Chapter 42: Bright Blade Execution Formation
Boom!
A thunderous rumble rolled across the battlefield as a massive sword projection descended like heavenly judgment. Born from the Bright Blade Execution Formation, it blazed with searing Ki essence, its radiance splitting the sky as it stabbed toward the horde of demonic beasts outside the sect barrier.
The very air trembled. Waves of force rippled outward. And then—
SLAASHHH!
Hundreds of beasts were cleaved apart in a single stroke, diced by raw, refined sword intent. One Gold Tier 1 beast shrieked in terror, but its cry was cut short as the radiant blade pierced straight through its massive skull, bursting from the other side in a storm of light.
Boom!
Another Gold Tier 1 beast tried to dodge, but the blazing trail followed like divine judgment. The projection slammed across its back, rending flesh and cracking bone. It tumbled, bleeding heavily, struggling to rise even as its life poured into the soil.
The radiant blade carved a line of annihilation across the battlefield, bodies collapsing in waves before its momentum slowed.
Then resistance surged against it.
Three Gold Tier 2 demonic beasts rushed forward, their combined roars shaking the heavens. One conjured a towering wall of black stone. Another launched a cyclone of razor winds. The third vomited a river of corrosive flame. Together, their power clashed against the sword, halting its descent in a dazzling collision of corrupted essence and pure Ki.
The battlefield lit with violent sparks.
For a heartbeat, it seemed they would succeed.
Then—FWOOMMMM.
Light swelled from within the projection, blinding all who watched. The sword expanded tenfold, crackling with cosmic energy that bent the very sky. Time itself felt suspended.
And then it detonated forward.
CRAACK!
The three Gold Tier 2 beasts screamed as their bodies were incinerated, their forms reduced to ash beneath the wrath of the blade.
On the high platform, the Sect Leader stood unmoving, voice low and steady as his hands blurred through countless seals. Vast pools of sect energy bent toward his will. His final motion snapped, his shout booming like a war drum:
—Bright Blade Execution: Second Sword… INCINERATION—
The projection trembled and then burst into flame. Sword Ki fused with fire essence until the air itself blistered. The blade streaked forward again, burning like divine wildfire.
WHOOSH.
Entire packs of beasts were consumed before they could flee. Bronze-tier beasts vanished instantly, Silver-tier monsters writhed in agony as their skin peeled away, and even Gold-tier fiends staggered under the heat.
But just as the fire reached its height—
ROOOAARRR!
Five Gold Tier 3 demonic beasts charged in, each radiating pressure that warped the world itself. Their combined presence weighed down the battlefield like an incoming storm. They collided with the flaming projection.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sword shuddered, slowed, and groaned beneath their power. They endured the heat, tearing into its essence with savage might. Six more Gold Tier 2 beasts surged forward, adding their strength until eleven monsters together forced the projection to a halt.
Even so, the flames did not fade. Everything caught within their range continued to burn, weaker beasts reduced to ash, survivors crippled or howling in agony.
From a distant ridge, Elton and his squad watched in stunned silence. Sweat trickled down Elton's brow as his grip tightened around his blade.
Kuroha whispered, "That's terrifying… a weapon beyond imagination."
Zoro's eyes were cold. "That thing's worth more than armies."
Kageha stared wide-eyed. "Such power in a single formation…"
Erica's gaze sparkled, voice hushed with awe. "To control this much force… frightening."
All across the battlefield, nobles and disciples stood speechless. What they saw was no ordinary formation. It was a declaration: the sect was not prey. The sect had teeth sharper than steel.
But it was not over.
The Sect Leader and elders pushed deeper into the formation, their bodies trembling from the strain. Still, their eyes never wavered.
The Sect Leader roared again:
"Bright Blade Execution: Third Sword… SACRIFICIAL SWORD!"
The battlefield froze.
The projection dimmed, taking on a golden-white hue that radiated both majesty and sorrow. It pulsed like a living heart, its beat growing faster and heavier, shaking the bones of all who stood nearby.
CRACK.
Fractures split across the blade, spilling essence into the sky.
BOOM!
A blinding explosion tore outward, covering nearly a mile in every direction. A shockwave of fire and sword intent obliterated everything in its reach.
Hundreds of beasts vaporized instantly, nothing left behind. Hundreds more were torn apart, bodies mangled by surging Ki.
The six Gold Tier 2 beasts who had dared to suppress it were annihilated without ceremony. Of the five Gold Tier 3 monsters, three were reduced to charred husks, while the other two barely crawled away, their forms ruined.
The sect walls erupted with cries of triumph.
"WOOOAAAHHH!"
Bloodied cultivators roared with renewed spirit. The first true victory of the battle had been seized. For the first time since the tide began, hope flickered in every heart.
On the command platform, even the stone-faced elders allowed themselves a brief nod of relief. The formation had not only worked, it had carved terror into the horde itself.
Out on the plain, surviving beasts faltered. Fear flickered in their eyes. For the first time, they hesitated.
Then the ground cracked.
BOOM.
The earth split open, deep fissures racing outward like the veins of a monstrous spider. The sky darkened as a voice rolled across the battlefield, low, mocking, and thunderous.
"Hahaha! Fascinating. But your time runs short. Reinforcements are coming. So allow me the honor of shattering this little barrier myself!"
Every cultivator froze, their bodies trembling. That voice did not belong to a beast. It belonged to something far more dangerous.
The Sect Leader's face darkened. His voice snapped like a whip:
"Raise the final defense layers! Prepare for impact!"
Formations flared, golden veins spreading over towers and walls. Disciples scrambled to defensive posts, weapons trembling in their grip.
Too late.
Four massive shadows tore across the sky and slammed into Sector Two.
BOOOOMMMM.
The barrier, already weakened, shattered instantly. Shards of Ki and magic rained down like burning hail. A gaping hole opened in the defenses.
The four Gold Tier 5 demonic beasts towered above the battlefield, scales cracked but murderous intent undimmed. They had paid a price for the strike, but their power still eclipsed everything nearby.
Before the sect could recover, another explosion thundered from Sector One.
Through the smoke stepped a man.
No beast, no monster, but a figure whose aura warped the air itself. His presence suffocated even the strongest warriors. It pressed down like the weight of a mountain ready to crush the world.
A Mortal Shedding cultivator.
The sect's collective heart froze.
This was no longer survival against beasts. This was calamity.
The Patriarch's voice erupted, shaking the sky:
"UNLEASH EVERY KILLING FORMATION! UNLEASH EVERY TRUMP CARD! THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH!"
Elders and captains slammed their hands into formation cores, blood and essence pouring into ancient arrays.
The Patriarch wove his final seals, eyes burning with savage determination. His roar cracked the heavens:
"Bright Blade Execution: Fourth Sword… GREAT REBIRTH!"
The skies trembled. The earth bled light. And the battlefield prepared to descend into true war.