Chapter 26: This technique, one sword opens the heavens!

Beyond the galaxy, the darkness is deep and profound.

Perhaps the demons' defeat displeased these supreme beings, or perhaps the power of the many Eastern deities made them uneasy.

In short, countless terrifying demons tore open the dark void at this moment and descended outside the Heavenly River Galaxy.

"My name is Tai You!"

"All who see me fall into eternal night!"

A desolate, ancient voice echoed through the universe, and the huge dragon's body protruded a corner from above the Heavenly Realm.

That is the eldest son of Zhu Long, a terrifying fiend that has survived since ancient times.

At this moment, its manifestation descended, as if dragging the universe into the abyss of sunless darkness.

The myriad Western deities trembled and knelt, gazing up at the Heavenly Realm, at the undulating giant dragon, continually kowtowing.

"Great Tai You Dragon God, such an aura is unsurpassed even by the supreme god-king!"

"To be able to follow you is our greatest honor!"

"O deity from the darkness, please allow me to become your most loyal servant!"

Above the Heavenly Realm Ruins, countless immortals' eyes were filled with bloodshot, pressed by this aura unable to lift their heads.

Even the Heavenly Realm's great formation showed some cracks.

"How terrifying! Is this the eldest son of Zhu Long?"

"In ancient legend, Zhu Long has nine sons; the eldest controls night, the second controls day, the third controls years, the fourth controls wind, rain, thunder, and lightning..."

"I can't see anything; this darkness makes it hard to breathe, as if all the light in the world has vanished!"

"Such power is on par with ancient deities; can our Great Xia heroes truly match it?"

Countless Great Xia peoples felt despair at this moment; the whole world fell into pure darkness, like the chaos before heaven and earth were opened, nothing visible! "Alas…"

Suddenly, a sigh came from the darkness; the voice was that of a woman.

Then, a candle flame suddenly appeared in the pitch‑black world.

That flame was weak and flickering, yet in this despairing darkness it was exceptionally clear.

As the scene progressed, all beings finally saw clearly the appearance of the candle and its holder.

That was a lotus lamp; a white‑clad fairy dug out her own eyes and threw them into the flame, lighting the darkness for countless immortals.

"He Xianzi, put down the lotus lamp; if you continue like this you will perish here!"

Above the Nine Heavens, someone spoke up to advise.

The fairy slightly shook her head, a line of blood tears tracing her cheek.

"This darkness is too terrifying; if not dispelled, it will consume everyone's divine power."

"Let me endure it; Master Lu Chen said, where there is light there is darkness, and darkness will always have an end!"

Having said that, she raised the lotus lamp high above her head; though her eyes could not see, she knew there was light above.

This darkness could not easily swallow it.

On Blue Star, many Great Xia peoples choked back sobs.

"Burning the lamp to continue the day, yet she burns her own life to prolong everyone's daylight!"

"There is no way; that darkness is too strong—without burning essence and blood, how can we resist?"

"Not only now, but the ancient sages must have endured this as well; otherwise there would be no frontier of the galaxy, no ancestral land today."

In the void, the candle flame burned ever brighter; the fairy's blood tears turned into lamp oil, causing the dim yellow flame to flicker and spread, as if something in the unseen was being tugged.

On the ancestral land Blue Star, a lotus platform buried in the depths trembled slightly; the divine light originally blocked by Zhu Long now faintly gleamed, as if trying to break some shackle.

Beneath the darkness, Lu Chen stood like a stone statue.

He saw his disciple raising the lamp, and recalled a departed one's backward glance.

At the time when the gods were at their darkest, he transformed himself into the wick of that ever‑lasting candle flame.

"Damn it, what is there to fear in a little darkness? Come, let me kill my way in!"

Among the heroes, a sword immortal shouted angrily, brandishing his azure blade and charging forth.

"Hehehe, you dare to run wild even in the Dark Realm—how much divine power do you have to burn?"

An ancient Western deity appeared in the darkness.

Gazing at that sword immortal, he revealed a mocking, contemptuous expression.

"One Sword Opens the Heavens!" In the darkness, the sword immortal shouted, but his immortal sword only traced a white line in the black, as if lifting a corner of a huge sack and then snapping shut.

"Your sword cannot open the heavens; you are far too weak—if only that person from back then were here, there might be a chance."

"As for you, with only thirty years of cultivation, relying on talent and dragon blood to reach this point—I still see you as far too weak!"

A hoarse, icy voice sounded in the darkness.

With a loud "bang," it was as if the whole void had been hammered hard; the spreading aura almost blew out that candle flame.

A sword immortal whose half body had been blasted apart flew back and crashed heavily onto the Heavenly Realm Ruins.

That force did not diminish, causing the sword immortal's body to slide across the ruins all the way to Lu Chen's feet.

"Master……"

The sword immortal, face covered in blood, vision blurred, spoke weakly with guilt.

On Lu Chen's usually unmoving face, at last a hint of bitterness appeared.

He helped his disciple up from the ground and spoke softly.

"I know, I know, you did your best."

"You are the most diligent among my many disciple‑brothers; your impulsive nature is why I passed on to you the Star Host Sword Dao."

"With thirty years of cultivation, losing to a three‑hundred‑thousand‑year‑old demon god is no disgrace."

The sword immortal's eyes were red‑rimmed as he lowered his head to speak.

But Master, my sword is completely broken.

That is a supreme treasure left by the ancient sages.

Lu Chen smiled faintly.

Don't worry, Master will forge you another!

Lu Chen suddenly turned, and under the horrified gaze of the Candle Dragon, he reached out and tore open the flesh.

Dragon blood spurted, the wound deep enough to see bone! The Candle Dragon winced in pain, jerking the chains, and roared.

You worthless disciple, you ate my dragon blood, drank my dragon marrow, yet you're still no match for a single strike!

Now you're angry, do you intend to take it out on me?

Lu Chen heard the voice, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

I have said before, my disciples are never inferior to anyone.

I think he merely lacks a good sword!

As his words fell, the hand plunged into the dragon's body gripped a section of dragon bone tightly, and with a mighty pull, even the flesh was torn out!

Lu Chen, Lu Chen!!

I will surely kill you!

The Candle Dragon bound by chains writhed like a giant earthworm on the ground.

A section of the eerie dragon bone was snapped outright! Lu Chen threw the dragon bone to that Sword Immortal Dao.

Drink the dragon marrow within this bone, and this will be your new sword!

Gu Yuan, you should know, that great demon outside— you have even eaten its parent's flesh and blood, yet you fear its underlings?

The Blood-Robed Sword Immortal's eyes brightened at the words.

For a sword cultivator, the greatest fear is a dusty sword heart; acting hastily in the dark, he suffered a crushing defeat in one blow, his sword heart wounded.

Guilt, self-reproach, fear and similar emotions nearly overwhelmed him.

But the Master knows, repairing a sword is easy, mending the Dao-heart is hard; thus the Master excavated the dragon bone to forge a sword for himself!

At this moment, he seemed to grasp an imperceptible cosmic truth, and in that instant he also seemed to comprehend the myriad mysteries of the Star Constellation Sword Dao.

He laughed loudly, exhausted the marrow within that dragon bone, gripped the bone sword, and slashed toward the boundless darkness: 'The foremost of the Eastern Star Constellations, the Horn-Wood Flood Dragon, when encountering strength, grows stronger!'

This technique, one sword opens the heavens!

Boom! A terrifying aura rose upon the Fusang!

In the ancestral land of the Blue Star, within a deserted temple, a nameless deity's statue glimmered faintly; at that moment, Sword Immortal Gu Yuan seemed to sense something.

His aura surged again severalfold, and the sword light filling the sky tore the darkness apart completely at this moment.

(End of Chapter)