The sword light that illuminated heaven and earth gradually dimmed. The mysterious voice of the Great Cold Demon Sect's master reverberated across the ocean, snapping the cultivators on the continent out of their shock. They hadn't seen Gu An's figure—only the Nine-Finger Divine Lord and Qie Wuxing had witnessed it.
But the overwhelming sword intent reminded them of one person.
Sword Master of Dao!
"It's Sword Master of Dao! It has to be! No one else could wield such power!" A cultivator from the Tai Xuan Sect's Xuanxin Realm shouted in excitement, recalling the sword intent he had once experienced at the Heaven Mending Platform.
Qiao Dai, standing at the forefront, was equally elated. His eyes burned with fervent reverence as he remembered the scene when Sword Master of Dao descended upon the Seven Stars Spirit Realm years ago.
Meanwhile, Qie Wuxing, who had narrowly escaped death, heaved a deep sigh of relief. He retreated swiftly, daring not to approach the demonic army any further.
Gu An stood in the air above the swirling black mist, holding swords in both hands. Around him, the thousand-zhang demonic shadows continued to disintegrate, but countless others loomed closer, encircling him. Among them, some shadows were tens of thousands of zhàng tall, accompanied by gargantuan beasts with unfathomable forms.
[You have successfully drained 10,298 years of Meng Chenglang's lifespan (Wandering Immortal, seventh layer).]
[You have successfully drained 1,459 years of Xu Linxin's lifespan (Loose Immortal Realm, second layer).]
[You have successfully drained 12,080 years of Wuyun True Person's lifespan (Wandering Immortal, sixth layer).]
A series of notifications flashed before Gu An's eyes. He didn't rush to strike again but surveyed his surroundings.
He had to admit that the Great Cold Demon Sect's response was impressively swift. Despite his devastating attack, the remaining cultivators did not panic. Instead, they formed a massive formation with remarkable speed. The formation exuded a profound and mysterious power, capable of reorganizing itself in mere breaths.
As the sword light faded, the scene shifted dramatically. In an instant, Gu An found himself in a cosmic void. Beneath his feet, the rolling black mist still churned, and all around him, the demonic shadows loomed. Beneath the shadows stood the cultivators of the Great Cold Demon Sect, gripping an array of artifacts.
With the formation complete, the towering shadows and colossal entities revealed their true forms. There were beasts as large as primordial mountains, a female cultivator scattering ethereal flower petals, and massive avian creatures with wingspans stretching thousands of miles, circling in the heavens.
The mist beneath Gu An surged violently, resembling a tempestuous sea.
"Who are you? If you do not reveal your identity, do not blame us for showing no mercy!"
The cold, commanding voice from earlier rang out once more. This time, its tone carried a chilling confidence, bolstered by the formation's completion.
Gu An looked up. Above the layers of encirclement, within an expanse of utter darkness, a pair of enormous eyes opened. Their gaze pierced through the void, exuding an oppressive force as if a being beyond comprehension was peering into him from another plane.
[Jie Zun (Unrestrained Primordial Immortal Realm, eighth layer): 780,450/830,000/880,000 lifespan]
The owner of the eyes was a monster who had lived for over 780,000 years! Yet, to Gu An's dismay, killing him would only yield a little over five millennia of lifespan—a disappointment.
As the colossal eyes fully opened, the four Unrestrained Primordial Immortal cultivators of the Great Cold Demon Sect appeared in succession. Their lifespans, however, were much more substantial, easing Gu An's irritation.
"This is the Great Cold Demon Sect's Luo Tian Star-Trapping Immortal Formation," declared Jie Zun, his voice brimming with authority. "Once the formation is activated, no divine power, no matter how great, can escape!"
As he spoke, the other four Unrestrained Primordial Immortal cultivators took out their respective treasures and moved to the four cardinal points. Their actions caused ripples to cascade through the void, as countless rays of rainbow light materialized. These rays weren't mere illusions; they carried a mysterious energy that began to coalesce.
Gu An looked up at the Jie Zun and asked flatly, "Does the Great Cold Demon Sect have anyone stronger?"
His words sent shockwaves through the formation. The Jie Zun's gaze faltered momentarily, and every cultivator of the sect froze in disbelief. Their eyes, filled with fear, darted toward him.
Stronger?
How could someone be so audacious?
Yet, recalling the earlier sword strike, none dared to mock him. Instead, all watched him as though facing their greatest foe.
Jie Zun's face turned pale. His intuition screamed that the man before him wasn't simply being arrogant.
For a moment, silence reigned within the Luo Tian Star-Trapping Immortal Formation.
"So, there's no one stronger?" Gu An's voice cut through the stillness. "What a disappointment. I thought you had more confidence behind your recklessness."
As he spoke, Gu An hurled the Heavenly Solemn Sword into the air.
Boom!
The sword cleaved through the mist, annihilating scores of Great Cold Demon Sect cultivators. The sword's edge exuded radiant brilliance, shattering any protective barriers they conjured. In the blink of an eye, it carved through thousands of miles, piercing the heart of the Luo Tian Star-Trapping Immortal Formation and breaking through into the physical world.
On the continent below, cultivators hovered midair, watching anxiously as a ray of light tore through the impenetrable black mist. None could discern the battle's outcome, but the sight of that piercing light made their hearts race with tension.
As Gu An's sword landed, the Jie Zun bellowed, "Kill him!"
From all directions, the Great Cold Demon Sect's cultivators unleashed their spells. A torrent of vibrant, devastating energy surged toward Gu An, combining divine techniques and magical arts into a catastrophic flood.
Gu An extended a hand and grabbed at the void. As he clenched his fingers, a figure appeared in his grasp.
Taiyuan Heaven-Grasping Hand!
This was a divine ability derived from the Chaos Taiyuan Sacred Art, and today marked its first use.
In his hand was none other than the Jie Zun, clad in white robes. His face was etched with terror and despair.
With a simple squeeze, Gu An reduced the ancient cultivator to dust. Without pause, he raised the Azure Swan Sword and resumed his slaughter.
...
Within the depths of the continent, cultivators rushed toward the edges in an unending stream. However, upon glimpsing the vast ocean, their faces uniformly paled.
The terrifying black mist before them seemed capable of devouring all things between heaven and earth, instilling an overwhelming sense of impending doom. Its oppressive presence alone was enough to terrify anyone who gazed upon it.
The black mist surged violently, as if an endless horde of demons and monsters were rioting within.
The morale of the continent's defenders shattered immediately. Not a single soul dared to summon the courage to fight. They remained unaware that within the black mist, countless Great Cold Demon Sect cultivators were also moving, all converging toward the same direction.
The disciples of the Great Cold Demon Sect had received a dire command: someone had launched a sudden assault, and every available combatant was to support the Luo Tian Star-Trapping Immortal Formation without delay!
Rolling thunderclouds blanketed the heavens, their oppressive roars reverberating across the land.
Within the demon-occupied lands, Tai Xuan Sect's Branch Hall:
Ye Lan stood atop a pavilion, her gaze fixed on the turbulent skies. She clutched the White Spirit Sword tightly, her expression filled with unease. Though the sword showed no unusual signs, her heart refused to settle.
"May we endure this calamity unscathed…" she murmured softly, silently praying.
Though she had long abandoned the hope of attaining longevity, she did not wish for her life to end so abruptly. There was still so much she had yet to accomplish, so many places left unexplored. Her promise with her senior brother remained unfulfilled—how could she resign herself to such a fate?
Beneath the thunderclouds, Nine-Finger Divine Lord and Qie Wuxing stood side by side, their expressions frozen in shock. Neither could maintain their composure, their mouths agape as disbelief filled their faces.
And they weren't the only ones. The newly arrived cultivators from the continent shared their awe, their flight slowing as they processed the scene before them.
Within the rolling black mist, countless enormous demonic shadows appeared and vanished, rising and falling in chaotic waves. An innumerable horde of cultivators swirled within the mist, their focus united on a single point—a place radiating blinding sword light.
Even from a great distance, the specifics of the battle were obscured. Yet the overwhelming sword intent radiating outward was unmistakable.
This was not a battle between equals. It was a one-sided massacre.
Despite the Great Cold Demon Sect's overwhelming numbers, forming a veritable sea of cultivators, Gu An stood at their center, wielding twin swords. His posture was relaxed, yet each strike of his blades annihilated waves of cultivators and monsters alike.
His overwhelming power sent ripples of fear through the ranks of the Great Cold Demon Sect.
"We can't stop him! It's hopeless!"
"Damn it! He's doing this on purpose—refusing to use divine abilities, relying solely on sword energy to slaughter us!"
"Even the Luo Tian Star-Trapping Immortal Formation was broken by him. How could we possibly stand a chance?"
"Watch out! His sword's coming again!"
"Retreat! Fall back immediately!"
Chaos erupted. The heavens and earth were filled with a cacophony of panic as Gu An's every strike not only claimed countless lives but also shattered the morale of the Great Cold Demon Sect.
Not even the Immortal of Death dared approach Gu An. Instead, they resorted to casting divine techniques from afar. Giant ethereal palms descended from the sky, aiming to crush Gu An, but each dissipated upon contact, powerless against him.
Gu An walked leisurely across the black mist, his every step accompanied by a sword swing. His movements were casual, devoid of any formal sword technique, yet devastatingly effective.
Whenever the Great Cold Demon Sect attempted to reform the Luo Tian Star-Trapping Immortal Formation, Gu An's sword energy scattered their efforts with ease.
As he observed the ongoing notifications in his vision, Gu An restrained the turbulent emotions within. He did not kill for the sake of killing—he was acting as the sword of heaven itself, delivering righteous judgment.
Suddenly, Gu An halted mid-step. His abrupt pause sent a ripple of dread through the Great Cold Demon Sect's forces. In an instant, they all retreated, creating a hundred-li radius of empty space around him.
The disciples trembled, their gazes fixed on Gu An as if they were staring at death incarnate.
The Immortal of Death gritted his teeth and shouted, "The Sect Master will arrive shortly! Hold your ground!"
His voice echoed across the battlefield, reaching every disciple of the Great Cold Demon Sect. Yet his words did little to bolster their crumbling morale.
"Hold your ground?" Gu An's raspy voice cut through the tension, laden with mockery. His tone carried an air of disdain, as if he had just heard the world's greatest joke.
Before the Immortal of Death could respond, Gu An vanished from his spot. His sudden disappearance sent waves of panic through the Great Cold Demon Sect. Tension soared as everyone frantically searched for him.
"He's above us…"
A despairing voice rang out, and countless cultivators and monsters instinctively raised their heads. What they saw left them dumbfounded.
High above the clouds, a towering figure loomed, its height beyond mortal comprehension. Only the upper half of the figure was visible, shimmering like an ethereal mirage. Even the thousand-zhang demonic shadows seemed minuscule in its presence.
It was Gu An's form.
In that moment, every member of the Great Cold Demon Sect felt an inescapable sense of oppression. Their bodies were frozen in place, incapable of movement.
The more powerful cultivators instinctively looked downward. Beneath the rolling black mist, they noticed something horrifying—a massive hand, ablaze with dark purple flames, was rising toward them.
The Immortal of Death's gaze fell, and his face contorted in terror.
"This… this isn't land…"
"It's a hand! A hand large enough to seize us all!"
Far away, Nine-Finger Divine Lord, Qie Wuxing, and the cultivators from the continent stood in stunned silence.
At the edge of the sea, a speeding city emerged—it was Mysterious Divine City.
On the city's tower, Li Ya trembled as he watched the scene. His wide eyes reflected the colossal hand rising from the endless black mist, so vast that even his expansive view couldn't fully encompass it.
Never in his life had Li Ya imagined such a sight. If the heavens themselves had hands, they would be no different from this.