The heavens’ might surged as the Thunder Tribulation roared. The last five black Thunder Spears, bearing a world-ending power, descended upon the sky. After piercing through countless Divine Techniques, they arrived with lethal precision.
The spear tips gleamed with a chilling light, their bodies pitch-black, inspiring dread in all who saw them. The rifts they tore in space were a testament to their terrifying power.
"ROAR!"
The Profound Turtle unfurled its body, its ancient, beastly eyes now glinting with a hint of madness. With a twist of its form, its earthy-yellow shell erupted in a brilliant cyan light. The phantom of the Soaring Snake upon it, flickering in and out of existence, also jerked its head up and let out a silent roar at the World-Ending Spears, enveloping itself in a fierce, blood-red glow.
The next moment...
"CRACKLE..."
A series of chilling crackles echoed as the five black, World-Ending Thunder Spears slammed directly into the Profound Turtle’s shell. Instantly, arcs of Thunderbolt leaped and danced across its surface. The Profound Turtle’s body sank, completely bathed in the black lightning. Its once earthy-yellow shell was quickly coated in a charred black crust.
"HISSS..."
The Soaring Snake phantom on the shell let out a mournful shriek and lunged forward, attempting to swallow the black Thunder Spears. In that instant, the Thunderbolt detonated, and the immense force of the explosion slammed into the Profound Turtle’s shell.
"CRACK... CRACK..."
Even with the Profound Turtle’s astonishing Defense Force, a web of cracks spread across its shell under the explosive might of the five black Thunder Spears. The Soaring Snake’s phantom abruptly burst apart, dissolving into motes of red light that flowed back into the shell.
"WHIMPER..."
The Profound Turtle roared in pain. As its body swayed, it finally dissolved into motes of light and retreated into Yu Changsheng’s Inner Realm. It had taken two of the black Thunder Spears with it, but the remaining three were now unopposed, piercing through all obstacles as they hurtled toward Yu Changsheng.
Yu Changsheng’s face was pale. He jerked his head up, his gaze like lightning as he stared directly at the final three black thunderbolts. A crazed look spread across his features.
The successive, heavy injuries to his Spirit Beasts had caused a severe backlash for Yu Changsheng, but their sacrifice had been effective. Now, with only three thunderbolts left, the situation still felt perilous, but it was no longer the suffocating despair of before.
Each of these three black Thunder Spears felt as if its power surpassed the Golden Core Realm, having fully reached the might of the Purple Mansion. Unleashed in unison, they locked onto Yu Changsheng, feeling like the very heavens were collapsing upon him.
"Zi Ling Emperor!"
Yu Changsheng let out a long breath. In this moment of crisis, his heart suddenly grew calm. Slowly closing his eyes, he stretched his hands forward. A flash of purple, jade-like light appeared, and the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword manifested in his firm grip.
The Zi Ling Emperor blinked, taking in Yu Changsheng’s solemn expression. It then turned to look at the dense Thunder Tribulation in the sky and froze for a second before bristling in alarm.
"What’s going on?!"
The Zi Ling Emperor asked, stunned.
Yu Changsheng replied softly, his expression grave, "Work with me."
And so, when he opened his eyes, they glittered like stars. The Purple Spirit Emperor Sword trembled gently, as if in accord. In that instant, Yu Changsheng’s Divine Soul connected with the Zi Ling Emperor, and his entire mind—his very being—merged with the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword.
In Yu Changsheng’s Perception, the outside world dissolved. There was only the sword, and he was the sword. He had become the sword.
By leveraging the Spirit Beast Contract and his connection to the Zi Ling Emperor—who was, after all, the sword’s Sword Spirit—Yu Changsheng had, to some degree, almost achieved the state of Man and Sword as One.
"Taichu..."
Yu Changsheng murmured the word, and the Purple Spirit Emperor Sword in his hand traced a gentle arc. A sword mark rippled through the void like starlight, tearing open a fissure.
A brilliant white radiance burst forth from the fissure. It was a gentle light, filled with a sense of hope, and it stood in stark, conspicuous contrast to the destructive power of the Thunderbolt.
"Light..."
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit stared blankly for a moment, muttering to itself as its eyes suddenly brightened.
Yu Changsheng’s expression was serene, for he had entered a selfless state. The sword moved as an extension of his will. With a sudden upward thrust, a blindingly brilliant Sword Aura slashed out from the white light!
"Opening the Heavens!"
The clouds and mist roiled, and the void itself trembled. As the Sword Aura swept through, heaven and earth were plunged into a vast expanse of white. For a brief moment, even the thunder of destruction was suppressed.
The Sword Light was magnificent. A single slash that seemed to freeze time and space, becoming an eternal strike. It carried hope as it blasted toward the firmament, as if intending to cleave the world apart, to tear an opening and allow light to shine through once more.
One sword strike, Opening the Heavens!
"BOOM! RUMBLE!"
The black Thunder Spears thundered, as if the world itself were roaring in fury. The spears struck like dragons, the sword like a flash of lightning. They collided in an instant. A terrifying explosion erupted, unleashing boundless shockwaves. Streaks of black lightning shot out, and wisps of Sword Qi saturated the air. The entire ruin began to hum and vibrate violently!
The sword strike was breathtakingly swift and utterly unstoppable. It condensed everything Yu Changsheng had: his essence, his spirit, his Cultivation, his Divine Soul, his physical body... all of it was concentrated into this single attack. The power it unleashed in that one moment was enough to make the heavens and earth change color. The moment the attack left his sword, Yu Changsheng collapsed to the ground, his face utterly bloodless, lacking even the strength to draw a breath.
His Magical Power was gone, his lifeblood exhausted, and his Divine Soul languished. The Purple Spirit Emperor Sword trembled as the Zi Ling Emperor emerged from it. Already a Spirit Body, it now appeared even more ethereal, yet its eyes held a glint of light.
For that single strike, the Zi Ling Emperor and Yu Changsheng had worked in perfect concert, draining every last drop of their power. As for the result, it was astonishing.
Under the power of that one sword strike, the first of the three black Thunder Spears was instantly obliterated. The second held on for a moment longer before it, too, unwillingly disintegrated. The third and final black Thunder Spear was slowly ground down by the Sword Aura until it, too, completely vanished.