Chapter 918: Blade Falling into the Star River, Sword Refining the Universe

Chapter 918: Blade Falls, Stars River; Sword Tempers, Heaven and Earth

The savage combined assault of that family of three made Emperor Withered Wood feel that if he himself had been in the fray, the certain-death onslaught would have failed to take Luochuan. The shockwaves of their clash actually pushed the stars from their orbits, leaving gaps in the grand formation.

Watching from afar, Emperor Withered Wood’s heart trembled in awe. He muttered to himself, when had Luochuan grown so strong? If he had possessed this power twenty days ago, how could my Immortal Mountain formation have stopped him?

Forget that battle—even earlier, when Zhao Changhe and Ye Jiuyou besieged him, if he had such ability, why would he need to flee?

He had no time to ponder further and quickly said to the newcomer who had come to stir trouble: “Well then, if you two wish to join this battle, go ahead.”

The newcomer: “…”

Go ahead, my ass. Are we sick? Why would we willingly walk into a deathmatch with some inexplicable powerhouse who appeared out of nowhere?

“Brother Withered Wood, where did this one man and two women come from, these dragons crossing the river?”

“I don’t know.”

“When did Luochuan become this strong…”

Emperor Withered Wood tucked his hands into his sleeves: “I don’t know.”

The newcomer fell silent, turned to survey the battle, and mused inwardly. Withered Wood had originally seemed poised to block others from approaching, but now that he saw the overwhelming power there, he couldn’t be bothered to stop anyone. What idiot would wade into such a chaotic fight, not even knowing friend from foe?

Withered Wood likely harbored thoughts of snatching the spoils, but with the outcome uncertain, now was not the time… That fruit—if Withered Wood could pluck it, why couldn’t we?

At the heart of the battle, Luochuan’s dharma robe was tattered and torn, his body drenched in blood, muscles knotted. His once rather handsome face had twisted into a grimace, eyes bloodshot, strange veins bulging across his skin, forming demonic patterns.

Emperor Withered Wood and the others knew that was demonic energy manifesting outwardly. In Zhao Changhe’s mind, this was what he called the boss’s second phase.

His aura was clearly stronger than before. If the Other Shore realm had stages, then earlier Luochuan was at most mid-stage; now he was likely at the very peak of Other Shore.

The family of three themselves were also wounded, blood at the corners of their mouths, faces pale. Clearly, the earlier shockwaves had left everyone seriously injured.

Luochuan panted heavily, his breath rasping: “Ye Wuming, you should thank this man who, thirty years ago, used his own life to stop your mutual destruction… Otherwise, even if you had perished in body and soul, you could not have killed me.”

Ye Wuming pressed her lips together and did not reply.

That Luochuan could conceal such power meant he truly hadn’t died back then.

In fact, when everyone deduced the cause and effect to this level, how could they not have a faint sense? That battle, Luochuan had deliberately shown a flaw, luring her into the mutual destruction, a path to her own doom. Zhao Changhe had already said as much.

Actually, Zhao Changhe hadn’t seen through it at the time… But whether he saw it or not, he simply refused to let Ye Wuming die, and would find any excuse.

Originally, Ye Wuming couldn’t understand how Luochuan had managed that feat. Now she understood.

Because she, Ye Wuming, was only a false Other Shore and could threaten Luochuan only by borrowing the power of the entire Book of Heaven world. Yet Luochuan himself had a world as his backing—how could he die so easily?

That was his foundation for breaking through to a higher level.

Now, Luochuan’s world had been annihilated; higher levels were out of reach. At the moment of his world’s destruction, he had drawn out its origin, merging it into himself, making a last desperate gamble to strengthen himself, temporarily reaching the peak of Other Shore.

This came at the cost of forever losing any hope of breaking through to a higher realm—severing his path.

In a sense, severing one’s path was as irreconcilable as killing one’s body!

Luochuan gnashed his teeth in fury: “You… will regret today’s deeds… All of you, die!”

Boundless blood-red light erupted, and the void became a vast sea of blood.

The Ye sisters swiftly retreated into the Book of Heaven, leaving only Zhao Changhe outside the realm, hands shielding his chest, carrying the Book of Heaven as he was blasted back ten thousand li.

Only now did Ye Wuming realize that the flesh-and-blood path hidden among the spirit race was Luochuan’s core cultivation. She felt a strange sense of irony—back then, she had guided Zhao Changhe to inherit Lie’s blood fiend because she was certain Lie had nothing to do with Luochuan. Yet, after all these twists and turns, it turned out to be Luochuan’s own core…

Of course, Lie’s blood fiend path and Luochuan’s demonic arts were certainly not the same thing, but they gave Zhao Changhe ample understanding and experience in dealing with such matters.

In the boundless blood, Zhao Changhe halted his retreat and shot forward. Gripping his blade with both hands, he slashed heavenward in fury.

The dark red blood light within the blade merged with the endless sea of blood, so that onlookers could not tell which side the energy belonged to.

Even his eyes glowed red like Luochuan’s, the whites of his eyes also crimson.

It looked like his habitual “Heaven and Earth Without Self” combined with “Gods and Buddhas Scatter”—the cross-level strike he had used most often since his debut.

Luochuan’s sword flew toward him: “You’ve exhausted your tricks—die!”

“Clang!” Blade and sword clashed violently.

In that instant of impact, Luochuan’s heart leaped, and far away, Withered Wood’s heart also leaped.

Zhao Changhe’s strike was not actually “Gods and Buddhas Scatter”; it only borrowed its form… In the end, it was nothing more than one horizontal and one vertical stroke.

Emperor Withered Wood clearly sensed that the power of the stars he had used to form his formation was being borrowed by this fellow. The stars, which had been moving in circular orbits, were now pulled from their paths, gathering into a river.

With the slash, thousands of stars roared down like a galaxy in fury.

This was the ultimate blade Zhao Changhe had been exploring all along, the blade of the inverted star river that matched his lifelong path.

No longer just an image—it was physics!

The blade intent alone was one thing, but how could he wield such power?

Withered Wood turned abruptly and saw, not far away, a woman floating faintly, as if in the center of water. She was forming hand seals, seemingly transferring all her power to Zhao Changhe.

It was Piaomiao, who had just returned from intercepting demon disciples outside, lending her strength to Zhao Changhe.

In another direction, four women sat cross-legged in the void, forming a formation. Behind them, the phantom images of the Four Symbols traced a star chart, driving the power of the stars and pouring it into Zhao Changhe as well.

The Four Symbols Formation had never been merely for slaughter; it was to aid the spirit. The Four Celestial Symbols helped mobilize the stars, gathering them for the Lord of the Night Sky.

Without sun or moon, the blade-wielder radiating brilliant blood light was the sun.

Surrounding Zhao Changhe, they formed a galaxy.

Withered Wood’s mouth fell open.

Damn it, truly “more than two”!

He had thought having the Other Shore sisters was terrifying enough, but what were all these? All at the Imperial Realm Third Layer! And that woman with the aura of mountains and rivers, she was already half-step Other Shore!

Luochuan was facing an entire army alone…

No, he was facing the power of a world, the essence of an era. His own fledgling world, cobbled together with crooked demonic cultivators, could never compare.

“Boom!” Stars fell in chaos, drowning Luochuan.

Zhao Changhe spat a mouthful of blood and flew backward. Luochuan was no better off; he forced down the blood rising to his throat and pursued, trying to finish him: “You’ve done your best, but…”

Before the words ended, a fierce light flashed in Zhao Changhe’s eyes. He suddenly abandoned Longque and reached out to grab Luochuan’s sword. The body-tempering techniques he had once cultivated altered the composition of his hand, concentrating all defenses there, gripping Luochuan’s sword tightly.

Luochuan instinctively pulled his sword, tearing a spray of blood from Zhao Changhe’s palm.

Meanwhile, the twin-tailed loli within Longque swung the blade on her own, aiming for Luochuan’s nape. At the same time, light flared again from Zhao Changhe’s chest.

Ye Jiuyou emerged from the Book of Heaven like a ghost, her palms striking toward Luochuan’s chest and abdomen.

At this moment, Ye Jiuyou was no longer Ye Jiuyou.

It was clearly the fusion of the Ye sisters, carrying the full power of the Book of Heaven world, concentrated in a pair of jade hands.

This was at least the power of mid-to-late Other Shore, suddenly descending upon him.

Luochuan, stunned by the battle, had not expected that Zhao Changhe’s earlier strike had not included their power—that it was still an independent force lying in wait.

What a sneaky family…

No, how could the Ye sisters cooperate so seamlessly, without any rift, as if they were one person?

The thought flashed through his mind. At this moment, Luochuan, suppressing his injuries, truly found it hard to counter the combined strike of the Ye sisters. He quickly discarded his flying sword and barely managed to dodge, but the palm still grazed his ribs, blasting a wound deep enough to see bone. The violent force surged into his internal organs, instantly churning everything inside into chaos.

This was not the end. Luochuan, exhausting every effort to evade the assault of the Ye sisters, found himself with no strength left to deal with another minor nuisance.

Longque slashed across his neck, severing half of it, leaving only the bone to keep his head from falling off.

As he fled through the void, his body was no longer human-shaped—his head hung askew, his chest and abdomen split open, his organs mangled, barely clinging to life by a thread.

This body was no longer usable...

Luochuan snarled, "There will be another day. Let us settle life and death in the next epoch!"

With that, he resolutely self-destructed his body.

The might of such a powerful being's self-destruction was akin to a stellar explosion. The distant onlookers, including Emperor Withered Tree, dared not approach and instead retreated even further.

They had no idea how Zhao Changhe and his companions, so close to the blast, could withstand it, let alone imagine stopping Luochuan's primordial spirit from escaping.

Such a formidable foe was indeed difficult to kill... Perhaps the next decisive battle would truly be in the next epoch...

Just as this thought crossed their minds, a furious and astonished voice rang out from the center of the explosion: "Impossible!"

Emperor Withered Tree swept his divine sense over the area and saw, as the blast's aftermath faded, a youthful girl standing at the center, holding a black sword. The black sword evolved into a cosmos, forming its own realm, and Luochuan's fleeing soul crashed into it, as if a net had been waiting there all along.

The girl swiftly withdrew the sword, muttering to herself, "I had several sets of clothes stored in here... all wasted..."

Emperor Withered Tree: "..."

Was this about a few sets of clothes?

How could a girl who hadn't even reached the Imperial Realm stand in the universe, wield such a top-tier divine sword, and capture Luochuan's primordial spirit?

Who are you?

The next moment, the girl shouted to Zhao Changhe, "Dad, what do we do now..."

Emperor Withered Tree: "..."

The "dad" she looked to as her pillar of strength was at that moment being shielded in Ye Jiuyou's arms, protected from the impact of the self-destruction. The whole family was now battered and exhausted.

Zhao Changhe, somewhat weakened, glanced at Emperor Withered Tree and swiftly sent a telepathic message to Ling Ruoyu: "Luochuan is not yet settled, and outsiders are watching. We cannot stay long. Return to the Heavenly Book and take the orb and run."

Ling Ruoyu understood, and with her sword, she slipped back into the Heavenly Book.

To Emperor Withered Tree and the others, it looked like the little girl had burrowed into her father's embrace.

The next moment, Piaomiao and the others all dove into the man's arms.

The onlookers: "..."

Ye Jiuyou cast a cold, sharp glance in that direction, then carried Zhao Changhe and fled swiftly.

She clearly sensed the ill intent from that side. Her group was all wounded, and Luochuan was still inside the sword, ready to break free at any moment. If a fight broke out, only if Emperor Withered Tree stood absolutely on their side could they manage—but if he harbored any malice, their family would be finished here.

Was it realistic for Emperor Withered Tree to stand absolutely on their side? Obviously not.

The reason he hadn't acted was simply that the situation had shifted too quickly for them to react. Now, seeing that they still had combat power and couldn't be easily subdued, and with other powerful beings from the forbidden lands each harboring their own schemes and concerns, no one dared to make a rash move. They could only watch helplessly as the group fled.

This wasn't over yet...

Everyone was injured now, and carrying the orb, they couldn't run far. Once the three forbidden lands reached some consensus and came searching for the Heavenly Book's location, how would they handle the situation?

Zhao Changhe, feeling the rapid acceleration as space shifted in his wife's arms, found it somewhat amusing: "Find some void to hide in for now. They each have their own concerns; it won't be easy for them to reach a consensus anytime soon. We're safe for the moment. Let's deal with Luochuan first, then worry about the rest."

Ye Jiuyou halted their escape: "Alright."

As soon as Zhao Changhe spoke, Ye Jiuyou's heart calmed down. He was their pillar of strength.

She carried him into the Night Palace within the book. Ling Ruoyu was crouched beside the Galaxy Sword, hugging her knees and shivering, surrounded by a group of aunties watching.

The Galaxy Sword was trembling violently. Inside, Luochuan's primordial spirit could break free at any moment. If he did, the sword would be destroyed, and Ling Ruoyu could never bear that. She was on the verge of tears.

Zhao Changhe took in the situation. His first thought was that Luochuan seemed to have been trapped in the space evolved by the Galaxy Sword several times now—this was truly his destined nemesis. Back when Xia Xia forged the sword, she probably never imagined it would be used this way.

Seeing Ye Jiuyou carrying Zhao Changhe in, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Ling Ruoyu sniffled and asked, "What do we do now?"

Ye Wuming effortlessly separated herself from Ye Jiuyou's body, returned to her own corpse-like form, and sat up: "Can't you see? Your Ninth Aunt is the one injured. I, your mother, am unscathed."

Ling Ruoyu: "..."

Luochuan inside the sword sensed this too and was so furious he nearly spat blood. Could they really cheat like this?

His primordial spirit had escaped, but he was utterly exhausted. Outside, Ye Wuming was at full strength and completely unharmed!

He could almost feel Ye Wuming's malicious gaze, gleaming green as it fixed on the sword. After a grudge spanning two epochs and millions of years, what fate awaited him in their hands? Luochuan shuddered at the thought.

The sword trembled even more violently, as if it would shatter at any moment: "Ye Wuming, so what if you're at full strength? With your power, you can't annihilate my primordial spirit... By the time your family recovers, I'll have already broken out of this sword."

Before he finished speaking, a slender finger tapped the sword, accompanied by Ye Wuming's calm voice: "I define that in this realm, any soul without a physical body cannot touch matter, cannot traverse, cannot break through barriers."

Luochuan: "???"

He suddenly felt that the space inside the sword had become untouchable. No matter how he used his primordial power to strike, it was all illusory—he couldn't even make contact.

He tried to use his illusory form to pass through directly, but it was like an iron wall, impossible to traverse.

Luochuan's heart chilled halfway.

So this was what it meant to become the true Heavenly Dao of a realm—to be able to decree rules with mere words, and as long as one was within this realm, they had to obey. There was no need for the forceful imprisonment and annihilation he had imagined. Although, in theory, the meaning of the Other Shore Realm was to transcend rules, at this moment, he was injured and his spirit was too weak to break free from the definitions of world-level rules!

Ye Wuming's voice came again: "Within the Galaxy Sword, a cosmos is self-contained. The sun rises and the moon sets; refine it like a furnace."

At this moment, the sisters' hearts were in sync, and Ye Jiuyou let out a long sigh.

Once, the Heavenly Will was like a furnace, defining everything, scorching all life. Now, karma had come full circle, and retribution was just.

This was the best revenge.

Luochuan let out a scream.

Within the originally dark and lifeless Galaxy Sword, a stellar heat suddenly erupted, as if demonic qi were being roasted and refined in the light of a Buddhist pagoda. His soul was forged in agony, unbearable beyond measure.

Even Piaomiao showed a vengeful smile. She too had fallen into demonhood and endured such torment in a Buddhist pagoda... Ultimately, it could be traced back to Luochuan. Now, even that had been repaid.

Ye Wuming turned to look at Ye Jiuyou: "How is it?"

Ye Jiuyou was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Accelerate time within the sword, lest night be long and dreams many."

Ye Wuming revealed a faint smile: "The rules within the sword are not mine to set."

The group of aunties turned their heads, their eyes all fixed on Ling Ruoyu.

Ling Ruoyu pointed at her own nose: "Me?"

Zhao Changhe said, "You caught the Tang Monk and his disciples."

Ling Ruoyu didn't understand. What Tang Monk and disciples? Anyway, it seemed she had indeed caught Luochuan. As for the definitions within the Galaxy Sword... she had been studying the Heavenly Book with her mother recently and had learned the way of time, though she wasn't very skilled at it...

But she was the spirit of the Galaxy River, the Heavenly Dao within the realm. As long as she willed it, she could do it.

Ling Ruoyu placed her hand on the Galaxy Sword and softly defined: "Within the Galaxy Sword, time accelerates ten thousandfold."

Luochuan let out a earth-shattering scream. It wasn't just the flow of time—it was also the acceleration of the refining process, ten thousand times the agony.

Everyone stared blankly at the Galaxy Sword, a sense of unreality in their hearts.

The former Heavenly Dao, seen as the greatest enemy by all, the one who had drained the blood and tears of the world's elites across two epochs, the ultimate villain once thought to require mutual destruction to defeat—was now ending before their eyes, at the cost of only some injuries, and not even severe ones.

Zhao Changhe turned to look at Ye Wuming: "I told you, in my heart, he was never the final boss. You are."

Ye Wuming did not look at him, still gazing at the Galaxy Sword, and said calmly, "And what do you intend to do?"

Zhao Changhe stood up amid the increasingly feeble wails of Luochuan, raised his blade and pointed it at Ye Wuming: "You are at your peak now, I am not, but I formally challenge you, at this very moment. Please, Night Emperor... do not hesitate to instruct."