Chapter 239 : Sword of Annihilation, Sun's Demise

"BOOM—"

In that instant, the world seemed to freeze solid.

The sword radiance struck the blazing sun head-on. Time itself appeared to congeal for a fleeting moment, only to resume its flow in the next Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time].

A dazzling brilliance illuminated the heavens. An unparalleled shockwave swept across the firmament, piercing through everything in the sky.

Every cultivator within a radius of one hundred Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] was thrown to the ground. Gazing up at the spectacle in the sky, their hearts and spirits trembled violently.

When all finally settled into silence, that crimson sun which had repelled enemies from all directions ultimately dimmed and fell still.

Liu the Ancient Ancestor had driven the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible to repel several Purple Palace, Late Stage experts. Yet, having endured the full-force combined strike of the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords, his True Essence and Lifebound Essence Blood were ultimately insufficient. His vital energy exhausted, he perished.

"Drip… Drip…"

Eldrin Chen, his white robes stained with blood, stood quietly in the void. His expression was serene as he watched this scene unfold.

After the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords merged, their power had crossed into the domain of the Golden Core realm. Even with his cultivation base and spiritual sense, controlling that single sword strike had been immensely difficult. Read, share, and discuss at (audio-novel.com).

The merged swords, once unleashed, were an unstoppable force, a strike of absolute dominion with no thought of return.

The Way of the Sword demands unwavering forward momentum, a principle that resonates with the most sublime heights of swordsmanship itself.

To unleash that single strike, Eldrin Chen expended a full nine-tenths of his mana, and his meridians suffered minor damage. Had it not been for the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a mystical platform that aids in mana recovery] restoring his energy, he would likely be severely weakened now.

Furthermore, the potency of the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords had been slightly diminished. Unless Eldrin Chen was willing to risk permanent damage to the twin blades, he would need to nurture them for a full decade before attempting another Heavenly Merging.

Though the backlash from this strike left Eldrin Chen injured, its results were monumental.

Had the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords not merged to block the might of the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible, considering Liu the Ancient Ancestor's final, desperate state, he would have likely dragged at least two Purple Mansion, Late Stage [the third major realm of cultivation, focusing on developing the spiritual mansion within] cultivators to their doom with him.

*Clang—*

Meanwhile, the battle upon the Firmament was finally drawing to a close.

Lyra Jiang had forged a Great Luo Golden Core [a superior grade of Golden Core, the fourth major cultivation realm], granting her a mana reservoir far vaster than that of an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator. Her combat prowess was, therefore, extraordinary.

Although Xu the Ancient Ancestor was at the Golden Core, Third Layer, he had formed only the most inferior grade of Golden Core. He was utterly outmatched by Lyra Jiang.

Although he possessed the Green Sun Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, a Defensive Magical Treasure of the fourth rank high grade, his depleted mana reserves rendered him utterly incapable of unleashing its full might.

He had barely managed to hold on for several dozen exchanges, relying on the Defensive Magical Treasure for support, but in the end, Lyra Jiang's sword finally cleaved through its defenses.

"Lyra Jiang!"

Xu the Ancient Ancestor was sent crashing onto Celestial Ruins Mountain, grievously wounded.

Covered in blood, his hair disheveled, he glared at Lyra Jiang with a venomous chill in his eyes. "Do you truly wish for us both to perish?" he hissed.

"The fish will die," came the calm reply, "but the net shall remain unbroken."

Lyra Jiang was serenity itself, advancing through the air, sword in hand.

Xu the Ancient Ancestor's pupils contracted, a flicker of icy resolve passing through his gaze before he erupted into three bursts of maniacal laughter.

"Hahaha…"

"You will regret this!"

With a face etched in solemnity and a voice heavy with gravity, he declared, "We beseech the Ancient Ancestor to emerge from seclusion and safeguard the legacy of our Green Sun Sect."

As his words faded, a profound stillness settled over the void, followed by a tremor that shook the heavens and earth for hundreds of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters].

"Hmmmm—"

A soft hum resonated. Before its wielder even appeared, an infinite expanse of ethereal white radiance illuminated the land for thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters].

Eldrin Chen looked up. From the peak of Green Sun Mountain, a white, illusory Treasure Mirror soared into the sky. It cast down a magnificent, dreamlike luminescence that bathed the entire mountain range and the figure of Ronan.

"It's the Mirror of the Vast Heaven!" Join our community of readers at audio . novel . com.

The complexions of the assembled cultivators shifted dramatically, their hearts trembling with profound awe.

The might of a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a treasure of supreme power specifically forged to subdue demons and evil spirits] shakes the very foundations of the world. The Mirror of the Vast Heaven has existed for millennia, a myth far more ancient than the Green Sun Sect itself.

For thousands of years, this treasure has vanquished demons and expelled evil, guarding the peace of the Chu Kingdom for countless ages and fighting in the name of the Human Race for untold eons.

Only a powerful demonic entity at the Golden Core, Late Stage [the late stage of the Golden Core realm, a high level of cultivation power] is worthy of provoking this treasure's full awakening—a testament to the unparalleled might of the Mirror of the Vast Heaven.

At this moment, the Mirror of the Vast Heaven [a legendary artifact of immense power] hovered amidst the Nine Heavens Above [a poetic term for the highest reaches of the sky], its mere presence condensing a force of unparalleled magnitude even before it was unleashed.

Eldrin Chen felt his spirit quake with awe; the energy contained within the mirror felt like a boundless ocean, capable of sinking a thousand Li-lengths of land should it erupt.

"Is this the might of a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a pinnacle-grade artifact specifically forged to vanquish demonic forces]?"

All who witnessed it were struck with profound shock. Even a Purple Mansion Cultivator [a cultivator who has established their spiritual foundation within the Purple Mansion realm] felt their will to fight wither and any thought of resistance vanish before such power.

Perhaps only a formidable cultivator at the Golden Core, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core realm] could barely hope to survive the eruption of its might.

The Mirror of the Vast Heaven hung suspended between heaven and earth, its gentle yet vast radiance bathing Ronan. To the astonishment of all, it spoke.

"Long ago, I made a pact with the Founding Ancestor of the Green Sun Sect. The sect would sustain me, and in return, I would offer it my protection."

"You are not of the demonic tribes. I have no wish to act against you. Withdraw of your own accord."

Lyra Jiang remained composed, her gaze calm as she regarded the Mirror of the Vast Heaven.

She looked towards Xu the Ancient Ancestor and spoke with serene clarity, "The character of Xu the Ancient Ancestor requires no elaboration from me. You understand it well enough yourself."

"If you aid him, you aid a tyrant, bringing calamity upon the hundreds of millions of common folk of the Chu Kingdom."

"Hmm—"

A resonant hum echoed, causing the void to grow subtly heavy and still.

The Mirror of the Vast Heaven remained silent, hovering motionlessly within the Firmament as if deep in contemplation.

At that very moment, from the distant reaches of the Firmament, a violet radiance stained the clouds and came sweeping forth.

All looked up to see a treasure furnace, cast in purple and gilded gold, its surface covered in intricate Mysterious Bird Divine Runes, floating majestically between heaven and earth.

Upon seeing the violet furnace, the Mirror of the Vast Heaven gave a faint, almost imperceptible tremble of light. It ascended into the Firmament to confront the Violet Abyss Furnace, the two treasures now locked in a silent standoff high in the sky.

The voice of the Mirror of the Vast Heaven was majestic, yet tinged with unmistakable anger.

"Violet Abyss Furnace, have you come to hinder me?"

"Do you seek battle with me?"

In that instant, the heavens and earth trembled violently. Two invisible forces clashed, cleaving the entire sky into halves of violet and white.

Silence reigned in the sky for a long while, an immeasurable duration of stalemate, before the Violet Abyss Furnace finally spoke.

"I have come to counsel you."

The Violet Abyss Furnace hovered silently, the engraved Mysterious Bird Divine Runes upon it stirring like a living divine bird awakening. For a fleeting moment, it seemed a Nascent Soul Demon Emperor was sealed within, its furious shrieks and wingbeats shaking the very cosmos.

It hovered there in silence, finally speaking again: "More than two hundred years ago, during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a cyclical, world-shaking calamity originating from a demonic rift], both you and I expended far too much of our power."

"If we waste the potency we have painstakingly accumulated now on internal strife, I fear a calamitous fate will befall us both in the days to come."

"It would be better to enter a state of dormancy, to quietly restore our own strength, so that we may survive the next Demonic Abyss Cataclysm."

Upon hearing this, the Mirror of the Vast Heaven fell silent.

When the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm arrives, not even a peerless Dao Lord [a title for a supreme master of the Dao] dares claim they will surely survive, and none can stand apart from the conflict.

Every time the thousand-year cataclysm descends, all powers with cultivators at the Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation, forming a solidified core of power] realm or above are compelled to join the battle. More than two hundred years ago, the Chu Kingdom had over a dozen Golden Core Cultivator, yet now barely half that number remain. This starkly reveals the terrifying nature of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm.

Although it was a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [an artifact of immense power specifically designed to vanquish demonic entities] and possessed a certain degree of inherent karma and origin, it ultimately could not escape the boundless cataclysm. This novel is serialized on audio~novel.com. Visit for updates.