The Clash of Titans

The battlefield stretched endlessly, a war-torn land of broken earth and shattered skies. The once-pristine valley that separated Void Horizon from the forces of the great sects had transformed into an arena of chaos. The ground trembled beneath the weight of thousands of cultivators, their spiritual energies colliding like storms given form.

The air was thick with the scent of blood and burnt earth. Cries of warriors echoed across the valley, steel clashing against steel, flames scorching the land, and formations weaving through the battlefield like ancient celestial scripts.

This was not just a battle for territory.

This was a battle for the right to shape the future.

And at the center of it all, two figures stood facing each other—Yang Yu and Lu Cheng.

The leaders of two opposing eras.

One, the last pillar of the old world, carrying the weight of tradition, dominance, and unshaken rule.

The other, the storm of a new beginning, a force that refused to bow, a flame that burned too bright to be extinguished.

Lu Cheng, the Sky Serpent Sect Master, sat atop his divine beast—a celestial serpent, coiling in the air, its silver scales shimmering like the surface of a frozen lake. Its golden eyes pulsed with wisdom and cruelty, exuding an aura of overwhelming suppression.

Yang Yu, by contrast, had no mount, no divine beast at his side.

He stood alone.

Yet, his presence eclipsed everything else.

His long robes fluttered in the wind, golden runes swirling across the fabric, responding to the sheer force of his spiritual power. His sword, sheathed at his side, pulsed with a deep radiance, as though eager to taste blood.

Lu Cheng narrowed his eyes. "You stand before me as if we are equals."

Yang Yu remained unmoved. "We are not equals."

Lu Cheng smirked. "Good. At least you recognize your place beneath me."

Yang Yu's gaze was calm, unreadable. "No, Lu Cheng. I am beyond you."

The First Strike

A single breath of silence stretched between them.

Then the battlefield exploded.

Lu Cheng disappeared from sight, reappearing mid-air in a blur of silver and black. His celestial serpent coiled and struck forward, its massive body slamming toward Yang Yu like a falling mountain.

Yang Yu moved.

In an instant, his foot touched the ground, and the entire battlefield trembled. Golden light erupted from his form, condensing into a single devastating strike.

Boom!

The moment his blade met the serpent's attack, the shockwave blasted across the battlefield. The ground beneath them cracked like fragile glass, splitting apart as waves of golden and silver energy clashed in an earth-shattering collision.

A hundred cultivators were blown back from the sheer impact alone, tumbling like leaves caught in a hurricane.

Lu Cheng's eyes flickered with shock.

Yang Yu had blocked his divine beast's attack with a single strike.

And then, Yang Yu attacked.

With the speed of a falling star, he vanished from sight—then reappeared behind Lu Cheng. His blade descended like the will of the heavens itself.

Lu Cheng barely had time to react. His celestial serpent roared, twisting its massive body around to shield its master. A wall of spiritual scales formed an unbreakable barrier.

But Yang Yu's blade did not stop.

Slaughtering Horizon.

A single golden arc slashed through the air.

For a breathless moment, all sound vanished.

Then—

The celestial serpent screamed.

A long, jagged gash split across its body, divine blood spilling from the wound. The sky itself seemed to shake as the beast recoiled, pain twisting across its massive form.

Lu Cheng's breath hitched. He reached out toward his beast, his spiritual connection straining under the injury.

Yang Yu stood a few meters away, sword still glowing. His attack had wounded a celestial beast with a single strike.

The battlefield went deathly silent.

For the first time, the great sects felt fear.

Lu Cheng's expression darkened. "So… this is what you have become."

Yang Yu's voice was steady. "This is what you refused to acknowledge."

The War Erupts

The moment their duel resumed, the battlefield ignited.

The armies of the great sects and Void Horizon clashed in full force.

Xiao Mei, her blade dripping with energy, led the charge against the forces of the Azure Flame Sect. With every step, her sword cut through the enemy ranks, her aura surging like an untamed tempest.

Li Xuan, ever the strategist, had set countless spiritual traps across the battlefield. The moment the Thousand Shadows Pavilion assassins tried to flank the Void Horizon disciples, hidden formations activated—trapping them in a maze of illusions.

Zhang Wei stood against three core elders at once, his fists glowing with earth-shattering power. With a single strike, he sent a grand elder of the Mountain River Hall flying hundreds of meters back.

The war was not just being fought with strength, but with precision.

The great sects had come expecting a chaotic, desperate fight.

Instead, they found themselves fighting an army that moved like a single, unified entity.

Their warriors hesitated.

And in war, hesitation was death.

The Breaking Point

As the battle raged, Lu Cheng pushed his power beyond its limits. His celestial serpent, despite its injuries, coiled around him, feeding him its divine energy.

Yang Yu, however, remained calm, composed, unyielding.

"You are already finished, Lu Cheng."

Lu Cheng roared, his power exploding outward. "I am the master of the Sky Serpent Sect! I will not fall to a mere child!"

Yang Yu's grip on his sword tightened. "That's why you lost."

With one final step forward, Yang Yu vanished from sight.

Lu Cheng's eyes widened.

He barely had time to react before Yang Yu appeared behind him.

A single, flawless golden arc slashed through the air.

Shatter.

The battlefield froze.

The celestial serpent—Lu Cheng's divine beast companion of centuries—collapsed.

Its body shattered into fragments of spiritual light, its presence erased from existence.

Lu Cheng stumbled forward, his body shaking.

His connection to his beast—severed.

His power—collapsing.

His will—broken.

For the first time, Lu Cheng, the great master of the Sky Serpent Sect, fell to his knees.

The warriors of the great sects watched in horror.

Their leader had fallen.

Yang Yu exhaled slowly. "It's over."

Lu Cheng's eyes, once filled with pride, were now filled with defeat.

He lowered his head. "You… are not just a cultivator. You are…" His breath faltered. "A calamity."

Yang Yu turned away.

The war was won.

The great sects had lost.

And now, a new world would rise.