After finishing their cultivation, the three had no time for intimacy.
Once we get through this crisis and return to Yunkui Summit, I can savor it slowly.
Arden thought with some regret.
Although Yixuan, Arden, and Ju Fufu all felt better than ever before, breaking through the encirclement of hundreds of thousands of Ethereals was no easy task.
That said, Arden was brimming with confidence.
After completing the [Charging the Master] task, Arden's attributes underwent a comprehensive breakthrough. The upper limit jumped from one hundred to one thousand, and the skill level cap rose from [Master] to [Grandmaster].
He immediately spent all the points he had accumulated. Combined with Yixuan's contribution, his attributes surged by more than tenfold in an instant.
After that, from the upgraded points shop, he exchanged for a manual called [Taiji Exoneration Demon-Slayer Mantra]. This was the signature technique of Yan Chixia in film adaptations, specifically designed to counter demons and evil spirits.
Under normal circumstances, cultivating a technique from entry level to Grandmaster would take quite some time. But one thing mustn't be forgotten—outside the Golden Light Barrier were nothing but moving bags ofexperience points.
So, Arden opened a gap in the Golden Light Barrier, letting some Ethereals in for leveling purposes. Ju Fufu and Yixuan stood guard beside him, ensuring his safety while he cultivated.
Once the [Taiji Exoneration Demon-Slayer Mantra] reached the Grandmaster level, they would break out in one decisive move.
"Hu Wei!"
"Yin and Yang give rise to one another! By decree!"
After cultivating the [One Dragon & Nine Phoenixes Art], Yixuan shared her attributes with Ju Fufu and Arden and vice versa. Not to mention reaching the Void Hunter level—she felt she was already touching the threshold of a breakthrough.
Meanwhile, Ju Fufu, after sharing Yixuan's attributes, also saw her strength surge dramatically.
The two guarded Arden on either side, clearing Ethereals and assisting him with leveling.
"Boundless heaven and earth, unleash thy might!"
Boom… crackle!
A palm thunder transformed into chain lightning, instantly reducing a long line of Ethereals to dust.
Even at entry level, the power of the [Taiji Exoneration Demon-Slayer Mantra] was evident.
And when the [Master] label on Arden's status panel gradually blurred, finally changing into [Grandmaster] in the next instant—
"Fufu, Shifu, fall back!"
Ju Fufu and Yixuan retreated behind Arden. He formed a hand seal, chanting an incantation.
"Spread thine heavenly nets under Yama's might, I draw thy Sword of Wisdom, to slay the calamitous blights, as they turn to dust and fade, I pray to you by law. O, Sovereign!"
This was the ultimate move of the [Taiji Exoneration Demon-Slayer Mantra]. If used together with the ancient divine weapon [Xuanyuan Sword], it would be enough to shatter heaven and earth. Although Arden used talismans in place of the [Xuanyuan Sword]—reducing the power by fifty to sixty percent—it still carried the might to cleave mountains and sever seas.
Under normal circumstances, Arden would never use this move. That he did so now meant his goal was no longer merely "breaking out."
He clenched his left hand in midair. Power surged through his entire body, converging into a golden blade that pierced heaven and earth.
The once-dim mine was instantly illuminated as bright as day. It was as if, at that moment, only this boundless golden light existed between heaven and earth.
"DRAW!"
With what looked like a casual swing—
Shhk!
Rumble rumble rumble…
The mine was split open by a single strike. Heaven and earth were cleaved into one line, and everything in the path of the Sword of Wisdom was severed. Even the Lemnian Hollow itself was torn open by this slash, leaving behind a massive fissure.
Through that gap, sunlight began to spill in.
Arden, Ju Fufu, and Yixuan stood bathed in sunlight. After a night of life-and-death struggle, they finally welcomed the dawn.
As for the hundreds of thousands of Ethereals that had surged in earlier—they had already been reduced to ashes.
...
The Lemnian Hollow.
Reinforcements rushed towards the mine.
Hoshimi Miyabi stopped in her tracks and looked up at the torn Hollow and the abyss beyond.
"A familiar power… it's grown to this extent already. Suppressing it now doesn't seem very realistic."
Zhu Yuan gazed toward the mine.
"Senior Qingyi, it seems we're no longer needed."
"I rushed along without pause, the path plagued by rampant Ethereals; the evening sun now hangs at heaven's edge, my long-held worry finally laid to rest… damn it!"
Qingyi recited an acrostic poem. Put together, it read—I arrived too late!
Astra Yao poked her head out from behind the ruins of a building. "I felt it… was that light?"
Seeing the crisis resolved, the shark girl flopped down on a large rock. "Mmm… can we go back now?"
...
Suibian Temple.
"Shifu!"
"Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother!"
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Daoist Arden looks radiant—he's clearly unharmed. More like… did something good happened?"
"..."
Sweety, along with Pan Yinhu, Ye Shiyuan, and the others who had stayed behind at Suibian Temple, all rushed forward.
Seeing the three return safely, everyone finally let out a breath of relief.
"Grandmaster Yixuan!"
"Thank you for saving everyone—for saving Waifei Peninsula!"
"Daoist Arden, Daoist Fufu—if not for you… my daughter and I would probably have already…"
"..."
The civilians who had taken refuge at Suibian Temple also wore grateful expressions, voicing their thanks one after another.
"The Public Security Bureau will arrive shortly. Let them arrange for the civilians to return."
Arden gave the instruction calmly.
With Bü Lu and a vast number of Ethereals eliminated, the Lemnian Hollow not only stopped expanding—it began to contract. Its scale was now even smaller than before the crisis began.
After all, Arden's single [Sword of Wisdom] had wiped out an enormous number of Ethereals. Since Ethereals and Hollows are mutually depended on each other, the Hollow naturally weakened and shrank once so many Ethereals vanished.
"Shifu, Fufu, and I need to get some proper rest."
As he spoke, Arden wrapped one arm around Ju Fufu and the other around Yixuan, strolling calmly toward the rear hall.
After unleashing such a powerful ultimate, he was also heavily drained and needed to recuperate properly.
"Hm?"
Yiji looked at the departing trio—Ju Fufu holding Arden, and Arden holding Yixuan—and couldn't help but show a stunned expression.
Ju Fufu was one thing, but even Yixuan Shifu…
"Could it be… the Master actually succeeded?"
Yiji formed a bold guess.
"Hmph! That guy knows how to deal with women. Escaping his grasp… it's not easy at all."
Sweety's voice came from behind Yiji. She stared intently at Arden's back, her tone carrying a hint of emotion.
With the crisis resolved, the disciples of Yunkui Summit handled the remaining matters and returned to Yunkui Summit together with Yixuan Shifu.
What they thought would be a return to peaceful days was instead met with multiple swarms of reporters. Judging by their momentum, Arden couldn't help but think of the Ethereals that had once clogged the very same mine tunnels.
No, even worse than that!
It made sense. A headline like ["Yunkui Summit single-handedly resolves New Eridu's extinction crisis"]—what media outlet could possibly ignore it?
Arden, who had hoped to get some proper rest, was disturbed daily by the noise. He even had the impulse to unleash another [Sword of Wisdom] just to return the world to silence.
Yunkui Summit had always punished evil and upheld justice, but this time, the crisis they resolved was simply too significant—it concerned the very survival of all of New Eridu.
Such an outstanding contribution not only attracted reporters and sparked discussion among citizens and online communities, but also drew the attention of all major factions.
TOPS wanted to ease relations with Yunkui Summit, and as a long-standing ally, Mayor Mayflower naturally intended to make a proper show of appreciation.
===BREAK===
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