Three days later, before the morning mist had completely dissipated in the Martial Training Star Domain, three hundred Vanguard Battalion had already formed ranks.
The golden Arhats of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Realm are clad in gilded armor, their Buddhist light and Dou Qi intertwining into dazzling orbs; the sword cultivators of the Sword Domain carry longswords on their backs, their sword intent sharp as frost, even cutting the air with tiny cracks; the cyborgs of the Mechanical Clan wield various energy weapons, their metallic bodies shimmering with eerie blue runes, exuding a cold, technological aura.
Xiao Yan at the front of the formation, his Heaven Burning Sword pointing diagonally at the ground, six-colored flames flowing silently on its blade. After three days of intensive training, this temporarily formed team had initially established a coordinated approach—the Arhat's Buddhist light was responsible for purifying the shadows, the sword cultivator's Evil Breaking Sword Qi was responsible for tearing through the defenses, the Mechanical Clan's energy cannons provided long-range suppression, and his Law of Flame was the core that connected all of this.
"Gentlemen," Xiao Yan's voice resonated throughout the formation through the power of laws, " the Shadow Clan's ritual is nearing its end. Our mission is to disrupt the ritual before they summon the unknown entity, buying time for the allied army to follow. Remember, we are the vanguard; we must unleash the full force of the heavens!"
"Show your might!" The three hundred men roared in unison, their voices soaring into the sky and dispersing the morning mist.
The white-bearded elder and several Sovereign appeared in mid-air, looking down at the Vanguard Battalion standing ready for battle, a hint of relief flashing in their eyes. The white-bearded elder announced loudly, "The alliance army has set off and will arrive at the outer edge of the Mist Star Domain in half an hour. Young friend Xiao Yan, I entrust everything to you!"
"Please rest assured, Elder!" Xiao Yan cupped his hands in greeting, then turned and shouted, " Vanguard Battalion, depart!"
Three hundred figures simultaneously ascended into the sky, transforming into streaks of light as they sped towards the Mist Star Domain.
Stepping into the Mist Star Domain once more, the shadowy aura in the air was even denser than before. Dark red threads were mixed in with the gray mist, the energy leaked from the Shadow Clan's rituals, which sent a chill down one's spine upon touching the skin.
"Activate the purification talisman!" Xiao Yan gave the order, and everyone simultaneously took out the talismans from their waists. After injecting spiritual power, the talismans emitted a pale golden light, isolating the surrounding mist from the outside.
The team marched swiftly, and the Vanguard Battalion swiftly eliminated any waves of the Shadow Clan scouts they encountered along the way. The sword cultivators' sword energy precisely shattered the Shadow Cores, the Arhats' Buddhist light purified the remaining evil energy, and the Mechanical Clan's detectors provided early warnings, all working in perfect coordination.
"Ten miles to the Shadow Rift!" the Mechanical Clan captain reported, the detector on his helmet flashing red. "A large amount of energy has been detected ahead, at least a thousand Shadow Clan cultivators!"
Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened. "Conical formation! Sword cultivators in front, Arhats in the middle, and the Mechanical Clan at the rear, follow me as I break through!"
The formations shifted instantly. The sword cultivators formed sharp arrowheads, their Dou Qi and sword intent intertwining into a dazzling blade of light; the Arhats formed a defensive array, their Buddhist light like a shield; and the Mechanical Clan set up energy cannons, their muzzles aimed forward.
"Rush!"
Xiao Yan took the lead, and the flames on his Heaven Burning Sword surged, burning a path through the mist. The Vanguard Battalion, like unsheathed swords, charged through the path and instantly collided with the Shadow Clan cultivators ahead.
"Kill!"
The sword cultivators unleashed their Evil Breaking sword energy like a torrential rain, each sword energy containing runes that restrained the shadows, easily tearing through the Shadow Clan's defenses; the arhats formed hand seals, their Buddhist light creating golden cages that trapped the Shadow Clan cultivators; the Mechanical Clan's energy cannons roared, their purple energy beams precisely bombarding the Shadow Clan's gathering points.
Xiao Yan charged straight into the depths of the Shadow Clan's formation, unleashing the Heaven Burning Nine Forms in succession. " Heaven Burning Spiral " whipped up a golden storm of flames, engulfing swathes of the Shadow Clan cultivators; " Heaven Burning Purification " transformed into a light curtain, purifying the shadow energy in the air; and " Heaven Burning Explosion " precisely bombarded the Shadow Clan's smaller leaders with stronger auras, each explosion clearing out an area.
The Shadow Clan clearly hadn't anticipated the Vanguard Battalion's fierce offensive, and their previously well-prepared formation was instantly torn open. They attempted to absorb the enemy's attacks with the Law of Shadow, but were countered by Buddhist light and Evil Breaking Rune; their attempts to erode the enemy's soul were purified by Xiao Yan's flames.
"It's that kid!" Someone from the Shadow Clan recognized Xiao Yan and cried out in terror—it was the remaining cultivator who had managed to escape from Soul-Severing Cliff.
Upon hearing the shouts, Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened, and the flame storm abruptly shifted, sweeping towards the source of the sound. Wherever the golden flames passed, the remaining cultivators were completely purified before they could even scream.
After half an hour of fierce fighting, the Vanguard Battalion broke through the Shadow Clan's first line of defense with minimal casualties and finally reached the Shadow Rift.
The sight before them made everyone gasp.
The Shadow Rift was even larger than the intelligence reports suggested, resembling a gigantic maw that could devour the heavens and earth. Dense shadow energy continuously surged from the rift, turning the surrounding mist a deep purple. On the massive altar before the rift, nine figures clad in black robes were chanting sutras around a black orb of light; these were the Nine Shadow Priests.
Within the black sphere of light, a blurry outline could be vaguely seen writhing. The aura emanating from that outline was even more terrifying than that of the nine priests combined, causing Xiao Yan's Heart of the Flame Realm to tremble violently.
"It's the ' Seed of Shadow '!" a knowledgeable Arhat exclaimed in shock. "Legend has it that the core of the Shadow Clan's essence, once matured, can give birth to the Shadow King!"
Xiao Yan was shocked. The Shadow King was a being of a higher rank than a priest, and it was said that he possessed power comparable to the Peak Supreme Realm!
"Stop them!" The leader of the nine priests opened his eyes, which flashed with a scarlet light. With a flick of his sleeve, countless shadowy tentacles surged out from the cracks and cascaded down on the Vanguard Battalion like a waterfall.
"Form a defensive array!" Xiao Yan roared, Heaven Burning Sword into the ground. Golden flames intertwined with Buddhist light and Evil Breaking Rune, forming a massive defensive light screen.
"Boom--!"
The shadowy tentacles slammed into the light barrier, causing it to tremble violently and countless runes to be annihilated in the impact. The cultivators of the Vanguard Battalion turned pale and spat out blood, but none of them retreated; they gritted their teeth and persevered.
"The ceremony is about to be completed; we cannot let them succeed!" A resolute glint flashed in Xiao Yan's eyes. He swiftly drew the Heaven Burning Sword, completely fusing the Law of Flame within his body with the power of the Heart-Clearing Jade. " Vanguard Battalion, charge with me! Target—the altar!"
He transformed into a golden streak of light and charged straight toward the altar. Three hundred cultivators followed closely behind, their divine light coalescing into a pillar that pierced the heavens and earth, tearing a gash in the shadow tentacles.
Seeing this, the nine priests sent four of them to meet them. Their Law of Shadow was even more bizarre than that of the previous priests. Some could manipulate the flow of time, some could create spatial traps, and some could create countless clones. They worked together seamlessly and instantly stopped the Vanguard Battalion's charge.
"Hold them back!" Xiao Yan shouted to the crowd, then bypassed the battlefield and continued charging toward the black orb of light in the center of the altar.
"Don't even think about getting close!" the leading priest roared, personally intercepting him. His Law of Shadow was the purest, and with a wave of his hand, he condensed a huge scythe, carrying the power to tear apart souls, and slashed towards Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan did not dodge; the flames on the Heaven Burning Sword shone brighter than ever before. He poured all his insights and all his protective instincts into this single strike.
" The Heaven Burning Nine Forms ·Final Style-- Flame God Break!"
This sword strike embodies the will of the Flame God, the legacy of the Old Ghost Heaven Burning, the lingering wind-elemental will of the Yun He, and his own understanding of protection. Countless phantoms of worlds emerge from the golden flames: the prosperity of the Dou Qi Continent, the vastness of the Great Thousand World, the chill of the Netherworld Realm, the Mystic Ice Realm... Each world is a home he must protect.
The flaming greatsword clashed with the shadow scythe, producing no earth-shattering roar, only silent annihilation. The Law of Shadow melted away like ice and snow, while the golden flames, unstoppable, instantly shattered the scythe and continued their attack on the leading priest.
"No--!"
Fear flashed in the eyes of the leading priest as he tried to retreat, only to find himself locked on by countless phantom worlds, unable to move at all. The golden greatsword pierced through his body, completely purifying his shadow essence.
Upon seeing this, the other five priests were greatly shaken, and the rhythm of their chanting became slightly disordered. The writhing speed of the outline within the black sphere of light noticeably slowed down.
"Now!" Xiao Yan seized the opportunity, his figure flashed, and he arrived in front of the black light sphere, stabbing down fiercely with the Heaven Burning Sword.
"Clang!"
The sword tip struck the sphere of light with a crisp sound, and countless black runes appeared on the surface of the sphere, blocking the power of the flames.
"Break!" Xiao Yan roared, pushing the Heart of the Flame Realm to its limit. The illusory image of the fiery mountain in the small world of his sea of consciousness overlapped with his figure, and his power surged once again.
Golden flames surged from the tip of the sword into the sphere of light, the runes sizzling and fading within the flames.
Just as the sphere of light was about to be shattered, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from the Shadow Rift, and an aura a hundred times more terrifying than before swept in!
"Who is disturbing my awakening?!"
A majestic yet malevolent voice rang out, and the black sphere of light suddenly erupted with blinding light, blasting Xiao Yan away. The outline within the sphere became completely clear—it was a figure clad in black armor with two horns on its head. With just a glance, Xiao Yan felt as if his soul was about to be torn apart!
The Shadow King has awakened ahead of schedule!
Xiao Yan was sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the rock wall, spitting out several mouthfuls of blood. He stared at the figure slowly emerging from the sphere of light, a feeling of powerlessness he had never experienced before welling up inside him.
This aura... has already surpassed the Supreme Realm!
"Is it over?" Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, looking at the Vanguard Battalion cultivators behind him who were struggling to hold on, a trace of despair flashing in his eyes.
Just then, a familiar fluctuation of laws came from the distant void, and countless streams of light broke through the mist and rushed towards this side—it was the army of the All-Heavens Alliance!
The Grand Elder's voice pierced through the turbulent energy, carrying boundless fighting spirit. "Young friend Xiao Yan, hold on! We're here!"
Xiao Yan looked up and saw twelve Sovereign leading the way, the Buddha of the Ten Thousand Buddhas Realm, the Domain Lord of the Sword Domain, the Valley Master of the Medicine God Valley... Countless familiar figures appeared in the sky, and the light of laws gathered into a dazzling sea of stars, which rivaled the aura of the Shadow King.
He gripped the Heaven Burning Sword tightly, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes rekindled with fire.
The battle is not over yet.
The real battle has only just begun.