Chapter Sixty-Five: Turning the Tide of Battle

A figure wrapped in golden light streaked across the sky like a falling star, shooting straight toward the two formidable demonic masters. Both men froze, their gazes sharpening; as experts in the demonic arts, they were acutely sensitive to that sacred aura. Their inner energy was diametrically opposed to the holy power they now faced.

Enveloped by that aura, an overwhelming sense of unease rose within them. Shangguan Yu was momentarily startled, and while he was still caught in confusion, the luminous figure swooped down, silent, unleashing two beams of light at the demonic masters.

Their expressions changed dramatically. The opponent’s inner force was no less formidable than their own—perhaps even more so. They dared not be careless. Weapons whirled through the air, slashing out with inky-black energy to meet Long Yun’s twin attacks head-on.

A thunderous roar echoed as the attacks collided. Wrapped in golden light, Long Yun felt his entire body jolt. Indeed, these two were not without skill. In that instant of impact, his inner force surged forth. The pressure that had been suffocating him was suddenly released, and with a thunderous laugh, his onslaught fell upon the two like an endless spring rain.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The clashing of forces resounded without pause, shaking the ground beneath them. Long Yun’s assault was devoid of technique, relying solely on the raw unleashing of his inner energy. He fought to vent, to expel every drop of power within him.

But unlike Long Yun, the two demonic masters did not possess an inexhaustible supply of energy. They had already expended some strength in their earlier battle with Shangguan Yu. Now, confronted by the terrifying Long Yun—who fought as if he knew no fatigue, battering through with sheer brute force—they began to falter.

In the blink of an eye, over forty blows had been exchanged. The two masters found themselves steadily forced back, unable to withstand the relentless shock of Long Yun’s attacks, while he seemed utterly tireless, his energy rampaging within like a wild horse broken free.

Under the violent impact, blood began to trickle from the corners of their mouths. They gritted their teeth in silence—where had this monster come from, and how could he be so fearsome?

They managed to hold on for another twenty exchanges, but their reserves were running dry. The relentless drain filled them with dread, while their foe continued his stormy assault without cease.

Their faces grew grim.

“With one final strike—together!” With a resolute glance exchanged, they grasped each other’s left hands, while their weapons clashed together, emitting a piercing screech.

“Demonic Fusion—Nightfall Dominion!”

With a furious roar, a curtain of black light erupted skyward, casting the world into sudden gloom. Sinister energy flooded the entire arena. Their weapons shot from their palms, transforming midair into two massive black dragons, writhing and coiling around each other, forming a hurricane capable of rending the heavens as they howled toward Long Yun.

Hidden within his golden radiance, Long Yun’s brow furrowed. The reckless expenditure of his energy had finally calmed his inner turmoil. Now, seeing his adversaries forced to unleash their ultimate technique, he dared not be careless. As his mind cleared, the gravity of the challenge before him settled heavily upon his heart.

The energy within him, though potent, was not truly his own; it had been forcibly infused, and was difficult to wield with complete mastery. In the earlier clashes, this had weakened his power. Yet now, the two masters had combined their strength, elevating their might to a new level.

If he chose to meet force with force once more, he feared he would not withstand their attack.

Without delay, he traced a circle with both hands and murmured softly, “Dragon God Genesis—”

In a single instant, all the energy within his body exploded outward. From his palms, a colossal golden sphere, three to four meters across, slowly rose into the air. Amid the swirling blackness, this orb shone like the rising sun, banishing the darkness in a sudden blaze of brilliance.

Long Yun raised the orb above his head, his energy utterly spent. The golden radiance twisted and writhed in his hands, then abruptly transformed into a massive golden dragon, tens of meters long, coiling above him. As it exhaled, it emanated a primordial, ancient aura.

With a flick of its tail, the golden dragon pierced the shrouding darkness.

The golden light burst forth in a dazzling display, shattering the black mist, sunlight pouring down upon the earth as if after a violent storm. Then, all was still—eerily so. Long Yun’s “Dragon God Genesis” not only obliterated the combined attack of the two demonic masters, but its final shockwave reduced their bodies to dust, erasing them utterly from existence. In a single move, the two were annihilated.

The golden light enveloping Long Yun faded away. A faint smile finally touched his lips. Muttering softly to Xue Renqi’s lifeless body, he quietly fell to the ground.

In a flash, Shangguan Yu caught him in his arms and gently descended.

At this moment, Shangguan Yu’s heart was full of questions. He could not fathom how Long Yun could possess such formidable strength in so little time. Furthermore, the nature of his energy had reached a terrifying level, seeming to surpass all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. What had happened?

Sending his energy into Long Yun’s body, he found that it was merely depleted—there was no real injury, and his cultivation had even reached the stage of transformation. Shangguan Yu breathed a sigh of relief and, casting a cold gaze around, gently laid Long Yun on the ground.

“Junior brother!” Yuan Chen and the others, seeing Long Yun lying unconscious, could not hold back their tears. They had witnessed the entire battle and never imagined their junior would prove so mighty. Yet after slaying two formidable enemies, he too had fallen—no doubt from having exhausted all his strength through some secret technique.

Their grief only deepened. In one battle, Elder Xue Renqi had perished, Long Yun’s fate was uncertain; the Heart Sword branch had suffered its severest blow.

“Do not worry. Long Yun will recover—he is merely drained and will be fine after some rest,” Shangguan Yu said quietly, eyeing Xue Renqi’s corpse.

“Master, please—avenge our teacher!” Yuan Chen pleaded, kneeling before Shangguan Yu.

With a nod, Shangguan Yu and his sword vanished from sight.

The battle at Jade Sword Sect raged for a full day and night before peace was restored. Yet the price was steep. Except for Li Huafei of the Earth Sword branch, all other branch elders perished in the fighting. Countless elite disciples were lost. Neighboring righteous sects hurried to assist—though some, like Hua Ying Sect, came simply to spectate.

Surveying the mountain of corpses, Sect Leader Hua Tianyun of Hua Ying Sect rejoiced inwardly. With Jade Sword Sect so devastated—its strength reduced by two-thirds—there was little chance it would outshine his own sect at the upcoming Green Sect Hunt.

Out of courtesy, the righteous sects offered their condolences to Shangguan Yu, but seeing the devastation, they soon took their leave.

Once the bodies had been dealt with, Shangguan Yu ascended to the seat of sect master. The remaining hundred or so disciples stood before him, their spirits crushed. Seeing their despondency, Shangguan Yu’s expression grew solemn.

“Jade Sword Sect was fated to face this calamity; there was no escaping it. Though our losses are grievous, we must remember—I am still here, and so are all of you. I believe it will not be long before we rise again. I have faith in you.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the gathered disciples.

“The five branches of Jade Sword Sect have a long legacy and cannot be allowed to perish. Thus, I hereby appoint Chang Yi as Elder of the Heavenly Sword branch, Chen Long as Elder of the Qi Sword branch, Xiao Leng as Elder of the Human Sword branch, and Long Yun as Elder of the Heart Sword branch.”