'Star Crossing Sword, Starlight Piercing The Night!'
*Rumble*
The Domain of Darkness was shaking with another slash from Victoria! From just illuminating the entire space, Victoria was now feeling that the Domain of Darkness was noticeably shaking!
'It's working!' Victoria said as she closed her eyes and focused more power while wielding her sword.
===
Outside the Domain of Darkness, Yumi's master ,who was simply guarding Yumi who was recovering, was immediately alerted as the caster of the skill. His eyes focused to the dark globe in front of him after sensing what was happening within the Domain of Darkness.
"The Cross Clan Princess is affecting the Domain of Darkness?!" He muttered.
*Rumble*
"Geniuses. Not a single one unproblematic." He did not delay any further. The Domain of Darkness moved closer to him as he reached his hand out to enter the spherical mass of darkness.
"This may harm you more than I intended but it should be enough to get the two of you to behave."
"Carnival of the Corrupted!" A wave suddenly rippled through the entire Domain of Darkness. He sent out attacks to incapacitate Victoria.
===
*Rumble*
Within the Domain of Darkness, Victoria who just finished sending out another attack, was suddenly attacked by something blunt.
'What?!'
*Badump*
Victoria despite being surprised, was able to instinctively block the object with her Star-crossing sword.
'Its as heavy as that explosion made of darkness earlier...'
She was blown back by a few steps backwards but she made sure that she was still within Kaiden's distance.
With her Star-Crossing Sword illuminating and her heart's glow also becoming more apparent with every heartbeat, she could somewhat see the newly emerging incoming threats around them.
There were dozens, no hundreds, thousands of dark tendril-like objects that emerged from every direction!
Giving her no time to breathe, those tendrils made from darkness attacked her simultaneously from all directions and they were attacking at different intervals.
With someone to protect, Victoria had no choice but stand her ground and deflect all of the incoming attacks to her!
*Twang* *Shing* *Twang*
But each tendril was too heavy for her to completely block so she could only opt to parry them.
'I thought this was just an entrapment technique meant to isolate us and slowly tire us... This could kill us!'
She was holding up well at first but in just a few moments, the erratic sequence of the attacks was throwing her off.
Bit by bit, she was incurring abrasions and wounds from the tendrils that were attacking her.
'Swords are also a means to protect others...' She repeated that mantra in her head as she remembered how Kaiden was protecting her earlier.
'Using the Sword sphere as an inspiration...'
'Heavenly Cross - Fourth Sword - World Encompassing Cross!' Victoria once again used this technique again!
With her sword glowing in white light and her own heart shining in tandem, she swung her sword once more and swiftly spun several times.
She drew a series beautiful glowing horizontal white circle around her and Kaiden shifting the angle as she connected the circles and created a series of of smaller sword circles, creating something similar to a dome.
In blinding speed, vertical slashes connected the circular slashes with numerous flickers from her wrist to create that familiar globe-shaped cluster of sword energy.
"Heavenly Cross - Fourth Sword - World Encompassing Cross Variant..."
*Swoosh*
This beautiful globe-like sword cluster which was supposed to instantly expanded maintained its size instead. It felt more like a condensed and contained version of the sword technique that Victoria used.
"Sword Barrier!"
It seemed like a barrier but it was obliterating all the dark tendrils that were attacking them every time it came in contact!
"I... I did it!" Victoria rejoiced that she managed to modify the World Encompassing Cross which was originally intended as an area-of-effect offensive technique that would blow away everything around her into something defensive instead.
'A true genius!
If any single one of the expert from her clan were to appear here right now, they would have the same though and they would not believe their eyes. That someone was not only able to skillfully use one of Lancelot Cross's techniques but they were able to master it and apply it differently in battle...
===
"Still struggling, huh?"
The master was suddenly lost in deep thought, 'The Domain of Darkness is far more than a simple crucible of sensory deprivation and offensive absorption, provided that the attack is weaker than my own strength. It eats away at the very fabric of the soul; by all rights, they should be thoroughly withered by now. Furthermore, under the relentless weight of my 'Suppression,' her strength ought to be utterly shackled. Is this outburst of strength a last second struggle... or is something far more volatile at play?'
"What's happening, master?" Yumi said with her eyes closed. She sat cross-legged still taking her time to heal from her injuries. She was already gaining vitality in her visage.
"Worry not. It seems our little princess is exerting quite the effort to escape my capture." The master reassured.
"Mhm. That little bitch caught me by surprise. But I doubt she could do that to you, Master." Yumi nodded as she opened her eyes.
"Why, of course. I am Byron Grimwald, a prestigious Elder of Tartarus." Byron narcissistically said.
"Sure, Master. Do not kill Kaiden, okay!" Yumi rolled her beautiful eyes hearing her Master and sternly stared at her master.
Byron simply assured, "I know. Let your mind be at ease. I assure you that the half-dead knight shall be yours to frolic with hahaha."
"Good." Yumi closed her eyes and once again.
===
Back inside the Domain of Darkness...
'Now, its time to break this domain.' Victoria held her sword close to her chest. Though she assumed a stance to prepare for an attack. Something strange was happening with her body.
*Badump*
"What is..." Her energy was becoming much more stable. It seems like she was actually stabilizing her previously unstable cultivation base! To be more precise, her heart was actually causing this!
*Badump* *Badump* *Badump* *Badump* *Badump*
Previously, she received an entire realm's worth of Innate Energy from the Star Crossing Sword, maybe even more. However, she had not actually reached the complete qualitative change in energy that a peak Mortal Severing Expert had.
It could be likened that Victoria was only using energy that was half-transmuted due to her not having the opportunity to even meditate and consolidate the energy and make it completely hers.
But since she was pressed for time, she had to simply fight using this energy. Her body was actually in the verge of breaking down as it was not able to contain the strength any longer. The reason she could do this was that for some reason, she could control her Innate Energy and Sword Energy in a way that felt natural.
So, her body was slowly getting accustomed to the power that she had. No, it would be more accurate to say that her body was forced to adapt to this energy as well.
'Is it because of my heart?' Victoria thought and it felt like it made sense.
'After I've felt my heartbeat awaken into something completely unknown, everything felt comfortable and easy. I think it's the one responsible for making my body withstand energy it should not have been able to contain...' She could not help but wonder.
She could only think of this right now because earlier she was too focused in fighting and killing Yumi. Now, she was trapped again in the Domain of Darkness. Although it initially was supposed to slowly weaken and suffocate her to death, it now became her opportunity to stabilize her cultivation after using Sword Barrier.
With her heart once again activating its weird ability, she was able to think deeply like this.
'I have had three enlightenments in a short span of time. Something which people might not even be able to encounter in their whol lives yet... I've had three.. I'm also able to immediately learn and use the Star Crossing Sword Art which I believe would be evaluated quite highly even in our clan... What is happening to me..?'
Though as she was fighting, she gained three enlightenments which made her get used to the strength. One, through the sword memories of the Star Crossing Sword. Two, comprehending that sword as a tool for killing. Three, comprehending that the sword is a means to protect others.
Each has led to the sublimation of her soul. Making it so that her comprehension has followed three breakthroughs. This easily corresponded with minor a realm within the Mortal Severing Realm.
Even before this happened, Victoria only need to accumulate energy for her to advance to Mortal Severing Realm as she already had enough understanding and her body had already progressed suitably for Mortal Severing Realm's Law Inception Realm. Because even at the Origin Palace, she already comprehended the Sword Law.
So, as long as she had surplus of energy for breakthrough, she could have already made the breakthrough.
With those three more enlightenments supplementing that, she has now caught up with the influx of energy in terms of comprehension and body reformation. That's why she managed to reach the peak of Mortal Severing.
'Is it just me or is every heartbeat actually influencing my Spirit Core as well?' The heartbeats seemed to be helping Victoria with her cultivation. She could not help but wonder as well.
Inside Victoria's spirit core, there was an Origin Palace that was gathering incredible amounts of energy around it. Unlike Kris's Origin Palace which had golden flame engravings, Victoria's was Origin Palace adorned with swords in its doors, gates, pillars and walls which is why she was shocked to see what was in front of her.
'My Origin Palace now looks different now...' Victoria wondered as she stood outside her Origin Palace.
Previously, her Origin Palace was like any other Origin Palace of a Cross Clan member: a white palace built with pristine white palace pillars with sword engravings and lines of twin swords in almost all of the prominent parts of the mansion
Now, the palace became bigger. It seemed more like a Greek Temple, a place of worship for swords. It was more of a Hallway of those giant swords. The pillars were now replaced with giant swords embedded into the foundation of the palace.
They were exuding the sharpness and overbearingness of finely made sword."The Heavenly Cross Swords..." She walked inside her Origin Palace and saw a familiar sight.
In the middle of the palace, there were two identical swords crossed with each other that was being highlighted by a beam of light from above it. These two auburn brown swords laced with bright silver highlights were exquisitely crafted to fit as they floated towards Victoria.
"I can finally use it..." She muttered and held those two swords. Bright shining light exploded forth and it enveloped the entirety of her Spirit Core.
This was the inherited power of the direct blood descendants of Lancelot Cross. The Heavenly Cross Swords! Something that was forbidden for them to use until Mortal Severing due to the immense power it holds as the power of a True King!
She opened her eyes and she was finally back in the Domain of Darkness!
'With this, I am sure that I can cut down this Domain of Darkness!' Her Star Crossing Sword resonated with the Heaven Crossing Sword that just materialized and combined. It became even stronger than it used to as the two's appearance fused together in perfect harmony.
The Star Crossing Sword was made with the sole intent of making the Heaven Crossing Sword stronger with their fusion!
*Hummmm*
'The Star Crossing Sword seems very happy!' Victoria even vaguely felt that it was humming joyfully. To the Star Crossing Sword, a long time has passed since it graced the world with its full potential!
'Its just a shame that I don't have the Void Shattering Sword with me...' She lamented before assuming an attack stance.
Now, she was gathering more of that bright sword energy to her sword as she was preparing for another attack.
Behind her, Kaiden was murmuring something. He had a very pained expression as he said the words.
"Princess... run... the lightning... is... coming"
===
Outside the Domain of Darkness...
*Rumble* *Crack* *Rumble* *Crack*
The Domain of Darkness was visibly cracking at an alarming rate. From those cracks, light was actually leaking out!
"?!" Byron and Yumi were caught off guard by this sudden explosion within the Domain of Darkness.
"But she was already showcasing the might of an Early Half Saint powerhouse despite being in a lower realm and an unstable cultivation base... do you mean to tell me that her prowess is still growing exponentially as we speak..." The very thought that this might happen frightened him.
When he checked the Domain of Darkness, Byron saw an intense light coming from the middle of the Domain.
"Heavenly Cross - Second Sword - Twilight Blades"
*Crack* *Boom*
The Domain of Darkness has been successfully broken!