Backbone

Within the Wind Abyss Ruin Realm.

Nine great suns hung high beyond the heavens. A blinding red light suddenly lit up the Azure Nether Heaven, and the living beings of the world felt the majestic might of heaven.

It was a scene of world-ending destruction.

Immediately afterward, the temperature soared.

In the Myriad Dragon Marsh of the Southern Region, vast waves began to boil, and countless fish and shrimp floated up, their white bellies exposed.

Grass and trees burst into flame without a fire, and the mountain forests became a sea of flames.

Atop Sword Peak in the Central Region, the snow melted in an instant, unleashing mountain torrents.

"Th-that... what is that?!"

"Is that the Greater Yang?!"

In the capital of the Great Qi Dynasty, the people of the Wind Abyss Ruin Realm pointed at the sky in terror.

Nine crimson-gold Greater Yangs were being pushed slowly downward through the sky.

"No, those aren't Greater Yangs. They're flames! World-destroying flames that could burn an entire realm to ashes!"

Behind the flames stood a cyan tornado stretching from heaven to earth. Within it, countless wind blades sliced through the void with piercing shrieks.

Beside the tornado were towering waves. The cries of dragons and luan could faintly be heard within them, and every drop of water was as heavy as a mountain.

"It's an enemy attack."

"It's those cultivators from beyond the realm! Hurry, activate the kingdom's protective formation!"

"Quickly, go and summon the ancestors!"

In the Great Qi imperial palace, Crown Prince Li Tian's face was somewhat pale. But he forced himself to calm down, drew the royal sword in his hand, and barked an order.

Around the Great Qi capital, 108 pillars of heaven formed from the nation's might, Sword Qi, and national fortune lit up. The dynasty's golden fortune gathered into a dome of light that enveloped the entire capital.

But the dome quickly warped in the heat, creaking under the strain.

The Northern Region, the Great Yin Dynasty.

The aged Yin Emperor stood atop the city wall, leaning on his sword. As he gazed at the world-ending scene descending from the sky, his old face showed no fear. Instead, a trace of scorn appeared.

"Cangxuan scum, cultivators from beyond the realm... you've come, just as expected."

He slowly raised the imperial sword in his hand, and an overbearing sword intent surged into the heavens from its blade.

"Sons of Yin-"

"Here!" Behind him, three thousand armored soldiers roared in unison.

"Living beings of Wind Abyss, never surrender!"

"Follow me... to meet the enemy!"

The Central Region of Wind Abyss, at the summit of Sword Peak.

Jian Yiyuan, sect master of the Yuanming Sword-Playing Sect, stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in an ink-black robe.

He looked up at the tornado of wind and fire and the towering waves in the sky. There was not the slightest panic in his eyes, only pure sword intent.

"Master..." Behind him, a young sword cultivator's voice trembled.

"Afraid?" Jian Yiyuan asked calmly.

"This disciple... is not afraid!"

"Good." Jian Yiyuan slowly drew the longsword at his waist. Its blade was as clear and bright as a still pool, reflecting his calm face.

"Our Sword-Playing Sect was founded in this realm three thousand years ago. Every generation of our founding masters has proven the Dao through the sword. Today, cultivators from beyond the realm have come to invade. It is time to test our swords."

He turned to look at the three hundred disciples behind him.

"All disciples, heed my command."

"Form up and repel the enemy!"

"Yes!"

Three hundred sword cultivators drew their swords at once, their ringing cries resounding through the clouds.

The southern reaches, the Myriad Dragon Marsh.

Hundreds of flood dragons soared out of the marsh. At their head was Situ Ze, the flood dragon king, a thousand zhang long, with fearsome dragon horns and eyes like the sun and moon.

"Azure luan! Are you still not going to act?!" the flood dragon king roared.

On Azure Nether Mountain, the clear cries of azure luan rang out across heaven and earth.

The Azure Luan Clan patriarch spread his wings, their span blotting out the sky, as cyan wind-attribute Spiritual Qi swept in every direction.

"Situ Ze, the flood dragon and azure luan clans have fought for thousands of years, but today, our grievances are ended. Our two clans will fight side by side to protect our home."

The voice of Luan Tian, patriarch of the Azure Luan Clan, was cool and clear.

"Today, we will overcome this hardship together..."

"Luan Tian, I find myself thinking now that you aren't a coward after all."

Situ Ze swept his dragon tail. "Sons, follow me! Summon the wind and rain, command the great marsh, and drive back the foreign enemy."

Hundreds of flood dragons cast spells at once. Endless water vapor rose from the Myriad Dragon Marsh, forming a curtain of rain that covered the sky.

Luan Tian transformed into an azure luan and gave a long cry. Gang winds gathered high in the Azure Nether, becoming countless wind blades.

But all of it seemed so insignificant before the world-destroying Divine Ability unleashed by the combined efforts of thirteen Purple Mansion True Persons from Cangxuan.

The flaming stars had descended to within a hundred li of the barrier. Their searing heat made every living being in the Wind Abyss Ruin Realm feel as though they were inside a furnace.

Just as they were about to strike the Wind Abyss barrier.

A streak of sword light soared into the sky from the summit of Sword Peak.

The sword light was not dazzling. It was even somewhat dim.

But the sword intent contained within it shook the hearts of every cultivator outside the screen of light.

Pure, consummate, advancing without hesitation.

It was the true heart of a sword cultivator, the pinnacle of the sword Dao, a proud backbone that would break before it bent.

Jian Yiyuan stood within the sword light and slowly raised the longsword in his hand.

Behind him, the sword intents of three hundred sword cultivators converged, the dynastic sword momentum of Great Qi and Great Yin lent their strength, and the Demon Power of the flood dragon king and the azure luan poured in-

At that moment, the will of every cultivator and every living being in the entire Wind Abyss Realm gathered into this single sword strike through some mysterious means.

"This sword..." Jian Yiyuan spoke softly, yet his voice carried throughout the realm. "It is called the Sword of Wind Abyss, and also the Sword of Unyielding."

"It is the sword Dao inheritance of our realm, the gathered will of countless living beings."

"People of Cangxuan, please..."

"Have a taste."

As his words fell, he struck with his sword.

There was no splendid sword light, no overwhelming display of might.

There was only a plain, unadorned gray Sword-Ray, rising against the heavens to meet the world-destroying torrent.

Wherever the Sword-Ray passed, flames went out, wind blades shattered, and waves evaporated.

This was not one force crushing another, but a collision of Principles, a clash of wills.

Within that gray Sword-Ray were the Kingly Dao Sword Intent of the Great Qi Dynasty, the overbearing sword momentum of the Great Yin Dynasty, the pure sword heart of the Sword-Playing Sect, the defiance of the flood dragon clan, the proud backbone of the azure luan...

This was the resistance of a world's living beings, life's refusal to yield.

"A fine sword." In the Great Void, appreciation appeared in True Person Fengyi's eyes for the first time.

"An outstanding hero of his time, indeed." The Purple Mansion cultivator of the Ministry of War's Wang Clan nodded.

"What a pity..." The Purple Mansion cultivator of the Sima Clan chuckled, his voice cold and indifferent.

"No more than a mayfly trying to shake a tree, courting his own destruction."

Within the screen of light, the gray Sword-Ray collided with the world-destroying torrent.

There was no explosion, no thunderous crash.

Only soundless annihilation.

The Sword-Ray shattered inch by inch, the flames went out inch by inch, the wind blades dissipated inch by inch, and the waves evaporated inch by inch.

But with every inch of the Sword-Ray that shattered, the world-destroying torrent was worn down a little as well.

Ten breaths.

The gray Sword-Ray dissipated completely.

The longsword in Jian Yiyuan's hand broke apart inch by inch. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell from the sky.

Half of the three hundred sword cultivator disciples lost consciousness.

But that single sword strike had also cut away half the power of the world-destroying torrent unleashed by the thirteen Purple Mansion True Persons together!

The remaining half of the flames, wind, and waves finally struck the Wind Abyss barrier.

Boom!!!

Heaven and earth shook, and the sun and moon lost their light.

The entire Wind Abyss Realm trembled violently. Mountains and rivers shattered, rivers and seas flowed backward, and countless living beings were reduced to ashes in that one blow.

But the barrier was not completely broken.

The Wind Abyss Realm had held.

The image in the screen of light began to blur.

After a long while, Fengyi's gentle voice rang out in the void. His words carried a trace of respect, but also cold resolve.

"This world... has a backbone of iron, unbending and unyielding."

Deathly silence reigned on the receiving platform.

There was only the howl of Gang winds and the heavy breathing of the crowd.

"What a pity. The tide of events is such, and heaven's will is with Cangxuan..."

"All of you, enter the realm."

As his words fell.

The enormous screen of light dispersed, and the cyan gate of light suddenly swung open!

Beyond it was no longer a dim, chaotic scene, but a straight passage glowing cyan!

Inside were resources, wealth, and countless living beings of the Ruin Realm.

The remnants of the Azure Nether Heaven, beneath which nine blazing suns could dimly be seen hanging high, made it all seem especially cruel, but also stoked the fire in the cultivators' hearts.

To win merit and establish their names, to conquer in every direction.

At that same moment, within the Office of the Grand Zhongzheng of the Great Jin court, a white-haired old man stepped out of the void and stood in midair. His voice rang out in all directions like a great bell.

"The Wind Abyss Ruin Realm is open. This old man will reiterate the rules."

"Purple Mansion cultivators and those above that level are forbidden to enter! All shall join in killing any who violate this rule!"

"The contest within the realm is limited to ten years! On this day ten years from now, the passage will reopen for one quarter of an hour. Those who are late will not be waited for!"

"Rely on your own abilities. Your lives and deaths are your own responsibility!"

"Go!"

"Charge!"

"Fortuitous opportunities are right before our eyes!"

After a brief, deathly silence, all the Cangxuan cultivators on the receiving platform erupted!

Hundreds, thousands, countless Cangxuan cultivators swarmed like a plague of locusts, rushing madly toward the gate of light!