The arrival of the Raiden Shogun was nothing short of spectacular. Without relying on any magical artifacts or talismans, she stood suspended in midair, her feet resting upon the empty wind.
As the Yuehua Blade manifested in her grasp, an oppressive, ancient authority swept across the horizon. The swirling storm clouds that had blanketed the peaks suddenly fractured, and half of the daytime sky plunged instantly into a chilly, silver moonlight. A beautiful yet terrifying lunar glow conquered the afternoon sun.
A massive spiritual pressure erupted around her form. Her natural violet lightning, now amplified by the unique properties of the Yuehua Blade, transformed into cascading torrents of pure white energy. In terms of sheer presence, her weapon was absolutely a match for the legendary Zhu Xian Sword.
Standing atop the water-spewing water-kirin, Reverend Daoxuan stared at the sudden intruder, his voice trembling with anger. "Who are you? Are you another witch dispatched by the demonic sect?!"
"Hmph... this body represents the most noble lineage of Inazuma," the Raiden Shogun replied, her voice cutting through the tempest like cold steel. "My name is Raiden, the sovereign who rules over the nation of Inazuma. A mere mortal, holding nothing more than a well-crafted tool, dares to speak so arrogantly before me. Insolent creature..."
As she spoke, her aura surged beyond all measurable limits.
Boom!
The upper atmosphere fractured. The grand sword array generated by the Zhu Xian Sword suffered a devastating spatial impact. Although she was far from the borders of Inazuma, preventing her from drawing upon her absolute maximum strength, her current output easily blanketed hundreds of miles, trapping the entire sky within a simulated lunar eclipse.
The Ghost King and his dark cultivators watched the display, utterly paralyzed by shock. They had no understanding of what or where "Inazuma" was, but they had never encountered an aura so profoundly terrifying in their entire lives.
"Sect Master... who is that woman?" a dark cultivator whispered, his teeth chattering. "She feels even more monstrous than the old Daoist priest."
"How should I know?" the Ghost King muttered, trying to steady his breathing. "But considering she hasn't struck us yet, she might very well be an adversary of the Qingyun Sect." This level of power existed in an entirely different dimension; it was intimidating enough that the Zhu Xian Sword had been drawn, but now a sovereign of lightning had descended from the heavens.
The Shadows of the Peaks
While the sky was held pinned under the Shogun's absolute dominion, Hanachirusato and Yae Miko were actively moving through the mountain paths. Although this world was spiritually barren compared to their home, it still contained unique treasures.
Hanachirusato moved with a spatial artifact in hand, uprooting anything of value. Rare spiritual herbs, unique bamboo groves, and ancient crops were systematically swept into her domain.
Before long, she encountered a young girl dressed in sleek black robes resting along a mountain ridge. The girl stared back at her, her eyes wide with bewilderment.
"Oh, little one," Hanachirusato purred, pausing her harvest. "Would you like to accompany this sister to the celestial realm? Remaining in this place will likely result in your immediate demise."
"You... you are... a fox spirit?" the girl stammered.
"Hmph, you should address me as Lady Celestial Fox." Hanachirusato's golden eyes flashed with a playful yet chilly glint. She harbored a distinct dislike for being called a simple fox, which sounded far too beastly. Of course, Su Han was the sole exception to this rule; she actually delighted in it when he teased her. Only wicked women received his special affection, after all.
Hearing the cold edge in the spirit's voice, Biyao quickly bowed her head. "Forgive me, I meant no offense, Lady Celestial Fox."
"Mhm. As an apology, you shall accompany me to the upper realms. It is time to say a temporary farewell to this battlefield."
"Why? I cannot leave... my father is still down there!"
Hanachirusato pointed toward the roaring lightning above. "Do you see that moonlit sky? My sister created that. If you refuse, we will withdraw immediately and leave your father to perish alongside the foundations of this mountain. The Zhu Xian Sword has already been fully awakened."
Biyao felt entirely helpless. She desperately wanted to rescue her father, yet she shrank from abandoning her world. But the celestial fox gave her no time to deliberate. Biting her lower lip, she finally relented. "Fine... but you must ensure my father escapes this mountain safely!"
"Naturally. Come along, the grand performance is far from finished." Hanachirusato took Biyao's hand and soared toward the apex of the clouds. Reaching the upper atmosphere, the young witch finally realized just how terrifying a supreme entity could be. The woman commanding the infinite lightning merely raised her hand, and a distant mountain peak was instantly sheared in half.
The Destruction of the Array
"Strike!" the Raiden Shogun's voice echoed across the heavens. "You have but a single opportunity. Otherwise, under the toxic corruption of that celestial blade, your physical body will give out before you can even unleash your technique."
"You witch! I cannot allow an abomination like you to remain!" Reverend Daoxuan roared, his sanity slipping under the sword's influence. "Divine Beast, lend me your strength! Today, we must strike this monster down!"
The Water Kirin beneath his feet bellowed in response, channeling infinite elemental energy directly into the ancient Zhu Xian Sword. The old priest's face contorted violently as the spiritual gale ripped at his robes. His skin began to crack and bleed, unable to sustain such immense, volatile energy. Human limits were absolute; he had to unleash the strike immediately, or his body would shatter into dust.
"Witch, face the Zhu Xian Sword Array!"
The massive celestial blade shifted its trajectory, locking entirely onto the Raiden Shogun. A torrential rain of spiritual swords descended like a falling meteor shower, hurtling directly toward her position.
Biyao gasped at the sight from her vantage point. How could anyone evade such a flawless killing array? It seemed entirely impossible to survive.
"汇聚力量并非坏事,奈何你太弱了 (Gathering power is not a flaw, but you are simply too weak)," the Shogun stated calmly, her voice carrying over the wind. "Wielding borrowed power is entirely different from commanding a weapon that exists as an extension of your own soul. The sword in your hand possesses remarkable craftsmanship, but you are not its true master. You cannot unleash its genuine potential; you are merely squandering its stored energy. Dispersing your strength in such a reckless manner is the ultimate tactical folly. Still, in honor of your impending demise, I shall grant you a glimpse of absolute authority."
Ignoring the oncoming deluge of blades, the Shogun delivered a single, clean slash. Though she no longer held her traditional blade, her execution followed the exact same path of absolute severing.
The cold, beautiful power of lunar energy cut through the storm, instantly vaporizing the entire rain of swords in a single instant. The strike continued forward without losing an ounce of momentum, completely slicing the iconic central peak of the Qingyun Sect clean through.
The massive shockwave tore through the earth, splitting the terrain for miles. The display left the surviving dark cultivators frozen in absolute terror. No one dared to question her status as a sovereign of lightning now.
The master of the Qingyun Sect was no more. Under the weight of that singular strike, his failing body crumbled into ash, leaving nothing behind.
The mythical beast beneath him was caught in the residual sword-qi. A horrific wound tore through its hardened scales, causing blood to rain down upon the rocks like a torrential downpour.
The Terms of Submission
Turning her gaze toward the unorthodox forces, the Raiden Shogun watched as the dark cultivators shuddered, their hearts filled with dread. If this woman turned her blade toward them, they would share the old priest's fate.
The Ghost King, ever adaptable, quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply. "We thank the supreme sovereign for her timely intervention. If Your Excellency has any commands, we are entirely at your service."
"Continue your assault on the remaining forces of Qingyun, but refrain from indiscriminate slaughter. Simply dismantle their mountain gates and sect foundations," she commanded coldly.
"As you command!"
Realizing they were not her targets, the dark cultivators breathed a collective sigh of relief, throwing themselves into the offensive with absolute seriousness. They avoided unnecessary cruelty, but anyone foolish enough to resist was cut down instantly.
The Shogun descended before the bleeding Water Kirin. The proud beast snarled, attempting a desperate counterattack, but she slapped it aside with the flat of her blade, sending it crashing into an adjacent mountain peak.
"Submit or perish. Choose your path," she stated, looking down at the creature. "If you choose death, the remains of this sect shall become your burial ground."
Covered in wounds, the ancient beast finally lowered its proud head to the earth. It valued its pride, but the woman before it possessed an unbendable, terrifying strength. Persistence meant execution. With the beast subdued, the Shogun withdrew to a scenic cliffside, quietly admiring the foreign landscape. Her part of the mission was complete; the rest lay with Yae Miko and the others.
On a nearby ridge, Hanachirusato looked down at the young girl beside her. "Well? Do you yield to your new reality?"
"I do," Biyao whispered. Her father was safe and victorious. Even if she resisted, what could she possibly achieve against entities of this caliber?
The Collapse of the Ancestral Hall
Meanwhile, inside the quiet Ancestral Hall, the atmosphere was suffocating. Having witnessed the sudden downfall of their Sect Master through their spiritual senses, the remaining elders were paralyzed by grief and fear.
To make matters worse, the old monk, Master Puhong, chose this exact moment to confess the truth behind the tragedy of Grass End Village.
Hearing the reality of how his parents and his entire village were slaughtered by the very hands he believed to be his saviors, Zhang Fan felt his heart shatter into a thousand jagged pieces. For years, he had endured immense suffering and kept secrets to protect the people who had butchered his life.
"记录在册的真理竟是谎言... (The truths recorded are nothing but lies...)" Zhang Fan murmured, his eyes turning blood-red. "You people claim to represent righteousness, yet you treat mortal lives like insects. You brand demons as monsters, but I see no difference between your righteousness and the absolute depths of evil!"
Zhang Fan's consciousness snapped, collapsing into total madness. Malice and thick black energy erupted from his form, terrifying the surrounding disciples as he succumbed to demonic deviation.
"Calm down, boy!" an elder shouted, drawing his weapon.
"Calm down?! How can I calm down?! You are all liars! You are monsters! My home was utterly annihilated by your hands!" he roared, the darkness within him billowing outward in violent waves.
Right at that moment, a frantic disciple burst into the hall, his face pale with sorrow. "Elders, a catastrophe has occurred! The Sect Master has been slain by a violet-haired woman! The ancient Zhu Xian Sword has fallen into the abyss, and the Divine Beast has been subdued, forced into a spiritual collar by the enemy!"
"What?!" the crowd gasped, their defenses crumbling.
A Qingyun elder turned his glaring eyes toward the darkening form of Zhang Fan, his voice laced with venom. "We have no time to waste on this boy! The sect is on the verge of ruin. We must eliminate this demonic seed immediately before turning our attention to the invaders outside!"
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