Drawing His Sword, Forging a Divine Ring

"The King of Demons? Do creatures like that really exist in this world?"

Inside the laboratory, beneath the brilliant white lights.

Dressed in white lab coats, Li Xiaowa and Qing Fengxi frowned at the pictures Jiang Yang had taken for them.

"And this."

Jiang Yang had also photographed the hexagram formation and sent it to them.

"The demon came out of this, but I feel that what appeared this time might not have been his true body."

"It looks like we have another mystery on our hands."

Li Xiaowa sighed.

"I never imagined there were still so many terrors in this world."

"Yes. It's hard to imagine that in our old world, before the apocalypse, not a single supernatural event ever occurred."

Qing Fengxi agreed. He studied the photograph of the hexagram formation, and a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through his mind.

"It seems we could draw on a formation like this ourselves."

"Oh, that's a good idea, Feng Xi! I think so too. If we figure it out soon, our strength could improve greatly as well."

Jiang Yang gave him a thumbs-up, unstinting in his praise.

His strengths lay in cultivation and combat. When it came to research, he really was no match for Qing Fengxi and Li Xiaowa.

"Heh, always helping yourself to the finished work."

Li Xiaowa rolled her eyes at him, then lowered her head to glance at the hexagram formation as well.

"It really does offer a lot we could learn from. Feng Xi, since you suggested it, you can take charge of this."

"All right, Xiaowa."

Qing Fengxi nodded with a faint smile.

Seeing Qing Fengxi nod, Li Xiaowa continued.

"I'll look for historical records about demons and see if there are any traces of them. I'll also pass the word to the other shelters and Divine Courts."

"Good. I'll leave all of that to you two. I'm going back to the Divine Court to cultivate. In this battle, I seem to have glimpsed the path to the third step."

Jiang Yang smiled faintly.

"All right, go on back. We'll get in touch if anything comes up."

After returning to the Kunlun Divine Court, Jiang Yang once again sat atop Kunlun Mountain.

In this spot, he seemed able to attain a better state.

An unbroken sea of clouds spread out before the peak, seemingly stretching to the ends of space and time.

The great sun rose in the east, then set in the west.

Ten thousand shafts of rosy light shone, and auspicious colors surged into the sky.

Jiang Yang recalled his battle with Samael. He had clearly felt Samael's strength at the emperor-rank third step.

That was why the battle had been exceptionally difficult for him.

But during the battle, Samael had indeed opened up a line of thought for him about the emperor-rank third step.

Within Samael's will, he had sensed an incomparably intense will of wrath and a powerful aura of death.

"Wrath and death?"

Jiang Yang opened his dazzling golden eyes and looked up into the void.

"I can learn from a demon's methods, but I cannot use them. How should I reach that step?"

Jiang Yang began to question his own heart.

At once, scenes from his life, starting from his birth, appeared in his mind.

There was his bewilderment and helplessness at the start of the apocalypse.

There was the mingled shock and joy of awakening when faced with danger.

There was the peerless pride of slaughtering his way through the apocalypse, undefeated in battle.

There were his stifled roars atop mountains of corpses and seas of blood, unable to hold up the falling heavens.

There was his resolve in the final battle to slay his enemies even at the cost of his life, preserving humanity's last spark.

There was the heart-wrenching pain of Ania being sealed in ice on the brink of death.

There was his joy after awakening in the new era, watching the world revive and living beings flourish.

Bit by bit, drop by drop, endless memories gathered into a sea, forging a steel longsword within his heart.

An indescribable power of will began to emerge around him.

It was his will, a supreme will to command the order of the world, maintain the workings of heaven and earth, and protect all living beings and all things.

With heaven and earth gathered behind him, he would tread the starry sky to strike his foes!

Golden flames also began to burn over his body. Under the influence of his will, a fiery radiance began to form, warm and gentle yet still domineering and searing, shining upon all things yet dazzling and magnificent.

Gradually, a faint Divine Ring appeared behind his head. Within it, a divine Golden Crow flapped its wings and cried.

Resounding, forceful blows against the void seemed to come from some unknown space and time, striking the newly emerged golden Divine Ring.

Clang, clang, clang~

The radiant golden Divine Ring gradually solidified, as though countless divine laws of fiery order were being bestowed upon it.

Atop Kunlun Mountain, the place where Jiang Yang sat was already shrouded in golden light and rosy mist.

All the Gods of the Divine Court heard that clanging, which continued for three years.

"Is King Jiang about to break through again?"

"Or has something gone wrong with his cultivation?"

The Gods all offered their guesses.

In the Goddess of Roselight's temple, Filiya clasped her hands tightly before her full chest, her eyes filled with worry as she looked toward the summit.

"My lord, I hope you appear again soon!"

Inside the shelter, Li Xiaowa and Qing Fengxi watched the image on the screen.

"Are you worried, Xiaowa?"

Qing Fengxi asked gently.

"Hmph, that guy didn't even say a word about something like this."

Li Xiaowa spoke with affected haughtiness, but her eyes remained fixed on the image on the screen.

"Honestly, you're worried sick, yet you still won't admit it. Don't worry. My guess is that Jiang Yang is making a breakthrough."

Qing Fengxi teased.

"Qing Fengxi, do you have a death wish? What would I be worried about?"

Li Xiaowa's slender brows drew together as she snapped.

"Uh..."

Qing Fengxi quickly shut his mouth rather than invite another scolding.

He knew that although Li Xiaowa seemed utterly disdainful of Jiang Yang on the surface, deep down, she had long regarded him as an older brother.

Heaven knew how happy she had been the moment Jiang Yang broke out of the ice all those years ago.

And wasn't he himself the same? With Jiang Yang around, having someone who felt like an older brother wasn't bad.

Atop Kunlun Mountain.

With the final hammering blow from heaven and earth, the golden Divine Ring behind the golden-haired deity's head abruptly solidified, becoming perfectly rounded.

Dazzling radiance blossomed without end.

At the same time, Jiang Yang opened his golden eyes, which burned with golden flames.

He stood, lifted his head toward the sky, and suddenly rose with his sword drawn!

"I, Jiang Yang, will not fail heaven and earth in this life, nor will I fail our Human Civilization!"

After speaking, he silently added in his heart, You alone have I failed, Ania.

The golden light atop Kunlun Mountain dispersed, and a deity with a dazzling golden ring suspended above his head stepped through the void, appearing before the Gods.

Noble and majestic, radiant with boundless light.

"This is my emperor-rank third step-forging a Divine Ring!"