The longsword planted before Dustin hummed incessantly as he formed hand seals. His movements were so fast they blurred into afterimages.
The mystical pure energy around him, which had dimmed during the fierce battle, didn’t falter. Instead, it now roared to life with even greater depth and restraint, resonating with the fundamental laws of creation itself.
Dustin no longer relied on his own internal energy but had become one with the cosmic order. “By the Celestial Host Judgement, I command you! Mystical Seal, lock away this evil!”
His voice rang low but commanding, each word carrying the weight of divine decree. As the final word left his lips, the longsword planted in the ground erupted with dazzling cyan radiance that shot straight into the sky.
The battle puppets let out pained, defiant roars. The pulsing crimson patterns on their surfaces flashed frantically, attempting to resist the stellar sealing power.
They lashed out with their claws, shredding the starlight piece by piece. Crimson malevolent energy and cyan starlight collided violently, annihilating each other in deafening explosions.
However, the Celestial Host Judgement was one of Dustin’s ultimate techniques. It drew upon the magnificent power of the Cosmic Mandate itself and was most effective against such evil and sinister entities.
No matter how the puppets struggled, those seemingly delicate yet incredibly resilient starlight chains continued layering around them. Countless profound sealing runes branded themselves like hot iron deep into their seemingly indestructible shells.
Their movements slowed, while their roars faded to weak rasps, and the dark crimson glow of their bodies dimmed rapidly.
Ghostly outlines of the Celestial Host began to shimmer in the void above the platform, which had long been cloaked in the spiritual mist of Vitalis Pool and the malevolent energy of the sealing rift.
The vast, ancient, and majestic stellar power pierced through spatial barriers. It was drawn down by Dustin’s supreme divine power and merged seamlessly with his mystical pure energy
The four Dragonblood Battle Puppets that had been charging forward madly seemed to sense the arrival of a natural predator. Their scarlet eyes flashed wildly as they roared with fear, their charging momentum faltering.
“Descend now!” Dustin shouted, pointing his sword finger toward the ground.
Endless streams of cyan starlight, intertwined with runes of refined mystical energy, poured down like a cascading galaxy. It coalesced into a net of the Cosmic Mandate, instantly engulfing the four puppets.
Finally, with a reluctant cry like shattering porcelain, all four Dragonblood Battle Puppets froze completely in place.
Countless starlight chains bound them into four massive cyan cocoons, runes flowing endlessly across their surfaces.
They could no longer move. Only two points of scarlet light flickered weakly within the cocoons, seething with endless malice and resentment.
The violent energy fluctuations on the platform suddenly subsided. Only the afterglow of starlight remained, slowly fading away
Dustin’s body swayed as he coughed up blood. His face turned pale, and his internal energy depleted to the extreme.
The consecutive fierce exchanges, especially forcibly executing this Celestial Host Judgement technique beyond his own limits, had nearly drained all his true energy and mental focus. He leaned on his sword just to stay standing.
“Dustin!” Grace cried, rushing forward to support him. Her eyes were full of worry and pain.
Rhydian and the others also breathed sighs of relief. They felt both the joy of surviving disaster and even deeper awe toward Dustin.
Silence reigned inside the palace before the water mirror. The decadent music had long since stopped playing. The men and women indulging themselves had unconsciously ceased their activities
Instead, they stared in disbelief at the four battle puppets sealed by starlight in the water mirror, and at that man in white who, though swaying, still stood upright.
Lysander’s hands froze midair over his harp strings, while Talmor just held his wine cup, forgetting to drink.
Valindra slowly lowered her hand from covering her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.
“The Celestial Host Judgement technique? “Talmor muttered. “He can actually draw upon stellar power? That punk… What exactly is his origin?”
Valindra took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart as her gaze became incredibly fervent. “Such pure strength and a formidable sealing technique. If we could obtain his essence and merge it into ourselves, how wonderful that would be.”
Malthor, who had been lounging lazily on his recliner all this time, slowly sat upright. For the first time, clear emotion crossed his face that had remained cold and impassive for ten thousand years.
He stared at Dustin in the water mirror, watching him gasp for breath while working to steady his disrupted energy flow Surprise flashed in his eyes, then a calculating assessment. But what dominated was raw possessive desire that was reserved for discovering an irreplaceable treasure
“This kid has surpassed mortal limits and can draw power from the Cosmic Mandate. He is no longer just a martial artist but is approaching true transcendence.”
Malthor’s voice was low, carrying a hint of excitement even he hadn’t noticed.
“He… He is qualified to step into our realm, ” he said, setting his wine glass with a flash of determination crossing his eyes. ”
Pass the order and open the Immortal Reception Bridge and invite him into the hall.”
On the white stone platform, Dustin had just taken the most precious healing tablet Grace had given him. It was salvaged from the cave supplies left by the previous traveller. He barely managed to suppress the turbulent internal energy surging within his body.
Suddenly, the empty void ahead rippled with a strange, shimmering disturbance. A seven-colored-hued streak of light shot up from the spring at the heart of the Vitalis Pool.
It twisted and coalesced in midair, stretching outward to form a radiant bridge of pure energy, arching across the void like a shimmering rainbow. The other end of the bridge disappeared into the void at the far edge of the platform, as if it led to another world.
The dense, pure spiritual energy was far superior to the place they were standing. Yet it carried the same source of temptation as the dragon blood malevolent energy, which rushed forth from the bridge’s far end.
Simultaneously, a grand yet indifferent voice transmitted clearly through the rainbow bridge into Dustin and Grace’s ears.
“The Immortal Reception Bridge has opened. Honored guests, please enter the hall for a chat.”
