Dao Wei did not retreat. Instead, he took a step forward. His sword pulsed, and in that moment, his Sword Domain Manifested.
Boom!
His aura changed—no longer just a mere swordsman, but the very embodiment of a sword. The surrounding battlefield trembled as an invisible force spread outward. The weight of his sword intent bore down upon the world, its sheer sharpness threatening to split the fabric of reality itself.
He took another step, and his Sword Intent surged to the Second Stage—Heaven's Sword Domain.
Rumble!
A silver halo formed behind him, its divine radiance clashing against Diteyi's hellish glow. The battlefield transformed. Lightning crackled within the domain, infusing every particle of sword energy with devastating electric power. The sky itself seemed to fracture under the sheer force of his presence.
"Metal and Lightning Fusion—Heaven's Raging Tempest!"
Dao Wei slashed horizontally.
From his sword, a cataclysmic storm erupted, thousands of lightning-infused sword beams crashing down upon the Blood Asura Phantoms. Each strike carried enough force to tear mountains asunder, the fusion of metal and lightning creating an overwhelming force of destruction.
Bang! Bang!
The Blood Asura Phantoms attempted to dodge, but the lightning-infused slashes found them regardless. One by one, they were obliterated, their demonic energy dissipating into nothingness.
Diteyi's expression twisted. "I-Impossible!"
But Dao Wei was relentless in his assault.
Poof!
He vanished.
A single instant passed, and he reappeared behind Diteyi, Skyfall poised to strike. The very air screamed from the speed of his movement, space trembling at his wake.
Diteyi barely managed to turn, his spear raising in defense.
Clang!
The impact shattered the ground beneath them, sending shockwaves rolling outward, carving massive chasms into the earth. Entire peaks of rubble and debris were flung into the sky, the sheer force of their clash rewriting the landscape.
Cough! Cough!
Diteyi coughed up a mouthful of black blood. "D-Dao Wei... you dare wound me?!"
He roared, his voice carrying malice and rage.
But Dao Wei's expression was calm, yet his aura flared even brighter. "We've only just started, and you already crying?"
Diteyi roared and his demonic aura expanded, coalescing into a monstrous, foggy mist behind him.
Rumble!
Crimson mist slithered through the air, corrupting the wind itself, and the scent of burning sulfur filled the atmosphere. The ground cracked and bled molten fire as if the land itself rejected what was emerging.
A titanic, otherworldly serpent uncoiled behind Diteyi, its scales darker than midnight yet shimmering with eerie, pulsating runes. Each scale seemed alive, writhing, shifting, whispering curses in a forgotten tongue.
Its head dwarfed mountains, its eyes twin abysses of endless malice. Each breath it exhaled warped the air, distorting reality itself, as if existence bent to its will. Its fangs, jagged like cursed blades, dripped with black venom that burnt the ground upon contact.
However, what made it truly horrifying was not its size, nor its aura. It was the rings of fiery hellflames that encircled its massive body—twelve in total, each representing a cycle of destruction, a symbol of death's inevitability.
One ring flickered and dissolved. A surge of power blasted outward.
Boom!
The first of the twelve seals had broken—with each seal shattered, the Hell Serpent Zodiac's power would rise, warping the world into a living nightmare. A calamity given form.
Diteyi stood before the monstrous entity, its coils coiling protectively behind him, its abyssal eyes locked onto Dao Wei. The moment he summoned his martial soul, the world seemed to shrink under its presence. A deep, guttural rumble echoed through the battlefield, not from the sky, nor the earth, but from something beyond—the abyss itself.
"Then witness what true power looks like!" When he finally spoke—It was not a voice, but a guttural decree of doom.
Rumble!
Meanwhile, as the battle grew fierce, elsewhere within a dimly lit ancestral hall within the Du Clan compound, the air hung thick with incense and quiet menace. Ancient banners depicting fierce dragons and phoenixes swayed slightly, casting jagged shadows over the lacquered table where three figures sat in tense contemplation.
Elder Ren, his sharp, hawk-like eyes gleaming under the flickering candlelight, tapped thin fingers against the polished wood. Elder Lian, stout and grim-faced, stroked his long, grey beard, while Elder Suji, the only woman among them, reclined slightly, a smirk playing at her lips as though savoring an unspoken victory.
The silence stretched, broken only by the soft creak of Elder Ren shifting in his seat. Then, with a voice as smooth as silk and laced with satisfaction, Elder Suji spoke.
"Did you hear? Confirmed reports have reached even our quiet halls. Sword Childe... is caught."
Elder Lian raised a skeptical brow. "Caught? You speak as if he were a rabbit in a snare. Be precise, Suji. The details are important, even concerning someone so... disposable now."
"Precise enough." Elder Suji's voice was clipped, confident. "The Hall has made their move, and the Demon Childe is at the forefront of it all."
Elder Ren let out a dry chuckle, a rustling sound that carried an edge of amusement. "A delicious irony, don't you think? Using the Demon Childe to take down the Death God."
Elder Lian exhaled, deep and thoughtful. "Irony is a luxury we can afford to appreciate, Ren, but let us not lose sight of the practicalities. Is it truly concluded? The Death God of Lower Shura is not to be underestimated."
"Not this time, Lian," Suji countered, her smirk deepening. "The Court has demanded his head. And the Sword God Sect? Already in ruins. He's isolated, exposed. He's as good as... extinguished."
She made a sharp, cutting gesture in the air, as though slicing through something unseen.
Elder Ren nodded. "Like a candle flame snuffed out by a sudden gust. And good riddance. For too long, that self-righteous fool has cast a shadow over our... endeavors."
Elder Lian's fingers drummed against the table. "A thorn in our side, indeed. Always sniffing around, threatening our... dreams. His influence among the younger generation was also... inconvenient."
The candlelight flickered, casting restless shadows on their faces as they absorbed the weight of their long-awaited victory. The silence that followed was thick with unspoken ambition, the palpable sense of schemes finally coming to fruition.
Meanwhile, in a secluded courtyard of the Du Mansion, under a sky laden with swirling silver clouds, Dugu Xueling stood in tranquil observation. A celestial orb hovered before her, its surface rippling with images of the ongoing battle. Within its depths, figures clashed, celestial brilliance colliding with abyssal darkness in a display of raw, unfathomable power.
From behind, Lin Wei, her most trusted courtier, spoke softly, his voice a mere whisper against the still night air. "Your Majesty observes with unwavering stillness, suspended there like a celestial guardian. Yet, even from this vantage, I sense the tempest of your thoughts. This trial... it tests more than just the Divine Prince's mettle, does it not?"
Dugu Xueling did not turn. Her gaze remained fixed on the shimmering battlefield below. "Indeed, Lin Wei," she replied, her voice carrying the weight of her authority. "It tests the very foundations of hope itself. Look at him, amidst that swirling chaos. He fights with the ferocity of a cornered storm, but... the odds are stacked against him. Even for one of his caliber."
Lin Wei stepped closer, his own eyes drawn to the orb. "His strength is legendary, Your Majesty. And Lingxue... her faith in him is absolute. That alone should lend him strength."
Dugu Xueling's lips pressed into a thin line. "Lingxue's faith... it is a beautiful thing, Lin Wei. But faith alone does not deflect a poisoned blade, nor shatter a cage of shadows." A flicker of pain crossed her features before her regal mask reasserted itself. "She has poured her very soul into this betrothal, this alliance. Her happiness, our kingdom's stability... so much rests upon his survival. And... them."
She gestured subtly towards the orb, where two figures stood against the tide of battle. "Their future, Lin Wei. What becomes of their future if he fails? Will she be heartbroken? Yes. But beyond that... will this alliance shatter? Will the hard-won peace crumble under the weight of loss?"
Lin Wei bowed his head. "Your Majesty speaks with the wisdom of ages. These are indeed grave concerns. But the Divine Prince is not easily broken. He has faced trials far exceeding this and emerged victorious. Remember the Siege of Azure Peaks? Or the Whispering Caves?"
Dugu Xueling sighed, the sound barely audible. "I remember them well, Lin Wei. And I remember the scars they left. This... this is different. The forces arrayed against him are darker, more insidious. They strike at the very core of his being, not just his physical form."
She paused, her gaze softening as she continued to watch the battle. "I dreamt, Lin Wei. I dreamt of grandchildren with eyes like the stars and hearts filled with the spirit of both our lineages. I envisioned a dynasty forged in strength and harmony. But now..." Her voice trailed off, heavy with unspoken fear.