Inside the cavern, Zhang Buku gripped the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe, practicing with relentless precision. His strikes were fierce, each movement brimming with raw energy, while his footwork carried a profound intricacy, leaving afterimages that seemed to multiply, creating the illusion of several figures within the cavern.
Since discovering this secluded cave and mastering the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe, Zhang Buku had not ventured outside. Through constant practice, his blood and energy surged, merging seamlessly with the mysterious power of the demon core he had absorbed.
Unbeknownst to him, a sparrow perched silently on a distant rock, watching his every move.
Observing Zhang Buku's progress, Gu An, in his sparrow form, felt a rare sense of pride.
"This kid has some potential after all!" Gu An thought. "At least he hasn't wasted my guidance."
Gu An also noticed that Zhang Buku's bloodline was undergoing a transformation. Strangely, this change wasn't aligning with the traits of the Six-Headed Jiao Luo, but rather evolving into something entirely unfamiliar.
This reminded Gu An of the Fierce Demon.
The Six-Headed Jiao Luo had achieved ancestral reversion after consuming the Fierce Demon's true blood. Could Zhang Buku be undergoing a similar process? Perhaps his bloodline was tied to something far more mysterious.
"Zhang Buku isn't as alone in this world as he thinks," Gu An mused. "He still has a mother somewhere. Zhang Chunqiu never disclosed her identity, though. Could it be that his mother comes from an extraordinary background?"
Despite the curiosity, Gu An decided not to dwell on it. For now, there was no immediate cause for concern.
After a while, Zhang Buku finally noticed the sparrow. His face lit up with excitement.
"It's you! The sparrow! You've finally returned! What's your relationship with the predecessor who created this cavern?" he exclaimed.
Zhang Buku refrained from approaching the sparrow, worried he might scare it away.
Gu An, still in sparrow form, tilted his head but remained silent.
The Heaven and Earth's Nine Transformations, part of his Universal Shape and Form Technique, allowed Gu An not only to change his appearance but also to alter his aura completely. Zhang Buku had no inkling of the truth.
Seeing the sparrow's silence, Zhang Buku didn't lose heart. Instead, he eagerly shared tales of his training and fortuitous encounters, attributing all his successes to the sparrow. If not for this bird, he might have fallen prey to some demon instead of discovering this cave and gaining such opportunities.
Even if the sparrow lacked intelligence or any direct connection to the cavern's predecessor, Zhang Buku still felt an immense gratitude.
Gu An listened patiently. The boy's tone carried an enthusiasm and fighting spirit that had transformed him. Gu An couldn't help but recall someone from his past—An Hao.
The resemblance was uncanny. Both carried the unmistakable aura of a prodigy.
Gu An suddenly remembered how, as a child, An Hao had once crossed paths with Zhang Buku. That encounter marked An Hao's first defeat after beginning his cultivation journey. "I wonder if he still broods over that loss," Gu An thought.
When Zhang Buku finished his excited recounting, Gu An spread his beak and spat out a demon core—the one belonging to the Black Yan Demon King.
The sheer size of the demon core, nearly ten times larger than the sparrow itself, left Zhang Buku slack-jawed in astonishment.
Before he could recover, the sparrow flapped its wings and swiftly disappeared into the depths of the cave.
Zhang Buku stared at the demon core lying on the ground, speechless for a long time.
The New Year passed, but the lands of the Three Dynasties remained shrouded in demonic mists and malevolent auras. Spring brought no signs of renewal.
In the Great Jiang Dynasty, within a northern valley, a flurry of activity unfolded. Countless cultivators moved in and out, their expressions tense and hurried.
Seated beneath a tree, Xuan Tianyi was bare-chested, his torso wrapped in layers of white bandages. In his hand, he held a white bone, inspecting it with great interest.
Approaching him was Ji Hantian, who spoke gravely, "The Dao Tian Sect has divined that the Demon Ancestor is preparing to move south. Do you have confidence in facing him?"
Without looking up, Xuan Tianyi replied nonchalantly, "Of course I do. Even if I can't match him, there's always the Sword Master of Dao."
"What if the Demon Ancestor is stronger than the Sword Master of Dao? What then?" Ji Hantian pressed, his worry evident.
"Then we all die together. Surely, you don't think this is humanity's last stand? Relax. Even if we perish, there's a far larger human population overseas," Xuan Tianyi said casually, his attention still on the bone in his hand.
Ji Hantian rolled his eyes at the response. "You've been staring at that bone for days now. What's so special about it?" he asked.
Xuan Tianyi smirked. "My techniques are unmatched. That demon king was reduced to ash, yet this bone remained intact. There's something extraordinary about it. Perhaps it holds clues to the greater truth behind the Demon Catastrophe."
Before Ji Hantian could respond, a gale howled from the north, sweeping through the valley and sending shivers through everyone present.
Xuan Tianyi lowered the bone and turned his gaze northward, his expression serious. "What a terrifying demonic aura… How is this possible?"
Ji Hantian's face paled, and he murmured to himself in disbelief.
Even as a cultivator in the Body Fusion Realm, Ji Hantian was visibly shaken. The other cultivators in the valley, despite their battle-hardened resolve from years of fighting demons, were equally stunned.
"What is this overwhelming aura? It feels like the heavens are collapsing…"
"Could it be a Demon Emperor?"
"No, I've sensed the Demon Emperor's aura before. This far surpasses it. It must be the legendary Demon Ancestor."
"This can't be real! That aura—it's like the origin of all demons!"
"What should we do? We're supposed to fight this? Facing such a presence… it feels hopeless."
Though seasoned and accustomed to the battlefield, the cultivators found their resolve faltering in the face of the Demon Ancestor's overwhelming power. The valley, once bustling with activity, now fell into an oppressive silence, the air heavy with fear.
In the cavern, Xuan Tianyi vanished into thin air.
Immediately, Ji Hantian turned, commanding the disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect to prepare for battle.
Far away, in the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An stood up. He did not look northward but raised his gaze toward the sky.
The heavens were a deep blue, but the drifting clouds above began to dissipate.
"Master, what's wrong?" An Xin, who was sorting through a pile of seeds nearby, turned her head to ask. Around her, Xiao Chuan and several other disciples also directed their gazes toward Gu An.
Gu An replied calmly, "The clouds are scattering."
Hearing this, everyone instinctively looked up. It wasn't long before they, too, noticed something unusual.
After the clouds dispersed, they didn't disappear entirely. Instead, they churned and twisted as though fragmented pieces of cloth were being stitched together. The entire world seemed to fall eerily silent, with even the faint chirping of insects vanishing without a trace.
"Is it the Seven Stars Spirit Realm?" Gu An mused, gazing at the sky.
He could feel the spatial fluctuations rippling above the Tai Xuan Sect. A mysterious power had enveloped the entire sect, a force that had already surpassed the Nirvana Realm, leaving most disciples unaware of its presence.
The Demon Ancestor was indeed descending southward, yet now another celestial adversary, a Loose Immortal, was preparing to descend upon the Tai Xuan Sect.
It was clear that the Seven Stars Spirit Realm had taken notice of the Sword Master of Dao.
Was their aim to prevent the Sword Master of Dao from halting the Demon Ancestor's advance?
Under Gu An's watchful gaze, the fragmented clouds slowly began to form a massive formation diagram, vast and majestic. The spectacle caused more and more disciples to raise their heads in awe.
Even from the valley, the disciples could hear the commotion in the distant outer sect city.
Lu Lingjun appeared at Gu An's side, her expression tense. "Trouble is brewing. Don't go running off," she warned sternly.
With those words, she leapt into the air, heading toward the heavens.
She was not the only one. Other Body Fusion Realm cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect also emerged, their auras flaring as they ascended to meet the impending threat.
Drawing her treasure sword, Lu Lingjun unleashed a sweeping slash, her spiritual energy radiating like a rainbow arc. The strike was vast and imposing.
Boom!
The formation diagram in the sky erupted with dazzling golden light, an overwhelming aura descending with it. Startled, Lu Lingjun halted her advance.
The other Body Fusion Realm cultivators were similarly paralyzed. Unlike Lu Lingjun, they were completely immobilized by the oppressive might of the heavens. Their terrified gazes locked on the golden formation above.
Each fragment of cloud within the formation glowed with radiant gold, forming intricate patterns of runes. These runes coalesced into streams of light, bathing the sect below. Wherever the golden light fell, Tai Xuan Sect disciples found themselves unable to move.
An Xin's eyes widened in despair.
At Heaven Mending Platform, situated within the outer sect city, the cultivators meditating on their sword techniques were all frozen in place. Their bodies trembled, and they stared at the sky in disbelief.
"What… what is that?" asked Zuo Yijian, standing near the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe. His voice wavered as he craned his neck to look upward.
No one answered him. The other cultivators gazed upward as though witnessing the descent of a deity. But this deity brought not fortune, but despair.
Under countless pairs of eyes, a colossal phantom face materialized in the formation diagram. Its features were indistinct—only its five senses were outlined, making it impossible to discern gender or identity. It resembled the manifestation of the will of the heavens, observing all living beings and imposing immense pressure upon the Tai Xuan Sect.
More and more disciples trembled uncontrollably, their knees buckling. They fell to the ground, unable to resist the invisible hand pressing down on their heads, forcing them to avert their gazes from the celestial face.
In the inner sect city, perched upon a rooftop, Ji Xiaoyu stared at the heavens, her brow furrowed deeply.
She did not recognize the formation, but her intuition told her that it was undoubtedly tied to the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
"May I ask which esteemed senior has descended? The world is already in chaos from the demonic scourge. Why must you oppress the Tai Xuan Sect?" A calm female voice rang out. A black-robed woman appeared beside Lu Lingjun.
This was the Supreme Elder, Su Xin Fairy, who had recently returned from overseas. Severely wounded during battles on the demonic frontlines, she had been recuperating within the sect.
Though Su Xin Fairy's cultivation barely surpassed Lu Lingjun's, together, their combined strength lessened the oppressive pressure somewhat.
The phantom face within the golden formation offered no response. It seemed preoccupied, scanning the sect as if searching for something.
Suddenly, beams of golden light shot forth from the formation, streaking toward the outer sect city. The streaks of light converged above the Heaven Mending Platform, witnessed by countless disciples as they coalesced into a massive golden arm.
The arm radiated supreme might, resembling the hand of the heavens itself.
Its target was unmistakable: the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe.
Standing beside the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe, Zuo Yijian's expression shifted dramatically. He, too, was pressed to one knee by the oppressive force, unable to stand.
From his perspective, the golden arm loomed overhead, vast and overwhelming, as though the sky itself was collapsing. Everyone in the city below was struck with despair.
Suddenly, the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe trembled violently. A surge of immense sword intent erupted from it, shooting into the heavens and halting the golden hand in its tracks.
"Why does a being of the Immortal Dao hide within a mortal sect?" A cold, detached voice echoed, reverberating through the Tai Xuan Sect and reaching the ears of every cultivator.
Immortal Dao Realm?
The disciples' minds raced, settling on one possible figure.
The Sword Master of Dao!
Only the Sword Master of Dao could possess such a lofty cultivation.
Within the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An and An Xin, along with the others, were also brought to their knees by the overwhelming pressure. Unlike the rest, Gu An crouched low, his hands pressed firmly against the ground. His arms trembled slightly, his head bowed, obscuring his expression.
"Since you refuse to answer," the cold voice declared, "then witness the destruction of this sect."
As the chilling words fell, the oppressive force surrounding the Tai Xuan Sect intensified. The ground quaked violently, cracks spiderwebbing across the land.
Peering through the corner of his eye, Gu An caught a glimpse of Xiao Chuan and An Xin's despair-filled faces. Everyone was consumed by fear, too paralyzed to notice those around them.
Gu An sighed softly.
"Why must people insist on seeking death?" he muttered under his breath.