John gazed at the massive net descending upon him, his expression shifting slightly.
He could clearly sense the strange nature of these dark magics. It felt as though the black-robed figures were one entity. Though each of them only had the cultivation level of seven stars, their combined attack was not weaker than that of an eight-star expert.
“Kid, daring to oppose Celestial Vault, you’re truly courting death!” The leader of the black-robed men looked at John, who appeared stunned, assuming he was paralyzed with fear. A sneer formed on his face.
Whoosh!
The gigantic net woven from dark magic suddenly contracted, the pressure spreading and causing the air to tremble.
John, however, remained calm, his expression unchanged.
Boom! Boom…
A series of thunderous explosions echoed as the dark magic detonated, a violent wind spiraling outward, sending John flying. Yet, he remained unharmed.
The leader’s smile froze, and he exclaimed, “You possess the Body of Dark Elements!”
“You’ve refined the Black Magic Crystal!” His expression shifted as realization dawned. “Wait, no… You don’t have the Dark Heaven Law!”
The leader’s face broke into a grin, his eyes fixed on John as he spoke, “You’ve passed the Celestial Vault’s test. Welcome to join the Celestial Vault organization!”
The black-robed man stood proudly, as though being chosen by Celestial Vault was a great honor.
John was momentarily stunned, unsure of where this man’s confidence came from.
He coldly replied, “Sorry, I refuse!”
With that, he raised his United Sword high and unleashed the Infinite Sword Array.
Hum!
The longsword hummed as countless sword beams flickered in the air, enveloping the black-robed figures.
“Kid, stop being so arrogant. Do you really think you’re invincible just because you have the Body of Dark Elements?” The leader of the black-robed men, furious, raised his hand to form a dark energy shield, hoping to block John’s attack.
Boom!
But as the sword beams descended, he felt an overwhelming force.
The dark energy shield shattered instantly under the attack, and hundreds of sword beams rained down upon them.
John’s strength had fully recovered, and his attacks carried 1% of life damage as well as soul-based damage.
Though the black-robed men weren’t killed, they were severely wounded.
“Such a strange attack method!” The leader’s face darkened as he spoke in a cold voice, “You are a criminal of The Heaven!”
Having never encountered such an attack before, he instantly deduced John’s identity.
He spoke again, “Human, this is your last chance. Surrender or die!”
Despite the strange nature of John’s attack, the leader showed no fear. After all, Celestial Vault had managed to survive and thrive in the chaotic Land of Exile, and they undoubtedly had their strengths.
“Master, don’t waste any more time with them. These guys are ruthless, just kill them already!” Avis, who was hiding in the distance, quickly shouted. He hated the black-robed men to the core but was too weak to do anything about them.
John ignored him and raised his United Sword once again. A powerful sword intent surged, and countless sword beams flashed across the sky.
“Return of Ten Thousand Swords!” he roared. The United Sword flew from his hand and instantly transformed into thousands of sword beams, enveloping the dozens of black-robed men.
“This is bad!” The leader of the black-robed men’s face changed slightly. He could sense the terrifying power of these sword beams, and it was clear they were not something they could block.
“Form the formation, Dark Guardian!” he coldly commanded. The others swiftly shifted their positions, and an immense surge of dark power erupted around them. The energies gathered together, and in an instant, a colossal dark giant took form.
“A formation?” John was puzzled. He could sense the power of the formation, but it wasn’t powered by Spirit Stones—it was the work of the black-robed men themselves.
He was slightly taken aback. It seemed that the Celestial Vault organization was even more powerful than he had imagined.
Roar!
With a mighty roar, the dark giant gazed at the incoming sword beams. It suddenly opened its enormous mouth.
And a terrifying suction force pulled the sword beams into its maw.
Whoosh!
The dark giant’s body trembled, its surrounding dark energies swirling around it as they engulfed the powerful sword beams. It seemed as though the giant might explode at any moment from the immense pressure.
Whoooosh!
At that moment, the giant opened its mouth again and expelled the sword beams, sending them back toward John.
“Even this?” John was surprised to see such a bizarre method of counterattack for the first time. His expression showed astonishment.
He was well aware of the power of his sword techniques and knew not to underestimate them.
“Dark Escape!” he exclaimed, his figure dissipating and merging with the dark elements around him.
Countless sword beams whizzed past, not causing him any harm.
“Human, useless. Dark Escape is powerful, but it can’t block a true law-based attack!” The leader of the black-robed men sneered. His form flickered and directly merged with the dark giant.
The leader’s spear trembled as a massive spear beam shot forward, sweeping through the air like a shadow, locking onto John’s position.
He knew that elemental escape techniques were not invincible. As his figure reappeared, a wave of pressure spread across the area, and a violent wind howled.
“Heaven and Earth Transformation!” he shouted angrily, his body growing into a towering giant, reaching unimaginable heights.
The massive spear beam struck with incredible speed, and John quickly raised his sword to block it.
Clang!
He felt a tremendous force hit him, and his body was immediately forced backward.
“Hmph, is that all you’ve got?” John looked disdainfully at the giant dark form in front of him, which appeared as small as an infant compared to his transformed self.
“Nine Heavens Sword!” He roared once more, and a colossal sword beam ripped through the sky, as if descending from the Ninth Heaven itself, and came crashing down with overwhelming force.
“Dark Roar!” The black-robed leader’s expression turned grim as he controlled the dark giant, thrusting his spear violently toward the sword beam to meet it head-on.
Boom!
The heavens trembled as a terrifying force exploded outward. The dark giant was sent flying, its body surrounded by a chaotic surge of dark laws that seemed on the verge of disintegrating.
Cough!
The black-robed leader coughed up blood, his face pale and grim.
He could feel the terrifying aura emanating from John, far surpassing that of the dark giant.
He turned to the black-robed men and commanded, “Dark Binding!”
“Yes!” The black-robed figures raised their staffs high, and the immense power of dark laws transformed into threads of darkness, which they sent flowing into the dark giant’s body.
“Roar!”
The dark giant let out a furious roar, and an overwhelming pressure spread across the battlefield. Its form became even more solid, and it grew exponentially in size, now matching John’s stature. The aura surrounding it was no less powerful than his.
The dark giant gripped a long spear, the force of dark laws swirling around it. The leader of the black-robed men, brimming with confidence, spoke, “Human, I’ll give you one last chance. Join Celestial Vault, and consider the Black Magic Crystal as your reward. We will also provide you with ample cultivation resources.”
“No interest!” John decisively refused. With a single step, he launched his counterattack.
“Stubborn fool!” The black-robed leader’s fury was now fully ignited. He had made an offer, shown enough courtesy, yet this man continued to reject him time and time again.
“Overlord Spear!” he shouted, hurling his long spear with immense force.
John was not afraid in the slightest. He once again unleashed his Nine Heavens Sword.
The two titanic figures clashed, their energies colliding with a terrifying force, the wind howling around them.
Avis hastily retreated to the deck of the ship, watching the battle unfold with intense worry.
John’s strength had grown immensely, but the dark giant was no weaker than him. The two were locked in a brutal struggle, with no clear victor in sight for the moment.
However, as time passed, the black-robed men below began to show signs of exhaustion.
The dark giant had been formed through the intense consumption of dark power, and maintaining it was an enormous drain. They were struggling to keep up with the extended battle.
The black-robed leader noticed this and made a decision to end the fight quickly.
“One Strike of Heaven and Earth!” he roared, his entire body erupting with terrifying energy. The long spear howled through the air, stirring up the wind and clouds, its unstoppable momentum aimed directly at John.
John’s expression grew serious, and a golden light enveloped his body. He activated the Diamond Body Protection, increasing his defenses a hundredfold.
Boom!
In an instant, the spear shattered the golden light, and an explosive wave of destructive power surged forward. John’s shoulder and arm were completely shattered from the impact.
How terrifying!
His face shifted with alarm. The black-robed leader’s spear technique was not merely based on the dark laws; it was a power he couldn’t defend against.
“Human, daring to oppose Celestial Vault, this is your fate!” The black-robed man smirked arrogantly, his confidence soaring after landing a successful blow.
“Big brother, do you need my help?” Spoorate, seeing John wounded, anxiously called out from the sailboat, offering her assistance.
“No need,” John replied calmly. If this had happened earlier, he might not have been able to face this man without relying on the Immortal Sword inheritance.
But now, his power had increased dramatically, and he was no longer afraid.
The power of life surged within him, his body regenerating as his shattered arm was restored. His cold gaze locked onto the dark giant.
“Overestimating yourself!” The black-robed man roared in fury, his spear moving in a blur as he unleashed the same attack once again.
John remained calm, four sword beams now surrounding him, an overwhelming killing intent emanating from him.
These were the Four Extermination Swords.
“Immortal Sword Formation!” John’s cold voice echoed, and the terrifying murderous aura seemed to materialize in the air as sword beams filled the sky.
“This is bad!” The black-robed man’s expression shifted. He could clearly feel the terrifying power of these sword beams.
But these sword beams weren’t aimed at him—they were directed at the black-robed men below.
The dark giant’s strength came from the black-robed men. If they were killed, the dark giant would dissipate.
The black-robed man’s face turned pale with panic. It was already too late to stop the attack.
Endless sword beams rained down, filling the entire sky.
Blood-curdling screams echoed as the black-robed men were the first to be hit, torn apart in an instant.
[You have slain a Seven-Star Dark Awakened One. Plunder ability activated.]
[Mental +2000, Magic Critical Strike +10, Physical Critical Strike +10, Dark Magic Damage +0.1%]
…
Notification after notification flashed across John’s vision. Over thirty black-robed men were engulfed by the sword beams and were immediately wiped out.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, the dark giant lost its support and collapsed.
The black-robed man vomited blood and was sent flying backward.
His arm, still clutching the spear, trembled slightly, blood dripping from his fingertips.
Although he hadn’t been directly killed by the sword beams, he was grievously wounded.
“Who exactly are you?” He suppressed the terror rising in his heart, his voice cold as he demanded an answer.
John’s methods were bizarre and filled with all kinds of terrifying power. He even wielded such a fearsome weapon.
Even the Heaven criminals who had fallen to this place could not possibly be so powerful.
“Judgment!” John didn’t waste time with words. He immediately unleashed his soul skill—Judgment.
Whoooom!
A deep hum filled the air, and the atmosphere quivered as the terrifying power of Heaven’s laws converged, striking directly at the black-robed man’s soul.