Chapter 124: Suppression
At one of the market stalls, an old man laid out a collection of ancient, damaged bronze weapons, drawing the attention of numerous cultivators.
Many stopped to inspect them closely.
"Ahem."
The old man cleared his throat.
"Fellow Daoists, these Divine Armaments may be damaged, but each one was brought out of the forbidden land at the risk of my life. They all possess mysterious and unfathomable powers."
"So they really are weapons from the forbidden land?"
"They’re just a pile of scrap metal. What forbidden land treasures?"
Amid the discussion, Caelum picked up a fragment from the stall.
It appeared to be part of a bronze cauldron, engraved with ancient patterns dating back to the Primordial Age.
The fragment itself was nothing special.
It had once been an ordinary weapon of that era.
However, Caelum recognized the style of the markings.
He had seen them before while observing the River of Time.
They belonged to one of the Primordial Kings.
Rather than wandering aimlessly through the forbidden land, he could simply trace the remnants of a Primordial King’s forces and follow the trail back to its source.
"Senior, where exactly did you find these?"
The old man shook his head.
"The forbidden land shifts constantly. There are no fixed directions or paths. The fact that I escaped alive was pure luck. I couldn’t tell you where it was."
"In that case, I’ll take this fragment."
After purchasing it, Caelum was about to leave when someone stepped directly into his path.
Torin’s eyes shone with excitement.
Ever since hearing from Alex that the Divine Firmament Heir had appeared in the market, he had spent days searching.
And now he had finally found him.
If not for the number of powerful figures gathered here, he would have simply searched with his divine sense.
Still, persistence paid off.
Perhaps this was destiny.
Caelum’s Skyspire Order robes made him easy to identify.
Combined with Alex’s description, Torin had recognized him immediately.
"You’re the Divine Firmament Heir?"
Caelum nodded.
"What do you want?"
The surrounding cultivators instantly reacted.
"The Divine Firmament Heir?!"
"Skyspire Order’s Heir Apparent?"
"So that’s him?"
None of them had expected the legendary figure who once stood alone against multiple Masters to appear so ordinary.
The surprise was palpable.
Just moments ago, he had been standing beside them browsing stall goods like everyone else.
The truth was that after surviving the Immortal Tribulation, Caelum had reached a state of complete return to simplicity.
Unless he deliberately revealed his power, he looked no different from an ordinary man.
He was nothing like the dazzling saintesses who seemed descended from heaven or the brilliant young prodigies whose presence dominated any room.
Could they finally witness the Divine Firmament Heir in action?
The crowd immediately grew excited.
Whether the rumors were true or not, they would soon find out.
"Nothing complicated."
Clang!
Torin drew his sword.
Cold light flashed across the blade.
Sword Qi surged around him as battle intent erupted.
"My name is Torin, disciple of Swordmaster Celestius of Cosmos Sword Sect."
He pointed his sword forward.
"Divine Firmament Heir, do you dare fight me?"
Caelum wasn’t in any particular hurry.
Besides, it shouldn’t take long.
He nodded.
"Follow me."
As soon as he finished speaking, he activated one of his secret vault abilities and transformed into a streak of divine light that shot toward the mountain ranges beyond the market.
Torin immediately followed on his flying sword.
"Hurry!"
"Don’t lose them!"
"This should be good!"
"They say the Divine Firmament Heir could kill a Worldbinder cultivator while still in the Ascendant Realm ten years ago. If that’s true, he’s only gotten stronger."
"You actually believe that?"
"We’ll find out soon enough."
The crowd followed at a distance.
Divine light and sword light raced across the sky before disappearing into the endless mountains.
Caelum emerged from his streak of light and stood calmly in the air.
Torin arrived moments later atop his sword.
The two faced each other from afar.
There was no need for small talk.
Torin attacked immediately.
Before his figure had fully emerged from the sword light, overwhelming Sword Intent swept across the heavens.
It was like a divine sword descending from beyond the sky.
It slashed directly toward Caelum.
"Heavenly Sword Without Form!"
Torin became one with his blade.
For a brief moment, Caelum was reminded of Azur.
The same fearless spirit.
The same willingness to challenge heaven itself.
Yet there was a difference.
Azur had possessed pride.
Torin possessed arrogance.
And his arrogance exceeded even Azur’s pride.
After obtaining an Immortal Legacy and becoming one of Cosmos Sword Sect’s favored geniuses, Torin had grown a little too confident.
Among his generation, he could challenge almost anyone.
Almost.
Caelum was not among them.
Boom!
The heavens suddenly trembled.
Storm clouds churned across the sky.
The hundred thousand mountains shook violently.
The power of heaven and earth gathered around Caelum.
The manifestation of a secret vault appeared in his right palm.
For an instant, it felt as though the world itself was collapsing.
Even the spectators watching from far outside the mountain range were terrified.
Many fled immediately, afraid of being caught in the aftermath.
Several Paragon Realm cultivators had been standing too close.
The pressure of heaven and earth pinned them in place completely.
Their faces turned deathly pale.
"W-What is this?!"
"This is the Divine Firmament Heir’s cultivation?!"
"Is he really only in the Transcendent Realm?!"
Boom!
Caelum brought his palm down.
The power of heaven and earth descended with it.
Torin’s expression changed dramatically.
Disbelief filled his eyes.
His Heavenly Sword Without Form disintegrated instantly.
It couldn’t resist in the slightest.
How could the gap be this large?
Torin couldn’t comprehend it.
The descending palm felt like the collapse of the heavens themselves.
The power of the world crashed down like an endless flood.
There was nowhere to run.
"Heavenly Sword Unity!"
Torin roared.
Every ounce of his Sword Intent erupted.
He desperately tried to resist.
It was useless.
Before he could even complete the technique, the power of heaven and earth slammed down upon him.
Boom!
Torin was driven straight into the hundred thousand mountains.
The earth shook violently.
Mountain peaks trembled.
It looked as though a giant dragon was turning beneath the ground.
When everything finally settled, Torin had been sealed beneath a mountain.
Unable to move.
Caelum spoke calmly.
"Your arrogance is unpleasant."
"I’ll leave you there for ten years."
"Ten years?!"
Torin’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Panic instantly replaced his confidence.
"Heir Apparent! Let me out!"
"I’ll change! I swear I’ll change!"
"Please let me out first, Heir Apparent!"
Caelum ignored him completely.
Turning into a streak of divine light, he flew directly into the forbidden land.
This time, Torin had truly bitten off more than he could chew.
He had never imagined the Divine Firmament Heir would be this terrifying.
One palm strike.
That was all it took.
He hadn’t even come close to resisting.
Now he was trapped beneath a mountain with no way to escape.
The wandering cultivators who had witnessed everything were pale and drenched in cold sweat.
Those who had been caught in the pressure of heaven and earth were still trembling.
"That was close."
"For a moment, I thought I was going to get buried under the mountain with Torin."
"I knew the Divine Firmament Heir was powerful, but this is ridiculous."
"The rumors didn’t even come close."
The crowd remained shaken long after the battle ended.
Soon, streaks of divine light arrived from the market.
Alex had missed Caelum yet again.
By the time he arrived, the fight was already over.
All he found was Torin trapped beneath a mountain.
He stared in disbelief.
"Alex! Save me!" Torin shouted.
