SHIICK!
This beam of sword light was blinding. Not even the scorching sun hanging overhead in a dark sky could rival its brilliance. So much so that Shen Shaotian, who was already wielding his sword, instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes.
The overwhelming sword qi surged, boundless and vast, reaching the highest heavens. It exuded an awe-inspiring presence that defied description, as if it carried the will of heaven and earth, filled with the glory of ages. It also bore an arrogance sufficient to dominate the world!
This sword strike, unleashed by Chen Yang, belonged solely to the Ancestor of the Chen Family.
In that moment, whether it was on the banks of the Qingyuan River, in the crowd hundreds of meters away, or across the entirety of Cangyun City, everyone instinctively looked up. They stared blankly at the sky above, their expressions filled with utter terror and shock.
As the saying goes, sword qi stretches eighty thousand miles, and a single beam of light illuminates all of Tianwu. This sword was like a Heavenly God descending to earth, powerful enough to awe mountains and rivers for thousands of miles.
How could it be so powerful?
It wasn't just the common folk; even Gu Zhiqing and Shen Shaokun drew in a sharp breath, their expressions filled with shock.
"This... this is..." Amid the tsunami of exclamations, Gu Zhiqing and Shen Shaokun murmured in low whispers, overwhelmed. "This longsword is truly extraordinary."
"This longsword bears the lifeblood and the entire will of our Chen Family's Ancestor!" Chen Shangwu clenched his fists, his voice low. "It witnessed our ancestor's journey to his peak, and it has watched over the rise and fall of our Chen Family."
Beneath the firmament, brilliance poured down. The sword light chopped down. In the instant it unleashed its unparalleled killing intent and matchless, ferocious glow, a desperate roar reverberated from the ground, "Fall back!"
SHIICK!!
A sword soared through the void.
A second ago, Tu Cunshan had been filled with murderous intent, already picturing Chen Yang's death at their hands. But now, a sharp pain suddenly spread throughout his body, creeping into his limbs and veins. The sword had not yet arrived, but his body was already covered in sword marks, as if from a thousand cuts.
"AHH!!" Tu Cunshan screamed with all his might, no longer able to tell if it was from pain or utter despair. His hair stood on end as both of his arms were torn from his body.
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, the other two middle-aged men slammed their palms onto the feather arrow. Not far away, Shen Shaokun also joined the fray, sweeping a palm across the void toward Chen Yang's head. His single hand obscured the sky, descending like a mountain.
Upon impact, the entire dark sky seemed to be ripped open, and a dazzling light blossomed across the ten-thousand-mile canopy. It was as if the gloomy clouds had dispersed, ushering in a brand-new world. This single palm strike had ignited a myriad of sparks.
Centered on Chen Yang's position, a massive crack spread and rolled outward as the ground in all directions collapsed. However, the beam of sword light remained unmoved. In the next second, it shredded the feather arrow to pieces, utterly annihilating it in the gale.
BOOM!
As the sword light fell, the two middle-aged men bore the brunt of it. Starting from their chests, their bodies were instantly torn apart by the light. A thick mist of blood had barely formed before it was swept away by the sword wind, dissolving into nothing.
"Chen Yang, stop this at once! Do you really want to become a mortal enemy of the Southern Dipper Academy?" shouted Shen Shaokun, his body now bathed in blood. Gone was his earlier commanding aura; he was a ragged mess.
BOOM!!
A sword fell from the heavens.
Shen Shaokun retreated rapidly. He jerked his head up, his gaze filled with intense killing intent, and was about to speak again when the void trembled and the sword light struck the ground.
In an instant, a tremendous shockwave exploded across the land. The sword light crashed down upon the vast riverside square, kicking up two waves of black soil that blasted outward.
It was a world-shaking strike. Even the eight-hundred-meter-wide Qingyuan River was split in two.
BOOM!
Not far away, Shen Shaokun, encased in mud, fell to his knees in fright. Beads of sweat the size of beans rolled down his dirt-smeared face, dripping to the ground one by one. His clothes were ragged, and deep, bone-visible wounds covered every inch of his skin. Blood mingled with mud, exuding a bewitchingly brilliant hue.
Shen Shaotian: "..."
The crowd: "..."
How... How could he be this strong?! Four supreme experts had joined forces, yet they could not withstand a single strike?
HISS! HISS!
The sound of sharp intakes of breath echoed back and forth, like mountains and rivers reversing their course.
The heavy rain stopped, and a breeze arrived unannounced. Though Chen Yang's body was soaked, the breeze lifted his hair at just the right moment, revealing his sharp-featured face clearly between heaven and earth. The dark clouds gradually dispersed, and a ray of the setting sun slanted down, outlining him in gold.
He held a sword in one hand, pointing it obliquely toward the southern sky. His tall, straight figure stood proudly under the vast expanse, majestic as a mountain, immovable as a bell.
He looked like a War God.
After this battle, he was enshrined as a god among men.
TAP.
Chen Yang took a light step forward.
Tu Cunshan, already gravely injured with his organs displaced, tensed up. Without hesitation, he desperately tried to struggle to his feet, but he had not succeeded by the time Chen Yang stood before him.
"Say it again. In this mortal world, you are the emperor?" Chen Yang held the sword, its blade shimmering with light, his expression solemn and majestic.
The vast square was silent. Chen Yang didn't need to say another word; everyone knew what the Former Chief Military Commander was about to do.
"I, I..." The Clan Leader of the Imperial Clan, who in days past had looked down upon the Myriad Mile Territory and all its living beings, was now as pale as paper. "Can you... spare my life?"
At this moment, he had lost all trace of a Dominator's bearing.
"You're asking me for your life now?" Chen Yang laughed. "Do you think that's possible?"
SWOOSH!!
The sword fell.
Across the vast empire, the Four Seas and Eight Wastelands, countless eyes watched as the life of a generation's Imperial Clan Leader was severed. A Half-step Divine Conquest, killed just like that.
Afterward, Chen Yang held his blood-dripping longsword and narrowed his eyes. His indifferent gaze swept over the remaining members of the Imperial Clan. "Will you attack together, or will you choose to end yourselves?"
The crowd: "..."
He's not giving them any way out!
For a time, the vast arena was plunged into dead silence. As members of the Imperial Clan, they could never have imagined in their wildest dreams that they, who had always reigned supreme over all beings, would one day be brought so low.
SWISH.
A sword swept across, and a wave of blood surged. With that, the elite of the Imperial Clan were utterly annihilated.
It was also the end of an era.
Chen Yang turned and gazed at the sunset.
Morning dew and ephemeral blossoms—so close, yet worlds apart.
It is said that jade endures for eight thousand years, yet glory withers overnight.
I ask the heavens: what is the purpose of this life?
Across ninety thousand miles of sky, I ride the wind and play with shadows, but with whom can I share this?
A thousand autumns under the Northern Dipper.
And only I, whom the world of mortals cannot keep!
"..."