85: Sword Breaks Shadow Domain

Dozens of grey afterimages, indistinguishable from reality, carrying a Soul-freezing chill and space-tearing sharpness, attacked simultaneously from all directions! Even more heart-palpitating was the invisible Domain power, like a cold swamp, tightly entangling and suppressing Ye Chen's spiritual power and Sword Intent, making his movements incredibly sluggish.

Once Steward Ying acted, it was a killing move! Far more experienced and lethal than Elder Blood Dove!

If it were the Ye Chen from before the Breakthrough, facing such a situation, he might have barely managed to hold his own by using his final trump card. But now—

There was no panic in Ye Chen's eyes, only a coldness and calm after experiencing ten thousand tribulations. He could feel that although Steward Ying's Domain was powerful, its essence was still a variant of "Shadow" and "Silence," originating from the same source as the Shadow Demon Lord's power, just more refined and closer to the rules of this world.

And the guixu sword's specialty was dismantling and swallowing such "rules"!

"Insignificant tricks."

He snorted coldly, not even looking at the incoming afterimages, simply planting the guixu sword lightly in front of him.

"Guixu—Suppress!"

Buzz!

An invisible yet majestic Sword Intent, seemingly capable of stabilizing the world and suppressing myriad Laws, exploded outward with the guixu sword as the center! It wasn't a confrontation of Domains, but a suppression from a higher level of the "Dao"!

The shadow Domain that had entangled Ye Chen like a swamp actually encountered its nemesis under the impact of this Guixu Sword Intent, fluctuating and twisting violently! Those binding forces were forcibly pushed aside and dismantled! Within three zhang of Ye Chen, it instantly turned into an absolute Domain where "myriad Laws could not invade"!

Meanwhile, the dozens of grey afterimages, the moment they entered this three-zhang range, seemed to hit an invisible wall, their speed dropping sharply, and the chill and sharpness upon them faded as quickly as melting snow!

"What?!" The expressionless Steward Ying finally had a slight change in countenance, a hint of disbelief flashing in his eyes. His "Thousand Shadow Killing Domain" was actually neutralized so easily?!

"No matter how many phantasms there are, they are ultimately illusions." Ye Chen spoke indifferently, his gaze piercing through the slowed afterimages, instantly locking onto Steward Ying, whose true body was hidden behind them and about to launch a fatal blow!

"Found you."

With a flick of his wrist, the guixu sword turned into a streak of Chaos brilliance. It was no longer wide and sweeping like before, but extremely concentrated and piercing! At the tip of the sword, a point of extreme "darkness" emerged again, as if space itself was to be "returned to nothingness" by it!

An advanced application of the Cloud Breaking Sword Finger—Guixu Pierce!

This sword strike was faster than thought, as if ignoring the distance of space, arriving first despite being launched later, piercing directly toward the position of Steward Ying's true body!

Steward Ying's pupils shrank, and an intense crisis of death made his hair stand on end! He no longer cared about maintaining the afterimage attacks; the grey sword in his hand erupted with an unprecedented light of silence, laying down layers of grey sword curtains in front of him in an attempt to block!

"Chiii—!"

The tip of the guixu sword struck the first layer of the sword curtain.

There was no loud bang, no stalemate.

The grey sword curtain, which condensed Steward Ying's lifelong cultivation, was as fragile as paper before the Guixu Sword Intent, easily pierced through! Then the second layer, the third layer... like a hot knife through butter!

"Impossible!" Steward Ying was terrified. He frantically circulated his Qi, even burning his essence blood without hesitation. The Death Qi on the grey sword surged, turning into a hideous grey giant python that opened its mouth to bite the guixu sword!

"Annihilation."

Ye Chen uttered two cold words.

The extreme "darkness" at the tip of the guixu sword flickered slightly.

The grey giant python, condensed from pure Death Qi, the moment it touched the sword tip, was like snow cast into a blazing sun, silently melting and annihilating from the head down! Even the portion of Steward Ying's Divine Soul mark contained within it was erased along with it!

"Puff!"

His Divine Soul injured, Steward Ying spat out a large mouthful of dark blood, his aura instantly withering! Fear finally appeared in his eyes; his figure retreated violently, wanting to merge into the shadows and escape!

"Can you get away?"

Ye Chen followed him like a shadow. The Grand Void Roaming Dragon Steps, enhanced by the Guixu Sword Intent, were even more mysterious than before, as if stepping on the veins of space, catching up to the fleeing Steward Ying in an instant!

The guixu sword was raised again, Chaos sword light flowing. It no longer pursued extreme penetration but turned into a sword circle that encompassed all things yet ended all things, completely blocking all of Steward Ying's escape routes!

"Guixu—Reincarnation!"

Within the sword circle, it seemed to form its own world, with star nebulae being born and destroyed, and all things returning to the void! Steward Ying felt as if he had fallen into a mire of time; everything around him was accelerating toward its end. His Qi, his vitality, and his will were all being frantically drained and annihilated by this power!

"No! Hall Master, save me!" He let out a desperate roar and crushed a pitch-black jade pendant in his bosom.

However, the black light from the exploding jade pendant had not yet fully spread before it was forcibly suppressed and swallowed by the all-ending intent of the guixu sword circle!

Finally, under Steward Ying's gaze of extreme fear and resentment, his body, along with that grey sword and all his struggles and resistance, were entirely swallowed and annihilated by the slowly contracting guixu sword circle, turning into the most primitive energy particles and returning to heaven and earth.

A Steward Ying of the Dark Hall at the Early Stage of the Earth Fiend Realm was thus utterly destroyed in both form and spirit!

Ye Chen slowly withdrew his sword, the guixu sword's light restrained as if he had only done a trivial matter. He felt a wisp of pure Soul Power and fragments of the Law of silence fed back by the sword blade, which were quickly refined and absorbed by the ancient sword phantasm, replenishing the consumption from just now.

"A 'Steward Ying' of the Dark Hall... it seems his status isn't low, at least more troublesome than that Blood Dove." Ye Chen's eyes flickered. "The jade pendant he crushed before dying should be a distress signal or a communication device. This place is not suitable to stay for long."

He no longer lingered, his figure turning into an even more obscure sword light. Restraining his aura to the extreme, he bypassed possible surveillance routes and accelerated toward the direction of Tianfeng Academy.

After this battle, he had a clearer understanding of his strength in the Spiritual Gang Realm and the use of the guixu sword. An ordinary Early Stage Earth Fiend Realm was no longer his match. But the Dark Hall had a deep Foundation and must have stronger existences. Moreover, the other party seemed to value "Guixu" greatly, calling it a "key," which increased the vigilance in his heart.

Several hours later, the familiar mountain gate of Tianfeng Academy was in sight.

Unlike the devastation in Liuyun City, a solid and thick light-blue light shield shrouded the academy, which was precisely the fully activated "Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation." Above the shield, runes flowed, and Sword Qi loomed, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure. Clearly, the academy had entered its highest state of alert.

As soon as Ye Chen approached the mountain gate, several powerful Divine Senses swept over him. After confirming his identity, the sword formation opened a gap just large enough for one person to pass through.

Stepping into the academy, the atmosphere remained heavy. Patrol teams of Disciples were more frequent, led by Inner Sect Elders, everyone's faces carrying a murderous aura. The air was filled with a suppressive feeling of an impending storm.

He flew straight toward the "Sword Heart Hall" where Principal Yun Canghai was located.

Inside the Sword Heart Hall, Yun Canghai stood with his hands behind his back by the window, looking toward Liuyun City with a furrowed brow. Liu Qingfeng had not yet returned, but the emergency information transmitted through secret methods had already been received. The core of Liuyun City was destroyed, the Demonic Lord's will descended and was cut back, and Ye Chen was suspected of obtaining an ancient Legacy with his cultivation soaring... every piece of news was enough to cause a massive shock.

"Principal." Ye Chen's voice sounded from behind.

Yun Canghai turned around, his gaze falling on Ye Chen, his deep eyes erupting with an astonishing light, as if wanting to see through him inside and out.

"Peak of the First Level of Spiritual Gang Realm... a solid Foundation, Sword Intent as restrained as an abyss... Good! Good!" Yun Canghai praised repeatedly, but then his expression turned solemn. "Elder Liu has briefly sent back word about the Liuyun City matter. Ye Chen, do you know what it means for you to have cut back the Demonic Lord's will and closed the spatial passage?"

"I understand. It means standing completely on the opposite side of the Dark Hall and the Shadow Realm, with no room for reconciliation." Ye Chen replied calmly.

"More than that." Yun Canghai shook his head, his voice low. "The level of power you showed by using Guixu has already attracted the attention of truly big figures. The Hall Master of the Dark Hall, and even the ancient existences deeper in the Shadow Realm, probably already regard you as a 'variable' that must be eliminated."

He walked up to Ye Chen, his eyes burning: "Now, tell me, what exactly happened to you? And what exactly is that 'Guixu'?"

Ye Chen knew that he could no longer hide it at this point. He took a deep breath and told Yun Canghai everything about obtaining the Nirvana Sword Venerable's Legacy in the Secret Realm, the awakening of the ancient sword phantasm deep in his Soul, and himself being the Reincarnation of a wisp of the true spirit of the Myriad Worlds Sword Venerable, except for some core memories that even he himself was not yet fully clear about.

Even with Yun Canghai's composure, after listening to Ye Chen's narration, he was speechless for a long time, his face filled with shock and disbelief.

"Myriad Worlds Sword Venerable... the key to the Moment of Nirvana... the ruler of the turning of eras..." he murmured to himself, as if digesting this earth-shaking information.

After a long time, he finally let out a long breath and looked at Ye Chen with a complex gaze: "No wonder... no wonder you could trigger the signs of the 'Moment of Nirvana' and wield Guixu... Child, do you know what a heavy fate you carry?"

"I know." Ye Chen's gaze was firm. "No matter what my fate is, I am still Ye Chen of Tianfeng Academy. With the Dark Hall causing trouble and the shadow demons lurking, I will use the sword in my hand to protect the academy and slay all demons!"

"Good!" Yun Canghai patted Ye Chen's shoulder heavily, his eyes full of gratification and determination. "Since fate is set, then my Tianfeng Academy will face this world-sweeping storm with you! From today on, the academy's resources are at your disposal! Whatever you need, just ask!"

"Thank you, Principal!" Ye Chen felt a warmth in his heart.

"However, before you fully grow up, you still need to keep a low profile." Yun CanghaiChanging the subject, "Your identity as the Sword Venerable and the matter of Guixu must be kept absolutely secret, limited to only a few people like me and Elder Liu. To the outside world, you are still the Core Disciple Ye Chen who obtained a fortuitous encounter and possesses extraordinary talent."

"I understand."

"Mm." Yun Canghai nodded, then said solemnly, "The urgent matter is to deal with the Dark Hall's subsequent retaliation. I have ordered the formation of a 'Demon Slaying Alliance' by uniting Liuyun City and all surrounding forces to jointly oppose the Dark Hall. And you..."

He looked at Ye Chen with a sharp gaze: "Need to improve your strength as quickly as possible! Spiritual Gang Realm is just the beginning. You need to have the strength to deal with everything before that true 'Moment of Nirvana' arrives!"

"Please guide me, Principal!" Ye Chen bowed.

Yun Canghai pondered for a moment and said: "The academy has a secret place called the 'myriad laws furnace,' it is constructed with the fire of the earth's core and the power of the Zhou Tian stars, capable of melting myriad Laws and tempering oneself. The flow of time inside is different from the outside, making it an excellent place for secluded cultivation to break through a Bottleneck. You can enter for secluded cultivation and strive to break through to the Earth Fiend Realm before the Dark Hall's next large-scale action!"

myriad laws furnace! Different time flow!

A sharp light flashed in Ye Chen's eyes; this was exactly what he needed most right now!

"I am willing to go!"