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The incantation lasted only for a moment, but the grand mage seemed as exhausted as if he had cast several tenth-level spells in succession. Without waiting for Xi Luo to ask, he spoke, "The Hero Sword is not a spiritual divine weapon. Its recognition of a master does not rely on resonance between man and weapon but requires a special magical ritual. Previously, you were just a suitable candidate for the Hero Sword. Only after I performed the ritual did you truly become its master. Otherwise, even if you used it to absorb the forbidden curse marks, you would not gain any enhancement. As for the light and dark marks you are interested in, I only know that they were destroyed during the 'Heine Great Battle' of the undead war, likely in the Heine Plains in the western part of the continent. However, since most of those who participated in the battle perished, the only one who might know the specifics is Griffith, the commander of the undead at that time."

Just as Xi Luo finally heard the answer he wanted, a loud rumble came from behind. It turned out that the fluctuations from the Hero Sword's recognition of its master had been detected by Li Jia and Jin Luosha, who then drove the three Crystal Dragons to attack.

"Go, young man, do not let our sacrifice be in vain!" the grand mage said, suddenly pushing the hand that was on the Hero Sword. The blade swung downward, cutting into the two forbidden curse mark crystals on the ground. With a "ding," the two crystals shattered, and a red and a blue stream of light seeped into the sword. Simultaneously, Xi Luo was swept up by a tornado conjured by the grand mage and sent far away.

"Do not let our sacrifice be in vain... Spirits of the wind in the heavens and the earth, I offer my life as a sacrifice, lend me your power, and form an unbreakable prison. Forbidden Curse — Sky Gale Spirit Chains Dragon Seal —"

With these final words, Grand Mage Yudila's body exploded into a mist of blood, and the surrounding air twisted violently. A massive magic circle appeared, covering a hundred-meter radius. At the edges of the circle, thirty-six enormous elemental giants of air pulled thick chains of air, firmly locking everything within the circle.

Li Jia, Jin Luosha's loyal guard, immediately grabbed Jin Luosha and retreated with all her strength, barely escaping the range of the magic. However, the three Crystal Dragons and Jin Luosha's Holy Angel were all trapped within the circle, unable to be summoned back. Although the Crystal Dragons could resist any magical attacks, this circle solidified the air like steel to lock down enemies, rendering their magic resistance useless.

Jin Luosha and Li Jia were both terrified. Although this binding circle was not a lethal formation, after a grand mage had sacrificed his life, it was no ordinary magic. All the air within the binding field had been drained, transformed into countless air chains, repeatedly twisted and pulled by the thirty-six elemental giants. If a human body were caught within, they would either suffocate or be crushed by the air chains.

However, since the two had escaped, they were not too worried. Yudila had already been reduced to dust, and although this magic circle was troublesome, as long as the Crystal Dragons and the Holy Angel kept struggling, the circle's power would eventually be exhausted. The only problem now was Xi Luo, who had been thrown out by the tornado.

As the grand mage had predicted, Xi Luo, propelled by the power of the three forbidden curse marks, entered a strange state. The key to advancing from Sword Master to Sword Emperor lay in communicating with the "Stellar Sea." In theory, the "Stellar Sea" envelops all planes of the world, so beings in the material plane are also constantly immersed in it. However, this constant contact is difficult to perceive, let alone distinguish which part belongs to the "Stellar Sea," which to the "Elemental Plane," and which to the material plane. Therefore, when advancing from Sword Master to Sword Emperor, one often needs a profound stimulus to temporarily detach from reality. If the practitioner is fortunate enough to discern the flow of power belonging to the "Stellar Sea," they can step into the realm of Sword Emperor.

The "Dream Sage" among the Twelve Sages was a master of profound magic. Therefore, the secret technique he left in the "Emperor's Wrath Blade" could instantly grasp the profound realm of the weapon's master, initiate continuous profound vibrations, and adjust according to the master's reactions. As long as the master was originally at the Sword Master level, they could almost certainly seize the opportunity to master the power of Sword Emperor.

And Xi Luo, a prodigy, naturally did not disappoint.

"Ahhh—" A clear, long cry rang out as the tornado surrounding Xi Luo suddenly dispersed. The young "Holy Grail Knight" hovered in mid-air, his "Hero Sword" now entirely blue, with a vast, invisible wind supporting his body. His aura, amplified dozens of times, was sharp and extraordinary, pointing directly at Chen Xuanfeng, who was engaged in combat with Morova in the distance.

"Huh?" Feeling the sharpness of the Emperor's Wrath Blade, Chen Xuanfeng did not dare to be careless and immediately retreated, turning his gaze to the sky.

Although his battle with Morova was short, it was intensely fierce. Morova, using the "Red Lotus Sword" combined with his lunar attribute, transformed into a flaming phoenix, merging the ferocity of fire with the swiftness of a bird, unleashing a deadly move called the "Nine Blazing Phoenix Whirlwind Dance," continuously attacking with unrelenting force. Chen Xuanfeng, on the other hand, primarily used the "Doushuai Eight Scenes Sword Technique," countering each move while wielding the "Emperor's Wrath Blade." Despite being on the ground, he held his own until Xi Luo appeared, forcing Morova to retreat with a series of sword and blade strikes.

"Oh? You've become a Sword Emperor so quickly. The potential of youth is truly hard to gauge," Chen Xuanfeng remarked, seeing Xi Luo's powerful appearance. However, he was not worried, merely positioning his sword and blade to face both human youths.

In the next moment, Xi Luo, riding the wind, landed in front of Chen Xuanfeng.

"Master, only today have I finally earned the right to face you in a direct battle," the sword-wielding youth said with a complex expression of both sorrow and joy. "But to bring me to this day, too many have fallen... So, for those who have fallen, I must defeat you here."

Chen Xuanfeng looked at the youth before him for a long moment before nodding slightly. "Although our positions differ, Xi Luo, you have indeed earned praise for reaching this point. Not just in power, but in resilience in adversity and calmness in despair, you have performed exceptionally well, a remarkable warrior. However, even not as your master, but merely as a fellow warrior, I am absolutely confident of victory here... So, Xi Luo, let us speak with our swords."