed the ground, leaving the vortex before the arrival of the hundreds from the Sword Ruins, vanishing without a trace.
Shortly after they left, streaks of sword light fell like shooting stars, turning into Sword Cultivators. It was Yun Xiao and his group.
"They left quite decisively," the Sword Warden remarked calmly, watching the fading sword lights.
"The monks might flee, but the temple can't." Mu Daxiong chuckled. "Their family's roots are deeply entrenched in the Sword Ruins; thousands of their kin are still there."
While talking, Mu Dalong went to test the vortex, returning to report, "As expected, the passage has widened, but I can't enter."
"Since they only left their Overseers, it seems all in the Fate Ocean Realm should be able to enter," Mu Dalong speculated.
The Sword Warden turned to Yun Xiao and asked, "So?"
Without hesitation, Yun Xiao said, "If that's the case, all Fate Ocean Realm cultivators, follow me."
He always believed in seizing the opportunity when he had the upper hand.
"Yes!" Seventy-five people stepped forward, gathering around Yun Xiao.
"Daxiong, you must stay close to Yun Xiao and ensure his safety," Mu Dalong instructed, unable to enter herself. Her brother was already one of the strongest Supreme Adjudicators in the Sword Ruins! In a few years, he would be an Overseer!
"Stay close?" Yun Xiao glanced at Mu Daxiong's imposing stature...
It seemed this journey home was going to be a tad monotonous!
"Exile Yun, I'd like to recommend someone to you." Mu Dalong brought over a middle-aged scholar and said, "This brother here, Du Zhongyuan, is the premier alchemist of the Sword Ruins. Though he is still in the Fate Ocean Realm, his alchemy skills are potent, capable of unleashing power on par with an Overseer."
The middle-aged scholar bowed. "Exile Yun, previously coerced by Ku Xuan, I crafted the Grove Essence Pills for him, and I deeply regret it. After witnessing your prowess in the Immortal Sword Rankings, I am thoroughly impressed and wish to dedicate my humble abilities to you."
"Alright, follow along." Yun Xiao could tell these two were among the top Supreme Adjudicators. Out of the seventy-five people in his group, exactly twenty-five were Supreme Adjudicators, most stronger than Qin Tian, the one who took Ling Chen's sword bone.
Their fervent gazes followed Yun Xiao, each willing to die for him. This was a testament to Yun Xiao's awe-inspiring presence in the Eternal Sword Prison.
In just five days, he had conquered a top-tier sword sect, and three of those days were wasted by the Eternal Sword humming nonstop. This meant he took down the Sword Ruins in just two days, a time when other so-called geniuses were barely starting and getting thrashed by their fellow disciples.
"Exile Yun, stay safe." Mu Dalong watched him leave with a hint of worry. Despite only two days together, this phenomenal being had left a deep impression.
"Mhm," Yun Xiao turned back and gave a small smile.
Mu Dalong hadn't expected a man's smile to bring about a feeling of rebirth in all things. That smile made her feel years younger, her heart fluttering.
In the blink of an eye, Yun Xiao disappeared into the vortex, followed fervently by seventy-five sword experts.
"Don't think too much." The Sword Warden patted his daughter's shoulder. "That guy's completely absurd in his abilities. In a couple of days, he'll ascend, and in a month, he could probably pierce the heavens. Just think of him as a fleeting light that passed by, leaving you to savor its brilliance for the rest of your days."
"Father, you're spot on," Mu Dalong said with a mix of laughter and tears, "I've been cultivating for decades, and in just two days, he's soaring past me. Too fast..."
"I'd call him The Flash of the Immortal Path,'" the Sword Warden stroked his beard.
Mu Dalong rolled her eyes at him and muttered, "Can't you be serious for once?"
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