Just before the Spirit Lord of this place was crushed to death by the Twilight Emperor...
The flight to the east continued. The desolation ahead seemed endless, much like the sky above—dim, dusty, and indistinguishable between day and night.
The tide of Death Spirits behind them was in relentless pursuit. They had been in a stalemate, but for some reason, a group of figures in grey robes suddenly surged forward.
Approaching at extreme speed, they cut off the path of Xu Xian and his group in a very short time. There were no fewer than several hundred of them.
Alerted, Xu Xian shouted a warning to be careful. He summoned his sword and charged. The others, ignoring their bedraggled and haggard states, braced themselves with every ounce of focus to face the threat.
They had seen these figures before, weaving through the tide of Death Spirits. They looked no different from other spirits—bizarre and varied, originating from all sorts of races.
Aside from their more sophisticated attire, the only difference was that their blood-red eyes held more than just greed and madness; they contained other emotions as well.
They were like living souls.
Most importantly, these beings were incredibly powerful.
They stood above saints, comparable to immortals.
Of the more than four hundred people who had started this journey, fewer than a few dozen remained. Eighty percent of those lost had fallen to the hands of these grey-robed creatures.
Xu Xian was different.
Sharing the vision of the Pupil of Insight, Xu Xian saw lines of information hovering over their heads.
[Early Mortal Immortal stage], [Mid Mortal Immortal stage], [Late Mortal Immortal stage], [Peak Mortal Immortal stage].
They were in the same realm as him—the first stage of immortality—and most were even slightly stronger than him in terms of cultivation.
After half a day of blood-soaked retreat and observation, Xu Xian and the little book spirit were certain: these beings were higher-level spirits.
They stood above the Death Spirits and possessed normal cognitive abilities.
They were troublesome and extremely difficult to kill!
Previously, Xu Xian had even suspected that these beings were the ones controlling the tide of Death Spirits to attack them.
However...
After repeated verification, Xu Xian knew that was not the case.
Behind these creatures, there had to be an even more terrifying existence manipulating the Death Spirits to hunt them down.
What Xu Xian didn't understand was why they had waited until now to strike, appearing as if they were ready for a fight to the death.
Did they think the timing was right?
Or had the one behind them arrived?
Xu Xian didn't know.
But he knew that if they wanted to survive, they had to deal with this group as quickly as possible.
He had been waiting, and now the moment had come.
Xu Xian no longer held back. He charged into the tide of immortal-level spirits. With an opening strike, he raised his hand and summoned the Sword Mound.
Suddenly, that sword gate from the Zhujian Peak of Wendao Sect smashed down out of thin air.
With a massive boom!
Cutting off their retreat, Xu Xian formed a hand seal and chanted. The first form of the Sacrificial Sword Manual, the Sword Control Art, was released, bolstered by the Nameless Sword Scripture.
Within the Sword Mound, millions upon millions of swords crossed between realms at the youth's command.
They transformed into a river of swords that surged forth, exerting hard control over a hundred-mile radius. While protecting the few remaining survivors in the center, the swords launched a lethal assault on the hundreds of immortal-level dark creatures.
The millions of swords whistled with ferocity, their cries echoing through the air.
The surviving saints, demon gods, and demon immortals looked on in horror.
Most of them had seen this sword before and had even experienced its power. Years ago, when the youth had entered sainthood at thirty and challenged the world, this was the first sword he had used.
However...
What they hadn't expected was that Xu Xian had actually brought the Sword Mound up with him. Even more surprising was that he had managed to restrain himself until now to use this technique.
Watching the whistling curtain of swords and the young man controlling them, they had to accept a reality: Xu Xian was far more powerful than they had imagined and far more cunning than they had perceived.
“He actually brought the Sword Mound up here?”
“What a freak...”
Tu Sisi spoke up at the right moment, interrupting the group's lamentations. She warned, “Don't just stand there! Move! A single sword technique won't be enough to finish these guys off.”
Indeed, as Tu Sisi expected, the torrent of swords that had once overwhelmed the powerhouses of the lower realm was enough to keep the pursuing Death Spirits at bay, but it lacked deterrence against these hundreds of grey-robed figures. They wove through the blades, easily neutralizing the strikes with their immortal power.
Communicating in their own unique language, they moved to surround and kill Xu Xian.
“Kill the youth in white first.”
“Attack together!”
“Use the Residual Spirit Formation!”
Xu Xian controlled his swords to engage the enemies in front and block those behind, all while protecting his companions and drawing upon his energy to slay the enemies who lunged at him with the Heaven-Burning Sparrow.
With his Pupil of Insight fully active...
The Delusion divine ability was released.
Mixing truth with falsehood and reality with illusion, he crushed one enemy's mind and struck them down with his sword. Though it was a battle of immortals, it felt like a brutal melee.
The only difference was that it was faster, more powerful, and caused more widespread destruction. There was no pungent smell of blood, only the blinding smoke of battle.
He sliced off one head, only for another to grow back. He cut another in two, only for the body to squirm and reattach itself.
Xu Xian's gaze grew darker as he felt a headache coming on.
This was his greatest frustration—these beings were too difficult to kill. Unless he could simultaneously destroy every acupoint and body part containing the Breath of Darkness in a single instant...
The opponent would recover indefinitely.
But...
When both sides were in the Immortal Realm, tearing an opponent to shreds in an instant was no easy feat.
The only way he could achieve it...
Was through the Spirit Communication Art, awakening the five sword spirits, or having the little book spirit strike.
But those were Xu Xian's final trump cards, his strongest moves.
Who would throw out their best cards at the very beginning?
Moreover, the hand manipulating things from the shadows had yet to show itself, and that woman in the bridal gown was still following them, watching from a distance.
How could he not keep a move in reserve?
The situation grew increasingly tense. To avoid being attacked from both sides, Xu Xian had no choice but to fight while advancing, attempting to break through the encirclement.
Those he focused on protecting were faring well enough, but those he couldn't attend to found themselves slipping from one quagmire into another. Exposed to the tide of Death Spirits...
People began to fall one after another.
The Buddha, one of the Ancestors of the Three Sects—that old monk who loved to speak in empty platitudes—found himself in a dire situation. Exhausted and powerless, he roared at Xu Xian just before he was overwhelmed.
“Xu Xian!”
“What are you waiting for?”
“Why haven't you used that move yet?”
“Call out the Sword Tower! Release the sword spirits!”
They had seen Xu Xian use these methods before, so they weren't surprised by them.
But Xu Xian acted as if he hadn't heard a thing, looking at him with cold eyes. The monk had put down his butcher's knife, but he hadn't become a Buddha, though fortunately, he hadn't become a ghost yet either.
“Heh... you old bald donkey.”
During the year of the sword inquiry, this old man was the first of the three ancestors to strike, leading to the premature fall of the mountain gate and forcing the disciples of Wendao Sect to pay with their lives.
Back then...
Xu Xian hadn't killed him, but he remembered that debt. It was true that Xu Xian wanted to do great things and save all living beings, but he had no intention of being a great sage.
Returning hate with kindness?
Not a chance.
To use the language of Buddhism: Not saving you is respecting your karma. A great virtue indeed.
The fierce battle continued. Xu Xian still had strength in reserve, but for some reason, a flash of light suddenly flickered through the eyes of the hundred immortal-level dark creatures simultaneously.
Expressions of panic and horror appeared on their faces in unison as they all turned to look toward the west.
Then, Xu Xian heard them speak.
“The Spirit Lord... is dead?”
“How is that possible...”
“What do we do?”
“Retreat!”
Then, they actually took the initiative to disengage. Ignoring Xu Xian and the others, they fled back the way they had come.
They left Xu Xian's group standing there in a daze, with only the howling and wailing of the Death Spirit tide behind them.
Lu Yuan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “What's the situation?”
Xu Xian pondered for a moment and said, “Looking at it this way, it seems like... their home base was raided?”
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