Soul-Slaying Maiden: Master Of Ancient Divine Weapons

[Deep Blue City, within the Samsara World]

Relying on the countless war spirits from the Ancient Sunset Array, Han Zhen resisted the crimson moon and black mist.

In the sky, the crimson moon was shattered by the sonic blade, plunging the night deeper into darkness.

Taking advantage of the lingering faint light, Xia Youwei swiftly returned. At this moment, Li Lingzhen, under the hypnotic illusion of the Nightmare Beast, was walking forward in a daze.

Ahead of her lay a tattered guardrail, and beyond that, the high-altitude iron tower over a hundred meters tall. Step by step, she edged closer, about to fall from the towering structure.

Xia Youwei grabbed her wrist, and at the same time, the Serne Heart Tune echoed again in her ear.

Li Lingzhen's unfocused eyes gradually regained clarity. Like a drowning person pulled from water, she gasped for air, her heart lingering in fear.

"Did we succeed?" Li Lingzhen asked instinctively upon seeing Xia Youwei.

Xia Youwei nodded, then shook her head.

"We succeeded, but we also failed. The crimson moon wasn't the core of this barrier. We all guessed wrong."

The crimson moon not only wasn't the core but had instead been prematurely detonated, releasing the black mist inside, which triggered an accelerated mutation within the barrier.

But the process was brief.

Barely half a minute after the mutation descended, it suddenly vanished, giving Xia Youwei the opportunity to catch her breath.

After explaining the situation to Li Lingzhen, a single name flashed in both their minds: Han Zhen.

"He must have found a solution."

"Let's head down now and regroup with him."

With the Serene Heart Tune subduing the Nightmare Beast and the Shennong Cauldron's defenses, the two were unscathed.

Descending was much easier than climbing. Perhaps it was having faced it once or having overcome their inner fears, but they successfully descended from the tower in half the time. They saw Han Zhen and Li Changhao surrounded by countless war spirits.

At Han Zhen's end, he still maintained the Remnant Sun of Antiquity Array. Billions of war spirits transformed from the Izanagi serpents spread out in all directions without conscious thought.

Just when Han Zhen and Li Changhao were at a loss about breaking the barrier, a distinct crack suddenly sounded.

The Samsara World, overwhelmed by the massive number of war spirits, exceeded its capacity and began to fracture.

In the pitch-black night, above Han Zhen and the others, the ink-like sky first split open with a single crack.

Light shone through the fissure.

Then, more and more cracks appeared, like an egg shattered with force, until it finally broke into countless fragments.

The "Deep Blue City" shattered.

Before everyone's eyes, the dark night was replaced by an infinite sea of stars. Beneath their feet was void, and above them, too, only endless void—save for distant stars emitting faint light.

Where had they arrived?

The universe, or an infinite star sea?

"Look there!" Xia Youwei's voice was tinged with shock as she pointed into the distance.

Following her gaze, they saw a scene that left them awestruck.

It was a tree.

Rooted in the infinite star sea, its countless roots intertwined deep within.

Its crown emitted a soft golden radiance, scattering specks of light across the vast universe.

On the tree's crown were countless transparent, luminous bubbles, hanging like "fruits" from its branches.

The tree was immense, filling at least a third of the infinite cosmic river. Wherever Han Zhen's eyes reached, it was filled with its golden branches and leaves.

"Is this the true form of the Samsara World? It's magnificent," Li Changhao murmured in disbelief, his gaze fixed on the scene.

'Samsara World?'

Han Zhen was about to say something when his eyes suddenly burned.

The [Divine Illumination] talent activated involuntarily, golden light radiating from his pupils like miniature stars.

As he looked at the colossal cosmic tree again, he saw a vision that stirred his soul.

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[Artifact: Bodhi Treasure Tree]

[Ability: World-Bearing]

[Description: The Bodhi has no tree; the clear mirror is not a stand. From the beginning, there is nothing; where can dust alight?]

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'This...this is...'

Han Zhen's mind felt struck by lightning, freezing momentarily.

He could see the tree's information. Not only that, but the details stunned him.

"The Bodhi Treasure Tree? What's its connection to ancient divine weapons? Could it be…is this the legendary Bodhi Treasure Tree I know from myth?"

Han Zhen was momentarily unsure.

However, under the gaze of his [Divine Illumination], the Bodhi Treasure Tree began to change dramatically.

The entire tree suddenly ignited, enveloped by a faint golden flame. Its sprawling branches and leaves disintegrated in the fire, turning into starlight that scattered into the star sea.

The enormous Bodhi Treasure Tree shrank amidst the burning flames, eventually condensing to the size of a regular centenarian tree.

Before Han Zhen could react, it approached him of its own accord, stopping silently in front of him.

Xia Youwei: "..."

Li Lingzhen: "..."

Li Changhao: "..."

Their complex gazes fell on Han Zhen, their thoughts laden with incredulous sarcasm. This guy must be hacking, right?

This divine artifact, a whole cosmic tree, is playing the "acknowledge master" trope?

Han Zhen's shock was no less than theirs.

This overturned some of his fundamental understandings of the world.

He had thought ancient divine weapons were coincidences, but seeing this artifact, so deeply tied to myths of his previous world, his mind reeled.

When the Bodhi Treasure Tree was far away, its vast size and faint golden glow obscured its details.

Now, up close, Han Zhen noticed that the tree bore only twelve "fruits."

One fruit, dim and dull, was clearly the "Samsara World."

Of the remaining eleven, three radiated golden light, resembling golden apples or ripe fruits waiting to be plucked.

Han Zhen followed the ritual he understood for artifact recognition. He cut his palm and pressed his bloodied hand against the tree trunk.

In an instant, the Bodhi Treasure Tree glowed brilliantly, shrinking further into a palm-sized miniature that fell into his hand.

At that moment, Han Zhen felt a mental connection with the tree, a faint understanding dawning in his mind.

Noticing the questioning gazes around him, Han Zhen offered no explanation. Instead, he said, "The Samsara World's barrier is completely broken. It's time to rescue our sealed teacher."

Saying this, he raised the miniaturized Bodhi Treasure Tree and swept it gently.

BOOM!

Before their eyes, the world transformed in a dazzling flash, rewinding like a film reel.

When their vision cleared, they were back in Deep Blue City.

Inside the villa, Li Shutong and the Nightmare remained sealed within the fleshy cocoon.

Without hesitation, Han Zhen raised the Bodhi Treasure Tree and smashed it against the cocoon.

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