At the top of Lingdan City, demons gathered in a clamorous crowd, watching the spectacle.
Like most cultivators in Demon-Slaying City, they could not clearly see the battlefield in the distance or discern who was winning. They only knew that the commotion was immense, which meant the fighting was incredibly fierce.
They stood in groups, speculating and passing judgment, with most of their comments leaning toward optimism.
After all, the Eight Great Tribes had just united. The Beast Emperors and those at the beast king stage had launched a beast tide of such staggering momentum; what could the humans possibly use to stop it?
Their blood was still boiling.
They refused to accept the possibility of defeat.
However, in one corner of the city, amidst the throng of demons, there was a thin, small demon wearing a veiled hat whose eyes were filled with shock.
It seemed as though it truly could see the battlefield a thousand miles away.
The image of that youth was impossible to shake.
The long cry of that fire bird still echoed in its ears.
Though it was merely a phantom spirit condensed from a single strand of sword intent, the beastly pressure it radiated was enough to make the demon's primal bloodline throb with unease, a wave of groundless fear sprouting within its heart.
It thought to itself.
Such an existence should not have appeared in this world.
Further east of Lingdan City.
On the banks of the Wild River.
The atmosphere was the exact opposite. A group of demon sovereigns stood with grim expressions, their faces as foul as if they had swallowed filth. Others had bloodshot eyes, their rage burning like a wildfire.
They were all at the eighth stage; they could see everything clearly.
At this very moment, within the Zhenyao Abyss, the beast race was in full retreat. Their descendants were being slaughtered—massacred by a human force several times smaller than their own.
All of this was because that youth named Xu Xian had inexplicably summoned a Sword Tower and drawn a sword.
"What kind of sword is that?"
"Inside that sword is sealed a mighty expert of our race. Damned humans!"
"What do we do? Are we just going to stand here and watch?"
One of the demons glanced at the Spirit Eye hanging high in the sky and said unwillingly, "What else can we do? Do you dare to go in?"
This sudden reversal had caught them completely off guard. The envoys of the Eight Tribes, in particular, finally seemed to understand why Her Eminence Red Moon insisted that the youth must die.
If he did not die, the East Desolation would never know peace.
The demon race would fear that they would never have another day of standing tall.
Now, they could only place their hopes on the geniuses and experts of their tribes within the abyss to take his head, even if that seemed like a pipe dream given the current situation.
As for Red Moon, standing on the high slope...
The moment she saw the youth manifest that sword, she became absolutely certain. Xu Xian was the boy from the Emperor's prophecy.
And this sword of blazing flames...
It had to be one of the four swords the Emperor had mentioned.
She could no longer remain seated and stood up, involuntarily pacing to the edge of the cliff. She stood with her hands behind her back, her eyes lowered as she occasionally glanced at the clear sky, her gaze deep and heavy.
In her mind, the conversation from that night played out once more.
The Emperor had said:
'I saw a youth carrying four giant swords.'
The Emperor had said:
'The East Desolation was a desolate wasteland, a sea of blood and mountains of corpses.'
The autumn wind whistled, and her red hair danced wildly. Behind her back, her fists were clenched tightly.
The look in her eyes shifted from dazed uncertainty to chilling resolve, until at a certain point, she seemed to make a final decision.
She raised her eyes slightly, staring fixedly at the battlefield.
"To trade my life for the future of the Great Desolation—it is worth it!"
She wanted Xu Xian dead, even if it cost her life to ensure the future of the Great Desolation.
This tribulation must be settled today.
...
To the west of the Zhenyao Abyss, by the soaring peaks of the Boundary Mountain, the experts from both the Wendao Sect and the Central Plains were also witnessing everything, just like the Demon Sovereigns on the banks of the Wild River.
The Central Plains experts smiled bitterly, unable to hide the envy in their hearts.
Seven thousand years ago, there was a girl named Jiang Wanyin.
Five thousand years ago, there was a youth named Lei Yunche.
Four thousand years ago, there was a man named Yao Xiqiao.
Three thousand years ago, there was an old man named Lin Fengmian.
One thousand years ago, there was a girl named Ye Xianyu.
And today, a thousand years later, above this Zhenyao Abyss, they were witnessing another youth with their own eyes.
His name was Xu Xian.
For ten thousand years, an unparalleled monster had appeared every millennium. The providence of the Wendao Sect was simply too overwhelming.
Setting aside those previous figures, all of whom possessed world-shaking talent and rose through slaughter in their youth—each stunning their respective eras and now famous throughout the world—this youth before them was something else entirely, even if one ignored his forging skills.
He was barely thirty years old this year, yet he could already sweep across the East Desolation, proving a match for Beast Emperors. He had even mastered the Sword Ancestor's Green Lotus Sword Song.
To be this breathtaking at such a young age, he surpassed even the previous six in their youth.
In the future, he would certainly be no easy opponent.
His achievements might even surpass those who came before him.
Where was the justice in this?
"The Wendao Sect has truly struck gold."
"This boy is decisive in slaughter and cunning in mind. If he grows up and takes the position of Sect Master, what will become of the Wendao Sect? Will the rest of us ever have a moment's peace?"
"I hope he dies in there."
"Heh... I'm afraid that's unlikely."
"That accident six years ago... who would have thought it was the best opportunity? A pity those trash from Cangwu were so useless."
"Sigh... I heard long ago that when that person founded the Wendao Sect, he severed the Dao veins of the three races and suppressed ninety percent of Fanzhou's luck beneath the Wendao Sect, leaving only ten percent for the rest of the world. That is why the Wendao Sect has been able to produce these peerless talents time and again over the last ten thousand years. I used to think it was nonsense, but looking at it now, it might actually be true."
"Who's to say otherwise? One or two might be a fluke, but how many has it been now? If there isn't something fishy beneath the Wendao Sect's mountain gates, who would believe it?"
"No wonder the great demons of the North Sea are getting restless and want to tear down the Wendao Sect's great formation."
"Therefore, that auspicious beast must be captured alive. The more chaotic this Zhenyao Abyss gets, the better."
They muttered and speculated, their words filled with sarcasm and resentment.
Yet, aside from grumbling and complaining, they dared not do anything.
This was the Northern Borders, the territory of the Wendao Sect, and everything had to be done according to the Wendao Sect's rules.
At the summit of Boundary Mountain.
A crowd of Wendao Sect Pavilion Elders had appeared. Aside from the five patriarchs, there were two Guest Elders, and the few Pavilion Elders who rarely showed their faces, including Elder Ruan and Elder Yao who usually stayed in the mountains.
There were as many as fifteen eighth-stage experts present.
Li Qingshan was among them.
At this moment, they were all looking toward the distant battlefield. Gazing out through the dawn, they had also seen what had just occurred.
More than the shock of Xu Xian revealing his prowess, they cared about that sword intent.
Because they had seen that sword intent before, and they had heard the cry it invoked.
There was no mistake.
It was the sword intent that had emerged from the Sword Mound six years ago.
The confusion that had been bothering them finally had an answer at this moment.
Even if they did not know the details, they could be certain that everything was related to the Little Grand-Uncle.
That Sword Tower must have originated from the Sword Mound.
That divine sword must have also come from the Sword Mound.
Thinking back to those years...
The Little Junior Martial Uncle had stayed in the Sword Mound for four months before emerging. He must have done more than just pull out an immortal sword; he likely obtained some incredible opportunity.
A bold thought crossed their minds at this moment.
Back then, the Little Junior Martial Uncle might have actually climbed the Divine Sword Pool.
Though it seemed far-fetched and difficult to accept at first, only such a possibility could explain what they were seeing now.
They all marveled silently.
The Little Junior Martial Uncle had hidden himself so deeply; his talent was definitely not as simple as what they had seen.
Even Ye Xianyu had a whirlwind of thoughts. Recalling the scenes from years past, she gave a bitter smile and mocked herself:
"I should have realized it sooner."
She was somewhat speechless at herself for having excluded the correct answer from the very beginning.
The sword intent came from Wendao.
The divine weapon was born in the Sword Mound.
It was her Little Junior Brother's doing all along.
Li Qingshan's expression was complex. Hearing Ye Xianyu's whisper, he furrowed his brows even tighter and asked, "You knew all along?"
Ye Xianyu glanced at Li Qingshan and answered with a question of her own: "You were the one who brought him back, and you're asking me?"
Li Qingshan fell into his habitual silence...
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