Chapter 23: The Return of the Immortal Emperor Part 3: The Final Sword of the Forgotten Era The Celestial Golden Sky Citadel was no longer the same. The golden towers that once pierced the heavens had collapsed. The ancient formations that protected the floating city for countless years had disappeared. Only fragments of the once magnificent fortress remained floating in the sky. Below the battlefield... The last groups of Garuda civilians had already escaped. The children. The elderly. Those who could not fight. They watched from a distant location as their homeland slowly disappeared. The Garuda warriors remained silent. No one spoke. Because everyone understood. The battle above them had already decided the fate of the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel. Inside the broken sky... Adrian stood facing the Primordial Garuda. The Void Sovereign Skyblade rested at his side. The memories of the Immortal Emperor continued flowing through his mind. Countless techniques. Countless battles. Countless years of experience. But Adrian did not lose himself within those memories. He was still Adrian Voss. The person who had walked this current life. The person who had created his own understanding. The Primordial Garuda spread its wings. The damaged feathers slowly recovered. The ancient golden energy around its body became stronger. The entire sky trembled. The first ancestor of the Garuda bloodline had finally released its complete power. The golden feathers around it transformed. Each feather became a divine blade. Thousands. Ten thousand. Hundreds of thousands. They filled the sky. "Garuda Divine Feather Burial." The feathers descended. The entire battlefield became a golden storm. Every direction was sealed. Every escape route was blocked. Adrian looked at the endless golden blades. The Void Sovereign Skyblade moved. A black and silver light surrounded the sword. A technique from the era when countless beings feared the Immortal Emperor appeared. "Celestial Emperor Sword Art." "Fifth Form..." "Heavenly Star Execution." Adrian slashed upward. The sky changed. The stars above the battlefield fell. Not real stars. But condensed sword stars created from pure sword intent. Each sword star carried terrifying destructive power. The falling golden feathers collided with the sword stars. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The entire sky exploded repeatedly. Golden and silver light covered the battlefield. The Primordial Garuda moved through the explosions. Its massive wings cut through the sword stars. One. Two. Hundreds. The ancient existence continued advancing. Adrian stepped forward. His figure disappeared. Emperor's Void Step. He appeared beside the Primordial Garuda. The Void Sovereign Skyblade struck toward its wing. The Primordial Garuda reacted instantly. A golden claw blocked the sword. CLANG! The impact created a huge shockwave. The Primordial Garuda pushed forward. Its golden claw pressed against the sword. The force behind it continued increasing. The space around Adrian started cracking. Adrian's eyes became sharp. The sword intent around him exploded. The surrounding area became filled with invisible sword edges. The Primordial Garuda's movements slowed. The pressure forced its body to stop. Adrian moved his sword. A second sword light appeared. Then a third. Then countless. "Nine Heavens Immortal Blade." Nine layers of sword light appeared around the Void Sovereign Skyblade. Each layer contained a different sword principle from the Immortal Emperor era. The first layer cut through defense. The second layer shattered energy. The third layer destroyed formations. The remaining layers contained power accumulated from countless battles. The sword descended. The Primordial Garuda immediately spread its wings. "Primordial Golden Heaven." A golden world appeared behind it. The ancient domain blocked the sword. BOOM! The first layer shattered. The second layer shattered. The third layer broke through. The golden world started cracking. The Primordial Garuda pushed its wings forward. The remaining sword layers were stopped. The collision froze the battlefield. Neither side moved. Then— Crack. A small crack appeared on the Primordial Garuda's wing. A second crack. Then hundreds. The Nine Heavens Immortal Blade continued cutting. The ancient existence was pushed backward. For the first time... The Primordial Garuda was forced down. The ancient being descended through the sky. But before it reached the ruins— Its wings stopped. The golden energy around its body exploded. A terrifying pressure erupted. The entire broken Citadel trembled again. The Primordial Garuda looked toward Adrian. The ancient feathers around its body began burning with golden flames. The first ancestor had reached its final stage. The remaining energy of the entire Garuda bloodline gathered toward it. The fallen towers. The broken formations. The ancient symbols carved into the Citadel. Everything turned into golden light. The Garuda Ancestor and the three elders watched in shock. The Primordial Garuda was burning the remaining foundation of the Celestial Golden Sky Citadel. It was using the final power of its homeland. Adrian looked at the golden light gathering around the ancient existence. The Void Sovereign Skyblade released a deep vibration. The sword in his hand changed. The Immortal Emperor memories continued awakening. A technique that had once ended an ancient war appeared. Adrian slowly raised the sword. The sky became silent. "Celestial Emperor Sword Art." "Final Form..." "Emperor's Judgment." The moment the words left his mouth— The heavens changed. A massive sword appeared above the battlefield. Unlike the previous techniques... It did not release endless light. It did not create a huge explosion. It simply existed. The pressure alone forced the remaining golden energy downward. The Primordial Garuda looked upward. Its golden flames burned brighter. The two attacks prepared. One created from the final strength of the Garuda homeland. One created by the sword of an ancient Immortal Emperor. The broken Celestial Golden Sky Citadel became silent. The next collision would decide what remained of this ancient sky city.