"..."
"..."
"..."
The entire world grew quieter and quieter until a full-blown, startling silence that was shockingly and contradictorily deafening to the ears, mind, and soul. All eyes present, those hidden and openly revealed, were all concentrated on a single point—Jiang Jingshi's severed head.
The lifelessness within his gaze was so unbefitting of 'One Sword' that it felt unreal as if it was an illusion, a vivid dream that one might wake up from at any moment. A legendary figure that had been famous for tens of thousands of years had been defeated by three no-name Earthly Saints, mere servants of a mortal. No one, especially not Jiang Jingshi, expected this outcome.
The three soldiers began to make their way back.
Among the audience of true elites, a sharp-browed middle-aged man in glistening white robes with a broadsword tied to his back by a thin string of lustrous silk. From the silk, sword light erratically flickered sharply, entering the broadsword from time to time. He was none other than Jiang Yushan, an Earthly Saint of the Jiang Clan. The two, Jiang Jingshi and Jiang Yushan, were the reason why the Jiang Clan reigned supreme as the number one Noble Clan across the Aeternal Sky Starfield.
He was, of course, younger than Jiang Jingshi. Not only that, he was Jiang Jingshi's great-grandnephew; they were tied by familial blood and deeply related. When he saw Jiang Jingshi act against the Sanguine Demon Evil King, he wanted to similarly act to slay this vile demon who slaughtered his relatives, but Jiang Jingshi had acted first and sent for him to stay observant.
Since Jiang Jingshi was far stronger than him, as he was merely a 2nd Runic Ascendant, who achieved a 4th Rune Ascension, he obeyed. Witnessing Jiang Jingshi's head without a body, carried carelessly like a trophy, caused him to feel as if the world was spinning, and a type of surrealism seeped deeply within his sense of perception. It was indescribably difficult to measure how shaken, shocked, and grief-stricken he was, especially since his mind refused to accept reality, forcing him to have a fierce battle between denial and acceptance.
This inevitably led to him being frozen, his eyes following the trio's return with heavy breaths and trembling hands.
"He did it…" The silence broke as Empress Xiaocheng muttered, watching as Jiang Jingshi being ruthlessly carried back with only a head, and feeling an indescribable swelling of emotions in her heart. She couldn't help but subconsciously glance at Alchemic Sovereign Wei, and her beautiful eyes sparkled.
"We're leaving," she said. She regained her bearing swiftly, and when she said those words, the Sky Monarch beside her—Bai Yunqi—started with a jolt. He had been caught in a similar stupor as the rest, and the Empress had taken him out of it. He held back the urge to gulp, and then silently piloted the Sky Destroyer.
He, too, wanted to leave. While conflict might arise later, it was likely best to return, regroup, reassess, and react in an appropriate and timely manner—especially now.
"Who said you could leave?" A voice resounded as the Sky Destroyer began to activate, and the pupils of the Sky Monarch contracted to their limits! At the forefront of the Sky Destroyer, standing before it with their arms folded behind their back, was shockingly an unbelievably familiar figure!
Wei Wuyin floated there; he exuded no aura, almost as if he was one with the Dark Void. Tian Muyang, Tian Lingyu, and Yang Chaoyue were still immersed in their disbelief, trying to process the death of Jiang Jingshi when they received the order to abruptly depart. For a moment, they had been stunned and didn't react, shaken by the Empress' decision given her predilection of trying to offend Wei Wuyin. Shouldn't there be a little more dialogue exchanged?
When Tian Muyang saw Wei Wuyin standing before the Empress' Sky Destroyer, he subconsciously turned to the flag in the distance, and his mind shook as Wei Wuyin was there too! Two Wei Wuyins?!
Incarnation!
However, this Incarnation was shockingly difficult to discern. It felt like an illusion and a real person—incredibly strange to the senses.
The Empress, for the first time, frowned slightly; she didn't seem inclined to continue with any of her plans! However, she didn't panic. "Are you keeping everyone prisoner?" Her words were simple, only five words, yet they reverberated throughout the Dark Void and the Earthly Saints present all had a change of expression.
Prisoners?!
Both Wei Wuyin faintly smiled at her cunning words, "Stay." That was all he said. There was no need to argue with this woman, but for the first time since meeting her, he felt her panic. If before she was rushing to achieve her goal, it seemed that goal was achieved, and she wanted to retreat safely.
How could Wei Wuyin possibly allow that? It would simply be too easy.
"..." Empress Xiaocheng's beautiful eyes fixated on Wei Wuyin's form. While she seemed outwardly calm, her inner workings of the mind were hectic and swift, likely contemplating various ways to react without causing her any losses. The thought of forcefully leaving was possible, but the others likely were too stun-locked to react instantly, and they might wait and see for the Emperor to react first.
Considering that Wei Wuyin had some unfathomable means to take control of Sky Destroyers, and while they had fixed and added various contingencies and defenses against any sort of takeover, it wasn't good to force the issue. He still had eighty-one Earthly Saints at his beck and call. Moreover, he just gained four subordinates at the same level, including the missing Grand Knight Wu Yu, and the unfathomable ancient Fire Phoenix. She refused to recklessly react and suffer here.
Wei Wuyin glanced at the gorgeous Empress and he saw that she didn't have any real fear, only some agitation. He thought that his eighty-one Earthly Saints and display would bring about a deterrent force that would terrify the world, but the reaction wasn't anything as he had predicted.
From anyone…
WOOSH!
An expert made their move! The entire world shook from a single step, and the audience watched as a slender figure, wearing glasses, and seemingly possessing the image of a well-read scholar, dashed across the Dark Void. His feet stomped upon chaos mana as if it was solid ground, causing thick fissures in fixed space, and the momentum generated from this action boosted his speed far, far surpassing the typical spatial shift!
In the blink of an eye, he traversed millions of miles! This type of movement was prodigious, a profound martial art that faintly touched upon the speed of light! On the surface of their skin, a mixture of mystic-graded Light Energies and Mystic Power—Light Power, flowed beautifully!
Their destination?
The three Spirits of War!
Zhan Dun's eyes glinted sharply beneath her mask, and she held her shield firmly before her. A ripple of metallic light exuded from it. This wasn't a simple shield. The Spirits of War came with pre-equipped items and armaments, but her original weapon was forged from Essence of War, having no profound ability other than durability and function. However, this shield was called the Metallic-Vortex Targe! It was a peak-grade Mystic-Earth armament that he had obtained from Xun Yicao's ring.
While he wasn't a fighter, Xun Yicao cultivated metal-attributed forces, and he focused on defense to protect his life. He had this particular shield forged to protect his life in case Trueborn or other factions rebelled against the Imperial Clan. He also had other treasures, but this one suited Zhan Dun greatly.
The spear-wielder and archer both retreat in an orderly and trained fashion, instantly taking formation! The archer had already drawn their bow, and a gathering of Spiritual Power was condensed into an arrow. When it reached half-pulled, space and time twisted chaotically.
The spear-wielder protectively shielded Jiang Jingshi's head in an orb of Mystic Power, and then his Mystic Aura flared as Spear Power gathered in his arms, ready to be driven forcefully and thunderously into his spear in a single, fluid motion.
They were ready!
They watched as an Earthly Saint was moving toward them at an explosively fast speed!
"Stop him." The voice resounded throughout the Dark Void, and a figure moved much later, yet their speed was a little superior to the incoming threat!
"The Boundless Martial High King is taking action?!" Tian Muyang exclaimed. The figure making a move was none other than the Boundless Martial High King! Was the One Sword, One Fist, and One Crown going to lose two members today? The thought was ludicrous, yet he couldn't help but think it!
"..." The Soul Saint King silently looked on with the other Soul Monarchs at his side. From beginning to end, he had remained entirely silent. No one could tell what he was thinking! He only observed the figure that was chasing after the Boundless Martial High King!
The Armored Saint, Legion Commander Zhan Zheng!
Zhan Zheng was absurdly fast, shifting through space with extraordinary precision. Unlike the others, it was much easier for Zhan Zheng to tap into Wei Wuyin's powers with a single thought. If it was to be explained, he was the Core Spirit of the Nexus War Flag, and he was connected to Wei Wuyin, and through him, Wei Wuyin commanded the Spirits of War.
This was why he was the first Spirit of War to be automatically unlocked, and why Wei Wuyin could channel the others' power so seamlessly. He tapped into the Minor Authority of Spatial Law, and when he spatially shifted, it was as if he was gliding with the assistance of all three forms of space.
He was moving slightly faster than light itself!
He arrived before the Boundless Martial High King, his eyes honed onto his slender figure, and there was an imposing air exuding from his body. The Boundless Martial High King's eyes contained a hint of madness. From his gaze alone, his intent was clear—retrieve Jiang Jingshi's head!
He didn't care about anything else.
"HA!" The Boundless Martial High King clenched his fist and threw it forward. It seemed like a simple fist, but light, space, and time distorted wherever it passed. More importantly, it exuded a type of naturally generated gravity that could crush planets! The fist contained unfathomable power! It contained BOUNDLESS power!
Zhan Zheng met fist with a fist! With a forceful step, he threw an extremely profound punch that warped space and time just as well. The two fists collided! When that happened, a wave of indescribable power exploded!
BOOM!!!
It caused everything to be blown away! For a brief moment, all chaos mana and ambient energies left their space for tens of thousands of miles! If they struck like this in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, an untold amount of deaths would've followed!
The three Spirits of War instantly moved closer, Zhan Dun at the lead, her shield exuding a protective film reminiscent of a Mystic Ward, and they took the shockwave directly! The trio was sent flying hundreds of thousands of miles, fractures formed on the shield instantly and it seemed to be on the verge of collapse!
Zhan Dun was stunned; she inspected her Metallic-Vortex Targe and saw a faint crack at its surface. It was damaged! If that fist hit…
The shockwave was so terrifyingly intense that the Sky Destroyers shook and trembled despite being millions of miles away. This was the true power of Earthly Saints!
Every Earthly Saint present was aghast!
While the Boundless Martial High King was considered a strong, top figure, this type of power was far surpassing anyone's expectations.
The Soul Saint King's expression instantly changed as he felt the remnant power reach him. In the eyes of the Imperial Clan, even in regards to the trio of One Sword, One Fist, and One Crown, it was said that the Boundless Martial High King was the weakest! But that fist he threw…he felt it could threaten him!
"Good fist!"
Two figures soon separated, staring at each other across thousands of miles. The Legion Commander observed the slender form of the Boundless Martial High King, and his eyes glowed.
'8th Runic Ascendant—lacking Conversion, Martial Earth Mystic Soul, Peak-Level Earth-Refined Martial Gaia Physique, high levels of Physical and Spiritual Strength, mid-level Application of Mysticism—decent!'
For the first time since arriving in the Grand Cyclic Stellar Region, he was excited to fight! A roaring flow of War Power began to exude from his body. The body of the Boundless Martial High King was refined to an absurd level, and his application of his Spiritual Strength and Physical Strength was driven to a type of limit within the Earthly Saint Phase.
You can say, similar to Wei Wuyin, the Boundless Martial High King pursued maximization. Unfortunately, this maximization was capped as his earlier accumulations had been severely lacking, cutting off his potential to become a 'true' peak Earthly Saint without certain products.
Just as he was about to attack, his War Power overflowing, Wei Wuyin's voice resounded: "Give him the head."
Zhan Zheng's eyes glanced at the Boundless Martial High King as disappointment flashed across his eyes. He waved his hand, a head instantly arrived in his hand, and he tossed it over. He didn't hesitate or linger here, bringing the three Spirits of War along as he returned to the Neo-Dawn Starfield without any disobedience.
"..." The Boundless Martial High King grimly looked at Zhan Zheng's departing figure as he held Jiang Jingshi, his fist quivering still. His eyes were utterly solemn, but he didn't pursue them. Instead, he stared at the head and his eyes flashed with temporal light. After a second of inspection, his eyes flashed with sadness.
"What a fool you were. Survived so much, but you couldn't just wait for a moment longer for revenge?" He muttered softly to himself before making his return to the Boundless Martial Sect's Ascended members, but those who watched him were deeply shaken by his newly revealed power.
Was this any inferior to the top three? Absolutely not!
Suddenly, the Neo-Dawn Starfield began to shake as if it was experiencing an earthquake! An earthquake of space!
"It's finally ready!" Wei Wuyin's eyes glinted excitedly.
