Batian Martial Soul

The faint glow that had been emanating from Ling Xiao flickered one last time, as if bidding a final farewell to him, before merging with the thick shadows in the cave and disappearing completely.

Only a faint sigh remained, slowly echoing in the air, a sigh that seemed to contain too much helplessness and reluctance.

……

When Ling Xiao and his two companions returned to the ground, they were greeted by a magnificent and beautiful scene.

At this moment, the setting sun, like a generous painter, freely casts its last rays upon the earth.

The distant mountains, as if meticulously painted by nature's magical artist, are draped in a golden-red coat, their magnificent colors captivating all who behold them.

The mist in the forest, like soft ribbons, began to rise slowly, adding a touch of mystery to the world.

Just then, Lei Ling's familiar voice suddenly rang in Ling Xiao's mind. The voice was unusually solemn, as if it was telling an extremely important thing: "That old guy just now is not simple."

This short sentence, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up ripples in Ling Xiao's heart.

Ling Xiao frowned slightly and asked in a deep voice, his gaze still fixed on the picturesque sunset on the horizon, as if trying to find the answer in its magnificent colors: "How strong is it?"

His fingers unconsciously caressed the storage ring on his hand, the familiar patterns slowly sliding under his fingertips, as if giving him an invisible power.

Lei Ling pondered for a moment, his voice trembling slightly as if he were carefully choosing his words: "More terrifying than when I was at my peak."

Its tone carried a hint of smugness, as if it were showing off its past glory, but soon, that smug expression disappeared, and its voice became serious again: "But it's only a little stronger."

Ling Xiao was speechless upon hearing this. He shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile appearing on his lips.

He was already used to the boastful Lei Ling and knew that he could only believe half of what it said, so he said no more and continued walking forward.

Lei Ling's voice echoed in Ling Xiao's mind again. This time, its tone suddenly became particularly low, as if shrouded in a thick gloom: "What a pity, that old fellow's soul is incomplete, like an oil lamp about to go out, flickering with a faint light; his physical body is completely destroyed, like an ancient castle that has collapsed, leaving only ruins."

"He looks like he has been severely injured by some terrifying force, a force that is probably far more terrifying than we can imagine."

“If he were at his peak,” Lei Ling’s voice unconsciously carried a hint of longing, as if recalling a distant and glorious era, “he would probably be a powerful figure who could roam freely across the world.”

"Those beings at that level possess unfathomable strength. With a mere gesture, they can change the landscape. Towering mountains will crumble under their power, turning into ruins; rivers will shift, and once surging streams will change course, recklessly eroding the land, leaving devastation in their wake."

Ling Xiao listened quietly to Lei Ling's story, his brows furrowing tightly, his gaze becoming increasingly profound, as if concealing endless thoughts.

After a moment of contemplation, he asked, "Do you know anything about the era of the Demonic Sect?"

This question is like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, creating invisible ripples in the air.

Lei Ling sighed softly and said slowly, "I've heard a little about it, but I don't know much about it."

"The history of that era is like an ancient book with countless pages torn out, seemingly deliberately erased by a mysterious and powerful force, leaving only fragmented legends."

"Those legends are like twinkling stars in the night sky, seemingly brilliant, yet vague and incomprehensible, making them elusive."

Its voice carried a hint of confusion, as if it too was troubled by this mysterious history. "It's as if someone used a grand gesture to completely erase an entire era from the long river of history, leaving only some ambiguous legends to drift in the winds of time... Actually, the Demon Sect wasn't originally called the Demon Sect. That was a derogatory name given to it by the Holy Temple. In the beginning, it may have had a completely different name, carrying an untold story."

Just as Ling Xiao was about to speak, wanting to ask for more details, he suddenly seemed to sense something, his brows furrowed sharply, and a sharp, cold glint flashed in his eyes, a glint as sharp as a sword blade that could cut through the darkness.

The surrounding air seemed to freeze, as if time itself had stopped flowing at this moment, and even the gentle breeze had ceased its movement, no longer making a sound.

"Brother, what's wrong?" Ling Bi's heart tightened upon seeing this, and she hurriedly asked. Her hand had already subconsciously pressed on the longsword, and her eyes were filled with vigilance and worry.

She noticed that Ling Xiao's fingers were trembling slightly, which was unusual, as Ling Xiao was usually calm and composed and rarely showed such a loss of composure.

Ling Xiao said in a deep voice, his voice as cold as ice, as if it could freeze the surrounding air: "There has been a change in the Batian Empire."

His gaze was fixed on the distance, his eyes deep and far-reaching, as if they could penetrate layers of space and see what was happening in the distant Overlord Empire.

There, perhaps a dramatic change is unfolding, a storm brewing that could alter the entire situation.

Beyond the territory of the Overlord Empire, the once vast and dazzling sky now seemed to be shrouded in a thick haze, dimmed and losing its former brilliance and vitality.

The once-shining stars appeared dim and lifeless in this oppressive atmosphere, as if suppressed by some invisible force, unable to shine with their due brilliance.

Ji Mingkong stood quietly on the star-gazing platform, his posture upright and elegant, like a plum blossom standing proudly against the frost and snow.

Her slender hands gripped the cold jade railing of the observatory tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, as if she wanted to channel all her strength through the railing to ward off the impending crisis.

She tilted her head slightly, her gaze deep and resolute, looking towards the depths of the sky. There, a vast, dark army hovered like a storm cloud, blotting out the sun and creating a powerful sense of oppression.

That was the battle flag from the Heavenly Abyss Sanctuary, fluttering in the biting wind as if it were a call from the gods.

The battle flag was embroidered with a holy and majestic angel, who occasionally revealed a ferocious look, his eyes flashing with an eerie green light, as if he might leap out of the flag at any moment to devour all living beings.

Bathed in the dim starlight, these angels gleamed with a chilling light, sending shivers down one's spine. (End of Chapter)