Capítulo 309: Scattering Petals
Sun Zenith's sword vibrated with power, his infused astral energy blooming into ephemeral plum blossoms that shredded through vampires and cultists alike. Each petal cut with precision, every strike an echo of the mastery honed in the Mount Hua sect. The Grade 5 art he wielded wasn't just technique—it was artistry, a testament to the sheer dominance of someone who had reached the pinnacle of Ascendant-rank.
His every movement was a storm of overwhelming strength, his blows too swift and powerful for the enemies swarming before him. Six-circle magic shattered like brittle glass under his onslaught, and the enhanced aura his foes wrapped themselves in crumbled against his astral energy. The battlefield around him was chaos, yet Sun moved with calm efficiency, each step deliberate, each swing of his blade lethal.
This wasn't a battle for Sun; it was a demonstration. The disparity between his level and theirs was insurmountable, and he crushed them with the ease of a gale uprooting saplings.
But then his senses flickered—a warning.
New presences, far stronger, surged toward the battlefield. These weren't fodder to be brushed aside; they were Ascendant-rank threats, their power rippling through the air like the tension before a storm.
Sun's dark eyes flicked to his side, where Arthur fought with relentless precision. His strikes were sharper, faster, more destructive than should have been possible for someone not yet at Ascendant-rank. Arthur's blade danced, cleaving through enemies with a level of skill that demanded attention, even from Sun.
And it unsettled him.
The gap between them existed—but it was painfully narrow. Too narrow.
In the Mount Hua sect, Sun had always been the brightest star, the unchallenged heir, the destined monarch of the battlefield. Yet here was Arthur, with all his potential and impossible power, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Sun felt the weight of it in his chest, an unwelcome mix of irritation and grudging respect.
No. There could only be one.
Only one who would stand at the summit, the strongest.
And that was supposed to be him, not Arthur.
His thoughts were interrupted as the Ascendant-rank presences reached them. The shift in the battlefield was immediate—these were no mere soldiers but true threats, their power radiating through the air like a tangible force.
A Vampire Elder, high Ascendant-rank, lunged forward, his spear blazing with night astral energy that warped the space around it. The strike came fast and fierce, aiming to obliterate everything in its path.
Sun raised his sword, his movements fluid and unhurried. The impact came, but his arms held steady, unyielding. His astral energy, a harmonious blend of wind and water, surged along the blade, meeting the elder's spear head-on. The night astral energy hissed and recoiled, pushed back by the blossoming strength of Sun's plum blossoms.
He forced the vampire back with a sharp twist of his blade, his expression cold and unrelenting. The Elder snarled, but Sun remained unmoved.
The battle was escalating, and the stakes had risen. But even as he prepared to face the oncoming storm, Sun's thoughts flickered once more to Arthur.
And he hated that they did.
Sun's Sword Heart pulsed in response to his thoughts, a rhythmic resonance that ignited the astral energy swirling around his Ancient-grade sword. The air vibrated with power as the energy thickened, growing sharper, stronger, and more relentless with every beat. His blade became an extension of his will, its glow intensifying as he pushed the Vampire Elder back.
The sensation was undeniable—he was on the brink of something monumental. His body thrummed with anticipation, teetering at the precipice of Immortal-rank. The threshold to manifesting his Sword Domain and undergoing the second body metamorphosis was closer than ever.
In less than three years as an Ascendant-ranker, Sun had ascended to this peak, a feat achieved by few, especially at the age of twenty-two. It wasn't just talent; it was raw, unrelenting potential—a force of nature in the making.
Even as stray spells and blasts of aura struck his body, they barely left a mark. His Gift, the Unbreakable Vajra Body, absorbed the impact with ease, fortifying his flesh and bones far beyond the limits of ordinary durability. It was this innate resilience that allowed Sun to stride fearlessly through battle, a titan among warriors.
His sword cleaved through the Vampire Elder, severing flesh and night astral energy with ruthless precision. The enemy crumbled in pieces before him, and for a fleeting moment, victory seemed within grasp.
Then he felt it.
Two overwhelming presences bore down upon him like a storm, suffocating in their intensity.
Vampire Ancestor and a cult member.
Sun's grip tightened on his sword, his sharp gaze cutting to Arthur, who stood ready amidst the chaos. "Do you think you can handle an Immortal-ranker?" Sun asked, his tone dripping with derision. He fully expected a flash of hesitation, but Arthur's calm nod only irritated him further.
"I can hold one back long enough," Arthur replied, his voice steady, almost matter-of-fact.
Sun clicked his tongue in annoyance, his pride bristling. Without wasting another moment, he turned his attention to the female Vampire Ancestor advancing toward them. Her presence was oppressive, her sword emanating a quiet menace that spoke of countless battles.
No words were exchanged; they didn't need to be.
Sun struck first, his sword arcing through the air with practiced grace. Petals of vibrant pink plum blossoms erupted from the blade, swirling in a deadly dance. It was the apex of the Grade 5 art he had mastered to its zenith, a symphony of precision and power infused with his astral energy. The petals stormed toward the woman in a dazzling cascade.
The Vampire Ancestor raised her sword in response, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. The moment her blade moved, a Sword Domain unfurled around her, obliterating the blossoming petals as if they were no more than dust in the wind. The sheer authority of her Domain pressed down on the battlefield, twisting reality itself within its borders.
Sun's body tensed as he felt the sting of phantom blades pricking at his skin. The Domain was relentless, an invisible army of swords that sought to pierce his defenses. Yet, his Gift rendered the attack futile. The Unbreakable Vajra Body absorbed the onslaught without faltering, his enhanced durability holding firm even under the crushing weight of her power.
'A Domain. How annoying,' Sun thought grimly, his irritation simmering beneath his calm exterior. He adjusted his stance, his sword ready to carve through the oppressive aura of the Domain. This wouldn't be an easy fight, but he wouldn't retreat—not now, not ever.
As his astral energy surged once more, Sun smiled faintly, his confidence unshaken. After all, no matter how powerful this Vampire Ancestor was, she was just another step on his path to becoming the strongest. And that path had no room for failure.
A Domain was a manifestation of an individual's mastery, extending their influence over their surroundings in ways that defied conventional combat. It was a privilege reserved for those who had transcended into Immortal-rank, a signifier of their ascension. For those beneath that lofty height, facing a Domain was like fighting in an enemy's stronghold—a battlefield bent to the will of its master.
Sun could withstand the passive assaults of the Vampire Ancestor's Domain. The phantom blades and oppressive weight of her presence were blunted by his Gift, the Unbreakable Vajra Body, which rendered such attacks ineffective against his fortified frame. But nullifying the physical assault was far from dismantling the Domain itself. It lingered, an ever-present threat, amplifying her every action while subtly pressing Sun toward the edges of his limits.
A Domain held countless advantages over the mere manifestation of a Heart. Its power was pervasive, its reach absolute, and for all his talent, Sun was keenly aware of the gap it represented. But gaps were made to be bridged.
His sword trembled in his grip, resonating with the sheer force of his will as he adjusted his stance. His dark eyes gleamed with resolve, and his aura sharpened like a drawn blade. With a deliberate motion, Sun stepped into the rhythm of the Mount Hua sect's pinnacle art—the Violet Mist Divine Art. It was a Grade 6 masterpiece, the crowning jewel of the sect's legacy and the reason Mount Hua stood as one of the seven superpowers of the world.
"Fan of the Scattering Pearls," Sun murmured, his voice barely more than a whisper, yet it carried the weight of inevitability.
This was the second movement of the Violet Mist Divine Art, a technique that marked the evolution from the sect's renowned Grade 5 arts. Where the earlier techniques birthed pink-hued plum blossoms, this advanced art replaced them with blossoms tinged in a vivid violet—a subtle but potent signifier of its elevated power.
The air around Sun shimmered, and an ethereal mist unfurled, suffused with astral energy so dense it almost seemed alive. Violet blossoms bloomed within the mist, their radiance carrying an edge of lethal beauty. They scattered outward, a storm of petals that shimmered like pearls caught in the fading light. Each petal was a weapon, infused with astral energy that could carve through enhanced aura and magic alike.
The Vampire Ancestor's smirk faltered as the blossoms surged toward her. She raised her sword, her Domain flaring in response. The phantom blades within her influence clashed with the petals, dissipating them in bursts of light and energy, but they couldn't keep up with the sheer volume of Sun's assault.
This wasn't just power—it was precision. Every petal followed an unseen thread of intent, targeting weak points in her defense, forcing her to move, to react, to expend her own energy to counter his strikes. The violet mist encroached on her space, pressing against her Domain, threatening to crack its flawless surface.
Sun's mastery of the technique was clear. He wasn't just wielding the Violet Mist Divine Art—he was becoming one with it, merging his intent and energy with its flow. Though he hadn't yet reached the virtuoso realm of mastery, he was close, so tantalizingly close that every movement hinted at the perfection he would one day achieve.
Yet, for all his brilliance, there was a limitation he couldn't escape.
Sun wasn't at Immortal-rank. No matter how far he pushed his mastery, the Violet Mist Divine Art's third movement, the art's second most devastating technique, remained out of reach. The very nature of the art required the power of a Sword Domain to fully manifest its final potential.
But limitations didn't matter now. What mattered was the present. And in the present, Sun Zenith, with his Fan of the Scattering Pearls, was more than a match for the Vampire Ancestor before him.
For a moment, the battlefield stilled, the violet mist swirling in hypnotic patterns around Sun as his astral energy pulsed with unwavering strength. Then, with a single step forward, he unleashed another wave of petals, his voice calm but resolute.
"You'll find this path leads only to defeat," he said, his words carrying a quiet confidence born not of arrogance, but of certainty.
The Vampire Ancestor's smile returned, but it was strained now, a flicker of unease shadowing her expression as she steadied herself against the storm. Sun's attack had turned the tide, and though the battle was far from over, his determination was unyielding.
For Sun Zenith, this fight was not just a clash of swords—it was a step closer to becoming the strongest. A step closer to Immortal-rank.
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