Chapter 734: Three Swords Slash the Heavenly Wave

As Xu Qing spoke, King Tianlan's expression remained calm, and his divine sense swept across the sky. He wanted to see what other trump cards Sea-Sealing County possessed, beyond the Sun of Dawn. Whatever it was, it mattered little to him. He had become a Heavenly King not through family ties, but through his Incarnation cultivation.

As one of the Human Race's Thirty-Three Heavenly Kings, while not the strongest, his identity, status, and combat prowess gave him the confidence to confront almost any situation in the world. This was especially true for the remote and underdeveloped Sacred Ocean Grand Domain. He was well aware that for countless years, prior to the current Sacred Ocean Grand Duke's entry into the Incarnation realm, no Incarnation cultivators had existed within the Sacred Ocean Grand Domain. To its inhabitants, an Incarnation cultivator was practically indistinguishable from a true deity. They were seen as insurmountable, an irresistible force, akin to divine power.

He understood that the Human Race, despite its many trials as the last major race to unify Wanggu, could now be considered a prominent power. In terms of the number of Incarnation cultivators, they actually surpassed the Black Heaven Race. Therefore, if the Human Race had previously wished to reclaim the Sacred Ocean Grand Domain, which was affiliated with the Black Heaven Race, it would have been quite simple. They could also reclaim enclaves in other grand domains.

However, the cost of such actions would be substantial, and the broader situation would not permit it. Facing numerous external races would place immense pressure on the Human Race. This was because the seven grand domains containing these enclaves were linked by intricate relationships, each backed by a major race possessing a domain treasure. Disturbing one would have ripple effects throughout the entire network. Previously, the Human Race lacked a domain treasure. Thus, they had to endure patiently. Only with a domain treasure could they secure a degree of self-preservation. This explains why, during the Battle of Sea-Sealing County, when the Human Race faced invasions from multiple foreign races, the sudden appearance of the Sun of Dawn caused widespread alarm among those races, leading them to retreat.

Yet, a domain treasure alone was insufficient. What truly mattered more than any domain treasure was the presence of a deity. A deity was the fundamental determinant of a race's power. Before a deity, neither Incarnation cultivators nor domain treasures held significant power. This was precisely why the Black Heaven Race, despite its lesser strength compared to the Human Race, could still instill apprehension in them. A deity could overturn everything. The root cause of the Black Heaven Race's ultimate defeat was the slumber of their deity, the Crimson Mother, orchestrated by the Human Emperor's many enigmatic arrangements. With one power waning and the other waxing, the Human Race naturally grew stronger.

The complex underlying reasons were difficult for the unintelligent to grasp. To them, the world was too simple, leading to absurd questions like, "If the Human Race is so strong, why didn't they reclaim the Sacred Ocean sooner?" Only those with access to crucial information, or the astute who were skilled at observation, could discern the true crux of the matter.

"So, what could Sea-Sealing County possibly be relying on?" King Tianlan's expression remained composed. He never looked up, simply sweeping his divine sense across the sky, yet found nothing. But just as he prepared to delve deeper with his perception, a cold snort, delivered with startling suddenness, directly pierced his divine sense. It echoed through heaven and earth, transforming into a thunderclap within King Tianlan's mind. A deafening roar erupted.

King Tianlan's expression tightened. He abruptly looked up, and as his gaze fixed on the firmament, a sound like the creation of heaven and earth emanated from the grand world that enveloped the county capital. A massive rift had appeared in the sky above it. This rift was clearly not natural; its edges were perfectly straight, as if sliced by a keen blade, and it stretched for tens of thousands of feet. From the ground, looking up, the rift was strikingly visible against the sky. A terrifying sword aura surged forth from within, its overwhelming power encompassing all directions.

In that instant, clouds dissipated, the earth rumbled, all creation quaked, and the minds of all living beings reeled. Everything in the world seemed to vanish, plunging into darkness and endless distortion. In this blurring chaos, only the sword aura descending from the rift in the firmament remained, singularly distinct. Like a celestial sword, it struck directly upon King Tianlan's grand world, which hovered over the county capital.

The moment of impact sent an unprecedented tremor through King Tianlan's grand world, producing a deafening roar as if millions of heavenly thunders had simultaneously exploded. Its inherent world barrier instantly shattered, disintegrating into countless fragments that rained down like meteors onto the grand world's mountains and rivers. The grand world quaked, yet the sword aura showed no hesitation. It pierced through the barrier and directly entered King Tianlan's grand world, slicing through its sky and carving a sword mark across the entire world's surface. The grand world roared, caving in along the sword mark, with its sides rising sharply. All mountains within it collapsed, all rivers evaporated, and all living beings cried out in agony, as the landscape was stained crimson.

But the sword aura's might remained terrifying. The earth continued to fracture along the sword mark, rapidly spreading deeper, until finally... the entire grand world was cleaved into two by this single strike. The world, annihilated!

From a distance, the grand world, now split in two, drifted apart from above the county capital. This scene was deeply unsettling, a truly shocking spectacle. The two halves of the grand world were awash in blood, filled with incessant wails, as countless fragments of rock fell and vast plumes of dust dispersed. Subsequently, the grand world, now severed in two, turned illusory and transparent, then plummeted towards the earth. Upon impact, it fragmented completely. As the earth quaked, King Tianlan's grand world disintegrated into innumerable pieces, merging into the very soil of Sea-Sealing County. Being an immaterial construct, its disintegration followed the same principle.

While this account may seem lengthy, all of it unfolded in an instant. The collapse of the grand world, and the sheer shock it delivered, left everyone in Sea-Sealing County utterly stunned. King Tianlan's army was equally stunned. Every soldier in the army instinctively trembled, staring at the apocalyptic scene, their minds completely blank. The scene was simply too horrifying and too sudden, leaving everyone completely unprepared. Indeed, even with prior preparation, witnessing an Incarnation realm cultivator's grand world shattered by a single sword strike would be difficult to accept, almost unbelievable, leaving one drowned in a flood of inner turmoil.

Compared to everyone else, King Tianlan's own horror was far more profound. His heart churned with immense turmoil, and an unprecedented sense of crisis caused him to abruptly rise from his black dragon and take a step forward. As his foot landed, the black dragon beneath him let out a mournful cry, seemingly unable to bear the overwhelming pressure emanating from King Tianlan. Its massive body began to plummet towards the ground.

The instant the black dragon hit the ground, King Tianlan's body in mid-air rapidly expanded. From his initial human size, he grew to a hundred feet, then a thousand, then ten thousand, until he became a colossal giant, seemingly touching both heaven and earth. Sea-Sealing County's capital appeared no larger than a child's toy ball before him. Yet, despite his colossal size, King Tianlan's mind was far from calm; instead, his expression grew increasingly solemn. He stared fixedly at the rift in the firmament, a low growl escaping his lips.

"Which fellow Daoist seeks to wage war against my Human Race?!" As he spoke, King Tianlan raised his right hand and lunged with an open palm towards the rift in the firmament. Boundless pressure erupted from his form, sun, moon, and stars shone around him, and countless rules and laws manifested upon his very being. In that moment, he seemed to embody both heaven and the Dao itself.

His response was met with a cold snort. "Didn't you wish to see me?"

As the voice resonated, the second sword descended! This sword's brilliance was blinding, forming a dazzling sea of light that surged towards King Tianlan. His heart pounding, King Tianlan channeled all his strength, his raised palm coalescing rules and laws. Yet, this sea of light inexplicably bypassed all defenses, passing through King Tianlan's palm and merging into his very being. In the next instant, King Tianlan's body convulsed, his eyes widening in horror and disbelief. "Second-tier..."

Before he could finish his sentence, a sword erupted from his mouth, piercing through his body. Then, swords emerged from his arms and hands, and from numerous other points, sharp blades tore through him from within. Next came his legs, his torso, his neck, and his head… Countless swords systematically pierced him from multiple points across his vast form. As these innumerable blades emerged, his colossal body began to disintegrate in mid-air. Ultimately, his enormous body fragmented into countless pieces, raining down from the sky. This sight mirrored the fate of his grand world: utterly torn apart, unable to withstand the might of a single sword. His physical body, annihilated.

Heaven and earth roared, and all living beings were left in awe. Amidst the falling fragments of flesh and blood, King Tianlan's divine soul soared forth. Unlike a conventional soul, this divine soul appeared indistinguishable from a physical body, yet closer inspection revealed it to be entirely composed of laws and rules. After manifesting, King Tianlan's eyes filled with terror. He had never witnessed such a sharp sword, nor encountered such a terrifying second-tier Incarnation realm cultivator. Without an ounce of hesitation, his divine soul erupted with full power, swiftly retreating. He wanted to escape this place; he felt the approach of death and had no desire to perish.

Yet, just as his divine soul retreated ten thousand feet, a wall of sword aura suddenly rose before him from the ground, connecting to the firmament, stretching infinitely. King Tianlan's expression shifted, and he instantly changed direction. However, a second wall of sword aura rapidly surged before him, followed by a third, a fourth, and a fifth. In a flash, despite King Tianlan's frantic attempts to alter his trajectory, all proved futile. He found himself trapped in the center, enclosed by five walls of sword aura that stretched from earth to sky.

From a vantage point high above, one would see the five sword aura walls forming a distinct pentagon. At its center, King Tianlan's divine soul trembled, his eyes wide with despair and disbelief. He couldn't believe that he, an Incarnation cultivator, a Heavenly King, was simply... about to die.

"Who are you?!" King Tianlan roared mournfully at the sky.

His response was a single word. "Slay!"

As the word resonated, the five walls of sword aura instantly contracted, surging directly towards King Tianlan's divine soul. In the blink of an eye, they converged, the blinding sword light engulfing and severing. His divine soul, annihilated!

Heaven and earth changed hue, and a rumbling sound, like the sorrowful roar of the Heavenly Dao, filled the air. Though there were no clouds, blood-red rain materialized out of thin air, showering the land. The downpour covered nearly half a state. Almost half a state was enveloped in this crimson rain, as if the very firmament wept. This blood rain would nourish the land, ensuring that this area would forever differ from others. For this was the site of an Incarnation realm cultivator's demise; the fragmented remains of their world would transmute into spiritual energy, causing a dramatic surge in vitality across this half-state region. Furthermore, numerous peaks erupted from the ground within this half-state, all transformed from King Tianlan's flesh and blood. These mountains would become sacred spiritual mountains. King Tianlan's disintegrated divine soul would transform into invisible spiritual roots, ensuring that children born in this area over the next century would possess unique spiritual aptitudes, distinct from others. They would be inherently more attuned to King Tianlan's Dao.

This was the very spectacle of an Incarnation realm cultivator's death, much like the Ghost Emperor's ascension in Sea-Sealing County years ago. Though not as vast in scale as the Ghost Emperor's event, nevertheless, it nourished all living beings just as profoundly.