Blaze chuckled, patting Rouxue’s back, and said, “Alright, girl, we’ll talk later. I have something important to discuss with Mohan right now. Be good.”

Normally fearless, Rouxue surprisingly agreed obediently at Blaze’s words, even wearing a cheerful expression, which nearly made Mohan’s jaw drop. He fought the urge to check if the girl had a fever, though he knew better than to act on it, lest the woman explode in fury again.

After exchanging a meaningful look with Mohan, Blaze soared away into the distance. Though puzzled, Mohan trusted Blaze completely and followed closely behind. They arrived at a secluded, uninhabited spot before Blaze finally halted, appearing lost in thought and remaining silent. Mohan, unsure what to say, simply stood there beside him in shared stillness.

“The Ming Clan army broke through the spatial restrictions and entered the Death Forest yesterday.”

Blaze broke the silence, his expression grave. “I suspect their vanguard has already reached the Hengduan Mountain Range. Despite my best efforts, they arrived two days earlier than anticipated.”

Even though it was two days ahead of schedule.

Mohan still showed little surprise; this outcome was within the realm of possibility. Blaze, through sheer force of will, had managed to delay the main Ming Clan army for over half a month, buying invaluable time for the human forces to muster. He had, in effect, saved all of humanity. Thus, even if the delay wasn't as long as hoped.

Mohan deeply admired Blaze’s strength and character.

Therefore, upon hearing Blaze’s words.

Mohan spoke with solemnity, “I know you did everything you could. The mobilization on our side is nearly complete anyway. I believe we should be able to withstand the Ming Clan army.”

“No, you don’t truly grasp the might of the Ming Clan. With our current strength. We are still destined for defeat.”

Blaze remained visibly worried.

“But we have nearly two million troops gathered in Weihai City, comprising the continent’s major elite forces. Are they still no match for the Ming Clan?” Mohan’s expression was one of disbelief at Blaze’s words.

“That’s because you fundamentally misunderstand the Ming Clan. Their army multiplies as they fight, while our human forces will dwindle until the end. Moreover, the forces the Ming Clan has sent this time far exceed your estimations. Unless a miracle occurs. I fear we will ultimately be unable to avoid defeat.”

Blaze stated his concerns gravely.

“You came directly from the Death Forest. Can you estimate the size of the Ming Clan army?” “I don’t know. There are too many; it's impossible to count.”

Blaze’s expression was grim. “But the vanguard alone numbers no less than a million, not to mention the endless waves of Ming Clan forces pouring out from the Death Forest behind them.”

“It seems you are right. The Ming Clan has likely committed everything this time. All we can do is fight our hardest; the rest is up to the Heavens.”

Hearing Blaze’s assessment, Mohan’s face darkened.

“Oh, right, I almost forgot something crucial.”

Blaze quickly spoke up, addressing Mohan. “Do you still have your Brightness Holy Sword on you? Let me see it.”

Mohan, though unsure why Blaze mentioned it, nodded and retrieved the Brightness Holy Sword from his spatial ring, handing it over.

Blaze accepted it without ceremony and began to examine it intently. After a long while, a look of joy spread across his face as he muttered to himself, “Wonderful! It is exactly as the ancient texts describe.”

Mohan grew puzzled by Blaze’s abrupt, context-less remark. Given Blaze’s current cultivation level, his composure should rarely be shaken, yet his visible excitement indicated he had made a major discovery.

Though curious, Mohan knew Blaze would explain eventually, so he stood quietly, waiting for the continuation.

After a moment, Blaze turned to Mohan with a smile and asked, “Have you ever heard the origins of the Creation God Sword?”

“I have.” Mohan nodded. Having been on the Dragon Soaring Continent for nearly two years, he was familiar with such lore. He continued, “Legend says the Creation God Sword was forged by the Creation God himself, the ultimate artifact among all divine weapons. It’s rumored to have always been hidden within the Ancient Blue Ruins in the Death Forest. Why do you bring this up now?”

“Precisely. According to the ancient records, the Creation God Sword was indeed kept in the Ancient Blue Ruins,” Blaze spoke slowly. “Yet, many powerful individuals entered the Ancient Blue Ruins before I did, so why have we never heard of anyone obtaining the Creation God Sword?”

Following Blaze’s explanation, Mohan asked with confusion, “Why? Is the Creation God Sword not in the Ancient Blue Ruins?”

“No, the Creation God Sword has always been in the Ancient Blue Ruins,” Blaze shook his head gently.

“Then why hasn’t anyone acquired it?” Mohan found this even stranger.

“In truth, what resides in the Ancient Blue Ruins is only a part of the Creation God Sword,” Blaze explained. “The artifact found within the Ancient Blue Ruins wasn't a sword at all, but an inconspicuous stone—the Creation God Stone.”

“The Creation God Stone? What does that mean?” Blaze smiled as he elaborated, “In fact, the complete Creation God Sword is formed by the combination of the Creation God Stone and another weapon. This Creation God Stone and that other weapon have always been the only things the Creation God left behind in the mortal realm. But because ages have passed, very few people know this tale.”

As Blaze reached this point, Mohan seemed to guess something and exclaimed in surprise, “The other part of the Creation God Sword you speak of... isn't it the Brightness Holy Sword?”

“Heh, precisely! It is that sword. If not for the ancient texts, I never would have reached this conclusion,” Blaze chuckled.

“But wasn’t the Creation God Sword created by the God of Brightness?”

“Hmph, that was a falsehood fabricated by the former Church of Brightness to boost their prestige,” Blaze said dismissively. “Consider this: if the Brightness Holy Sword, the Scepter of Brightness, and the Crown of Brightness were all divine artifacts created by the God of Brightness, why is the power of the Brightness Holy Sword vastly superior to the other two artifacts—to the point where they aren't even in the same league? Do you think the God of Brightness would make such an error?”

Hearing Blaze’s reasoning, Mohan began to agree. Indeed, weapons forged by the same being shouldn't possess such a vast disparity in rank, especially when that being was a deity.

Blaze continued, “The truth is, the God of Brightness could not create a weapon like the Brightness Holy Sword. I don't know why, but the Creation God Sword was later altered to become the Brightness Holy Sword, and I suspect the people of the Church of Brightness had a hand in it. Initially, I only suspected it, but after seeing your Brightness Holy Sword, I am almost certain that this sword is the Creation God Sword left behind by the Creation God, just not in its complete form.”

At Blaze’s words, Mohan suddenly grasped a crucial point and excitedly declared, “If the Brightness Holy Sword isn't complete, that means if we merge it with the true Creation God Sword, its power will increase even further?”

“Indeed, and by more than a little,” Blaze smiled. “At the very least, its power will multiply several times over; that is the true might of the Creation God Sword. Did you truly think a weapon forged by the Creation God possessed only this much power?”

“Heh, excellent! If that’s true, with the complete Creation God Sword, we will have much greater confidence facing the Dark Lord!”

Blaze nodded with a smile. “We’ll test it right now to see if it’s true.” Having said that, Blaze took out a stone of ordinary shape from his robe. Except for being slightly whiter than other stones, it looked identical to any common rock.

Then, Blaze slowly raised the Brightness Holy Sword in his hand and began to chant a complex and unintelligible series of magic incantations. A sturdy, seven-colored magic barrier materialized around Mohan and himself—the unique God-Level Barrier wielded by God-level Mages. Mohan recognized the chanting as Dragon Language Magic, unique to the Dragon Race, but he couldn't understand the content and watched silently.

Next, Blaze chanted another segment of Dragon Language Magic, and a gentle flow of magical energy, guided by Blaze’s casting, slowly infused the Brightness Holy Sword in his right hand. Before long, the Brightness Holy Sword began to float under Blaze’s magical control.

Subsequently, the Creation God Stone, which had been resting in Blaze’s left hand, began to circle the Brightness Holy Sword slowly. A powerful energy constantly radiated frantically from the Creation God Stone. Even Mohan felt an overwhelming discomfort under the pressure of this immense energy, illustrating the terrifying potential contained within the stone.

As Blaze’s chanting quickened, the energy from the Creation God Stone surged out even more violently. Mohan was forced to erect his own magic shield to counteract the terrifying energy. Fortunately, Blaze had already established the magic barrier beforehand, preventing the magical energy from spreading. Otherwise, this energy alone could have wreaked terrible destruction upon the nearby Weihai City.

However, as the energy intensified, even Blaze’s seemingly unbreakable magic barrier began to shake violently, suggesting it couldn't fully contain the colossal energy—it was on the verge of shattering.

Seeing this, Mohan hesitated for only a moment before pouring his own magical power ceaselessly into Blaze’s barrier. Luckily, although Blaze was using Dragon Language Magic, the fundamental nature of the barrier was the God-Level Barrier exclusive to God-level experts. As a God-level Mage, Mohan’s infusion of magic naturally caused no conflict. It was thanks to Mohan’s assistance that the magic barrier stabilized under the combined efforts of two God-level Mages. If this potent energy had been allowed to leak, it would have caused immense damage to the nearby Weihai City, a consequence Mohan dared not contemplate at such a crucial moment.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the energy within the Creation God Stone gradually waned until it vanished completely. Then, a flash of white light illuminated the area, and the entire Creation God Stone merged seamlessly into the Brightness Holy Sword.

The sword that had been brilliantly luminous moments before was now utterly colorless, appearing much like an ordinary longsword, yet it exuded an ancient aura. Even from a distance, Mohan could sense the immense power contained within its blade.

“Done,” Blaze said, his face drenched in sweat, looking utterly exhausted but still excited. “You can try it now.”

Mohan, having waited impatiently, immediately reached out and gripped the sword, which had now transformed into the Creation God Sword. As Mohan took hold of it, the Creation God Sword emitted a low, resonant hum. Mohan felt an unparalleled surge of power flowing continuously from the sword into every part of his body. Suddenly, he felt an inexhaustible reservoir of strength, and a powerful self-confidence erupted within him—a strange sensation that suggested with this Creation God Sword, there was no opponent left in the entire world.

At that moment, Blaze urgently called out, “Strike the magic barrier with all your might and test it.”

Mohan was currently struggling with the feeling of possessing boundless power he couldn't fully unleash. Hearing Blaze’s command, he didn't hesitate. With a mighty roar, he swung the sword toward the seven-colored magic barrier beside him.

An immensely thick beam of golden Battle Qi erupted along the Creation God Sword, carrying an aura of world-shattering might as it shot toward the rainbow barrier. The mere residual force of the golden Battle Qi gouged a trench several feet deep into the earth along its path.

“Sword God Battle Qi—Golden Domain!” Blaze exclaimed in astonishment, a look of excitement flashing across his face. He roared, “Well met!”

Streams of potent magical energy instantly flooded into the seven-colored magic barrier, causing its radiance to flare brilliantly, illuminating nearly half the sky.

At that instant, the golden Battle Qi struck the seven-colored magic barrier precisely.

The collision of the two supreme energies resulted in a deafening boom, kicking up clouds of dust that made the very ground tremble under the sheer force. The seven-colored magical light shone intensely, lighting up half the sky, while a distinct, undeniable golden brilliance stubbornly fought to break free from the rainbow enclosure.

Finally, after both the seven-colored magic light and the golden radiance flared simultaneously, they vanished. The sky returned to its pale blue hue. Only the devastated ground served as proof that what had transpired was real; everything else slowly settled back into calm.

The result was unexpected by both Mohan and Blaze: the magic barrier and the golden Battle Qi were evenly matched, exhausting their energy simultaneously and dissipating without a victor. Both men wore expressions of sheer delight.

Mohan exclaimed excitedly, “This is incredible! I managed to unleash the Golden Domain, which only God-level Warriors can manifest. With this Creation God Sword, I can actually exceed my normal limits to achieve God-level strength—it’s unbelievable!”