127: despair? The sword opens... the gate of heaven!

Trial Tower.

Mo Fan stared blankly at the guardian Magic Array, which was swaying precariously in mid-air.

“It doesn't look like it can last much longer…”

He focused and cast an Appraisal Technique.

“It can only last for another fifteen minutes at most…”

According to the information displayed by the Appraisal Technique,

Maintaining its current state,

The guardian Magic Array of Yuxu Academy can only last for another fifteen minutes at most.

This timeframe includes the time Sect Head Gu Qingshan desperately fought for by operating the Supreme treasure.

If Sect Head Gu Qingshan falls first, the guardian Magic Array will soon be breached.

“Once the guardian Magic Array is breached, if the great demon Candle Heaven wants to go on a killing spree, it could probably flatten Yuxu Academy with a single strike.”

“At that time, besides those with destiny and those in the Guiyuan Realm who might have a chance to live, everyone else would probably die instantly…” Thinking of this, Mo Fan rubbed his temples.

“Good thing Yingying went out, otherwise—”

At the same time, Li Zhining, who was beside him, trembled slightly. While desperately circulating the Basic Body Tempering Art in reverse, he muttered:

“The Academy will be fine. The guardian Magic Array's killing array hasn't been activated yet. Once it is, that great demon won't have a chance to live…”

Mo Fan didn't refute him, only nodded and said, “Let's hope so.”

Through the appraisal information, Mo Fan knew that there was a problem with the guardian Magic Array's killing array, and it couldn't be activated for a while.

The killing array is the most core part of the guardian Magic Array.

To repair it would require a great deal of manpower and resources, which couldn't be done in a short time.

“It's not 'let's hope so,' it's 'it will definitely be fine!'”

Li Zhining's eyes widened slightly, and he said with a firm expression:

“Yuxu Academy has a Legacy of three to four thousand years and has encountered countless crises, but each time it has successfully pulled through.

“This time will certainly be no exception.

“In the era before Spiritual Qi's resurgence, Yuxu Academy has always been a martial arts Holy Land. Over thousands of years, it has accumulated countless foundations.

“Junior Brother Mo, you must believe in the Academy; it will be fine!”

Li Zhining comforted himself and also Mo Fan:

“Junior Brother Mo, you don't have to worry. If the Demon Race enters our Human Race territory, there is only a dead end for them.

“Even if Yuxu Academy cannot resist, powerhouses from other Human Race forces will rush to rescue us.

“Perhaps a Supreme Being is already on their way. As long as we hold on for a little longer, victory will be ours!”

Mo Fan nodded: “Yes, as long as we hold on for a little longer, victory will be ours!”

At this moment, he also saw that Li Zhining's state was somewhat off, so he could only agree with him.

In reality, so much time had passed.

The fact that Human Race powerhouses hadn't arrived yet already indicated a problem.

The Human Race was being held back.

“Junior Brother, let's continue to circulate the Basic Body Tempering Art in reverse, contributing more power to the guardian Magic Array. As long as we hold on for a little longer, victory will belong to us!”

Li Zhining closed his eyes slightly, concentrating on circulating the Basic Body Tempering Art in reverse.

However, soon, he spat out a large mouthful of blood with a 'wah,' his face as pale as paper, and his expression instantly withered.

His limbs twitched a few times, and with deep unwillingness, he fainted with his eyes open.

Under the excessive load, even Li Zhining, who was at Transcendence Realm fifth-level, had reached his limit.

He had been circulating the Basic Body Tempering Art in reverse with all his might, holding nothing back.

In this extreme state, energy could not be converted easily, and his Qi Sea would quickly deplete.

With insufficient supply of Transcendence Realm secret power, his body couldn't bear it, and he naturally fainted.

Seeing this, Mo Fan could only sigh silently, reaching out to close Li Zhining's eyes.

His special Qi Sea meant he didn't have to worry about collapsing from exhaustion.

However, even Li Zhining, a Transcendence Realm cultivator, had fainted, which indicated that even if others weren't as extreme as him, they wouldn't last much longer.

Especially the Disciples with lower cultivation, whose accumulated energy was not much to begin with, would exhaust it in a short time.

In this way, fainting was only a matter of time.

Once Yuxu Academy Disciples fainted on a large scale, the defensive power of the guardian Magic Array would weaken.

At that time, Sect Head Gu Qingshan would need to fight even more desperately to maintain the current state, and the breach of the Magic Array would not be far off.

“Is there no other way?

“Yuxu Academy has been passed down for so many years, does it not have any other trump cards?”

Mo Fan muttered to himself.

However, just then, a cold voice rang in his ear.

“Do not despair. As long as you have faith, there is still a chance.”

Mo Fan was startled and looked up to see Liu Xiyan, with her silver hair, descending from the sky.

“Elder? Why are you here?”

Liu Xiyan didn't waste words and went straight to the point: “You have mastered the complete Sword Nurturing Art?”

Upon hearing this, Mo Fan couldn't help but be startled, his mind filled with countless thoughts, and finally he said:

“I don't know if it's complete or not, but I did comprehend the Sword Nurturing Art from the stone tablet in the Sword Pavilion's backyard.”

Liu Xiyan was startled and asked, “Was Xu Jing's Sword Nurturing Art taught by you?”

Mo Fan nodded: “Yes.”

Liu Xiyan was startled, took a deep breath, her eyes shimmering with light, her body trembling slightly, and quickly said, “Teach me.”

“Huh?” Mo Fan was taken aback.

“Teach me. I owe you a favor. Whatever conditions you have, as long as I can do it, and as long as it doesn't harm the interests of the Academy and the Human Race, I will agree,” Liu Xiyan said solemnly.

Mo Fan shook his head: “The Sword Nurturing Art was originally comprehended by me from the stone tablet in the Sword Pavilion's backyard. It is only right for me to return it to the Elder, you don't need to do anything for me.”

Liu Xiyan was startled and looked at Mo Fan deeply.

She didn't act coy, quickly saying, “Then let's start now, time is running out.”

“Elder, take me to the Sword Pavilion's backyard. Comprehending it by the stone tablet might be faster,” Mo Fan said.

Liu Xiyan nodded, placed her jade hand on Mo Fan's shoulder, and with a flash of Primordial Spirit Light, their figures instantly became ethereal.

Mo Fan only felt a blur before his eyes, and the next second he found himself standing in front of the stone tablet in the Sword Pavilion's backyard.

“Begin,” Liu Xiyan urged.

Mo Fan nodded, pointing to the stone tablet, and said:

“Starting from the first stone tablet, I will explain the Sword Canon's meaning in detail. How much you can comprehend depends on the Elder yourself.”

Mo Fan focused his mind, immediately gathered his spirit, locked onto the lines of text on the stone tablet, and began to explain at the fastest possible speed.

“Nurture the Sword of Heaven, borrow the power of Earth, condense it in the Divine Treasury, communicate with the inner scene—”

As soon as Mo Fan uttered the first sentence, Liu Xiyan's delicate body trembled, her eyes filled with disbelief.

“Nurture the Sword of Heaven, the power of the Sword of Heaven, condense it in the Divine Treasury, communicate with the inner scene, all Daos return to one, this is Sword Nurturing… Is this the general outline of the Sword Nurturing Art?”

Just this one sentence made Liu Xiyan feel suddenly enlightened.

Many things that she couldn't understand before instantly became clear as if the fog had been lifted.

“So that's how it is, so that's how it is—”

Perhaps stimulated, the myriad Sword Intent condensed within her body began to roar, forming an invincible Sword Domain centered around herself in an instant.

Then, the Sword Domain drove billions of Sword Qi in the Sword Pavilion to roar in unison.

Buzz!

In an instant, the entire Hidden Sword Mountain glowed, like a sharp sword about to soar into the sky and cleave through the firmament.

Mo Fan ignored these phenomena and continued to explain the Sword Nurturing Art on the stone tablet earnestly and quickly.

He explained the complete Sword Nurturing Art in the most simple and unadorned way, according to his own understanding.

This way, the Sword Nurturing Art, which filled five stone tablets, could be explained in just seven or eight minutes… Yuxu Peak.

Gu Qingshan's vision was blurred.

His snow-white robes were stained crimson with blood, no trace of white visible anymore.

Due to enduring the attacks, Yuxu Peak beneath Gu Qingshan's feet also shook violently, covered in cracks, as if it could collapse at any moment.

Constantly consuming Primordial Spirit Light, his consciousness began to blur.

“Give up, Gu Qingshan, if you keep holding on, you'll die.”

“You finally condensed your Primordial Spirit, became a Guiyuan Realm being, and gained over a thousand years of lifespan. Are you willing to die like this?”

“It's just an Academy. As long as you believe in the Demon Lord, the entire Human Race can be handed over to you to control in the future.”

“At that time, how could it be comparable to a mere Academy?”

Demonic whispers echoed in his ears.

To this, Gu Qingshan scoffed:

“I, Gu Qingshan, would rather die standing than live kneeling!

“No matter how strong you Demon Race are, or how cunning and insidious, you will never defeat the Human Race!

“If I, Gu Qingshan, fall, there will be thousands upon thousands of Gu Qingshans!

“As long as the Human Race's will is not extinguished! The Human Race will prosper forever!”

He took a deep breath, ignoring the gushing blood from his mouth, and shouted with all his might: “Slay the demons!”

At the same time, he desperately condensed Primordial Spirit Light and poured it into the ancient Seal in his hand.

In an instant, the ancient Seal shone like a star, and a dazzling beam of light instantly locked onto the great demon Candle Heaven, striking out like aFlowing Light.

“Heh, mere death throes. Since you are determined to die, this Seat shall grant your wish.”

Candle Heaven's lantern-sized eyes widened, and the blood-colored long spear in his hand immediately erupted with endless bloody light.

“Dust to dust, ashes to ashes—”

Boom!

A blood-colored long dragon rushed out, tearing through the Void Realm, and instantly descended above the guardian Magic Array, striking down with boundless might.

At the same time, the dazzling stream of light unleashed by the ancient Seal also arrived in an instant, meeting the blood-colored long dragon.

Boom!

The stream of light and the blood-colored long dragon collided, and the violent energy fluctuations instantly caused the nearby space to collapse.

The ground cracked, lava erupted, trees shattered in pieces, and encountering the scorching lava, they burned fiercely. Looking out, it was all a sea of fire.

“Cough, cough—”

Gu Qingshan coughed up a large mouthful of blood, his eyes dimmed a few shades, and his Primordial Spirit Light flickered erratically, as if it could extinguish completely at any moment.

“Give up, you won't last much longer.”

Candle Heaven's voice echoed in Gu Qingshan's ears again.

“You have cultivated to such a degree with great difficulty, why seek death so foolishly?

“Cooperate well with our Demon Race, and perhaps in the future, you can become a Supreme Being.

“Now, Blue Star is in the Spiritual Qi resurgence phase. Everything is possible in the future. The Dao will evolve more completely, cultivation will become simpler, and the cultivation limit will surely increase.

“According to some ancient texts inferred from ruins, reaching a certain level of cultivation can grant eternal life.

“Is it worth sacrificing such a bright future for a mere Academy, for the hundred thousand Disciples behind you?”

Candle Heaven tried his best to tempt Gu Qingshan, wanting him to give up resistance.

No choice.

He seemed relaxed and at ease.

But operating the saint slaying spear also required the consumption of Primordial Spirit Light.

Gu Qingshan's desperate obstruction had already consumed most of his Primordial Spirit Light.

Even if the Demon Lord would use Supreme Divine Ability to help him recover some Primordial Spirit Light after this battle,

Regardless, some would be permanently lost.

At this level, Primordial Spirit Light represented cultivation and lifespan.

Consuming Primordial Spirit Light was undoubtedly a fatal blow to Guiyuan Realm beings.

“Give up, Yuxu Academy has only a mere hundred thousand Disciples. As long as you follow the Demon Race, the entire Human Race will be under your command!”

Candle Heaven continued to tempt, simultaneously operating a mental secret technique to create illusions, attempting to dismantle Gu Qingshan's faith.

However, what answered him was a five-colored stream of light as thick as a mountain range.

Boom!

The five-colored stream of light, as thick as a mountain range, instantly shot out from Yuxu Peak, striking towards Candle Heaven.

The speed was too fast, and the attack range too wide. Candle Heaven didn't even have a chance to avoid it and could only watch as the beam of light collided with him.

“How much Primordial Spirit Light does such a terrifying beam of light require?!

“You, are you not afraid of death?!”

Candle Heaven's eyes were bloodshot.

But soon, he reacted.

“No, no, this isn't an attack unleashed by the jade void seal!

“This is the killing array attack of the guardian Magic Array!

“Impossible! Wasn't the killing array destroyed?!

“How can it still be activated?!”

In a flash of lightning, Candle Heaven's eyes were bloodshot, his thoughts racing, but he could only watch as the beam of light struck him!

Such a terrifying beam of light, if it were to strike the ground, could directly annihilate a large city!

“Sheng Yuan!”

Having no other choice, Candle Heaven could only hold the saint slaying spear across his chest, desperately pouring Primordial Spirit Light into it to block this terrifying energy beam.

Boom!

The two terrifying energies collided, and the night sky was covered in cracks like a shattered mirror.

Streaks of sunlight shone through, and endless mist rose.

Seeing this, Gu Qingshan's expression brightened.

“The spatial Seal laid by the Demon Race is starting to loosen, and the great demon Candle Heaven has been severely wounded!”

He took a deep breath and replied to the Forbidden Ground via the Magic Array.

【The killing array has been repaired? The effect is very good, continue! Another attack will surely kill the great demon, continue to activate the killing array!】

However, soon, he received a reply.

【Senior Brother Wu just consumed his own Primordial Spirit Light to forcefully activate the killing array.】

【That single strike has completely depleted Senior Brother Wu's Primordial Spirit Light, and the core killing array has also completely shattered. Even with more Primordial Spirit Light, it cannot be activated.】

Looking at the message from the guardian Magic Array, the smile on Gu Qingshan's face immediately froze.

In silence, a hot, crimson tear rolled down his cheek.

The so-called “Senior Brother Wu” was the previous Sect Head of Yuxu Academy and his, Gu Qingshan's, mentor.

He was the Elder who had raised him since childhood.

He had never met his own father, so his mentor was like a father to him.

However, in this situation, he didn't even have time to grieve.

Taking a deep breath, Gu Qingshan looked up, circulated the Yuxu Scripture, and drew down large swaths of solar essence fire from the cracks in the dark sky to heal his injuries.

He intended to use this window of opportunity to quickly recover from his injuries to prepare for the upcoming battle.

Although Candle Heaven was severely wounded, once he broke free, he would soon return.

Regardless, using this window could buy some time.

The more he recovered, the longer he could hold on.

As long as he held on until the rescue team arrived, that would be victory!

However, just as this thought arose, a bloody large hand pushed aside the mist, gripping a blood-colored long spear, and accumulated power to fiercely strike down towards Yuxu Academy.

“Great Dark Heaven · Holy Abyss · saint slaying spear! All of you, die for this Seat!”

Boom!

Amidst the roar, a blood-colored long dragon surged forth, swooping down towards Yuxu Academy.

This attack was more terrifying than any before. With the guardian Magic Array's current state, it was impossible to block this strike.

Gu Qingshan desperately condensed Primordial Spirit Light, pouring it into the ancient Seal without regard for his own life.

Unfortunately, due to his severe injuries and the thinness of his Primordial Spirit Light, he was unable to activate the ancient Seal for a long time.

Watching the approaching blood-colored demonic dragon, despair appeared in Gu Qingshan's eyes for the first time.

“Is it over? What a pity for so many fine young men of the Academy…”

However, just then, a brilliant Sword Light arrived in an instant.

Gu Qingshan was stunned, his eyes wide.

At this moment, all he saw was a sword, a sword that pierced through the heavens and earth, condensed from countless Sword Intent.

That sword instantly tore through the firmament, opened Heaven's Gate, and slashed down towards the blood-colored giant dragon, along with the great demon Candle Heaven, who was astonished and frozen in mid-air, and the few other great demons around him.

“This is… a Human Race Sword Immortal? How is this possible?!”