Chapter 108: Surrender
The second breath shattered whatever confidence remained within the Azure Cloud Sect cultivators.
Their attacks disappeared exactly like the first time.
The result did not change.
The outcome did not change.
The difference in power did not change.
The techniques they were proud of.
The divine arts they cultivated for centuries.
The treasures they refined through countless hardships.
Everything vanished before that casual exhale.
The heavens returned to silence.
The floating islands stopped shaking.
The clouds slowly drifted once more.
Meanwhile, the Azure Cloud cultivators stood frozen.
Many of them no longer looked angry.
Many no longer looked proud.
Instead, they looked lost.
Completely lost.
Above them, Clayne looked down and could not help laughing.
From his perspective, the entire situation looked ridiculous.
These tiny cultivators kept throwing attacks at him.
Then those attacks disappeared.
Then they became angry.
Then they attacked again.
Then those attacks disappeared again.
The entire thing reminded him of children throwing pebbles at a mountain and becoming angry because the mountain refused to move.
"You people are surprisingly persistent."
The voice descended from above.
Several cultivators immediately clenched their fists.
Clayne continued.
"If all of you spent half as much effort cultivating as you spend repeating the same mistake, perhaps your attacks would have improved slightly."
The words immediately made several Azure Cloud disciples flush red.
One cultivator gritted his teeth.
Another trembled with anger.
A third nearly spat blood.
The humiliation became unbearable.
Yet before anyone could respond, Clayne spoke again.
"I am actually beginning to admire all of you."
The Azure Cloud disciples looked up.
For a brief moment, hope appeared.
Then Clayne continued.
"I have never seen anyone fail the exact same way so many times without learning anything from it."
The brief hope immediately vanished.
The disciples of the Silent Sword Sect lowered their heads.
Several were desperately trying not to laugh.
Even Zi Yue felt her lips twitch.
Meanwhile, the Azure Cloud cultivators looked ready to explode.
"Again!"
One disciple suddenly roared.
"We attack again!"
Spiritual energy erupted from his body.
Another followed.
Then another.
Then another.
The cultivators charged once more.
Sword lights filled the sky.
Spiritual beasts appeared.
Lightning descended.
Ancient treasures awakened.
The heavens trembled.
The attacks surged upward.
The giant inhaled.
The attacks disappeared.
The giant exhaled.
Everything vanished.
The cycle repeated.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Hours seemed to pass.
The Azure Cloud cultivators became increasingly desperate.
Some consumed medicinal pills.
Some burned spiritual essence.
Some activated forbidden techniques.
Some damaged their own foundations.
Nothing worked.
Absolutely nothing worked.
Every attack met the same fate.
A breath.
Then nothing.
The gap between both sides was so large that despair gradually replaced anger.
The first person to stop attacking was a young Core Formation cultivator.
His sword slipped from his hand.
His eyes became empty.
He stared upward.
Then he remembered.
He remembered the day he entered the Azure Cloud Sect.
He remembered kneeling before his master.
He remembered the promise he made.
The promise to become stronger.
The promise to honor the sect.
The promise to carry its glory.
The memories flooded his mind.
Soon others experienced the same thing.
Liang Feng remembered his teacher.
Yue Lin remembered her frozen mountain.
Han Mo remembered breaking his body again and again for cultivation.
The Azure Cloud disciples slowly lowered their weapons.
The reality finally sank in.
They had lost.
Completely.
Utterly.
Hopelessly.
There was no battle.
There had never been a battle.
The giant had not even moved.
The giant had not used a technique.
The giant had not used a treasure.
The giant had not attacked.
He merely breathed.
That was enough.
The realization shattered many Dao Hearts.
Several disciples collapsed to their knees.
Others laughed bitterly.
Some cried.
Some stared blankly into the distance.
Eventually, another realization appeared.
The oath.
Their oath.
The promise they made before heaven.
The promise they made before countless witnesses.
The promise they infused with spiritual energy.
The promise witnessed by the Dao itself.
The moment they remembered it, many faces became pale.
One disciple suddenly laughed.
A bitter laugh.
Then another.
Soon several cultivators were laughing.
Not because they found anything funny.
Because they could not accept reality.
"Impossible."
One disciple shook his head repeatedly.
"I cannot join another sect."
Another cultivator looked toward the sky.
"My family has served the Azure Cloud Sect for nine generations."
A third trembled.
"I would rather die."
The heavens remained silent.
Yet everyone could feel something gathering.
The Dao did not forget.
Oaths carried consequences.
Several cultivators understood this.
One young disciple suddenly drew his sword.
His face became calm.
Too calm.
He looked toward the distant direction of the Azure Cloud Sect.
Then bowed.
"Master, this disciple has failed."
The sword flashed.
Blood scattered.
His body fell from the sky.
The surrounding cultivators froze.
Then another followed.
A woman smiled sadly.
"I cannot betray my ancestors."
Her spiritual energy erupted.
Her meridians shattered.
Her soul dispersed.
A third followed.
Then a fourth.
Then a fifth.
The disciples of the Silent Sword Sect watched in shock.
The Azure Cloud cultivators watched in horror.
The price of pride had finally arrived.
Yet not everyone chose death.
Some refused to acknowledge the oath.
Some shouted angrily.
Some cursed the heavens.
Some cursed the Dao.
Some cursed the giant.
One cultivator pointed toward the sky.
"I refuse!"
The moment the words left his mouth, the heavens rumbled.
Dark clouds appeared.
Lightning gathered.
The cultivator’s face immediately changed.
A bolt descended.
Boom.
The cultivator screamed.
His body became charred.
Another shouted.
"The oath is invalid!"
Boom.
Another lightning bolt fell.
A third cursed.
A fourth denied.
A fifth resisted.
One after another.
The heavens answered.
Lightning continuously descended.
The Azure Cloud disciples finally became terrified.
No one dared speak recklessly anymore.
No one dared challenge the oath anymore.
The reality became undeniable.
The Dao had accepted their words.
Only a small group remained.
Compared to the hundreds who arrived, only a few stood firm.
They exchanged glances.
Then looked toward the giant.
Their expressions were complicated.
Fear.
Respect.
Bitterness.
Acceptance.
All mixed together.
Liang Feng slowly stepped forward.
His face looked exhausted.
The arrogance from before had completely vanished.
He took a deep breath.
Then lowered his head.
For the first time since arriving, he bowed sincerely.
"This junior Liang Feng acknowledges defeat."
The surrounding survivors followed.
One after another.
Their heads lowered.
Their pride finally broke.
"We acknowledge defeat."
"We acknowledge defeat."
"We acknowledge defeat."
The words echoed throughout the floating islands.
Liang Feng remained bowed.
Then he spoke once more.
"From this day forward, this junior shall honor the oath made before heaven and earth. This junior greets Senior Deity and asks for guidance in the future."
The others immediately followed.
Their voices joined together.
"We greet Senior Deity and ask for guidance in the future."
Above them, the giant remained silent.
Meanwhile, throughout the Silent Sword Sect, the disciples stared at the scene in disbelief.
The invaders who had arrived full of arrogance.
The cultivators who mocked them.
The experts who looked down upon them.
Now stood beneath the heavens with lowered heads, addressing their Protector with the highest respect they could offer.
And for the first time since arriving, no one questioned the title.
No one questioned the authority.
No one questioned the existence above them.
Because after everything they had witnessed, only one title felt appropriate.
Senior Deity.