After this peak strike—bolstered by the support of Universal Justice and the spiritual energy of his special state—was unleashed, even the pressure of the Golden Core level paled in comparison!
Under this single sword strike, a massive fissure in space was carved out, appearing as if it would swallow everything in front of it.
To everyone watching, it seemed as if only this one strike remained in the entire world!
In an instant, the terrifying sword qi descended upon the six Radical elders, followed by world-shaking explosions!
Faced with this strike, even the Golden Core Perfection Gu Yunxiao's expression changed drastically!
The six of them immediately summoned their artifacts and combined their strength to block!
In the blink of an eye, the two sides collided. A terrifying shockwave and roar erupted!
The very earth and sky vibrated violently under the impact. The buildings of Starfall City collapsed one after another!
One sword to shock the heavens!
Its power was world-shaking!
Amidst the massive roar, one figure was sliced in two and fell from the sky. The other five figures fled in a wretched state, leaving behind trails of blood that sprayed through the air!
With one strike, a Golden Core cultivator had fallen, and five others had retreated in shame!
And the one slain was no ordinary person, but one of the strongest Golden Core cultivators in the Qingtian Domain!
However, after this strike, Wang He's aura began to recede, and his face turned pale. He could only watch as the others fled.
"Junior Brother Lin Ya, I apologize for the fright."
After the battle ended, Wang He looked at Qi Ping.
"I am fine. Instead, I must thank Senior Brother Wang He for his assistance. Otherwise, I would surely have perished here today," Qi Ping said with genuine gratitude.
He was truly thankful for Wang He's intervention; otherwise, his loss would have been too great.
"This is what a wielder of Universal Justice should do. The sect should protect disciples like you. Furthermore, I should be the one saying thank you. Thanks to Junior Brother Lin Ya's inspiration, I was able to reclaim my original heart and comprehend the true Heavenly Heart Sword Intent. This debt of enlightenment is like being reborn. If you ever have a need in the future, as long as it does not violate my heart, I will not hesitate even if I must pay with my life!"
'The debt of enlightenment shall not be forgotten in this life!'
With that, Wang He—his sword intent still lingering and his aura still high—bowed solemnly to Qi Ping.
"Senior Brother Wang He, you overstate things. This was the result of your own talent and hard work!"
Seeing this, Qi Ping hurried to help Wang He up.
He truly admired Wang He.
Wang He's performance today was truly startling!
Qi Ping was fearless because he was only a Treant Clone, but Wang He's actions were entirely genuine.
To comprehend a Dao-Heart and fuse thoroughly with Universal Justice was something even Qi Ping might not have been able to achieve.
Universal Justice was the treasure that contained the strongest will of the Qingyuan Sect. Throughout the sect's long history, those who could truly complete a fusion with it could be counted on one hand, and they had all become legendary figures.
One who could fuse with the sword had to be pure of heart and possessed of great wisdom.
Wisdom without virtue is dangerous, but virtue without wisdom can sometimes cause more harm than evil itself.
With this enlightenment, a Nascent Soul breakthrough was within reach!
"Regardless, Junior Brother Lin Ya, just ask if you need anything in the future! I will not refuse! Furthermore..."
Wang He paused, his expression turning solemn as he explained:
"Please do not blame me for not using the source power within Universal Justice to slay them all. Such a result would have been a disaster for the Qingyuan Sect and the Qingtian Domain!"
He went on to explain further:
He had held back during his strike, not drawing upon the stored source power of the sword. He had only used the power of his special state and the inherent strength of the artifact itself.
Fortunately, combined with the Third Stage Heavenly Heart Sword Intent, the attack was enough to terrify the remaining five into retreating!
The Golden Core Early Stage cultivator who died was a member of Ye Yanwu's sub-faction, not one of the core members under Gu Yunxiao or the other Golden Core Late Stage elder.
The remaining five had clearly noticed that Wang He hadn't used the source power, otherwise they surely would have used their own treasures to retaliate.
If both sides used the source power of their treasures in a life-and-death struggle, the consequences would be something neither side wanted to face.
For Wang He, a civil war, the death of multiple Golden Core cultivators, and the destruction of sect treasures would mean the Qingyuan Sect was not far from destruction. His core goal was to protect Qi Ping and uphold the law by killing the culprit, not to destroy the sect.
This strike had already achieved his goal and had carved out a path of hope for the future of the sect and the domain!
For the Radical Faction, they also didn't want things to go that far. Losing their own Golden Core elders and powerful treasures, and then potentially facing the Sect Array back at headquarters... their foundation built over a millennium would be ruined. This was an unbearable pain for them.
Without those foundations, what resources would they have for their future cultivation?
As Wang He explained, the current situation became clear to Qi Ping.
"I see! Senior Brother Wang He, I understand!"
Simply put, if they truly crossed the line, both sides would likely die. Unless absolutely necessary, no one wanted to take that step!
Wang He continued slowly:
"Now, the most important thing is that we have hope to set things right. Therefore, I will request my Master and Elder Zong to fully support your cultivation and growth. You are the future hope of the sect and the domain..."
"The injustice the sect showed you and the benefits you were denied... I will make sure you get them all back twofold when we return!"
Wang He bowed solemnly to Qi Ping again, both in apology and as a request.
He knew that he alone could not turn the sect around, and a mutual destruction was not the result he wanted.
But Qi Ping was different. He felt Qi Ping's talent and character were both superior to his own; Qi Ping was the true future leader of the sect!
In his view, once Qi Ping truly grew and possessed the strength to suppress everything, it wouldn't matter if they crossed the line or not.
He estimated that the Radical Faction was waiting for a similar opportunity, such as Gu Yunxiao breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage!
Regardless, as long as one side had the chance to thoroughly crush the other while maintaining the sect's foundation, they would not hesitate.
Thus, the crisis of the sect and the domain had not been resolved. Qi Ping still needed to grow as quickly as possible.
Finally, Wang He took the storage ring of the fallen Golden Core Early Stage cultivator and handed it solemnly to Qi Ping.
"Junior Brother Lin Ya, consider this the sect's compensation to you..."
"Furthermore, I will fight for the contribution points for your defense of Starfall City, and I will make sure the exchange rights for the sect's treasury are fully opened to you..."