Chapter Twenty-Three: The Divine Execution Bow

Early morning…

After enjoying the sumptuous breakfast prepared by Fire Dance and Xiao Ke, everyone went their separate ways for shopping.

As Xiao Ke said, "Now that we have money, we should live like people with money!" So the two women decided to go on a shopping spree today.

Yanlong and his two companions were dragged off to be laborers, while Leng Tian instructed them to hire a few servants for daily cleaning.

Leng Tian himself went out, first visiting the Hundred Refining Weapon Shop, then wandering about until returning home at noon.

Fire Dance and the others had not yet returned, so, bored and idle, Leng Tian entered the underground palace. Standing in the great hall, he felt an odd sense of unease, though he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was wrong.

The entire hall was empty, with more than a dozen pillars arranged irregularly to support the domed ceiling.

Leng Tian closed his eyes and released his spiritual sense, carefully probing every corner. After a moment, his eyes snapped open, focusing on a wall to the left.

He strode over and examined the polished surface, his spiritual sense constantly probing it. After about half a quarter of an hour, his expression grew peculiar. He placed his palm against the stone wall, golden energy surging from his hand. “Break!” he whispered. Instantly, the energy spread, enveloping the entire wall.

A strange scene unfolded—the wall, under the shock of the energy, dissolved into a mound of powder. No dust rose, for the energy kept it contained, and it settled quietly to the floor.

When the stone powder had fallen away, a soft, snow-white glow shone into Leng Tian’s eyes. Before him was a grand door of flawless white jade, engraved with nine majestic dragons coiling and clawing, their ancient, wild aura pressing straight into his soul.

Leng Tian nearly lost himself in the overwhelming presence. A refreshing coolness surged from his dantian, coursed through his body, and finally cleared his mind, dispelling the ancient will emanating from the jade door.

Leng Tian was shocked. Such terrifying intent—he almost lost control of his own mind! What could possibly be hidden behind this door? And what was the source of that cooling energy?

He looked inward to his dantian, finding everything calm. The crimson Purgatory floated above the lake of true energy, while beside it, the azure great blade shimmered with light. Could it be that blade? Leng Tian wondered uncertainly.

If it had been Purgatory, he would have sensed it, but it remained silent. That left only the mysterious azure blade, which had appeared in his dantian and remained ever quiet.

Watching the blade’s blue glow, Leng Tian could only attribute the refreshing sensation to it.

He withdrew his mind from his dantian, took a deep breath, and placed both hands on the jade doors, pushing with all his strength. They did not move. Surprised, he increased his force.

“Glass Golden Body!” Leng Tian shouted. His muscles swelled, his entire strength unleashed. A resonant hum, like a bowstring vibrating, shook his mind and made him dizzy. White radiance shone through the jade doors. Suddenly, an immense force sent Leng Tian flying across the hall.

The whole great hall was illuminated by the sudden white light. Leng Tian landed, steadied himself, and stared in amazement at the jade doors. All he saw was dazzling white.

After a few breaths, the white radiance faded, but an oppressive ancient aura lingered throughout the hall. As the light receded, the nine-dragon jade door vanished.

In its place was endless void—a pitch-black emptiness like a devouring black hole. "Awooo!" Nine dragon roars echoed in Leng Tian’s mind, as if struck by nine immense hammers.

His vision went black, consciousness fading. In that instant before losing awareness, Leng Tian clearly saw, within the void, a huge silver-white crystalline bow encircled by nine azure dragons, suspended in the darkness.

After Leng Tian fainted, the silver-white crystal bow trembled, the nine azure dragons roared angrily, invisible energy surged wildly, the void cracked, and space twisted. A shadow appeared beside the crystal bow.

It was a majestic man, middle-aged, with a resolute face and wild, unbound hair, exuding a fierce, domineering aura. On his brow was a golden feather-arrow mark entwined with lightning.

The man reached out and gripped the crystal bow. The nine dragons coiled around him, as he assumed a stance—left hand holding the bow, right hand drawing the string. His voice rang out, deep and resonant:

"In the name of Heaven, I summon the supreme will—let Heaven’s Punishment descend to slay gods and vanquish demons!"

The nine azure dragons roared, merging into the bow. The man stepped forward, shouted, and drew the bow to its fullest. A blue feathered arrow formed.

"Go..."

He released the string. The dragon’s cry echoed through the void. A three-thousand-zhang azure divine dragon, unleashed with the arrow, erupted into the darkness, its colossal body filling the space, twisting and shattering the void with its furious movements.

As if enraged by the confinement, the azure dragon swung its massive tail and turned its head, intent on bursting through the exit where the jade door had stood.

"Impudent... Return!" A voice, majestic and commanding, suddenly resounded—a woman's voice.

The space of the great hall twisted, nearly overlapping itself.

Deep violet light emerged from Leng Tian’s body. A miniature violet dragon hovered in the air, its overwhelming dragon aura filling the hall.

In the instant the violet dragon appeared, the huge azure dragon’s eyes flashed with fear. Though imbued with supreme will, the soul’s imprint compelled it to halt its rampage, staring dazedly at the tiny violet dragon.

"Ah..." The violet dragon sighed. With a gentle wave of its claw, the portal to space twisted back to its original form, though faint roars of the azure dragon could still be heard.

The violet dragon glanced at the unconscious Leng Tian and murmured, "This boy's cultivation is still too weak. But his luck is remarkable—he’s stumbled upon the ancient God-Slaying Bow. Whether he can subdue it depends on his own fate."

Turning into a streak of violet light, it merged into Leng Tian’s body and vanished. All the commotion underground passed unnoticed outside.

A long time passed before Leng Tian awoke from his faint. Rubbing his aching head, he sat up and subconsciously looked toward the jade door. "It’s gone!"

All he saw was a smooth stone wall—no jade door in sight. "Was it all an illusion?" Leng Tian stood, walked once more to the wall, and released his spiritual sense to probe its inner layer. "It’s still there..."

Leng Tian sensed that the mysterious energy behind the wall remained, just as when he first entered. So after he lost consciousness, it must have returned to its original state!

In his mind flashed the image he’d glimpsed before fainting—the silver-white crystal bow.

Martial Path: Extreme Edge 23—Chapter Twenty-Three: The God-Slaying Bow! End of update!