49: One sword crush

"Enough." A cold female voice suppressed all the noise. A young girl in a purple dress treading on ice lotuses arrived gracefully. With every step she took, a crystalline ice flower condensed in the Void Realm. The golden pattern on her forehead was several times more complex than others, appearing in the shape of a lunar wheel. The jade hairpin in her hair emitted heart-palpitating Law fluctuations, and the tassels hanging from the hairpin moved without wind, making a crisp clinking sound.

[Yue Qingshuang · Contemporary Saintess of the Cold Moon Palace]

[Base Combat Power: 780,000 Stars]

[Cold Moon Dao Body: +800,000]

[Total Combat Power: 3,980,000 Stars]

She looked down at Lin Yuan from above, her eyes full of contempt: "No matter what grievances you have, Lower Realm Cultivators have no right to stand here." As soon as she finished speaking, the jade hairpin in her hair suddenly shot out a cold light, freezing the air into tiny ice crystals wherever it passed. "I will send you on your way."

This cold light contained extreme chill, enough to freeze the souls of ordinary Gathering Origin Realm Peak Cultivators. But the moment it touched the space between Lin Yuan's eyebrows, his 160,000 stars of Mental Energy turned into a deep vortex, swallowing the cold light completely without even causing a ripple.

"How is that possible?!" Yue Qingshuang lost her composure for the first time, an expression of disbelief appearing on her exquisite face. Her Lifebound Treasure's attack was actually neutralized so effortlessly by a Lower Realm Cultivator? This completely overturned her understanding.

Lin Yuan, however, was not polite to her. His terrifying combat power of 11,960,000 stars was fully unleashed, and the combat power added by various Laws perfectly fused at his current Realm, forming a suffocating Aura. A heart-palpitating Aura spread across the chaos heaven-grade sword, and the air around the blade began to warp.

"Try taking a strike from me." Lin Yuan pointed his sword at Yue Qingshuang, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Then we can talk about who is withdrawing."

These words were originally Yue Qingshuang's lines, but now they were returned in kind. Before the Prodigies could laugh, the sword light poured out like a galaxy—25% Law of Sword as the bone, forming the core framework of the Sword Qi; 40% Law of Thunder as the edge, giving the Sword Qi unparalleled penetration; 12% Law of Five Elements as the soul, giving the Sword Qi the characteristic of endless growth; 10% Law of Destruction as the malevolence, adding earth-shattering destructive power to the Sword Qi.

*Crack!*

The protective ice mirror Yue Qingshuang hastily condensed shattered instantly with a crisp sound. The seven defensive Magic Treasures she sacrificed one after another exploded like paper, and finally, that incredibly precious jade hairpin snapped in front of the Sword Qi. When the sword tip stopped half an inch before her throat, this high and mighty Saintess had turned pale. Her meticulously styled hair was as messy as grass, and the golden pattern on her forehead had dimmed significantly.

The entire field was dead silent; even the sound of breathing could be clearly heard. Everyone was shocked into silence by this world-shaking sword strike.

"Now." Lin Yuan sheathed his sword, the blade and scabbard making a crisp sound as they rubbed together. He scanned the stunned Prodigies, his gaze as sharp as a knife. "Who else wants to try?"

In the shadows of the northwest corner, a black-robed youth who had been resting with his eyes closed finally opened them. The golden pattern on his forehead formed the shape of an exquisite crown, and the phantom of a nine-layered netherworld floated behind him, with countless ghostly shadows wailing in each layer. When he opened his eyes, the temperature of the entire space seemed to drop by several degrees.

[Jun Wuye · Prince of the Nine Nether Imperial Dynasty]

[Spirit Crystals: 80 (Gold)]

[Lifebound Treasure: Yellow Springs Map (Complete Secret Treasure)]

[Total Combat Power: 5,800,000 Stars]

"Interesting." Jun Wuye's voice was like an echo from the depths of the netherworld, carrying a hair-raising chill. "This Prince is starting to look forward to seeing whose hands the final Fortune will fall into."

As if in response to his words, the starry sky suddenly vibrated violently. From the direction of the ancient star tree, nine streaks of starlight cut through the sky, transforming into winged Qilin behemoths that were tearing through the air toward the altar—the most cruel trial of the Tian Yuan Secret Realm was about to begin! The descent of each behemoth caused visible ripples in space, as if this Void Realm could not withstand their existence.

"Roar—"

A deafening roar tore through the Void Realm, and nine streaks of starlight fell from the top of the ancient star tree, transforming into behemoths that blotted out the sun. They were shaped like Qilins but had Dragon wings, and their bodies were covered in armor condensed from pure star cores, each scale shimmering with starlike light. The Aura they emitted distorted space, and even light bent around them.

[Star Guardian Beast (Tier 5 Mutant)]

[Combat Power: 7,000,000 Stars / Each]

[Traits: Immune to 50% Law Damage]

"Damn it! Why are there nine of them?" Flame Without Limit's expression changed drastically, a hint of panic appearing on his handsome face. The Heaven Burning Wheel spun rapidly in his palm, and nine fire Phoenix phantoms surrounded him, forming a wall of fire. But fine beads of sweat had already broken out on his forehead, clearly feeling immense pressure.

"Form a formation!" Ye Lingxiao shouted, his voice carrying unprecedented gravity. The Seven Star Sword Casket behind him hummed, and seven Flying Swords turned into streams of light, weaving into a tight sword net, each sword emitting sharp Sword Qi. But his fingers were trembling slightly, showing his inner unrest.

The Prodigies of the Central Continent reacted quickly, each sacrificing their strongest means. For a time, the light of various Magic Treasures illuminated the entire starry sky, and the power of Laws intertwined and collided in the Void Realm. However, the Star Beasts were faster—

"Boom!"

The first Star Beast dove down, its giant claws carrying destructive power as they struck the most crowded part of the group. The protective Magic Treasures of three Prodigies who couldn't dodge in time shattered like paper, and they instantly turned into white light and left the Tian Yuan Secret Realm, leaving only a few unwilling screams echoing in the Void Realm.

"Retreat!" Yue Qingshuang's Cold Moon Wheel swept out, the Law of Ice (15%) freezing the area for a thousand feet, forming a crystalline ice world that barely slowed the Star Beast's movement. However, another Star Beast opened its mouth and spat out Star Flame. The blazing white fire pillar descended like a heavenly punishment, instantly melting the ice. The aftershock sent her flying hundreds of feet, her purple dress torn, and a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of her mouth.

"These beasts... are stronger than the records say!" she gritted her teeth, her voice carrying unprecedented gravity. Her usual arrogant expression had long since vanished, leaving only the tension of facing a life-or-death crisis.

Lin Yuan did not join the chaotic battle but instead faced the three pouncing Star Beasts alone. His figure appeared so small compared to the massive size of the Star Beasts, but the Aura he emitted was not at all inferior to these terrifying creatures.

"Seeking death!" Flame Without Limit caught a glimpse from afar and sneered, his voice full of sarcasm. "Do you really think you can take on Tier 5 mutant Star Beasts alone?" He seemed to have already foreseen the miserable state of Lin Yuan being torn to pieces by the Star Beasts.

However, in the next second, his smile froze on his face—

"Destructive Thunder Prison!"

Lin Yuan pointed his sword at the sky. 40% Law of Thunder summoned the Nine Heavens divine thunder, 25% Law of Sword condensed into a solid Sword Gang, and 10% Law of Destruction governed all the power. In an instant, thousands of purple-black lightning bolts fell from the sky, each as thick as a water bucket, weaving into a net of destruction that enveloped the three Star Beasts! The destructive Aura contained in the lightning made the distant Prodigies feel a surge of palpitations.