The Heavenly Sword, radiating with unmatched sharpness, was blindingly obvious as it illuminated everyone's pupils. No one had the presence of mind to wonder where this sword came from or who wielded it.
They had only one thought.
Stop the old demon.
The Heavenly Sword streaked across the sky and, in an instant, passed above everyone's heads.
In the distance, General Shenyu was overjoyed.
"Stop Old Demon Lin, and this general shall reward you heavily!"
Old Demon Lin's eyes widened in fury. He never imagined the Zhenwu Sect had hidden such a powerful expert. His last hope now dashed, his expression turned sinister.
Blood-colored Blade Qi surged; he still wanted to try again.
If he couldn't wipe them out, at least he had to vent his anger.
He didn't sense much forceful power of heaven and earth from the approaching Heavenly Sword, and assumed this hidden person had only recently stepped into the Heaven-Man Realm—perhaps even a waste who relied on external aid to break through.
"A coward hiding in the shadows dares try to stop—"
Old Demon Lin roared in anger.
But before he could even say "me," he stopped cold.
An expression of disbelief flooded his face.
That Heavenly Sword suddenly burst forth with terrifying brilliance in a way he couldn't comprehend. It was like Qi, yet not quite—it radiated an overwhelming pressure.
In the stunned gazes of everyone present—
The Heavenly Sword cut through like a hot knife through butter. The waves of blood-colored Blade Qi melted like spring snow under the sun.
They turned into soft breezes brushing past faces; someone even instinctively reached out to touch it and realized there was no danger at all, standing dumbfounded.
But after breaking through the Blade Qi, the Heavenly Sword didn't vanish.
This was Ning Qi's strongest sword strike, one that consumed most of his Qi. How could it end so easily? Ning Qi's eyes were icy. The Heavenly Sword pierced the sky, heading straight for Old Demon Lin. Anyone who dared attack the Zhenwu Sect must pay the price!
Shock flashed in Old Demon Lin's eyes.
He hadn't expected this sword to be so terrifying, suddenly erupting with endless sharpness, catching him completely off guard.
Had he been at his peak, he wouldn't have feared it. But now, seriously wounded and drained after fleeing all night, supported only by the Blood Demon Flower's power, he felt a chill run down his spine at this attack. Ɽ𝘢Νօ𝖇ΕＳ
He screamed in panic, but had nowhere to escape.
Behind him was General Shenyu.
Helpless,
Old Demon Lin had no choice but to grit his teeth and charge forward. Blood light burst into the sky, shining over the heavens, Blade Qi slashing out to block the Heavenly Sword.
But the Heavenly Sword flashed like lightning. One after another, the blood lights were pierced through, and in the blink of an eye, it had reached Old Demon Lin.
"Slash!"
Ning Qi gave a silent whisper.
The Heavenly Sword slashed downward, seemingly ready to cleave Old Demon Lin clean in two.
"Ah!!!"
Old Demon Lin's hair and beard bristled. Blood sprayed wildly, but it was useless—he barely managed to shift half his body.
His roar turned into a wretched scream.
Blood mist billowed. Though Old Demon Lin didn't die on the spot, he paid a steep price—his right arm and leg were severed at the root, half his body shattered. It was a horrific sight. Were it not for the Blood Demon Flower constantly healing him, he would've already been on the verge of death.
Even so, Old Demon Lin was now in absolute despair.
In such poor condition, with less than ten percent of the Blood Demon Flower's power left, reaching Black Wind Cliff was nearly impossible.
He stared hatefully toward the depths of Zhenwu Mountain, regret rising in his heart. If only he had gone straight to Black Wind Cliff after destroying the Wang Clan, perhaps this disaster could have been avoided.
General Shenyu had arrived.
He watched from afar, shocked by the Heavenly Sword's sudden and overwhelming force—but more than that, he was ecstatic.
He had finally seized the chance.
"Old Demon Lin, you brought this upon yourself!"
General Shenyu laughed wildly, swinging his Blood Spear. Like thunder tearing through clouds, he charged at Old Demon Lin with terrifying penetrating force.
Old Demon Lin had no strength left to care about Zhenwu Mountain. Every strike from General Shenyu was laced with killing intent, forcing him to give everything he had just to fend them off. Even so, blood mist kept erupting from his body.
Under the night sky, the two powerhouses clashed.
The shockwaves shook heaven and earth.
Ning Qi exhaled softly, finally relaxing a little. He quickly regulated his breath, unsure if the danger had truly passed, staying ready to act again.
Zhenwu Mountain was dead silent at first, then burst into commotion. Everyone felt as if they'd survived a calamity.
That apocalyptic blood blade just now showed them what true disparity and helplessness felt like.
If not for the sudden appearance of the Heavenly Sword, they'd all be dead by now.
"Brother Luo, may I ask who that senior who acted just now was?"
The crowd's tone was full of reverence.
The power of that Heavenly Sword slaying the demon had left everyone utterly shaken.
Realizing Zhenwu Sect still had such a hidden expert, cold sweat trickled down their backs. Thankfully, they'd behaved these last few days. Otherwise, they might've died without even knowing how.
Luo Wentian smiled bitterly inside—he wanted to know too.
But facing the curious gazes around him, he only nodded vaguely:
"That is the foundation of our Zhenwu Sect."
Everyone was even more astonished.
But they were soon drawn back to the battle in the sky. The white-haired old demon was being crushed but was still stubbornly holding on.
It wasn't over yet. No one knew exactly what had happened or why a demon suddenly attacked.
"That armored general... isn't he from the imperial court… General Shenyu!" someone exclaimed, recognizing him.
Moments later—
Another blade light shot through the air. The Green Ox Bladesman had arrived, and everyone instantly understood.
The Green Ox Bladesman, who had gone to exterminate demons, had returned. The identity of this white-haired old demon was now obvious—he was clearly one of the major targets of the demon hunt.
Everyone held their breath.
...
And not just Zhenwu Mountain.
All of Zhenwu City was shaken by the battle of these powerhouses. The crashing of forceful energy rang like heavenly drums—it was impossible not to notice.
A white-haired youth stood atop the tallest pavilion, gazing into the distance.
He channeled Qi into his eyes and saw clearly the scene afar. The trails of blood light made him recognize someone, and his heart thudded wildly.
"Isn't that… Elder Lin from the Deadfire Abyss branch?"
"What's he doing here—and being chased?"
"Was he just trying to… destroy Zhenwu Mountain?"
Thoughts swirled through his mind, and in the end, his eyes turned cold as he watched Old Demon Lin pushed to the brink of death by two powerhouses.
At the same time—
He pondered another question.
"Who wielded that Heavenly Sword that rose from Zhenwu Sect just now?"
Suddenly,
He remembered that year, when his inner demon had flared up and he'd encountered a Daoist who called himself the foundation of Zhenwu. He had a feeling—that sword came from that very Daoist.
"So… he's that powerful…"
The youth's expression was complex. He touched his chest, as if still feeling the pain from that strike years ago. Looking back now, the Daoist had clearly shown immense mercy.
Discussion broke out around him.
Many pieced together bits of recent rumors and started figuring things out. Some with sharp minds had already guessed very close to the truth.
Zhenwu Sect had joined the demon hunt and was now being retaliated against.
What they didn't know was that Zhenwu Sect hadn't volunteered but was forced into it—and they weren't the only ones involved. Many powerful figures had taken part.
...
In the sky.
Old Demon Lin was now besieged by General Shenyu and the Green Ox Bladesman.
No way to flee above, no escape below.
He was at a dead end.
His maimed body, missing all but one arm, looked monstrous. During the fight, General Shenyu had blown off his remaining leg.
At this moment, the Blood Demon Flower's power was completely drained.
Old Demon Lin was filled with death intent, laughing maniacally:
"Shenyu, kill me today and my Sacred Sect will avenge me! Your end will be even worse than mine!"
"The Great Yan Dynasty is doomed!"
"Hahahahaha!"
He laughed recklessly, then his vital essence surged. With a thunderous boom, he exploded into a cloud of blood mist, the crimson light making the night sky even more sinister.
The Green Ox Bladesman and General Shenyu both retreated, dispersing the explosion's remnants with ease.
Watching Lin's self-destruction, the Green Ox Bladesman fell silent. If he had the choice, he wouldn't want to get involved in the struggle between the court and the Demonic Sect—both were colossal forces beyond his reach.
But General Shenyu only snorted coldly:
"Demonic Sect scum, what arrogance! My Great Yan shall never fall—some remnants dare think they can shake us!"
Then,
His eyes lit up with joy.
Though there were some setbacks, the mission had been fruitful.
Not only had they killed Old Demon Lin and four Heaven-Man Realm members of the Demonic Sect, they'd wiped out an entire sect branch—cutting off one of the sect's tentacles in Qingzhou and Chuzhou, delivering a harsh warning to all forces within the Great Yan's borders.
His contribution was huge—he might even earn an audience with Lord Martial Saint.
The thought made him slightly excited.
Then,
He turned to the Green Ox Bladesman with a smile:
"Brother Green Ox, you've worked hard this time. I'll report your merits truthfully to the court. You'll be rewarded."
The Green Ox Bladesman simply nodded:
"Thanks, General."
He glanced toward the Zhenwu Sect's direction, visibly relieved:
"Good thing you intercepted Old Demon Lin in time. Otherwise, Zhenwu Sect would've met the same fate as the Wang Clan. I wouldn't have been able to explain that to that Longshan kid."
When he noticed the pursuit getting close to Zhenwu Mountain, he had a bad feeling.
Luckily, when he arrived, he found General Shenyu already battling Old Demon Lin and breathed a sigh of relief. He naturally assumed the General had intercepted him en route.
But General Shenyu gave him a strange look and shook his head:
"It wasn't me."
The Green Ox Bladesman looked stunned.
...
Daoist Longshan was filled with urgency.
He roared inwardly:
"Faster! I must go faster!"
Recalling the Wang Clan's annihilation sent his heart racing.
If he returned only to find Zhenwu Mountain in ruins and his beloved disciples lying dead, how unbearable that would be.
His eyes reddened.
As his potential erupted, he even gained deeper insight into the Heaven-Man Unity Secret Art—but his strength had limits. No matter how fast he was, he couldn't outpace Old Demon Lin, who had used the Blood Ignition Art.
He was getting closer to Zhenwu Mountain.
"Boom!!"
A terrifying explosion echoed from the distance.
Blood light burst across the sky, casting a sinister glow.
Daoist Longshan's heart sank.
"Was I still too late…"
He raced forward.
Suppressing the pain in his heart, he approached step by step.
But suddenly, light broke through the clouds—hope shone through.
Daoist Longshan froze.
What greeted his eyes wasn't ruin.
It was bright lights, bustling voices. In the distance, countless familiar faces reflected in his pupils—all the disciples were there. His worries vanished.
Then came a wave of confusion.
What exactly had happened?
Where was Old Demon Lin?