"Fuxie, is it yours?"
"Maybe it is, but it probably isn't."
After that brief exchange, Fuxie flatly denied that the silver-white lotus had anything to do with him, though its aura was indeed very similar to his.
Fuxie's view on the matter was this: "It should be another Heavenly Sword, one similar to me. Let's get closer and take a look."
An Jing sensed the surrounding situation, had the others stand guard nearby, then made his way to the center of the aerial fortress.
The main structure of the aerial fortress had been completely shattered, molten crystals strewn everywhere. Only the floating array patterns were still operating. The entire Central District of the fortress had become a vast, uniform bowl-shaped crater of glazed crystal, reflecting dazzling colors. Along the crater's edge were traces of incomparably sharp Sword Qi, spreading outward from the center.
After sweeping his gaze across it, An Jing felt a realization stir within him. "This is a wave of Spiritual Energy spreading outward from the center. In other words... rather than remnants left after death or the result of self-destruction, this is more like passing away in meditation."
And that was indeed the case.
The silver-white lotus at the center of the crater swayed gently, but its source was already plain to see.
It was a sword, covered in rust and nearly broken apart.
It had long since decayed, embedded at the very center of the crater. Strands of Taibai essence rose in root-like shapes, supporting a sword lotus, while the corroded blade itself served as its lotus root.
Behind the sword sat a skeleton cross-legged upon the sand and stones, one hand propping up its chin and the other resting on its thigh, as though it were taking a rest.
The skeleton was withered white, yet