The Northern Territory, eastern border of the human realm.
Amidst the mountains stood a rather dilapidated and desolate sect, the Xuanhuang Sect. Over a thousand years ago, it had been a sect that produced Ascended Realm cultivators. The founder, Patriarch Xuanhuang, had integrated his Dao and broken through, joining the ranks of the thirteen realms, a scarce few among the human race. This had propelled the Xuanhuang Sect to become the foremost sect in the Northern Territory. However, after Patriarch Xuanhuang ascended to the upper realm and perished in a great battle against demons and fiends, the Xuanhuang Sect gradually faded into obscurity, declining generation after generation. Today, the total population of the sect barely exceeded a hundred.
Within the Ancestral Hall of the Xuanhuang Sect.
After offering incense to the ancestors, an elder sect leader with white hair and beard, his expression weary, turned to face his personal disciple standing outside the door and said, "Who among the inner disciples won first place in this Xuanhuang Grand Competition?"
"Reporting to Master, it was Sixth Junior Brother, Chu Feng."
"Oh?"
The elder sect leader frowned, "If I recall correctly, Chu Feng is in the Golden Core Realm, isn't he?"
"Yes, Master."
"..."
The elder sect leader sighed inwardly. The top inner disciple prodigy of this generation of the Xuanhuang Sect was merely a mere Golden Core cultivator? In his time, the top inner disciple prodigy had even been a genius in the Upper Five Realms, a cultivator of the eleventh realm. The Xuanhuang Sect was facing a crisis of lacking successors, truly declining generation by generation. How long could he, an eleventh realm elder sect leader, hold on?
"Hoo..."
The elder sect leader let out a breath and said, "Since Chu Feng ranked first in the Xuanhuang Grand Competition, bestow the Xuanhuang Bell upon him. Perhaps after refining the Xuanhuang Bell into his life-bound artifact, he can advance further. Also, assign more disciples to guard the spirit rice planted in the back mountain. The mountain has been restless lately; those spirits might try to steal the rice."
"Yes, Master, this disciple understands."
...
At this moment, below the Xuanhuang Sect mountain.
A middle-aged man in a blue robe, carrying a sword on his back, slowly ascended the mountain. He exuded no human aura; instead, he possessed a strong demonic aura. Behind him, a colossal Golden Silk Nanmu tree was faintly visible. With flowing sleeves, he carried the ethereal bearing of an immortal from the mountains. This man was called Qing Nan. His true form was a Golden Silk Nanmu tree, a twelfth realm Sword Cultivator, and one of the leaders of the spirit race among the four northern tribes.
"Fellow Daoist, please stop!"
At the Xuanhuang Sect's mountain gate, a gatekeeper disciple cupped his fists, a look of apology on his face. "Further up is the Xuanhuang Sect. Do you have an introduction letter, fellow Daoist? If not, please announce your name and purpose, and I will inform my master."
"I have no introduction letter."
Qing Nan smiled faintly and said, "But it's not needed."
"Ah?"
As the young disciple was startled, in his pupils, Qing Nan suddenly pointed downwards from the sky, unleashing a stream of sword energy that instantly cleaved the fifth realm disciple guarding the Xuanhuang Sect's gate in two. Immediately, Xuanhuang Sect disciples cultivating in the forest ahead were greatly alarmed and rose to their feet. One shouted, "Villain, why do you slay my junior brother!?"
Qing Nan kept his hands behind his back, soaring up the mountain on the wind several meters above the ground. As a group of Xuanhuang Sect disciples charged forward, streams of sword energy erupted from around Qing Nan, instantly reducing the disciples to piles of碎块 (suì kuài - broken pieces). Qing Nan was a twelfth realm Sword Cultivator; his sword energy was too sharp and overbearing, imbued with immense killing intent, leaving no complete corpses.
On the mountainside, in the living quarters of the outer disciples, a group of disciples rushed out. Additionally, an elder in the Star River Realm ascended into the air, his gaze stern. "Fellow Daoist, why are you employing such cruel methods against our Xuanhuang Sect disciples?!"
"I kill if I want to! Who told them they were not skilled enough?"
Qing Nan raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Just like now, I want to kill you. Do you have any complaints!?"
"You!"
Before the elder could utter another word, Qing Nan raised his hand, drew his sword, and struck in one fluid motion. Amidst the dazzling sword light, the Star River Realm elder's body dissolved into a shower of blood. Qing Nan then held his immortal sword horizontally, flicked his left index finger across the blade, and a sword intent exploded, causing Xuanhuang Sect disciples within a radius of several hundred meters to burst their bodies and perish. Killing disciples in the lower and middle five realms was too easy for a twelfth realm Sword Cultivator.
Qing Nan ascended the mountain.
On the mountain, a group of inner disciples met him. In the air, the eleventh realm elder sect leader held the Xuanhuang Bell artifact, his expression fierce. But Qing Nan, without a word, drew his sword and unleashed over a dozen strikes, instantly turning the dozen inner disciples into bloody rain. The elder sect leader was unable to even resist, his eyes almost bulging out.
"You..."
The elder sect leader trembled all over, "Why have you annihilated my entire Xuanhuang Sect?!"
"No reason."
Qing Nan cupped his fists and smiled faintly, "I, Qing Nan, a wild spirit cultivator, plan to establish a sect on Mount Guiyuan in the Northern Territory, building the Guiyuan Sword Sect. However, my foundation is too weak, so I wish to borrow your Xuanhuang Bell. Furthermore, I have some friends among the demon race. To demonstrate my stance, I also wish to borrow your head. I hope you will not be stingy."
"You beast!"
The elder sect leader trembled, "Even as ghosts, my entire Xuanhuang Sect will not forgive you!"
As he spoke, the elder sect leader's body erupted with divine radiance, and golden cracks appeared at his brow, spreading throughout his body.
"Hmm?"
Qing Nan raised his eyebrows slightly and chuckled, "You want to pull me down with you by self-detonating your Golden Core to perish with the world? You're thinking too much, Daoist Ning. Your meager cultivation is nothing in my eyes!"
As he spoke, Qing Nan stomped on the mountain rock, and a sword formation restriction rose, enveloping the entire Xuanhuang Sect's peak. The elder sect leader, about to self-detonate his Golden Core, found himself unable to move. Heaven and earth seemed to have frozen. Such a profound suppression of the Heavenly Dao due to the vast disparity in cultivation was beyond his ability to resist. He widened his eyes and watched helplessly as Qing Nan darted forward, a finger slicing his head off at the neck.
"Leaving now."
Qing Nan grabbed the elder sect leader by his hair, holding his severed head in his hand. With a flick of his long sleeve, he collected the mountain-guarding artifact, the Xuanhuang Bell, then glanced at the Xuanhuang Sect's peak and sneered, "A derelict peak, truly useless to keep, a pity to discard!"
He turned and soared upwards, heading straight for the Northern Territory.
...
Evening.
Several figures arrived on swords, namely Lin Zhao, Xu Zhi, Tang Guangjun, and Chu Yu. That afternoon, Snow Domain Heavenly Lake had received a flying fish dispatch regarding the annihilation of the Xuanhuang Sect. As the Lord of Snow Domain Heavenly Lake, Lin Zhao had no choice but to come.
The group looked down at the gruesome scene at the mountain gate and halfway up the mountain. Limbs and broken bodies were everywhere. From the elders and protectors to the ordinary outer disciples, no one from the Xuanhuang Sect had been spared; all had been slain. As the sun set, one could even see wisps of residual souls lingering around the corpses, refusing to depart.
At the mountain peak, they saw a headless corpse.
"It's Sect Leader Ning Ran."
Tang Guangjun examined the corpse and said, "Ning Ran's body shows the cracked marks of a Golden Core explosion. He must have intended to self-detonate his Golden Core to perish with the enemy, but unfortunately, he was trapped by the opponent's sword formation restriction. After that, his head was severed by a sword. It's too tragic. The annihilation of the entire Xuanhuang Sect probably happened in an instant."
Lin Zhao observed this, his sword-like brows furrowed. "Who did this?"
"There is a strong demonic aura in this area."
Xu Zhi pursed her red lips. "It was a twelfth realm spirit, and a Sword Cultivator."
"That's right."
Tang Guangjun said solemnly, "Among the Upper Five Realm spirits in the Northern Territory, there has only been one who has appeared nearby as a twelfth realm Sword Cultivator, named Qing Nan. His true form is a Golden Silk Nanmu tree that is thousands of years old. Not long ago, it was heard that Qing Nan received support from the demon race and was building extensively on Mount Guiyuan, not far from Mount Panyun, seemingly planning to establish a sect. Who would have thought he would descend south today and commit this atrocity against the long-forgotten Xuanhuang Sect."
Chu Yu frowned, her delicate brows knitted. "Spirits and demons have always colluded. Qing Nan establishing a sect and annihilating the Xuanhuang Sect in the south must be his way of offering a token of submission to the demon race, demonstrating his stance against the human realm. Only then can the sect he is about to create receive the strong support of the demon race."
"Understood."
Lin Zhao nodded. "The Xuanhuang Sect was obscure and unknown, and it has been annihilated like this. It is truly tragic."
As he spoke, he stood up and looked north, his brows furrowed. "Later, send the Flood Dragon Boat with people to collect and bury the remains of the Xuanhuang Sect disciples. Do not let them lie exposed in the wilderness."
"What about Qing Nan?"
Xu Zhi asked, "My Lord, we can go and challenge him at Mount Guiyuan now."
"No rush."
Lin Zhao shook his head. "Mount Guiyuan is too close to Mount Panyun. Great demons like Yu Zhi, Feng Quan, and Shi Jungang could arrive at any moment to support him. Challenging him there might not be advantageous. Let's leave it for now. Xu Zhi, after returning to the Mountain Peak Villa, write more flying fish dispatches and inform the human sects in the Northern Territory to be extra careful."
"Yes!"
...
Late at night, at the Qingliang Sect.
In the Ancestral Hall, Patriarch Zhao Jingyu held an invitation card. Standing beside him were Zhao Suiguang, Zhao Chuqin, and others. The most glorious among them was Zhao Yichuan, dressed in a yellow robe. As the chief disciple of the younger generation of the Qingliang Sect, with the help of Patriarch Zhao Jingyu, he had broken through to the Upper Five Realms three days prior, becoming an eleventh realm cultivator, earning the admiration of the entire sect.
"Old Ancestor."
Zhao Chuqin frowned, "Qing Nan is establishing the Guiyuan Sect. It is said he has sent invitations to the major sects in the north for a ceremony. He has invited sects from the demon race, human race, and spirit race. His ambition is immense!"
"Father!"
Zhao Suiguang's brows were tightly furrowed. "Although we have collaborated with the demon race before, fundamentally... we are still a human sect. The Great Shang Dynasty has not treated us poorly, nor have they dispatched cultivators to our mountain to hunt us. If our Qingliang Sect were to attend the founding ceremony of the Guiyuan Sword Sect, we would undoubtedly be criticized by the cultivators in the human realm."
"Have we been criticized less?"
Zhao Jingyu narrowed his eyes and smiled. "Suiguang, broaden your horizons and think bigger. We are Upper Five Realm cultivators, seeking the Heavenly Dao. We should not be constrained by sect divisions any longer. Only the strong can reside at the peak. If we are too fixated on our human identity, we will be ridiculed by our peers once we reach the upper realm. The Upper Five Realm humans who achieve immortality are called Earth Immortals and Sword Immortals; the Upper Five Realm demons who achieve immortality are called Demon Immortals. Are they not all Immortals? What's the difference? Since Daoist Qing Nan has kindly invited us, what is wrong with us attending?"
"Yes!"
Zhao Suiguang cupped his fists and bowed, but his brows remained tightly furrowed.