A miasma of slaughterous intent choked the air, tendrils of crimson reaching hungrily for Wang Lin. He retreated, the shards of the Celestial Realm spinning around him with increasing ferocity, forming a whirlwind of protection, a swirling barrier against the encroaching malice.

Each crashing *thump* marked another collision, a violent meeting between a tendril of slaughter and a fragment of shattered paradise. Wang Lin staggered back with each impact.

“Such raw power,” he murmured, his eyes glinting with thought, “yet the Grey-Robed Celestial is still holding back!” He searched for a crack in the seemingly impenetrable defense. “When I absorbed that sliver of supreme Yang, the Heaven Defying Bead within my nascent soul shuddered…” A spark ignited in his eyes, a thousand possibilities flashing through his mind.

“Since the five elements reached their zenith, the marks of wood, fire, earth, metal, and water vanished, replaced by the sun and moon, representing Yin and Yang!” A sudden clarity washed over Wang Lin, banishing the fog of uncertainty.

“Yes, the Heaven Defying Bead craves Yin and Yang! That fragment of Yang resonates with its inherent need!” He had pondered endlessly, struggling to comprehend the requirements of the sun and moon now etched upon the bead.

Countless attempts had yielded nothing, the lunar and solar sigils remaining stubbornly unchanged.

“Whatever the Celestial’s machinations, he cannot possibly foresee that I possess the Heaven Defying Bead, let alone that I can absorb this Yang!”

“He has erred in his calculations. This game… I will break it!” A chilling resolve hardened Wang Lin’s gaze as he fixed it upon the Grey-Robed Celestial. Retreating, he replayed his deductions, each repetition reinforcing his conviction.

“As for the bead being discovered… even when faced with the unfathomable power of the third-step cultivators of Luo Tian, none detected its presence. I refuse to believe this Celestial can succeed where they failed!”

Meanwhile, Ling Tianhou’s expression was a mask of grim determination. He had not come to this place for Wang Lin’s sake, but rather to be a thorn in the side of the Celestial Fortune Sect, seeking to disrupt their plans at every turn.

Furthermore, his intimate knowledge of the Celestial Fortune Sect led him to suspect Wang Lin’s importance to their schemes. The greater Wang Lin’s significance, the more Ling Tianhou relished the opportunity to sabotage their endeavors.

“You think to intimidate me?” Ling Tianhou sneered, his right hand forming a complex seal. He pointed a single finger forward, uttering a low, guttural incantation:

“Art of Ruin, Third Form: Soul Sacrifice of the Sword Child!”

Instantly, the Sword Child, standing defiant amidst the sea of slaughterous energy, erupted with a torrent of sword qi that pierced the heavens. With a single, decisive step, he planted his feet upon the serpentine Rain Sword, now transformed into a colossal serpent.

The moment his feet landed, the Sword Child threw back his head and unleashed a piercing shriek that ripped through the fabric of the sky and tore into the oppressive atmosphere of slaughter.

Simultaneously, the Sword Child’s body exploded in a blinding flash, dissolving into a swirling cloud of emerald mist that rapidly coalesced into the serpentine form of the immortal sword.

*CRACK!* The serpentine Rain Sword shuddered, as though drinking deep from the sacrificed soul of the Sword Child. A thunderous clang echoed through the nine heavens, a defiant challenge that shattered the oppressive silence. With unimaginable force, the blade surged forward, colliding head-on with the endless tide of slaughterous energy.

*BOOM! BOOM!* Cataclysmic explosions reverberated through the heavens and earth, unleashing waves of turbulent energy that swept across the land.

Under the relentless assault of the sword’s edge, tendrils of slaughterous intent dissipated like mist before the dawn. In that fleeting instant, the world was filled with nothing but sword qi! Around Ling Tianhou’s very being, the sword qi spiraled into a vortex that reached towards the heavens, the mournful keening of a thousand blades replacing all other sounds.

Faced with this overwhelming display of power, the Grey-Robed Celestial remained impassive, his eyes briefly flickering towards Ling Tianhou before he raised his right hand and spoke with icy calm. “Your sword qi has grown somewhat. If you can withstand my next strike, I will cease my interference in your affairs with the Celestial Fortune Sect.” As he spoke, his fingers weaved into an arcane seal and he thrust his hand towards Ling Tianhou! With that simple gesture, the already darkened sky transformed as though a giant hand had spilled an ocean of ink across the heavens. In an instant, all was swallowed by an all-consuming darkness!

“You have dedicated your life to the sword, so I shall meet you with the blade! Slaughter, become Sword!” The Grey-Robed Celestial’s voice was unnervingly even, yet as his fingers finished their movement, the world trembled as a storm of slaughterous intent surged towards him from all directions.

Each strand of slaughterous energy was akin to a single life, now converging in a terrifying display reminiscent of a legion of venomous snakes slithering through the heavens. Even Wang Lin gasped at the sight.

The slaughterous energy that had been harassing him abandoned its pursuit, recoiling towards the Celestial’s outstretched hand.

In the blink of an eye, the strands of malicious energy fused into a single entity, giving birth to a crimson sword, seven feet long and three inches wide. Wisps of energy, like threads of smoke, danced along its blade. With a casual flick of his wrist, the Grey-Robed Celestial unleashed a terrifying shriek that shattered the silence, and the blood red blade became a scarlet streak hurtling towards Ling Tianhou’s serpentine immortal sword.

The two blades hurtled towards each other with increasing speed, unleashing shockwaves that echoed across the land and throughout the entire Celestial Fortune Star. In an instant, the swords collided.

Yet, the swords did not actually touch, maintaining a distance of seven inches between their tips! Within that narrow gap, lightning crackled and thundered, and countless blades of energy danced like vengeful spirits.

Arcs of electrical energy shattered and scattered in all directions.

That seemingly insignificant gap contained an unimaginable power. The Grey-Robed Celestial nodded slightly. “Not bad. Your cultivation has improved in the years since last we met. But if this is all you have, then you will be banished from the Celestial Fortune Star today.”

Ling Tianhou laughed coldly. With a dramatic flourish, he flung open his sleeves, stretched out his arms and bellowed, “I, Ling Tianhou, have lived and breathed by the sword my entire life! In recent years, I have grasped the very essence of the Dao of the Sword! Grey-Robed One, I know not why you willingly serve as their pawn, but your presence here today betrays the bonds we once shared!”

The Grey-Robed Celestial remained silent.

Ling Tianhou inhaled deeply, his hands moving in a blur of motion. A fissure suddenly opened upon his brow, revealing a swirling vortex of darkness. This inky blackness instantly engulfed him, cloaking his form until he was nothing more than a silhouette wreathed in shadows.

“I offer my nascent soul to become a sword god, my flesh and blood as tribute to a sword sovereign! I am the sword, and the sword is me!”

The voice of Ling Tianhou, twisted and alien, echoed from within the darkness. The black aura pulsed violently, and the figure seated within trembled. The fissure on his brow widened with each breath, and a demonic light ignited within his eyes. Slowly, his eyes closed.

The moment his eyes sealed shut, Ling Tianhou’s entire being shuddered, and a spectral form began to ascend from the crown of his head. It was a sword! A sword formed from Ling Tianhou’s nascent soul, forged over countless millennia of cultivation! The instant the blade materialized, a chorus of sword cries erupted across the Celestial Fortune Star, as though the very world was offering its obeisance. Every sect, every cultivator, every sword treasure on the entire planet trembled. The spectral sword shimmered, then hurtled towards the serpentine immortal blade.

The serpentine sword pulsed with light, as though possessed of its own sentience. With a flash of crimson, it surged forward. The seven-inch gap between the two swords shattered in a cacophony of cracks, shrinking to a mere three inches! As the spectral sword moved, it ripped open a tear in the sky, revealing the chaotic void beyond.

For the first time, the Grey-Robed Celestial’s impassive facade cracked. His eyes blazed with unbridled power as he stared at the spectral sword. He roared with laughter, “Well done, Ling Tianhou! To have brought your sword Dao to this level! I will face you with seven tenths of my power!”

With a booming roar that shook the very heavens, the Grey-Robed Celestial stepped backward. As his mouth opened, a torrent of slaughterous energy spewed forth, swirling around him before surging forward.

In an instant, the slaughterous energy merged with the slaughterous sword, unleashing its full power! The three-inch gap between the two swords disintegrated as they collided with an unimaginable force!

*BOOM!!* At that very instant, the darkness that had consumed the sky shattered, replaced by a prismatic rainbow of light. The rainbow colors spiraled into a chaotic cyclone that swept up all three individuals – Wang Lin, Ling Tianhou, and the Grey-Robed Celestial – flinging them beyond the Celestial Fortune Star and into the vastness of the starry cosmos!

There, in the cold vacuum of space, the tips of the two blades met!

*BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!* The two swords clashed relentlessly, unleashing a storm of energy that tore across the cosmos. Under the relentless assault, the slaughterous sword buckled and shattered, its tip collapsing into a cloud of dissipating energy.

The serpentine immortal sword fared little better, splitting in two from the middle.

After enduring for a mere three breaths, the slaughterous sword utterly collapsed, disintegrating into countless wisps of energy. The Grey-Robed Celestial, his laughter echoing across the starfield, turned and stepped towards the Celestial Grand Mystery Star.

“Ling Tianhou, your affairs are no longer my concern.”

As the serpentine sword retreated, the spectral form of Ling Tianhou emerged from the blade, his gaze fixed upon a point in the distance. “Celestial Fortune Old Man, you have finally emerged!” he sneered.

Where Ling Tianhou’s gaze was fixed, the shimmering light of the seven colors of the rainbow coalesced into the ethereal form of the Celestial Fortune Sect Master. His body was but a fleeting image, composed entirely of prismatic light. He cast a casual glance at Ling Tianhou and said flatly:

“Ling Tianhou, you have fought, and I have seen your skill. But the affairs of my Celestial Fortune Sect are not for you to interfere in.”