Lucius gazed at the glow on his right hand. This was it, the very mark that proved he was Goddess Celestia's apostle.
He whispered, but his voice was calm and firm, almost like a command.
"Blade of Celestial Judgement."
At once, the familiar silver-white sword appeared in the air. It was the same blade he had used to fight countless demons, and the very weapon that had defeated the Demon King with his strongest attack—Divine Judgement.
Lucius wrapped his hand around the hilt. The sword looked as pristine as ever. Despite years of battle, there were no chips, cracks, or signs of wear along the blade.
But this sword was never an ordinary weapon.
The essence of Goddess Celestia herself was carved into the blade, making it a divine artifact beyond mortal understanding.
Set into the handle was a small green gem. At first glance, it looked simple, but it was anything but ordinary. It was not a mana stone, nor a spirit stone.
This gem was priceless.
Anyone who touched it without Goddess Celestia's blessing would be instantly vanquished.
As the Goddess of Balance and Judgement, Celestia had watched over her world since its dawn. She cared deeply for her creations and took pride in them.
Yet alongside that pride was sorrow.
The demons who invaded her world brought only carnage and destruction. Innocent lives were lost under her watch, and that pain never faded.
That sorrow was sealed into the gem itself.
Its name was Tear of Celestial, a crystal born from Goddess Celestia's tears, carrying both her divinity and the deep sadness she felt toward her people.
Now, Lucius once again held the blade that had never left his side. Even in death, he had never parted from the weapon bestowed upon him. The Blade of Celestial Judgement remained bound to his soul.
He stood up from the bed and gave the sword a careful swing through the air.
"Feels awkward," Lucius muttered.
Although his mind still held countless battles and his body remembered every movement, this new body was weak. It had never been trained, and his current strength could not compare to what he once possessed. The gap was immense.
In his previous life, Lucius had unleashed Divine Judgement and destroyed the entire Demon Realm in one final strike. Now, even after beginning cultivation, he did not possess even one percent of that power.
Yet, he was not discouraged.
Even if he could not use the blade to its full potential, simply holding the Blade of Celestial Judgement strengthened his devotion to Goddess Celestia. The familiar weight of the hilt and the calm presence of divinity reminded him why he fought in the first place.
Lucius lowered the sword and exhaled slowly.
His new plan for his life was clear.
He would take part in the Inner Sect Competition. If he succeeded and earned a place within the Discipline Hall or the Enforcement Division, he would once again gain the freedom to act. With the backing of a powerful sect, the Clear Sky Sect, he could help others openly and bring justice without restraint.
Because Lucius could already sense it, this world was not free from corruption.
With cultivation granting the desire for immortality and a long life span. That obsession often led down dark paths. Lucius knew, even back in his own world Demonic techniques were created for this very reason.
Lucius believed the same principle took place here. Evil cultivators would take shortcuts. By devouring cultivation, lifespan, and even souls.
Innocent cultivators would be drained and countless mortals would be sacrificed. Entire villages or kingdoms could disappear for the sake of one person's progress.
That was something Lucius would never allow whether it was a new world or not.
Now while the sword looked exactly as he remembered it. Its silver-white blade was flawless, its shape unchanged, and its weight sat perfectly in his grip. Yet the moment he truly focused on it, he knew something was different.
In the past, the blade had overflowed with Goddess Celestia's divinity. The moment he held it, holy power would surge through his body, strengthening him far beyond his limits.
His movements became sharper and strikes heavier. That feeling was still there now. Lucius could sense his strength rising, as his Qi felt denser.
But it was not the same as before. The connection felt… altered.
Lucius closed his eyes and focused inward. He guided his Qi carefully through his meridians, into his arm, and then into the blade itself. Normally, the sword would respond at once, as if it were an extension of his own body. This time, however, something resisted him.
There was Goddess Celestia's presence, it was calm and motherly—the same aura he had felt since the day the blade was given to him. That part had not changed. It wrapped around his senses like a gentle light, steady and reassuring.
But beneath it, Lucius felt something else.
Two other connections.
They were faint and deeply buried within the blade, as if sealed away behind countless layers. They did not respond to his Qi, nor did they push back. They simply existed, silent and heavy, like echoes trapped in time.
Lucius' heart skipped a beat.
These presences felt familiar. Painfully familiar. The kind of familiarity that made his chest tighten and his breath grow shallow. His grip around the hilt tightened without him realizing it, his knuckles turning white.
The thought forming in his mind was impossible.
He had seen everything end with his own eyes. He had stood on the battlefield until the very last moment. He had watched allies fall, watched the world burn, and watched the final light fade. There was no way they could still exist.
And yet… the feeling would not leave.
Lucius realized, the only way to find out what was hiding within his blade was to get stronger quickly.