Chapter 123: I Have a Sword, Capable of Severing the Heavens
“Ah Chou…”
Facing the four forbidden area lords, Su Yiyao couldn’t help but feel nervous.
She seemed to be back on Mount Fengyin, the little girl relying on Ah Chou.
But this time, she wasn’t facing Daoist Ziyang, but the most powerful beings in the world.
Facing such formidable foes, the first person Su Yiyao thought of wasn’t her omnipotent master, but Luo Xue, who was by her side.
“Don’t be afraid…”
Luo Xue’s consciousness gradually returned, the disorientation of dying and being reborn fading away.
More memories surfaced in her mind, about this life and the previous one.
And some fragmented, unfamiliar memories.
“We’re together…”
“Yes, this time… let’s face it together…”
Luo Xue held Su Yiyao’s hand, and together, they gripped the broken dagger, pointing it at the four forbidden area lords.
“No matter how desperate…”
Luo Xue’s eyes turned pitch black, and Su Yiyao’s were filled with a brilliant crimson.
“Ancient Phoenix… Transformation!”
The power of the Xuanyin Phoenix Transformation Scripture and the Lunar Phoenix Descent Scripture merged, creating a spark of the ancient divine beast’s aura.
The power of the True Phoenix flowed through them, briefly awakening the Blood Sea, and the pressure of the Ascension Realm descended.
The entire Blood Sea churned violently, the will of withering emanating, sweeping across the center of the Demon Abyss and spreading outwards.
Death and silence spread through the Demon Abyss, everything near the Blood Sea devoured, becoming part of the will of withering.
The Blood Sea… was awakening.
The four forbidden area lords were forced to defend against the Blood Sea’s suppression. Their mid-stage Soul Transformation power could only maintain their current state, unable to attack.
“How… could they awaken the Blood Sea…”
The Primordial Mother gritted her teeth. She was in the worst condition, having been at a disadvantage in the earlier clash.
If she was forced to unleash her full power, her deadline would arrive much sooner.
The Holy Master stared intently at Su Yiyao and Luo Xue, a guess forming in her mind. As the one who had the most contact with Su Yiyao, she had a vague idea.
“Could it be that… Su Yiyao is…”
She didn’t dare to think further.
“Holy Master, do you have any thoughts?”
The Fallen Immortal, seeing the hesitation on the Holy Master’s face, asked in a deep voice.
“No… nothing, sorry, it was just a random thought.” The Holy Master shook her head.
“Speak your mind, it might be useful.”
The Ghost King said in a muffled voice.
The forbidden area lords, besides the Primordial Mother, could still withstand the half-awakened Blood Sea.
What made them apprehensive was that Luo Xue and Su Yiyao, at just Core Formation and Spirit Condensation, could already awaken a portion of the Blood Sea’s power.
What if they continued?
What if the Blood Sea was truly awakened?
This was the reason for their hesitation.
Their deadlines, like the Sword of Damocles hanging above their heads, made these beings at the peak of the world tremble.
“…You should have heard of a theory,” the Holy Master hesitated, then said slowly, “about the existence of the Blood Sea.”
There were no records about the origin of the Blood Sea, neither in the Immortal Domain nor the Demon Abyss.
They only knew that the Blood Sea had existed since ancient times, known as the Sea of Withering, the final destination of all things.
The decaying aura released by all living beings upon death would slowly converge into the Blood Sea, making it increasingly powerful over time.
But this didn’t mean that the Blood Sea was initially weak.
On the contrary, according to theories related to the Demon Abyss, the Blood Sea should be the remains of an Ascension Realm expert.
This wasn’t strange. The more powerful the cultivator, the grander the spectacle formed upon their death.
The forbidden area lords and the ancient beings weren’t the only ones who had predecessors who had died. Every Soul Transformation expert who died before reaching Ascension would form a secret realm, known as an “Immortal Tomb.”
…Like the Heavenly Cluster Sword Tomb.
This caged world had never had an Ascension Realm expert, so how could there be the remains of one?
The so-called Immortal Tombs were just self-deception, a consolation for those who couldn’t ascend.
However, the theory that the Blood Sea was the remains of an Ascension Realm expert hadn’t been confirmed. Instead, the “Gate of the Cage” was theorized to exist within it.
“You mean…”
The Ghost King frowned slightly.
“Perhaps the Blood Sea is truly the remains of an Ascension Realm expert, and one of the legendary… Phoenixes from the ancient demon lands.”
The Holy Master’s eyes flickered slightly, and she continued, “There’s the Underworld Phoenix Inheritance that emerged from the Blood Sea, and the Gatekeeper Inheritance before us… both related to the ‘Phoenix’.”
“And the awakened Blood Sea also takes the form of a phoenix. If that’s the case, Su Yiyao, who can awaken the Blood Sea, she might be…”
Everyone’s gaze fell on Su Yiyao and Luo Xue, their breathing gradually becoming heavier.
“She might be… a descendant of the ancient divine beast, the Phoenix.”
The legends of the ancient divine beast, the Phoenix, mostly came from ancient records and were considered by many to be just myths created by their ancestors.
Even the powerful demons who occasionally emerged from the ancient demon lands, when mentioning these ancient divine beasts, said they were just legends.
If Su Yiyao was truly a descendant of the Phoenix, everything seemed to make sense.
Even her identity as the Gatekeeper’s successor could finally be explained.
But this possibility almost overturned their understanding.
“Do you think… that the so-called sealed ancient demon lands,” the Ghost King suddenly said, “are actually… the real world, not a cage?”
The forbidden area lords were startled.
The so-called Gatekeeper was a powerful demon from the ancient demon lands, guarding them, the human cultivators.
The ancient demon lands weren’t sealed; it was this caged world that was sealed!
“I don’t care about any of that!” The Primordial Mother shrieked, her twisted tentacles filled with a vicious, violent aura. “Ancient divine beast or Phoenix descendant, as long as… as long as…”
“As long as they merge with me… they’re all mine…”
The other three forbidden area lords silently watched the crazed Primordial Mother.
They could understand her despair. If they were in her position, they wouldn’t be much better off.
The Primordial Mother was the oldest of the four, which meant her lifespan was nearing its end.
As her deadline approached, she had gradually become insane.
She was like someone standing on the edge of a cliff, facing the terror of death, and any action was possible.
If not for the other three forbidden area lords suppressing her with their strength, Su Yiyao would have already been devoured by the Primordial Mother when she emerged from the Blood Sea.
Now, the other three had their own concerns. Although they also faced the threat of their deadlines, as long as they didn’t awaken from their slumber, they still had plenty of time.
The Primordial Mother had barely been able to hold on, but after being severely injured by the Blood Phoenix, her slim chance of survival had vanished. What she faced… was her imminent death.
The aura of the monstrous creature continued to rise, a heavy deathly aura emanating from it. Finally, the Primordial Mother transformed into a terrifying beast, formed from various stitched-together limbs and flesh, blotting out the sky.
Eyes opened on every part of the beast’s body, some filled with sorrow, some with anger, some with despair. These were the wills of the lives devoured by the Primordial Mother, imprisoned within her.
The current Primordial Mother wasn’t so much a beast as a combination of various wills.
A muffled rumbling, like a war drum, echoed, and all the eyes stared at Luo Xue and Su Yiyao, emanating a terrifying malice.
The tentacles extending around them carried various powers, fighting against the purplish-red phoenix condensed from the Blood Sea.
Her peak Soul Transformation cultivation was unleashed without reservation, its near-Ascension level even triggering the heavenly tribulation above.
The beings at the peak of this world looked up at the tribulation lightning in the depths of the clouds.
As long as the tribulation descended, after being baptized by it, they could shed their Soul Transformation bodies and ascend.
But… before the tribulation lightning could even form, it was annihilated by some force, the hope of ascension extinguished.
This was the cage, the cage that trapped them.
Even though these peak Soul Transformation cultivators had witnessed this scene countless times, seeing it again still filled them with helplessness and rage.
Why…
Why were they born in this cage? They could have gone further, seen more, yet they were trapped in this small world.
This feeling was even stronger for the Primordial Mother, whose deadline was approaching. She had almost completely lost her mind, attacking frantically without regard for anything.
The Blood Phoenix cried out, and the forces of death and decay continuously eroded the Primordial Mother’s Law of Life, her twisted body decaying, yet strangely resilient.
And as the Primordial Mother unleashed her full power, the Blood Phoenix was gradually losing, barely maintaining its form, constantly retreating.
Although its body was condensed from Ascension Realm power, it was still too weak.
After all, it was summoned by just a Core Formation and a Spirit Condensation cultivator.
In other places, cultivators of this level were insignificant before a peak Soul Transformation expert, mere specks of dust.
But now… in the Blood Sea, they were fighting against the Primordial Mother, one of the four forbidden area lords.
“All… mine…”
The monstrous beast roared, its crazed will consuming its body.
With a mournful cry that pierced the heavens, the Blood Phoenix condensed from the Blood Sea dispersed, turning into blood rain.
The exhausted Su Yiyao almost collapsed into the Blood Sea, but Luo Xue caught her.
“Xiao Yao, are you alright?”
Luo Xue held Su Yiyao and carried her on her back.
“Ah Chou, Xiao Yao… is so useless…”
Su Yiyao leaned against Luo Xue’s shoulder, her expression dejected.
Every time… no matter what, she seemed to be useless.
“No, you’ve done very well.”
Luo Xue shook her head and looked up at the terrifying monster that blotted out the sky.
Whether it was cultivation or physical form, the difference between her and this monster was like that between the bright moon and a speck of dust.
She wasn’t even qualified to stand before such an existence.
The remaining power of the Blood Phoenix was quickly dissipating, and the Primordial Mother’s madness would soon be unleashed upon them without restraint.
But Luo Xue hadn’t given up yet.
She took out the Evil Ghost Subduing Pestle, released the Nascent Soul will, and activated both the Mystic Dark Eyes and her Double Pupils.
The blue flames in the Ghost King’s eyes flickered, and even his skeletal face showed a hint of seriousness.
“The Shangguan clan’s ability? Wait, this is Xiao Yu’s power…”
The Ghost King was naturally familiar with Shangguan Yu, the former Clan Leader of the Shangguan clan, and he knew that she had died on the battlefield of the Immortal-Demon War thousands of years ago. But why was her power here?
But even so, it wasn’t enough.
No matter how strong the Nascent Soul will was, in the hands of a mere Spirit Condensation cultivator, it couldn’t exert much power.
Contending with a Core Formation cultivator was already its limit. It could be ignored even by ordinary Nascent Soul cultivators, let alone the Primordial Mother, a peak Soul Transformation expert.
Then, Luo Xue took out a sword, which carried the distinct aura of the Peerless Summit Sect.
“A Peerless Summit Sect sword cultivator…”
The three forbidden area lords’ expressions turned strange.
How could someone use both demonic secret techniques and the Peerless Summit Sect’s swordsmanship…
Used to the sword fanatics who were obsessed with slaying demons and eliminating evil, this was the first time they had seen such a combination. Even the forbidden area lords found it novel.
But all of this…
Was just a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
The power of the Blood Phoenix completely dissipated, and the Primordial Mother continued her attack.
The twisted Law of Life enveloped the surroundings, and Luo Xue even felt like eyes were about to grow on her arms.
But she didn’t stop. After taking out the sword, she took out a gourd of immortal wine and drank it all in one gulp.
When Luo Xue looked up again, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and her dark eyes shone brightly.
“I have a sword,” she said, holding up the sword, “capable of severing the heavens.”
The young girl slowly swung the sword, her movements as clumsy as a child playing with a wooden sword.
Her swordsmanship was laughably clumsy, hard to believe she was from the Peerless Summit Sect, known for its sword cultivation.
But this laughable swordsmanship…
Stirred the Blood Sea.
The Blood Sea awakened again, but it didn’t condense into a phoenix. Instead, it transformed into an imperceptible sword Qi, gently grazing the Primordial Mother’s avatar.
Then, silently, it was cut in half.
“Xiao Yao protected me just now, this time, it’s my turn.”
Luo Xue looked up at the Primordial Mother, her sword resting against the coffin.
The Blood Sea remained calm, but a sword intent, filled with death and decay, faintly emanated.
Any existence, before this sword intent, would crumble upon contact.
Su Yiyao, behind her, closed her eyes peacefully, a faint smile on her lips.
“That’s right, Ah Chou, no matter what happens, we’ll face it together…”
“Even… despair.”
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