On the edge of the Tai Cang Continent, a desolate beach stretched out, where dozens of ragged people cautiously moved toward a nearby forest.
Among them, a young girl supported her frail, elderly grandfather. Her gaze was fixed on the blood-red anomaly in the sky, her eyes filled with fear.
"Grandpa, they let us come here… could it be a trap?" she asked timidly. Her face was smudged with dirt, though her bright eyes still shone through the grime.
Her grandfather struggled to keep walking, his steps shaky, and replied weakly, "Things will get better…"
Not far away, others were equally apprehensive, their faces showing a mixture of hope and dread.
All across the continent's edges, groups like these pressed inward. The stronger cultivators quickly disappeared from sight, while those without cultivation had no choice but to travel on foot.
Gu An observed these scenes from afar. With his divine sense, he could see clearly that all these individuals were reincarnated heavenly demons. Their soul origins bore traces of karmic connections similar to those of You Yingying and Shen Xin Zi.
These people had all arrived via teleportation arrays, and as soon as they stepped out, the arrays vanished without a trace.
Probing deeper into their karmic threads, Gu An gleaned some key information.
The Heavenly Prison!
These individuals had been sent from the Heavenly Prison without their knowledge, driven here by its ruling powers. Although there was no direct karmic or fateful link between the Heavenly Prison and the Sacred Court, Gu An didn't need to think hard to know who was behind this: Great Ming Sacred King.
After all, there were few people who counted as his enemies, and only someone like Great Ming Sacred King could orchestrate such a scheme.
By releasing so many reincarnated heavenly demons, wasn't this just bait to lure the Dark War Emperor?
Gu An sneered at such tactics. In a way, this worked to his advantage. If the Dark War Emperor were drawn in prematurely, it could potentially minimize casualties. Furthermore, it would provide the Sword Master of the Dao a legitimate reason to act.
"Master, what's going on in the sky?" Long Qing looked up, his small face pale with fear.
Looking at him, it was hard to imagine that this boy was once a great emperor in the Desolate Domain.
Gu An gently tousled Long Qing's hair and comforted him in a soft voice, "It's nothing. Perhaps it's just going to rain. Didn't you say you're a grown man now that you're five? Why are you crying?"
Hearing this, Long Qing quickly wiped away his tears and clenched his little fists. "I'm not crying! It's just sand in my eyes!"
Nearby, You Yingying couldn't help but laugh, her tension easing slightly.
Gu An put Long Qing down and glanced at You Yingying with a teasing smile. "Are you planning to hold on to me forever?"
Startled, You Yingying immediately released his sleeve, her cheeks flushing. "Hmph, who wants to hold on to you?"
"Is that so? Someone nearly tore my sleeve off just now."
"Hmph, that was an accident."
While the two exchanged banter, the Tai Xuan Sect's protective formation activated. In the distance, a magnificent light curtain rose, and numerous cultivators could be seen flying over the Third Medicine Valley.
The Tai Xuan Sect had entered a state of high alert!
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord rose from his seat, gazing into the distance. "More trouble. It seems today's game won't reach its conclusion."
The elderly cultivator sitting across from him let out a sigh of relief, preparing to say something, but before he could, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord vanished in an instant.
Under a tree in another part of the valley, Shen Xin Zi also stood and disappeared without a sound.
Beneath rolling thunderclouds, the land was engulfed in raging flames, resembling a scene from hell.
A figure emerged, striding through the sea of fire. He wore tattered black armor, his black hair matted and curling, and his limbs were covered in festering wounds, oozing blood and pus. His hunched posture and disheveled hair partially obscured a horrifyingly grotesque face.
His face was also rotting, with only his eyes intact. His lips were gone, leaving his teeth permanently bared in a ghastly, sinister grin.
This was none other than the Dark War Emperor.
With each step he took, he exhaled heavy, foul breaths.
His gaze swept the horizon, briefly landing on a white-robed man floating in the distance.
After a fleeting glance, the Dark War Emperor looked away.
He halted, straightening his spine as if sniffing the air.
Moments later, he suddenly turned and vanished into thin air, only to reappear beneath a clear blue sky, overlooking an endless sea of clouds. Without hesitation, he plummeted downward, shattering miles of clouds in his descent, crashing toward the earth with unstoppable force.
Boom!
A terrifying explosion of fire and light illuminated the heavens, unleashing a shockwave that radiated from the impact site. Vast stretches of green mountains were instantly charred to ash.
Countless lives were wiped out in an instant.
"That's enough."
The voice of the white-robed man rang out, carrying a commanding pressure.
The Dark War Emperor's wicked laughter echoed in response, adding a chilling note to the devastation.
Back in the Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An felt an immense divine sense sweep over the valley. This power surpassed the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm and could only belong to the Dark War Emperor.
As expected, the Dark War Emperor had been drawn to the karmic ties of the heavenly demons within this land.
Gu An began walking toward the teleportation platform.
"Where are you going?" Ji Xiaoya's voice called out to him. Turning back, Gu An saw her standing in the distance, watching him intently.
He replied through a voice transmission, "To Xuan Valley. There are plenty of people here to ensure safety. No need to worry."
Hearing this, Ji Xiaoya nodded reluctantly, watching him leave.
Gu An arrived at Xuan Valley via the teleportation platform. There, Lu Jiujia had gathered the disciples together, all of them discussing the sudden and terrifying anomalies that had appeared.
"Master is here!"
A disciple's excited shout echoed through the valley, drawing all eyes to the approaching figure of Gu An. Their faces lit up with relief. The oppressive aura of the Dark War Emperor had terrified the disciples, filling them with dread about the events to come. But seeing Gu An now brought a sense of security.
Gu An walked toward them calmly, fully aware that the divine sense of the Nine-Finger Divine Lord was locked onto him.
It seems the Nine-Finger Divine Lord is also suspecting a connection between me and the Sword Master of the Dao, he thought with amusement.
Just then, a suffocating pressure engulfed all living beings across the Tai Cang Continent. Regardless of their cultivation level, everyone felt it.
The sensation, though fleeting, left a lasting impression.
"What just happened?"
Zuo Yijian, standing next to the Heaven-Sundering Axe, gazed at the horizon with furrowed brows.
On the Heaven Mending Platform, everyone shared his unease. No one could explain the source of the pressure, but the experience was undeniably real.
Panic began to ripple through the Tai Cang Continent.
Under the vast sky, the Dark War Emperor floated above an expansive ocean, his gaze fixed on the distant landmass ahead. His brows furrowed.
That land was none other than the Tai Cang Continent.
As he moved toward it, an invisible force halted his momentum, forcing him to stop mid-air.
"There's someone powerful on that continent," he muttered, his expression grim.
The heavy demonic aura emanating from the continent assured him that it bore no ties to the Sacred Court.
His eyes gleamed with malice as he raised his right hand. A surge of black energy erupted from his palm, rapidly spreading across the sky like an ominous tide, advancing toward the Tai Cang Continent.
From the ground, the continent's inhabitants saw the encroaching black clouds. Moments later, the sky turned pitch black as if night had swallowed the day.
"What's happening? Why is it suddenly dark?"
"Did anyone else feel like their heart stopped just now?"
"What's going on? Is the Great Cold Demon Sect attacking again?"
"Could it be some monstrous demon?"
The disciples in Xuan Valley whispered anxiously. Gu An, his face solemn, said nothing, focusing instead on steadying their nerves with his presence and faith in the Tai Xuan Sect's defenses.
As the black clouds enshrouded the continent, the oppressive aura of the Dark War Emperor intensified, plunging the inhabitants into a state of paralyzing fear.
Standing by the wooden railing, Ji Xiaoya felt as if a shadowy figure were approaching her. Each step it took seemed to crush her spirit, leaving her breathless.
This eerie sensation wasn't hers alone. Everyone on the continent experienced similar dread.
In the Imperial Palace, Li Xuandao sat on the dragon throne, his vision blurred as a shadowy figure strode toward him from the hall's entrance, exuding an aura of death.
The ministers around him were equally pale and silent, frozen in a bizarre trance.
From temples to grand halls, mansions to forests, and even secluded cave abodes, every sentient being, regardless of their location or cultivation level, was drawn into this inexplicable state of dread.
For those reincarnated as heavenly demons, the experience was even more vivid.
You Yingying, for instance, clearly saw the grotesque face of the Dark War Emperor. His decaying, horrifying visage bore into her mind, rendering her speechless and immobile. She could do nothing but await her end.
Even Shen Xin Zi, strong as he was, found himself in the same predicament. Watching the Dark War Emperor close in, he clenched his teeth, caught between panic and despair.
What kind of sorcery is this? He thought. How could I be so powerless?
Meanwhile, the Dark War Emperor, hovering above, grinned maniacally. He raised his right arm, from which black energy continued to pour forth, forming an ocean of dark clouds. Within his palm, a black spear began to materialize. Its surface was etched with mysterious runes, exuding an aura of doom and despair.
"Let's see how strong you really are," he growled, his raspy voice laced with murderous intent.
Suddenly, his gaze snapped upward.
From within the black clouds, a brilliant light emerged, cutting through the darkness. The Dark War Emperor's expression shifted, and he gripped his spear tightly as his aura exploded outward, shaking the heavens and the earth.
Below, the ocean's surface collapsed under the sheer force of his power, creating an awe-inspiring spectacle.
Pouring his full strength into the spear, it ignited with black flames. Countless vengeful spirits emerged from the weapon, clawing and writhing as if trying to escape, though the spear held them firmly in place.
Far away, the mysterious beings from the Seven Suns opened their eyes in unison, gazing toward the Heavenly Spirit World.
From their vantage point in the cosmos, the resplendent world appeared pristine—except for a growing black blemish marring its beauty.
Back in the Third Medicine Valley, Ji Xiaoya suddenly found herself drawn into the same eerie state as the other reincarnated heavenly demons. She saw the Dark War Emperor stepping through the herb garden, moving toward her.
This was not the first time she had seen this scene. It had haunted her dreams countless times. But now, faced with the real thing, the fear and despair she felt were entirely different.
No matter how hard she tried to suppress these emotions, they consumed her.
"Damn it…" Ji Xiaoya gritted her teeth. Between her brows, a crimson Dao Mark ignited, swirling with fiery energy.
She was attempting to summon the power of her innate Dao Rune!
At that moment, a radiant light burst forth from behind her, piercing through the darkness. She instinctively turned to look, her widened eyes reflecting the scene before her.
A sword shadow!
A gleaming silver sword shadow!
The blade was interwoven with countless strands of lightning, forming its ethereal shape. Ji Xiaoya had never seen a weapon like this before. It seemed to have traversed the long rivers of time, emerging from the ancient past to strike at the present. Wherever its edge pointed, the darkness crumbled.
At that moment, it wasn't just Ji Xiaoya who saw the sword. Across the continent, all who had been trapped in despair witnessed the same divine weapon.