C20 Edge of Forever(last part)

One step felt as monumental as a mountain, unwavering and without regret!

"Whoosh!" A sharp sword qi slashed across his shoulder. Under the immense pressure, Chu Haoyun couldn't evade in time. Blood dripped onto the stone stairs, mysteriously seeping in and vanishing.

Barely steadying himself, Chu Haoyun managed to dodge the sword qi emanating from the stone walls. He panted heavily, the purple threads within his Qi Sea whirling frantically in his mind. A sense of heaviness washed over him as he rapidly organized the elementary force within, desperately seeking a breakthrough.

Persevering on the staircase for several minutes, Chu Haoyun began to falter. The energy state of the elementary force had shifted thousands of times until, at last, a transformation occurred, and he felt the pressure beneath his feet slightly ease. A wave of relief washed over him, and he manipulated the elementary force following this new energy state arrangement.

Once he adjusted, Chu Haoyun's evasion became swifter. Finally, he took another step and was now just one step away from the cave entrance. He paused, pushing the elementary force to its limit, and with the final step, his body felt impossibly light. The one thousand two hundredth step bore no pressure, and no sword qi assailed him! The deep cavern seemed to silently await its visitor.

Chu Haoyun exhaled deeply, looking up at the distant clouds. "It seems this is as far as I can go for now," he mused. "If the opportunity arises, I'm determined to reach the clouds and uncover their secrets."

After a brief moment of recuperation, Chu Haoyun entered the cave without a second thought.

Darkness enveloped him, an endless void. A dozen steps in, the light at the entrance dimmed until it vanished completely. Suddenly, the ground gave way beneath him, and he found himself in freefall.

"Huh?" An astonished, aged voice echoed in the darkness.

"Remarkable, to possess the strength of the eighth level of Body Forging and access the middle layer of the Returning to Origin entrance?"

The voice resonated around him, but Chu Haoyun, caught in his descent, paid it no heed.

Surrounded by nothing but darkness, Chu Haoyun fought to keep his racing heart in check, striving to find something, anything, that might save him. But soon, Chu Haoyun resigned himself to the stark realization that there was nothing but the void and his own plummeting form.

Time passed, and Chu Haoyun had no idea how long he had been falling. His body continued its descent into the abyss. With a slight frown, he reasoned that even a fall from the clouds should have ended by now. Yet, there was nothing but endless darkness below!

"Damn it! What in the world is happening?" Chu Haoyun muttered under his breath, his anxiety growing. As he reflected on recent events, a gentle force emanated from the darkness, caressing his body.

"Such a pure and potent elementary force!" Chu Haoyun perceived, his gaze sharpening. It was as if he had latched onto a lifeline, and he began to channel the elementary force within him, capturing and drawing in this external power.

Without realizing it, Chu Haoyun had become entranced by the sensation of freefall and had slipped into a deep meditative state.

Inside him, purple threads pulsed, pulling the elementary force from the outside into his body. The ethereal Glimmering Soul Orb at his core glowed softly. Mist rose and spread throughout his desiccated Qi Sea, and as the fog reached a critical mass, a second delicate purple ring formed around the Glimmering Soul Orb.

Suddenly, a torrent of power surged through his body, propelling his essence, spirit, and vitality to new heights. The sensation of comfort yanked Chu Haoyun out of his trance. Opening his eyes, he found himself seated cross-legged on a desolate expanse, surrounded by eight distinct Stone Swords, each towering about thirty feet high, their jade-like blades casting unique hues.

At the pinnacle of the eighth level of Body Forging, Chu Haoyun was just one step shy of reaching the ninth level. He noted the transformation within himself without much excitement and quickly turned his attention to the eight Stone Swords.

Rising to his feet, Chu Haoyun examined them closely. Each sword was unique: one as heavy as a mountain, another with an edge fine as a thread, and yet another curved like the crescent moon. The eight Stone Swords each exuded a distinct sword's will.

Lan Canghai had not provided Chu Haoyun with details about the Edge of Forever before his arrival. Perhaps he never imagined Chu Haoyun would manage to ascend the stone steps. Consequently, Chu Haoyun was entirely unaware of the challenges that awaited him at the Edge of Forever.

Sensing the awakening of the man at the center, the Stone Sword, as massive as Mount Tai, quivered slightly, unleashing a mountainous force that bore down on Chu Haoyun. Waves of energy scattered as the second Stone Sword, as fine as a thread, trembled and a sliver of cold light sliced through the air.

"Damn it! Flash!" In the face of imminent danger, Chu Haoyun's figure flickered, darting toward the gap between the eight swords.

Yet, as he drew near, a bizarre Stone Sword shaped like a crescent moon shifted position, blocking his path. Instantly, the weight of the first massive sword bore down on him, making Chu Haoyun feel as if he were being crushed by a mountain, while the cold gleam of the second Stone Sword loomed behind him.

Activating Flash once more, with triple the explosive power, Chu Haoyun arched his body back at a ninety-degree angle, narrowly avoiding the attack. The third sword, casting down light like moonbeams, seemed inescapable.

With a roar of fury, Chu Haoyun unleashed the elementary force within him, channeling it into his arms for a full-powered punch. A faint ripple spread through the air, creating a hole in the swath of moonlight, yet the force still drove him half a foot into the ground.

At that moment, the fourth sword, clear as crystal, flashed instantaneously. This sword, devoid of any presence or sharp chill, seemed to cleave through reality as it descended. Chu Haoyun, unable to evade, instinctively crossed his fists over his head. The Stone Sword fell without a splash, eerily passing right through Chu Haoyun's body and into the earth below.

"Hmm?" Chu Haoyun, despite feeling an agonizing pain, was perplexed to find not a single wound on his body. But before he could ponder further, the remaining four Stone Swords sprang into action—slashing, chopping, lifting, and stabbing in the most straightforward manner. The Stone Swords passed right through Chu Haoyun, the excruciating pain starkly evident, yet his body remained unscathed.

"An illusion? Then why can I feel such pain?" Chu Haoyun furrowed his brow as his eyes methodically scanned the eight Stone Swords. The sword force stirred once more, this time initiated by the transparent sword. A familiar sensation welled up within him, and after a brief reflection, Chu Haoyun's thoughts flashed to the sword qi inscribed on the stone wall.

"It's the essence of the sword's will!" Chu Haoyun's pupils narrowed as he braced himself against the blow from the transparent Stone Sword, a fresh wave of pain flooding his heart. Yet, deep down, he felt a sense of relief. To him, pain was trivial. No agony could ever rival the heartache he experienced back in Tharannora Village.

With his eyes slightly closed, Chu Haoyun immersed himself in the distinct sword's will emanating from the Stone Sword, even amidst the throes of pain.

The profound weight of mountains, the sanctity of moonlight, the enigma of the void, the sheer velocity of a flash of light.

The Stone Sword's attack patterns replayed continuously in his mind, and the elementary force within him shifted and realigned with rapid fluidity.

"Ming!" Abruptly, a resonant hum of a sword filled the air. The hefty Stone Sword quivered, sending visible ripples cascading into the unknown.

Shortly thereafter, the transparent sword chimed clearly, and then the slender Stone Sword...

At the Stormwatch Platform of the Order of the Celestial Veil's training ground, Sect Master Ouyang Tian wore a grim expression, mirrored by the elders standing behind him. On the vast platform, a man in white robes stood poised, while another lay defeated on the ground. Below, several Inner Sect disciples bore the marks of severe injuries.

"Mr. Ouyang, perhaps it's time to call upon your sect's elite disciples. These third level Returning to Origin weaklings shouldn't be paraded out to embarrass themselves any further," the youth in white robes said, flicking his flowing hair with a flourish, a gleaming smile in his eyes revealing pearly white teeth.