Chapter 1338 - Refining the Thunderclap Sword

Vanya stowed the array flags and unleashed a fierce surge of magic, casting Wind Erosion Magic and Doom Tempest in a single breath. At the same time, a hundred Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples chanted and fed power into both spells.

Only Liu Wuxie could fuse true essence into magic to make that possible.

A'Lei and A'Li didn't idle. They seized the opening and struck with their fists reminiscent of hewn mountains. With more than a hundred pressure-type arrays embedded in them, their strength climbed far beyond what they had in the Netherworld.

If they met the Black Demon Bull again, one punch would finish it.

Fractures laced the Thunderclap Sword as its core neared detonation, and the Grand Unity Sect disciples nearby braced for death.

At the critical moment, a pitch-black hurricane formed and swallowed the Thunderclap Sword. Then, Liu Wuxie lunged without hesitation, seizing it with the Dragon-Grasping Hand.

The Thunderclap Sword was a true treasure, and the Heavenly Dao Society would need a deep armory when they entered the Astral Domain. He had no shortage of standard weapons, but truly exceptional ones remained scarce.

"Liu Wuxie, keep dreaming!" Mu Qingshan roared, merging into the array as he charged.

"Trash," Liu Wuxie said. He had held back only because they weren't worth the effort. He unleashed the Dragon-Grasping Hand again; a colossal claw slammed down and swatted Mu Qingshan aside.

By the time Mu Qingshan tried to retreat, it was too late. He was only at the Primal Origin pinnacle; Liu Wuxie could erase him from existence with a wave of his hand.

Unable to evade, the dragon claw tore Mu Qingshan apart, and Liu Wuxie devoured his energy and laws. However, his desolate world had gotten so vast that even consuming hundreds at the Primal Origin pinnacle would barely disturb its balance.

When the other sword clamped onto the Thunderclap Sword, the captured blade thrashed, fighting to break free. Doom Tempest swept away the Void Realm laws it emitted at once as Liu Wuxie and Vanya worked in seamless coordination.

Meanwhile, the killing resumed. The Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples surged forward into relentless slaughter, severed heads arcing skyward one after another to be tallied for astral stone rewards later.

The battle ended as a one-sided massacre—the demon clan, faceless clan, and beastkin trailing behind bolted without a second thought.

Many thought the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower would be Liu Wuxie's doomsday, yet it became his hunting ground instead. He moved like a sky-scouring storm, and no one barred his path.

When the last Grand Unity disciple fell, the hundred from the Heavenly Dragon Sect felt as if in a dream: they had slain three hundred experts without a single casualty and had even seized the Thunderclap Sword, to boot.

"We actually did it!" a disciple shouted, unable to contain himself.

"It's all thanks to Junior Brother Liu!" Gratitude shone in their eyes as they turned to him. They had earned rewards by hunting Grand Unity disciples and hardened themselves in the process.

"The fight has just started. Don't celebrate yet," Liu Wuxie said, his words dousing their excitement like cold water. So far, they had faced only the Grand Unity Sect; the demon clan, the abyssal race, and the rakshasa clan still lay ahead.

In past years, champions of the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower came from those three races—the demon clan for ferocity, the abyssal race for overwhelming numbers, and the rakshasa clan for stealth. Inside the tower, humans would lose their edge.

"Quick, look east!" Even at that distance, everyone saw the change. They turned in time to watch the gate fade, leaving the hundreds of thousands who had been rushing toward it at a loss for words.

Just then, something bizarre happened—a new gate surfaced in the west, not far from Liu Wuxie's group.

"The gate to the second level appeared in the west!" the Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples exclaimed, their reverence for Liu Wuxie deepening. They had no idea how he had foreseen its location.

The tower's inner space shifted constantly, and the gate to the second level shifted with it. Some had already slipped through before it moved, but most remained trapped on the first floor.

"Hurry to the second level," Liu Wuxie ordered, taking the lead toward the gate.

The gate wouldn't last, and no one knew where it would shift next. They seized the moment and plunged toward it while the eastern crowd wheeled and sprinted west. The first level trembled under the stampede as demonic beasts turned the plains into pandemonium.

As Liu Wuxie neared the gate, he formed seals in swift succession and drove them into the portal. Entry wasn't so simple; the gate groaned and split open.

"Go!" A'Lei plunged in first, with Vanya and the Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples close behind.

Five breaths later, only Liu Wuxie remained. His figure flashed, and he slipped through the gate. The second level shifted the world again, revealing an endless expanse of snowy mountains.

"Big Brother Liu, which way?" Vanya asked. The recent battle had lifted her aura and steadied her bearing with a leader's poise.

"South," Liu Wuxie said, casting Ghost Eye to set their course. A'Lei led, raising a thick bank of dark clouds as they sped along.

Not long after Liu Wuxie's group vanished, hordes from the demon clans and abyssal race spilled onto the second level.

"Follow Liu Wuxie!" After the first level, many humans had realized that Liu Wuxie could find gates faster than anyone else.

The Divine Sun-Shooting Tower had no time limit, but once someone had reached the top, the event would end. The record stood at ten days. This time, they would probably set a new record.

Before they could make their way to the south, another gate appeared, and waves of demon clans and abyssal devils poured onto the third level.

The ground trembled, a terrifying aura sweeping across it as a colossal snow beast loomed ahead, blocking their path.

"Natives of the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower," Liu Wuxie said, narrowing his eyes. The tower was a Quasi-Immortal Artifact; it was natural for it to harbor life.

"Vanya, it's yours," Liu Wuxie said. He ignored the snow beast and forged ahead toward the gate to the third level.

Vanya pressed her hands together and tightened the array until it engulfed the snow beast. Once it fell, the team regrouped and advanced, matching Liu Wuxie's pace.

Time ran short; if anyone reached the ninth level first, all of Liu Wuxie's arrangements would amount to nothing.

Above White Moon Valley, anxious eyes watched the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower floating in the sky. Each time a layer lit, it meant someone had entered it.

"This year's pace is faster than before. Someone has already reached the third level," Voices murmured across the surrounding warships.

"This is bad!" The shout cracked across the Grand Unity Sect's warship.

"Elder Wang, what's happening?" Sang Lu and the other elders hurried over.

"I-I've lost contact with my Thunderclap Sword!" Elder Wang said, his face draining of color. Losing contact boded ill; when Elder Li lost the Heavenly Primal Wheel, he wore the same look.

"Impossible! Was the Thunderclap Sword destroyed?" another elder exclaimed as gloom settled over the warship. Many had watched Liu Wuxie shatter the Heavenly Primal Wheel.

"It's not destroyed; someone refined it," Elder Wang said, cold sweat beading on his brow.

He was right. Liu Wuxie had thrown the Thunderclap Sword into the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron and burned it with demonic flames to erase its imprint.

The blade struggled at first, but Avici Hell crushed it, and the Thunderclap Sword submitted.

"Is it Liu Wuxie again?" Elder Li asked, eyes bloodshot, pain flaring as he recalled the Heavenly Primal Wheel's fate.

"Liu Wuxie can't destroy the Thunderclap Sword. Moreover, Mu Qingshan led three hundred disciples with a spiritual array, to boot," Sang Lu said, shaking his head, ruling Liu Wuxie out.

"I suspect Liu Wuxie used some kind of forbidden art," Mo Hong added.

He had broken through to the Void Realm and thus couldn't enter the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower, but for months, he had witnessed Liu Wuxie pull off one miracle after another.

"If that's true, then the situation inside the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower must be troublesome," Sang Lu said, accepting Mo Hong's judgement.

The Grand Unity Sect had brought four thousand disciples, and Liu Wuxie alone had killed more than two thousand. Aside from the dozens who had broken through to the Void Realm, they sent everyone into the tower; if all perished there, the loss would be ruinous, wiping out over half of their young elites.

Meanwhile, Vanya quickly regrouped with Liu Wuxie at the gate to the third level.

"It's Liu Wuxie!" Shock rippled through the crowd when they saw him standing before the gate.

The demon clan had gathered over five thousand demons, and their combined demonic energy roiled like miasma, while the abyssal race had mustered more than five thousand abyssal devils to match them.

No wonder people said humans rarely stood a chance in the Divine Sun-Shooting Tower.

"Big Brother Liu, we'll hold them while you find a way through," Vanya said. Whoever broke through first would seize the advantage.

"No. It's too dangerous for you to stay here," Liu Wuxie replied. He had considered that plan but rejected it, as it would dump all the pressure on Vanya.

"This is the only way for you to secure a great result. What's the point if we all stay?" Vanya shot back. She had already decided to cover him.

"Vanya's right. Brother Liu, go on. We'll cover you," A'Lei said, taking her side. If they all stalled here, they might as well give up.

"Junior Brother Liu, don't worry. We won't let you down," the Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples said. If Liu Wuxie were to take first in the tower, the sect would make history; no one had ever obtained all four titles in the Myriad Race Ceremony, but they had a real chance at that this year.

"Okay, but be careful. Don't be reckless. I've already taught you the defensive functions. Even if you can't win, you can still hold on," Liu Wuxie said. He didn't fret over their safety, as the Moon Tribulation Incineration Array had multiple transformations. Even against a powerful foe, they could definitely hold the line.