The Finger Descends

The Finger Descends...

As he extended his finger downward, the sword qi in the vicinity converged, forming a sword-type constellation in the sky ahead. Everything beneath him became shrouded in an endless torrent of sword intent.

It seemed as though with a mere thought, Qin Wentian could obliterate anything in his path.

The Chen Clan's clan lord, along with Jun Yu and the other Ascendants, wore expressions of utter dread as they gazed up at Qin Wentian.

Spectators from afar were equally astounded. Qin Wentian, who had taken the form of the great roc, had now transformed back into a human. With a mere finger pointed downward, his sword could vanquish immortals. Even Celestial Phenomenon Ascendants wouldn't dare to act recklessly.

"Such power, can you even control it? Persist, and you'll unquestionably die," the Pill Emperor and Jun Yu exchanged glances, their expressions stiffening as they focused on Qin Wentian. "This sword art, even if you deplete all your vast demonic divinity energies, you still won't have enough power to wield it."

Jun Yu, a well-traveled individual with vast experience, had encountered numerous experts and witnessed battles among those at the pinnacle of Celestial Phenomenon.

The might of the sword art Qin Wentian was employing was undeniably terrifying. To harness the power of the heavens, he had to pay with his own life force as the cost of executing this art. If his energy fell short, death was the only outcome.

In fact, Jun Yu's assessment was accurate. The Immortal Vanquishing Swordplay was not something Qin Wentian could execute at his current level. Even though he had only mastered the simplest first stance of the swordplay, it remained beyond his current capabilities. Apart from burning his energy and life force as fuel, he had to be unwaveringly focused. The slightest error could result in his own death, even before he unleashed the strike.

"What of it? Killing you is not an issue."

Qin Wentian slowly descended in mid-air. With every step he took, the sword intent in the surroundings surged and roiled, while his outstretched finger seemed capable of unleashing the full might of the Immortal Vanquishing Swordplay. He poured all his concentration and focus into that finger.

At this moment, Qin Wentian fixed his gaze on Jun Yu, causing Jun Yu's countenance to darken with a mixture of fear and anger. He was being threatened by a mere Heavenly Dipper Sovereign.

"Dare you kill me?" Jun Yu spat out coldly.

Qin Wentian took another step downward. The image of the primordial great roc that had previously appeared behind him was now fading away. The divine and astral energy in his Yuanfu was frantically drawn into a vortex, alongside the power of his bloodline.

Once again, his finger pressed downward, and the towering sword intent surrounding him surged. An immortal-slaying sword materialized from the sword intent, its tip aimed directly at Jun Yu.

"I promise you this. If you dare to make a move, or even utter a single word, I will end your life."

Qin Wentian articulated his words slowly, his killing intent erupting. Jun Yu's lips quivered with impotent rage as he glared at Qin Wentian, his own killing intent raging like a tempest. Yet, he didn't dare to utter a word.

He understood that if he pushed Qin Wentian too far, the young man had the capability to end his life.

What standing did Jun Yu hold? Who in all of Grand Xia would dare to show disrespect to him? Even the Chen Clan's Ancestor and Old Man Tianji were inconsequential in his eyes.

Yet here he was, at Qin Wentian's mercy, told to shut his mouth or else.

But Qin Wentian had yet to make his move.

It was as if he was waiting for something. He had burned through every resource he could muster, sacrificing everything to gather enough energy for the impending strike, yet he hadn't launched it.

From a distance, an intense energy fluctuation approached. Experts from the Pill Emperor Hall and the Chen Clan turned their attention to seven armored figures speeding toward them.

"Are those puppets?" someone observed as the seven silhouettes neared. In the blink of an eye, the puppets arrived.

Seven puppets formed a line, each facing a different direction, with the central one appearing to lead the others.

Suddenly, a burst of radiant light filled the air. Stars in the sky shifted as an icy, frigid intent permeated the surroundings. A constellation of ice and snow materialized above the seven puppets.

A surge of freezing energy shot forth, with the seven puppets at its core. The entire region turned into an icy wasteland, so bone-chillingly cold that even spectators from a distance shivered.

Astral light erupted as the seven puppets vanished and reappeared in front of the Chen Clan's clan lord. A brilliant sword beam descended with tremendous force.

In an instant, the Icesnow Constellation rearranged itself, forming a new sword-type constellation with seemingly shape-shifting abilities.

The clan lord of the Chen Clan frowned and countered with a palm strike, conjuring a massive lava fire monument that swung upwards to meet the descending sword.

"BOOOM!" At the point of impact, the lava fire monument shattered. The central puppet among the seven constantly rotated, with each rotation birthing a new constellation.

This time, a blood-red constellation emerged. Simultaneously, the seven puppets extended their hands, conjuring an enormous palm imprint dripping with blood's malevolent aura. The world seemed to freeze as the colossal blood-red palm descended from the heavens. The clan lord's face drained of color as he attempted to evade, but before he could react, the darkish fumes from the blood-colored palm had already infiltrated his body, causing his astral energy to reverse.

"Poison," the Chen Clan's clan lord quivered involuntarily. What kind of monstrous puppets were these seven?

However, at this moment, Old Man Tianji's eyes lit up with a sharp glint.

"The Royal Tomb, guardian puppets."

The seven slaughter puppets had actually appeared. Had someone discovered the hidden location of ancient Grand Xia's royal tomb?

The three Ascendants from the Pill Emperor Hall sensed that something was amiss. It appeared that the arrival of the seven puppets was precisely what Qin Wentian had been waiting for. Initially, they had contemplated taking action, but as Qin Wentian's sword intent enveloped them, they sensed its instability. If Qin Wentian's focus wavered for even a second, the sword intent would disperse. But they couldn't be certain that Qin Wentian wouldn't seize that opportunity to eliminate them.

"Try moving and find out. I will kill him," Qin Wentian declared, his voice as icy as his intent. The three Ascendants from the Pill Emperor Hall obediently floated in the air like statues, not daring to make a single move.

Jun Yu was the Pill Emperor Hall's hope.

This unexpected turn of events was beyond their wildest imagination. The three Ascendants from the Pill Emperor Hall were now captives, all because of Qin Wentian. Meanwhile, Fairy Qingmei and the two other Ascendants from the Mystic Moon Sect were holding the Chen Clan Ancestor at bay.

Presently, the seven newly arrived puppets operated in perfect harmony, acting as a single force that pressed down on the Chen Clan's lord.

As this scene unfolded, the experts from the Great Solar Chen Clan lost their previous air of arrogance, now replaced with expressions of nervousness and anxiety. They were witnessing a calamity brewing. The Chen Clan had already lost one Ascendant, and now their clan lord was on the brink. If they were to lose another Ascendant, the Chen Clan's status would undoubtedly plummet.

"Puchi!"

In the midst of this, a soft sound resonated. Streaks of red emerged in the air. Blood began to trickle from Qin Wentian's wounds as his body was lacerated by the sword qi.

Many squinted at this sight. It was apparent that Qin Wentian was struggling to control the Immortal Vanquishing Swordplay. He was reaching his limits; if he continued enduring without an outlet, death would be inevitable.

Qin Wentian, however, refused to release the pent-up sword might. He maintained his intense focus on Jun Yu.

His actions were mad, utterly insane. They reminded onlookers of his previous madness when he dragged the demon sword for ten thousand miles to split apart the Pill Emperor Hall. If he could dare such madness back then, there was no reason he couldn't muster it now.

The driving force behind this recklessness was simply because he was Qin Wentian. When it came to matters he deemed essential, no one could waver his resolve.

It was courage, determination – a resolute strength that refused to yield.

"Puchi!"

The sword intent continued to pierce Qin Wentian's body, yet his outstretched finger remained steadfast, pointed directly at Jun Yu. Under these circumstances, how could Jun Yu dare to move?

Seeing Qin Wentian's unyielding determination, the three Ascendants from the Pill Emperor Hall could only stand by him. They could overpower him, but they knew that in the instant of his death, Qin Wentian would still have enough time to slay one of them. And if Jun Yu fell, the Pill Emperor Hall's prominence in Grand Xia would be forever extinguished.

Fear gripped them, particularly the Pill Emperor and the ancient elder. Qin Wentian had left a lasting mark on them with his past actions.

Thus, they chose to avoid the risk. They had to consider Jun Yu's safety above all else. How could he die here, an insignificant death? He represented hope and the future for the Pill Emperor Hall.

Their hearts quivered with anxiety. They'd rather maintain the current situation. The Chen Clan's Ascendants were expendable to them; what did it matter if they perished? As long as Jun Yu remained safe, a new beginning was possible.

Self-interest guided their choices. It was similar to the past when Jun Yu emerged – the alliance between the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan, Jiang Clan, and the Mystic Moon Sect crumbled as the Ouyang Aristocrat Clan prioritized their own interests. If Qin Wentian's forces fell in the battle, so be it. Their safety was paramount. There was no absolute right or wrong; it was merely the law of the natural world.

Meanwhile, the Chen Clan's lord was in dire straits. The seven slaughter puppets ascended into the sky, radiating brilliant light. The constellations they projected shifted and morphed repeatedly, overwhelming the clan lord with their ever-changing assaults.

"Clan lord..." Chen Fan's face turned an ashy shade as he watched the unfolding spectacle in the sky. He despised the fact that he wasn't an Ascendant, leaving him with no way to partake in this colossal battle. All he could do was watch from the sidelines.

Glancing back at the Chen Ancestor, it was evident that even the Chen Ancestor was facing challenges. His attacks were relentless and ferocious, yet Fairy Qingmei and the two other Ascendants clung to him, matching him blow for blow. With a furious roar, the Chen Ancestor finally resorted to the Stellar Transposition technique, teleporting to the area where the Chen Clan's lord was located. Meanwhile, Fairy Qingmei and the other two Ascendants converged with the seven slaughter puppets.

"What in the world are these things?" Staring at the ever-shifting constellations in the sky, the sun behind the Chen Ancestor blazed even brighter as fiery rays shot toward the puppets.

"Ice Seal."

An icy voice rang out as the Icesnow Constellation reappeared, freezing the entire space.

"Arctic Underworld."

The leader of the Mystic Moon Sect acted swiftly, her Arctic Underworld Constellation transforming into an Arctic Domain that blanketed the area. The space became a frozen world, sealed by ice upon merging with the Icesnow Constellation.

"Pu!"

In another direction, numerous wounds appeared on Qin Wentian's body, his shirt now completely soaked in red. Spectators couldn't believe their eyes. Was he fearless of death, charging onward like this?

Even Old Man Tianji stared at Qin Wentian. Such unwavering determination was a rare sight.

"Swish!"

Finally, Qin Wentian's outstretched finger thrust forward. In that instant, the sword energy circulating in the region converged onto the tip of his finger, forming spirals.

As the finger descended, millions upon millions of swords emitted an eerie hum, vibrating the void. The sword energy's fluctuations consumed everything in the vicinity. Even if an immortal had appeared, they would have been vanquished by the sheer power of this strike.

Jun Yu paled with fear. He finally reacted, producing a peculiar bead that shattered into fragments. An astral river suddenly materialized in mid-air, enveloping him protectively. At that moment, he keenly felt the specter of death looming over him, forcing him to utilize a precious life-saving treasure bestowed upon him by his master. Although this defensive item would shield him from death, he had squandered an invaluable magical treasure.

Qin Wentian would undoubtedly pay the price for this.