The ruin's remnants shuddered violently. Massive fragments of shattered continents floated aimlessly in a void of blackened skies. Storms of divine energy raged across the horizon, tearing space apart, yet Lin Feng moved steadily, his azure eyes fixed on the deepest fissure — the altar where the Core of the Eternal Ruin awaited.
The air itself hummed with an ancient, incomprehensible power. Every step Lin Feng took, the ground beneath him scorched, reacting to the overwhelming presence of the Core. His Azure Sword glowed brighter with each heartbeat, resonating with the heartbeat of the ruin itself.
This… is the origin of godly essence, he thought. The divine power that shaped the Primordial War… and perhaps… the Azure Sovereign himself.
He approached the altar. Floating above it were nine broken spheres, each pulsing with distinct divine energy. They hovered in perfect alignment, forming a circle of creation. The aura of the Core was overwhelming — it pressed against his soul, demanding recognition, submission, or annihilation.
Lin Feng's hand reached out instinctively. The moment his fingers brushed the nearest sphere, a surge of energy erupted. His body convulsed as the raw power of the gods sought to overwhelm him, yet he did not retreat.
"I am Lin Feng… heir of the Azure Sovereign," he whispered. "I am not a mortal to be crushed."
The Azure Sword thrummed in response, channeling his soul's intent. Flames of pure azure erupted around him, fusing with the spheres' energies. His Nine-Headed Dragon bloodline awakened fully, each head roaring with untamed power, merging into his being and the sword.
---
As Lin Feng's soul intertwined with the first sphere, a shockwave radiated outward, tearing the void around him. The other spheres trembled, drawn to his presence. One by one, they began merging with him, each fusing into his essence, reshaping his body, soul, and consciousness.
The Fifth Seal… Divine Heart Resonance…
The seal's power coursed through him, igniting a transformation unlike anything he had experienced before. His blood became luminous, a torrent of azure light infused with fragments of godly essence. Every movement of his limbs sent ripples through the collapsing ruins, warping reality itself.
"So this… is the heart of creation," Lin Feng murmured. "And it responds to me."
The Core itself stirred, sensing his alignment. A voice, neither male nor female, resonated across his mind:
"Successor of the Azure One… you are worthy of the will we left behind."
It was not a whisper. It was not a command. It was recognition. Acknowledgment that he had survived, endured, and proven himself capable of inheriting the power of gods.
---
Visions assaulted Lin Feng's mind. The Azure Sovereign wielding his blade in the final battle of the Primordial War. Cities shattered under the might of divine duels. Souls of gods consumed by ambition and betrayal. And then… the Sovereign kneeling before the Ruin Core, offering his life and essence in exchange for balance, leaving only his will within the sword.
Lin Feng's eyes glimmered with comprehension.
"The Azure Sovereign… did not merely fight to survive. He sacrificed… so that someone worthy could ascend after him."
The realization struck him like lightning — the sword, the seals, the Ruin, and the Core were all designed as a test and inheritance. And now, that legacy rested upon him.
---
The awakening of the Fifth Seal was not without consequence. The Eternal Ruin, already fragile from centuries of imprisonment, began to collapse faster. Massive pillars of divine energy spiraled upward, cracking the remnants of the floating continents.
Rival sect geniuses who had survived Lin Feng's earlier purges scrambled desperately, attempting to escape. Many of them had not comprehended the depth of the Core's power, and a single pulse from Lin Feng's new aura scorched them instantly.
Time and space seemed to bend around him. His Azure Sword World flickered into reality, forming a protective sphere that allowed only him to move freely.
"The Core… recognizes no one else," he muttered. "It answers only to the true heir."
The others screamed and clawed at the edges of reality, powerless against the tide of godly energy. Lin Feng's heart, steady as ever, accepted the devastation.
---
At the center of the altar, the last sphere hovered before him. Unlike the others, it pulsed with a sentient rhythm, as if alive, observing him. Lin Feng raised his Azure Sword.
"I am Lin Feng… and I claim the Fifth Seal."
The sphere responded instantly, descending into his blade with a thunderous resonance. The Azure Sword absorbed the energy, glowing with an intensity that fractured light itself.
The Core's consciousness flowed into him, a flood of divine comprehension: the laws of creation, the ebb and flow of celestial life, the whispers of fallen gods — all merged with his being.
He fell to one knee as his body convulsed, but his mind remained sharp. He saw visions of new worlds, of war and peace, of the delicate balance that the gods had fought for. And at the center of all this, the Azure Sovereign's legacy awaited him, a guiding light for the future.
---
When Lin Feng finally rose, his figure was awe-inspiring. The ruins below were now completely still, yet his presence radiated across the void. His body shimmered with the combined might of the Fifth Seal and the Azure Sword Core.
I have inherited more than power, he realized. I have inherited responsibility. Destiny itself bows to no one — except those willing to seize it.
The remaining sect geniuses watched in fear and awe. Even Celestial Realm experts, once untouchable, fell silent in reverence. Lin Feng's aura had transcended the comprehension of all but the most ancient beings.
With the Fifth Seal fully awakened, Lin Feng became more than a cultivator. He became the living embodiment of the Azure Sovereign's will — a bridge between mortality and divinity.
---
Preparation for Return
The Eternal Ruin, now mostly stabilized by Lin Feng's control, offered one final act — a portal back to the Heavenly Sword Palace. He sheathed the Azure Sword, its azure light flickering like a heartbeat.
"Five seals… awakened," he murmured, feeling the Core's essence resonate in harmony with his soul.
"The path is still long… but the heavens themselves will witness my ascent."
He stepped through the portal. The ruins collapsed behind him in a silent, final farewell, leaving only whispers of forgotten gods in the void.
When he emerged, the stars above the Heavenly Sword Palace shone brighter, the sect's disciples sensing a divine pressure unlike anything in living memory. Lin Feng looked at the sky, then down at his Azure Sword — the Fifth Seal pulsing faintly within, whispering of challenges yet to come.
"Six remain… and the journey continues."