“Very well, this divine elixir shall remain in my keeping. I will personally deliver it to the first one who returns, and I will tell them of everything you have done. You may depart with peace of mind!” the little figure stated flatly, though a current of helplessness and sorrow laced his tone.

Xuanyuan Jue, Dugu Bachén, and Leng Yueying exchanged no further words. Simultaneously, they rose, bowed to the elder, and transformed into several streaks of light, vanishing into the sky.

The little figure and the Turbid Dragon gazed in the direction of the sky, exhaling a soft sigh.

Moments later, deep within a ravine nestled in the Tiangang Mountain Range, amidst hundreds of stone caves scarred by sword marks—it appeared these caverns had been hewn entirely by sword qi—a gaunt silhouette materialized mid-air. It was Dugu Bachén.

As if sensing his presence, figures in plain cloth robes, iron swords strapped to their backs, gradually emerged from the cave mouths. They all possessed stern countenances, appearing quite aged. Several among them had entirely snow-white hair, yet their complexions were remarkably ruddy, clearly indicating they had attained a high level of power.

Of course, the majority were men and women whose hair was silvered and faces etched with age. Though their bodies were lean, they radiated an intensely powerful sword intent. Astonishingly, every single one of them was a supreme expert at the Martial Saint realm or above.

The dozen or so men with bleached hair and ruddy complexions had all reached the Martial God realm—first-rate masters of the highest echelon.

If the people of the Douhun Continent knew that such a vast number of Martial Saints and Martial Gods existed in this world, one could only imagine their reaction.

These individuals were the elite core of the Dugu Family, the supreme essence accumulated over hundreds of years. By seniority, some were even Dugu Bachén's elders. Since birth, they had practiced relentlessly, mastering the Dugu Family’s sword arts, constantly enhancing their strength. Their existence was not for power, not for vengeance, nor for fame; it was for freedom.

It was for the sake of liberating the entire Douhun Continent from the subjugation of the Guhua Continent. They refused to let their descendants become test subjects for endless study.

For these hundreds of years, they had toiled day and night in cultivation. The youngest among them was over fifty years old. They were all top-tier geniuses; without such innate talent, reaching the Martial Saint realm would have been impossible. They should have been revered and pursued by the masses—they ought to be the celebrated powerhouses in the eyes of the world. Yet, they never revealed themselves, enduring solitude and tedium, their existence completely unknown to the people of the Douhun Continent.

This was a grand scheme set in motion centuries ago, a goal fought for the freedom of every soul on the Douhun Continent.

Soon, over three hundred people gathered in the valley. The lowest among them was a Martial Saint, while the strongest had ascended to the Martial God realm of the Fifth Heaven.

At this moment, whether they were Dugu Bachén’s juniors or seniors, every eye fixed upon him hovering in the air held but a single expression: reverence.

Indeed, armed with the profound martial arts of the Dugu Family and the marrow-cleansing provided by these experts, achieving the Grandmaster realm was not difficult for them, and reaching Martial Saint was also attainable. Even attaining Martial God status was not extraordinary. However, entering the Martial Venerable realm—in all these years, only Dugu Bachén had achieved it within the Dugu Family. Perhaps the legendary Dugu Qiubai had reached this level, but that ancestor lived so long ago that verification was impossible.

For this reason, Dugu Bachén had become the deity of the Dugu Family.

His command was divine will. That was why, three centuries ago, when he required the Dugu Family members to withdraw from the world and focus solely on cultivation, no Dugu family member had operated outside since.

Three centuries passed, and countless masters emerged from the Dugu Family—a force capable of unifying the Nine Provinces. Yet, he still held them back.

At his level of attainment, he naturally understood that even becoming an emperor would make one nothing more than a dog on a leash. Xuanyuan Jue was the prime example. They were peak powerhouses; what they needed most was not authority, but dignity and freedom.

His cold gaze swept over the assembled crowd, and a look of satisfaction settled on Dugu Bachén’s face. This was the Dugu Family—the mighty Dugu Family. They grew in isolation; they grew strong in silence.

Even knowing that perhaps none of these assembled individuals would survive in the end, there was no trace of regret in Dugu Bachén’s eyes. The Dugu Family needed no pity, no sympathy; they could face death bravely.

The three most promising talents of the Dugu Family had already been sent away. Though the Demon Realm was fraught with peril, with their abilities, ensuring the survival of at least one seemed possible. Once that happened, perhaps even those haughty figures of the Guhua Continent would hesitate to step into the Demon Realm.

The Douhun War—they all believed it was merely a trial for them, that the battlefield lay within the Demon Realm. But who knew that the true battlefield was in the Nine Provinces?

The Douhun War—it was a battle fought for the freedom of all humanity on the Douhun Continent.

“Go…” He uttered the single word, and Dugu Bachén turned, flying toward the east.

The three hundred-plus figures in the valley also shouldered their long swords and leaped into the air. No matter where Dugu Bachén went, even if it were Hell itself, they would follow closely with the iron swords in their hands.

A similar scene unfolded at the Xuanyuan Family, White Emperor City, and the Qinlong Sect. When the hidden powers of these major sects were finally displayed, new forces like the Nanyun Alliance realized their true terror.

The Xuanyuan Family still possessed over five hundred Martial Saints and several dozen Martial Gods. White Emperor City had more than three hundred Martial Saints and ten Martial Gods. The Qinlong Sect also fielded over two hundred Martial Saints and eight Martial Gods. The Baihua Sect and the Rakshasa Gate simultaneously deployed over a hundred Martial Saints and three Martial Gods.

The Gongsun Family astonishingly dispatched over a hundred Saint Beasts, and the brothers Gongsun Sheng and Gongsun Bai had even attained the God level. Even the Zhuge Family produced one hundred and thirty Soul Immortals and fifteen True Immortals, three of whom had already undergone the Seventh Heavenly Thunder Tribulation—Zhuge Yishi’s grandfather was among them.

Conversely, the Leng Family, Ximen Family, and the Nanyun Alliance fielded fewer than a hundred Martial Saints and Martial Gods combined.

After all, they were emerging powers. The Nanyun Alliance, in particular, had only one Martial God, Luo Xiaofeng, although several Martial Saints—all leaders of various minor sects, and only recently achieving the Martial Saint realm.

Witnessing the might of these great families, Luo Xiaofeng finally grasped how insignificant the strength he had painstakingly accumulated truly was in comparison.

Half a day later, nearly a thousand Martial Saints and nearly a hundred Martial Gods, led by Xuanyuan Jue and Dugu Bachén, arrived at the edge of the East Sea. Quietly boarding a massive vessel, they sailed silently toward the sea’s expanse. They understood the mission bestowed upon them. In that moment, they forgot their mutual hatreds and grievances; their hearts held only a single thought: freedom—the freedom for all humanity on the Douhun Continent.

(Apologies to all brothers for the long wait. Today, apart from lunch, I have been writing non-stop until just now. I had a few matters cropping up these past few days, so my reserved chapters ran out yesterday! It’s good to have backups now. This is the final day, and the total word count has reached 250,000! Please continue to support with golden bricks and collections. I will also announce a group number: 97068891. Brothers who haven’t joined, please enter; those already in the group, please do not join again!)