Chapter 3235 - A Terrifying Sight (Three)

From his conversation with the artifact spirit, Jian Chen learnt about many absolute secrets. Most of it was regarding the Martial Soul lineage and the Martial Soul Mountain, or in other words, the imperial clan and the sacred mountain of the past.

The artifact spirit had obtained all of the information through merging with the fragmented memories of the previous artifact spirit of the Tower of Radiance, so every single piece of information was true. He did not have to worry about them being like widespread rumours in the outside world, possessing many different versions that made it difficult to extract any truth.

"We once guessed that it was extremely likely for the Martial Soul Mountain to be forged by a certain Grand Exalt in the history of the Martial Soul lineage, and that it's actually a sovereign god artifact."

"After all, the Martial Soul Mountains' special ability to appear anywhere in the Saints' World is extremely similar to the Grand Exalt's legendary ability to descend anywhere in the Saints' World. It just seems like the Martial Soul Mountain is even more exceptional than we believed it to be."

Jian Chen was intrigued. He did not really care about the Martial Soul lineage's identity as the imperial clan. His mind was filled with the matters regarding the Martial Soul Mountain. He was extremely curious about its origins.

It was far too extraordinary, such that even the Grand Exalt that appeared in the history of the Martial Soul lineage obtained everything he possessed from it.

If the other members of the Martial Soul lineage found out about this, they would probably all be dumbfounded like Jian Chen.

"Master, in the eyes of the previous artifact spirit of the Tower of Radiance, the sacred mountain seemed to be an extremely powerful yet also extremely mysterious object. However, the true secret of the sacred mountain seems to be hidden in its very depths," the artifact spirit said again. His illusionary face became rather stern as he continued, "I've learnt from the previous artifact spirit that even the Grand Exalt could not enter the very depths of the sacred mountain with ease."

"Whenever the Grand Exalt entered the very depths, he required the combined efforts of all the members of the imperial clan. They had to cast a secret technique such that their powers merged together temporarily, and only then could they send someone inside."

"Even the master of the Tower of Radiance had only entered that place a few times in his life. He did not stay in there for long, but whenever he emerged, he would always bring out some impressive objects. One of these objects included the method of forging that god artifact."

"The god artifact is extremely powerful, but the method of forging it has already fallen into the Grand Exalt of Ancient Paths' hands."

Jian Chen thought of something as he listened up to there. He thought to himself, "In the past, when the Samsaric Immortal Exalt infiltrated the Saints' World, his primary objective was to destroy the ultimate weapon that the Grand Exalt of Ancient Paths was trying to forge. As it seems now, the ultimate weapon should correspond to the forging method that originated from the Martial Soul Mountain."

"Once this is all over, I need to study the Martial Soul Mountain properly and carefully," Jian Chen thought. He had never viewed the Martial Soul Mountain with so much importance as now.

"Artifact spirit, since the Martial Soul lineage is revered as the imperial clan among Hallowed Saint Masters, do you know why the Martial Soul lineage have instead turned against the Hallowed Saint Masters? What exactly happened back then?"

"And what's the reason for the Martial Soul lineage's inability to reach Grand Prime?"

Jian Chen used this opportunity to ask.

"Master, I still don't know the answer to that, but there's still a small fraction of memory fragments from the previous artifact spirit that I've yet to absorb. However, I've already tidied through the last bit of memory fragments, so merging with them shouldn't take long. Please give me a moment, master."

Afterwards, the artifact spirit crossed his legs and sat down. He shut his eyes and stopped talking, like he was cultivating.

He was merging with the last bit of memories left behind by the previous artifact spirit.

Jian Chen sat down as well, waiting patiently. At the same time, he slowly digested all of the information he had learned from the artifact spirit. His eyes twinkled from time to time as he sank into his thoughts.

That wait lasted several hours.

Suddenly, the artifact spirit's illusionary figure began to shake violently as if it had just received some intense blow. Its figure even began to collapse, almost disintegrating completely.

Immediately, the Tower of Radiance began to shake. All of the spaces inside became chaotic as a huge storm of energy made the entire place shake violently like an earthquake was happening.

At that instant, it felt like the world within the Tower of Radiance had been upturned.

Jian Chen narrowed his eyes and stared straight at the artifact spirit of the Tower of Radiance. He was obviously aware that everything happening in the Tower of Radiance was connected to the artifact spirit.

By now, the artifact spirit had already merged with the memories. It opened its eyes, but its gaze was filled with extreme fear. Even its illusionary figure shook uncontrollably.

It seemed like it had just witnessed something extremely terrifying, where even the artifact spirit of a sovereign god artifact had been left unbelievably shaken.

Jian Chen immediately became solemn. His eyes shone brightly as he stared straight at the artifact spirit, asking sternly, "What happened?"

M-m-master, I-I witnessed something terrifying. I-I-I s-s-saw it." The artifact spirit was quite shaken as it stuttered away, unable to form a complete sentence. Even though it was only an artifact spirit, its face still seemed sheet-white.

"What exactly did you see?" Jian Chen became stern. He really had no idea just what terrifying sight could frighten the artifact spirit like that.

"I saw the end of the Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage. I saw the devastation of the Martial Soul lineage." The artifact spirit trembled in extreme fear.

"Master, don't resist." In the end, it directly sent its consciousness into Jian Chen's soul, conveying a series of images.

The background was the endless expanse of space. Nine figures stood there. They all seemed to be shrouded in a thin haze, such that they seemed misty and surreal.

However, Jian Chen knew their precise identities due to the artifact spirit.

Eight of them were successors of the Martial Soul lineage.

The last person was the cultivation partner of the Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage.

Among the nine of them, the greatest member of the Martial Soul lineage and his cultivation partner were both Grand Exalts!

The seven others were all Ninth Heavenly Layer Grand Primes!

The eight successors of the Martial Soul lineage—a Grand Exalt and seven Ninth Heavenly Layer Grand Primes—coupled with a Grand Exalt cultivation partner. That was an extremely powerful group of people.

And, through the information that the artifact spirit shared with him, Jian Chen also learnt that only eight successors had appeared in that generation of the Martial Soul lineage. The legendary ninth successor never appeared.

There were nine people in the image, but the cultivation partner of the Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage did not belong to the Martial Soul lineage.

But at this very moment, a huge hand suddenly appeared in outer space. It was completely condensed from the ways of the world, woven from the endless laws. The glow it gave off was sometimes multicoloured and sometimes chaotic, seeming like it had sucked in all the power of the world. It abruptly fell towards the nine people with devastating might.

When Jian Chen noticed the hand, he immediately shuddered violently. He was dumbstruck.

He actually sensed all three thousand ways from the hand.

It was not one, nor two or three, but all three thousand, not one less, not one more.

The hand was actually completely condensed from the three thousand ways.

When the hand fell, the ways weaved, and new laws sprang forth. It swung directly towards the Martial Soul lineage with destructive power, sealing off all paths of retreat. No one could escape.

Right as it descended, before it even landed on anyone from the Martial Soul lineage, the peerless might and terrifying presence it gave off was enough for the seven Ninth Heavenly Layer Grand Primes of the Martial Soul lineage to collapse immediately, reduced to the tiniest specks of dust.

A tiny tower appeared over the Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage's head, giving off the might of a sovereign god artifact. That was the Tower of Radiance.

A colossal mountain appeared above the Tower of Radiance too.

The mountain was the Martial Soul Mountain!

Boom!

With a great rumble, the hand woven from the three thousand laws slammed into the Martial Soul Mountain, which immediately made it jolt. The Martial Soul Mountain was undamaged, but half of the Grand Exalt's body beneath the mountain had melted away. A pulse of energy swept out, and the Tower of Radiance immediately dimmed as if it had sustained heavy damage. Cracks appeared on many different locations.

Afterwards, the great hand pressed down on the Martial Soul Mountain, and it immediately plummeted, crashing towards the Grand Exalt couple beneath.

At this moment, the Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage struck out. Golden, silver, and bronze light flashed on his body as he struck his partner without any hesitation.

The Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage's partner perished immediately. Her entire body, even her soul, turned into droplets of light, scattering in the surroundings.

In the next moment, the hand of order smashed the Martial Soul Mountain into the Grand Exalt of the Martial Soul lineage's body mercilessly.

Silently, his body was reduced to dust. Nothing was left behind. He was erased from existence.