Chapter 43: The Sword That Silenced Heaven
The Sword That Silenced Heaven
Merely looking at the broken sword was enough to make Adrian’s breathing become difficult.
An invisible pressure descended upon him without warning.
It did not crush his body.
Instead...
It suppressed his very soul.
Even the True Spiritual Power flowing through his meridians froze completely, as though it had encountered an existence that stood far beyond its comprehension.
His Eyes of Heavenly Geomancy activated involuntarily.
The moment they did—
The peaceful old man vanished from his sight.
In his place...
An endless vision unfolded.
Behind the black-robed elder stood countless dead beings, their mournful cries echoing through a sea of endless darkness.
The sound was neither loud nor chaotic.
It was quiet.
Hopeless.
As though countless souls had long accepted their fate.
Towering mountains of corpses stretched beyond the horizon.
Blood flowed between them like rivers, eventually gathering into a boundless crimson ocean that roared toward the heavens.
Every wave carried the resentment of forgotten ages.
Every ripple contained the final cries of ancient battlefields.
Above those rivers of blood stood countless supreme beings.
Some were clad in divine armor.
Some possessed bodies larger than stars.
Some radiated endless immortal light.
Each one possessed an aura capable of shaking entire worlds.
Yet...
Before that weathered broken sword...
They all met the same ending.
One after another...
Gods fell like rain.
Some were pierced through the chest.
Some were split apart with a single strike.
Others collapsed without even having the chance to fight back.
The broken sword remained silent throughout it all.
There was no dazzling sword light.
No earth-shattering technique.
Only a single, absolute truth.
Everything standing before that blade...
Eventually died.
Adrian’s heart nearly stopped.
His face turned pale.
Cold sweat poured from every pore of his body, soaking his robes within moments.
His legs trembled uncontrollably.
The horrifying vision disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared.
Fortunately...
The old man never even glanced at him.
His expression remained indifferent from beginning to end.
As though Adrian simply wasn’t worthy of his attention.
Without making a sound...
The old man disappeared.
No fluctuations of spiritual power.
No movement through space.
One moment he was there.
The next...
He had completely vanished.
The suffocating pressure disappeared with him.
"Haa... haa..."
Adrian bent forward, greedily drawing in mouthful after mouthful of air like a drowning man who had finally reached the shore.
His heartbeat pounded violently inside his chest.
He had spent his entire life studying destiny and observing powerful cultivators.
Never...
Not even once...
Had he encountered such a terrifying existence.
"Heaven above..."
He whispered hoarsely.
"Why is such a monster in Aurelia City?"
His thoughts became increasingly chaotic.
"What realm was that?"
"Lunar Sovereign Realm?"
"Solar Eclipse Realm?"
He swallowed hard.
"...Or..."
His lips stopped moving.
He did not even dare finish the sentence.
Some possibilities were too frightening to voice aloud.
A being of that level...
Could probably erase the entire Celestial Dawn Empire from existence with a single casual strike.
Why would someone like that appear in a remote city such as Aurelia?
"Just passing through?"
"Was he attracted by the Heavenly Secret Realm that’s about to appear?"
"...Or..."
Adrian slowly forced himself to calm down.
His gaze drifted back toward the Salvatore Family estate.
Toward the magnificent Three-Eyed Auspicious Destiny Dragon soaring silently above it.
An absurd thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"...Or because of the Salvatore Family..."
The moment that possibility appeared...
He could no longer suppress the bitter smile on his face.
"Damn it."
"I’m done."
"Whoever wants to handle this can handle it."
"I’m not risking my life for this."
His voice carried genuine helplessness.
He had come intending to question the Salvatore Family.
Now...
He only wanted to leave as quickly as possible.
Provoking a family protected by such terrifying destiny...
Alongside that unfathomable black-robed elder...
Would be no different from seeking death.
Without another thought, Adrian turned around, preparing to leave immediately.
However—
Just as he took his first step—
A bleak autumn breeze swept quietly through the surroundings.
Leaves drifted gently across the stone road.
The air suddenly became strangely still.
Then...
A calm yet majestic voice reached his ears.
"City Lord Adrian."
"Since you’ve already come, why not enter and have a conversation?"
Adrian’s footsteps froze.
His expression instantly became uglier than crying.
He recognized that voice immediately.
It belonged to Victor.
"Hehe... Patriarch Victor..."
"I came empty-handed, you see..."
He forced an awkward smile while scratching the back of his head, desperately hoping to find an excuse.
Before he could continue—
"No matter."
The reply was calm.
Simple.
Yet it carried unquestionable authority.
Refusing was never truly an option.
Adrian let out a helpless sigh.
"Then... I’ll trouble Patriarch Victor with my presence."
Straightening his robes, he steadied his breathing before walking toward the gates of the Salvatore Family estate.
The moment he stepped inside...
His eyes immediately settled upon a solitary figure standing peacefully with both hands behind his back.
Victor stood quietly in the courtyard.
The morning breeze stirred the hem of his black robe embroidered with golden dragons.
An invisible aura of profound mystery surrounded him.
The Great Principle of World seemed to resonate faintly around his presence, making the surrounding space feel tranquil and immeasurably deep.
Even standing there without moving...
He naturally became the center of the entire courtyard.
Before Adrian could even greet him...
The corner of his eye caught another familiar figure.
Instantly—
His knees nearly gave way.
His pupils contracted violently.
It was him.
The black-robed elder.
The terrifying old man carrying the broken sword.
The very existence whose mere presence had nearly suffocated him only moments earlier.
Yet now...
That same elder stood quietly behind Victor.
His posture was respectful.
His expression remained calm.
He neither spoke nor moved.
Like...
A loyal servant awaiting his master’s command.
Victor noticed Adrian’s stunned expression and chuckled softly.
"Elder Black."
"You frightened City Lord Adrian."
The old man’s hoarse voice answered without hesitation.
"This subordinate acknowledges his mistake."
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