Sword Might Shatters the Crystal Palace

Mount Tai rises supreme among the five sacred peaks—its grandeur magnificent, its forms strange and perilous, its beauty ethereal. Temples and halls cover the slopes, and countless carved steles and tablets dot the mountain. In the early spring, all things awaken, the peaks lush with verdant life, breathing a vivid vitality that makes this renowned mountain seem even more numinous.

Yet in this season of warm blossoms and rivalry among flowers, Mount Tai had lost its rightful peace and tranquility. Beasts fled in panic, countless petals withered and fell as if an autumn gale had swept through—a scene of bleak desolation.

Several dozen cultivators with great iron swords strapped to their backs spread out at the foot of Mount Tai, encircling it and advancing from all directions toward the summit. Not a single iron sword had left its sheath, yet the killing intent was as biting as the bitterest winter. Flowers and trees withered, leaves swirled wildly—the whole of Mount Tai seemed to be buried in a blizzard of goose-feather snow.

Dozens of sword auras shot into the sky like pillars of heaven standing between earth and sky.

The Dugu clan’s people were terrifying. Every one of those dozens of tall, imposing figures seemed to have merged with the iron sword on their backs. The swords had not yet been drawn, but the sword intent had long since been born from their hearts—these dozens stood like scores of heavenly swords driven into the mountain’s base.

“Those ruthless bastards aren’t going to split Mount Tai in half, are they?” Xiao Chen muttered to himself as he followed behind.

But the Dugu clan had no intention of destroying this famous mountain of the mortal world. Their killing aura was not directed at the mountain itself, but concentrated toward the summit.

There, a magnificent crystal palace sprawled—the headquarters of the Divine Palace Sect (Shen Gong Men). This sect was renowned across the world for artifact refining. On Mount Tai, the vast crystal halls stretched on in unbroken splendor, majestic and grand. It was not only their foundation in the mortal world, but also the sect’s paramount treasure, the divine palace.

From that place, ten thousand rays of iridescent light blazed, a thousand auspicious beams streaming forth, filling all Mount Tai with dense spiritual energy and mist of many colors.

Several dozen cultivators with iron swords at their backs walked step by step toward the summit. Halfway up, the pavilions and towers laid down by the Divine Palace Sect turned to dust—everything was destroyed under the tangible sword auras.

Xiao Chen wanted to laugh but couldn’t. This clan was eccentric, but also commanded reverence.

What force could stand against such momentum?

“Boom!”

Several cultivation buildings that stood like city walls before the crystal palace collapsed. The final barrier had been shattered.

The colossal crystal divine palace fully revealed itself atop Mount Tai.

The immense pressure radiating from the dozens of powerful cultivators carrying iron swords caused Mount Tai itself to tremble, yet the vast crystal palace remained utterly unmoved. Looking closely, one could sense that it was not actually in contact with Mount Tai—it floated silently in the air.

This was a colossal cultivation artifact. Even the strongmen of the Dugu clan dared not act rashly.

“The Dugu lineage lives up to its reputation of never being false.” Over a dozen elders flew out from the divine palace, their bodies wreathed in immortal mist. They showed no anger, appearing quite calm.

None of the Dugu clan spoke; all remained silent, meeting them in kind.

“But you are too aggressive. We did not take the initiative to eradicate you, yet you directly attack our gates. Then we must leave all of you here.” The dozen or so elders, with flowing robes and the bearing of immortals, all revealed killing intent.

In that instant, the floating divine palace atop Mount Tai burst forth with billions of rays of light, piercing the constellations and illuminating the surrounding mountain ranges with brilliant color.

More figures appeared within the crystal palace. Cultivation artifacts filled the sky, dancing chaotically.

Yet facing all this, the Dugu clan showed no fear. With unified movements, they slowly drew the great iron swords from their backs, and in perfect unison, pointed the sword tips at the magnificent hall ahead.

“Boom!”

An eruption!

Unimaginably fierce sword auras—through the long river of history, the waves had washed away the dross. These dozens of strongmen were the elite of the Dugu clan. With iron swords moving in concert, their power shook heaven and earth, directly lifting the divine palace and blasting it into the clouds!

A great many cultivation artifacts were shattered, falling like scattered flowers dancing down from the sky. Some cultivators directly turned into blood mist—no fragment of flesh or bone remained.

At that moment, quite a few cultivators had arrived from distant skies, drawn by the news to watch the spectacle. Seeing such an overwhelming strike, every face paled. The Dugu clan’s combat power was terrifying—such strength could sweep any region.

But the onlookers also keenly noticed a problem: after being blasted into the sky, the translucent crystal palace did not shatter; it remained completely intact.

The Divine Palace lineage had all retreated inside except for the dozen elders, and then they took control of the palace, letting it descend once more. Its immense pressure made the mountains tremble.

This was a half-ancestor level treasure—a relic of the Divine Palace Sect’s founder. When he attained the Dao, he refined this spiritual treasure as his life-bond artifact. Although he had not yet crossed over from another world, he bestowed this crystal palace upon his disciples and followers, giving them a means of self-preservation.

The dozen elderly cultivators were very composed. One of them spoke coldly: “In that case, we will utterly destroy you.”

From the divine palace, streams of light swept outward, enveloping all the Dugu clan strongmen.

Sword auras shot to the sky. The Dugu clan raised their iron swords to meet them, clashing directly against the half-ancestor level treasure. Beams shattered, the palace trembled, the mountains quaked—the distant onlookers’ hearts were in their throats.

“A spirit so vast it spans the rainbow, might that suppresses the mortal world!” the dozen cultivation elders shouted. They too retreated into the crystal giant palace and drove the treasure to unleash even greater power.

Strips of seven-colored rainbow, like enormous flower petals, bloomed open, shooting out in all directions toward the Dugu clan’s strongmen. At the same time, the enormous divine palace multiplied, phantom overlapping phantom, ultimately splitting into many palaces of equal scale, pressing down on the Dugu clan one by one.

Each massive palace blazed with a thousand, ten thousand beams of auspicious light, heavy as a mountain, with unfathomable pressure, trying to seal every iron-sword wielder.

This was the pressure of a half-ancestor level treasure—powerful enough to chill one’s spine. The palaces pressed downward!

Dozens of great iron swords flew into the air, blocking the strongmen. Sword auras, thick as great rivers, surged endlessly, standing like pillars of heaven in the world, thrusting into the sky.

The fierce collision shook heaven and earth. One by one the enormous palaces quaked, radiating countless rays of light, but they could not touch Mount Tai below. The Dugu clan’s force held them back in midair.

“Slay!”

Only now did the dozens of strongmen speak for the first time, but they uttered but a single word in unison, like a thunderclap that carried for a hundred leagues and shook the nine heavens.

In that instant, light blazed. Several dozen fierce sword auras merged together, gathering into a colossal sword beam thick as a mountain, piercing heaven and earth.

The strips of seven-colored rainbow light in the sky, and the enormous palaces, all cracked, then split apart and shattered in the air.

The Dugu lineage was truly powerful—so much so that one felt fear. The might unleashed by the half-ancestor treasure equaled a half-ancestor in person, yet these dozens, working together, had actually held firm and broken a round of strong attacks.

All the observers from afar were horrified. With such battle power, in the mortal world, whom need they fear?

In ancient times, the Sun Church’s five hundred Sun Knights could shake a half-ancestor. Now the Dugu clan’s dozens of strongmen displayed combat power equally unmatched.

Even facing a half-ancestor, they would not fear!

“Slay!”

The Dugu clan’s strongmen spoke a second time. The thunder of their words was deafening. Dozens of great iron swords rose in unison and then simultaneously struck toward the main body of the crystal divine palace. Brilliant sword aura tore heaven and earth.

Like furious waves rolling, like a meteor shower descending—all swept toward the magnificent palace.

“Boom!”

The enormous divine palace was struck high into the sky. The many cultivators inside felt their qi and blood churn. The fierce assault shook them as if struck by lightning; every face flushed red, bodies trembling.

Had this not been a half-ancestor level treasure, they likely would have been shattered already. Even such a defensive treasure was shaken by the powerful attack—it showed how terrifying the sword aura was.

“Slay!”

The Dugu clan’s strongmen launched a third fierce assault. Their sharp sword auras stirred heaven and earth, striking together at the crystal divine palace.

No words were needed—the Dugu clan’s combat power was plain for all to see, so overwhelming that one’s very soul trembled.

The crystal divine palace was knocked spinning through the air, emitting terrible sounds as if it would shatter at any moment.

But just then, gentle radiance rippled out from within the crystal palace, flickering faintly like a candle flame. Yet a destructive aura followed, making everyone sense danger.

A vast phantom appeared—its features unclear, but one could make out a rough silhouette: an ethereal old man.

He stood a thousand zhang tall, the crystal palace cradled in his hand, towering between heaven and earth, surveying all directions. Though immortal mist swirled around him, giving him an agile, transcendent air, he also brought a sense of death.

“That’s… the founder of the Divine Palace Sect!” Cries of alarm came from the distant onlookers.

“No, it’s a wisp of his divine thought, sealed within the treasure to manifest now.”

Everyone knew that although a wisp of divine thought could not last long, its combat power was still formidable. If it unleashed its strength to the extreme in an instant, it could drastically reverse the battle situation in a flash.

But the Dugu clan’s strongmen showed no fear. They stood as firm as mountains, iron swords raised high, ready to slay a half-ancestor.

The distant watchers had already concluded that even if the Dugu clan won, they would inevitably pay the price of some deaths.

Just then, heaven and earth fell silent, as if the whole world had lost its voice.

At the far horizon, a tall, straight figure—none knew when he had appeared—stood there like an eternal point in heaven and earth, as if he had existed there since the dawn of time.

Heaven and earth were silent, a world without sound—a terrifying, oppressive silence. That eternal figure stood with his back to everyone, a great iron sword slung across his back. He slowly drew the sword, and in that instant, like a furious sea raising ten thousand billows, like countless stars falling to earth, the nine heavens and ten lands shook.

The iron sword left its sheath—the eight wildernesses stirred, mountains and rivers lost their color. His aura pierced the rainbow, dimming the stars and moon, making the cosmos tremble.

Blinding light became the sole thing in heaven and earth. In that moment, everyone closed their eyes—none could look directly at it.

As the iron sword was drawn, dragons sang and tigers roared, but then silence fell. Heaven and earth instantly returned to stillness.

No one saw how the man struck. They only saw him drift away into the distance, leaving behind a mysterious back.

When they looked again at the founder of the Divine Palace Sect’s wisp of divine thought, it had shattered into four or five pieces. The thousand-zhang tall body had collapsed. The crystal divine palace in his hands had also been pierced, the great gate smashed open, revealing the brilliant halls within.

The Dugu clan’s strongmen all rose into the air, iron swords in hand, and charged inside.

By now, everyone had woken from the shock. Who else could have such an earth-shaking aura, striking a sword that would be remembered through the ages? A single name rose in everyone’s mind: Dugu Qiubai.

At this moment, a fierce battle raged inside the great palace.

Iron swords against flying swords, martial techniques against cultivation arts—sword aura crisscrossed, cultivation artifacts danced in the air.

Everyone knew the Divine Palace Sect was finished, completely annihilated.

“Let’s go. We should act too—time to clear out the spirit medicines,” Xiao Chen said, pulling Keke as he flew into the giant crystal palace.

The little white beast was even more eager than he was. Bouncing and full of joy, it had already opened Paradise Lost and rushed ahead. It clearly intended to do a big relocation!

Within the halls, iron swords swept everything—unyielding, unstoppable. Xiao Chen could feel how terrifying the Dugu clan’s strongmen were; cultivation practitioners could not withstand them.

Blood splashed through the layers of halls. Those iron swords had shattered countless cultivation artifacts and killed countless cultivators.

The dozens of great iron swords of the Dugu clan were never separated; none could stand against them. Even the dozen elder cultivators could not resist.

They fought the Dugu clan’s strongmen. Flying swords clashed against iron swords, bursting into dazzling light with endless metallic ringing. But before absolute power, all intricate and profound techniques were empty. Flying swords were snapped, cultivation artifacts shattered.

“We wanted to enter the mortal world to claim a share of the bounty, but we failed before we even set out—heh heh!” a cultivator laughed bitterly.

The dozen elder cultivators were utterly defeated. Some had their heads cleaved off, others were pierced through the chest. Not a single one’s infant spirit escaped—all perished, body and soul destroyed.

But then more old men and middle-aged cultivators charged out, and a great melee erupted.

The Dugu lineage was so iron-blooded and overwhelming—truly a wild clan. Xiao Chen felt a chill in his heart.

He pulled Keke and rushed inward through another great gate.

Inside this giant crystal divine palace, there was a world within a world—a pure land of immortals, vast in size. Between the halls, rare flowers and strange herbs were beyond counting.

That was not what he needed. With Keke—the natural nemesis of spiritual treasures—as his guide, Xiao Chen headed straight for the deepest part. The little white beast’s adorable little nose twitched constantly. It pointed ahead with excited cries, its big eyes full of delight.

They did not encounter many opponents—the powerful cultivators had been drawn away by the Dugu clan. Occasionally, a few tried to intercept them, but Xiao Chen struck them flying with his war sword; none could stand against him.

Rushing through layer after layer of halls, it was only when they neared a herb garden blazing with spiritual light that strong cultivators began to attack him. This was clearly a vital area, with true experts guarding it.

“You… Xiao Chen!” a middle-aged cultivator exclaimed, startled when he saw the man and the beast. Then he shouted: “Several months ago, I went with my comrades to kill you at the ancient village, but you refused to come out. Now you actually dare to appear here to exploit the chaos. Truly, there is a road to heaven but you will not take it; the gates of hell, and you come knocking!”

Xiao Chen said nothing. He advanced with his war sword raised, his momentum like a rainbow. His entire being was as solid as a mountain, shaking all directions.

The middle-aged man’s expression changed at once. Xiao Chen, unseen for months, seemed to have transformed; his strength was now unfathomable. Recalling recent rumors, the man felt a bad premonition. He immediately sent seven or eight cultivation artifacts flying out, with the blood-dissolving saber at the forefront, slashing wildly to seize the initiative.

But it was all futile. Xiao Chen simply walked forward, step by step, each swing of his war sword shattering an artifact.

“How is this possible!” The middle-aged cultivator felt he could no longer control his artifacts—they seemed fixed in the air by Xiao Chen, waiting to be chopped down.

When all the artifacts had been shattered, the middle-aged cultivator found himself unable to move even a fraction. Then he saw a war sword swing toward him—and felt his own head fly up, a long stream of blood spurting in the air as his infant spirit was crushed.

The few cultivators beside him were shocked. Together they raised their artifacts to kill Xiao Chen, but the outcome was beyond doubt.

“Within ten yards, none can oppose me,” Xiao Chen said, reaping lives like cutting grain. With a stroke of his sword, five heads flew dozens of feet away.

More than a dozen middle-aged cultivators had been guarding the herb garden. Seeing Xiao Chen’s methods, they all showed fear.

“The Divine Palace Sect has already been broken by the Dugu clan. Those who do not wish to die may retreat now and preserve their lives,” Xiao Chen said, striding forward.

No one was unafraid of death. Even if they stopped this man, what could they do against that freakish clan outside? In an instant, everyone fled for their lives, leaving not a single one.

Inside the herb garden, green light swayed, spiritual energy swirled, and a refreshing fragrance filled the air. All manner of heavenly treasures and earthly rarities flickered with radiance—an entire garden of them. Keke rolled with joy and quickly set to work, sweeping the spiritual essences into Paradise Lost.

Since the herbs were transplanted inside the half-ancestor level treasure—the crystal palace—no formations were laid within the garden.

Keke opened Paradise Lost wide and directly absorbed the entire garden’s spiritual essences, showing no politeness whatsoever—a true wholesale move.

Paradise Lost was vast; the herb garden took up an insignificant space. It could be certain that after the divine forest of half-ancestor residue in the center, this would become another treasured spot that the little beast would long for every day.

“Ya ya!” At this moment, the little beast felt supremely happy.

“This herb garden does have some good things, but this is only one of our targets. Look around—there must be an alchemy hall nearby, and that should have elixirs.” Xiao Chen encouraged the little beast to continue using its keen spiritual sense for treasures.

The little one’s big eyes sparkled. It was thoroughly engaged, concentrating deeply, and soon sensed the exact location.

“Ya ya!” A furry little paw pointed in a direction.

Behind them, the sound of battle shook the heavens, but the man and the beast were busy looting.

Guided by the little beast’s sensitive perception, Xiao Chen crossed hall after hall and arrived at the deepest part of the Divine Palace. Before a series of halls, several medicine cauldrons stood in a row—clearly, this was the alchemy chamber.

“Haha!” Xiao Chen rubbed the fluffy little creature heartily, which drew indignant protests from the little beast.

Though it was just a single hall compound, Xiao Chen estimated this place was likely worth the entire herb garden. These were refined elixirs—limited in quantity, perhaps, but they were the essence, the finished product.

“Creak.”

The door of the alchemy hall was pushed open, and a gaunt, withered old man stepped out.

Xiao Chen’s brow immediately furrowed. This was definitely a difficult opponent, an expert. He raised his war sword, slanting toward the sky, and faced the old cultivator coldly.

The little beast Keke also sensed the danger. It was very clever; in an instant, it opened Paradise Lost and stood within it, already in an invincible position.

Xiao Chen and Keke faced off against this terrifyingly powerful cultivator.

Thump, thump, thump!

The earth trembled lightly. Ten men wielding great iron swords entered this courtyard, blocking the withered old cultivator.

No matter how strong the old man was, he could not withstand ten iron swords. Yet he had no intention of fighting to the death. The moment he acted, he used a divine escape technique, sacrificing a celestial artifact to cross space and flee.

“Whoosh.”

The little beast brought the alchemy hall directly into Paradise Lost.

It was a great harvest. Xiao Chen estimated that he could deify many more acupoints today.