The surrounding divine power surged toward Du Yu like a tide.
The
Ghost-Headed Blade
in his hand rang out with blade-criesâgrowing louder and louder!
There was no doubt: Du Yu was gathering blade force.
âSince you asked for a full-power strike, Iâll show you my all!â he thought.
Ye Yu made no move to interrupt. He hovered before the Demon God, watching in silence as events unfolded.
Seeing this, old dog Goulangt tried to slip away. He knew heâd crossed Wuliang Palaceâs elders and had publicly called Ye Yu a paper tiger. Now Ye Yu would surely hold a grudge and demand his life. If Du Yuâs strike failed to kill Ye Yu, his own death was certain. Of course he must flee!
But before he could turn, a dozen Jiyue Pavilion gods closed in around himâamong them Golden Godârealm experts. Outnumbered, he was trapped.
Bewildered, he protested, âFellow Daoists, what are you doing? Donât forgetâwe all belong to Jiyue Pavilion!â
At his words, the gods sneered.
âAsk yourself: were you planning to run? The Supreme God named you to stayâif you flee, weâre doomed. So youâd better obey!â
âYeah, donât âfellowshipâ usâweâre not alike. Youâre just Third Elderâs lackey. You never underwent the formal induction; you donât even have a Pavilion badge. On what basis do you claim to be one of us?â
Goulangt bristled. Before Ye Yuâs arrival, even the elders had called him âsir.â Now that they faced death, they drew strict lines. How infuriating! He struggled wildly to break free, but failedâhe had underestimated their strength and resolve to survive. He bit back curses; these gods were utterly terrified of Ye Yu, and he posed no threat. Hence their cruelty.
He threw back his head and howled in frustration. He had lived by cautionâby clinging to lifeâand believed firmly that âhe who endures to the end is the true victor.â Heâd outlasted countless rivals to seize the Xuanba Devourer-Heaven Axe, even serving the elders as a lackey for security. Yet this was his fate. How ironic! His only hope lay in Du Yuâs blade vanquishing Ye Yuâbut that chance was vanishingly small. Ye Yuâs confidence was clear. Goulangt sighed again.
All around him, the gods stood ready, afraid he might slip away. Hanyue Xi watched closely, her brow furrowed, then realization dawned: ancient beast apparitions hid in every direction, deterring the gods from fleeing. Ye Yu had forced them to keep watch over Goulangt!
She glanced up at the figure in the sky, perplexed by this man she could no longer understand.
At that moment, Du Yu had finished gathering his blade force. He stepped forward, single-handed knife poised. Around him, space itself seemed to tear.
He declared, âI name this strike âReturn to Unity!â All things return to unity, all gods return to unity, the world returns to unity! No matter what stands before me, I will reduce it to nothing!â
âThis is a divine technique I recently comprehended,â he added. âIâve yet to use it on anyoneâyou should feel honored!â
As he finished speaking, his mid-grade divine artifact, the
Ghost-Headed Blade
, shattered! The fractured blades did not fall but whirled around him, soon fusing with his body. In that moment, everyone felt a peculiar sensation: Du Yu was the blade, and the blade was Du Yu. He had refined the artifact into himself.
Some gods, after a momentâs shock, could only marvel at such ruthless determinationâfew could attempt such a feat.
Du Yu raised his right hand. A black blade-aura appeared, and the surrounding space rippled like water. The bladeâs edge advanced irresistibly, in an instant reaching before the colossal Demon God. The very fabric of space was torn, and even the Demon Godâs form trembledâyet its golden pupils remained as bright as ever.
With the blade poised to shatter the Demon God, every god present held their breath, eyes fixed on the scene. Could a miracle occur? Especially old dog Goulangtâhis heart pounded with hope. If Du Yu succeeded, he might live after all.
Hanyue Xiâs brow furrowed. That strike was too sharp, imbued with primal Dao essenceâtruly unstoppable. Had Ye Yu been overconfident? If heâd struck preemptively, not giving Du Yu time to gather power, perhaps all would differ... but there â NĐŸvĐ”lÎčght â (Read the full story) were no ifs.
Just as everyone believed Ye Yu would fall, Du Yuâs expression grew ever more solemn...