Refuse to trample on the pride of heaven

The power gathered was almost at the peak that this world could bear. The torrent formed by the beliefs of all living beings was overwhelming and unstoppable. It surged from the four corners of heaven and earth and the eight directions and six realms. Its momentum was so great that it almost broke through the barriers of this world.

Lu Wensheng slowly opened his eyes. In those deep brown eyes, what was reflected was no longer the smoke and fire of the mountains, nor the ferocity of the Demon Lord, but a boundless sea of ​​stars woven from countless prayers and beliefs, vast and boundless, as if bearing the weight of countless ages and all living beings in the mortal world.

The simple wooden statue in his hand was no longer an ordinary object.

It trembled violently, its entire body radiating an intense, blinding light, like a blazing sun born in the palm of his hand—warm, pure, yet containing a boundless, earth-shattering power.

As the light shifted, the meticulously carved compassionate features on the wooden statue seemed to come alive, subtly mirroring Lu Wensheng's expression as they both looked down upon the turbulent yet resilient land below.

His gaze pierced through the distance, sweeping over the faces on the battlefield—faces stained with blood, weary, yet filled with determination and anticipation—fellow disciples, close friends, and comrades-in-arms.

Further afield, the view seemed to transcend mountains and rivers, revealing farmers waving excitedly in the fields, children shouting joyfully in the school, people with tears in their eyes on the streets of the puppet city, and people praying together in a border town... The faces of those he had helped or who had only heard of his deeds appeared faintly in the radiance of his vows, so clear and so warm.

An indescribable, swelling warmth filled his entire chest. It was not a piling up of strength, but a trust and resonance of countless thoughts, heavy yet making him feel more solid and clear than ever before.

"What...what on earth did this guy do?!"

Even the divine sword, which has endured countless ages and seen countless storms, conveyed a sense of shock and astonishment that was hard to conceal.

It could clearly perceive that the ocean of willpower that gathered was so pure and vast that it far surpassed any of His witnesses throughout His long life!

This is no longer a simple act of "helping," but rather a devout offering, a wholehearted entrustment! What surprised it even more was that a considerable portion of this immense power of will was directly and purely for Lu Wensheng himself!

The intense radiance of that aspiration seemed to possess its own will, no longer content with merely gathering, but beginning to actively entwine and shape itself.

As the light flowed around Lu Wensheng, his clothes, which were slightly damaged from the fierce battle, quietly changed under the cleansing and reshaping power of his will—transforming into wide sleeves like flowing clouds. On the sleeves, the patterns of undulating mountains and flowing rivers appeared on their own, containing the profound Taoist charm of bearing all things and protecting the mountains and rivers.

Its shape and bearing are exactly the same as the robes of the immortals and gods sculpted from the wooden statue that is worshipped by all people!

At the same time, the light of the Fuguang Sword in his hand surged, and the blade shone with dazzling light. Its originally restrained sharpness, under the blessing of the power of will, seemed to shed the last layer of ordinary iron shell, revealing the true form of flowing light, ancient and profound beneath. The sword intent became more and more awe-inspiring, revealing the determination to slay evil and protect all living beings.

In his other free hand, the power of his vows gathered, and the inner radiance shone. The illusory image of the Demon-Revealing Mirror, which was originally placed in his storage ring, slowly solidified. The mirror surface was like water, seemingly able to see through all the illusions of the world and clearly discern the origins of good and evil.

At this moment, with the power of vows and the resonance of magical artifacts, Lu Wensheng stood on the mountain peak, wearing a flowing cloud and mountain and river robe, holding a magnificent divine sword in one hand and a bright mirror in the other. He was surrounded by endless starlight of vows, solemn, compassionate, and dignified, just like a celestial being born to meet a calamity in legends, completely overlapping with the image of the wooden statue that carried the beliefs of all people!

This is not merely an enhancement of power; it is practically forging a divine body and shaping an immortal status for them based on the wishes and power of all living beings! It is an "immortal" that all living beings have "created" together in this apocalyptic catastrophe, belonging to them alone!

Even the divine sword "Huangji," which has witnessed countless rises and falls and is itself a product of faith, couldn't help but feel a burning ripple in its heart at this moment—not out of greed, but out of resonance and excitement when it encountered a "sword wielder" who was truly capable of bearing its full sharpness!

The energy within is so vast and so pure that it is enough to allow Him to break free from eternal silence, truly unleash His power, and perform the act of creating heaven and earth and cleansing the universe!

The ancient and unadorned blade of "Huangji" was finally no longer lifeless.

It trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly, yet with unparalleled clarity.

A faint, almost imperceptible sword cry, like a sigh from the primordial era, quietly echoed in Lu Wensheng's heart.

On the blade, a faint yet incredibly pure and majestic aura, like the first ray of dawn piercing the eternal night, quietly spread out, growing stronger and brighter, as if the sun, which had slept for countless years, was awakening.

It... or rather "He," is now truly able to fulfill its mission.

Rather than saying that "Huangji" is a divine weapon forged by craftsmen using copper from Shoushan Mountain and the fire of the Netherworld, it is more accurate to say that it is a "heart sword" that was ultimately formed from the deepest desire and faith of countless people in the darkest times for light, justice, and "cutting off the root of all suffering," which has been refined over thousands of years.

The "Demon Lord" is the manifestation of the "evil thoughts" formed by the gathering of evil thoughts in people's hearts and the turbidity of the world; while the "Divine Sword" is the crystallization of the "good thoughts" formed by the gathering of the will of all living beings and the righteous spirit.

What is faith? It is formless and intangible, elusive yet real and weighty.

It is a glimmer of light in despair, a steadfast commitment in adversity, the unyielding backbone of the weak in the face of power, and the extraordinary courage that ordinary lives display in the face of disaster.

It is a mother's longing for her wandering son, a child's yearning for the future, a farmer's attachment to the land, and a monk's steadfast adherence to the righteous path.

When it scatters, it is as insignificant as dust in the wind; when it gathers, it is like a spark igniting a prairie fire, capable of burning the sky, or like a surging river, capable of reshaping the earth. It originates from the heart and acts upon the heart; it is the softest yet most powerful force in this world.

Lu Wensheng gazed at the warm and dazzling galaxy formed by countless points of light surrounding him, feeling the trust, expectation, blessings, and unreserved entrustment contained within it. Suddenly, a sentence he had heard somewhere before surfaced in his heart with unparalleled clarity:

Life is always more powerful than death, and faith is always stronger than doubt.