Chapter 1059 - Everything Settled

Liu Wuxie had steeled himself for mutual destruction.

If it came to that, he would unleash the Bloodfiend Disintegration, dragging every last one of his enemies down with him, even if it meant his death.

He wasn't sure if he could be reborn again. The actual Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron had long since shattered. Only a shadow now resided in his body.

Unfortunately, that was his final resort.

Death would mean starting from zero. And the blood feud he bore upon his shoulders would vanish with him.

Just as he prepared to activate the Bloodfiend Disintegration, a golden streak split the sky. A blinding sword ray descended from above like divine judgment.

The golden sword light instantly snapped and dissolved the threads binding Liu Wuxie.

A radiant golden longsword hovered before him, blazing with brilliance and radiating the unmistakable aura of a heaven-spirit artifact.

"It's the Divine Sun Sword!" Qu Su and the others from the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy cried out, their voices filled with awe and disbelief.

The sword shimmered, and slowly, it formed the figure of a middle-aged man. A transformation was only possible for weapons that had reached the realm of heaven-spirit artifacts.

Liu Wuxie halted his Bloodfiend Disintegration at once and turned toward the phantom. It was the sword spirit of the Divine Sun Sword.

The younger cultivators stared in shock and confusion. Most had never even seen a heaven-spirit artifact, let alone one that could take human form.

However, the older generation recognized it instantly.

This was no ordinary weapon.

The Divine Sun Sword was the personal artifact of the Grandmaster of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy.

"You may not kill him," said the sword spirit, his voice echoing like a divine decree across the battlefield.

The statement stilled the battlefield.

Even Liu Hanyi and the ancestor of the Wang Clan paused mid-combat.

The ancestor of the Liao Clan and the white-robed man also halted, their gazes locked on the golden phantom.

"The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy has always stayed out of the affairs of the True Martial Continent," said the Yuan Clan's ancestor coldly, his tone filled with disdain. "Are you choosing to break that rule now?"

Ordinary sects would bow in reverence before the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy. Yet, those who had stepped into the Heaven Profound Realm no longer bowed to worldly hierarchies. They had long surpassed mortal institutions.

The sword spirit replied coldly, "You were the ones who broke the rules first. Powerhouses at the Heaven Profound Realm should never act against juniors."

His words were sharp and without compromise.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy had chosen not to intervene when the three clans first plotted against Liu Wuxie. However, now that Heaven Profound Realm experts had personally made a move against a Spirit Profound Realm cultivator. Their actions had shattered the balance of the continent.

And that was something the Academy could not allow.

The ancestors of the three clans fell silent.

They understood the message clearly.

The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy wouldn't intervene if cultivators at the Earth Profound Realm hunted Liu Wuxie. However, the moment those at the Heaven Profound Realm made a move, it became a different story entirely.

"The Divine Sun Sword is right," an elder from the Dragon Emperor Academy spoke up, his tone solemn. "Those at the Heaven Profound Realm exist to protect the True Martial Continent, not to interfere in the struggles of juniors."

Many cultivators in the crowd nodded in agreement.

If Heaven Profound experts were allowed to act at will against the younger generation, the continent would descend into lawless chaos. The delicate balance that kept power in check would shatter.

"Divine Sun Sword," the ancestor of the Yuan Clan asked, his tone guarded, "Is this your will or the will of your master?"

"You don't need to know," the sword spirit replied coldly. "As long as no Heaven Profound cultivator makes another move, the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy shall remain uninvolved. But if anyone does, don't blame the Grandmaster for what happens next."

With those words, the Divine Sun Sword glowed brighter, then shot into the sky as a golden streak and disappeared, vanishing as swiftly as it had appeared.

Liu Wuxie didn't even have the chance to thank him.

Truth be told, this was what he had gambled on from the beginning.

He had known that the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy would never remain idle. Not when Heaven Profound Realm powerhouses attacked a Spirit Profound Realm cultivator, especially the one marked as the 'chosen one'.

The ancestor of the Yuan Clan clenched his fists with a grim expression. He knew exactly what kind of figure the Grandmaster was.

Though he, too, stood at the Heaven Profound Realm, he dared not act recklessly.

The Grandmaster of the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy was deep and unfathomable, with rumors that he could draw energy from the Astral Domain to cultivate, a feat none of them had accomplished.

The Divine Sun Sword's appearance placed two Heaven Profound powerhouses squarely on Liu Wuxie's side. Even more daunting, everyone knew the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy commanded additional cultivators in that realm.

The earlier battle had gravely injured Liu Wuxie. In his current state, even an opponent at the True Profound Realm could have ended his life. Yet, no one dared approach. The two Heaven Profound Realm guardians hovered nearby while the three clans' ancestors kept their distance, cowed by the sword's warning.

Liu Wuxie swallowed several pills, steadying his injuries. With his True Dragon and Divine Thunder Physiques, wounds that would have crippled an ordinary cultivator for ten to fifteen days began to mend almost instantly.

"Junior Liu Wuxie pays his respects to Ancestor," he said, bowing deeply to Liu Hanyi. Without her arrival, the outcome would have been disastrous.

"Well done," she said, giving his shoulder a reassuring pat. "You've done the Liu Clan proud. Focus on your cultivation. I'll remain nearby to protect you."

Her warmth surprised him; few Heaven Profound ancestors carried such an approachable air. After a brief, polite exchange, Liu Hanyi departed. Having lived for centuries, she found no reason to linger among the younger generation.

Liu Wuxie turned toward the white-robed man. Perhaps only he knew the man's true identity.

"Thank you, senior, for intervening and saving me," Liu Wuxie said with a deep bow.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for my son. Take care of yourself," the man replied. Without another word, he vanished from Astral Glory City.

Their brief exchange left the crowd stunned.

However, Liu Wuxie understood the meaning behind his words far too well. This was the Han Clan's mission.

With the battle now over, everyone in the Heavenly Dao Society erupted into cheers. Their hard-fought victory had been a close call.

"Young Master Liu, congratulations. You've firmly established your footing in the Central Plains," said the Nine Profound Sect's sect master, clasping his hands respectfully.

"Sect Master Zhao, I'm grateful for the reinforcements today," Liu Wuxie responded. The Nine Profound Sect had sent three elders to support him.

"Don't forget our agreement," Sect Master Zhao added with a playful wink, then turned and left with his people.

Liu Wuxie returned the gesture and watched them depart.

"Wuxie, what kind of agreement did you make with the Nine Profound Sect?" Fan Zhen finally asked. He had been in the dark about many of Liu Wuxie's arrangements and finally got the chance to ask.

"I promised an alchemy exchange with them in return for their help in fending off the three clans," Liu Wuxie replied.

Before the commerce fair had started, he had reached out to many factions. Only the Nine Profound Sect had agreed to ally with the Heavenly Dao Society against the three clans. That was why they had backed him when he had threatened to withdraw from the fair, putting pressure on the Spirit Jade Pavilion earlier that day.

Everyone nodded in realization. They hadn't expected Liu Wuxie to have planned every step so thoroughly in advance.

When everyone returned to the Heavenly Dao Society, Shopkeeper Tan arrived to greet them.

Since the Heavenly Dao Society had refused to collaborate with the Spirit Jade Pavilion, they began seeking new sales channels for their products. Direct sales proved too inefficient.

Thanks to the war, the Heavenly Dao Society was now poised for another round of rapid development. Although the battle had exhausted significant resources, they could now replenish those losses by selling their goods.

They aimed to generate revenue, nurture disciples, and build strength, thereby creating a sustainable cycle of growth by collaborating with external merchants to expand distribution.

Liu Wuxie passed all responsibilities to Xu Yilin and retired, with the four women by his side. Fan Zhen swiftly handled the logistics.

Days passed in the blink of an eye.

However, what had happened in Astral Glory City had not been forgotten. Countless cultivators began visiting the Heavenly Dao Society, eager to form partnerships.

Even factions that failed to ally still scrambled to purchase their pills.

Soon after, the Heavenly Dao Society's pills appeared in Tan Clan's shops and quickly spread across surrounding cities.

On the first day itself, cultivators bought out their pills, talismans, artifacts, and array compasses completely.

The Heavenly Dao Society swiftly recouped the millions of spirit stones it had spent.

As the Heavenly Dao Society's goods flooded the market, business at the Spirit Jade Pavilion plummeted.

Inside the Spirit Jade Pavilion, the atmosphere grew tense.

"Pavilion Master, we must act now, or our business will collapse," Elder Long Chen said anxiously.

It had been years since the Spirit Jade Pavilion had last convened its highest council, but now every core elder was present.

The pavilion master, a youthful man with fair skin, toyed idly with a jade stone in his hand.

"Speak your minds," he said calmly, inviting them to voice their thoughts.

"I suggest we eradicate the Heavenly Dao Society. That way, the market will have no choice but to return to us," Shi Yuan declared coldly.

Everyone turned to look at Shi Yuan as if he were a fool. That idea might have worked once, but times had changed.

Without cultivators at the Heaven Profound Realm, destroying the Heavenly Dao Society was no longer easy.

The Nine Profound Sect had already allied with them. The Jiang, Yu, and Shen Clans had also extended olive branches, even dispatching their elite experts to help protect the Heavenly Dao Society.

They saw the Heavenly Dao Society's rise as inevitable and aimed to secure ties early. Once the Heavenly Dao Society matured, it would be far too late to secure a meaningful alliance.

Even the Liu Clan had sent numerous elders from the higher levels of the Earth Profound Realm to lend a hand.

In just a few days, the Heavenly Dao Society's strength had grown to rival that of first-tier forces.

"Liu Wuxie is the backbone of the Heavenly Dao Society. If we eliminate him, the whole thing will collapse," said another elder, rising to support Shi Yuan's view.