Ling Que Lake.
The lake water churned as Long Dongjun landed punch after punch from the air, driving the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff deeper. Meanwhile, Xu Shuo stood guard near the formation's core, holding a sword. As the array master of the Dinghai Grand Formation, no one understood it better than Xu Shuo. Thus, among the human cultivators present, anyone could die, but Xu Shuo could not.
From afar, a figure strode across the waves. It was a young disciple dressed in the attire of a Mohist ancestral court cultivator, a long sword strapped to his back. His brow furrowed as he sped towards them, his voice deep as he called out, "Senior Brother Xu!"
"Mm."
Xu Shuo looked at him without suspicion. After all, besides his nickname "Second Brother Xu," he was also known as "Blind Xu" in the Mohist ancestral court. Xu Shuo had suffered from prosopagnosia since childhood. Unless he was particularly familiar with someone, or their appearance was exceptionally distinctive, he wouldn't remember people even after meeting them several times. Many young disciples in the Mohist ancestral court would greet Xu Shuo with a nod and a smile; in reality, he couldn't even recall their names, let alone who they were.
"What is it?" Xu Shuo asked.
The young disciple frowned. "On the southern formation, it seems some demon race cultivators are approaching."
"What?!"
Xu Shuo furrowed his brow. "No way?"
He brushed past the young Mohist disciple, focusing on the signs from the south. It was at this moment that the disciple produced a golden natal carving knife from his sleeve and, with a sudden "swish," plunged it into Xu Shuo's back. Simultaneously, he delivered a powerful palm strike to Xu Shuo's shoulder, the sound of cracking bone echoing.
Xu Shuo tumbled onto the lake's surface, his spiritual manifestation retracting. He stared in horror at the Mohist disciple, who was slowly revealing his true form—the Thirteenth Realm Great Demon, Fu Sheng. Behind Fu Sheng, a colossal white deer manifestation appeared, his true form.
"Tsk tsk."
Fu Sheng withdrew a natal bamboo segment gifted by Lin Zhujie from his sleeve and chuckled. "Although Lin Zhujie slacks off, this natal bamboo segment, which can conceal demonic energy and heavenly secrets, is indeed quite useful. Brother Xu, how can you not even remember your own junior brother? If a useless person like you doesn't die, who will?"
"Fu Sheng!"
In the air, Long Dongjun's roar thundered like thunder, his potent fist intent descending from the heavens.
"Hmph!"
Fu Sheng spun around abruptly, his body shifting across the waves. He plucked a bamboo scroll from his sleeve and fiercely attacked Xu Shuo, sneering, "Long Dongjun, I am not your opponent!"
But at this moment, the lake water surged, and a voice echoed from beneath the surface: "Fu Sheng, Xu Shuo is not your opponent either!"
The next instant, crimson demonic energy erupted from the water. Huang Tingyu, riding the waves with myriad sword intents, struck Fu Sheng's shoulder with a powerful slash. Simultaneously, a giant yellow dog manifestation in the woods ignited a Speed Talisman and shot forward like lightning, biting Fu Sheng's arm and dragging him into the depths of the lake. Sword energies then began to steam and rise within the water.
Figures ascended into the air; they were a group of Eleventh Realm Great Demons.
"Long Dongjun, perish!"
A demon cultivator, a Sword Immortal, ferociously slashed at Long Dongjun's head. Following him, two other Eleventh Realm demons unleashed their natal abilities, attacking Long Dongjun's back. Three more Eleventh Realm demons launched their spells. In an instant, Long Dongjun, treading on the waves, unleashed his boundless fist intent and, laughing heartily, engaged the six Great Demons.
"Bang!"
The fists of a Rebirth Realm martial artist were top-tier. In a single exchange, an Eleventh Realm demon martial artist was struck squarely in the face by Long Dongjun's fist, his nasal bone shattering, his face a bloody mess. However, as he fell into the water, he moved like a fish, evading Long Dongjun's second punch. This individual not only possessed a formidable physique but also had a profound understanding of the Great Dao of Water, being an Eleventh Realm martial artist of the Flood Dragon clan. The other five demon Eleventh Realm cultivators were also from the Flood Dragon lineage.
This was Yu Zhi's stratagem and calculation: using six Eleventh Realm Flood Dragon cultivators to tie down the most powerful human martial artist from Shuzhou. Sacrificing six Eleventh Realm cultivators to stall one Rebirth Realm martial artist was worthwhile, even if the entire demon group perished, provided it delayed for the time it took an incense stick to burn. After all, the ancestral mountain was not short of Eleventh Realm Great Demons; they were abundant.
Long Dongjun knitted his brows, his fist intent growing more intense. With each punch, he exerted his full strength, aiming to swiftly kill these six Eleventh Realm demon cultivators.
On the lake's surface, an Eleventh Realm demon cultivator conjured a water elemental attack and hurled it at the already injured Xu Shuo. But before the attack could land, it was shredded by two resplendent sword intents. Behind Xu Shuo, two figures approached—both Twelfth Realm Sword Cultivators: Xiao Muchan, the Sect Master of Qingluan Sect, and Xie Yiying, the Sect Master of Lingyan Sword Sect.
"Sword Immortal Xu, are you alright?" Xiao Muchan asked, frowning.
"I'm fine."
Xu Shuo's expression was cold. "From now on, I'll trouble the two Sect Masters."
"Mm."
Xie Yiying nodded.
Just then, amidst the mist erupting from the lake, two figures slowly emerged. One was a woman in a white dress with a graceful figure, the other a woman in a green dress with an equally slender build. The woman in white was Bai Xi, a Twelfth Realm Great Demon whose true form was a white snake. The woman in green was Qing Jian, also a Twelfth Realm Great Demon, whose true form was a green snake.
Bai Xi and Qing Jian had been inseparable since childhood, cultivating and transforming together, eventually being taken as disciples by the Demon Ancestor, achieving the Twelfth Realm.
"Sister."
Qing Jian smiled faintly, her eyes fixed on Xie Yiying. "This female Sword Immortal looks like she's courting death. Let me handle her."
"Mm."
Bai Xi frowned. "Little Qing, do not underestimate your opponent. That is Sword Immortal Xie Yiying, the Sect Master of Lingyan Sword Sect from Furong Province. She has killed as many as four cultivators from our demon race in the Upper Five Realms over the years."
"Don't worry."
Qing Jian smiled indifferently. "I know what I'm doing."
With that, Qing Jian took a sudden step forward, and a ferocious, colossal green snake manifestation appeared behind her. Though not a Sword Cultivator, her weapon was a sword. The green longsword lunged like a venomous snake, carrying with it the essence of the water elemental attacks. Her first move seemed poised to crush Xie Yiying. Fortunately, Xie Yiying was no ordinary Sword Immortal. Her sword light flashed, slicing her opponent's offensive into two. She said calmly, "If you want to hasten your reincarnation, attack quickly. I, Xie Yiying, prefer such assaults."
Her cultivation was centered on a supreme sword that could break all variations. If Qing Jian sought a swift victory, she would only meet her demise faster.
On the other side, Bai Xi smiled at Xiao Muchan. "Sword Immortal Xiao, are you ready to die?"
"You have a beautiful face, but you talk too much."
Xiao Muchan sent a sword strike into the sky, engaging the white snake on the great lake. For a time, that section of the lake was filled with demonic energy-infused water elemental attacks and surging sword intent. Xiao Muchan's swordsmanship was no less profound than Xie Yiying's, possessing the composure and certainty of the foremost cultivator in Yun Province.
...
In the sky, demonic energy grew dense, forming rolling dark clouds that pressed down upon Ling Que Lake.
The Great Demon Nan Qingfeng emerged from the thick clouds, holding a slender sword. He looked down at the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff, serving as the anchoring pole in the lake's heart, and felt it was a profound humiliation. The Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff of the Demon King Manyuan was practically a treasured artifact of the demon ancestral mountain, yet it was being used as an anchor by the human world.
"We must pull the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff out of Ling Que Lake."
From the clouds, Yu Zhi narrowed her eyes and said.
"Understood."
Nan Qingfeng descended gracefully, retrieving a natal feather from his sleeve. In the next moment, he refined and burned it, transforming the feather into a colossal, seven-colored ribbon. One end coiled around the tip of the Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff like a spirit snake. The other end burned fiercely, generating a great upward force. The staff, plunged deep into the lakebed, immediately began to loosen and slowly ascend.
But just then, the sky suddenly erupted with auspicious light. A sword strike from Su Qingjiu descended from the heavens, her sword light imbued with starlight, making the strike exceptionally sharp. The moment the sword fell, the seven-colored ribbon formed by Nan Qingfeng's natal feather was severed in mid-air.
"You!"
Nan Qingfeng gnashed his teeth in fury. The Fourteenth Realm old waste, Jiao Chen, of the East Sea, had failed to kill Su Qingjiu, a mere Twelfth Realm cultivator. What was more infuriating was that she had stolen his natal stars. Now, Su Qingjiu would undoubtedly be even more formidable! In fact, Nan Qingfeng did not wish to face Su Qingjiu, but he had no choice; this was an order from the ancestral mountain: intercept Su Qingjiu.
In the wind, Nan Qingfeng revealed his true form—a magnificent white peacock—and descended, carrying myriad sword intents.
"Little Jiuer, be careful!"
Lin Zhao frowned. After all, Nan Qingfeng was a Thirteenth Realm cultivator, and not a mere token Thirteenth Realm, but a genuine Great Demon, one of the Demon Ancestor's trusted lieutenants!
"Understood."
Su Qingjiu soared into the sky. She herself wanted to know if her current cultivation could allow her to defeat Nan Qingfeng across realms. In an instant, the air was filled with the clash of sword energies. Although Su Qingjiu's realm was lower than Nan Qingfeng's, her aura was in no way inferior. Her sword, Lingxi, unleashed wave after wave, even forcing Nan Qingfeng to retreat into the depths of Ling Que Lake.
...
"It is time!"
From the clouds, four figures pounced downwards simultaneously.
They were Yu Zhi, Ning Yuansheng, Long Zheng, and Feng Quan, four Great Demons, each with their natal manifestations appearing behind them. Yu Zhi, the primary planner of the demon race, usually disdained to act personally. But today, she had to act, even if she didn't want to. If the Dinghai Grand Formation of Ling Que Lake was not broken, then the Nine Star Formation, painstakingly planned by the demon race at great cost, would be in vain.
The moment the four descended, their eyes suddenly widened. The scenery before them was no longer the verdant Ling Que Lake, nor the resplendent Sun, Moon, Water, and Fire Staff. Instead, it was a world of ink wash.
In the air, a Daoist female immortal was unfurling a scroll, drawing the four Great Demons into it.
It was Wei Huarou, holding the ultimate treasure of the Daoist ancestral court, the Mountain and River Scroll!