The battlefield was no longer a courtyard; it was a crater of scorched earth and shattered pride. Sai stood at the center, his white hair whipping in the gale of his own demonic energy. Facing him were the six Ancestors, their ancient faces etched with a mixture of disbelief and lethal intent.
"You think your 'form' scares us, boy?" the lead Ancestor spat, his voice like grinding stones. "We have lived for centuries. We have slain gods and sealed demons. You are but a flickering spark!"
"Then come," Sai whispered, his voice vibrating with the power of the abyss. "Try to extinguish me."
The Clash of TitansThe battle erupted. One Ancestor roared, summoning a Solar Fireball that burned with the heat of a falling star. Sai didn't flinch; he waved his hand, and a wall of obsidian energy rose to meet it.
BOOM!
As the flames dissipated, another Ancestor blurred into motion, his sword flashing in a deadly arc toward Sai's neck. Sai's reaction was instantaneous. A barrier of dark energy shimmered into existence, the sword clashing against it with a sound like a mountain breaking.
"My turn," Sai growled. He gestured toward the earth, and a Colossal Earth Peak erupted from the ground, hurtling toward the Ancestors. One of them stepped forward, his blade glowing with divine light. With a single, vertical slash, he cleaved the mountain-sized rock into two jagged halves.
Sai's eyes narrowed. "Persistent old ghosts."
He began a complex series of hand seals. "Shadow Manipulation: Thousand Piercing Needles!" The shadows of the remaining buildings twisted and rose like serpents. But the Ancestors were prepared. One released a burst of Holy Light, the brilliance burning away the shadows before they could strike. Sai immediately transitioned, his hands glowing with a sickly violet hue. "Soul Rend!"
"Divine Protection!" the Ancestors shouted in unison, their collective golden shields reflecting the soul-shattering ripples. They counter-attacked with the Thunder of Divine Palms, five massive lightning-infused hands descending from the sky.
Sai roared, combining his own lightning with his demonic essence. A spear of black-and-purple thunder shot upward, colliding with the divine palms. The resulting shockwave leveled every standing wall in the Iron Sect.
The Trap is SprungWhile the Ancestors were focused on the explosion, Sai smiled—a cold, predatory grin. Under the cover of the smoke, he had already woven a web.
"Look behind you," Sai hissed.
From their own shadows, jet-black blades erupted. Three of the Ancestors screamed as the dark steel bit into their flesh. They weren't fatal wounds, but the demonic poison began to seep into their meridians.
"You brat!" the lead Ancestor roared. "Die!"
The six combined their power for a final, crushing blow. Sai took the hit, the force sending him skidding across the dirt, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
"He's falling!" Ling Bei screamed from the safety of the balcony. "Kill him now!"
But Sai was laughing. As the Ancestors rushed in to finish him, they realized too late—they had stepped into a circle of glowing runes.
"Sword Formation: Thousand Blades of the Damned!" Sai shouted. Suddenly, a thousand ethereal swords rained from the sky, pinning the Ancestors in place.
"Shield! Form the shield!" they cried, but their hands moved in slow motion.
"Formation Art: One Minute of Absolute Void!" Sai's voice rang out.
For sixty seconds, their connection to the world's energy was severed. Their cultivation was blocked. The thousand swords descended, tearing through their robes and flesh. The screams of the Level 8 Peak masters filled the air as they were turned into pin-cushions of spectral steel.
The Supreme ArrivalWhen the minute ended, the Ancestors fell to their knees, bloodied and gasping. "We... we will kill you... we will..."
"You will do nothing," Sai said, walking toward them.
But then, the very fabric of space began to tear. A pressure so immense descended that even Sai was forced to one knee. The sky didn't just turn red; it turned black.
From the rift stepped a man who looked younger than the others, but his eyes held the weight of a thousand years. This was the Supreme Ancestor, a master of the Level 9 Peak Stage.
With a casual wave of his hand, the Supreme Ancestor shattered Sai's sword formation. He moved faster than thought, his hand clamping around Sai's throat and lifting him off the ground.
"A mouse playing at being a tiger," the Supreme Ancestor said coldly. He squeezed, and Sai's demonic aura flickered. Sai coughed, blood spraying onto the Supreme Ancestor's pristine robes.
"Supreme Ancestor!" Ling Bei shouted, running forward. "Give him to me! I want to torture him! I want to break his spirit!"
The Supreme Ancestor glanced at Ling Bei. "This boy is dangerous even when broken. I will shatter his Cultivation Root first. Then, he is yours."
The Sect Leader bowed low. "Thank you, Supreme One! The demon is finally caught!"
Even Sai's own family, watching from the edges, turned their backs. "He is a disgrace," his father muttered. "A demonic cultivator... he is a stain on our bloodline. Kill him and save our name!"
Xioneya looked at Sai, her eyes filled with a mixture of pity and regret. "Sai... why? Why did you take the dark path? Look at you now. I cannot help you."
Ling Bei laughed, stepping toward Xioneya. "See? Your 'hero' is a corpse. Now, come here. Let's celebrate your husband's victory." He reached out, grabbing Xioneya and pulling her close for a forced kiss in front of the dying Sai.
The Master's ReturnSuddenly, a sound broke the silence.
It was a laugh.
Sai, still held by the throat, was laughing so hard his shoulders shook.
"What is so funny, boy?" the Supreme Ancestor demanded, his grip tightening.
Sai looked him dead in the eye. "You think... because one old man showed up... you've won? You think you're the only ones with a backing?"
Sai looked up at the sky and screamed with every ounce of his soul. "MASTER! YOU WERE RIGHT! THESE BONDS ARE NOTHING BUT CHAINS! I UNDERSTAND NOW!"
The world went silent. Then, the sky didn't just tear—it exploded.
A portal of pure, blinding white light opened, and a pressure descended that made the Supreme Ancestor's power feel like a breeze. The Supreme Ancestor's hand went limp, and he fell back in terror.
A voice, calm yet carrying the weight of the universe, drifted from the portal.
"My disciple has learned his lesson. Now... who touched him?"
Out of the light stepped Die Yuan. His presence alone caused the ground to turn to dust. He looked at the trembling Iron Sect, his eyes cold.
"Sai," Die Yuan said softly. "You finally understand. Power is the only truth."
"Master," Sai gasped, standing up as his wounds began to knit together instantly. "Kill them all."