472 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

Chapter 472: The Collapse of Space A chilling intent to kill permeated the valley. The Black-Clothed Man squinted at Ye Ling Long, eyes full of caution. Although Ye Ling Long was merely at the middle stage of the Celestial Sovereign realm, something about her instilled a sense of danger in him that he couldn’t quite shake off. However, Fu Yuan Yi clearly did not share the same concern. Laughing mockingly, he pointed at Ye Ling Long, "Hahaha! You're just at the Celestial Sovereign stage. Even with an additional person at the same stage, how dare you speak of showing no mercy!" Perhaps still smarting from a close call with her attack, Fu Yuan Yi, embarrassed and angry, ordered his guards to charge forward. "Attack! Kill the man if necessary, but bring me the woman alive." His face displayed unabashed intent. "Yes, sir!" At his command, five guards at the Celestial Sovereign stage rushed towards Ye Ling Long, encircling her with a semicircular formation. Ye Ling Long needed no words; she raised her sword, letting its light dance amidst snow and wind. The sword intent, powered by the supreme laws of the sword, flowed endlessly, eliminating the need for other techniques. The five guards met their end without a scream, falling instantly in the northwest wind. With a flick of her sword to discard the blood, Ye Ling Long then pointed the blade at Fu Yuan Yi. "I warned you, anyone crossing this line will be shown no mercy." Nearby, Feng Li, who had been about to lend a hand, paused. Clearly, there was no use for him in this confrontation. Fu Yuan Yi, despite being a young genius at the Celestial Sovereign stage, was well aware of how his cultivation level was attained. The lethal intent of Ye Ling Long’s sword frightened him into hiding behind the Black-Clothed Man. "Aren’t you supposed to protect me? Quickly, disable this woman!" At this moment, he felt safest beside this man. The Black-Clothed Man paid no mind to Fu Yuan Yi hiding behind him. His gaze shifted towards the lake behind Ye Ling Long. Upon seeing the whirlpool on the lake’s surface, along with the golden glow and faint dragon’s roar, excitement flickered in his eyes. "Did the dragon soul enter?" Fu Yuan Yi didn’t understand, but Ye Ling Long did — he knew about the dragon soul? "Who exactly are you?" she demanded suspiciously. The man's excitement in his eyes vanished as quickly as it appeared, leaving no trace. "Nothing special, merely an honored guest of the Fu Family." In this age, both sects and noble families employed formidable guests to bolster their strength. Having cowered behind the man earlier, Fu Yuan Yi now grew bold, poking his head out to yell angrily, "Stop wasting time. Finish off this woman! The dragon corpse must be in that lake behind her." His eyes glazed over with greed at the sight of the lake. The Black-Clothed Man stepped forward, appearing before Ye Ling Long in an instant. An invisible sword of space laws rushed towards her face. Ye Ling Long's pupils constricted. Space laws! This man was at the Celestial Emperor stage and had mastered space laws. Reacting swiftly, Ye Ling Long used her own comprehension of space laws, causing her figure to blur momentarily before she reappeared several meters away. The spatial sword blade missed its mark, surprising the Black-Clothed Man. "I didn’t expect you not only comprehended the laws of the sword but also space laws. It seems if we allow you to continue growing, it won’t be long before you reach the Celestial Emperor realm." His resolve to eliminate Ye Ling Long solidified. Such a woman could not be allowed to grow further. Ye Ling Long smirked, "You're too kind!" Seizing the initiative, she swung her sword in attack. Their battle was earth-shattering, with sword energy and spatial blades clashing fervently. The Black-Clothed Man's understanding of the laws was far superior to Ye Ling Long’s, having reached the Realized level, while Ye Ling Long's maximum mastery was the Insightful stage with the sword. The mastery of laws comprises four stages: Entry, Insightful, Realized, and Perfected. To advance to Celestial Emperor status, one must at least reach an entry-level understanding of laws. Many remain stuck at the Celestial Sovereign stage, falling short of their potential. Ye Ling Long, currently mid-stage Celestial Sovereign, had grasped more than one law, making her advancement to Celestial Emperor a matter of time. She might even attain Celestial Monarch status someday. With such thoughts, the man's intent to kill only intensified. The fierce duel continued. The Black-Clothed Man, with his superior grasp of space laws, formed a confined space around Ye Ling Long to compress her. But luck wasn’t on his side. Facing someone like Ye Ling Long, with her formidable physical strength and understanding of both space and sword laws, coupled with the artifact Qian Jun, he found himself at a loss. Qian Jun inherently could pierce spatial barriers, rendering his proud techniques ineffective against her. Observing their intense battle, Fu Yuan Yi shifted his focus, signaling his remaining guards to move towards the lake. Just as they closed in, Feng Li emerged to intercept them. "You gentlemen seem to be overlooking me.” Though not as overwhelming as Ye Ling Long, able to confront a Celestial Emperor, Feng Li, a noble divine beast, could still easily handle several ordinary Celestial Sovereigns. Ruining Fu Yuan Yi’s plans, Feng Li with one move of Phoenix True Flames incapacitated two Celestial Sovereigns, leaving them to writhe as human torches. The situation had reached a tense stalemate. Suddenly, the previously calm lake surface began to convulse violently, the water boiling ferociously, the surrounding ground and entire valley trembling, as though something was about to emerge. The Black-Clothed Man's heart tightened at the sight. Knowing the dragon soul was about to merge with its host, he turned ferally towards Ye Ling Long, “Wretch! You forced my hand!” His mastery of space laws peaked as the space around him distorted heavily. Ye Ling Long sensed the space around her destabilize. The solid barriers began to collapse, revealing chaotic space currents within, and a strong force threatened to pull her in.