Chapter 279
Refining Weapons in the Sea of Thunder
Chapter 279 Refining Weapons in the Sea of Thunder
Two divine blades burst forth from Zixia's body, their blades shrouded in the chilling killing intent of the Supreme Three Styles. The runes of destiny engraved on them flickered in the lightning, as if deducing the variables of life and death.
In the instant the wind surged, the twin blades traversed the starry sky, transforming into two indestructible barriers that stood firmly above her head, absorbing all the descending tribulation clouds.
"Clang—!"
The first wave of Purple Heaven Divine Lightning crashed down!
This was no ordinary divine punishment. Each bolt of lightning carried the residual power of creation, tearing open dark spatial rifts as it passed through the void, even crushing the starlight into dust.
The twin blades resonated, their runes flashing wildly as they desperately withstood the attack, their blades now covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Before their breath could even stabilize, a second, even more violent wave of lightning struck, followed by a deafening roar that shook the heavens and earth, and the twin blades shattered into pieces!
Countless fragments, like broken-winged butterflies, scattered and drifted in the cold void of space, slowly swirling around her body. The blade, which had once shone with divine brilliance, was now completely dim, its luster gone, as silent as a dead object.
But the wrath of the heavenly tribulation was far from subsiding.
boom!!!
An even more terrifying wave of lightning followed closely behind, with boundless lightning filling the entire starry sky, like the Milky Way pouring out of the sky, causing the universe to collapse. Wherever it passed, stars crumbled, the void melted away, and even the lingering aura of the previous saint's annihilation was completely swallowed up.
The Divine Mark Purple-Gold Scroll suddenly soared into the air. As the scroll unfurled, the Daoist principles of the world she had previously comprehended were fully revealed, attempting to block the world-destroying lightning tribulation. However, it was not long before the indestructible Divine Mark Purple-Gold Scroll was torn apart by the lightning, turning into countless fragments resembling golden foil, which mingled with the fragments of the sword.
Her gaze swept over the floating, lifeless fragments around her, her eyes flickered slightly, without the slightest panic, but rather a layer of understanding gradually emerged.
The thunderous waves still roared, and one divine punishment after another struck down, crashing onto the fragments with deafening clangs, like thousands of war drums beating in unison on an ancient battlefield, shaking people's souls.
Strangely, those fragments, which should have been completely silent, emitted a low, soft hum within the sea of lightning. Despite their luster having faded, they trembled more powerfully with each strike of lightning, like dying beasts still gritting their teeth and fighting.
What shocked her even more was that wisps of mysterious energy flowed out between the fragments of the knife and the diagram, expanding and contracting like a blood vessel reviving and a heartbeat restarting, subtly resonating with her soul and her foundation of Dao.
"I see……"
The surprise in Zixia's eyes faded, replaced by a clear understanding. Her weapon had never died. Hidden within those fragments was a fierce fighting spirit—a spirit that would burn everything to rebuild itself.
Destruction is never the end. This... is the true beginning of this tribulation of saints, a path of transformation through struggle in desperate situations and amidst destruction.
Throughout history, cultivators have sought to forge stable and sturdy artifacts, yet few dared to allow their natal artifacts to self-destruct in the face of divine punishment. Only by dying once can one achieve ultimate sublimation in dire circumstances, undergoing a transformative metamorphosis and giving birth to a true "deity" within the artifact.
This is the self-destruction of the vessel, but also its rebirth; it is its unwillingness to accept the status quo and its desperate pursuit of change! Thinking of this, Zixia no longer blocked the lightning tribulation from striking down.
Despite the relentless bombardment of the purple lightning, the fragments of the sword and the diagram were ground into increasingly fine pieces of gold by the thunder. With each shattering, a trace of the refined essence of the artifact was released.
Her physical body was repeatedly disintegrated and torn apart by the world-destroying lightning. Pale golden chaotic blood gushed out, splashing onto every fragment, soaking all the remaining pieces in a bloody hue.
Nourished by the blood of chaos, the fragments became increasingly spiritual. They trembled gently in the thunder waves, emitting soft, continuous chirps, like children murmuring or believers chanting Taoist scriptures, completely merging with her heartbeat, her breath, and her Taoist rhythm.
Having been tempered by lightning for countless cycles, the moment another world-destroying divine lightning struck, all the fragments suddenly erupted with an extremely dazzling divine radiance, uncontrollably converging towards the center!
The profound Daoist charm of Divine Mark Purple Gold, the agile immortal energy of Feathered Azure Gold, the blazing divine fire of Phoenix Blood Crimson Gold, and the unparalleled sharpness of Dragon Pattern Black Gold—the origins of these four supreme divine golds—completely broke down their barriers and frantically merged under the tempering of Purple Cloud's chaotic blood and Purple Heaven Divine Thunder!
Zixia is conducting an unprecedented and insane sacrificial ritual.
She melted and refined all her scattered flesh and blood, shattered primordial spirit, and fragments ground from four kinds of immortal metals into one, using her body as a furnace and the Dao as fire, casting everything about herself into the divine purple-gold scroll that was being reshaped.
"I am the painting, and the painting is me."
At this moment, only this one obsession remained in her mind. There were no other sounds in the world except for the harmonious resonance of the Great Dao echoing in the void. A picture scroll with flesh and blood as its base, immortal gold as its bones, and primordial spirit as its soul was surrounded by surging chaotic energy, rising and falling in the sea of thunder, ancient and mysterious, carrying a soul-stirring power.
This strange painting, seemingly integrated with the physical body, withstood the onslaught of countless purple lightning bolts, freezing a moment of eternity on the edge of destruction and rebirth, as if it had existed since the beginning of the universe, destined to achieve immortality and eternal life in this cold starry sky.
Throughout history, cultivators have always forged artifacts by controlling their own bodies; never before has anyone dared to be so reckless—merging their own flesh and blood, their three souls and seven spirits, entirely with the immortal gold, becoming one with the artifact itself. If such an act were known to cultivators across the heavens, they would be utterly astonished, unable to comprehend this near-self-destructive method of refinement. Yet, at this moment, this inconceivable scene was unfolding in the sea of lightning, profoundly mysterious and utterly insane.
Buzz—Rumble!!!
A deafening tremor, capable of shattering eternity, suddenly erupted, utterly shattering the previous tranquility. This was a cataclysmic calamity unique to the Chaos Body, the most terrifying and deadly strike unleashed by the Heavenly Dao—the Chaos Divine Tribulation!
The vast chaotic energy surged like a tsunami, instantly engulfing the entire starry sea. Chaotic immortal lightning, ten thousand times more violent than before, crashed down, piercing through layers of lightning and striking the blood-and-flesh painting. The balance that had just been stabilized collapsed instantly. The painting, which had touched the edge of immortality, exploded on the spot, even the fine gold fragments were crushed into dust that flew everywhere. Zixia's flesh and primordial spirit were ground down by this chaotic divine tribulation to the point of almost turning into a rain of ethereal light, scattering into the surging chaos, leaving not even a trace of her complete aura.
But at the very end of this desolate destruction, a sliver of clear light suddenly pierced through the vast chaos, penetrating from the deepest part of the universe. It was an undying force of new life, a hope in the face of despair, the ultimate essence of "destruction before creation," igniting an inextinguishable spark in the deathly chaos.
Zixia's lingering primordial spirit resounded in the chaos, carrying a resolute understanding: "The Chaotic Divine Tribulation is the annihilation of the past; and what follows is the Creation of Heaven and Earth. When destruction ends, all things will be born, and I and the painting will naturally be reborn in this tribulation."
(End of this chapter)