The abysses leading straight to the depths measured hundreds of zhang across at the openings, shaped remarkably like human eyes. Some parts were round, others narrow and elongated.
The two abysses lay side by side, as if a giant reclined on the ground, gazing at the vast sky.
From the eyes surged black light mist capable of slaying gods.
Divine qi poured endlessly from Chi Yao’s body, sustaining the Spacetime Chaos Lotus to resist the chaotic forces erupting from the two abysses.
She said, “Let us leave this place first! Even dead, the residual power of an Immeasurable realm powerhouse remains extraordinary.”
Ancestor Upper Purity differed from Yun Qing Ancient Buddha.
Yun Qing Ancient Buddha’s corpse had lain in the Desolate Ancient Ruined City, eroded by dark forces for eight hundred thousand years. Thus, Zhang Ruochen and others had entered his divine body relatively easily back then.
Yet even so, Yun Qing Ancient Buddha’s remaining power had been formidable.
Only because his consciousness was clear had he not attacked them.
Ancestor Upper Purity was different. Fallen merely two hundred thousand years ago, without dark forces eroding the Liangyi Sect, the residual power in the seventh layer was naturally exceptional.
More terrifying was the enduring mystery of why Ancestor Upper Purity had been slain.
No one knew if he had been good or evil.
Little Black raised his charred wings, agreeing with Chi Yao. He urged, “Hurry and leave. We cannot provoke an Immeasurable realm god. Wait until reaching Tai Zhen Realm before returning.”
Little Black was an undying bird with extreme recovery ability.
But Immeasurable realm divine power had invaded his divine body. His wounds healed slowly. Black as charcoal, he stood tensely eyeing surroundings.
“Wait. There is a sword planted there.”
Zhang Ruochen spotted something, pointing between the two abysses.
Between expanses of black light mist, a slender cyan glow flickered.
Chi Yao mobilised Truth power. Her pupils became like two star systems, piercing the black light mist. Indeed, a black sword was planted in the ground.
On the sword body was carved a cyan lotus, lifelike.
“Clang!”
The black longsword rang with a heaven-shaking piercing cry. Like a cyan rainbow, it flew from the earth. Instantly, thousands of sword qi in the seventh layer converged upon it.
Zhang Ruochen sensed extreme danger. He roared, “Bad! Flee quickly.”
Chi Yao, Little Black, and Zhang Ruochen burst forth at maximum speed, rushing down the mountain along the original path.
The sword cry pursued closely, drawing nearer, as if ringing in their ears.
“What exactly is happening? Could Upper Purity not be fully dead? Unlikely! If Biluo Zi struck, he should be thoroughly dead!”
In owl form, Little Black was pitch black. Claws dug rapidly, wings fanned like windmills.
“You go. I shall hold the rear.”
Zhang Ruochen at the back halted abruptly, turning to press his palm forward.
“Six Swords United Astonishing God Array!”
The six divine swords sealed in his right hand flew out, condensing a sword dao divine array. It clashed with the pursuing black war sword.
Instantly, tens of thousands of sword qi collided. Streams of light flew chaotically.
Even exerting full effort, Zhang Ruochen could not hold. The ground beneath shattered. His body sank. Blood flowed from his arms.
Wounds spread from arms to shoulders and chest.
“Whoosh!”
The Seven Sources Colourful Robe emerged, radiating seven-coloured brilliance.
“Even a divine sword, without a master wielding it, should not unleash such power. Could… could Ancestor Upper Purity truly not be dead?”
Suddenly, pressure on Zhang Ruochen lightened. His back warmed.
Vast divine power surged endlessly into him.
“I said I would hold the rear. Why return?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
Little Black’s charred wings pressed his back. “If this emperor left, could you handle it alone? This sword dao divine array is powerful but consumes vast divine qi.”
Chi Yao had not fled either. She soared gracefully, hovering mid-air to observe. “This sword should be the legendary Qing Ping Sword of Ancestor Upper Purity. The sword itself is not a divine artefact, lacking such strength inherently. But the sword spirit can mobilise the entire seventh layer’s power.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Quickly sever the sword spirit’s connection to the seventh layer.”
Chi Yao extended a fair jade finger. From her divine sea, billions of spatial rules flew from the fingertip.
With a slash.
“Whoosh!”
Using powerful divine force, she severed Ancestor Upper Purity’s residual divine patterns in heaven and earth. A spatial rift appeared, separating the black war sword from the seventh layer.
Sensing the black war sword’s power greatly reduced, Zhang Ruochen leaped skyward. Protected by the six divine swords, he became a light streak, rushing forward to seize the hilt.
The black war sword struggled in his hand, sometimes soaring skyward, sometimes plunging earthward.
Yet it could not escape his five fingers.
“Boom!”
Zhang Ruochen hovered mid-air, ethereal and transcendent. Sword dao rules flew from his body, enveloping the black war sword. He thrust it fiercely into the ground, hands gripping the hilt, suppressing it firmly.
“Refine for me!”
Divine flames surged from his palms, tempering the sword body.
Within, the sword spirit screamed miserably. “Great god, spare me. Do not refine me. If I dissipate, Qing Ping Sword’s power will greatly diminish.”
On the sword, the cyan lotus flickered.
“It truly is Qing Ping Sword!”
Zhang Ruochen drew the sword, raising it overhead, illuminating the sky cyan.
“Why attack us? If you do not confess truthfully, I shall sever you with divine swords.” Zhang Ruochen saw Qing Ping Sword was sub-divine supreme sacred artefact level.
Without borrowing seventh layer power, it might not rival even a pseudo-god.
The sword spirit said, “This is my territory. You intruded. Naturally, I slay!”
It seemed…
Indeed so!
Zhang Ruochen asked, “How long have you been here?”
“Roughly two hundred thousand years.” the sword spirit replied.
“What exactly happened two hundred thousand years ago? Is the one buried here truly Ancestor Upper Purity?”
The sword spirit hesitated before saying, “I know not what occurred. Two hundred thousand years ago, I suffered heavy damage. All memories were severed. However, the power here is very intimate to me, easily mobilised. Buried should be my master.”
Chi Yao approached. “Even a newborn sword spirit can recall events the sword experienced. You are not newborn. How can you have no memory of two hundred thousand years ago? Since so dishonest, I shall sever you.”
She seized Divine Sword Old Six, slashing down.
“Sword Realm! Sword Realm…” Qing Ping Sword’s spirit shouted.
Divine Sword Old Six hovered above Qing Ping Sword, not falling.
Chi Yao asked, “What did you say? What does Sword Realm mean?”
“I am merely a sword spirit. Why so cruel? What I said earlier is true. My memories were truly severed, leaving only fragments.” the sword spirit replied.
“Enough dallying. Speak or this emperor severs you.” Little Black threatened.
The sword spirit said, “All I recall is Sword Realm. I seem to have followed master through endless darkness to an ancient great world called Sword Realm. Beyond that, truly nothing!”
“So dishonest! Full of lies. Seek death.”
Little Black wrapped the Titan Ghost Axe with wings, slashing down. It clashed with Qing Ping Sword.
“Bang!”
Supreme force energy ripples surged.
Little Black flew back, wings nearly shaken off. A shallow notch appeared on the Titan Ghost Axe. Seeing it, he ached terribly. Only then realising town-heaven supreme sacred artefacts could not clash directly with sub-divine ones.
Reckless!
“Zhang Ruochen, what do you mean? Why attack this emperor?” Little Black demanded.
Had Zhang Ruochen not infused divine qi into Qing Ping Sword, how could Little Black be repelled?
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes were solemn. “I believe he tells the truth.”
“You said Sword Realm long destroyed. Even Sword Ancestor fled from Sword Realm to Kunlun Realm?” Little Black said.
Zhang Ruochen replied, “But Jian Nan emerged!”
Little Black calmed, eyes showing shock. “Jian Nan Realm? You mean Jian Nan Realm relates to Sword Realm?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded. “Jian Nan Realm should be merely part of Sword Realm! In Jian Nan Realm, we found the Origin Divine Hall but not the Sword Divine Hall.”
“The endless darkness Qing Ping Sword spirit mentioned should be the Dark Triangle Star Domain.”
“If my guess is correct, Sword Realm was shattered but not fully destroyed. The Three Purities Ancestors found Sword Realm in the Dark Triangle Star Domain and broke through to Immeasurable there.”
Little Black shook his head. “Your guess is too bold? Completely baseless.”
“I dare guess thus naturally with reason.”
Zhang Ruochen said, “Two hundred thousand years ago was special. The Twenty-Four Heavens fell. Heavenly Court unformed. Myriad realms leaderless, chaotic.”
“Then, Hell Realm forces led by Darkness Divine Hall and major death spirit races already warred Heavenly Court. Kunlun Realm’s star region neighboured Hell Realm’s Yellow Springs Galaxy, position quite special.”
“In such situation, Kunlun gods surely bore immense pressure. All sought rapid cultivation advance for breakthrough.”
“We understand Immeasurable breakthrough difficulty. Talents like Xuan Yi, Jue Miao Chan Nu, Moon God, Jia Tianxia, Famous Sword God… vast gods stuck below Immeasurable, hundreds of thousands years unable to break. Even Five Purities Sect figures cultivated five Yuan Hui to succeed.”
“I comprehended Taiji Innate Merit. This merit is merely remnant of Innate Dao Law, many gaps, heavy martial light insight.”
“Moreover, Three Purities Ancestors majored sword dao. Sword Ancestor’s transmitted sword dao also incomplete. Theoretically, impossible to reach Immeasurable via Taiji Innate Merit and sword dao.”
“In that situation, if I were them, only seek Sword Ancestor’s former realm for complete sword dao, break Immeasurable with sword. They likely found clues in Kunlun, thus seeking Sword Realm.”
Here, Zhang Ruochen paused, sinking deeper into thought.
“Whoosh!”
From his body flew a three-cun sword-shaped token, rushing toward the two abysses surging black light mist.
Zhang Ruochen exclaimed softly, pursuing immediately.
The sword-shaped token was given by Jian Nan Realm’s previous Realm Venerable on the Hunting Heaven Battlefield. When inheriting sword soul in Origin Divine Hall, Sword Ancestor called it “Sword Seal”.
