The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 395: Like a Hot Knife Slicing Through Butter

Once the pillar of golden light shot through the sky, everyone, no matter what they were doing, inevitably looked up. The clouds parted to make way for the golden pillar, its tip disappearing into the heavens as if piercing them. However, everyone knew that its height simply extended beyond their sight.

The power emanating from the golden pillar filled them with horror, exuding an even more overwhelming pressure than the lightning beam.

Baroness Weilmar and her guardian knight widened their eyes in shock as they sensed that the golden pillar possessed strength far greater than the high emperor stage. They had never seen anyone at the peak emperor stage unleash their technique, but perhaps this was what it would feel like if someone of that caliber did.

Suddenly, she felt the sword inside her storage ring tremble. Her guardian knight, Dan, also sensed his sword shaking. This phenomenon spread throughout the entire city as swords everywhere began to tremble. Before anyone could react and grasp their swords to stop it, the swords across the city floated into the air, their tips all pointing toward Aldrian.

They felt as if they were witnessing a surreal scene, thousands of swords filling the sky, as though paying their respects to the arrival of a Sword God. The sheer intensity of the sword will radiating from the golden pillar was immense, and an unconscious sense of worship arose in their hearts.

At the mayor’s mansion, Sylphia and the others also gazed at the golden pillar, finding its radiance beautiful. Xin Haotian observed the technique with a gaze reflecting both amazement and respect—something rare for him. Although he and Aldrian often joked and jabbed at each other, and Xin Haotian never wanted to lose to Aldrian in their exchanges, he had always held deep respect for him in moments like this.

Aldrian’s techniques never failed to amaze him, which only strengthened his admiration.

While the people of the city gazed at the golden pillar with amazement and glimmering eyes, the opposite reaction unfolded within the massive army in the distance. Some soldiers struggled to hold onto their swords as they attempted to break free from their grasp. However, most had already lost their weapons, staring blankly at the golden pillar, making no effort to retrieve them.

Despair.

That was the only thing that filled their minds as they sensed the overwhelming power contained within the golden pillar. A sword will capable of affecting countless blades across a radius of kilometers—such a phenomenon could only be achieved by one person.

A man that still left many questioning his origins and true identity.

The mysterious swordsman.

They had heard many stories about him, and this phenomenon was one of them.

Duke Alikin felt as if he were dreaming as he stared at the golden pillar. Its power was beyond anything he could hope to defend against, and the title The Mysterious Swordsman surfaced in his mind. Fear finally took hold of him, a cold sensation creeping into his heart as he sensed the might of a peak emperor stage emanating from the pillar of light.

But then, he shouted to the crew behind him, who also looked terrified.

"Raise the fortress’s defensive barrier!"

Hearing their commander’s roar, they finally snapped out of their fear.

"Y-Yes! Raising the defensive barrier!"

Immediately after, a transparent spherical barrier formed around the flying fortress. The other flying fortresses followed suit, preparing for what was about to come. Firing the lightning cannon again at Aldrian was futile, they didn’t have the time for a second shot. Their best option was to defend themselves, and that was the wisest choice they could make.

They watched in dread as the golden pillar finally descended toward them. Aldrian swung his sword downward, directing the attack at the rightmost flying fortress. The golden pillar instantly collided with its defensive barrier, causing the entire fortress to tremble violently. Inside, the crew lost their balance as the impact shook the structure.

They had already used most of their energy stone reserves to create this defensive barrier, one strong enough to withstand a high emperor stage attack.

However, the defensive barrier held for only a second before collapsing instantly, allowing the golden pillar to strike the flying fortress directly. What people witnessed was like a hot knife slicing through butter, the fortress was split apart in an instant as the golden pillar carved through it effortlessly. Even the fortress’s main material, far harder than iron, proved meaningless before the overwhelming power of the golden pillar.

With its massive structure severed in two, the flying fortress lost all ability to remain airborne. The formations supporting it had been destroyed, causing both halves to plummet from the sky. Debris rained down like a rain, and many crew members fell with it.

Most of them were under duke stage, meaning they lacked the ability to fly entirely. They could do nothing but stare in despair, knowing their fate was inevitable. From such a great height, the fall alone would be deadly for many, while those who managed to survive would still suffer severe injuries.

As for those at the duke or grand duke stage, they struggled to remain afloat. Unlike king stage cultivators, they never relied on flight, as it drained their energy too quickly. However, with no other choice, the desperate situation forced them to push their limits.

They frantically tried to evade the massive remains of the flying fortress and the falling debris, but then horror filled their hearts.

The golden pillar suddenly shifted, moving horizontally.

Everyone caught in its path was obliterated in an instant, their bodies vanishing as they were engulfed by the blinding light. The golden pillar then continued forward, reaching the second flying fortress—the lead fortress, where Duke Alikin was located.

His scalp had already gone numb when he saw the flying fortress beside him being destroyed. He knew that his own fortress would meet the same fate. So, the moment he saw the golden pillar shift toward his flying fortress, he instantly crushed an escape talisman and vanished from the control room.

The golden pillar finally struck the second flying fortress, and as expected, it met the same fate as the first. The defensive barrier shattered, unable to withstand the overwhelming force. This time, however, the fortress was split horizontally. With its structure severed, the second flying fortress also fell.

In the next moment, the third and fourth flying fortresses met the same fate. The massive army below had already scattered in panic as the enormous structures plummeted toward them. For those at the king and emperor stages, evading the falling debris was easy, but the others could only run as fast as possible or desperately try to evade it.

However, how could they possibly outrun a falling fortress?

The moment the massive structures crashed into the ground, a powerful tremor shook the land, and a deafening rumble echoed through the area. Dust surged into the air, and many ground troops were crushed beneath the wreckage, their lives claimed in an instant.

Screams of terror resounded everywhere as countless troops were crushed beneath the heavy wreckage of the flying fortresses, while many others continued to flee in desperation. Harison and his king-stage subordinates had already taken to the skies, flying swiftly away from the crash site. They maneuvered skillfully to evade the falling debris, but all they could do was watch helplessly as their massive army fell into chaos, with soldiers being crushed under the weight of the giant fortresses.

The golden pillar finally disappeared, vanishing only after slicing through the last flying fortress. Most of the people in the city could hear the rumbling echoes of the falling fortresses, while some caught glimpses of the scene through the gaps in the broken city walls, a sight that made their hearts tremble—the destruction of the enormous army that had sought to attack them.

A few moments later, the entire area where the four flying fortresses had fallen was covered in debris and dust, obscuring visibility. Duke Alikin watched the aftermath, sweat rolling down his forehead as he felt true fear for the first time in a long while. Seeing the extent of their loss, he already knew that only a small number of their troops had survived.

Harison and the other king-stage cultivators gathered near Duke Alikin, who was positioned a fair distance away from the destruction. They could only watch helplessly, taking in the aftermath of their massive force being annihilated in an instant.

Then, their eyes turned toward the city walls, where Aldrian still stood. He had already sheathed his sword and stored it back inside his storage ring.

But a chilling sensation ran down their spines as Aldrian’s gaze shifted toward them, making them feel as if they were the next targets.

"Escape!" Duke Alikin shouted as he instantly dashed in the opposite direction. They instantly scattered in multiple directions in an attempt to confuse the enemy, but Aldrian merely watched them flee, showing no intention of pursuit.

But then, he retrieved another artifact from his storage ring.

This time, it was a beautifully crafted bow that radiated the aura of a low divine-grade artifact.

It was the bow he had obtained from Emperor Thonias’s inheritance in the Forest of Despair, within the Ivory Empire.

The Earth Shattering Bow.

He also took out a Wind Slasher Arrow and positioned himself to shoot. Drawing the bowstring, he aimed in the direction where Duke Alikin had fled. Even from this distance, he could still see him, now a tiny black dot frantically escaping.

After a few moments of intense concentration and energy circulation, he finally felt the perfect moment.

In an instant, he released the bowstring.

Swoosh!