In the Tian Wei Dynasty, atop Heavenly Palace Mountain.
An Hao, Si Yan'er, and a group of cultivators exited the Heavenly Palace, gazing up at the starry heavens in astonishment. The vast firmament above them, filled with countless stars that seemed so close they could be plucked by hand, left everyone wide-eyed.
"What is this phenomenon?"
"Could it be that the heavens are about to collapse?"
"Is this the doing of the Demon Ancestor?"
"It's unlikely. It might be the result of some grand formation, perhaps one of the celestial arrays of Cang Tian Sect. Their formations are known to emulate the cosmos itself."
"With the recent increase in demonic attacks in this region, it's becoming harder to defend the heritage of this land."
An Hao stared silently at the sky, his gaze flickering with a mixture of emotions.
Si Yan'er, standing beside him, noticed his distraction. She nudged him with her elbow and asked, "What's on your mind?"
Taking a deep breath, An Hao replied, "This is the sword intent of the Sword Master of Dao. It appears to be an evolution of the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword."
Sword Master of Dao?
The surrounding cultivators turned toward him, their faces lighting up with joy.
They had emerged from the Heavenly Palace, drawn out by the oppressive aura of the Demon Ancestor. Amid their unease, the sudden transformation of the sky had further heightened their anxiety. But hearing An Hao's words brought a glimmer of hope—could the Sword Master of Dao be preparing to confront the Demon Ancestor?
Si Yan'er, knowing that the Sword Master of Dao was An Hao's master, grew equally excited about the impending battle.
She vividly recalled the moment when the Sword Master of Dao had effortlessly obliterated a Grandmaster of the Profound Heart Realm with a mere flick of his sleeve.
A figure of such power could not possibly be defeated, could they?
The more she pondered, the clearer it became: no matter how formidable the enemy, the Sword Master of Dao always triumphed.
When he acts, the world is shaken!
Meanwhile, in the Tai Cang Dynasty, a blood-soaked battlefield stretched across a vast plain.
Wu Jue was locked in fierce combat with hordes of demonic creatures. His fists moved like the wind, each strike obliterating a demonic body. His presence was a storm of overwhelming power, eclipsing even the monstrous auras around him.
The battlefield teemed with tens of thousands of soldiers, all engaged in a desperate struggle against the demonic tide. These warriors were the elite of the Tai Cang Dynasty.
Wu Jue glanced upward, his face filled with awe.
"What just happened to the sky?"
He wasn't the only one bewildered. The other soldiers also looked up in fear, only to be forced back into the fray as the relentless demons pressed their attack.
A few miles away, a silver-armored general wielding a long spear moved with unrivaled precision, his strikes unerring and deadly.
This was Ye Yan, one of the disciples Gu An had recruited from Xuan Valley.
Despite being only in the Foundation Establishment Realm, Ye Yan's physique, aura, and spear techniques were extraordinary—far surpassing those of his fellow Foundation Establishment cultivators. Of course, he was still no match for Wu Jue, but his spearwork was uniquely elegant and agile.
The spear danced like a dragon; his body moved like a fleeting shadow. Each thrust and sweep left trails of gore and carnage in its wake.
Ye Yan, too, raised his gaze to the heavens, his eyes brimming with awe.
"What kind of cultivation could create such a phenomenon?"
As a soldier for decades, Ye Yan had fought countless battles and witnessed extraordinary feats. Yet, the sight before him underscored just how small he was in the grand scheme of things.
The vastness of the world, ruled by cultivators who stood far above dynasties and mortal empires, weighed heavily on his mind. He knew that he might never have the chance to glimpse such mighty figures up close in his lifetime.
Shaking off his musings, Ye Yan tightened his grip on his spear and plunged back into the battle.
On a distant mountaintop, Li Xuandao stood against the wind, gazing intently at the star-filled heavens. His brows furrowed deeply.
With his current cultivation level, he could sense far more from the phenomenon than someone like Wu Jue or Ye Yan.
"This is the realm of the Immortal Dao…"
Li Xuandao muttered to himself, his thoughts adrift.
Across the world, cultivators everywhere were mesmerized by the celestial display. Only a handful, secluded in hidden mountains, remained oblivious to the unfolding drama—for instance, Zhang Buku, who continued diligently honing his mastery of the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe in an isolated cave.
In the western region of the Tai Cang Dynasty, a group of Law Enforcement Hall disciples, including Ye Lan and Zhen Qin, paused along a mountain path to admire the celestial spectacle.
The disciples speculated that some powerful cultivator was preparing to face the overwhelming demonic presence looming over the land.
Ye Lan shifted her gaze to Zhen Qin, a quiet sigh escaping her lips.
Since her disappearance months ago, Zhen Qin had changed dramatically, becoming uncharacteristically withdrawn. Even when Ye Lan tried to reach out, Zhen Qin offered no explanation, leaving Ye Lan deeply worried.
All she could do now was pray for an end to the Great Demon Catastrophe, so she could escort Zhen Qin back to Tai Xuan Sect for some much-needed rest.
In the Third Medicine Valley, every disciple marveled at the celestial transformation.
Lu Lingjun, too, stood staring at the heavens, sensing the vast sword intent emanating from above. The aura reminded her of the Sword Master of Dao, but it felt far more potent than anything he had displayed before.
Could it be someone else? Or had the Sword Master of Dao never revealed his full strength?
Standing beside her, Gu An and Xiao Chuan both looked skyward, their expressions equally awe-struck. But Gu An's astonishment was entirely feigned.
His divine sense had already locked onto the Demon Ancestor.
As he unleashed the Boundless Celestial Sword of Star Suppression, the Demon Ancestor's fate was sealed—there was no longer any room for escape. Turning back now was not an option.
The Demon Ancestor did not retreat. Instead, his aura grew even more intense, a ferocious storm of demonic energy surging as he prepared to invade the territories of humanity.
"Sword Master of Dao? Let today decide the outcome of this calamity!"
The Demon Ancestor's icy voice echoed across the Three Dynasties, reverberating through the heavens and earth. Yet this time, there was no widespread terror. The name "Sword Master of Dao" seemed to carry a profound power, filling all who heard it with an unshakable sense of safety.
By now, the name of the Sword Master of Dao was not just known in the world of cultivation; even common folk had heard of him. He had become a symbol of hope, a guardian for all under the Three Dynasties—greater even than the Mountain Gods of legend.
Mountain Gods were ethereal and distant, but the Sword Master of Dao was a cultivator, someone much closer to them, someone they believed in.
In the northern borders of the Great Jiang Dynasty, the Demon Ancestor leapt into the air. Demonic energy exploded around him, intertwining with thunderbolts that roared like dragons. Behind him, the demonic mist churned violently, forming countless feral beast apparitions that howled deafeningly. The ground beneath him fractured and shattered, as though the world itself were on the brink of collapse.
He surged toward the cliff where Xuan Tianyi, Dao Monarch, and the other great cultivators stood.
Even though they knew the Sword Master of Dao would intervene, Xuan Tianyi and the others did not lower their guard. One after another, they brought out their most powerful treasures or arranged defensive formations, preparing for the impending battle with the Demon Ancestor.
Suddenly, a vast sword intent descended upon the heavens, enveloping the earth in its immeasurable majesty.
Xuan Tianyi and the others instinctively looked up, their eyes widening in shock. Their mouths hung open, unable to utter a word. Even the enigmatic Dao Monarch and the serene Longevity Daoist were unable to maintain their composure, their faces painted with astonishment.
Under their stunned gazes, the entire starry sky erupted into dazzling sword light. It was as if countless streams of flowing radiance transformed into sword shadows, descending like a celestial waterfall to cover the entire sky—a breathtaking spectacle beyond imagination.
Even those as powerful as the Mahayana Realm cultivators felt as insignificant as grains of sand before the ocean.
The Demon Ancestor stared at the falling torrent of starlight sword shadows. For a brief moment, fear flickered in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a maniacal expression.
With a deafening roar, the vast demonic mist surged and transformed into a colossal figure over ten thousand feet tall.
The giant's body resembled a human, its feet trampling a lion and a tiger, its waist encircled by a coiling azure dragon, and its shoulders adorned with outspread phoenix wings. Its wild hair writhed like a mass of serpents, twisting furiously.
The giant's hands conjured a phantom blade, an enormous weapon shimmering with boundless demonic energy. Gripping the blade with both hands, the Demon Ancestor raised it high and roared:
"Slash the heavens!"
This sight left Xuan Tianyi and the others, as well as the cultivators rushing in from the rear, completely awestruck. It was as if they were witnessing a primordial god of creation challenging the heavens themselves. The visual impact was so overwhelming that their hearts pounded like war drums.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Endless streams of starlight sword shadows descended, colliding with the Demon Ancestor's massive blade. In an instant, the demonic blade was obliterated, and the titanic figure of the Demon Ancestor was pierced through repeatedly.
The Demon Ancestor unleashed an earth-shaking roar that reverberated across the lands, his massive hands clawing at the sky in defiance.
Yet the torrent of starlight sword shadows fell like an unyielding river from the heavens, enveloping his colossal form entirely. The earth shattered beneath him, dust and debris flying in all directions, while fierce winds roared across the Eight Directions.
The spiritual energy wall created by Longevity Daoist was instantly destroyed, forcing Xuan Tianyi and the others to channel their own spiritual energy to defend themselves. Even so, the mountain beneath them crumbled, and they were flung into the air by the shockwave.
Far away, within the Three Dynasties, countless people saw a brilliant flash of light erupt from the northern horizon. For a moment, the heavens and earth seemed to lose all color, the dazzling brilliance blinding their sight.
Even within the Third Medicine Valley, the overwhelming brightness forced everyone to shut their eyes. Lu Lingjun soared into the air, shielding the valley with her spiritual energy.
Her stunningly beautiful face was etched with disbelief, her figure gradually fading into the intense light.
At Tianhuang Mountain, within Nian Chu Cave Mansion, Tian Yao'er clung nervously to the edge of a stone table. The trembling cave walls mirrored her anxiety as she clutched her head, muttering repeatedly, "Master… Master…"
In the North Sea Mountains, outside the Mountain God Temple.
Xuanmiao Zhenren stood at the edge of the forest, his spiritual energy shielding the surrounding mountains. Yet even his barrier could not stop the violent trembling of the nearby forests and cliffs. He gazed toward the distant horizon, his face frozen in shock.
"Sword Master of Dao…"
Xuanmiao Zhenren murmured, his voice tinged with awe. This level of power made him wonder if the Sword Master of Dao might rival even the Mountain God.
Or perhaps, the Mountain God had foreseen the existence of someone like the Sword Master of Dao—someone capable of standing against such calamities—and had chosen not to intervene.
Although Xuanmiao Zhenren could not see the battlefield clearly, the sheer magnitude of the sword intent left him unable to imagine how the Demon Ancestor could survive.
The blinding light persisted for ten breaths before dissipating. As the world regained clarity, fierce winds continued to howl, and the earth quaked relentlessly.
The celestial image of the starry sky slowly faded, replaced by a serene blue firmament.
In the Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An glanced at the system prompt before him, his brows furrowing slightly.
[You have successfully absorbed 1,030 years of the Demon Ancestor's lifespan (Loose Immortal Realm, fifth level).]
"Only a thousand years?" he muttered under his breath. "That's even less than Lin Jingxian…"
Beside him, Xiao Chuan cautiously opened his eyes, staring at the vanishing starlight in awe. Turning to Gu An, he asked, "Senior Brother, is it over?"
He had expected the Sword Master of Dao to engage the Demon Ancestor in an earth-shattering battle. What transpired was indeed world-shaking, but not in the way he imagined.
Taking a deep breath, Gu An adopted a contemplative expression and replied, "I'm not sure either. Perhaps only Lu Lingjun would know what happened in the distance."
The disciples behind them were also abuzz with speculation, their eyes turning toward the sky where Lu Lingjun hovered.
Suspended high above, Lu Lingjun gazed northward, her face marked by a mixture of fear and awe.
A small snake emerged from her flowing hair—it was the White Spirit Demon Emperor. Flicking its tongue, it whispered, "Good heavens… Such terrifying demonic energy dissipated just like that? The Demon Ancestor wasn't even a match for the Sword Master of Dao…"
Lu Lingjun did not respond. Her mind was preoccupied with a single question:
Just how powerful is the Sword Master of Dao?
Before long, cheers erupted from the outer sect city, a thunderous celebration that shook the skies. The disciples of Tai Xuan Sect, who had been holding their breath for so long, erupted with joyous cries.
To witness the Sword Master of Dao act twice in a single day—what more could one ask for in a lifetime?
More importantly, the fall of the Demon Ancestor signaled a turning point. Could this mean the end of the Great Demon Catastrophe was near?