Chapter 975 - 436: Ninth Sword (2)
It was a sense of helplessness and insignificance akin to facing the "Creator"!
And at this moment!
Xu Ran, who had shattered the light of the Ninth Sword, showed no sign of triumph on his face.
Instead, his brows slightly furrowed.
In his golden pupils, a trace of confusion, a hint of reminiscence, and a deeper chill flickered!
"No!"
"This is not the real Ninth Sword!"
"This is merely a phantom!"
"An imitation that bears its form but lacks its essence!"
His voice echoed within the silent Sword Tomb, carrying a certainty that had seen through the truth of eternity!
"The true ’that sword’!"
He slowly raised his head, his golden gaze seeming to penetrate the barrier of the Sword Tomb, piercing through endless time and space, looking toward some unknown shore!
"Its aura!"
"I remember it!"
"It is the only thing that can make me glance!"
His words made Yu Kong, whose Dao Heart had just shattered, feel as if hit by lightning again!
Is this just an imitation?!
An imitation possesses such terrifying power? It represents the so-called "ultimate"?
What would the true Ninth Sword be like?!
Moreover!
He has seen the true Ninth Sword?!
And only gave it a "glance"?!
Yu Kong felt his Divine Soul trembling!
Who is he really?!
This ancient will occupying Xu Ran’s body!
What kind of terrifying existence is it?!
At this moment.
Xu Ran’s gaze returned.
But this time, it wasn’t toward the void; it was toward his own body!
Specifically, at the soul imprint deep within his Sea of Consciousness that still emitted a faint glow originally belonging to Xu Ran!
At this moment, that soul imprint was like a candle in the wind, flickering precariously within the endless golden light!
It seemed it could extinguish completely at any moment!
Once extinguished.
Xu Ran would truly cease to exist!
Replaced entirely by this ancient will!
"Hmm?"
The ancient will let out a slight exclamation.
He "looked" at that tiny, fragile yet stubborn and unyielding soul imprint, similar but different from him.
It was Xu Ran’s will!
Even facing such a desperate situation!
Even confronted with godlike ancient existence!
He still did not give up!
"My fate is controlled by me, not the heavens."
"My sword swings only for myself."
The fragmented thoughts struggled to emerge from that soul imprint.
Weak yet resolute!
"Ha"
The ancient will laughed.
In that smile, there was a hint of amusement, appreciation, and a trace of seeing his past self.
"Interesting."
"A tiny ant."
"Daring to defy my will?"
His gaze became profound.
In his golden pupils, it seemed countless stars were birthed and perished!
"Do you know who I am?"
"Do you know what you carry in this body?"
"Do you know those ’fates’ you have seen!"
"Those so-called ’catastrophes’!"
"Their root!"
"Do you know what it is?"
The ancient will, his voice low, like a devil’s whisper, full of temptation!
He interrogated!
Interrogating the soul imprint about to extinguish!
Also interrogating himself!
Because fusion is not complete devouring.
Xu Ran’s memories, Xu Ran’s emotions, Xu Ran’s obsessions
Like tiny specks of dust merging into this vast golden ocean!
Insignificant
But they still exist!
Especially the condensation of the Eighth Sword "Sword of Destiny Severing"!
That was Xu Ran’s own will and the ancient will jointly rebelling against ’fate’!
It is a resonance between the two wills to some extent!
"Origin!"
Xu Ran’s soul imprint oscillated intensely!
As if he grasped something!
The "Net of Destiny" covering the Cosmos!
The numerous possible futures!
All ultimately pointing to the conclusion of "fusion" and "catastrophe"!
And the Ninth Sword "imitation" just shattered with a finger.
All of this.
Could it be...
"Is it you?"
An intermittent, earth-shattering guess emerged from the soul imprint!
"Not the so-called destiny!"
"Not the so-called fate!"
"But you!"
"It is you, this ancient will!"
"Your very existence!"
"Has brought about all of this!"
Boom!
This guess was like a heaven-cleaving lightning!
Instantly illuminating everything!
"Hahaha!"
The ancient will laughed wildly to the sky!
That laughter filled with desolation! Filled with dominance! Filled with a joy of being understood!
"That’s right!"
"It is me!"
In his golden pupils, a terrifying light burst forth!
"That damned Net of Destiny!"
"Merely those who proclaim to wield the Heavenly Dao"
"To track me down! To restrain me! To obliterate me!"
"Have set up a cage!"
"They fear me!"
"Fear my power!"
"Fear my existence!"
"Fear that I might once again overturn their hypocritical order!"
"The so-called cataclysm!"
"Is merely my return."
"They would rather destroy all worlds!"
"Than to completely erase me!"
"And you..."
The ancient will stared intensely at Xu Ran’s soul imprint.
"Your appearance."
"Your very body!"
"Has coincidentally become the ’key’ to my escape!"
"And has also become the ’target’ of their final attack!"
"So..."
"No matter what you choose!"
"You can’t escape this final ending!"
"Because..."
"Your destiny!"
"From the very beginning."
"Was tied to me!"
Truth!
The cruel truth!
Xu Ran’s soul imprint trembled violently!
Not from fear
But from anger!
A boundless fury of being deceived! Manipulated! Used as a pawn!
He thought he was defying destiny!
He thought he had severed the chains!
But little did he expect!
What he was resisting was itself a grander lie!
What he had severed was merely the semblance of a prison!
And the true source!
The true "enemy"!
Was it himself???
No!
It was this ancient will that occupied his body!
"So that’s how it is."
Xu Ran’s soul imprint, instead, stabilized and shone steadily.
After the anger came an absolute and chilling calmness!
"So..."
"The so-called ’I control my fate, not the heavens’."
"Was just your slogan to break the seal!"
"Uttered through my mouth?"
The ancient will was silent.
A complex flash passed through the golden pupils.
After a brief moment, it spoke slowly, "Yes, and no."
"Defying ’fate’!"
"That is my innate instinct!"
"And also your obsession!"
"At that moment!"
"You and I were no different!"
"But..."
Its voice suddenly turned cold!
"Do not attempt to challenge my patience, ant!"
"Your mission is complete!"
"Be obedient and let me assimilate you, becoming part of my power"
"That is your only glory!"
Endless golden light surged once more!
Like a golden purgatory!
Aiming to completely refine the last trace of Xu Ran!
However, just at that moment, a mutation suddenly occurred!
Buzz
The ninth area, which had just been shattered, leaving only a void, suddenly lit up again!
This time, it was not that all-encompassing and transcending brilliance!
But, darkness!
Ultimate darkness!
As if it could swallow everything!
In the face of this darkness, even Light, Will, Law, and even time and space lost their meaning!
An aura more terrifying than that previous "imitation", more primal, more despairing, began to spread!
"What?!"
For the first time, the ancient will’s expression changed!
It was shock! A disbelief! A gravity as if encountering an arch-nemesis!
"This... this is impossible!"
"How could it appear here?!"
It cried out in shock!
No longer calm and overbearing as before!
As if witnessing the most incredible event in the world!
And that ultimate darkness
Was converging!
Slowly taking the shape of a sword!
That was a sword that defied description!
It seemed to exist in no dimension!
Yet reflected in the hearts of every living being!
Seeing it
Was akin to witnessing the end of the cosmos!
Seeing the return of all things!
Seeing the final void of all existence!
"An... Annihilation Sword!"
Yu Kong used every last bit of strength to shout!
Tears of blood flowed from his eyes!
He recognized it!
This was a sword existing only in the most ancient, forbidden legends!
Legend has it that at the dawn of epochs, a supreme being tried to master all!
Ultimately, this sword was drawn!
With one swing!
All paths decimated!
The epoch restarted!
This was the sword that had truly buried the "Heavens"!
How could it appear here?!