The abruptness of the action stunned not only Zong Shou but also the others gathered on the Altar of Heaven, leaving them all frozen in place.
Zong Shou saw it more clearly: the shattering of Lin Xuanxuan’s whisk and arm was not due to the opponent’s overwhelming strength. Rather, at the very instant of engagement, Lin Xuanxuan herself forcibly detonated that Immortal Treasure whisk and her own arm, choosing to abandon them proactively.
“The Great Art of Stealing the Profound and Seizing the Spirit? The Profound Thief Demon Lord? The Great Calamity of the Profound Theft from millennia ago?”
Shen Yuexuan’s complexion shifted slightly, as if recalling something deeply unpleasant. Even the usually composed him could not entirely mask a tremor of horror in his voice.
Su Xiaoxiao also gasped, murmuring in confusion, “The Profound Thief Demon Lord, wasn’t he sealed away? How could Lord Yuan Mo have released him?”
Yet, she understood internally: if this person had come here, it must be for that specific item—
The Great Calamity of the Profound Theft from six thousand years prior was an event that none present, save Lin Xuanxuan, had experienced.
They only knew that during that era, because of this Demon Lord, tens of thousands of cultivators at or above the Immortal Realm in the Cloud Realm had perished. The entirety of the Cloud Realm was left scarred and ravaged.
Even the Demonic Path from which this figure originated did not escape unscathed. The number of formidable demonic experts slain by his hand far exceeded the casualties Zong Shou had witnessed in his battles of the preceding months by several times.
However, since these were events from millennia ago, those who had not lived through them felt little genuine fear.
Yet, even Lin Xuanxuan, a cultivator at the Half-Step Zenith Realm, suffered a major loss in the very first exchange, even losing an arm.
No matter how composed Shen Yuexuan and the others tried to be, they now knew that the Profound Thief Demon Lord was indeed as terrifyingly powerful as the legends claimed!
“Isn’t that the Recluse of Mortal Dreams, Senior Lin Xuanxuan?”
A burst of laughter echoed near their ears. Distantly, a figure approached, striding through the void.
He appeared to be around twenty years of age, possessing an unnervingly exotic countenance, with a faint, deep azure gleam shining from his eyes.
Below them lay the million-strong army of corpses, yet remarkably, not a single one of those malevolent zombies dared to attack this figure.
Moreover, the nearby Corpse Generals instantaneously amassed their power, focusing their vigilance in defense.
It was as if the one hovering above them was their true, primary enemy.
“You are courting death!”
Aided by Zong Shou’s Primordial Essence Stone of Nine Apertures, Lin Xuanxuan’s arm regenerated rapidly. In just a few breaths, an arm like a lotus root had completely reformed.
Lin Xuanxuan’s expression, however, was now as cold as eternal ice, radiating boundless chill.
“Whatever your purpose in coming here, I advise you to leave immediately! This realm is no longer the one from six thousand years ago. Star Evil has already fallen; only the Peerless Yuan Mo remains, and he cannot protect you. If you wish to live, then scram!”
The Profound Thief Demon Lord’s face momentarily paled, then returned to normal. He continued to smile, “So, in the eyes of the Recluse of Mortal Dreams, I, the Profound Thief, must rely on the protection of two Saint Venerables to maintain my footing in this world? That notion truly irritates me. Are the four Zenith Realm experts of the Dao of All Sentient Beings truly so formidable?”
The vicious glint in his eyes suddenly surged. Then, the ancient tortoise shell inscription hovering above the group suddenly lost all its spiritual light, inexplicably drifting through the air until it fell directly into the Profound Thief’s hand. His surrounding demonic energy solidified like a dragon, lunging toward Lin Xuanxuan’s body.
Lin Xuanxuan seemed unwilling to meet the attack head-on, rapidly flickering and evading in a series of movements while simultaneously unleashing and detonating talisman after talisman.
Yet, the dragon-like claw still reached her, and in an instant, a mist of blood exploded outwards.
When Lin Xuanxuan reappeared, she was several miles away.
Her expression was frigid; the other arm had also been pulverized.
The group on the Altar of Heaven collectively drew a sharp breath, realizing it was the Profound Thief Demon Lord’s divine ability that had forced the Recluse of Mortal Dreams into sacrificing an arm to survive!
At this moment, Lin Xuanxuan appeared worried for those below, stating gravely, “Be careful not to make contact with him. The Great Art of Stealing the Profound and Seizing the Spirit steals the profound spirit! It can steal divine abilities and seize flesh and spirit essence. All things in this world, all methods in this world, can be stolen! Unless one possesses an equally destructive art of the twelfth grade, or a Divine Treasure, they will be useless against this person.”
Zong Shou felt an icy chill permeate his core. He had read about the Great Art of Stealing the Profound and Seizing the Spirit and the Great Calamity of the Profound Theft from six thousand years ago in books.
This person’s divine abilities allowed him to forcefully seize anything they touched and make it his own.
That was why, six millennia ago, this figure had seized the divine consciousness of countless cultivators, turning them into his minions, and appropriated countless cultivators' divine abilities and methods for his own use, achieving immense momentum and throwing the world into chaos.
This explained why the ancient tortoise shell inscription had fallen into the Profound Thief’s hands just now. Lin Xuanxuan had to self-detonate her body, forcibly severing the flow of vital energy, just to prevent her own divine consciousness from being seized.
Shen Yuexuan remained silent, but twenty-four metal cylinders unfolded around him, unleashing an onslaught of five-colored feather light like a torrential downpour toward the mid-air.
Yuan Wushang also fiercely thrust out a hand, grasping the space in that direction and forcibly draining all spiritual energy within a full ten-mile radius in an instant.
“Hmm? The Five Elements Absolute Feather Needles—you are from the Mohist School? Interesting—”
The Profound Thief raised an eyebrow, and the tortoise shell in his hand spread out concentric ripples, intercepting the tens of thousands of feather lights shooting towards him.
He almost failed to block them entirely, as some needles pierced through. However, this small number was not worth the Profound Thief’s notice; before he even made a move, the needles simply plummeted downwards.
He calmly examined the object in his hand.
“Truly a fine treasure. It can even stop these Five Elements Absolute Feather Needles, reputed to slay Saint-rank experts. This must be one of the foundational Immortal Treasures of your Dao of All Sentient Beings? Since I have just escaped confinement and possess nothing, I shall unceremoniously accept this item!”
He chuckled coldly again, saying smoothly, “The Recluse has an intimate knowledge of my methods, the Profound Thief’s techniques. But knowing them, is it useful? This method of self-mutilation is not infallible. Before I escaped, I made a solemn vow to eliminate this Sovereign of Great Qian for Li Biexue. I care little for the lives of others. I wonder, Recluse, can you confidently protect him? If I were you, I would take the others and flee now—flee as far as possible!”
Lin Xuanxuan took a deep breath, her gaze flickering.
As expected, he had come for Zong Shou! She had judged this during their first brief clash, but hearing the Profound Thief confirm it in person solidified her certainty.
Without hesitation, she curled the corner of her lip, her voice filled with sharp sarcasm: “For me, Lin Xuanxuan, to flee? You, the Profound Thief, are not qualified! Do you truly believe the Great Art of Stealing the Profound and Seizing the Spirit makes you invincible in this world? Even the Life and Death Divine Ability of your sworn brother, Ao Kun, could cast you, the Profound Thief, into an abyss of eternal damnation! Demon Lord, are you truly confident you can escape the pursuit of the Lu Family of Burning Sky and my five Zenith Realm cultivators from the Dao of All Sentient Beings? I advise you, instead of seeking to fulfill your vow against my junior nephew, to find a way to deal with the Heart Demon of your Vow first!”
The Profound Thief’s eyes narrowed slightly, then he broke into laughter, “The Lu Family of Burning Sky, five Zenith Saint Venerables—are they so terrifying? Unfortunately, there are always those in this world who do not fear them. Haven’t you always called me, the Profound Thief, a complete lunatic? How can a lunatic’s style of operation be judged by common sense?”
He flashed once more, appearing directly above the Altar of Heaven, mere hundred feet from Zong Shou. Yuan Wushang instinctively swung his sword.
However, as he drew near, he abruptly retreated. All the spiritual energy before him exploded outward.
Yuan Wushang’s hand also exploded apart at the critical moment, narrowly averting the danger of having his flesh and primordial spirit seized by the Profound Thief.
But the sword in his hand now rested in the Profound Thief’s grasp. He was shocked and astounded, yet immensely relieved. Fortunately, this sword was not the Half-Step Divine Treasure he had just acquired; otherwise, the pain of loss would have been crushing.
His rapid retreat forced the Jade Puppet, which was poised for a full-power strike, to halt abruptly.
He knew that even if the Jade Puppet unleashed its full power, it would not harm this figure in the slightest; rather, it might become an advantage to his enemy.
The Profound Thief roared with laughter, brandishing the immortal weapon dropped by Yuan Wushang. He casually swept it in an arc, striking Chu Xue’s incoming divine weapon, the Blood Moon Blade, causing Chu Xue to vomit blood as she was thrown back.
“There really is a Divine Weapon—”
His gaze lingered greedily on the Blood Cloud Blade for a moment before the Profound Thief continued forward.
Lin Xuanxuan’s expression remained cold. Though acutely aware of Zong Shou’s perilous situation, she showed no sign of panic.
Muttering incantations, layers of light talismans condensed around her newly formed arm.
Then, she pointed a finger lightly toward the Profound Thief. Midway through the motion, however, fierce true strength erupted, and primal power surged!
This single thrust demanded the Profound Thief’s serious attention, leading him to chuckle softly: “Legend says that the Three Junior Sisters and confidantes of Lord Xi were taught personally by him. Lin Xuan'an practices the Origin Life Spirit Breath Art, ceaseless generation. And Recluse Yuan Jing masters the Heaven Transformation Art of Profound Spirit, where the word ‘Change’ is used with divine skill, manifesting infinite variations. Only you, Lin Xuanxuan, remain the most mysterious, known to few. It turns out your foundational Great Dao is the Chaos Divine Art! Unfortunately, while this method is also a twelfth-grade world-destroying technique, it is still insufficient!”
A sword light similarly sliced out, and with a ‘boom,’ it struck Lin Xuanxuan’s fingertip.
As the sword landed, Lin Xuanxuan’s finger shattered first. Then, her arm and half of her shoulder were severed.
She staggered backward, sent flying several thousand feet away.
The Profound Thief, composed as ever, walked up to Zong Shou.
“I do not know why Li Biexue is so intent on killing you! But I know it must be something you possess that tempts him. Possessing treasure brings disaster; when you die, blame only yourself—”
With casual indifference, he swung his sword toward Zong Shou’s neck.
Zong Shou’s expression was serene, showing no trace of fear, his focus absolute.
The God Refining Sword in his hand thrust out simultaneously.
—The Primordial One Sword: Beginning and End!
In this desperate plight, facing imminent death, every reserve of potential within his body was stimulated.
It was at this moment that his swordsmanship was elevated to an unimaginable level.
Light and dark converged, beginning and end unified. The single thrust seemed to reveal a deity!
In that instant, the area within a thousand feet became invisible to the naked eye.
An almost tangible black hole and white hole manifested upon the sword’s edge.
The Profound Thief’s eyes lit up, gleaming with brilliant light. When the two sword shadows clashed, the sword in the Profound Thief’s hand instantly disintegrated. Zong Shou retreated ten feet, spitting out large fragments of internal organs mixed with blood.
The Profound Thief clicked his tongue in admiration, “Interesting, truly interesting. This divine ability of yours surpasses my Great Art of Stealing the Profound and Seizing the Spirit!”