Chapter 845 : Sword Intent Shatters the Netherdeep

That near-endless torrent of Sword Intent [a cultivator's concentrated will and understanding of the sword, given tangible form] erupted forth, cleaving towards Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable with an undeniable, annihilating force.

Lin Tianqi was the foremost Sword Cultivator [a cultivator whose path and power are wholly dedicated to the way of the sword] of the Purple Realm. Even after his breakthrough to Nascent Soul Great Perfection, his offensive prowess remained unparalleled beneath the Demigod Ancestor realm, nearly transcending the mortal plane's limits.

Now, with a single Sword Intent [a cultivator's concentrated will and understanding of the sword, given tangible form] honed and accumulated over three Millennium, this unleashed strike possessed power sufficient to slay immortals and slay gods, a genuine threat even to a Demigod Ancestor.

Faced with such might, not even Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable dared receive it head-on. He could only desperately channel his Lifebound Divine Ability [a supreme ability intrinsically linked to a cultivator's life force and cultivation path] to parry the blow.

With a furious roar, he summoned forth the Quasi-Immortal Treasure [a treasure of near-immortal grade, possessing world-shaking power] known as 'Demon-Slaying Crucible', sweeping it forward with boundless power to intercept the attack.

"CRACK—"

A deafening crack of thunderous force echoed as the Demon-Slaying Crucible was sent hurtling away. The very void itself trembled and roared with the violence of the collision.

When the chaos subsided and silence returned, the onlookers saw Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable still standing firm upon the Firmament, seemingly unmoved and unshaken.

Yet, upon closer inspection, one could see a web of fine, hairline fractures now spreading across his formidable physique.

"The Nine Nether Indestructible Body [a legendary physique said to be nigh-invulnerable, forged in the deepest nether realms]... is broken!" Discover more cultivation stories at audio - novel . com.

The moment he perceived the cracks spiderwebbing across the Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable's Indestructible Body, Riverlord Chang's expression flickered with a glimmer of triumph.

For an entity like Netherdeep the Sacred Venerable, whose cultivation was wholly dedicated to the physical form, the shattering of its peerless Nine Nether Indestructible Body was a wound of the gravest severity—akin to fine porcelain riddled with fractures.

Yet that flicker of triumph was fleeting, and solemn gravity swiftly reclaimed the faces of all present.

The Lin Tianqi was now drenched in his own vital essence, a stark testament that unleashing that single sword strike, nurtured for three Millennium, had exacted a terrible and agonizing price.

"Sword Saint..."

Riverlord Chang's countenance shifted, and he moved to lend aid.

But Lin Tianqi merely shook his head, his demeanor serene as he stated, "Go. Seal the Demon Abyss Heavenly Scar. Leave this one to me."

"Brother Tianqi, take care!"

Star Palace Master seemed on the verge of speaking, but held his tongue. A heartbeat later, he turned without a backward glance and charged toward the End of the Demonic Abyss.

Witnessing this, the Netherdeep Demon Venerable roared in fury, once more summoning the Demon-Slaying Crucible to bear down upon them. Yet at that moment, the Ji Clan's Immortal-Refining Furnace soared into the sky, intercepting and holding back the Demon-Slaying Crucible.

Lin Tianqi pressed forward with a sword strike that allowed no retreat, forcing Netherdeep Demon Venerable [a title for a powerful demonic cultivator] to struggle to disengage.

Left with no choice, his expression shifted dramatically, his pupils blazing with fury as he commanded, "Stop them!"

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The cataclysmic battle raged on. Though the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this realm] held the advantage in numbers, several more Heaven-Demon [powerful celestial demons] now descended into the fray, blocking the two cultivators at any cost.

Among them was a formidable Heaven-Demon at the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the advanced stage of cultivating one's spiritual core], none other than the renowned Garuda Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity]. Having attained his Dao [cultivation path] for several Millennium [periods of one thousand years], and with the aid of the other Heaven-Demon, he forced the two to a standstill, denying them any forward progress.

"Perish!"

Amidst the chaos, Star Palace Master let out a sharp cry. In his hand, he manifested the Alkaid's God-Slaying Sword, its divine aura of slaughter peerless. He launched an assault of pure offense, striking at the demonic horde without a thought for defense.

This reckless, all-out offensive finally pushed the numerous Extraterrestrial Demon God [demonic gods from outer realms] into a steady retreat, creating a sliver of an opening for Riverlord Chang.

"Whoever stands in my way shall die!"

From within the throng, Riverlord Chang roared, his hair and beard bristling with rage. The twin Secret Power [esoteric cultivation techniques] of the Long River and the Setting Sun [a divine ability] erupted across the heavens and earth, coalescing into the unstoppable momentum of the Riverlord Immortal Sword.

Once more, the Setting Sun Grand Divine Ability [a supreme technique embodying the power of the dying sun] erupted with a deafening roar, forcibly tearing open a breach. It carved a bloody path through the blockade of the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this world] and surged forward to the precipice of the Demon Abyss Heavenly Scar [a colossal, demonic rift in the fabric of reality].

Before that Heavenly Scar [the cosmic wound], the Demon God's Hand [a manifestation of a demon god's will and power] wrestled with the very forces of heaven and earth, all while contending against the pressure of the Myriad Heavens Star Formation [a grand stellar array harnessing the power of countless stars].

A power of cataclysmic, world-ending magnitude radiated from the clash—so immense it could shake the firmament and quake the earth. Even a supreme powerhouse at the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the advanced stage of cultivating one's fundamental spiritual core] would be reduced to ashes by a mere wisp of its aura should they draw near.

"Cleave—!"

Yet, Riverlord Chang harbored no hesitation, no fear. His will was ironclad and resolute, imbued with the conviction of one marching to his doom. He unleashed his Lifebound Immortal Sword [a sword forged with and bound to its wielder's very life force], sending it slashing toward the Extraterrestrial Demon God [a deity-level demon from beyond the heavens] whose form seemed to prop up the sky itself.

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A series of sharp, cracking sounds echoed as the Riverlord Immortal Sword struck the Demon God's Hand. In that instant, the legendary blade was veined with a spiderweb of cracks before shattering into countless glittering fragments.

"*Cough*—!"

Riverlord Chang was sent reeling back, blood spraying from his lips—a clear sign of grievous, potentially mortal injury.

Witnessing this, the onlookers could not help but reveal expressions of utter despair. The effect of that earth-shattering sword strike had been merely to cause the Demon God's Hand to tremble faintly, not even scratching its immaterial form.

This realization cast a suffocating pall over the hearts of all present. If they could not wound the Extraterrestrial Demon God [a supreme entity from beyond this world], how could their efforts possibly become the final straw that breaks the camel's back?

"Once more!"

Just as despair threatened to consume them, a furious roar erupted from Riverlord Chang. Defying all odds, he surged forward again, his spirit blazing with the resolve to meet his end.

A radiant figure, blazing with the power of the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the advanced stage of a cultivator's spiritual core], erupted from within him. It tore through the air with earth-sundering force, a second spear of defiance hurled at the colossal Demon God [a supreme demonic entity] hand descending from the Nine Heavens Above [the highest celestial realm].

"Riverlord Chang's Second Nascent Soul [a profound technique allowing a cultivator to manifest a second, independent spiritual avatar]?"

Some were stunned, bewildered that Riverlord Chang would charge to his doom yet again.

Others, however, grasped the implication. "The Demon God's power is immeasurable," one exclaimed with dawning hope. "By all reason, a mere wisp of its Mana [the fundamental energy of magic and cultivation] should have been enough to obliterate Long River [the title of Riverlord Chang] utterly."

"Yet it did not crush him. This proves its struggle against the Heaven and Earth Will [the collective consciousness and ordained destiny of the world itself] has reached its most critical juncture. The contest is so fiercely deadlocked it lacks even the spare strength to strike at Brother Long River."

"If Brother Long River strikes with all his might now, he may truly tip the scales in favor of the Heaven and Earth Will."

In the fleeting moment these thoughts flashed through their minds, the Second Nascent Soul of Riverlord Chang had already traversed the Firmament [the vault of heaven] and arrived before the gaping maw of the Heavenly Scar [a rent torn in the fabric of the sky].

But then, the Second Nascent Soul [a cultivator's second, independently cultivated soul] erupted in an instant, unleashing an unparalleled force that detonated with cataclysmic power. A torrential wave of energy swept through heaven and earth, causing the Demon God's Hand [a colossal, demonic manifestation of power] to tremble violently. The entire Demon Abyss Heavenly Scar [a fissure in reality leading to a demonic abyss] began to shake and shudder with immense force.

"A prime opportunity!"

Everyone's faces lit up with immense joy and surprise. The shaking of the Demon Abyss Heavenly Scar was proof that the Extraterrestrial Demon God [a god-like entity from beyond this world] was being forced onto the defensive. It seemed the Heavenly Scar [the dimensional rift] might close for good.

Yet, at that very moment, the Extraterrestrial Demon God let out a furious roar. A layer of sinister black light erupted from the Demon God's Hand, unleashing another surge of overwhelmingly vast power. Astonishingly, it stabilized the Heavenly Scar that was on the verge of sealing shut.

"It's the Demon God [the race or pantheon of demonic gods] Indestructible Body!"

Netherdeep Demon Venerable [a title for a powerful demonic cultivator]'s eyes gleamed with cold understanding. He sneered, "The body of a Demon God is impervious to all calamities. At its full power, it can tear open the very fabric of a major world itself."

"For you to think you can oppose the Demon God Majesty [a title of supreme respect for a Demon God] is nothing but an ant trying to shake the heavens—a laughable overestimation of your own strength!"

"An ant, in its entire lifetime, can scarcely glimpse the profound mysteries of heaven and earth." It was then that Riverlord Chang spoke with serene calm. "Compared to the Nine Heavens Immortal Demons [demonic beings of celestial origin], this old man may indeed be but an ant. Yet, within this heart, there still burns a sliver of conviction."

"We cultivators, if we fail to ascend to immortality, must all face death in the end. The difference lies only in this: some die a death lighter than a goose feather, while others die a death of valor, a death weightier than the very world."

"Since this old man now has no hope left on the immortal path, I shall pour forth my final strength. I shall stake everything to fight for the Purple Realm [a name for their world or continent], to wrest for it five Millennium [a cycle of one thousand years] of peace and stability!"

"Even if my soul scatters and my spirit disperses, I shall have no regrets in this life, having walked this mortal realm with honor."

Riverlord Chang spoke with profound calm and acceptance of the truths of life and death, then soared into the heavens with a resolve to meet his end.

He ascended, wrapped in the power of the Long River Setting Sun Scroll, his Pure Yang Origin Qi [the foundational life-force energy of the pure Yang element] erupting to its absolute limit. He even consumed his last drop of Pure Yang True Blood [the vital essence of pure Yang life-force], determined to unleash that final, decisive strike.

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