Chapter 77: The Divine Weapon’s Ascent

Deep within that ancient and mysterious valley lay a secluded cave dwelling, its grand entrance sealed shut as if safeguarding untold secrets.

Beyond its confines, two elderly men, well past their fiftieth year, idly scrolled through their phones, catching up on the latest happenings.

Jian Yi yawned, raking her fingers through her hair with an expression of profound boredom.

“Old Lijian,” she drawled, “how much longer is that Old Jian going to stay holed up in there?”

“It’s almost April 5th, and a whole night of the Blood Night has already come and gone.”

“I’ve heard this Blood Night is far more severe than any before.”

“Don’t you think we should lend a hand?”

Lijian took a deep swig from his wine flask before casually tossing it aside and stretching languidly.

“Indeed,” he responded, “it’s been nearly a month now.”

“This Blood Night feels distinctly off.”

“Who knows when Old Jian will finally emerge.”

“My friend mentioned that Cloudmist Town is on the brink of falling, though thankfully the Holy Spirit Royal Family has intervened, and Holy Sea Academy has dispatched numerous people.”

“I wonder if Old Jian’s disciple went as well.”

These two were none other than two of the renowned “Three Holy Swordsmen” of the Holy Spirit Continent.

Just as their complaints of boredom reached their peak, a dramatic shift occurred in the sky.

The once blood-red heavens plunged into an instant, profound darkness.

Ink-black clouds, like a surging tide, converged furiously from all directions, coiling into a terrifying vortex high above.

Purple-black lightning, resembling monstrous beasts, writhed and roared within the cloud layers, unleashing deafening thunderclaps.

The earth trembled, and a furious gale, like a rampaging wild animal, howled past, whipping up sand, stones, and broken branches.

****

Amidst this cataclysmic change, a blinding ray of light suddenly erupted from the depths of the ancient valley.

Like a piercing blade, it tore through the dark clouds, illuminating the shadowed world.

A longsword slowly ascended, its blade shimmering with runes that pulsed with an ethereal glow, its tip radiating a cold brilliance capable of piercing the very firmament.

“Quickly, retreat to the side!”

“This is a sign of a divine weapon appearing; we must act as protectors and guard the surroundings!”

The two men, previously so lackadaisical, instantly transformed, their demeanor becoming intensely solemn as if entirely different individuals.

Jian Yi’s face was alight with excitement.

“If all goes as expected, the heavenly tribulation will pass, and it will be a success!”

“A whole month, and finally this day has come!”

Her excitement was palpable; witnessing such a grand spectacle firsthand would certainly give her bragging rights for quite some time.

The emergence of a divine weapon invariably provoked the envy of the heavens.

In that instant, a column of purple lightning, thick as a water bucket, cleaved down from the depths of the dark clouds, striking the sword with a deafening crash and a blinding flash.

The longsword vibrated violently, its runic glow intensifying as it strenuously defied the thunder.

Immediately thereafter, more lightning columns followed in rapid succession, bombarding the sword like a dense downpour.

Yet, the longsword grew only more resilient, autonomously adjusting its stance, its runes flickering and shifting to release protective shields.

The heavenly tribulation escalated relentlessly; the lightning columns grew thicker and darker, and serpentine bolts wove into a net, tightly engulfing the longsword.

Fine cracks began to appear on the sword’s body, but it defiantly surged with power, tearing through the lightning net.

Finally, five-colored lightning columns, imbued with the power of five elements, descended with crushing force, as if Mount Tai itself were pressing down.

The longsword let out a roar, concentrating its power at its tip, and surged upwards to meet the lightning columns.

A colossal boom echoed, the light faded, the dark clouds dissipated, and the clear blue sky reappeared.

The longsword floated serenely in the air, its cracks vanished, now appearing even more radiant and resplendent, having successfully weathered the heavenly tribulation.

“Hahahaha! Ah hahahaha!”

“It’s done! It’s done!”

“It’s finally done!”

“All the effort was worth it! Hahahaha!”

Jian Laifeng’s unrestrained laughter rang out from the sky, clear and resonant, echoing like silver bells through the air, seemingly creating ripples in the very atmosphere.

Looking back at the deep mountains, the once-intact cave dwelling had vanished without a trace, and the surrounding earth and forest lay in utter disarray, ravaged by the sudden heavenly lightning.

Thick trees were snapped in half, their branches scorched black, scattered everywhere, with broken limbs and charred fragments strewn across the ground.

The acrid scent of charring permeated the air, the ground was seared into a pockmarked wasteland, reeking of choking smoke and fire.

The once vibrant mountain forest was now eerily silent, as if the apocalypse had arrived.

Jian Yi and Lijian swiftly approached, their eyes wide with awe as they stared at the sword in Jian Laifeng’s hand, unable to suppress their admiration.

Jian Yi gasped in astonishment.

“Divine! Simply divine!”

“I wouldn’t dare speak for other continents, but on the Holy Spirit Continent, this sword is absolutely the foremost divine weapon forged by human hands, capable of rivaling the legendary treasures left behind by gods!”

Her excitement was palpable; witnessing such a grand spectacle firsthand would certainly give her bragging rights for quite some time.

Lijian took another deep swig of wine.

“Indeed, Old Jian, congratulations!”

“However, you understand the saying ‘a jade in the bosom incites greed.'”

“Our commotion here was far too great, even overshadowing the Blood Night.”

“I sensed several distinct auras appearing nearby shortly after the heavenly tribulation began.”

Jian Laifeng stroked his beard, a smile playing on his lips.

“Rest assured, as long as this old man is still alive, there will be no trouble.”

“And if I were to perish, I believe by that day, young Ouyang Xiyue’s strength would likely be no less than my own.”

Having spoken, Jian Laifeng took a single stride, stepping onto the void, an overwhelming sword intent erupting from him, piercing directly through the firmament.

He cleaved a colossal rift in the recently restored blood-red sky, a rift that spread and widened rapidly like a shattered mirror.

From the distant horizon, the sight resembled the sky being subtly enveloped by a vast, boundless spiderweb.

This web, however, was not seamless; it had been precisely bisected down the middle, as if by an incredibly sharp blade, split with lightning speed, leaving a breathtaking chasm.

Jian Yi and Lijian exchanged knowing glances, understanding instantly, and likewise stepped into the void.

In that instant, both radiated an aura comparable to Jian Laifeng’s, and the already immense, intricate cracks in the firmament proliferated at an astonishing pace.

Jian Laifeng’s aura blazed like a rainbow, as if a celestial deity had descended.

He declared loudly, “To all those who have gathered from every direction, I shall assume you are here to congratulate me.”

“Today, I am in high spirits and wish to avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”

“Return whence you came!”

Though his voice was not particularly loud, it was amplified infinitely by spiritual power, reverberating in all directions.

Before long, several of the auras that had been lurking nearby quietly vanished without a trace.

The three slowly retracted their formidable auras and returned to the ground.

Jian Laifeng casually sheathed his sword, his expression unchanged, still bearing a gentle smile.

Jian Yi and Lijian nodded.

Lijian quipped, “You’re right, we were overly concerned.”

“With you here, there’s no harm.”

“From what we know of you, if you dare to do something, you undoubtedly have it under control.”

“Alright, in that case, we’ll go handle the remaining matters, and then accompany you to meet your disciple.”

“We’ve been eager to meet the real person for ages; listening to you constantly boast about your precious disciple has nearly made our ears grow calluses!”

Jian Yi chimed in, “Exactly, I’m with Old Lijian.”

“We also want to witness what kind of heavenly talent, what sort of monstrous genius, could make Jian Laifeng talk incessantly about them.”

Jian Laifeng scratched his head, chuckling.

“Alright, alright, the way you two put it, was I really that exaggerated?”

“I don’t seem to recall.”

“Well then, we should go.”

“There are some aftermaths that need tending to.”

With that, the three vanished in a blink, leaving behind only ground that appeared to have suffered divine retribution.

Not long after, the news of the divine weapon’s appearance, like a light yet profoundly penetrating breeze, silently permeated every corner of the world.