Chapter 233: Guardian Sword

Every time it's just a little short.

It seems you have done a lot for Lin Chuan, but you never stay when he needs company the most.

This time, you must witness Lin Chuan's destiny reborn!

You rush toward the Immortal Gate, but Sangyu formed from the white mist, Yun Baobao, and the Sword Spirit Maiden block your path.

"This time I won't be slower than you."

Your nine tails manifest different Divine Powers; the supreme divine technique of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan is fully evolved by you, merging at this moment as you surge toward a higher pinnacle.

The Tribulation Transcendence Battle, the Human Race's desperate plight, the Ancient God war… scenes of the past swirl in your memory.

Your speed keeps increasing, breaking through the white mist's blockade.

Boom!

The supreme divine technique formed from the nine tails bombards the Immortal Gate.

"Immortal Gate! Open!"

At this moment, your power fully surpasses the Divine Lord Realm; the Immortal Gate is shaken, and you pry open a fissure.

You sense the subtle mystery within the Immortal Gate.

It is the Immortal Divine Power baptism from the Universe Origin of the Chaos Universe!

"Again!"

You continuously hammer the Immortal Gate.

The Immortal Divine Power surging from the Immortal Gate baptizes your body, causing you to transform bit by bit.

At the same time, distant white mist attacks again; they are formed from dead energy, seeking to devour you.

If you don't ascend to the Immortal Realm, today will be your death.

You struggle in the split-second between life and death.

One! Two! Three…

You don't know how many times you've hammered the Immortal Gate, growing ever weaker.

Each strike is a burning of life, the ultimate sublimation of your destiny!

In the end, the Immortal Gate was never fully opened.

When you once again swing your nine tails, striking the Immortal Gate, the gate remains unmoved, as if it instantly becomes as solid as gold.

Your body, however, trembles violently.

Driven by endless Immortal Divine Power, the Immortal Gate begins to close back.

Your spirit, essence, and mind collapse at this moment, and life slides rapidly from its peak.

"Did we fail?"

"Why? Why is it still just a little short?!"

You find it hard to accept this outcome.

But deep inside, you already know that striking the Immortal Ascension Realm as the end draws near is merely a dead end.

Only failure awaits you.

If today had arrived a bit earlier, perhaps everything would have been different.

But there are no 'ifs' in this world.

"It's over."

Your attacks grow weaker, and you watch helplessly as the Immortal Gate closes bit by bit.

At that moment, you hear a Sword Resonance!

Buzz!

The Three-Foot Green Edge shoots upward, then suddenly slams onto the Immortal Gate.

You suddenly look back and see that soul‑tethered, dream‑haunting figure.

"Lin Chuan?"

Lin Chuan stands holding a sword, his robes fluttering.

You smiled, tears flowing.

All living beings say that when a being is about to die, they will see the love of their life come to take them.

You have never believed that.

But at this moment, you have to believe.

Lin Chuan comes to receive you.

You sense no falseness; he truly exists, shining upon the soul you are about to leave.

"Empress, I will help you enter the Immortal Gate,"

Lin Chuan whispers softly.

"Alright!"

You smile charmingly, wipe away the tears, and nod heavily.

Perhaps because of the reflected light, you regain endless power.

You and Lin Chuan hammer the Immortal Gate together.

The Immortal Gate, about to close, opens once more under your attacks.

This time there is no accident.

You successfully open the Immortal Gate.

At the moment the Immortal Gate is fully opened, Immortal Divine Power baptizes your body, and you feel a surge of vitality.

You clearly feel your own transformation.

From the apex of living beings, you stepped forward again.

You have reached the Immortal Ascension Realm!

"How could that be?!"

You suddenly awaken with a start.

You jerk your head back, looking behind at Lin Chuan standing before the Immortal Gate.

Lin Chuan's silhouette fades like a bubble in a smile, leaving only the Three-Foot Green Edge falling beneath the Heavenly Dome.

"Lin Chuan!"

Mighty power returns to you, and the omen vanishes in an instant.

You, now in the Immortal Realm, gaze at the sword continuously falling to the earth and realize that everything just now was not an illusion.

It was Lin Chuan's sword that helped you take the final step.

When you return to the earth, the sword has already fallen into Sangyu's hands, becoming dim and lifeless.

Sangyu and the Three Ancestors' expressions both turn somewhat strange.

You feel no joy from ascending, and simply say, "I just saw Lin Chuan; he helped me open the Immortal Gate."

"Was that sword Lin Chuan's final measure?"

"No," Sangyu shakes her head, "The one who helped you wasn't Lin Chuan, it was the Sword Spirit."

Sangyu says, "When Lin Chuan fell, he had already lifted the Original Fate Restriction with the Sword Spirit; now the Sword Spirit is an independent being."

A lump catches in your throat, "The Sword Spirit helped me?"

You know the Sword Spirit's true form: she is a bud of the Chaos Flower, possessing the ability to turn decay into wonder.

Sangyu says, "I didn't expect her to do that either."

You take the sword from Sangyu's hand, cradle it, tears streaming down your cheek, "Sword Spirit, thank you."

"Cough cough cough."

A weak cough of the Sword Spirit emanates from the blade, and you seem to see a pitiful lonely girl.

She sits alone at the end of fate.

She says, "No need to thank me."

A faint smile forces its way onto her pallid face, "When the master was present, abandoning everything would still protect you; he wishes you all to be well forever."

"Regarding Yun's death, the master feels great guilt, and even until his own fall he departed with regret."

"Now the master is gone; as his sword, I will fulfill his will in the name of protection."

"The Sword Spirit will protect you on the master's behalf."

"No one is allowed to die again; you all must be well, you must find the master."

"Sword Spirit... the Sword Spirit doesn't want the master to have any more regrets."

The Sword Spirit Maiden speaks a long breath of words, her voice growing softer, her breath weakening.

At this moment, your heart aches with pain.

When it comes to your affection for Lin Chuan, you consider yourself comparable to Yun Baobao, and compared with Sangyu, whatever they could do for Lin Chuan, you can as well.

But the Sword Spirit's words leave you in silence.

Perhaps at a crucial moment, when feelings run deep, you too could, like the Sword Spirit, achieve these things.

But you could never do it; your heart always sees it as a mission, engraving it into your soul, and under these circumstances you cannot sacrifice yourself for the Sword Spirit.

The Sword Spirit could clearly embark on the final journey herself, to seek her beloved master and find fulfillment for her life.

Yet she does not hesitate at all, giving the opportunity to you.

Her reason is simply... she does not want the master to have any more regrets, nothing more.