Translator: CinderTL
Boom!
A quarter of an hour later, another Serpentfolk's body exploded into pieces.
Olon, his armor bloodstained, halted his advance, sheathing his massive greatsword. Blood dripped from the blade as he lowered it.
"It's over," he said in a low voice, resting the greatsword on his shoulder.
The cracked earth beneath their feet was riddled with holes, the bloodstained ground dotted with the figures of Legion Warriors who had come to a stop.
"We won, didn't we?" someone couldn't help but ask, staring intently into the distance.
The once-flat earth was now scarred with deep trenches and craters, fissures crisscrossing the torn soil.
The Serpentfolk Army, which had charged forward like a raging flood, had long since collapsed in despair, scattering in all directions.
Serpentfolk corpses littered the ground, bloodstained blades and armor scattered haphazardly, and shattered banners lay like rootless weeds, only half their poles still planted in the earth.
This scene stretched to the horizon, where swirling sandstorms still raged across the sky.
The fleeing Serpent-Folk Tribe had disintegrated, with the majority of their main forces annihilated.
The Platinum Colossus soared into the sky like a stone giant, pursuing the last escaping Saint.
Its five fingers clenched, and the colossal stone hand unleashed its full might.
Boom!
The air cracked, and flesh exploded.
The massive Winged Serpent and the Saint were simultaneously reduced to bloody pulp, which the Colossus casually flicked away, scattering it into the desert sand.
The great battle had come to an end, with several legions of warriors continuing the pursuit aboard Flying Eagle Beasts.
Within the cracked Holy City, faint cracking sounds echoed as the gray petrification power, having lost its source, finally released Adams, Kali, and the others.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Instantly, several figures shot into the sky, carried by Flying Eagle Beasts, soaring toward the world ark looming over the earth.
A flicker of awe crossed the eyes of the Legion Commanders, momentarily stunning them.
Even the composed Adams couldn't help but gaze intently at the Heaven's Fall.
Such a magnificent civilization construct existed only in legends.
Since the fall of the Ancient Taiduo Empire, no one had witnessed its like.
Yet here it was, before their very eyes.
Their awestruck gazes wavered for a moment before their Flying Eagle Beasts spread their wings and ascended.
They finally reached the cloud layer beneath the ark, where Chen Feng stood suspended in mid-air, his dark robes billowing like a celestial being against the backdrop of the colossal vessel.
"Lord Feng Chen," Adams said solemnly, clad in golden armor, clasping his fist in salute. "We are deeply grateful for your assistance."
"The Holy City will never forget this debt."
As he spoke, the others behind him echoed his sentiment with respectful bows of gratitude.
Their eyes met, each sensing the other's Pseudo-Angel aura.
Chen Feng nodded slightly, accepting their respect and gratitude without hesitation.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Adams gestured toward the palace and spoke again, "Lord Feng Chen, please come inside for a proper reception. We wish to express our gratitude in person."
"His Highness has awakened and is eager to thank you personally."
The sincerity in Adams' voice caught Chen Feng's attention. He glanced down at the palace below.
Faint emerald-green light flickered within, emanating from Kali's life force.
He also sensed a weak life aura, like a candle flame flickering in the wind, barely sustained.
"It seems there's someone important in that palace, but their life force is critically low."
"And... I sense the presence of a sacred object."
The Star Spirit's voice suddenly echoed in his mind, sounding excited and agitated.
The mention of "sacred object" made Chen Feng pause briefly.
Sacred object...
He recalled the key term the Star Spirit had mentioned earlier, the one associated with the Divine General.
"Very well," Chen Feng nodded.
Without further hesitation, Chen Feng mounted the Flying Eagle Beast and descended from the sky with Adams and his group, heading toward the Holy City's palace.
The howling wind roared in his ears as he glanced at the Holy City below.
Many of the buildings, constructed against the mountainside, had collapsed, and the stone-paved streets were riddled with cracks.
Yet, strangely, he saw hardly any ordinary humans.
The houses stood empty, as if the population had been evacuated long ago.
A thought struck Chen Feng, and he amplified his Perception.
His gaze swept across the earth beneath the Holy City. Through the widening fissures, he glimpsed a hidden world beneath the city's foundations.
"Before this final battle, many wars had already erupted," Adams explained, noticing Chen Feng's curious gaze. "To be safe, we relocated most of the city's residents to underground shelters beneath the Holy City."
Chen Feng nodded thoughtfully. He recalled Adams mentioning that the Holy City was one of the Ancient Taiduo Empire's legacies—a colossal civilization construct.
Intrigued, the Star Spirit, who had accompanied them, used the Heaven's Fall's scanning devices to discreetly scan the entire Holy City again.
"Hmm?" She blinked in surprise. "This city seems to have hidden depths. Even the Heaven's Fall's scans can't fully penetrate it. Interesting..."
Instead of elaborating, she grew even more intrigued. Remotely controlling the Heaven's Fall, she increased the scanning power once more.
Seeing this, Chen Feng asked no further questions and finally arrived at the Holy City's palace.
Buzz!
The Flying Eagle Beast flapped its wings, sending dust particles scattering into the wind.
Outside the palace, the wide platform paved with white limestone was now crisscrossed with thin cracks.
The gnarled, thick trees surrounding the area had canopies several meters wide.
Tap-tap!
Chen Feng stepped onto the ground and followed Adams forward.
They ascended layer upon layer of stone steps, flanked by Silver Armor Warriors of the bloodstained Falcon Corps, fully armed.
As their footsteps echoed, grateful gazes turned their way. The warriors paused their movements and offered respectful salutes.
Chen Feng nodded lightly in acknowledgment to each one.
Finally, he entered the palace interior, passing through the front hall where he had briefly stayed before.
The stone chairs remained in place.
After a cursory glance, he withdrew his gaze, bypassed the stone corridor, and arrived at the rear of the palace.
This was a vast, empty hall devoid of natural light.
The dark golden walls and floor were carved with intricate patterns, illuminated only by rows of burning white candles.
At the hall's innermost center stood the Golden Throne, upon which sat a white-haired figure enveloped in a flickering Emerald Green aura. A familiar figure stood beside the throne.
"Lord Feng Chen."
Kali, clad in green Vine Armor and a white cape, stood pale-faced, her eyes bloodshot.
Seeing Chen Feng arrive, she nodded sideways and spoke gratefully.
Her emerald-glowing hands were raised before her as the white-haired figure on the Golden Throne opened his eyes.
"Your Highness, it's Lord Feng Chen," Kali murmured, her voice strained with exhaustion and sorrow.
Adams, who had led the way, stepped forward first. His eyes dimmed as he knelt on one knee, bowing his head in remorseful knightly salute.
"Your Highness..."
"Adams, you mustn't blame yourself," the white-haired figure said gently, as if anticipating his words. He shook his head weakly.
Though his face should have been youthful, it was now etched with wrinkles. His pallid complexion lacked vitality, and the skin visible beneath his white robes was withered and deeply creased, resembling that of a frail, dying old man.
"The Angel Shackles were never easily broken. You did all you could."
"Besides, we survived, didn't we?" he added softly, his voice still retaining a youthful timbre despite its frailty.
Chen Feng was slightly surprised. He could sense the white-haired figure's life aura, which was exceedingly faint. Yet upon closer inspection, he was certain the individual couldn't be older than eighteen or nineteen.
"Something's wrong," the Star Spirit's voice suddenly echoed in Chen Feng's mind.
The entity probing the depths of the Holy City once again projected its spiritual world, revealing the phantom of a petite girl.
"This child shouldn't look so aged."
"Moreover, the fluctuations of the sacred object are originating from within him."
Intrigued, she meticulously observed the white-haired youth's every move, her face etched with confusion as she frantically searched her database for answers.
Unaware of this scrutiny, the white-haired youth merely shifted his gaze, smoothly bypassing the standing Adams to focus on Chen Feng.
His black eyes were remarkably clear, like a pristine spring reflecting all the negative emotions hidden within one's heart.
"Lord Feng Chen, thank you so much for saving us," his weak voice, tinged with youthful innocence, echoed through the hall, a stark contrast to his aged appearance.
Chen Feng frowned slightly, though not because of the scene before him.
Rather...
Buzz!
A tremor ran through the Black Dream Space, and the silver dagger materialized in his hand.
Before anyone could react, the dagger's sheath snapped open, releasing a golden light that shot forth on its own.
Clang!
The Holy Sword's power surged forth once more, its resonant clang echoing through the hall as it hurtled toward the white-haired youth.
Chen Feng's gaze sharpened as he observed Adams and the others. Their expressions remained calm, showing no signs of alarm, and even a hint of surprise.
His eyes swept across the scene again, catching a fleeting flash of golden Holy Sword power as it merged into the white-haired youth's forehead.
As if replenished, a faint flush of color returned to the youth's pale cheeks, and his withered, wrinkled skin smoothed slightly.
Startled, Chen Feng clearly sensed a subtle stabilization in the youth's life aura.
"I'm sorry, I can't control it either," the white-haired youth said weakly, his voice apologetic.
A golden sword-shaped mark had materialized on his forehead, visible to the naked eye, and a golden light flickered in his eyes.
"The Holy Sword resides within me. Each time I call upon its power, I must pay a price."
"Just now, it forcibly reclaimed a portion of its power."
As his words echoed, Chen Feng's gaze sharpened, and the lingering doubts in his mind finally dissipated.
No wonder the Holy Sword remained intangible, its true form never seen.
At that very moment, Star Spirit suddenly exclaimed excitedly, as if she had found the answer in her database.
"I know what it is! That sacred object is the World Sword—a creation of the nine kings' ancestors, belonging to our civilization's Sacred Being! It's one of the sharpest weapons in the star realm!"
"Chen Feng! We must help him!"
"He must be a descendant of the nine kings. Only through their bloodline connection can he temporarily bear the dormant, unclaimed sacred object by sacrificing his life force!"
The Star Spirit excitedly revealed a series of secrets, causing Chen Feng to fall into a brief silence.
A sacred object is a weapon wielded by a Divine General-level being?
The Holy Sword is one of the star realm's sharpest weapons, currently dormant and unclaimed?
Thoughts raced through his mind as he gazed at the white-haired youth before him.
He faintly perceived a golden sword phantom shimmering around the youth.
Its aura was vast and profound, as if it contained an entire world within itself.
Myriad golden sword energies filled this realm, each strike capable of shattering the earth and tearing apart the heavens.
Even the spiritual world power projected by the Lava Lord paled in comparison.
"Lord Feng Chen?"
The white-haired youth tilted his head, sensing the unusual intensity in Chen Feng's gaze.
"I'm simply curious about the Holy Sword," Chen Feng replied calmly, making no attempt to conceal his interest.
The atmosphere grew tense. Kali's eyes flashed with wariness and concern.
But when she saw the calm sincerity in Chen Feng's eyes, she relaxed her guard.
"The Holy Sword is a creation weapon left behind by the Ancient Taiduo Empire. When the empire fell, our ancestors used it to establish Holy City and repel the Serpent Angel's invasion."
"Since then, the Holy Sword has become the guardian of our lineage."
"Each city lord must earn the Holy Sword's approval. Only the city lord can command it to act."
The white-haired youth forced himself to explain, his body barely holding together. Perhaps because the Power of the Holy Sword had withdrawn, his life aura stabilized slightly.
"But alas, I have proven myself unworthy."
"If not for my inadequacy, the Holy City would never have faced such calamity."
He felt a pang of self-reproach, believing his weakness had prevented him from unleashing the Holy Sword's full potential.
Adams and Kali rushed to comfort him, while Chen Feng soon heard the Star Spirit's explanation.
"Sacred objects are essentially half-divine, possessing a rudimentary will and consciousness. Only by earning their complete approval can one unlock their full power."
"In the past, only true divines could wield such divine weapons, unleashing power comparable to the gods themselves."
"They clearly haven't earned the Holy Sword's complete approval. They merely rely on their bloodline to maintain a tenuous connection, which is why each activation requires burning their bloodline and sacrificing their life force."
So that's how it works.
Chen Feng felt a wave of understanding wash over him, along with a new idea.
If that's the case, could I make the Holy Sword recognize me as its master?
After all, it was essentially half-divine, truly the closest thing to a Divine General-level being.
If he could master it, it would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset.
"Don't get your hopes up," the Star Spirit said. "The Holy Sword seems to be still dormant, currently in an unconscious state."
"My guess is that it suffered some kind of consciousness shock during the empire's annihilation. You'll only have a chance once it fully awakens."
The Star Spirit spoke with earnest speculation, her words carrying a hint of pride and arrogance toward her civilization's greatest creation.
Imbuing civilization constructs with new life was a feat achieved only by super-intelligences like herself and transcendent entities like the divine will.
Though Chen Feng was somewhat disappointed, he didn't dwell on it.
Suppressing his thoughts about the sacred object for now, he turned his attention to the white-haired youth, who had already addressed Kali again.
"Kali, retrieve the items."
"As you command."
During their exchange, Chen Feng quickly noticed something peculiar.
From a crevice in the palace's rock walls, a barely visible seed suddenly sprouted and began to grow.
Tender green shoots broke through the soil, transforming into vines that gradually coiled upward.
Eventually, the vine reached the height of a fully grown man, as thick as a water bucket.
At its apex, emerald green leaves resembling an open palm slowly parted, revealing two objects nestled within.
On the left was a crystal box containing three fist-sized, twenty-centimeter-long white porcelain bottles.
Each bottle was filled with a transparent liquid that shimmered like liquefied precious crystals.
Even through the bottle, Chen Feng sensed an incredibly potent life aura.
"Sacred Spirit Essence?"
His eyes flashed as he instantly recognized the substance.
This was an essence-rich tonic far surpassing Advanced Life Elixirs, approaching the Life Source Liquid in potency, and particularly suited for cultivating awakening methods.
Moreover, unlike the rare, finger-joint-sized portions he'd seen before, this time there were three full bottles.
"We haven't yet fulfilled our promise to Lord Feng Chen from last time, and now we owe you our lives," the white-haired youth addressed him earnestly, his title echoing in the air. Kali and Adams nodded in agreement, their faces filled with gratitude.
"We are deeply ashamed. Please, do not refuse this."
The conversation returned to the main topic. After a moment's silence, Chen Feng nodded and accepted the gifts.
His gaze then shifted to the right, to another object resting on the vines.
It was a square, golden box about the size of a human head.
A memory flashed through his mind: the shared vision transmitted by Stone Statue No. 2.
This was the box containing the Awakening Method Manual, within which flickered a wisp of Divine Flame.
"We believe this awakening method will be invaluable to you," the white-haired youth said again, coughing lightly, still weak. "Please, don't hesitate to accept."
Chen Feng paused.
Though he had anticipated the Holy City's generosity, their proactive approach was even more harmonious than he had imagined.
Actions speak louder than words. Chen Feng thanked them and stepped forward to open the golden box.
Buzz!
Instantly, vines erupted around him, forming an emerald green wall.
Unfazed, he knew Kali and the others were shielding themselves from the Sacred Flame within the box.
Earlier, Stone Statue No. 2 had merely glanced at the flame and been incinerated from the inside out.
Click!
Finally, Chen Feng's footsteps stilled as the box lid swung open.
A floating golden flame met his gaze, and the world around him instantly transformed.
The dark gold palace vanished, and Kali, Adams, and the others disappeared without a trace.
Even the phantom of the Star Spirit, which had been tethered to his mind, abruptly severed its connection.
Whoosh!
The flame exploded, its searing heat filling the air.
Chen Feng looked around, realizing he was now in a sea of fire.
Or, more accurately, within a world composed entirely of flame.
Everywhere he looked, there was only fire.
Nearby, the deep crimson gradually intensified, transforming into scarlet, then scarlet gold, until it became a blinding, searing gold.
The air twisted and trembled, and the ground beneath his feet radiated scorching heat.
It felt as if he were standing inside a volcano, the searing pain even burning through his current physical body.
Extending his Perception outward, he saw an endless expanse of crimson magma flowing slowly beneath the cliff before him.
Crackling, crackling, crackling...
The sound of bursting flames echoed ceaselessly throughout the world.
The burning pain was excruciatingly real, as if his flesh were melting, his bones incinerating, and his entire body being reduced to ash.
Yet, paradoxically, under this extreme stimulation, Chen Feng's will became exceptionally clear.
In mere moments, he grasped the environment's strange familiarity and the flame's indomitable nature.
Pondering briefly, he quickly deduced the truth.
"A spiritual world..."
(End of the Chapter)
---
📖Read (MF) on Pa.treon@CinderTL - c618. [+5.4k]
🔑Early Access at $5.
💥Translated (6) Series, (4.6K+) Chapters, (6.7M+) Words.