Chapter Fifty-One: The Young Are to Be Feared

This droplet of water, silent and unassuming, parted the air.

Hundreds and thousands of blades flashed into existence from within the drop, crossing the threshold from illusion to reality, unleashing a terrifying aura. The pressure descended, vast as mountains and seas.

It was nothing more than an ordinary drop of water.

There was no inherent mystery to it; only because the one who wielded it was extraordinary, someone who had comprehended the Great Way, turning the mundane into the miraculous, did it reveal such astonishing transformations.

The young man took a step back.

Light surged from beneath his feet, spreading outward like a radiant path, dazzling and brilliant, drawing everything in.

In that instant, time seemed to freeze. The countless blades fell silent, losing all momentum without reason, their assault completely stilled. Only at the blades’ edges did a cold gleam flicker.

The old ragged man crooked his finger lightly.

A hum rang out.

All the blades condensed into a single, exquisite golden drop of water. Its mass increased dramatically; a surging power poured forth, the void itself trembling, threatening to split apart under the strain.

It was just a drop of water, yet at this moment, it shone with the brilliance of a star, as if it could crush the very fabric of space!

“You know this technique as well, elder?”

The young man was astonished. He had already been moved when he saw the blades form from a drop of water, but now, feeling the terrifying pressure from the golden droplet, he could no longer remain calm.

He had to respond with utmost seriousness.

“Horse, I need to borrow a few hairs.”

A flicker of sword energy burst from the young man’s fingertips, slicing towards the snow-white, silky mane of the white horse. In an instant, a dozen strands were severed. Then, a brilliant white light erupted, weaving itself into a supreme celestial blade that pierced the heavens, its pressure roaring outward.

“Hm…”

The old ragged man narrowed his eyes.

Celestial radiance flowed over the sword, inscribed with the mysteries of annihilation, utterly indestructible—a single rune could cleave sky and earth.

Between the two of them, their methods were wondrous, beyond comprehension, as if they were wielding some extraordinary divine power, one fundamentally different from the mainstream cultivation system of the spiritual universe.

The horse shuddered in terror, immediately hiding behind the young man.

It was too frightening.

Whether it was the golden droplet or the supreme celestial blade, both possessed extraordinary might, enough to destroy great calamities. It was better to stay far away.

“I won’t take advantage of you. I’ll give you time to manifest your strongest divine form; otherwise, you won’t stand a chance soon.” The old ragged man spoke calmly.

The golden droplet, heavy and powerful.

After the old man’s casual words, its aura surged, golden light rippling within, dazzling and blinding, its divine power skyrocketing, the pressure it radiated growing dozens of times stronger.

“Very well.”

The young man’s expression grew grave. The old man was not boasting—this drop of water already far surpassed his celestial blade. If they clashed, the outcome would be beyond doubt.

Around him, three thousand points of light appeared, bright and resplendent, each holding a sacred artifact—a white jade tower, a halberd of heaven, a painting of mountains and rivers. All of them brimmed with divinity, as if evolving into gods, an extraordinary aura of the Way streaming from them.

“Three thousand worlds, gods intoning the Way. No wonder you seek to ascend the divine altar by these means…”

The old ragged man seemed momentarily lost in thought. The three thousand points of light were magnificent and unique, sparkling like stars. As they revolved, it was as if world after world was being born, perfectly aligned with the principle of the Way—an invincible divine form, limitless in potential.

“Young people are truly formidable.”

The old man, now uninterested, gave a flick—at once, the golden droplet dispersed, falling to the ground and becoming a simple water stain. It was, indeed, nothing but an ordinary drop of water.

“Elder, you are the formidable one. Earlier, you mentioned this is the Art of Manifestation?”

The young man gave a respectful salute, eyes bright with curiosity. This method was not something he had innately understood; rather, it was a wondrous law he had grasped during his travels along the Way in the universe of spiritual energy.

He did not know why, but even with only idle study, he made rapid progress in this art.

“The manifestation technique you practice is out of step with this era. Its mysteries are profound beyond words. The fact that you have reached this level through your own contemplation is proof of your talent. Continue, and you will achieve great things.”

“Oh, and by the way, the person you’re waiting for is already on their way,” the old man added with a smile.

...

In the shadowy realm of the universe.

Fengshang stood behind Da Jiuxing as the two traveled through a current of space, a luminous barrier bright and steady, shielding Fengshang from the dangers of the spatial flow.

The universe of spiritual energy was boundless beyond measure.

A great star system could stretch a hundred thousand light-years; not to mention the vaster starfields and cultivation domains. For long-distance journeys, there was no avoiding the miraculous power of the spatial currents.

The blue spatial flow, vast and unending, connected unfamiliar star regions. Traveling within it could greatly shorten otherwise immense distances.

“How much longer until we reach Star City?”

Fengshang, bored to the core, asked.

“Half a day more. Stop grumbling—this is already much faster than when we came,” Da Jiuxing replied with a smile, well aware of the youth’s temperament and his dislike for waiting.

“Can’t you just tear through the domain directly?”

Fengshang’s face darkened. Crossing domains by rending the void would be far more efficient, and with the old man’s strength, it would be child's play. Even Fengshang himself, though not yet at the proper realm, could manage it with the power of the Azure Cataclysm Talisman. Yet the old man refused, preferring to waste time.

“There are too many things in this world that are easily accomplished, and that makes them meaningless. The shadowy universe is wondrous; traveling through it broadens one’s horizons,” Da Jiuxing shook his head.

“Always so pedantic—eh?”

Fengshang rolled his eyes, about to complain, when suddenly a beam of pitch-black light, eerie and fierce, swept past, skimming the edge of the spatial current, nearly piercing their passage.

“Turn back—let’s see what that was,” Fengshang exclaimed in surprise, not having caught a clear glimpse of the dark light.

“It was an arrow.”

Da Jiuxing stomped his foot, changing direction and retracing their path by dozens of light-years. Though only a few breaths had passed, they moved at incredible speed within the spatial current.

Boom!

Fengshang stepped out of the spatial flow.

Just then, a great explosion erupted.

The black light shot into the remains of a celestial body, some sixty thousand miles across. The instant the arrow pierced its surface, the shaft burst into flame—black fire of annihilation surged forth, instantly engulfing most of the celestial remnant.

“Master Yulie is too powerful! His archery has attained the first true meaning of destruction. When the Jian Divine Realm opens, he’ll surely dominate, sweeping aside all his peers!”

A black-haired youth, with deep, penetrating eyes, no more than twelve or thirteen, strikingly handsome yet expressionless, held an ancient, black bow—smooth in shape, lustrous and dark, concealing unimaginable might.

At his side stood two men, their auras formidable, clad in armor inscribed with extraordinary runes—clearly not from ordinary factions—offering their praise.

“Slaying adversity? That arrow was his?”

Fengshang could barely believe it. The youth appeared to be his own age, yet had unleashed such a devastating shot, blasting apart a celestial body sixty thousand miles wide!

“Incredible. At his age, to shoot an arrow imbued with the true meaning of destruction…” Da Jiuxing frowned, his tone deeply impressed.

But most striking of all was the black bow in the hands of the black-haired youth!

That was a divine bow.