"This sword move alone—Supreme Sovereign Calamity—is still not enough to defeat the First Ancestor."
Quinn Shepherd sheathed his sword, gazing at High-Emperor Heaven shrouded in darkness as the dazzling sword light in the sky faded away.
On the battlefield, the crackling flames still burned, refusing to die out, and the air was thick with the stench of scorched flesh.
The sword he had just unleashed poured all his emotions and feelings into its edge, reaching a height he had never achieved before, but there was still a considerable gap before he could overcome the First Ancestor (First Human Emperor).
Without the First Human Emperor's pressure, and without this journey into the Dark Realm, it would have been nearly impossible for him to take this step, break free from Village Chief's Sword Diagram, or escape the confines of Butcher's saber arts.
This sword strike was not merely the creation of a move that belonged solely to him—it also pierced through the haze that had clouded his heart all this time. This was his Sword of Calamity.
Sabrina stared blankly at his back; the way the young man practiced on the altar, refining sword and skill, had left a deep impression on her—especially that Sword of Calamity.
Especially Quinn's final sword: when he touched his brow and thrust forward, the intent within that sword was so vast and turbulent that, for a moment, she seemed to witness a world-shaking revolution—countless heroes struggling through storms of blood, rising one after another.
The sword art Quinn had previously used—Sword Treading the Rivers and Mountains—was grand, with the momentum to challenge the heavens and gods, but in the end it only depicted landscapes, its refinement dispersing that bold spirit.
One Sword Opens the Pioneer Era, Blood Like an Ocean was a move overflowing with killing intent, domineering in the extreme, worthy of a sword god, but its meaning was to honor the fallen, lost in the past.
Supreme Sovereign Calamity, on the other hand, is steeped in sorrow and regret, recounting the buried history of the Supreme Sovereign era.
Each of these three sword arts has its strengths, but also its flaws.
In terms of spirit, she felt those three sword moves still couldn't compare to the one Quinn had just performed, though she couldn't quite say why.
"Excellent sword art."
She stood up, walked over to Quinn, and asked, "What sword art is this?"
"Sword of Calamity."
Quinn turned his head, watching her approach, then looked up into the distance.
Suddenly, a fierce wind swept in and landed before the altar, transforming into a majestic tiger with black and yellow stripes and swirling fur. Its ears, tipped with tufts of hair, stood upright and could swivel in every direction.
"Excellent sword art! That move truly shined!"
The tiger god strode up the altar steps, and halfway up, its front paws left the ground as it transformed into a deity with a tiger's head and a human body. Approaching Quinn, its voice thundered: "Why do you call it Calamity Sword?"
This tiger god was the Woodcutter Sage's mount, summoned to this world alongside its master, charging into battle with great valor.
Quinn's heart stirred. Seeing the black tiger god return from the front lines, it seemed the Woodcutter Sage had already pacified the demon gods there. He said, "When heaven and earth are transformed, it is called a great calamity! Such change is not just natural disaster, nor merely demonic invasion, nor the suffering of the common people—it is also the transformation of people's hearts, the renewal of divine arts, the reform of laws, and the shift of the Dao itself."
The tiger god tilted its head, ascending as it sneered, "Change the hearts of the people, change the divine arts, change the laws, change the Dao—you have some nerve! Do you think your sword can change this world, alter heaven and earth, and transform the thoughts of all living beings? Your sword isn't bad, but your ambition is far too great!"
Quinn's gaze burned with excitement, his voice growing passionate: "If the hearts of the people change, they will neither worship nor fear the gods, and then the gods lose their awe. Without awe, divine arts can change. When divine arts change, laws change; when laws change, the Dao changes; and when the Dao changes, heaven and earth itself are transformed!"
Sabrina watched the boy beside her—his spirit shone, and even facing this imposing black tiger god, he showed no fear at all.
Quinn raised his hand, pointing toward the brutal battlefield lost in darkness. His voice was hoarse but, in the night, deeply stirring.
"Look! This is the calamity the gods and demons have brought upon us, trying to destroy our world—forcing the common folk to know their power, to fear them, to respect them, to worship them! But my Sword of Calamity is meant to open a new calamity: to change the hearts of the people, to reform divine arts, to transform laws and the Dao, and thereby remake heaven and earth!"
His words grew ever more impassioned. Though Sabrina didn't fully understand, she could feel the surging fervor in his heart!
This boy seemed to possess a charisma that drew people in, making them want to listen and be swept up in his emotion.
In just a few steps, the black tiger god reached the base of the altar, its body towering far above Quinn and the others, exuding a powerful sense of oppression.
The tiger god looked down at Quinn for a long while before finally smiling, his whiskers bristling in all directions: "I knew you were remarkable. I don't understand everything you said, but it sounds impressive. What do you call this move?"
Quinn raised his head to meet his gaze and replied solemnly, "This sword move is called Open the Calamity."
The black tiger god was momentarily stunned: "Opening the calamity of changing hearts? Opening the calamity of reforming divine arts? Opening the calamity of transforming laws and Dao? That's a fine name!"
Sabrina now understood a bit more—this boy from another world wanted to bring calamity down upon the gods and demons who had brought calamity to them, so he named his sword art Opening Calamity.
His sword art followed the path of reform, changing the laws of the ancestors and dethroning gods and demons.
The black tiger god asked again, "How many moves does your Sword of Calamity have?"
Quinn blushed slightly and stammered, "Right now there's only one move. Creating this one used up all my foundation..."
"I think that's about right. At your age, there's only so much you can accumulate."
The black tiger god pressed his whiskers flat against his face and said, "For someone your age to create a sword move is already impressive. I've come on my master's orders to fetch you—he's in the middle of a fight and needs you. Come with me."
Quinn was momentarily taken aback, then grew excited: "The Woodcutter Sage wants to see me?"
The black tiger god resumed his true form and said, "Didn't you get it? He's fighting someone, and suddenly thought of you—wants you to come right away. Get on my back. The road's dangerous, lots of demons—you couldn't make it alone."
"The Woodcutter Sage is fighting someone—pah, in a duel—and wants me there for what?"
Quinn was puzzled but still leaped onto the tiger's back. Sabrina hurried after him, saying, "My father is at the front too—I'm going to find him!"
The black-and-yellow striped tiger god set off at a sprint toward the front lines, moving with incredible speed.
Despite his massive body, he was all sinewy muscle, and when he ran, he made no sound at all—not even a whisper.
"Much faster than Bruno!"
Quinn clenched his fists, feeling a sudden ache in his heart. Bruno had gotten much faster than before, but his steps were still heavy—when he ran at full speed, even the mountains and rocks would be crushed beneath him.
Sabrina looked into the pitch-black night, a little worried. They had left the battlefield far behind, crossed the front lines, and were heading toward the City of Departure, where many demon gods had gathered—including Furylo himself!
Back when the City of Departure fell, Furylo personally struck, unleashing demonic powers and slaughtering countless people—even two native True Gods of Supreme Emperor Heaven died by his hand, earning him a fearsome reputation!
Now the black tiger god leapt past the front armies, heading straight for the City of Departure—wasn't this a death wish?
"How do cultivators in High-Emperor Heaven determine who has true god aptitude?"
Quinn recalled something and asked the girl beside him, "How do they train?"
Suppressing her unease, Sabrina replied, "First, it's about talent. Spirit bodies with kingly potential are never lacking in aptitude. If they're guided by a great teacher and taught true god-level arts, with diligent training, their flesh can reach the level of a Teenage True God. Besides that, we have a test in High-Emperor Heaven called the God-Binding Tower—those who make it through are considered to have true god aptitude."
Quinn blinked: "God-Binding Tower? What's that?"
Before Sabrina could answer, the black tiger god spoke: "The God-Binding Tower is a relic from the Supreme Sovereign era, used to test physical achievement. Breaking through the tower doesn't mean you have true god aptitude—only that your body barely reaches Teenage True God level. In High-Emperor Heaven, those who pass the God-Binding Tower at best have half the aptitude of a true god. To truly become a true god is far harder; you can't just master true god arts and train diligently to achieve it."
Sabrina couldn't help but ask, "Senior, then what does it take to truly have true god aptitude?"
"Real true god aptitude isn't just about the body, but also the primordial spirit. The primordial spirit is divided into spirit and soul—has your spirit embryo reached true god aptitude? Has your soul? Beyond primordial spirit, there's also the heart-realm, and even reaching god-level heart-realm isn't enough, because beyond that is Dao-domain mastery."
The black tiger god said, "Your so-called true god-aptitude cultivators are still far from being true gods! For example... boy, what's your name?"
"My name is Quinn Shepherd!"
Quinn quickly added, "Current Cult Master of the Holy Cult."
"Cult Master of the Holy Cult? Never heard of it."
Quinn's face darkened. Ever since its founding, everyone had revered the Woodcutter Sage as the ancestral master of the Holy Cult, but it seemed his mount had never even heard of it!
The black tiger god continued, "Take Quinn, for example—he's no slouch. In your eyes, his body hasn't reached true god aptitude, but he's strong enough to match your so-called true god-aptitude cultivators."
Quinn said excitedly, "That's because I'm an Overlord Body!"
"Overlord Body? Never heard of it."
As the black tiger god raced through the night, he continued, "His sword technique is nearly at Dao-domain level—his understanding of Dao and divine arts is close to true god aptitude. His heart-realm is a bit weak, though, not strong enough yet. As for his primordial spirit, it's very strong; among his peers, he's top-tier. That's why he can match the young experts with true god aptitude... We've arrived at the City of Departure!"
Ahead, flames soared skyward—a magnificent city bathed in light, with demon gods and countless demonfolk standing atop its walls.
Sabrina watched in terror as none of the demon gods or demonfolk stopped the black tiger god—they let them enter the city without resistance.
Note ①: 'When heaven and earth are transformed, it is called a great calamity.' This line comes from the Daoist classic, Yunji Qiqian.