Chapter 2097: To Crush in the Bud

A thunderous palm, containing infinite variables of thunder and infinite mysteries of fate, descended in an instant and closed shut in an instant.

Too fast,

Too fast!

This even surpassed the speed of time!

At this moment, the flow of time was obviously abnormal; the palm closed in an instant, instantly seizing the tribulation-crossing creature in its palm, giving it no time to react, with no escape possible.

This was a higher-order Daoist mystery, filled with the unknown, containing immortal arts and techniques that could not be fully understood.

"An art approaching that of a True Immortal?"

Jiang Ding muttered to himself.

Among the many human inheritances he had received, the description of the Ninth Realm of the Sword Dao was very simple, consisting of only a few words.

The Ninth Realm of the Sword Dao, the Sword Art of a True Immortal.

That was all; there was nothing more. Even the supreme ancestors who left their names in the Gedaxian Sects and Sacred Sites throughout the long river of time could not describe the Ninth Realm of the Sword Dao further, nor could they describe what the True Immortal Sword Art was; this was an unknown realm.

The only thing that touched upon it was the arts of the Human Emperors of past generations.

Their understanding of rules, spells, sword arts, and arrays exceeded human imagination, earning them the title of an art and Dao realm approaching that of a True Immortal.

At this moment, that thunderous palm containing infinite variables descended from the heavens, filled with infinite unknowns.

At this moment, Jiang Ding knew for himself that if he were to compete with the creature within the thunder in terms of art and Dao techniques, it would be purely asking for humiliation, with no chance of victory.

The only place where life existed was,

To break ten thousand arts with pure force!

"Senior is merely a thought,"

"Without a supporting immortal body, without the hardware of immortal Dao universal constant formulas, just a pure thought; the condensed power is likely insufficient."

"If this Lord guesses wrong, then death will follow."

In the darkness, Jiang Ding slowly drew his sword, instantly burning his essence blood and soul to form a vast and terrifying power that spread outward.

Utter confidence, without any hesitation.

"Please, Senior,"

"Grant this Lord death."

Clang!

The ringing sound of the sword leaving its sheath.

This dark heaven and earth seemed viscous, but suddenly a wisp of flame appeared in the endless darkness, a streak of firelight illuminating the surrounding starry sky.

The strangely flowing time suddenly returned to normal.

The River of Time roared past; some things could be slightly altered, while others were extremely difficult to change. The terrifying pressure unleashed by a True Immortal burning himself was one of those extremely difficult-to-change moments in time; the matter and energy contained within that time were too great, impossible for anyone but an Immortal to alter.

Now, under the illumination of this wisp of flame, the events occurring in the surrounding dark heaven and earth revealed some clues, no longer unknowable and invisible.

It was a vast, undulating palm of a hand, and around it, five thunder pillars were constantly closing in, roaring toward this very center; each pillar was as huge as a world.

The person within was far smaller than the hairs on the pillars, too insignificant; even flying at the speed of light, one could not fly out of this undulating palm of a hand within several months.

On the vast palm of a hand, the five thunder pillars were closing in, sealing shut.

Once completely sealed, even a True Immortal must die, demonstrating the majesty of the heavenly tribulation thunder with their life, the lingering immense terror of the Ancient Emperor's will.

"This Lord has a sword,"

"This sword is the Sun-Shattering Sword of the Great Sun Sword Pavilion, forged by this Lord's life-sword through tens of thousands of years of refining within a star, a sword formed by this Lord's understanding of immortal Dao universal constants over tens of thousands of years."

Between life and death, Jiang Ding did not seem anxious; like a refined scholar, he had much leisure and elegance, calmly introducing his masterpiece to the life-and-death enemy about to slay him.

What was there to be anxious about?

The path to immortality is long and ethereal; these powerful enemies are all steps for climbing.

How could one, because of mere life and death, give up the opportunity to savor these powerful enemies in detail, merely tasting them hastily, swallowing them whole without chewing?

No,

It cannot be so!

Although this endless starry sky is vast, there are truly too few existences that can be called powerful enemies, too few that can be called steps to immortality; they are non-renewable resources.

To waste them over mere death would invite the heavenly retribution of the Sword Dao; even in death, one would not find peace.

"Senior,"

"Many years ago, when I was in university, the Central Array Spirit Computer showed me an image of a True Immortal reporting a sword, telling me this was my future."

"Now, such a coincidence has actually appeared."

Jiang Ding moved at a leisurely pace; within the clouds beside him, streaks of Jin Chong Guang began to appear, swimming like fish, emitting an aura that was infinitely terrifying and infinitely sharp.

"Is this the inevitability of fate,"

"Or did this Lord, intentionally or unintentionally, advance in this direction, thereby bringing about this present scene, a post-heaven artificiality like shooting an arrow first and then drawing the target around it?"

"There are still many unknowns in the endless starry sky; this is truly wonderful."

Boom!

At this moment, the countless Jin Chong Guang surrounding the Supreme Great Sun Sword Immortal suddenly became agitated, suddenly flickered, forming countless mirror-like lights!

These golden mirrors, as abrupt as a part of the universe, suddenly spread across all the starry sky within sight, even including the five thunder pillars roaring in to close around them.

These countless mirrors instantly connected with the eternal sun and stars hanging in the sky; the sun cast countless rays of light here, instantly making this dark heaven and earth as bright as day, dispelling all darkness.

Countless lights, countless heats, countless lights from the Dharma-Ending Age converged toward the center through the mirrors.

Under the authority of the Great Dao of Dharma Destruction, beneath the radiance of the Taiqing Flying Sword, all these lights finally condensed into a single point, a point like a drop of water, infinitely scorching, infinitely terrifying, causing the gaze of the Emperor's Crown creature within the tribulation thunder, who had always been indifferent, to shift slightly.

"Senior,"

"This sword,"

"Is named the Dai Sen Dharma-Destroying Sun Sword!"

"This Lord's sword, forged over six hundred thousand years to discard the old and bring forth the new, has condensed the peak of sword Dao achieved in this life."

Jiang Ding's expression was frenzied; his vital blood and soul burned within his body as he stood between life and death, yet he cared little, saying with longing, "Please, elder,"

"Please offer some guidance."

"Otherwise, how will this Lord one day sever the head of the Ten Thousand Laws True Immortal Maiden and forge the Great Sun Sword Dao Imperial Throne?"

Boom~

This terrifying sword contained infinite light and heat, infinite aura of law-annihilation; its sword intent, magic power, and the authority of the Great Sun Sword Dao's law-annihilation rules were compressed to the extreme as the Great Sun Sword Cultivator burned himself amidst life and death.

His power erupted at two hundred percent, three hundred percent!

This sword, facing five thunder fingers like heavenly pillars and a thunder palm as vast and boundless as the universe, held no fancy thoughts, no tricks; it simply rushed straight toward the strongest point of this Thunder Five-Finger Mountain to annihilate!

Sword Cultivator!

How can a Sword Cultivator fear a direct, head-on clash?

The moment this sword was struck was also the instant the Thunder Five-Finger Mountain closed.

Heaven and Earth plunged into absolute darkness; everything fell silent, without a sound, without a ripple, as if dust had settled.

"Will the Immortal Gate True Immortal Maiden fail...?"

Yuan Chengzhen held his breath.

As outsiders, they saw more clearly.

Within the heavenly tribulation, a towering, utterly terrifying existence appeared; he raised his hand and pressed down with a palm, causing the starry sky where the Supreme Great Sun Sword Immortal Maiden resided to shrink instantly, shrinking again, shrinking infinitely.

In the end, the starry sky where the Supreme Great Sun Sword Immortal Maiden stood and the being himself became an extremely tiny existence within the thunder palm, smaller than the tiniest virus.

This thunder palm suddenly closed, tightly gripping the ant in its palm.

Is it over?

Boom!

Clang! Clang-clang!

The instant the palm closed, terrifying sword shrieks and explosions erupted; a monstrous explosion occurred where the thunder palm's ring finger was!

The authority of the law-annihilation Dao condensed to its limit, the power of sun and stars condensed to its peak, and infinite destruction and law-annihilation power nearly became a singularity.

That sword, that singularity, forced its way through with ultimate speed and sharpness, directly blasting off the towering existence's ring finger!

He immediately broke free!