Chapter 1660: Leaving the Upper Realm

Time flowed on, and another hundred years passed.

On this day, Jiang Ding came to the Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie at the center of the world, took out the last jade pillar like a pillar of heaven and drove it into the central earth vein of the Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie, then spread out his divine sense, poured it into the core jade pillar, and began testing continuously.

Surrounding them, Chong Chong Guang Zi, Mu Mu Tianxue, and other Dao Merging Divine Monarchs, as well as dozens of inheritance sword cultivators and a great number of Dao Merging Divine Monarchs, held their breath, some watching with tension.

This was the final installation process of the ninth-tier array, the Yin-Yang Heaven-Locking Array.

Completing it in just over two hundred years had truly exceeded all of their expectations.

If this attempt succeeded, it would surely lay a tremendous advantage for the sect in seizing the Spiritual Treasure Realm inheritance; everyone present would Li Xia Da Gong, and their future Dao paths would be far smoother.

The Great Sun Sword Child tested with closed eyes for a very long time, fully several decades, then slowly opened his eyes.

"It succeeded."

"Everyone's service is over; you may go anywhere you wish."

Jiang Ding smiled and said.

"The array is complete?"

The many Dao Merging Divine Monarchs felt somewhat dazed, unable to be sure.

Hum!

At this moment, a great change occurred in the Tiangong Star Chain World.

Dreamy stars rose one by one from the Minor Thousand Worlds and Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie, one black and one white, rotating together without parting, flying together toward the distant sky beyond; the entire world cluster was drawn intototally into one, controlled by an invisible yet terrifying Yin-Yang power.

The Taiyin-Taiyang Sword Lord had taken over the Yin-Yang Heaven-Locking Array!

The terrifying power of Yin-Yang Chaos emerged in the endless deep void, suppressing the cosmic star river; everything between heaven and earth was dominated, until furious Lei Ting and pitch-black demonic clouds appeared and only then did such terrifying celestial phenomena cease.

The entire cosmic starry sky turned into chaos, and no one could see the scene within ever again.

Jiang Ding and the other cultivators could only see the world cluster in turmoil, with many Minor Thousand Worlds and Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie swaying like skiffs in ocean waves; they were even stuffed wholesale into the Zhong Senior Qian Shi Gao Jie, barely surviving under the protection of the Yin-Yang Heaven-Locking Array's power.

The cosmic star river fell into something like an apocalypse, and even time became chaotic.

No one knew how long passed.

"Sigh!"

Suddenly a sigh was heard, and a hunched old man in a Dao robe appeared within the Tiangong Star Chain World cluster.

He flew beyond the heavens, bringing a sliver of order to the chaotic cosmic starry sky; then all the terrifying anomalies vanished, and the cosmic star river was peaceful once more.

Everything in the world cluster fell silent.

Many Dao Merging sword cultivators silently flew out, including a Great Sun Sword Child; exchanging glances, each could see a trace of fright in the other's eyes.

This was a terrifying power that could not be resisted.

They

were like mere ants on such a battlefield; any stray wave of attack could reduce them to ashes.

The crowd was silent for a long time.

"This Monarch,"

"is leaving."

Jiang Ding informed the many sword cultivators of this news.

"Sword Child…"

The many Dao Merging sword cultivators were startled.

At once, great reluctance welled up in their hearts, even among those Dao Merging sword cultivators whose interests had been harmed in the earlier Great Sun reforms.

In the several hundred years of associating with the Great Sun Sword Child, they had discussed the Dao daily, delving into the difficulties of installing the ninth-tier array day and night without pause, each voicing their own views, talking about their own understanding of the Dao, without any barrier; their sword Dao foundations advanced slowly amid such free and unrestrained discussions.

They had never encountered a Sword Child so adept at teaching and so willing to share.

In teaching the sword Dao,

he even far surpassed the peak experts among the Celestial Beings!

Such a pure friendship, like that of fellow Dao companions, was truly something to be reluctant to part from.

"Sword Child,"

"could you go to the sect?"

An inheritance Solar sword cultivator could not help but say: "The Sword Lord will protect you; only within the Sword Realm can you receive the best growth—there is no better place under heaven than the Sword Realm."

"Yes, Sword Child."

"The Sword Realm is your home…"

The many Dao Merging sword cultivators advised.

"What about the Taiyin lineage?"

Jiang Ding rolled his eyes.

This naturally drew unfriendly looks from several Taiyin female cultivators, and many Taiyin female cultivators turned away their gazes.

The Great Sun lineage, which had slaughtered the Taiyin lineage, was truly too horrifying for the Taiyin female cultivators to hear of and truly impossible to accept; this was a betrayal of the Taiyin-Taiyang marriage pact.

The Solar inheritance sword cultivator who had spoken to advise could only sigh helplessly.

The Great Sun Sword Child and the Taiyin lineage being in the same sect might truly be very dangerous.

Other people would be one thing.

The Taiyin Sword Lord's malice was truly not something anyone could withstand.

The Solar Sword Lord might not always be able to keep the Great Sun Sword Child under his watchful eye; the moment his attention slipped, the Taiyin Sword Lord could succeed with a covert strike, leaving no time to stop it.

At that time, would the Solar Sword Lord truly fight the Taiyin Sword Lord to the death?

At most, he would just be angry for a while.

"There is no need for this, everyone,"

"a harsh environment is nourishment for the sword Dao; being too comfortable is actually a bad thing."

Jiang Ding smiled and said, "Take the Sun Sword Heir, for example—"

His tone paused, and he gave a light snort, clearly still harboring a grudge over that one's fleeing the battle earlier: "Take this boy, for instance—far too soft. Clearly his strength was a notch above the Heavenly Sword Heir,

yet he couldn't bring himself to slay the Heavenly Sword Heir. That's because he lacked far too much life-and-death combat, and so couldn't seize the moment in battle. This is the price of always staying within the sect."

"Sword cultivators grow in blood and storm!"

"For me, this is a very fortunate thing, because I can always meet many interesting opponents—it is one of the sources of joy in my life."

"If I were to stay within a sect, such joy would be gone. One has to say, that would be a pity."

"This is a fine thing indeed."

"Farewell, everyone."

Jiang Ding waved his hand: "On another day, I hope to meet you all again upon the Immortal Dao. I hope that by then, your Sword Dao will far surpass what it is now, and that when you and I discuss the Dao, more sparks of Sword Dao wisdom may be born."

"That is all."

The figure of the blue-robed youth gradually faded from sight, no trace of karma or aura remaining, as if the memories just now had been an illusion.

"We respectfully see off—"

"The Sword Heir!"

The many sword cultivators of the Great Yin-Yang Sword Realm, regardless of realm, regardless of whether they followed the Great Yin or not, all bowed deeply in salute, sending off their Sword Dao heir apparent.

Over these past several hundred years, even Qi Refining cultivators had grown within the Great Sun Sword Heir's Sword Dao system and benefited greatly.

Such days have finally come to an end today.

Everyone bowed deeply, for a long time unwilling to rise.

……

At this time, Jiang Ding arrived at a stretch of void, silently gazing at a radiant, flowing-light crystal sphere deep within the space.

This was the place where Gong Gong Caiyu had entered nirvana and slumbered.

Her vitality was exceedingly faint—seemingly dead, yet seemingly not. The only certainty was that this process would be very long, unable to conclude within several thousand years.

"I also wish your Dao to succeed—come back to life."

Jiang Ding sighed, then vanished once more.

This time, he disappeared from the Upper Realm entirely.