Not far from the center of the chaos, an area had been sealed off by a specially constructed barrier, crafted with exquisite precision. Black and gold runic patterns flowed silently like an underground river.
Within that space, all perception from the outside world was completely cut off. The sounds of explosions and the tremors of battle could not seep in even the slightest bit, as if this place were another world entirely, separated from everything else.
Inside the barrier, Zhang Wen sat cross-legged in calm stillness, yet the power circulating around him was so heavy that the air warped slightly from time to time. Blue waves of energy spiraled around his body like a miniature universe being born.
The aura of a First Level Great Emperor spread outward in slow, steady pulses.
Not long ago, when he sensed the presence of several Half-Emperors breaking through his curtain of rain and heading straight toward him, Zhang Wen had decided to create a water clone and send it out to face everything happening outside.
As for his true body, he chose to warp through raindrops to a safe location, allowing the system to create a special barrier to conceal him completely, so he could devote all his focus to breaking through his cultivation.
And just moments ago… he had successfully broken through to the Great Emperor realm and written his own law.
The Law of Material Origin.
Meanwhile outside, immense pressure spread across the area. The auras of countless spirit beasts surrounded Lin Taiji, Long Yantian, and Zhang Wen's water clone, yet the three of them were staring up at the sky, where a figure of pure light was slowly descending.
That light silenced the surrounding laws, as if it were about to pronounce a judgment.
…..
...
…..
Earlier, inside Heavenly Sword City, the atmosphere had been completely swallowed by despair. Rain continued to fall slowly, mixing with cries, sobs, and fading curses, as if the people were gradually accepting their fate.
In the middle of a street filled with rubble, a young boy tightly held his unconscious little sister in his arms. His small arms trembled, yet his eyes were filled with stubborn defiance.
In front of him, a man in black walked forward slowly with a sword in hand.
Each step sounded like a knock on death's door.
The boy shouted through tears,
"Don't… don't come any closer!"
The townspeople around them shouted in anger and despair,
"Stop, you bastard!"
"Don't hurt them!"
But the man in black did not stop at all. His eyes were cold and emotionless.
He raised his sword. The blade reflected the rain before slashing down.
Whoosh!
Clanggg!
The blade froze midair as the sound of metal striking something rang out loudly, followed by a massive shockwave exploding outward.
Boom!!!
The man in black was punched away like a straw dummy, crashing into a house wall and reducing it to rubble.
A voice sounded out, filled with steadiness, warmth, and power.
"Kid… you did well… a heart like yours… is truly rare."
The boy looked up with trembling eyes, and what he saw made his tears fall even harder.
A middle-aged man stood before him, his robe pierced through by sword wounds all over, fluttering in the rain.
He was Kang Hao, the City Lord of Heavenly Sword City.
"City Lord…"
the boy said in a trembling voice as the surrounding townspeople stared at Kang Hao's body.
In that instant, it was as if a light had been lit in everyone's hearts. Some even found tears slipping down their faces without realizing it.
Kang Hao lowered himself and gently touched the boy's head, his eyes filled with warmth.
"Leave the rest… to me."
He stood up immediately as his power began to surge outward.
"Today… no matter who you are… no one is laying a hand on my people…"
Boom!!
He shot toward the man in black at once, his right fist slamming forward at the enemy he had struck earlier.
The impact exploded outward, sending the enemy flying, but in the next split second, nine more dark figures appeared.
They surrounded him on all sides, nine blades reflecting the rain. Kang Hao drew in a deep breath.
Black and white energy began to swirl around him as the men in black rushed in together.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Waves of sword strikes came from every direction.
Kang Hao spun, narrowly evading before throwing a punch packed with life force that caved in one man's chest.
Boom!!
Another slashed from behind. Kang Hao raised his hand to block, death energy corroding the blade until it crumbled to dust.
But three more swords stabbed into his lower abdomen at the same time.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
Bright red blood splattered across the ground. Wounds spread across his body, yet his eyes did not waver in the slightest.
"Raaah!"
Life force erupted outward, forcing all the men in black to retreat. Some of Kang Hao's wounds instantly began to heal, shockwaves spreading outward, but another wave of blades came crashing in, slicing across his shoulder, piercing his side, grazing his neck.
Blood drenched his entire body.
Kang Hao stood in the middle of the cracked street, his breathing heavy yet steady. Blood flowed down his sleeves, dripping onto the stone in slow, steady beats. The ten dark figures spread out, forming a wide circle around him. They fought as if they knew neither pain nor death, their blades reflecting a dull light like the fangs of beasts waiting to strike.
Suddenly, two men in black rushed in together, one blade slashing down from above while another thrust from the side. Kang Hao stepped diagonally half a step, twisting his shoulder to evade. The wind from the blade sliced past his ear before his right fist slammed into the first man's abdomen with full force, killing him instantly.
The dull sound of bones collapsing echoed as the body flew back, but before he could even steady his breath, three blades shot in from behind at once.
Kang Hao stomped down, cracking the stone beneath his feet as dark gray energy surged upward. He spun into a sweeping kick, compressing the air into a shockwave.
Two of the men in black chose to take the blast head-on, only to be sliced in half by the force, but it opened an opportunity for another to drive a sword straight through Kang Hao's head.
Blood burst out in a spray.
Kang Hao's eyes widened in shock, yet his body began healing instantly. He gripped the blade embedded in his skull tightly, death energy flowing into his arm before he counterpunched upward into the man's chin. The impact thundered as the enemy's head snapped back at an unnatural angle. Then Kang Hao pulled the sword out of his own head.
The remaining shadows did not stop. They shifted into a relentless assault, six blades slashing like a storm of steel. Kang Hao stepped back one step at a time, arms moving to deflect, block, receive, fists and elbows countering at every beat. The sound of metal clashing with power rang out rapidly as his robe was cut in many places, blood soaking his torso.
Suddenly, three men in black leapt into the sky, their swords slashing down like they were cleaving a mountain apart, while three more below thrust upward from three different directions. Kang Hao drew in a deep breath.
A soft green glow flared from his body, wounds all over him closing in the blink of an eye. He stomped down, life force erupting outward in a wide ring. All six blades were knocked back before he shot upward toward the men above like a crazed beast.
His right fist punched straight through one man's chest, then his knee drove into the man's midsection with a sharp crack of breaking bones. Blood sprayed through the air, but another blade slashed across his back, tearing flesh open. Kang Hao roared as death energy burst from the wound, the pressure staggering the enemies for a split second, just enough for him to grab another by the throat and crush it until the neck snapped.
Four left.
They shifted into a coordinated sword formation, their strikes fast and precise as if they shared one mind. One blade sliced across his thigh, blood flowing instantly. Another cut into his side, forcing him back half a step. Kang Hao raised his hand as life and death energy spiraled around him, then he slammed his fist into the ground.
Boom!!
The earth caved in as a shockwave swept all four off their feet, yet they rose again immediately, emotionless eyes still cold. Even badly wounded, they showed not the slightest sign of retreat.
Kang Hao breathed heavily, blood covering his entire body. His form grew heavier with every passing second, yet his gaze remained resolute. He clenched both fists as the two opposing forces merged, forming a gray radiance.
One of the men in black rushed in the fastest, blade thrusting straight for his heart. Kang Hao did not dodge, only twisting slightly so the blade missed his heart by a hair before he counterpunched with full force, sending the body flying through the air to smash into a wall that shattered on impact.
The remaining three attacked together.
Kang Hao stepped forward instead of retreating. His fist crushed the first man's chest, a spinning kick snapped the second's neck, then he caught the last man's sword with his bare hand. The blade sliced his palm, severing two fingers, but he yanked the man forward and smashed his head forward, shattering the skull.
Thud!
The final shadow fell lifeless, and all ten men in black lay motionless without a single breath remaining.
Kang Hao stood panting amid the ruins, his body covered in wounds, blood pouring over him as if he had fought through a hundred battlefields. His legs trembled slightly, yet he still stood tall.
The eyes of the townspeople nearby filled with relief and joy.
"Thank you, Lord City Lord… thank you for never abandoning us…"
"My life… is forever indebted to you…"
"Even if I have to die… I will never forget this day…"
"Skyblade City will never fall!"