As the Blue Soul sword cultivators swept through the battlefield, their swords flashing and tearing through the monstrous ranks, the scene was one of absolute carnage. The northern wild spirits, once a nightmare to the thousand nations, were being systematically eradicated. Any surviving monsters were dispatched without mercy, their blood staining the very earth red.
Leading this charge was Cai Maomao, a late-stage Dragon Spring Realm sword cultivator. Channeling his Sword Soul and drawing upon his inner strength, he and his fellow cultivators struck with unrelenting precision. Even the monsters' fierce resistance was no match for the combined might of the Blue Soul Qi, which seemed impenetrable and unstoppable.
As Yun Xiao controlled his new clone, Yuexian, his perception split into two views. In one, he saw himself—a bloodstained young sword immortal with steely resolve, staring unflinchingly at the carnage around him. In the other, he looked through the eyes of his clone, the silver-haired fox spirit, whose delicate beauty hid the intense cunning and power within. He shivered at the eerie sensation, but focused on his mission.
"This is my clone now," he reminded himself, adopting the monstrous form to infiltrate and deceive when needed. "From this day forward, I am Yun Xiao, and Yuexian is my shadow."
As Yuexian melded back into the mist and slipped away from the battlefield unnoticed, Yun Xiao's main body remained as the stalwart leader, rallying the warriors. Senior Sister Zhao had joined forces with the three thousand Blue Soul sword cultivators to confront the final wave of monsters. Her presence, unwavering and fierce, inspired those around her.
The battle reached its climax with the monsters' defeat. The corpses of tens of thousands of spirits lay in piles across the mountains, their blood pooling in the valleys. As the dawn broke over the northern wastelands, the Blue Soul forces felt an overwhelming wave of relief. For the first time in years, they had truly won.
Under the rising sun, Senior Sister Zhao gathered the spirits of their fallen comrades, including the loyal Seven Swords. Tears streaming down her face, she performed the rites that would finally allow their souls to rest. The warriors knelt, bowing in respect as she placed their spirits into a soul tomb, securing their safe passage to the next world.
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister," she whispered, "I've brought you home."
The warriors looked on, tears falling freely, as they mourned their dead and celebrated their victory. As the Seven Swords' spirits faded, those who had been close to them—like Cai Maomao and Qin Tongyi—could barely contain their grief.
In stark contrast, the defeated figures of Ye Tiance, Jiang Yue, and Yao Manxue lay in disgrace. Their power shattered, their arrogance broken, they looked upon the Blue Soul cultivators with a mix of terror and disbelief. Their influence and pride had led them to ruin, and as they lay amidst the corpses and rubble, they were nothing more than shadows of their former selves.
In this moment of triumph, Yun Xiao—now hailed as one of the greatest talents among the sword immortals—stood as a symbol of Blue Soul's resurgence, a beacon of strength and hope for the thousand nations. His name, like the northern sun, would shine brightly across the lands, inspiring all who heard it. The northern desolate was now free, the Blue Soul's honor restored, and a new age of peace was finally within reach.
As Yun Xiao appeared before the defeated captives, his white-robed form seemed like a nightmare given life. Those still able to move immediately dropped to their knees, trembling with terror. Their once-proud voices silenced, most could only look up at him with broken expressions, their tongues cut, pleading through tear-filled eyes.
Ye Tiance, shattered and humiliated, managed to mumble through his sobs, "Forgive us… we were Blue Soul sword cultivators too!"
Yun Xiao laughed coldly. "Now you beg for mercy? Three years ago, when you conspired with the monsters to betray your comrades, where was your fear? And three days ago, when you led the monsters into Blue Soul, killing those you once called allies—did you fear then?"
His voice, heavy with righteous anger, cut through the air as he stepped closer, each word piercing deeper into Ye Tiance's broken spirit. "I fear only one thing now," Yun Xiao said as he seized Ye Tiance by the neck, lifting him with chilling ease, "that you will not suffer enough to pay for what you did to my fallen Senior Brothers and Sisters, to the Blue Soul, and to the countless innocents who trusted you."
As Ye Tiance's body convulsed in horror, Yun Xiao's grip tightened. He dragged him toward the blood-stained Blue Soul flag. "Imprison the monster kings' souls in this flag!" Yun Xiao commanded, and Li Chenlong stepped forward, binding the captured monster souls within the flag's cursed threads.
Looking upon Ye Tiance, Yun Xiao's face twisted with disdain. "You wanted to keep company with monsters, so be it." With a flick of his wrist, he hurled Ye Tiance toward the ground. In an instant, his sword moved like a flash of lightning, cutting Ye Tiance apart piece by piece until his body lay in bloody fragments.
Even in death, there would be no peace. With his Sword Soul, Yun Xiao reached out, capturing Ye Tiance's tormented soul, binding it within the cursed flag to mingle with the wailing monster souls. The mingled howls of human and monster echoed in agonized chorus.
Yun Xiao turned to the remaining traitors. "You think this is enough?" he asked, his gaze piercing their very souls. "For three years, my fallen comrades endured the worst torments. So you shall suffer thrice as long. Thirty years trapped within this flag until the last of you is dust!"
He raised his voice for all to hear. "Then, I will bring this flag back to Blue Soul and place it in the Blue Soul Cauldron. The flames of the Cauldron will burn day and night, binding you to the monsters you served, condemning you to endless torment—forever."
The souls in the flag wailed in terror, and Ye Tiance's spirit wept in despair. Jiang Yue, Yao Manxue, and the remaining members of Ye's clan collapsed, paralyzed with fear. They understood now that there was no escape from the judgment Yun Xiao had passed. They would face retribution, not only for their betrayal but for the countless lives they had shattered, forever bound to the flames in a fate worse than death.