The Soulsever Awakening

During that year and three months, the two-plus hundred Empyrean Gods frequently glanced toward Ji Ning's immortal estate. But Ji Ning remained in seclusion the entire time; they dared not disturb him. Still, every day, some Empyrean Gods kept watch over the place, for to these Empyrean Gods who harbored almost no hope, Ji Ning was their sole chance.

"He's out."

"Darknorth has emerged."

The moment Ji Ning walked out of his immortal estate, some Empyrean Gods immediately noticed him.

Ji Ning waved his hand, putting away the immortal estate, then walked directly toward where the large group of Empyrean Gods was gathered. At the same time, he transmitted mentally: "Fellow Empyrean Gods, Darknorth has a matter to discuss with you all." Immediately, Empyrean Gods like Sin and Throatseal emerged from their own estates and came over. Very quickly, all two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods were assembled.

"Fellow Empyrean Gods, during this seclusion I gained some insights and made no small amount of progress," Ji Ning said.

Instantly, the two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods grew excited; some even murmured to themselves in low voices. For many of them, the desire to leave surpassed even their fear of death.

"As for the ninth guardian, I have absolute confidence," Ji Ning said. "But as for the tenth guardian… I dare not make any claims. However, for this attempt at the Swordroad of Ten Thousand Blades, I certainly intend to challenge the tenth guardian. For now… do you all wish to come with me?"

"Of course we'll come together."

"Willing, willing."

"Brother Darknorth is truly formidable; in just over a year, your power has soared."

"We are willing."

Every single Empyrean God was thrilled, and they all assented.

Ji Ning was not surprised that the other large groups of Empyrean Gods wanted to follow him; after all, those Empyrean Gods had long since chosen to give up. But what surprised him was that Empyrean Gods Sin and Throatseal also spoke up, saying they were willing. Ji Ning couldn't help but ask: "Sin, Throatseal, are you two certain you want to come with me? After all, you have already made it this far to Thousand Star Island; you are only one step away from getting out."

"That one step is far too distant," Empyrean God Throatseal shook his head.

"Yes. We two have long since despaired," Empyrean God Sin laughed. "Neither of us can even compare to Sun Nine or Greatdream. Moreover, we have not made the slightest progress in an extremely long time… according to the experience we gained in the primordial era, being unable to advance for such a long time means we have likely reached our limits. We can improve no further. If we don't leave with you this time, we will probably be trapped here, forever unable to escape."

Empyrean God Throatseal also nodded: "Darknorth, you said it yourself. In this era, fewer and fewer people are entering the Moon Underwater Abyss, and those who can actually reach Thousand Star Island are even rarer. If we don't leave with you this time, we might have to wait for countless years before another new Empyrean God arrives at Thousand Star Island."

Ji Ning nodded, understanding their reasoning. "Very well, then. In that case, everyone will come with me. I, Ji Ning, dare not claim absolute certainty. But I will do my utmost."

……

None of the two hundred-plus Empyrean Gods had expected 'the opportunity' to descend so suddenly. After the initial excitement and unease, the Empyrean Gods quickly put away their own immortal estates and, one by one without any resistance, were accepted by Ji Ning into his estate.

High in the air.

Ji Ning gazed down at Thousand Star Island. Where once it had been lively and bustling, it was now utterly silent. Because all the Empyrean Gods had left with him.

"My Brightmoon Sword-Art has advanced another layer. I need an opponent to test it against." Ji Ning turned into a streak of light, flying swiftly toward the distance. Soon he reached the edge of Thousand Star Island, traveling swiftly along the floating log bridge.

He followed the Swordroad of Ten Thousand Blades all the way.

When he reached the point where he had retreated last time, he saw the ninth guardian sitting there cross-legged.

"You've come." The golden-robed youth stared at Ji Ning with eyes full of a despairing artistic conception. "I've been waiting for you for a long time. I hope you don't disappoint me."

As he spoke, the golden-robed youth stood up, producing two divine swords in his hands, and said calmly: "You have already witnessed the sword-art before. This time, let us simply fight."

Ji Ning also understood that there was only one opportunity to witness the sword-art. Although one could challenge the Swordroad of Ten Thousand Blades multiple times after a failure, one could not view the sword-art multiple times.

"All right." Ji Ning produced two divine swords in his hands as well.

Whoosh.

The two of them charged at each other in an instant. In the blink of an eye, sword-light howled through the air. The golden-robed youth's sword-art was ferocious in the extreme; on the surface, it seemed filled with endless dark despair, yet the sword techniques themselves were even more vicious and ruthless. Meanwhile, the twin streaks of sword-light in Ji Ning's hands transformed into two black holes, completely blocking every offensive sword technique the golden-robed youth unleashed, even occasionally counterattacking once or twice.

"Are you only capable of defending?" the golden-robed youth shouted while attacking.

"Only if you can defeat me," Ji Ning replied calmly.

For him, the ninth guardian was a place to absorb experience. He wanted to carefully observe the differences between the desolate sword-art he had cultivated to completion and the desolate sword-art the ninth guardian was unleashing with full power.

This battle lasted a full half hour.

Ji Ning witnessed all of the ninth guardian's various techniques. This also allowed him to discover a few minor flaws in his own cultivation-complete desolate sword-art. After all, when different people cultivate the same sword-art, the resulting execution is always slightly different.

"Time to end this."

Ji Ning's sword-light suddenly shifted from defense to offense.

Swish, swish, swish~~

Sword-light howled, frenzied in the extreme, blotting out the sky and covering the earth. The ninth guardian was so alarmed that he immediately executed Three Heads, Six Arms, and Ji Ning did the same. Endless sword-light, under the desolate artistic conception, seemed like a ceaseless flow of water, utterly without flaw. In the space of a single breath, the ninth guardian was sent flying backward by the slashes, tumbling several times on the floating log bridge before he managed to stand.

"You win." The ninth guardian, however, laughed. "Darknorth, you are now only one step away from leaving, and that is the final tenth guardian. You must be careful." After speaking, he dissolved into nothingness.

Ji Ning also smiled. Having his full-power burst allow the opponent to barely withstand a single breath had already satisfied him greatly.

Whoosh!

He transformed into a streak of light, rapidly advancing deeper into the Swordroad of Ten Thousand Blades.

……

The sky turned pitch-black. The countless massive blades—pike-blades, saber-blades, sword-blades, and all manner of other sharp edges—on either side of the floating log bridge faintly emitted light. If not for this faint glimmer, heaven and earth would have been completely shrouded in darkness.

"How strange," Ji Ning murmured to himself.

Soon, a black-robed youth appeared in the distance. He sat there cross-legged, and as Ji Ning approached, he opened his eyes and looked at Ji Ning.

What sort of eyes were those?

Utterly dead and still.

As if devoid of any vitality; all they held was a despair that chilled one's heart.

"Observe the sword-art," the black-robed youth said indifferently.

Ji Ning turned his head to look at the massive sword-blade beside him, upon which the sword-art was beginning to manifest. The sword-art was demonstrated step by step, from the shallow to the profound. As he watched, Ji Ning was shaken to his core. After watching it three times, he still had not come back to his senses.

"Enough." The black-robed youth rose. A pair of divine swords appeared in his hands.

Ji Ning snapped back to attention.

"What sword-art is this?" Ji Ning hastily asked.

"The sword-art is named… Soulsever," the black-robed youth said.

"Soulsever? Soulsever? The name and the sword-art are one… truly, it severs the soul." Ji Ning simply watched and performed a brief mental deduction, yet he felt an endless pain flooding his heart. However, he understood clearly that he himself could never truly master this set of sword techniques. Because the artistic conception of this set of sword techniques was 'Soulsever'—the severing of the soul born from absolute 'despair'.

And Ji Ning could not make himself feel absolute despair! Moreover, the many techniques within this set of sword-art were far superior to the Desolate Sword-Art. At the very least, they were not inferior to his own Brightmoon Sword-Art. They were only inferior to the Quintessence Sword-Art.

"Come," the black-robed youth said indifferently.

Ji Ning nodded, and divine swords appeared in his hands.

Swish! Swish!

Two afterimages flashed, and they were already engaged.

Two great sword-arts clashed. One was of the desolate artistic conception, with sword-light flowing in an unbroken, ceaseless torrent. It was a creation born from absorbing the essence of numerous sword-arts such as the Quintessence Sword-Art and the Desolate Sword-Art.

The other was of the Soulsever artistic conception. The profound mysteries within the sword-art had been left behind by the creator of the Moon Underwater Abyss. Although it differed from the Quintessence Sword-Art, it was no less astonishingly brilliant.

Boom! Boom! Boom!~~

The two of them fought, one advancing, one retreating, in an endless give-and-take.

They were actually locked in a dead heat. Both sides' sword-arts had their own formidable qualities; each could be considered an extreme of the Fourth Layer of Swordforce. If the sword-speed could be increased any further, it would surpass the limits of the Heavenly Dao. If the artistic conception were even more profound, it would reach the 'Sword God' level.

"So the sword can be used this way."

Ji Ning had already seen the sword-art three times. Now, watching the tenth guardian execute it in person, he immediately gained a deeper understanding of certain sword-moves within it, and insights into this Soulsever sword-art surged through his mind.

There was a qualitative difference between Ji Ning and the tenth guardian.

The tenth guardian could only execute the single set of sword-art that was manifested before him.

Ji Ning, however, could absorb experience from the tenth guardian and even begin to integrate it into his own Brightmoon Sword-Art. Although his sword-art occasionally became disjointed during the attempt, causing him to be at a disadvantage, his overall strength was actually rising, albeit imperceptibly. His sword-art became more unpredictable, more powerful, and more swift and fierce. This battle continued on without pause…

One day, two days, three days…

Neither side used any divine abilities. They were only competing in sword-art.

The insights into sword-art within Ji Ning's mind continuously fused together, constantly absorbing new knowledge. This feeling of progress intoxicated him. However, his sword-art had already reached a kind of limit. Even if he improved, the improvement would be extremely marginal. At most, he would suppress the tenth guardian to a disadvantage. Occasionally, the tenth guardian could even counterattack.

"Hm?"

Ji Ning was suddenly startled, and his sword-light slowed.

Bang!

A streak of sword-light slashed across Ji Ning's body, sending him flying backward.

"Why did you stop?" The tenth guardian stood there, frowning. Clearly, his opponent's sword-art was already slightly superior to his own. If the battle continued, and Ji Ning made no further progress, he would still allow Ji Ning to enter the fifth island. But he had sensed that Ji Ning was slowly improving, that his sword-art was constantly merging and evolving, so he had not stopped and had continued to battle with him.

Because the essence of the Swordroad of Ten Thousand Blades was to temper Empyrean Gods. Since Ji Ning was making progress, of course, he would not stop.

But Ji Ning's sword had suddenly stopped… leaving the tenth guardian puzzled.

Ji Ning stood on the distant floating log bridge, a look of confusion in his eyes.

But within his mind, it was as if Pangu was cleaving open Heaven and Earth.

Boom!

The operational principles of the Soulsever Sword-Art were completely different from those of the Quintessence Sword-Art. After all, Ji Ning's Brightmoon Sword-Art had been derived from the Quintessence Sword-Art. So, when Ji Ning began to constantly fuse and combine the profound mysteries of the Soulsever Sword-Art with those of the Quintessence Sword-Art… at a certain moment, bang, he suddenly understood. The final obstruction within the Quintessence Sword-Art, which had always been like looking at flowers through a mist and difficult to discern clearly, was now suddenly broken through by Ji Ning, who had pierced the final membrane.

Boom!~~

"The Quintessence Sword-Art…" Ji Ning closed his eyes. The vast amount of sword-art mysteries within his mind rapidly combined. The insights into the Quintessence Sword-Art he had gained earlier were now rapidly and completely fusing together, integrating into a single whole.

The entire Quintessence Sword-Art was completely and thoroughly comprehended!

There was no longer a trace of doubt.

"So, this… this is what it means to surpass the limits of the Heavenly Dao." Ji Ning opened his eyes and looked at the dark sky around him. He gently traced a finger through the air, causing ripples to appear, faintly touching something.

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