After shattering three black Thunder Spears, the Sword Aura’s might was greatly diminished, but its Heaven-Opening Intent remained undiminished. In fact, it grew even sharper as it thundered toward the tribulation clouds in the sky, slashing upward!
The sword opens, and the heavens part!
The tribulation clouds roiled and parted, layer by layer. Struck by this single slash, they were torn in two. The Thunder Power within gradually died out, beginning to dissipate as the clouds themselves slowly shrank and faded.
HUFF... HUFF... HUFF...
Yu Changsheng collapsed to the ground. Having recovered a sliver of strength, he managed to lift his head. A faint smile graced his lips as he took in the scene.
"Finally... is it over...?"
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit remained silent, shaking its head. After giving Yu Changsheng a complicated look, a smile bloomed on its face as well.
’A Nine-Colored Celestial Tribulation... Such talent is nearly on par with Master’s in his prime...’
’It wasn’t easy. All five of his imperial beasts are gravely injured. But since he passed the tribulation, it’s all right. This kid...’
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit smiled, a sense of relief washing over it. It glanced up at the sky, where stars were beginning to peek through again. As the tribulation clouds contracted, their color slowly faded.
’Wait. Where’s the Celestial Dao Blessing?!’
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit froze, its expression changing in an instant.
"This isn’t right! If he passed the Celestial Tribulation, where is the Celestial Dao Blessing?!"
"Unless..."
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit seemed to recall something, and its expression shifted to one of sheer horror.
Meanwhile, Yu Changsheng was also growing confused. He could feel that his Realm hadn’t advanced at all, and he looked up at the sky.
He saw the contracting tribulation clouds, which had been fading, suddenly erupt in a dazzling, multicolored light that instantly illuminated the heavens and the earth.
Streaks of lightning in every imaginable color flashed and darted within the clouds, descending upon the world with a pressure that far surpassed anything before. It was like the roar of a celestial god, a deluge that transformed the sky into a dense, churning ocean of lightning—all of it locked onto Yu Changsheng!
!!!
Yu Changsheng’s scalp tingled with dread. A profound sense of mortal peril exploded in his mind. The feeling of crisis was stronger than anything he had ever experienced, so intense it bordered on despair.
’It’s not over? This isn’t a Nine-Colored Celestial Tribulation... it’s a ten-colored one?!’
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit was aghast. Its expression shifted as it looked at Yu Changsheng, its face a mask of panic and alarm.
At this point, Yu Changsheng was completely spent and covered in grievous injuries. His five imperial beasts were unconscious from exhaustion. Forget a ten-colored tribulation; a random cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Realm could have killed him with ease.
In his current state, trying to withstand this attack was impossible. There was no chance of survival.
Yu Changsheng knew this as well. Watching the Thunder Dragons rage across the heavens, he gave a bitter smile, his heart sinking into despair.
’I was too careless...’
Yu Changsheng sighed internally. With his last ounce of strength, he took an elixir from his bag and placed it in his mouth.
The moment the elixir appeared, a rich Pill Fragrance wafted from it. Just inhaling the scent seemed to ease some of the fatigue in Yu Changsheng’s body.
Wisps of Spiritual Qi swirled around it, accentuating its extraordinary, otherworldly nature. The elixir was a vibrant cyan, like a piece of natural jade, and it glowed with a faint, gentle light.
It was the Tier Five Elixir, the Reincarnation Rebirth Pill—one of the first-place prizes from the Celestial Slaughter Secret Realm. It was also the only Tier Five Elixir in Yu Changsheng’s possession. He had originally planned to give it to Yang Tianyi after returning to his sect.
As an Alchemist himself, Yu Changsheng knew exactly how alluring a Tier Five Elixir was to other Alchemists. One could even gain profound insights simply by observing and studying it.
Yang Tianyi had given nearly his entire inventory to him, and Yu Changsheng, being a grateful person, was not one to forget a kindness. This elixir was meant for Yang Tianyi...
But the situation was dire, and Yu Changsheng had no other choice.
’I hope I can make it through this...’
Yu Changsheng gave a bitter inner smile; all he could do was hope. He had no strength left to resist. Even with the Tier Five Elixir, the suffocating sense of peril only lessened slightly, remaining as intense as ever.
After all, while the Reincarnation Rebirth Pill was a top-tier healing Holy Medicine with heaven-defying effects—capable of reviving the dying and regrowing flesh on bone—it only worked if the user still had a breath left in them.
And at this moment, Yu Changsheng wasn’t sure he wouldn’t be instantly turned to ash by the violent Thunder Tribulation...
RUMBLE!
Just then, the tribulation clouds contracted to their absolute limit. Then, the brilliant ocean of lightning collapsed, crashing down upon Yu Changsheng. The terrifying aura it leaked surpassed the sum of all the previous tribulations combined, plunging any observer into despair.
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit gritted its teeth, its expression flickering between hope and despair as it watched. It knew with absolute certainty that if this attack landed, Yu Changsheng would die.
’Fine. You are Master’s junior brother, after all. And his successor. If you die here, I’ll have a hard time explaining it to him.’
After only a moment’s hesitation, the Sui Xian Sword Spirit shook its head and let out a relieved smile. It exhaled slowly, then shot Yu Changsheng a wry look.
"You’re a lucky kid. If we were anywhere else, I couldn’t be bothered to care if you lived or died. But since this is my domain, letting you die here would be my mistake."
"Master would probably be angry if he found out... I’ve waited so long. It’s about time to bring things to a close."
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit sighed, its expression returning to one of calm indifference. It looked up sharply at the ocean of lightning, its gaze suddenly becoming as sharp as a peerless, long-sealed sword about to be drawn.
CRACK... CRACK...
Cracks spiderwebbed across the void as an indescribable, peerless Sword Intent rose up from this desolate land. Its appearance seemed to anger the heavens, and the lightning surged with even greater fury. But mixed with that anger... was a trace of fear!
"Huh!?"
Yu Changsheng looked up, stunned. He saw his own Purple Spirit Sword trembling in his hand, bending toward the Sui Xian Sword Spirit as if in pilgrimage. Feeling the Heaven-reaching Sword Intent that filled the air, he stared at the Sword Spirit in utter shock.
"Kid, watch closely. I’ll show you what a true..."
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit’s body floated upward, positioning itself between the Celestial Tribulation and Yu Changsheng. It glanced at the boy and spoke calmly, pointing a finger toward some unknown point in the distance.
WHOOSH!
The next instant, the void where it pointed shattered. A world-shaking streak of light shot across the sky, arriving in a flash and landing in the Sui Xian Sword Spirit’s hand.
It was a sword. Its body was simple and ancient, bearing the marks of ages past. It was covered in profound, time-worn patterns, yet it was terribly damaged. It was a Broken Sword; half the blade was missing. Only from the hilt could one faintly make out two words—Sui Xian!
It was the true form of the Sui Xian Sword Spirit! The Sui Xian Sword!
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit gently stroked the Sui Xian Sword, its gaze filled with nostalgia and its smile widening. It looked down and nodded at the stunned Yu Changsheng, its voice laced with approval.
"You’re very impressive. It would be a shame for you to die here. Watch closely. I will only demonstrate this once. This is the true..."
The Sui Xian Sword Spirit’s presence suddenly sharpened. It thrust the Long Sword toward the heavens, its body merging with the Sui Xian Sword as it charged into the blinding, ten-colored pool of tribulation lightning. Only its voice remained, an echo grander than the tribulation’s thunder, reverberating through the sky and deep within Yu Changsheng’s soul.
"Taichu! Open the Heavens!"
RUUUUMBLE!!
It was as if the sky itself had been torn open, revealing the void beyond. At that moment, every Star in this ruined land trembled and fell from the firmament. The Power of Opening Heaven erupted. The pool of ten-colored tribulation lightning shuddered beneath the sword’s might. The bizarre Thunder Dragons within wailed in agony, exploding one after another in the churning chaos, yet they were powerless to stop the blade’s advance.
If Yu Changsheng’s Taichu Heaven-Opening Sword could merely cleave mountains, then this strike from the Sui Xian Sword had truly done it: it opened the heavens with a single slash!