In the Southern Border's Demonic Spirit Valley, countless spiritual lights flashed explosively, accompanied by the roar of thunder. This place, the sixth among the Nineteen Spirit Mansions, was nearly submerged by Daoist arts bombarded from every direction.
The guardian formation within the valley was operating at its absolute peak.
Yet, it still could not fully protect the area; the surrounding peaks were collapsing piece by piece.
Now, high above, two Heavenly Dipper Supreme Demon-Slaying Sword Formations were active, and seventy-two Source Sea Demon Slayers looked down with icy gazes.
On the ground below stood tens of thousands of Spirit Masters. Yin Yu had led an elite army of eight hundred thousand in a surprise attack on the Wine Pool Palace; among them were thirty thousand Spirit Masters. Apart from the soldiers belonging to the Daoist and Demonic factions, most of the other Spirit Masters had been captured.
Now, whether willingly or unwillingly, they were channeling their spiritual arts with full force, blasting toward the distant valley. They spared no expense on spirit stones or elixirs, frantically gathering spiritual energy only to unleash it outward.
Some of these individuals had been awed by the Saint King aura displayed by Zong Shou and had willingly pledged allegiance to serve under him. The rest had a blade pressed to their necks and dared not show the slightest hesitation.
Adding the Spirit Masters already belonging to Great Qian, their total number reached a staggering forty thousand!
The combined immense spiritual energy gathered by over forty thousand Spirit Masters had already drowned the valley! Even a Saint Realm expert could not withstand such a direct assault.
It had been half a day since the assault began, and the Spirit Mansion's guardian formation finally could hold no longer, showing visible cracks.
Zong Shou stood atop the mountain peak, recalling the Exalted Spirit Sect of the past. The mountain-protecting formation of that Third Spirit Mansion was undoubtedly stronger than the Demonic Spirit Sect’s.
Yet, he had forcefully shattered it under the pressure of merely three thousand Blood Cloud Cavalry. Now, this Demonic Spirit Sect, after being hammered by forty thousand Spirit Masters in shifts, still managed to cling on for half a day.
Indeed, as the spiritual tide grew stronger, these grand formations had also been reinforced.
“Looks like it won’t last much longer!”
Hu Zhongyuan chuckled, drawing the Tiger Tyrant Blade and licking the dark brown blood streaks on it, his eyes gleaming with brutal excitement. Once the guardian formation was utterly broken, the one hundred thousand iron cavalry outside could charge in, slaughter every living being, and savor the thrill of the kill.
Perhaps overcome with excitement, a pure black iron tiger materialized behind Hu Zhongyuan, its eyes equally ferocious.
“So disgusting,” Chuxue murmured, clutching the Blood Moon Blade and turning her head away. She thought that while her uncle had always been an annoying, spoiled disciple in the past, he had never been as utterly repulsive as he was now.
Zong Shou was also speechless. Where had this bad habit of licking one’s blade come from? Did Hu Zhongyuan think it looked cool?
“It’s filthy, be careful you don’t get sick—” This man’s blade had been stained with countless people’s blood these past few days; who knew how many ‘bacteria and viruses’ discovered by future generations might be on it now. Of course, as cultivators, they weren't truly afraid of sickness.
Hu Zhongyuan felt slightly awkward and quickly wiped the saliva off his blade with his sleeve before looking solemnly toward the valley.
Zong Shou merely sneered, looking toward the heavens. The intents of those few Supremacy-level beings were still pressing down on him.
But what did it matter? They could only watch as he exterminated the entire Demonic Spirit Sect!
The blood-red light screen in the distance suddenly flickered. Zong Shou’s pupils instantly widened.
But before he could issue a command, the two Demon-Slaying Sword Formations on the Source Sea Heavenly Dipper Platforms above activated. Two fatal sword auras descended, immediately tearing a massive rift in the guardian spirit formation.
Ten thousand feet of sword energy plunged inside, sweeping through in an instant and carving a gigantic sword mark across the valley floor. The foundation of the guardian spirit formation began to collapse along with it.
The forty thousand Spirit Masters followed immediately. Countless spiritual arts slammed down in one continuous wave, sweeping away every last remnant!
“You may go in, but only after two quarters of an hour!”
Zong Shou floated in the void, his tone icy, indifferent, and devoid of emotion.
“Everyone—kill without mercy!”
“We obey the command!”
Hu Zhongyuan roared with laughter and rushed to the front of the cavalry formation. They waited silently while the tens of thousands of Spirit Masters continued their relentless bombardment. Intermittently, screams and wails echoed from the depths of the valley.
“Zong Shou, you devil, I’ll fight you to the death!”
“Damn you, damn you!”
“I don’t want to die! I haven’t killed anyone, spare me—”
Some black streaks of escaping light soared upward, attempting to flee the valley. Yet, as soon as they appeared, they were pulverized into dust by millions of spiritual arts. Even if a few managed to slip through, the two Heavenly Dipper Demon-Slaying Sword Formations in the air needed only a single strike to execute them. Even the underground was largely sealed by petrification arts, rendering nearly all earth-escape techniques useless.
Precisely at the third quarter-hour mark, all spiritual arts abruptly ceased their barrage.
Then, the one hundred thousand iron cavalry, like a torrent of iron, charged into the valley amid a thunderous roar. At the very front of the cavalry formation were the twenty thousand Azure Dragon Cavalry of the Azure Life Dao!
Zong Shou flicked his sleeve again, and a mass of gold and silver light surged forward. The Sacred Fire Silver Ants were born from the resentful energy of heaven and earth, but they had not indulged in slaughter recently. To prevent these heavenly and earthly anomalies from rebelling, their inherent nature could not be overly suppressed. This moment was precisely when these silver ants were allowed to feast.
Chuxue, holding the Blood Moon Blade, flashed to the valley entrance. She was there to support Hu Zhongyuan, guarding against any counterattack from a Saint Realm expert within the Demonic Spirit Sect.
Zong Shou remained outside, watching leisurely. The pressure from those few Supremacy-level intents grew even sharper, causing his very bones to creak ominously.
Zong Shou paid it no mind; instead, he used the force to temper his own physical body. Did these great powers wish to crush him, Zong Shou, into dust? If so, even better! They hated him to the core, yet were utterly helpless against him.
“Junior Brother, I know you fear nothing, but you should take it a bit easier—” A sigh echoed from behind as a white-robed youth strode out of the void. “By provoking them like this, what face do those few Venerables have left?”
“Senior Brother Mingyu!” Zong Shou turned around and offered a smile devoid of warmth. “Did Martial Uncle Xiuguan or Junior Brother Weixu send you with this message?”
“No!” Mingyu’s heart skipped a beat, and he shook his head. “Martial Uncle said you should act as you see fit, and Junior Brother Weixu also said it was fine. It’s just that—”
During the battle at Shenyuan Wasteland, he had personally witnessed the three Divine Venerables of the Confucian School dissipate and retreat. The Confucian Divine Venerables were condensed reflections of the three Supremacy-level entities of the Confucian School, meaning their instinctive awareness would not lead them to oppose the Saint Sovereign. This was also why, even after the annihilation of sixty thousand Purple Scale Flame Spear Cavalry, the Demonic and Daoist factions had not even attempted to salvage the situation.
Zhu Zi alone could no longer resist the suppression of the Seven Swords of Azure Life. The advantage in Supremacy-level experts had been completely wiped out. While Zhu Zi could not overcome the resistance force of the three Confucian Divine Venerables, and Tai Shi Demon Lord had not yet recovered from his injuries, the Daoist, Confucian, and Demonic schools currently found themselves at a disadvantage. This explained why, when Zong Shou led his army to attack the Demonic Spirit Sect, the Supremes of the Three Teachings tolerated the insult and never intervened.
“It’s just that your actions, Junior Brother, are perhaps a bit too—”
More than just excessive, he was making it impossible for those Venerables to back down, slapping the face of the Supreme Primordial Demon repeatedly. Mingyu himself was not afraid, but he worried for Zong Shou’s safety. If he truly provoked those Saint Venerables beyond measure, ignoring all consequences, even the abilities of Xiuguan might not be enough to protect Zong Shou.
Sensing Mingyu’s concern, Zong Shou felt a flicker of warmth, and his expression softened slightly. Internally, however, he sighed, realizing why Xizi had chosen the late-joining Weixu as the sect leader, rather than his older senior brothers.
“Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother! But Senior Brother Mingyu, the righteousness of the world currently rests in my hands—not in the Confucian School.”
Mingyu’s eyes raised slightly, not quite grasping the meaning.
“Demonic cultivation often relies on sacrificing living beings, and their disciples are frequently violent and murder-loving. Bloody records and heinous deeds are everywhere! The people of the world have suffered under the Demonic Path for too long, yet due to the frequent turmoil in the Cloud Realm, they could do nothing.”
At this point, Mingyu seemed to grasp the understanding. The Daoist and Confucian families dared to ally with the Demonic Path because the Confucian School held the power to write history and control public opinion. As long as their goal was achieved, minor flaws could simply be erased from the historical record. Who would know after generations? Once the general trend was established, who would dare to criticize? Even if someone recorded it, it could be dismissed as slander against the Daoist and Confucian Schools.
But now, the one holding the world’s righteousness was Zong Shou, the living Saint Monarch!
“I issue an edict to eradicate the demons! This is to cleanse this cancerous tumor for all living beings under heaven.” Zong Shou glared coldly toward the sky. “If they truly dare to defy the will of the world, I would welcome it! I will surely ensure the Daoist and Confucian Sects are damned for ten thousand generations!”
As he spoke the final sentence, a cloud of blood mist erupted from Zong Shou’s right hand. It was those few Supremacy-level intents simultaneously increasing the oppressive pressure to its maximum. Zong Shou could no longer resist, and a bloody gash appeared on his right hand.
Zong Shou remained neither surprised nor angry; instead, he burst into loud, wild, unrestrained laughter. Aside from this, what other means do you possess?
“Insolent child! Sooner or later, I will use your primordial spirit and flesh as a torch to illuminate this entire realm!” The cold voice of the Supreme Primordial Demon, Li Biexue, echoed from afar.
Zong Shou paid him no mind. A warm current of spiritual energy washed over him, instantly healing the injuries in his body. It was Lin Xuanshuang acting, using the Origin Life Breath Technique to repair his physique.
By now, the sounds of slaughter within the Demonic Spirit Valley ahead had gradually quieted. Zong Shou flashed into the valley, finding Hu Zhongyuan standing amidst a pool of corpses and gore, looking up and grinning widely.
“My Lord, we have utterly annihilated them; not a single one remains!”
Zong Shou nodded slightly. His spiritual sense had swept the entire valley; truly, no living being remained. He then flashed once more to a spot before a bizarre demonic palace that had completely collapsed under the bombardment of spiritual arts. Everything within was pulverized, yet only a single statue inside remained perfectly intact.
“Extinction God?”
The doctrine of the Demonic Path’s Extinction God was that this world was destined for destruction. Only by believing in the Extinction God could one gain rebirth in the new world under the God’s protection after the apocalypse. Zong Shou glanced at it, then sent out a flash of sword light, unleashing the Fatal Sword Intent—a blood-red beam that struck the statue.
For more novels, visit storyread.net.