The middle-aged man's heart was a tempest of shock, his eyes locked firmly on the old man in the white robe opposite him.

Having been a Ninth-Rank Illusion Master for many years, his confidence had swelled, making him believe he could exchange blows even with the top-tier powerhouses. Yet, facing this stranger, his Ink Tiger Manifestation had shattered in a single strike, leaving him with virtually no chance to fight back. The gulf between expectation and reality instantly crushed his self-assurance.

The white-robed elder seemed not to have heard the question. He smiled faintly, sizing up the broken main gate of the Sword Pavilion, and then stepped forward.

"Wait!"

Ignored, the middle-aged man felt a surge of humiliation and anger. He forcibly suppressed the churning blood in his chest and demanded again, "What is your purpose in coming to our High Heaven Sword Pavilion?"

This time, the white-robed elder finally reacted.

He glanced sideways, a strange, almost roguish grin stretching his face. "I've been cultivating in seclusion for ages, utterly bored out of my mind. Came here just to mess around."

Bored out of his mind? Mess around?

Though he didn't understand the first part, the meaning of the whole sentence was perfectly clear: this old fellow was simply bored and had deliberately come looking for trouble! That’s why he could come here, destroy the gate, and injure him?

"Pfft!"

The middle-aged man trembled with rage and spat out another mouthful of blood.

The surrounding dozens of Sword Pavilion disciples exchanged uneasy glances, watching the white figure continuing forward. They felt a growing dread; this old man was incredibly powerful. The Sword Pavilion was likely in deep trouble today. Could their Pavilion Master and the elders suppress him?

"Insolence! Daring to cause trouble at the High Heaven Sword Pavilion!"

A thunderous voice exploded high in the air. Two figures shot down from the mountain slope, two massive black dragons simultaneously roaring out of their bodies, heads held high, looking ferocious and malevolent.

Upon seeing this, the white-robed elder's eyes lit up with excitement. Instead of dodging, he moved like a streak of light, speeding toward the two sudden arrivals even faster.

The crowd could barely register the sight before the three figures collided.

"Boom! Boom!"

A giant blood-red sword suddenly materialized, plunging between the two dragons. Countless sword-shaped blood-flowers erupted, the dark-red aura rampant, tearing them to shreds.

Immediately afterward, the two figures were sent flying backward.

"Bang! Bang!"

Sand and gravel scattered as two deep pits were smashed into the solid stone steps.

The old man in the white robe, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He rested the blood-red greatsword on his shoulder, took a stride that covered dozens of meters, and passed directly between the two figures who had fallen, continuing his advance as if strolling through a leisurely courtyard.

Two more elders, both possessing Ninth-Rank strength, had been defeated!

Witnessing this, everyone held their breath, nearly suffocating, their worry intensifying. If that old man passed through unimpeded and turned the High Heaven Sword Pavilion upside down, they, the disciples, would likely never be able to hold their heads up in front of other sects.

"Blood Prison Sword King Tree!"

A sharp cry suddenly rang out. It was a black-robed elder scrambling out of a stone pit, looking at the massive sword on the white-robed elder's shoulder with disbelief.

The crowd paused, quickly focusing their gaze. Only then did they realize that the giant sword was not a sword-type manifestation, but a towering tree over ten meters high, shaped like a blade.

It truly was the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree"!

Everyone couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath.

This type of tree only grew in the fragmented continental belts at the edge of the Divine Void Realm. In such harsh environments, few plants could survive, and the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" was one of them. Its trunk was incredibly resilient; even a peak Ninth-Rank Illusion Master would struggle mightily to sever it.

And this tree-shaped manifestation was even more potent—it could be called indestructible, capable of breaking through anything. If this manifestation were mastered, an attack would resemble the descent of a blood-hued hell composed of countless sharp swords. In the ten-thousand-year history of the Divine Void Realm, there had once been a powerhouse who cultivated the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree," but that person's excessive slaughter provoked widespread wrath, leading to his pursuit and eventual death by the experts of several super sects.

To think that after several thousand years, someone had cultivated the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" manifestation! The three elders had not been unjustly defeated!

"Oh?"

Hearing these five words, the white-robed elder seemed slightly surprised. He glanced sideways at the manifestation, then gripped the roots and waved it a few times in the air, mumbling softly, "Blood Prison Sword King Tree? That name sounds rather imposing. Hmm, not bad, not bad..."

Muttering to himself, the white-robed elder flickered in and out of sight repeatedly, soon vanishing completely.

At the steps behind him, a ground littered with eyeballs remained. The crowd felt both amused and astonished. Judging by the old man's tone, he seemed to be hearing the name "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" for the very first time. Heavens, how ignorant must one be to reach such a state? Not even knowing about the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree"—had he lived since birth in an extremely isolated place, never making contact with the outside world?

Judging by his actions, that seemed to be the case. Otherwise, why would he come to the High Heaven Sword Pavilion just because he was "utterly bored" to cause such havoc? Everyone knew the High Heaven Sword Pavilion was always under the protection of the Pill Immortal Sect! If the Pavilion Master sought aid from the Pill Immortal Sect, this old fellow would be in deep trouble. Even if he cultivated the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree," he wouldn't escape annihilation.

"So many people ganging up on me, truly shameless. I’m done playing..."

Just then, the white-robed elder, who had just disappeared, suddenly rushed down from the summit, carrying the "Blood Prison Sword King Tree" and shrieking loudly.

Before the crowd could react, the old man whipped past the main gate like a gust of wind.

"Stop! Don't run!"

"Daring to cause trouble in our Sword Pavilion, no matter how vast the Divine Void Realm, there will be no place for you!"

"..."

Seconds later, more than ten figures arrived like flying arrows, chasing after the direction the white-robed elder had fled, all boiling with anger—they were all elders of the High Heaven Sword Pavilion. However, less than fifteen minutes later, they returned one by one, their faces still showing anger, clearly having failed to intercept the meddling old man.

Twenty or thirty miles away, thousands of meters high in the sky, the white-robed elder sat cross-legged on the back of a giant black eagle.

This was Nie Kong, who had altered his appearance using the Sea God Pearl!

The High Heaven Sword Pavilion was merely Nie Kong's first stop after leaving Ascending Dragon City. His method was simple: beat the grass to startle the snake. By causing this disturbance, the sect would be shaken, and those hiding would also be affected, allowing him to easily sense the aura of those powerhouses.

This way, he could immediately determine whether Kou Xilai and the others were present. After all, it wasn't just one person who had fled to the Divine Void Realm, but all the Heavenly Spirit powerhouses remaining from the Spirit God Hall.

Now, the High Heaven Sword Pavilion could be ruled out.

Recalling the scene just now, Nie Kong couldn't help but chuckle. His appearance shifted again, and in a moment, he transformed from a white-haired elder into a thin, pale young man. His "Spirit Rhino Battle Robe" changed from snow-white to a rather unremarkable gray...