Sky Star

Chapter Seven: A Battle of Life and Death

Like well-trained falcons, the Alliance forces keenly sensed the subtle yet ominous aura emanating from the dark forces—a signal of impending danger, akin to a venomous serpent flicking its tongue from within the tall grass. Faintly, they could already smell the scent of a meticulously woven conspiracy lurking in the shadows. The situation was like a fully drawn bowstring, stretched to its absolute limit—war was imminent, the arrow nocked and ready to fly, leaving no room for retreat.

As Xiao Chen and Ling Xue’s gazes met, their eyes seemed to transcend time and space, piercing into each other’s souls. Their unwavering determination was as steadfast as a towering mountain, unyielding against the storm, while their trust in each other was as pure and deep as a crystal-clear spring. They were like a pair of war gods whose swords merged into one—undaunted by the thorny path ahead, surrounded by formidable enemies exuding a fearsome aura. Yet, they clenched their fists resolutely, determined to carve a path of hope through the deadlock with fearless resolve.

On a vast and desolate plain, as if forsaken by death itself, the two armies stood in tense confrontation. The howling wind roared like an enraged deity, sweeping across the battlefield, lifting clouds of dust as if composing a sorrowful prelude for the impending carnage. The dark forces loomed like ghastly shadows from the deepest abyss of hell, their sinister presence exuding a nauseating evil—darkness incarnate. Strange artifacts hovered around them, their eerie glow flickering like bloodthirsty fangs lurking in the night, radiating an overwhelming killing intent. It was evident they had prepared extensively, lying in wait for this moment.

In contrast, the warriors of the Alliance burned like raging flames, their eyes gleaming with unwavering resolve—lights strong enough to pierce through the darkness. Their tightly gripped blades shimmered with an icy brilliance, each one silently proclaiming their determination to defend their homeland. They had long since cast aside their fear of death, ready to shed every last drop of blood to protect the Celestial Domain they so dearly loved.

The moment the battle horn shattered the sky, Xiao Chen was the first to charge forth. Like a blazing meteor streaking across the night, he left behind a brilliant trail of light, carrying unstoppable momentum, resembling a war god plunging into the enemy ranks. The celestial energy within him surged like an unrelenting torrent, roaring with fury. With each strike, dazzling starlight erupted like compressed starbursts, detonating within the enemy ranks. Blinding flashes filled the battlefield, accompanied by rolling shockwaves that threatened to overturn everything in their path. Caught off guard, the dark forces momentarily faltered, allowing Xiao Chen to tear a small breach into their seemingly impregnable formation.

Ling Xue, meanwhile, stood at the rear, orchestrating the battle like a goddess of wisdom. With a mere flick of her jade-like fingers, ice shards and wind blades rained down like a celestial dance, tracing streaks of frosty brilliance through the air, striking with pinpoint precision at the enemy’s weaknesses. Every shard was sharp enough to pierce steel, every blade swift enough to rend the heavens. Together, they formed a flawless duet of battle, their synergy akin to an exquisitely choreographed sword dance. Their rhythmic attacks invigorated the Alliance warriors, igniting their fighting spirit. Like a gunpowder barrel set ablaze, the soldiers surged forward in an unstoppable tide, their battle cries echoing across the battlefield.

However, the leader of the dark forces was no mere opponent to be easily subdued. Like an enraged tiger provoked, he refused to let the battle slip from his grasp. His gaze sharpened like a piercing comet, and with a swift motion, he unleashed a mysterious artifact—the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Banner. In an instant, the banner unfurled with a deafening whoosh, resembling a demon baring its bloodthirsty maw. Black mist, like sinister hands reaching out from the abyss, clawed toward the Alliance soldiers. Any warrior touched by the eerie fog instantly lost all light in their eyes, their souls seemingly wrenched from their bodies. They collapsed to the ground, convulsing in agony, their tormented screams cutting through the battlefield like shards of shattered glass. The Alliance’s unstoppable charge was suddenly halted, like a raging river crashing against an immovable boulder.

Seeing this, Xiao Chen’s heart burned with urgency. He was like an ant scalded by fire, caught in an agonizing frenzy, yet he did not hesitate. Braving the oppressive force of the Nine Nether Soul Devouring Banner, which bore down upon him like a mountain, he pressed forward. Each step shattered the very fabric of space beneath him as he raced toward the banner. Clenching his fists, he gathered the celestial power of the stars, forging it into a radiant blade of light—so brilliant it seemed capable of cleaving the sky and severing the cosmos itself. With an earth-shaking strike, he brought it down upon the banner’s staff.

At the same time, Ling Xue reacted swiftly, channeling her divine energy into ethereal threads of icy blue light. These threads wove around Xiao Chen’s power, intertwining like playful yet graceful spirits, amplifying his might. Their combined attack descended like the wrath of celestial deities, shaking the heavens and earth. With a thunderous boom, a jagged crack split across the banner, as deep and harrowing as a rift in the abyss. The black mist recoiled, dissipating like a terrified beast fleeing into the night.

But the cunning leader of the dark forces seized the moment of chaos. Like a wily fox, he covertly dispatched an elite squad—stealthy and swift as phantoms—to infiltrate the Alliance’s rear lines, aiming to sabotage their supplies. If the supply chain fell, the Alliance army would be doomed, collapsing like a wingless bird left at the mercy of the enemy. Fortunately, Ling Xue’s meticulously arranged intelligence network detected the scheme just in time. Acting decisively, she swiftly redirected a portion of their forces, leading them in a rapid counteroffensive. Under the moonlight, her white robes billowed like an ethereal snow goddess descending from the heavens. In a breathtaking clash of life and death, she confronted the infiltrators head-on.

Her divine arts shifted unpredictably—sometimes unleashing a storm of ice shards, like a thousand arrows striking at once, each imbued with a frigid aura that froze enemies in place; other times, summoning blazing infernos, as if heralding the world’s end. The raging flames devoured all in their path, thwarting the enemy’s advances again and again, forming an unbreakable defense that instilled fear in their hearts.

Meanwhile, on the front lines, Xiao Chen faced the relentless counterattack of the dark forces’ leader alone. The fiend fought with the ferocity of a rampaging demon, each strike carrying the power to shatter mountains and rend the earth. The very battlefield trembled under their clash. Though wounds covered Xiao Chen’s body, staining his robes with blood like a flowing crimson river, he stood firm. Drawing upon the iron will honed through countless trials in the Chaos Realm, he evaded death time and time again, biding his moment.

As the battle reached its climax, blood spilled like a torrential crimson flood, turning the land into a hellish slaughterfield. The air reeked of iron and death. In this dire moment, only one belief burned in Xiao Chen and Ling Xue’s hearts—for the future of the Celestial Domain, there could be no retreat!

Like dawn breaking through the darkest night, they fought on, refusing to yield. Even if it cost them their lives, they would keep the flame of hope alive, driving away the shroud of darkness that had plagued the land for far too long. For the sake of tomorrow, for the peace that once was—they would see this battle through to the very end.