Chapter 1104: Sovereign Path

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“Vaulting Sword?”

Heaven Sealing Sea Ao just stared at it for a while, flinching awake, “What’s with that look? I didn’t even recognize you!”

Then his eyes lit up, “The sword spirit changed, right?”

Ding!

Vaulting Sword hummed in agreement.

“Why else wouldn’t you gang up on me with the others? It all makes sense, you changed your master, ha-ha-ha…”

Sea Ao laughed, then grew grave, “The kid sure is something to change even a sacred sword’s spirit for his own use. As a Heavenly Sovereign inheritor it’s only natural though. That means you want to save your master as well. Go! Vaulting Sword, representing the billowing wind!” 

Heaven Sealing Sea Ao pointed and the Vaulting Sword struck the exact spot, three meters from Chu Qingcheng.

With the four divine swords included, the array surged and the earth shook. The black thunderflame on Chu Qingcheng spread among the divine swords, tainting them black with lightning. 

Chu Qingcheng shook as well, taking in more of Zhuo Fan’s black flames into herself through the array.

Her power increased and took it all in with greater speed, leaving the excess her body could not contain to the four divine swords. 

For the next half hour, Zhuo Fan watched as the thunderflame left from him to Chu Qingcheng with tears in his eyes and pain in his heart. Chu Qingcheng was committed, despite the fire eroding her into nothingness.

Two hours later, the last trace of thunderflame left Zhuo Fan. Sea Ao went fast into action, before any more were generated in his body. He shot the blue eye into Zhuo Fan’s face, burrowing into the left socket and releasing icy energy.

Hum~

Divine Eye of the Void was still out of control and felt hostility towards this intruder, shining in seven golden halos, unleashing a terrible power.

Luck had it the Divine Eye of the Void was far from trained to perfection, just at the 7th stage. While Sea Ao’s eye belonged to a sacred beast, albeit damaged. It still proved enough. Using it while the apocalyptic thunderflame had still been around though, and the Divine Eye of the Void would’ve had the upper hand.

With the main problem gone, the Divine Eye of the Void alone posed no danger. Even Heavenly Sovereign showed its strongest power when both eyes worked together. One eye was easy to seal.

Before Divine Eye of the Void got any more ideas, Heaven Sealing Sea Ao held out his palm and unleashed a cold twister upon Zhuo Fan. The heaven-sealing eye joined in to cover both eyes.

Sss~

Zhuo Fan’s eyes had a layer of ice over them, with a cryptic seal forming on his forehead.

With it, Zhuo Fan’s vision went black, losing sight of everything, including that of his wife burning away from the black fire…

Hu~

Heaven Sealing Sea Ao eased a long breath, nodding, “Kid, the Apocalyptic Thunderflame Eye ran amok, damaging Divine Eye of the Void as well. You will have a hard time controlling the two skills for the next while. I have used a heaven seal on your eyes to save them. When the Divine Eye of the Void recovers, you will grasp the seal on Apocalyptic Thunderflame Eye and can open it. Abusing the thunderflame will only get you killed. It’s for your own good so you better take care!”

“Qingcheng…”

Zhuo Fan only focused on his grip on Chu Qingcheng’s hand, his ears flooded with the hissing of the black flames. He didn’t need eyes to know, the sorrow eating him up inside as he bit his lip.

“Qingcheng, answer me, even if it’s with few words. Why do you want to save me…”

Chu Qingcheng stared back, devoid of any emotion even as the black thunderflame ate her flesh. Then she closed her eyes as her life got drained away.

“Aah!”

Zhuo Fan howled, his emotions all over the place. He couldn’t even cry from the seal.

Sea Ao sighed, “There’s no fault in a man’s tears. Crying helps in times of great sorrow. Though it doesn’t look like you can, nothing coming out from the seal… 

“This girl can’t be saved either. May she rest in peace.” Sea Ao’s eyes held nothing but respect for her, “Humans are the most fascinating creatures, capable of so much evil but there are also those worthy of respect.”

“Aah!”

Zhuo Fan cried himself hoarse, shouting at the sky with a red face, his heart unable to bear this crushing sorrow.

Qiao’er watched her father’s weak struggle and mother’s demise in tears. She forced the sobs away, though, not wishing to cause more pain to her father.

Sea Ao sighed.

[The young Thunder Phoenix is more human by the second. But I don’t hate it, ha-ha-ha…]

Sorrow took Sea Ao as well as he watched Chu Qingcheng almost gone under the thudnerflame’s attack.

“The body is almost finished and now comes the soul. Once it is gone, she may rest. You have given me one last frail hope in humanity…”

“Qingcheng!”

Hum~

With Zhuo Fan’s last cry of immense grief, one tear shining in seven colors came from beyond the icy seal and fell down his face.

Heaven Sealing Sea Ao gasped, “How? Not even the black flames can escape my seal so how can a tear?”

The tear was just that grand, defying his common sense as it swaggered down.

It was like smacking him senseless.

[Is there a leak in my seal, or what? Even so, there’s no way a mere tear can slip out.]

Zhuo Fan was in too much pain to register his cry of shock, using his all just to shout his pain. His mind blacked out and he fell limp.

But the prismatic tear fell from his face and onto the still burning Chu Qingcheng.

Hum~

A multicolored light exploded, erasing the black flames. A mote of white floated out of the body under the cover of the prismatic light, coming before Sea Ao.

“The Undying Sovereign path?”

Heaven Sealing Sea Ao gapped, looking at Zhuo Fan in stupefaction, “How can it be? How can the kid have a Sovereign path’s protection? Only the ten Sovereigns can…”

Sea Ao’s eyes grew grave.

[Just who on earth is he?]

Qiao’er started, pointing at the prismatic glow, “Uncle Sea Ao, w-what’s that?”

“Any that delved deep into Dao becomes a forefather of that path, a Sovereign, as he forms his Sovereign path he grasped from the heavens. He would be as undying as the world itself.”

Graver than ever, Sea Ao glanced at the prismatic light, “This glow can only come from those understanding The Ten Paths to Heaven, something only a Sovereign can wield, the Sovereign path. It is the core of their beliefs. They would never fall so long as it stays strong. The girl was on the brink of having her soul erased, but the Sovereign path saved her last trace.”

Qiao’er was overjoyed, “Does that mean mother is saved?”

“Of course, and not just saved, but protected under the Sovereign path. There’s only a handful of beings that can touch her in the world.” 

Sea Ao’s eye shook as he watched Zhuo Fan unconscious from the heartache, his eye gleaming, “Young Thunder Phoenix, just who is your godfather? Why does he know one of the The Ten Paths to Heaven?”

Qiao’er started then shook her head.

Looking between the two, Sea Ao turned to the huge hole the thunderflame punched in the sky slowly mending. He snatched the resplendent glow in his hand and threw it into the black hole. 

The hole then closed right after it swallowed it.

[Regardless of how this path came to be, with the kid so special, I must get his favor.]

Sea Ao’s eyes shone and smirked at the closing hole, “Girl, see you in the Sacred Domain, ha-ha-ha…”