As the barefooted man carrying the blood gourd emerged from the spatial gate, Xian'e City fell into a deathly silence, which was then instantly shattered by a roar of exclamations from countless cultivators, a sound like a tidal wave rushing to the heavens.

"The Blood Gourd Old Demon! It's him, he’s actually returned, good heavens!"

"What, fellow daoist, do you know who this Nascent Soul Ancestor is?"

"Indeed. My family's ancestor once mentioned this fiend to me. This Blood Gourd Old Demon was a rare rogue cultivator by birth, possessing extremely high innate talent for cultivation, yet he was ferociously cruel and vicious. He slaughtered hundreds of his peers in the East Sea and the Blood Sea, leading to relentless pursuit and encirclement by numerous enemies, almost making it impossible for him to remain in the East Sea Cultivation World. Later, he received protection from a giant within the Heavenly Demon Alliance, joined them, and barely managed to survive. No one expected that this fiend would break through to the Spirit Transformation stage within a mere three hundred years of life. A thousand years ago, he went to the Southern Demon Continent and vanished completely from the East Sea."

"If that’s the case, the Heavenly Demon Alliance showed him great kindness; it seems the Blood Gourd Old Demon won't stand idly by."

"Giants and Elders of the Heavenly Demon Alliance, along with the cultivators of the East Sea, respectfully welcome the return of Ancestor Blood Gourd to the East Sea Cultivation World!"

On the Star Gazing Platform, the Elders and Sect Masters of the Heavenly Demon Alliance were also whispering amongst themselves, their faces alight with ecstasy as they bowed deeply to welcome him.

The Elders of the Heavenly Dao Alliance exchanged glances. Though equally surprised, they couldn't help but feel a complicated mix of emotions, a slight bitterness clouding their expressions. The one returning was a Spirit Transformation Ancestor who had come back from the Southern Demon Continent. With this Spirit Transformation cultivator supporting the Heavenly Demon Alliance, they naturally felt much more confident.

However, the Heavenly Dao Alliance had no Spirit Transformation cultivator returning from the Northern Abyss Continent, which caused the faces of the Heavenly Dao Alliance Elders to darken somewhat. If the Spirit Transformation cultivator from the Southern Demon Continent defeated the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint and stabilized the situation in the East Sea Cultivation World, leading to a redistribution of influence within the East Sea Immortal Alliances, the Heavenly Demon Alliance would undoubtedly gain a huge advantage, while the Heavenly Dao Alliance would inevitably suffer a significant loss. With one waxing and the other waning, the Heavenly Dao Alliance’s position as the foremost Immortal Alliance in the East Sea was in danger of being overshadowed by the Heavenly Demon Alliance.

Ye Qin stared blankly at the sky over Xian'e City for a long time. His cultivation was still low; he couldn't discern whether the Blood Gourd Old Demon or the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint possessed the higher cultivation. But facing two Demon Saints like the Three-Legged Crow and the Nine-Tailed Fox, he felt uncertain about the strength of a single Spirit Transformation Ancestor.

Just as the cultivators erupted in ecstatic cheering and chaotic noise, the spatial gate belonging to the Northern Abyss Continent—which had been almost entirely overlooked by the vast majority of cultivators—suddenly shot out a sharp, icy, cyan sword gleam. It flashed brilliantly from the rapidly closing spatial rift, and an incredibly potent, frigid sword might burst outward, sweeping across the sky above Xian'e City like an overwhelming tide.

Many Golden Core cultivators flying in the air, whose strength was not high, lost control of their forms under the impact of this terrifying sword might and plummeted downwards, throwing the city into chaos. Numerous Nascent Soul cultivators turned deathly pale, desperately resisting the bone-chilling sword might.

At this moment, the cries of exhilaration from the countless cultivators in Xian'e City had barely subsided, and the barefooted man emerging from the spatial gate of the Southern Demon Continent had only just managed to stabilize himself in the air.

"What terrifying cultivation! How much strength is required to produce such terrifying sword might?!"

The Elders and Sect Masters on the Star Gazing Platform looked up in horror. As the residual sword energy dissipated above the platform, it revealed a figure clad in cyan robes—a Sword Cultivator—leaving them profoundly shaken.

"The Three-Legged Crow is a high-tier demon race from the Demon Realm; its strength cannot be compared to ordinary Demon Saints! With your strength, Blood Gourd Old Demon, you might not necessarily be able to deal with that Three-Legged Crow!"

The cyan-robed Sword Cultivator swept a cold glance over the cultivators of Xian'e City before turning to the Blood Gourd Old Demon and speaking with icy disdain.

Seeing the cyan-robed Sword Cultivator appear and immediately mock him without restraint in front of countless younger cultivators, the Blood Gourd Old Demon instantly flared into a rage. His eyes turned blood-red in an instant. He slammed the great staff he was carrying and glared at the cyan-robed Sword Cultivator, roaring, "Hahaha, Sword Venerable Qing Hao, why haven't you frozen to death in the Northern Abyss, you wretch! Our feud from a thousand years ago isn't over—do you want another fight?"

"If you wish to fight, this Venerable will accompany you. If I could handle you a thousand years ago, I can do so now," Sword Venerable Qing Hao replied with apparent indifference.

The two spatial gates above Xian'e City, swirling vortices of dark clouds, finally dispersed completely. The Elders on the Star Gazing Platform watched as the two Spirit Transformation cultivators they had been eagerly awaiting met and instantly became hostile, poised for conflict. They were extremely anxious but dared not speak to mediate.

The Blood Gourd Old Demon glared, but did not strike, clearly showing some apprehension regarding Sword Venerable Qing Hao's strength. Since the Old Demon held back, Sword Venerable Qing Hao naturally did not attack either. If a real fight broke out, Xian'e City would likely be reduced to ruins.

"Li Hao, current Palace Master of the Grand Clarity Palace of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, respectfully welcomes Ancestor Qing Hao!"

On the Star Gazing Platform, Palace Master Li of the Grand Clarity Palace, the central sect leader of the Heavenly Dao Alliance, was overjoyed and bowed deeply, his excitement almost overwhelming him. This action stood out prominently on the platform.

"It’s a Spirit Transformation Senior from the Grand Clarity Palace! The Grand Clarity Palace truly lives up to its reputation as the foremost Sword Cultivation Immortal Palace of the East Sea—truly enviable!"

"Tsk tsk, now that the Grand Clarity Palace has its Spirit Transformation Ancestor back, their cultivators can walk sideways in the East Sea!"

Countless cultivators in Xian'e City immediately began murmuring in envy. The Blood Gourd Old Demon, returning from the Southern Demon Continent, was a rogue cultivator and had no familial ties to the cultivators of the Heavenly Demon Alliance present. Sword Venerable Qing Hao was different; this Spirit Transformation cultivator was the ancestor of the Grand Clarity Palace, the Immortal Palace under the central leadership of the Heavenly Dao Alliance. He had achieved the Spirit Transformation stage a thousand years ago and traveled to the Northern Abyss Continent. Many of the Nascent Soul cultivators in the Grand Clarity Palace today were his descendants and would certainly receive his care.

"Hmm... You are currently at the ninth layer of Nascent Soul. Cultivate diligently and strive to break through to the Spirit Transformation realm, then come find this Venerable in the Northern Abyss!" Upon hearing the greeting, Sword Venerable Qing Hao finally glanced at Palace Master Li on the Star Gazing Platform and nodded slightly.

"Yes, Ancestor!" Palace Master Li exclaimed excitedly.

"Stop dawdling and wasting this Demon’s time. Immediately prepare twenty million high-grade spirit stones—once I receive the spirit stones, this Demon will go hunt that Three-Legged Crow! This Demon must state clearly: I will go hunt the Three-Legged Crow, but that flat-feathered flyer is fast, and whether I can kill it is uncertain. Regardless of the outcome, this Demon will leave and return to the Southern Demon Continent in a year. The spirit stones will not be refunded!" the Blood Gourd Old Demon interrupted with clear displeasure.

"What? Twenty million high-grade spirit stones? Why so much?"

"If you can't guarantee killing the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint, won't it continue to plague the East Sea Cultivation World after a year?"

On the Star Gazing Platform, the Elders and Sect Masters of both the Heavenly Demon Alliance and the Heavenly Dao Alliance felt a sharp pang in their hearts upon hearing this. Twenty million high-grade spirit stones was the total tax revenue of the two great Immortal Alliances over more than ten years. This amount was enormous—the two Alliances would have to expend immense effort to gather such a sum.

"Do you think the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint is that easy to kill? What price must this Demon pay, what risks to my life must I take to kill it? You invited this Demon back—how much trouble have you caused me! If the foundation this Demon worked hard to build in the Southern Demon Continent is ruined, who will compensate me? If it weren't for a major favor this Demon owes the Heavenly Demon Alliance from the past, this Demon wouldn't bother with this matter at all. Are you so stingy that you won't even pay this much spirit stone?" the Blood Gourd Old Demon glared, utterly furious.

When the Old Demon became enraged, the Elders and Sect Masters of both the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance immediately wilted, not daring to utter another word. They looked toward Sword Venerable Qing Hao, hoping the Sword Venerable would say something.

"Prepare twelve million high-grade spirit stones for this Venerable; none of them can be fire-attribute. Everything else is fine," Sword Venerable Qing Hao stated indifferently without even raising his eyelids.

The Chief Elders of the two Immortal Alliances exchanged glances. Sword Venerable Qing Hao demanded even more than the Blood Gourd Old Demon. Their hearts felt bitter; it seemed they would have to tighten their belts drastically over the next few years to finance the two Spirit Transformation cultivators to hunt the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint.

Under the guise of collecting spirit stones, the Chief Elders of the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the Heavenly Demon Alliance invited the two Ancestors to rest within Xian'e City. Afterwards, the Chief Elders of both Alliances, the Five Great Sect Masters, and the Five Great Giants gathered in a conference hall to discuss countermeasures.

"Both Ancestors immediately requested twenty-two million high-grade spirit stones. This huge sum is the total tax income of the East Sea Cultivation World over twenty to thirty years—think of how much good that money could do! It could even compensate the families of the East Sea cultivators who perished in the Blood Sea battles," one Chief Elder of the Heavenly Dao Alliance lamented, touching his heart.

"Alas, if we had known this, perhaps we should have endured for a few decades and seen if we could foster a Spirit Transformation cultivator soon. Among the Elders and high-ranking members of our two Immortal Alliances, many high-level cultivators are currently stuck at the ninth layer of Nascent Soul, just one Tribulation away from breaking through. If one or two Spirit Transformation cultivators could emerge, they certainly wouldn't demand such a high price and we could save this massive expenditure."

"This old man said long ago that the Spirit Transformation Ancestors who went to the Southern Demon Continent and the Northern Abyss Continent can no longer be relied upon. Their minds are focused on those two continents, not the East Sea Cultivation World. If it weren't for past favors, they likely wouldn't have returned to offer aid. Look at the Blood Gourd Old Demon and Sword Venerable Qing Hao; both went to the two continents within the last millennium and still remember past kindnesses. The Spirit Transformation cultivators who left even earlier have completely vanished—any sense of obligation they had is long gone," the Elders grumbled, voicing many complaints.

"While that may be true... even if someone among us were lucky enough to break through to the Spirit Transformation stage, their strength right after becoming a Spirit Transformation cultivator might not be comparable to the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint. Both Ancestors have been Spirit Transformation cultivators for a thousand years; their power is no small thing... the chances of success should be higher," Palace Master Li of the Grand Clarity Palace argued softly after a long silence, but his words sounded weak and unconvincing. He, too, found Sword Venerable Qing Hao’s demand for such a high price hard to bear. Being Qing Hao’s subordinate ancestor, he offered a few weak defenses.

Suddenly, a guard captain at the Nascent Soul level burst into the conference hall with a tense expression.

"What is it? Can't you see we are discussing urgent matters?" a Chief Elder commanded sternly.

"Chief Elder, forgive me! There is urgent, critical intelligence from the front line to report to all Elders, Sect Masters, and Giants! The Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint has appeared in Lin Hai City on the East Sea coast! The city defenses of Lin Hai City have been breached, and the garrison has suffered heavy losses. Furthermore, a large contingent of demon cultivators and sea beasts has appeared within a thousand miles of Lin Hai City, poised to attack!" the cultivator reported breathlessly.

"What! The Demon Race is counter-attacking into the East Sea Cultivation World?"

"Lin Hai City is the bridgehead! If this city falls, the demon race will invade the heartland of our East Sea Cultivation World!"

"Lin Hai City is built with numerous teleportation arrays that lead directly to major Immortal Cities. If it falls, the entire East Sea is in peril!"

"Quickly mobilize cultivators from all sides to rush to Lin Hai to join the battle!"

Inside the conference hall, the cultivators were greatly alarmed, jumping to their feet, no longer able to remain seated.

"Quickly, expedite the collection of spirit stones from the treasury and request the two Ancestors to rush to Lin Hai City to destroy the Three-Legged Crow Demon Saint!" The high-ranking members of both Immortal Alliances no longer cared about the exorbitant cost.