My Celestial Ascension

After glancing toward Selvariel, who was now a hostage bound by the Soul Binding Immortal Rope, Valeria let out a soft chuckle.

“By the way, nice catch, Yuan. What are you planning to do with her? She seems like quite the arrogant beauty,” Valeria asked.

“I don’t have any plans for her as of now,” Yuan responded softly, a smile forming on his face as he glanced at Selvariel, who continued to glare at him coldly.

“I see… but what is that treasure you’re using to bind her?”

Valeria was curious about the rope wrapped around Selvariel. It radiated an ancient and powerful aura that overwhelmed even her.

“Oh, that… it’s a binding artifact called the Soul Binding Immortal Rope. I used it to tie her up so she wouldn’t interfere,” Yuan explained.

Anna, Grace, and the others could clearly feel the artifact’s overwhelming power even from a distance. Its ancient aura seemed to reach into their very souls.

They were all shocked to learn that this rope could even bind a god-level cultivator. It was indeed an extraordinary treasure.

They couldn’t help but smile, knowing they had such a powerful artifact on their side. This would surely prove useful when they ventured into the Nine Heavens.

“You guys take care of that angel and don’t let her escape. We might be able to use her in the future. I’ll go take care of the remaining enemy soldiers,” Yuan said as he turned his focus to the Holy Church’s forces charging toward them.

“Make it quick. I feel sick standing here with blood-soaked clothes,” Lily said, her voice tinged with frustration.

Even though she had used her Qi to filter the air around her, she could still feel the blood sticking to her delicate skin—an irritating sensation that made her visibly angry.

The same could be said for the rest of Yuan’s wives. They too were uncomfortable, the sticky feeling of blood clinging to them causing irritation.

“Don’t worry, I don’t plan on taking my time killing them. I’ll finish this in a single strike,” Yuan replied with a serious look, stepping forward confidently.

Despite thousands of enemy soldiers charging at him, he felt no fear. On the contrary, he was thrilled by the challenge as he gripped his sword tightly with both hands, ready to attack.

As he stood before the advancing army, a wide grin appeared on Yuan’s face. His killing intent erupted from his body like a thick cloud, making the soldiers tremble in fear as they charged.

This man, who just moments ago had been casually chatting with his beautiful wives, had now transformed into a ruthless demon. The sudden shift stunned the soldiers.

Whoosh! A massive wave of Sword Aura erupted from Yuan’s body, enveloping his sword in a deadly, razor-sharp glow.

“One Sword One Strike…” Yuan muttered lowly as he swung his sword parallel to the ground, unleashing a massive arc of Sword Aura directly at the approaching enemy soldiers.

As soon as the soldiers sensed the devastating attack coming toward them, they all stood frozen on the battlefield, already feeling their souls slipping from their bodies.

“I-Is this the end for us…?”

“What did we gain from this war… Why did we have to fight in the first place?”

“This is it. This is the end for us all…”

The soldiers murmured in low voices as they stared death in the face. Their will to fight had crumbled. One by one, they dropped their weapons to the ground, choosing to embrace their end.

There was no way they could flee. The attack was far too powerful and fast to escape from. Their bodies refused to obey them, as if they had forgotten how to move.

Swish!

In the blink of an eye, their heads were separated from their bodies. Blood sprayed from their severed necks, painting the ground crimson.

But the attack didn’t stop there—it continued its terrifying course, heading straight for the massive chariot not far away.

Seeing the arc of destruction racing toward his chariot, the Pope’s expression turned grim. Two Holy Knight Commanders immediately grabbed him and leapt out of the chariot.

Bang! The attack struck the chariot, splitting it in two with immense force. The damage was catastrophic—the chariot was completely destroyed, reduced to scrap.

“Your Eminence! Are you safe? Please respond!” one of the Holy Knight Commanders shouted, holding onto the Pope, frantically checking for injuries.

Fortunately, the Pope seemed physically unharmed, but his face was pale and stunned. He didn’t respond, shaken by the sheer power of the attack he had just witnessed.

“I’m fine. I can stand on my own. I don’t need your assistance,” the Pope said firmly as he rose from the ground. His face was twisted in fury as he glared at Yuan in the distance.

Hearing this, the Holy Knight Commander respectfully let go but remained close to ensure the Pope’s safety.

‘How could a human wield such overwhelming power? Is he truly human?’ Selvariel stared at Yuan, eyes wide in disbelief.

The force of the attack had been enough to split a mountain in two. Yet even after unleashing such destructive power, Yuan stood tall and unbothered—as if he hadn’t exerted any effort at all.

It was beyond comprehension, leaving Selvariel shaken to her very core.

“You’ve finally shown your face, Pope. Honestly, you look pathetic. Nothing special at all,” Yuan said, grinning widely as he stared at the head of the Holy Church.

“I wonder how someone with such a feeble mindset managed to raise an army of that size.”

“Y-You bastard! You’ve destroyed my carefully crafted plan! You’ve wasted years of my effort! You will pay for this sin!” the Pope roared, enraged by Yuan’s blatant mockery.

He couldn’t control his anger any longer, and he immediately retrieved a magical artifact from his magic pouch. The object instantly released a dark aura so powerful it sent chills down the spines of everyone on the battlefield.

Seeing the treasure in his hand, the Holy Knights’ Commanders trembled. Disbelief filled their eyes—they couldn’t believe the Pope would take out something so precious from his pouch.

“Your Eminence, is it really wise to use this artifact in front of so many people? There are too many eyes watching us right now,” one of the Holy Knights’ Commanders warned, clearly concerned about the consequences of unleashing such a malevolent item.

“I don’t care about such things,” the Pope responded coldly, gripping the artifact tightly. “Right now, I only want to win this war and shatter that brat’s confidence! There’s no turning back.”

“Once I activate this artifact, we will retreat immediately to a safe location. This artifact will unleash a terrifying creature sealed within it for a thousand years—the Demonic Dragon Vorthal’kar,” the Pope explained grimly.

“I see… If you’re sure about this, then let’s proceed with your plan, Your Eminence,” the other Holy Knights’ Commander replied with a calm expression, as though a heavy weight had just been lifted from his chest.

The first Commander also nodded firmly, retrieving his own treasure in preparation to escape from the battlefield alongside the Pope.

What they didn’t know was that Yuan had been listening to their conversation the entire time through his Divine Sense. He was stunned to learn that the Pope intended to use such a method to retreat.

It turned out the Pope of the Holy Church was nothing but a coward—someone who only knew how to issue orders from a pedestal, without any real will to fight. How typical of a man in power.

Soon, as the Pope began unsealing the artifact, the sky turned pitch dark, blanketed by thick, ominous clouds. Lightning crackled above as the very air on the battlefield seemed to twist.

Powerful winds howled as the artifact in the Pope’s hand pulsed with energy. Then, a massive portal opened in the sky, cloaked in a dark, crimson aura that made the entire battlefield tremble under the weight of its presence.

ROOOAAAARRRRR!!!

A deafening dragon’s roar echoed across the land, its shockwave so intense that it knocked many soldiers unconscious instantly.

Suddenly, the portal widened, and a monstrous head emerged from the void. Its mere appearance caused many to lose their minds, their will to fight completely broken.

“AHAHAHAHAH! Now witness this, you bastard!” the Pope screamed maniacally. “Watch this creature destroy the Lionheart Empire! And there’s nothing you can do to stop it!”

The Pope looked at Yuan with a wide, crazed grin stretched across his face.

“This is a true dragon from the past—a demonic dragon, to be precise—Vorthal’kar! He will avenge my fallen soldiers and bring justice to this world!”

The Pope’s laughter echoed across the battlefield, casting a looming shadow of death as Vorthal’kar descended with terrifying might.

“Your Eminence, the escape artifact is ready. It’s time for us to retreat,” one of the Holy Knight Commanders whispered in his ear, his voice barely audible.

“Then let’s escape while it’s still safe,” the Pope responded.

Just as the Holy Knight Commander was about to activate the escape artifact, Yuan suddenly vanished from his position and reappeared in front of them in the blink of an eye.

“Where do you think you’re going? Did I ever say you could leave?” Yuan asked coldly as he grabbed the Holy Knight Commander’s arm—the one holding the artifact.

With terrifying ease, Yuan ripped the arm apart, forcing the Commander to collapse to the ground in agony, blood spraying from the torn flesh and splashing across the Pope’s face.

“None of you are leaving this place until I say so! And don’t even think about moving an inch, or else…” Yuan warned, his voice icy and calm, unleashing a pressure so intense it drove them instantly to the ground.

“AGH!” The Pope and the two Holy Knight Commanders cried out as if a mountain had slammed down upon them, pinning them helplessly to the earth.

“What the hell is this pressure?! It’s too strong!” the Holy Knight Commanders cried out together, bones straining under the crushing weight.

Sensing Yuan’s overwhelming presence, the demonic dragon Vorthal’kar turned its head, locking eyes on the source of this power as it stepped out of the portal.

It immediately became wary. It could feel it—Yuan’s strength was no ordinary threat. He was dangerous. Possibly lethal.

ROOOAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!

The dragon let out a thunderous roar, the sheer force of its voice shaking the earth. Its vertical slit eyes radiated pure killing intent as they locked onto Yuan with a predatory gaze.