A dense black fog billowed across the arena of the Holy Land of the Immortal River, rising in the wake of the golden lightning that had struck Lei Chen. The dark mist veiled all sight, swallowing the light until nothing could be seen. Slowly, as the smoke thinned, it revealed the figure of Mu Nansi standing in the center of the battlefield.
She raised both arms, having managed to intercept the strike of golden lightning just in time. The force of the impact shattered the ground beneath her feet, even fracturing the protective formation of the Holy Land of the Immortal River. Mu Nansi sank slightly, blood trailing from the corner of her lips, but her eyes remained resolute. She looked up and spoke with unwavering clarity.
"You intend to wage war against the Holy Land of the Immortal River?"
Before her voice could fully fade, the sky above her was torn open by a massive rift stretching to the horizon. The darkness that spilled forth was no mere nightfall, but a suffocating aura of death that spread endlessly. The world itself trembled in dread, as if aware of the overwhelming power descending upon it. No matter where one was be it mountain peak or hidden crevice none could escape sensing the monstrous pressure.
Some, merely touched by the presence of that force, burst apart into a mist of blood. Others watched helplessly as their life's cultivation unraveled in an instant.
In the Blood Moon Holy Land, a man lifted his gaze to the sky, eyes solemn as he murmured to himself.
"A power beyond even a Great Emperor…"
Elsewhere, in the Wasteland Holy Land, a man and woman sipping afternoon tea lifted their heads. The man furrowed his brow and whispered softly.
"Someone from the Upper World… and not just an ordinary one at that."
Within the Wu Clan's pocket realm, an old man teetering on the edge of death slowly opened his eyes. His gaze shimmered with disbelief.
"That power… it's Her Excellency…"
Above the skies of the Holy Land of the Immortal River, a black rift slowly widened, as if split open by the blade of the heavens.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the realm as the colossal form of a black dragon emerged from the rift. Its head was so massive it eclipsed the sky itself. Upon its head stood a woman with pitch-black hair, holding the severed head of someone as if it were a worthless trinket. Behind her stood seven other women, lined up in elegant formation, each one breathtakingly beautiful, their appearances beyond the realm of mortal comparison.
The black-haired woman spoke in a cold yet commanding voice.
"Am I supposed to be afraid of the Holy Land of the Immortal River? Hmph. Don't make me laugh, little girl."
Mu Nansi smiled faintly, her eyes shifting to the head in the woman's hand. It was one of her own protectors.
"Even if we're constantly at odds with one another, when the time comes to stand against outsiders, we will unite... Aunt."
The black-haired woman chuckled softly.
"Heh... still as foul-mouthed as ever, since you were a brat. But never mind that for now. Where's my son?"
Mu Nansi didn't respond immediately. She wiped the blood from the corner of her lips, then stepped over to tend to the injured Lei Chen. Her voice was calm and cold.
"You think you can protect him? With those old bones of yours, against those ravenous vultures hiding behind their fake justice?"
The woman gave a short, mocking laugh and replied indifferently.
"Save your lectures for someone who needs them. You can't even take care of your own mess."
With that, she waved her hand lightly. In an instant, the lifeless body of Wu Zhao, along with the rest of the Wu Clan and their allied forces, vanished from the battlefield. Even the battered body of Lei Chen's mother and the corpse of Zhang Fu appeared atop the black dragon's back.
The black-haired woman's voice was quiet but heavy with authority.
"I expect what follows from here to be the business of the younger generation. The old ones should stay out of it."
Mu Nansi smiled, her gaze ice-cold and burning with fury.
"Tell that to yourself."
The black dragon flapped its wings, shaking the heavens, before soaring back toward the Wu Clan, leaving behind only silence that blanketed the battlefield.
The Holy Land of the Immortal River had not lost a single soul. Some were gravely injured, others lightly wounded, but no one had died. They had been thoroughly prepared.
But for Mu Nansi, something was deeply wrong. Sui Zimeng, Wu Zhao's mother, should never have been able to enter this world. Her own grandfather had hidden and relocated this world long ago, shifting its position every single year. Without the secret coordinates and encoded formation key, there was absolutely no way anyone could find it. Even if a fragment of Sui Zimeng's soul had activated, she should have only sensed its activation there was no way she could know its location.
Unless someone told her.
Just then, Mu Nansi coughed up blood again far more than before causing her to collapse to her knees on the spot.
"Sect Master!!"
Cries rang out from elders and ancestors alike. They rushed toward her at full speed, immediately channeling every ounce of their power into healing her.
Mu Nansi's breathing came in shallow gasps, her face drenched in sweat. She clenched her teeth and growled in bitter fury.
"That old hag… I'll carve this grudge into the deepest part of my soul…"
At that same moment, the void tore open, revealing the figures of Han Ming, Luo Yunhai, Zhao Honglong, and Bai Jingxian as they stepped out from another dimension.
The allied forces who had fought alongside the Wu Clan and had not been taken by Sui Zimeng hesitated the moment they saw the Wu Clan retreat. The first to speak was the Grand Emperor of the Hehuan Sect.
"Let us... retreat…"
That voice triggered movement among the various groups, prompting them to begin withdrawing. But that intention never bore fruit.
Because the very next instant…
Han Ming appeared without a sound, followed closely by Luo Yunhai, Zhao Honglong, and Bai Jingxian. The moment they revealed themselves, the sky twisted in chaos beneath the simultaneous release of four Grand Emperor auras.
Han Ming did not waste a single word. He launched himself toward the ancestor of the Hehuan Sect with speed no one could follow. His foot struck the old man's neck with thunderous force.
And in a single breath, the head of the Hehuan Sect's ancestor flew cleanly from his shoulders before the man even realized what had happened.
Then, a sword of light was conjured in midair and brought down in a single swift stroke. The ancestor's soul was severed completely, erased without even a fragment left to allow for rebirth.
Without delay, Bai Jingxian swept his hand, manifesting an enormous formation that trapped all of the Wu Clan's allied emperors in one fell swoop.
At the same time, Zhao Honglong and Luo Yunhai unleashed their full power. Divine weapons and heavenly flames rained down relentlessly, engulfing everything in their path and annihilating all life in an instant.
Han Ming moved into the center of the battlefield like a man untethered from existence. His body bore no injuries neither explosions nor flames could touch him. For his body was of the void itself. Nothing could grasp him.
He slaughtered emperor after emperor in mere moments, his blades of light slicing through souls with brutal precision. Whether they hailed from the Holy Land of the Blood Moon or the Holy Land of the Immortal Feather, none were spared.
Several emperors attempted to mount a defense, but....
Han Ming's finger of light pierced straight through their foreheads, unerring and fatal. Blood sprayed like crimson rain. No screams, no cries for mercy had time to escape their lips. They died without even realizing they were dying.
It all ended within ten breaths.
The weakened and dying Grand Emperors were utterly wiped out. Their souls shattered and dispersed in the blink of an eye, without a single chance to flee.
The dueling grounds had become a silent graveyard.
Mu Nansi looked up at the sky. Just moments ago, she had seen the enemy forces preparing to retreat and had intended to order a pursuit. But in the blink of an eye, they had all turned into shredded flesh and drifting soul mist.
She was slightly stunned not by the swift massacre, but by the overwhelming aura radiating from Han Ming. It far exceeded that of any ordinary Grand Emperor by countless measures. The difference was so vast she could discern it with the naked eye.
She imagined, just for a moment, what it would be like to fight Han Ming one-on-one... and realized she could not envision victory, not even faintly.
Suddenly, Bai Jingxian swept his arm through the air, opening a dimensional rift. In complete silence, he gathered up all the remnants of blood, flesh, and residual power, leaving not a single trace behind.
Han Ming vanished from where he stood and reappeared beside Lei Chen, who was still standing despite his heavy injuries. Without a word, he tossed him a golden vial.
"Drink it."
Lei Chen received it with reverence, then stored his sword back into his body before speaking in a faint voice.
"Thank you... Master."
Mu Nansi, whose condition had stabilized, turned her gaze around the battlefield. Then, in a sharp voice, she issued a single command.
"Clean up the battlefield."
At her words, every member of the sect moved at once. They began swiftly clearing the debris, restoring the damaged structures, and repairing the protective formations of the Holy Land.