Zhang Buku searched the Tai Xuan Sect's encampment but found no sign of Gu An. Meanwhile, Gu An was busy planting seeds.
He had returned early to his self-created cave heaven to sow a batch of ordinary herb seeds, intending to cultivate the soil. Once the matter of the Fierce Demon was resolved, he planned to travel overseas to purchase a large quantity of high-grade herb seeds.
Over the decades, Gu An had accumulated an immense fortune, enough to spend lavishly without concern.
The oppressive demonic aura from the north persisted, affecting all living beings under the heavens. Everywhere Gu An went, he overheard people expressing their unease about the situation.
At the same time, another narrative was being spread—one that emphasized the reliability of the sacred lands. It claimed that with the sacred land's intervention, this calamity would not spill into the human territories.
When Gu An extended his divine sense across the Three Dynasties, he observed many people intentionally disseminating this message. Traces of karma emanating from these individuals revealed their connection to the Seven Stars Spirit Realm cultivators.
He couldn't help but admire the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Their methods far surpassed those of the Tai Xuan Sect.
After failing to pressure the Sword Master of the Dao into action, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm wasted no time in taking decisive steps.
Gu An also noticed groups of cultivators arriving from overseas. Among them were Nirvana Realm grand cultivators who infiltrated the Three Dynasties, conducting investigations. Some sought information on the Sword Master of the Dao, while others focused on the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
Gu An paid them no mind. As long as they stayed out of his way, he had no interest in their affairs.
Time passed.
Roughly half a month later, as the autumn season neared its end, Gu An rode the Blood Prison Saint through the Third Medicine Valley, his divine sense scanning the northern regions.
The Seven Stars Spirit Realm was making their move.
Gu An observed a Loose Immortal among their ranks, whose aura rivaled that of Lin Jinxian, even without fully releasing his power.
In the depths of the demon lands, at the edge of the corrupted territory, a thunderous voice echoed across the Tai Xuan Sect encampment:
"All disciples, prepare for battle!"
The call to arms mobilized everyone. Not just the Tai Xuan Sect—disciples from other sects also sprang into action.
The Seven Stars Spirit Realm dispatched their disciples to coordinate with various sects, offering strategies for combat. Even the powerful Cang Tian Sect dared not refuse and obediently complied, as the Seven Stars Spirit Realm boasted cultivators at the Immortal Dao Realm.
As Seven Stars Spirit Realm cultivators shot toward the heart of the corrupted lands like a storm of arrows, sects from dozens of factions spread out to encircle the demon lands from different directions.
An Hao, Li Ya, and Zhang Buku were among them.
Only one Profound Heart Realm cultivator from the Tai Xuan Sect was present: the ancient Xuanquan Ancestor. Other sects similarly sent their strongest representatives, such as Dao Monarchs, but refrained from deploying Profound Heart Realm grand cultivators.
Everyone understood that the outcome of this battle depended on the sacred land.
An Hao's gaze lingered on the retreating figures of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm cultivators, his brows furrowed in thought.
Over ten thousand Tai Xuan Sect disciples, led by Lü Baitian, took to the skies. Despite the sacred land taking the lead, tension gripped everyone. After all, the sacred land itself had admitted that the Fierce Demon was a being they could not completely eradicate.
From the Seven Stars Spirit Realm contingent, Ji Xuanling watched the elder at the forefront with a complicated expression.
That elder was Lin Lu Ancestor, a Loose Immortal of immense status within the Six Stars Cave. Renowned for his profound cultivation and nearly ten thousand years of life, he commanded immense respect.
Lin Lu Ancestor wore a voluminous purple robe, his white hair neatly coiled beneath his crown. His aged face exuded wisdom, and his sharp eyes sparkled with vigor, giving him an air of invincibility.
As his sharp gaze swept forward, it landed on the desolate plain ahead, where countless cracks riddled the ground. Black demonic energy surged out like a tide, exuding an aura of unparalleled malevolence. The skies churned with thunderclouds, lightning crackling ominously. The entire land felt suffocatingly oppressive.
Raising his right hand, Lin Lu Ancestor summoned a golden umbrella, which materialized in his palm. With a simple motion, he released it, sending the umbrella soaring above his head and into the air.
In the blink of an eye, the golden umbrella flew toward the area of densest demonic energy, halting thousands of feet above the ground, just below the roiling thunderclouds.
Boom—
The umbrella snapped open, releasing radiant golden beams that illuminated the sky. The sheer brilliance of its light seemed to transcend time, shaking the ocean of years. The thunderclouds dissipated, and the dark sky transformed into a stunning, dreamlike panorama.
Golden rays cascaded from the umbrella like a torrential downpour, landing on the cracked ground below. Each ray transformed into golden runes, spreading rapidly across the earth. Within moments, the runes blanketed an area spanning a thousand miles, continuing to expand.
The golden runes suppressed the demonic energy seeping from the cracks. When the expansion ceased, the runes at the boundary emitted radiant golden beams that shot skyward, piercing the cloud layer and forming towering golden pillars. These pillars isolated the area, enclosing it within a golden barrier, while the sects from the Three Dynasties remained outside.
"What kind of artifact is that? It can form an array on its own?"
"Incredible! This array feels even stronger than our sect's protective formations."
"As expected of a sacred land. Truly remarkable."
"It seems the sacred land plans to handle the Fierce Demon on their own. We're just here to assist."
"That's fine. Let them take the lead. Who wants to throw their life away?"
The disciples of various sects murmured among themselves, their admiration for the sacred land reaching new heights.
Ji Xuanling stared at the golden umbrella in the sky and muttered four words: "A Loose Immortal's treasure."
Lin Lu Ancestor accelerated, flying alone to the sky above a massive chasm. Peering downward, he saw nothing but pitch-black darkness, the bottom obscured from sight. All the earth fissures radiated from this central abyss.
The demonic energy within surged against the golden magical power, distorting it into a bulging shield that seemed on the verge of collapse.
"Seven Stars Spirit Realm... how laughable."
A chilling voice reverberated across the heavens and earth, clearly audible to every cultivator outside the array.
On the Tai Xuan Sect's side, the expressions of many grand cultivators—including Lü Baitian, Ji Hantian, and Xuanquan Ancestor—changed drastically.
An Hao's eyes widened in disbelief, his face pale with shock.
"Senior Xuan... Impossible…"
The voice just now—it was unmistakably Xuan Tianyi's!
Instinctively, An Hao turned to look at Lü Baitian. Ever since Lü Baitian had studied the restriction on his back, he had strictly forbidden An Hao from speaking of it. Lü Baitian had promised to handle the matter personally and assured An Hao that he would not wrong Xuan Tianyi.
Now, Lü Baitian's face was grim as he ignored An Hao's gaze, staring fixedly into the depths of the corrupted land.
"Fierce Demon, after ten thousand years, you still haven't learned your lesson?" Lin Lu Ancestor's voice rang out, his tone calm yet overwhelmingly oppressive.
Fierce Demon.
The very name caused every cultivator to tense up. Even among those from other sects who had met Xuan Tianyi, many frowned and cast sidelong glances at the Tai Xuan Sect's contingent.
The ground suddenly began to tremble violently.
Lin Lu Ancestor remained composed, raising his right hand to reinforce the array.
The demonic energy within the fissures grew stronger and more frenzied, striving to break free from the golden runes spread across the surface, as if countless wraiths were about to erupt from the abyss.
Haunting wails echoed through the heavens, resembling the cries of dragons and phoenixes mixed with the lamentations of evil spirits. The eerie cacophony made everyone's hair stand on end.
Boom—
A devastating force erupted from below, shattering the golden runes blanketing the ground. Black demonic energy surged skyward, piercing through the thunderclouds above and blasting the golden umbrella away.
Caught off guard, Lin Lu Ancestor was pushed back by the terrifying aura.
He steadied himself, frowning deeply as he cast a spell to stabilize the golden umbrella in the sky. Drawing a long redwood sword, he prepared for battle.
The hundreds of Seven Stars Spirit Realm cultivators spread out, surrounding the monstrous pillar of demonic energy. Each took out their own magical artifacts.
Ji Xuanling wielded a massive fan that radiated golden flames from its seven vents.
As his gaze fell upon the figure rising within the column of demonic energy, his pupils contracted violently.
"It's him… so the rumors were true…"
In the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An dismounted from the Blood Prison Saint's back but didn't return indoors. Instead, he turned to look northward.
His brows furrowed, and his eyes grew cold.
His expression shifted subtly before he withdrew his gaze and headed upstairs.
At that moment, a figure approached from the distant sky. Gu An paused and turned, watching Ji Xiaoya descend gracefully before him like a celestial maiden.
Gu An cupped his hands in greeting and asked with a smile, "Third Miss, what brings you here?"
Ji Xiaoya raised her hand, revealing a jade pendant. "Keep this for me, and don't tell anyone. I'll come back for it later."
Without waiting for a reply, she tossed the pendant to Gu An and departed swiftly, as if carried by the wind.
Gu An swept the pendant with his divine sense, maintaining a neutral expression as he stored it in his pouch and ascended the stairs.
The jade pendant contained intelligence on the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
Why did Ji Xiaoya give this to me?
Could she suspect something?
Within the corrupted land, a figure stepped out from the surging demonic energy. The sight of him made Ji Xuanling's face turn ashen. On the Tai Xuan Sect's side, an uproar broke out, while many cultivators from other sects widened their eyes in disbelief.
Emerging from the demonic energy was none other than Xuan Tianyi!
Clad in a black robe, with flowing white hair framing his pale yet handsome face, Xuan Tianyi's eyes glowed with crimson light. His pupils seemed to swirl with demonic energy, exuding an unsettling allure.
He stretched his neck and raised his arms, his movements languid as though savoring newfound freedom.
"Senior Xuan!"
An Hao's voice rang out from afar. He attempted to rush into the array but was stopped by those around him.
From the Cang Tian Sect's contingent, Dao Monarch frowned, performing a calculation with his fingers. Sect Master Liang Canghai, equally perplexed, furrowed his brows in confusion.
Meanwhile, the Longevity Daoist of the Three Purities Mountain turned his gaze to Lin Lu Ancestor, his expression heavy with meaning.
Whispers rippled through the gathered sects, spreading like wildfire.
The Tai Xuan Sect's Mahayana Realm cultivator had turned into the Fierce Demon?
The revelation shook everyone to their core. Back during the calamity of the demon invasion, Xuan Tianyi had been a stalwart hero, earning the admiration of countless cultivators.
Now, seeing him like this was a devastating blow to their faith.
Lin Lu Ancestor glared at the Fierce Demon and spoke with a thunderous voice that echoed across the heavens:
"Fierce Demon, how dare you possess a Mahayana Realm human cultivator? You court death!"
His words carried the weight of divine judgment, ensuring that all present heard them.
Xuan Tianyi—or rather, the Fierce Demon—turned his gaze to Lin Lu Ancestor, his crimson eyes icy and filled with malice.
"Shut up."
With a flick of his sleeve, a wave of terrifying energy erupted. The sheer force obliterated the golden runes on the ground, forcing Lin Lu Ancestor to retreat.
Further back, the golden light of the distant array shattered, sending tens of thousands of cultivators from a nearby sect flying. They were caught off guard, with heavy casualties.
"You…" Lin Lu Ancestor's voice trembled with anger and disbelief as he stared at Xuan Tianyi.
What is this?
His cultivation level?
Before Lin Lu Ancestor could process what had happened, Xuan Tianyi raised a hand, his palm facing the heavens. A crazed grin spread across his face.
With a swift motion, he clenched his hand and yanked downward.
The thunderclouds above collapsed instantly, their oppressive might forcing every cultivator outside the array to the ground. The earth quaked violently under the strain.