Chapter 33: The Curtain Falls

"Sword?" Seeing Ji Ning produce a divine sword, the Elder God Yuan gritted his teeth. "My Black Lotus secret art... is extremely tough and most effective against blades and swords."

Boom.

The white-robed Ji Ning took a step, his body rapidly expanding to ten thousand miles in size, matching the black lotus. He then swung the equally enlarged divine sword, Violetjade.

"Shatter for me." Ji Ning raised the divine sword Violetjade high, pouring surging divine power into it. Transformed by the sword's 'origin', the sword's might rapidly swelled. The towering Ji Ning raised Violetjade and fiercely chopped at the black lotus ahead, the force of this strike even more savage than before.

"Even six hands together couldn't break it, this sword..." The Elder God Yuan sneered as he controlled his protective black lotus, but then his sneer froze.

"Bang bang bang~~~"

The sword struck, as if heaven were collapsing.

The moment the black lotus was struck, it could not withstand such overwhelming force. Countless petals shattered, and the entire black lotus began to crumble.

"A Dao treasure." The Elder God Yuan stared at the divine sword Violetjade in Ji Ning's hand. "Is this a Dao treasure? Yes, it must be a Dao treasure; otherwise, it couldn't be this powerful."

Treasures and weapons are also graded.

Above chaos treasures are Dao treasures.

These are typically used by World Gods and Chaos Immortals. Among tens of thousands of Ancestral Immortals and Ancestral Gods, perhaps not one is fortunate enough to obtain a Dao treasure! Those with insufficient strength cannot even keep a Dao treasure. Earlier, Ji Ning's strength was insufficient; his True God divine power could barely activate the Dao treasure, making it unremarkable. Even the Demon of Slaughter and the Elder God Yuan did not suspect it was a Dao treasure.

Now, with his divine power surging, its activation was far more potent.

Formations like the Three Absolute Sword Formation or the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation barely transcend the chaos category, approaching Dao treasures. But they are the lowest grade, with a clear gap from true Dao treasures. After becoming a half-step World God, Ji Ning's divine power truly activated the sword's origin, and the divine sword began to reveal its edge.

Such treasures... generally only peak Ancestral Immortals and Ancestral Gods have the right to covet them, and they would fight madly for them. Those who possess Dao treasures are invariably extraordinary beings among Ancestral Immortals and Ancestral Gods.

Without a Dao treasure, Ji Ning would be merely a peak Ancestral God, perhaps slightly stronger than the Heartforce Demonlord, but still on the same level.

With a Dao treasure, he reached the threshold of a World God.

"Die." Breaking through the black lotus, Ji Ning returned to normal size and transformed into a black electric snake, charging at the Elder God Yuan.

"Kill you, and this Dao treasure will be mine." Greed arose in the Elder God Yuan's heart. "I'll go all out. I have no retreat; I can only rely on heartforce for a final gamble."

Throughout this final battle, he had never used heartforce against Ji Ning.

Because when he ambushed Ji Ning last time, he sensed that Ji Ning's soul protection was formidable; he had no confidence in dealing with Ji Ning. But now he had no other path! In terms of divine power, his was nearly exhausted, and Ji Ning with a Dao treasure barely reached the threshold of a World God, completely overwhelming him. He could only rely on heartforce for a final gamble.

...

"Die." Ji Ning charged with his divine sword.

The Elder God Yuan sat cross-legged, sending out six palms to block Ji Ning.

"Hmph." Ji Ning directly slashed out a sword light.

Boom~~

The Elder God Yuan was sent flying backward, his palms aching and cracking, shocking him: "With that Dao treasure, setting aside other aspects, at least in attack Ji Ning has reached the threshold of a World God. My divine body, comparable to a top-grade先天 treasure, can barely withstand it."

A true World God could easily shatter a top-grade先天 treasure.

Now Ji Ning had the power to destroy top-grade先天 treasures!

"Clang, clang, clang." The Elder God Yuan's palms intercepted Ji Ning time and again. Though sent flying repeatedly, he defended flawlessly.

"Hmm?"

Ji Ning looked at the Elder God Yuan's six illusory palms. Under unprecedented killing intent, carrying the momentum of the entire Three Realms' living beings... Ji Ning's heart was unprecedentedly empty and clear. Over the years, though he had comprehended the ninety-eight sword steles of the World God Beishan, the Nameless Sword Art had never been entered. But now, facing the Elder God Yuan's six phantom palms, Ji Ning had an epiphany.

A peculiar feeling...

As if the surrounding void had become his domain. Sword intent faintly permeated the void, countless sword intents resonating with him, cheering and leaping.

"This is my world."

A sense of control filled his heart. Ji Ning instantly understood the essence of the first stance of the Nameless Sword Art, the 'Heartsword Stance'.

The Heartsword Stance...

It does not increase the sword's power! It does not increase the sword's speed! On the surface, Ji Ning seemed unchanged, but in truth... the essence of the Heartsword Stance is truly learning to use the sword, truly mastering the sword, becoming its master, making every strike deliver its due power—when to deflect, when to flexibly slice, when to parry...

This is a natural sense of control, an insight attained only when one's understanding of the sword reaches a truly high level.

"Heartsword World."

Ji Ning looked at the Elder God Yuan's six phantom palms, stepped forward through the void, and struck.

"Chi." A single sword strike deflected one palm, creating a flaw in the coordination of the other five. In the past, Ji Ning could never have detected such a subtle flaw. But now, he had complete control over the surrounding void; no flaw could escape his notice.

"Swish." "Swish." "Swish."

Three consecutive strikes.

Before the Elder God Yuan could react, Ji Ning's sword light had pierced through the interception of the six palms, stabbing toward his divine body.

"How is this possible..." The Elder God Yuan could not believe it.

Even an ordinary Ancestral God, with the first stance of the Nameless Sword Art, the 'Heartsword Stance', could rival a peak Ancestral God. This was a realm of the sword!

"Go."

Facing the incoming sword, the Elder God Yuan did not block—he could not block. He simply looked into Ji Ning's eyes.

Whoosh.

A wave instantly assaulted Ji Ning.

A gray seed burrowed into Ji Ning's divine body, attempting to penetrate his soul. The gray seed made Ji Ning sense a faint threat.

"Bang!"

Heartforce Lock Soul!

After becoming a half-step World God, his soul had surged even more. Combined with the 'Heartforce Lock Soul Technique' passed down by the World God Beishan, it was like an extremely thick iron plate. The gray seed struggled to penetrate but instead collided, trembling as if about to shatter.

"Pfft."

Ji Ning's sword light did not pause, directly piercing through the Elder God Yuan's brow.

The Blooddrop Stance of the Brightmoon Sword Art!

Under Ji Ning's fastest and most penetrating strike, the Elder God Yuan's protective divine ability could not withstand it. His brow was pierced, his divine power finally exhausted. Under the unleashed might of the divine sword, the Elder God Yuan's truesoul was ground to dust, completely dissipating.

The Elder God Yuan was dead!

...

The void fell silent.

The Elder God Yuan still sat cross-legged, Ji Ning standing before him, a sword piercing his brow. The Elder God Yuan's life force had completely faded, but his face still bore a look of unwillingness.

Clearly, his final heartforce gamble... was still easily blocked by Ji Ning, leaving him deeply unwilling.

...

The Myriad Demonlord watched from afar, tears glistening in his eyes. He murmured to himself: "Huanmu, we won. The Three Realms won."

...

The mighty cultivators of the Nuwa camp—Patriarch Subhuti, Maitreya Buddha, Sun Wukong, Yuding Daoist, Kuafu, and others—watched from afar, staring intently, afraid their eyes were deceiving them.

"Dead. The Elder God Yuan is finally dead." Yuding Daoist murmured. "Master, the Three Realms are saved. Saved. We won."

"We won." Sun Wukong whispered. "Senior apprentice-brothers, junior apprentice-brothers... we won. Do you know? We won."

Some mighty cultivators could not help but shed tears.

We won.

Our Three Realms won.

...

In the distance, the avatar of the Demon of Slaughter watched breathlessly. Finally, seeing Ji Ning's sword pierce the Elder God Yuan's brow, and when the Elder God Yuan's life force truly vanished, he murmured: "Unexpected. One of the Nine Divine Generals, the Heart Divine General, died in a native chaos world. These natives actually won. Unbelievable. Truly unbelievable."