Shao Xian stood atop the ruined battlefield, his robes untouched by the devastation surrounding him. The wind carried the scent of blood and ash, yet his expression remained impassive. The once-proud Tian Xuan had been erased from existence, his fate sealed in an instant.
The gathered cultivators did not dare to breathe too loudly. They remained on their knees, heads lowered, as if fearing that even a single glance toward Shao Xian would bring upon them the same fate.
Shao Xian's golden eyes swept over them briefly. Pathetic. None of them were worth his time.
He turned, his gaze shifting toward the distant horizon. Beyond the shattered peaks and the ravaged lands lay his next destination—the Celestial Void Sect.
A faint smirk crossed his lips. They would be expecting him. They had long prepared for this moment, believing themselves untouchable within their grand fortress, hidden behind layers of ancient formations.
But Shao Xian did not care for their walls or their so-called defenses.
He would crush them all the same.
With a single step, he vanished.
Deep within the Celestial Void Sect, the atmosphere was tense. The sect's grand elders stood within the main hall, their faces dark as they received the latest report.
"Tian Xuan is dead." The voice of Elder Mo was grim, his fingers tightening around the jade slip in his hand. "Erased in a single move."
Murmurs spread through the room. Some looked disbelieving, others fearful.
"This cannot be," one of the elders muttered. "Tian Xuan was no weakling. He had cultivated for centuries and possessed divine-grade techniques. How could he fall so easily?"
Elder Mo crushed the jade slip in frustration. "Because his opponent is not someone we can comprehend with common sense. Shao Xian… he is beyond what we expected."
At the mention of that name, a suffocating silence filled the room.
They had known this day would come. Since the moment they heard whispers of a figure rising from the ashes of the lower realms, destroying sects and annihilating those who stood in his path, they had prepared.
Yet no preparation seemed enough.
A formation master spoke cautiously, "We have activated the Grand Celestial Array. Even if Shao Xian arrives, he will be forced to fight through layers of divine barriers. We still have time to plan."
Elder Mo narrowed his eyes. "Time? You still believe we have time?"
Before the formation master could respond, a chilling presence spread through the hall.
A disciple stumbled into the chamber, his face pale. His body trembled as he gasped for breath. "Shao Xian… he's here."
A deathly silence fell over the room.
"He… he crossed the first barrier in a single breath," the disciple stammered. "The outer disciples… they are all dead. Not even bones remain."
The grand elders exchanged wary glances.
They had underestimated him. Again.
Elder Mo turned sharply. "Activate the inner formation! Do not let him step foot into this hall!"
The order had barely left his lips when the grand doors of the main hall shuddered. The very foundation of the sect trembled as a powerful force surged through the air.
A single handprint appeared on the heavy doors—an intricate pattern glowing with an ominous golden light.
The elders paled.
"That formation… that was a Saint-level barrier…" one of them whispered in horror.
A second later, the doors shattered into dust.
Shao Xian stepped through.
His presence alone seemed to bend reality itself. The air distorted around him, space trembling under his overwhelming power. His golden eyes swept across the chamber, indifferent to the fear that gripped those within.
None dared to speak. None dared to move.
Shao Xian took a slow step forward. The pressure in the room intensified, forcing the weaker elders to their knees.
"You have schemed for centuries," his voice was calm, yet carried the weight of absolute authority. "Yet you failed to prepare for the inevitable."
Elder Mo forced himself to stand, his entire body trembling under the weight of Shao Xian's presence. "We do not need to fight. There is still—"
Shao Xian lifted a finger.
A golden light flashed.
Elder Mo's body disintegrated before he could finish his sentence. Not even dust remained.
The chamber erupted into chaos. The remaining elders unleashed their divine techniques, their desperation evident in the way they fought.
Blades of celestial light, torrents of ethereal flames, and powerful spatial distortions surged toward Shao Xian.
Yet he did not move.
The attacks reached him… and disappeared.
The laws of the world bent to his will. Energy ceased to exist before it could touch him.
One of the elders let out a strangled cry. "Impossible—"
Shao Xian extended his hand.
The grand elder who had spoken was lifted into the air by an unseen force. He struggled, his cultivation flaring in defiance.
It was useless.
With a flick of Shao Xian's wrist, the elder's body crumbled into nothingness.
The others faltered. Fear overtook them completely.
Shao Xian continued forward, his steps slow, methodical.
The Celestial Void Sect had once been a beacon of power in this world. Now, it was nothing more than another stepping stone on his path.
One of the remaining elders fell to his knees, his voice shaking. "Spare me… I swear loyalty… I will—"
Shao Xian did not even spare him a glance.
A moment later, the elder's soul was erased.
He had no use for the weak.
The final elder, the sect master himself, stood frozen. His hands trembled as he grasped the hilt of his sword.
"This sect…" he whispered, his voice hollow. "It has stood for thousands of years…"
Shao Xian tilted his head slightly. "And it will be forgotten in less than a day."
With a single step, he crossed the space between them. His hand pressed against the sect master's chest.
The sect master gasped as unimaginable pain consumed him. He could feel his very existence unraveling, his soul being devoured by an abyss he could not comprehend.
"No… this cannot be…"
His words faded as his body turned to dust.
Silence.
The Celestial Void Sect, a force that had reigned for generations, ceased to exist.
Shao Xian stepped outside, his gaze lifting toward the sky.
This was only the beginning.