89: Shadow Sword Elder
Leaving the canyon where the myriad laws furnace was located, Ye Chen and Yun Canghai did not return to the Sword Heart Hall but went directly to the academy's most heavily guarded "Star Gazing Platform." This platform towered into the clouds and was connected to the core of the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation; it could both overlook the entire academy and use the power of the stars to probe in all directions, serving as the current hub for the academy to respond to crises.
On the platform, Liu Qingfeng had already returned and was discussing something with several core Elders, everyone's expression grave. Seeing Ye Chen and Yun Canghai arrive together, especially sensing the now stable and vast abyss-like Earth Fiend Realm aura on Ye Chen, everyone's spirits lifted, but they were immediately enveloped by greater worry.
"Principal, Ye Chen, you've come at the right time." Liu Qingfeng stepped forward and said quickly, "On Liuyun City's side, the remaining forces of the Dark Hall have been basically purged, and the City Lord's Mansion is organizing reconstruction. But according to reports from our scouts planted outside, the Dark Hall's recent activities have been unusually frequent, with multiple sub-branch forces secretly gathering toward Liuyun City. Even more troublesome is that we found this—"
He handed over a recording Jade Slip.
Yun Canghai took it, and with a surge of spiritual power, the Jade Slip projected a blurry image: in a desolate valley, several Black-Robed Figures with cold auras were busy around a strange altar carved into the ground. In the center of the altar floated a constantly pulsing crystal, extremely similar to the dark red core crystal seen before in Liuyun City, but smaller in size and deeper in color!
"A small-scale Demon Summoning Altar?!" Yun Canghai's pupils constricted. "They are actually still trying to construct a passage! And looking at the quality of this crystal, it seems... even more refined?"
"More than one place." Liu Qingfeng's voice was heavy. "We have simultaneously discovered signs of similar activity in three different directions. Although the scale is far less than that time in Liuyun City, if they are activated at the same time, the consequences will be unimaginable! Furthermore, the locations of these altars are extremely tricky; they seem to form a larger... Formation outline!"
Ye Chen stared at the dark red crystal in the image, his brow furrowing slightly. He could feel that the shadow power contained within that crystal was more concentrated, with less violent energy and more of a cold "order," as if it had undergone some kind of purification. Moreover, the rune structure of that altar was also slightly different from what he had seen in Liuyun City, carrying a kind of... directivity?
"Their goal might not be as simple as just ushering in the power of the Shadow Realm." Ye Chen suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of coldness. "These small altars might be... positioning, or... sacrificing, in order to summon the descent of a more specific 'existence'."
He remembered the abnormal riot at the core of the Furnace, and the fleeting fluctuation of a will that was even more ancient and profound than the Shadow Demon Lord.
Hearing this, everyone's faces turned even uglier. If this were true, then what the Dark Hall plotted was likely even more terrifying than they had imagined!
"We must destroy these altars as quickly as possible!" an Elder said sharply.
"Easier said than done." Liu Qingfeng shook his head. "These altars are scattered in different locations and must be heavily guarded. Our strength is limited; if we split our forces to attack, we could easily be defeated one by one. If we concentrate our strength to root them out one by one, I fear there won't be enough time."
Just as everyone was caught in a dilemma, Yun Canghai suddenly looked up toward the southeastern sky, his eyes sharp as knives. "We don't need to go looking for them... the guests have already arrived at our door."
Before his voice could fade, a massive pressure carrying chilling Sword Intent and thick Death Qi suddenly descended over the entire Tianfeng Academy like a dark cloud covering the sky!
The light blue barrier of the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation activated on its own, vibrating violently and emitting a piercing hum! All the Disciples within the academy felt their hearts sink, as if pressed down by an invisible mountain; those with weaker cultivation even collapsed directly to the ground!
"The Peak of the Earth Fiend Realm! And... a Sword Cultivator!" Liu Qingfeng's face changed drastically as he instantly judged the newcomer's strength!
Ye Chen's eyes narrowed. He could feel that although this Sword Intent also carried the scent of dead silence and shadows, it was completely different from the previous "Faceless" and "Steward Ying." This Sword Intent was purer and sharper, as if "death" and "shadow" themselves had been tempered into an indestructible sword edge!
The newcomer was a sword path powerhouse of the Dark Hall!
"Tianfeng Academy, Yun Canghai, come out and meet your death!"
A cold, raspy voice, like metal rubbing against metal, resounded over the entire academy like rolling thunder. The Sword Intent contained in the voice actually caused the barrier of the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation to ripple violently!
Yun Canghai snorted coldly. With a flicker of his body, he appeared at the edge of the Star Gazing Platform, facing the pressure from afar. Liu Qingfeng, Ye Chen, and the other Elders followed closely behind.
In the sky to the southeast of the academy, a thick shadow that seemed capable of swallowing light had appeared at some point. Within the shadow, a thin, hunched figure that looked like it could fall apart at any moment slowly emerged.
That person was also dressed in black robes, but on the robes, countless patterns of crossed small swords were embroidered with dark gold thread. His face was old and covered in wrinkles, yet his eyes were like two pools of stagnant water, devoid of any brilliance, containing only endless coldness and dead silence. He held no physical longsword, but his thin, chicken-claw-like hands had grey-black sword light flickering at the fingertips. His aura was clearly at the Peak of the Earth Fiend Realm! Moreover, it was the kind of Peak that was only one step away from the Tiangang Realm!
"Dark Hall, Elder 'Shadow Sword'." Yun Canghai spoke the newcomer's title word by word, his expression more solemn than ever before. Elder Shadow Sword ranked extremely high among the Seventy-Two Earth Fiend Envoys of the Dark Hall; he was a top-tier assassin specifically responsible for eliminating troublesome targets. His strength was even no weaker than the Tiangang Realm in some aspects!
"Yun Canghai, hand over that boy named Ye Chen and the 'key' in his hands." Elder Shadow Sword's voice had no emotional fluctuation, as if he were stating a trivial matter. "Otherwise, today, not even a chicken or dog shall remain in Tianfeng Academy."
As he spoke, the shadow covering the sky began to slowly descend, pressing down on the barrier of the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation like a giant millstone, making a tooth-aching "creak" sound. The light of the barrier dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye!
"Arrogant!" Liu Qingfeng barked angrily, and a green sword qi soared into the sky, attempting to stabilize the sword Formation.
"You are not qualified." Elder Shadow Sword didn't even look at Liu Qingfeng; he merely flicked his finger.
A thread-thin, almost transparent grey-black Sword Qi silently pierced through the sword Formation's barrier and instantly appeared before Liu Qingfeng!
Fast! Indescribably fast! And it contained the extreme Sword Intent of dead silence and destruction!
Liu Qingfeng's face changed drastically, and he swung his sword with all his might to block!
"Clang!"
Sparks flew everywhere! Liu Qingfeng groaned and was actually pushed back several steps by this tiny Sword Qi. The arm holding the sword trembled slightly, and a flash of horror crossed his face! The power of the opponent's casual strike was actually this great!
"Under this Elder's 'Silent Shadow Sword Domain,' your struggles are meaningless." Elder Shadow Sword spoke indifferently. Along with his words, the descending shadow completely made contact with the barrier of the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation!
"Crack... crack..."
A heart-palpitating sound of shattering rang out! On the light blue barrier, cracks began to appear like spiderwebs! The entire sword Formation was on the verge of collapse!
Within the academy, there was a scene of panic!
Yun Canghai's eyes were cold, and his vast sea-like aura began to rise; he was preparing to personally take action. However, just as he was about to take that step, a palm lightly pressed onto his shoulder.
"Principal, leave this person to me."
Ye Chen took a step forward and walked to the very front of the Star Gazing Platform, facing the hunched figure in the air from a distance. He held the guixu sword, his eyes calm. His aura, which had only just entered the Earth Fiend Realm, seemed so "small" under the opponent's terrifying Peak Earth Fiend Realm pressure.
But it was precisely this "small" figure that caused a slight ripple to appear for the first time in Elder Shadow Sword's stagnant eyes. His gaze skipped over Yun Canghai and landed directly on Ye Chen, specifically lingering on the guixu sword in his hand for several breaths.
"You are Ye Chen?" Elder Shadow Sword's voice remained raspy. "You indeed have some skill to be able to step into the Earth Fiend Realm at this age. Unfortunately, you have encountered this Elder."
"Your sword is full of death and shadows." Ye Chen slowly raised the guixu sword, the tip pointing at the opponent from afar. "But it is not true annihilation. Today, I shall let you witness what... true Guixu is."
As his voice fell, Ye Chen's entire aura suddenly changed! That "weak" aura of just having entered the Earth Fiend Realm instantly vanished, replaced by a vastness and depth that seemed to merge with the entire world and the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation!
Upon the guixu sword, the Chaos light was no longer blazing but became restrained and profound, as if within the sword's body, there was a Universe's return to nothingness being enacted!
He did not deploy a Domain because he didn't need to. His Sword Intent had already drawn in everything around him!
"Hmm?" Elder Shadow Sword's brow furrowed imperceptibly; Ye Chen's current state made him feel a hint of something unusual.
"Sword Formation, heed my command."
Ye Chen whispered softly, like a monarch issuing a decree.
In the next moment, the Zhou Tian Star Sword Formation, which was on the verge of breaking under the pressure of Elder Shadow Sword's Silent Shadow Sword Domain, suddenly erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant light! Countless star runes lit up on the barrier, and the majestic power of the stars, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, frantically converged toward the guixu sword in Ye Chen's hand!
The guixu sword emitted an extremely joyful hum. Within that dark Chaos light on the sword's body, points of starlight began to flicker and flow! At this moment, the Sword Intent and the sword Formation perfectly merged!
Under the boost of this vast power, Ye Chen's aura climbed steadily, actually vaguely contending as an equal with Elder Shadow Sword at the Peak of the Earth Fiend Realm!
"Using the academy's ten-thousand-year accumulated sword Formation as the foundation, and merging it with my intent of Guixu annihilation... this sword is named—"
Ye Chen gripped the sword with both hands and slowly slashed toward the massive shadow in the sky and Elder Shadow Sword at its center.
"Zhou Tian—guixu sword!"
A brilliant sword qi whose color was indescribable erupted from the guixu sword! Within the sword qi, it seemed as if countless stars were being born and destroyed, and the return of all things to nothingness was being enacted; it even contained the sword path will and accumulation of the entire Tianfeng Academy over ten thousand years!
This strike drew upon the power of heaven and earth, utilized the might of the Formation, and integrated the true intent of annihilation!
Its power had already surpassed the scope of the Earth Fiend Realm!
On Elder Shadow Sword's face, which had always been as calm as an ancient well, a look of horror finally appeared! He let out a strange cry, no longer daring to be arrogant. His thin hands moved rapidly in front of him, and endless shadows and dead silence Sword Intent condensed, turning into a giant grey-black sword shadow that spanned heaven and earth, meeting that brilliant Zhou Tian—guixu sword qi!
"Silent Shadow—Life Burial Sword!"
Two terrifying sword qi, representing different meanings of "the end," collided violently in the sky above Tianfeng Academy!