In front of the thunder-like soul force, the Thunder God's Meteorite Sword was like a bound serpent, writhing and thrashing.
Nie Li took a deep breath and stepped forward to firmly grab onto the hilt.
As Nie Li's grabbed the hilt, Thunder God's Meteorite Sword refused to yield, resisting with all its might, as if unwilling to serve a master beneath its dignity.
Nie Li took a deep breath, his fingers tightening around the hilt. The moment his grip firmed, an overwhelming resistance erupted from the blade.
A deafening "WOM!" echoed throughout the Heavenly Sacred Border. The sound carried an invisible ripple, pulsing outward with tremendous force.
The ripple shot through Glory City like a silent shockwave.
Sacred Family
Shen Hong, seated in quiet cultivation, suddenly clutched his chest. His soul realm trembled violently, and a sharp pain lanced through his entire being. He nearly vomited blood.
"Ugh… what is this power?!" His face turned ashen as he forcibly stabilized his condition.
The experts of the Sacred Family looked at one another in alarm.
"Patriarch, what's happening?" one of the elders asked anxiously.
Shen Hong's expression darkened. "Something in Glory City is shifting. This power… it is beyond Black Gold rank. Could it be…" His voice trailed off, unable to believe the possibility forming in his mind.
For months, he had been under immense pressure, not only from the City Lord's Mansion but also from the Dark Guild, which blamed him for failing to acquire new elixirs from the Alchemy Association. And now this? Something beyond his control was happening once again.
City Lord's Mansion
Within the grand hall, Ye Zong and several Black Gold rank Demon Spiritualists exchanged grim looks.
"Where did that sound wave originate?" Ye Zong asked, his voice filled with authority.
"City Lord, the sound wave was invisible and traceless. We couldn't pinpoint its source."
Ye Zong frowned deeply. A power capable of sending tremors through soul realms of Black Gold rank experts was not something ordinary.
"Could it be a Legend rank beast preparing to attack?" one elder suggested warily.
Ye Zong's eyes sharpened. "Regardless, we must remain vigilant. Summon all Black Gold rank Demon Spiritualists for immediate preparation."
All across Glory City, powerful experts who had sensed the sound wave were left bewildered. An immense force was stirring within the city, but none could determine its source.
Heavenly Sacred Border – The Core
Nie Li remained locked in an intense struggle with the Thunder God's Meteorite Sword. The blade vibrated violently, trying to escape his grasp, its overwhelming will opposing him with unrelenting force.
Suddenly, the A.I. chip's voice intoned within his mind:
[Beep! New item identified in the inventory! System reward!]
A flash of blue light burst forth as an ethereal orb materialized before Nie Li. The orb shimmered, pulsing with an ancient force. Before Nie Li could react, it shot into his chest, merging with his very soul.
His mind was flooded with knowledge—sword techniques, intricate sword arts, and powerful swordplay from countless ancient warriors. The world around him changed; within his consciousness, he could see a vast domain—a realm where all sword techniques flowed like an unending river, their essence at his fingertips.
The Thunder God's Meteorite Sword sensed this transformation and began to resist even more desperately.
Nie Li exhaled, his eyes glowing with newfound understanding. "You wish to resist? Then let's see if you can withstand the might of the Sword Realm!"
With a single thought, an invisible domain spread from his body. Within this space, the laws of the sword reigned supreme. The Thunder God's Meteorite Sword found itself bound within Nie Li's will.
The struggle continued, the mighty blade resisting for what felt like an eternity, but gradually, its defiance weakened. The arcs of lightning surrounding it dimmed, and the once-thrashing power within the sword began to kneel before the dominion of Nie Li's Sword Realm.
Finally, with a final pulse of reluctant submission, the blade stopped resisting. The overwhelming energy within it stilled, and the sword transformed—its brilliant glow fading as it took the form of a massive, ancient weapon, rusted yet exuding a silent, restrained power.
It had acknowledged its master.
Nie Li released a breath. He could feel it now. The Thunder God's Meteorite Sword had become an extension of his own soul. Though it appeared ordinary in its current form, he knew that with a mere infusion of his soul force, it would once again unleash its terrifying power.
He carefully sheathed the sword behind him and turned to see Ye Yan floating nearby, his ethereal form flickering with instability.
Nie Li's expression turned solemn. "Lord Ancestor, I have succeeded."
After a brief moment of shock, Ye Yan said, "I don't know what happened but I am gratified that you are fine."
Ye Yan couldn't help but reflect on the panic he felt when he saw Nie Li converting into a demon, "I never imagined you would be able to subdue the Thunder God's Meteorite Sword. I must admit, I was worried for a moment."
Nie Li smiled slightly but remained silent.
Ye Yan sighed, his gaze distant. "Now that the sword has found a master, my tether to this world is severed. I will disperse within a few days."
Nie Li exhaled a soft sigh slightly. "Lord Ancestor, maybe I can find another way—"
Ye Yan raised a hand to stop him. "Nie Li, my time was long gone. I have held on for far too long, watching over Glory City in the hopes that one day, a worthy successor would appear." He smiled faintly. "And now I see you, a young man with both wisdom and strength. I can depart in peace."
Nie Li clenched his teeth, he was largely unknown to this kind of trust from anyone. He had come to respect Ye Yan deeply. The old ancestor's love for Glory City, his unwavering devotion despite being long dead, was something Nie Li could never ignore.
"Lord Ancestor… you have sacrificed everything for Glory City."
Ye Yan nodded. "And I ask you, Nie Li, to do the same. Protect this city. It is more than just a home—it is a beacon of hope for the world."
Nie Li lowered his head slightly, then straightened with determination in his gaze. "As long as I live, Glory City will never fall. Families will rise and fall, geniuses would emerge and depart, but this city would stand."
Ye Yan's ghostly form shimmered, his expression one of relief. "Then my soul can rest without regret."
Nie Li watched as Ye Yan drifted away, he probably wanted to reflect on his life before he departed in a few days. The old ancestor gave him one last look before dispersing into countless tiny lights that vanished into the wind.
For a moment, Nie Li stood in silence, he could have never imagined beforehand everything that happened in Heavenly Sacred Border.
'A. I. Chip, show my stats.'
[Beep! Nie Li. 5-Star Black Gold Rank Demon Spiritualist. Demon Spirit- Shadow Devil, Abyssal Regal Lion, Tempestfang Dragon, Unidentified demon form. Physique: 4.1, Soul force: 5.8.]
"Peak Black Gold Rank, the harvest here has been bountiful. Not to mention my cultivation technique has stabilized and I got hold of such an amazing weapon as well as the reward from system, the sword realm."
Nie Li then looked around the heavenly sacred border, currently it still hold its previous prestige brimming with soul force but without the Thunder God's Meteorite Sword as it's core, the soul force here would soon collapse in a few days.
'I can use this to create another core but it would be an inferior version.' Nie Li closed his eyes to look at the hideous unidentified demon spirit in his soul realm, it was the accumulation of all the demon spirit remants absorbed by Heavenly Anarcy Cultivation Technique.
'Or probably I can use its energy to create a modified version of soul force gathering array.'
'A. I. Chip, establish task to use unidentified demon spirit form in my realm to create a spirit core and modify the soul force gathering array.'
[Beep! Task established! Estimated time to completion and modification: 2 weeks, 5 days.. ]
'I guess heavenly sacred border wouldn't exist anymore, at least I can give some form of compensation with a soul force gathering array.'
Afterwards, Nie Li made his way to Xiao Ning'er. He found her standing quietly, waiting for him with quiet anticipation.
Their eyes met, filled with unspoken affection, and for a moment, the world around them faded into silence. Nie Li gently took her hand, bringing it close to his face as a soft smile played on his lips. "You are really my lucky star," he whispered, his voice carrying both gratitude and love.
....
[A/N: All stats are always calibrated taking the realm itself as a denominator. Means in silver rank being 1.0 means being at 1 star, and at gold being 2.5 is at 2 star. I removed the tedious addition of soul force points from breakthrough to breakthrough, thats just too much work for no substance. The digit before decibel shows the realm while the digit afterwards is the progress. Going 2.9->3.0 is going 2-star to 3-star.
Ik all of you guys understood but had to explain just in case.
Also I couldn't update because I was travelling and I got sick twice in the last week. March is going to be busy for me, soon i will update about the chapter release schedule for all of my works.