The longsword planted before him hummed without pause as Dustin’s hands formed seals so swiftly they left afterimages in the air.
The Xuanqing True Qi that had dimmed from the fierce battle did not wane further. Instead, it surged with an even deeper and more restrained might, drawing upon the primordial laws that governed the heavens and earth around him.
He was no longer merely circulating his own energy—he was resonating with the very fabric of the world itself!
“Stars of the heavens, heed my command! Xuanqing Seal of Exorcism—Suppress!”
Dustin’s deep and commanding voice seemed to carry the very decree of heaven and earth.
As his final word “Suppress” rang out, the sword thrust into the ground erupted with dazzling azure light, piercing straight into the clouds.
At that instant, above the platform shrouded in Yaochi’s spiritual mist and the corrupted miasma from the sealing rift, faint shadows of the celestial stars emerged—shimmering and vast.
An ancient, majestic power of the stars pierced through space itself. Drawn forth by Dustin’s supreme art, it descended and merged seamlessly with his Xuanqing True Qi.
The four Dragon-Blood War Puppets that had been charging toward him suddenly froze, their crimson eyes flickering violently as a faint fear crept into their roars—they had sensed the coming of a natural nemesis!
“Descend!”
Dustin pressed his fingers together like a sword and thrust them downward!
Boundless azure starlight, interwoven with refined Xuanqing runes, poured down like a silver river from the ninth heaven—like a divine net woven by the Dao itself—instantly engulfing all four Dragon-Blood War Puppets.
“ROAR—!!”
The puppets howled in pain and defiance, their dark-red veins pulsing madly as they fought to resist the power of the stellar seal.
They clawed at the air, tearing apart patches of starlight. The clash between the red miasma and blue brilliance erupted in deafening thunder.
But this Celestial Star-Sealing Art was one of Dustin’s ultimate trump cards.
It invoked the very power of the heavens—supreme and absolute, the bane of all that was corrupted or unholy.
No matter how they struggled, the delicate yet unbreakable chains of starlight coiled tighter and tighter, layer upon layer. Countless mystical seal runes burned into their indestructible bodies like branding irons.
Their movements slowed, their roars weakened, and the crimson glow across their bodies dimmed rapidly.
At last, with a shattering cry—like porcelain breaking—the four war puppets froze in place, each bound within a massive cocoon of azure light.
Runes shimmered upon the surface, sealing them completely. Only two faint crimson glows flickered weakly within—filled with endless hatred.
The violent energy around the platform subsided at once, leaving only lingering starlight drifting in the air.
“Pffft—!”
Dustin staggered and spat a mouthful of blood, his face pale as paper and his aura utterly drained.
After so many consecutive battles—and especially after forcibly invoking a divine art far beyond his limits—his essence and spirit were almost completely exhausted.
Leaning on his sword, he barely managed to stay standing.
“Dustin”
Margaret cried out, rushing forward to steady his swaying figure, her beautiful eyes full of worry and heartache.
A Long and the others exhaled in relief, the terror of near-death giving way to reverence and awe for Dustin.
—Inside the grand palace, before the water mirror—
Silence.
The intoxicating music had long ceased, and the men and women who had been reveling in luxury now froze, wide-eyed, staring at the mirror that showed the four sealed war puppets—and the lone white-robed figure standing proudly amid the aftermath, though barely holding himself upright.
The effeminate man’s hand froze above the zither strings.
The robed man forgot to raise his wine cup to his lips.
The stunning woman lowered her hand from her mouth, eyes wide with disbelief.
“The Celestial Star-Sealing Art?”
The robed man murmured hoarsely, “He can draw upon the power of the stars? Who… in the world is this youth?”
The beautiful woman took a deep breath, suppressing her inner turbulence, her eyes burning with desire.
“Such purity of power… such a magnificent seal. If I could absorb its source into myself… how wonderful that would be.”
Ao Kun, who had been lounging lazily on his recliner, now slowly sat upright.
For the first time in countless years, a visible ripple crossed his cold, stoic face.
His gaze locked on the exhausted Dustin in the mirror—sharp, appraising, yet gleaming with something far more primal: the possessive gleam of one who has discovered a priceless treasure.
“To transcend the mundane and touch the Dao itself—this one is no longer merely a martial artist, but one who stands near the Way.”
Ao Kun’s deep voice trembled faintly with excitement he himself did not notice.
“He is worthy of stepping across our threshold.”
Setting down his wine cup, determination flashed in his eyes.
“Send the order—open the Bridge of Ascension and invite him into the hall.”
On the white jade platform, Dustin had just swallowed the rarest healing pill Margaret handed him—one of the last from their earlier cavern supplies.
He managed to suppress his turbulent blood energy with effort.
Suddenly, the void before him rippled with strange waves.
From the spring at the heart of the Jade Pool, a seven-colored radiance shot into the sky.
In the air, it condensed and extended, forming a brilliant rainbow bridge of pure energy spanning across the void.
Its far end disappeared into the distance, as if linking to another world entirely.
From beyond the bridge surged a dense, refined spiritual aura—far more potent than this realm’s, yet carrying the same alluring undertone as dragon blood’s ferocity.
Then, a vast, detached voice resonated clearly through the bridge, reaching both Dustin and Margaret:
“The Bridge of Ascension has been opened. Honored guest, please enter the hall for a meeting.” - Vivek
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