Inside the Sun and Moon Sect, tens of thousands of disciples looked at each other in confusion and fear, their faces filled with panic and bewilderment.
They had never felt such a terrifying pressure, not even when the old ancestor had descended just now. It was far less suffocating than what they were experiencing now.
Could it be that another elder from the Sun and Moon Sect had appeared?
Although they didn't fully understand the situation, they instinctively knelt on the ground. No matter what, it was always safer to beg for mercy first.
Meanwhile, deep within the treasury, Fang Yuan was feeling the surging power within his body. This time, he had forever reached the peak of the Heavenly Earth Realm!
The man who could only last for five minutes before was no more. Now, the one who emerged was…
A peak Heavenly Earth Realm powerhouse!
Moreover, Fang Yuan realized that despite being at the peak of the Heavenly Earth Realm like before, his combat power this time had skyrocketed by many times compared to his previous ascensions!
This was the difference between top-tier and rare-tier cultivation!
"Indeed…" Fang Yuan clenched his fist, feeling the spiritual power surging inside him. "Breaking through after mastering the Three Gates of Creation was the most correct decision!"
Outside the treasury, Elder Tianxu was breathing heavily, his eyes gleaming with fervor.
Although he regretted Elder Yuheng's fall, the thought that the Sun and Moon Sect would soon be led by such a powerful being made his heart uncontrollably excited.
With such a world-shaking powerhouse at the helm, the sect might be able to dominate the entire Northern Continent!
While he was lost in thought, the treasury suddenly trembled violently, and the skies above changed rapidly. A figure broke through the air like a shooting star, landing steadily in the center of the square.
Elder Tianxu quickly bowed, his voice trembling with excitement, "The ancestor's divine might is unmatched! Given time, the Sun and Moon Sect will surely dominate the Northern Continent!"
Fang Yuan merely nodded indifferently, not in the mood to chat with Elder Tianxu, and began to communicate with Ruan Tianhe mentally: "How's it going on your side?"
All the tasks here had been completed, and the next step was to start harvesting on the other side.
Ruan Tianhe's urgent response came through the mental link: "Your Majesty, things are bad!"
...
While Fang Yuan was taking control of the Sun and Moon Sect, the situation in the Hundred Poison Cave was also quietly changing.
The verbal sparring between Zhang Xuanting and the Qinghua Demon Lord eventually ended in a stalemate, with both sides vehemently denying that the boy in the painting was from their side.
Seeing that the verbal conflict had led nowhere, Zhang Xuanting's spiritual power surged, and the dazzling Sun and Moon Dharma image behind him was already prepared to strike. With a single thought, it could unleash earth-shattering spells.
"Hold on!" The master of the Hundred Poison Cave, the Tianfeng Demon Lord, suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with weariness. "If a battle truly breaks out, whether it be humans or demons, powerful warriors will fall today."
He scanned the crowd and spoke with a heavy tone, "You all have cultivated to this stage, overcoming countless calamities and suffering, to reach this level of power. I'm sure none of you wish to perish just like this."
"Moreover, even if you humans are willing to watch your disciples die, I, for one, cannot bear to see my own soldiers bleed on the battlefield."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Zhang Xuanting asked coldly.
The Tianfeng Demon Lord's mouth curled into a slight smile: "How about we top-tier warriors spar with each other? Let's keep it at five moves, and the winner will decide the outcome."
"Five moves? You killed my son, and now you want to settle it with five moves?" Zhang Xuanting laughed angrily.
"Naturally, there's more to it." The Tianfeng Demon Lord replied calmly, "If you win, we will willingly submit, and sign a blood pact to become your spiritual pets."
In the Northern Continent, it was a common practice to raise spiritual pets. In essence, spiritual pets were demons that voluntarily submitted, and once they joined, they had to take on a more refined title.
"And if we lose?" Luo Tao asked in a deep voice.
The Tianfeng Demon Lord's eyes gleamed: "Then you will have to relinquish the Northern Region's territory and return it to its rightful owner."
Zhang Xuanting and Luo Tao exchanged looks, falling into deep thought.
If they could capture such a large group of demons to use as their own, it would be an immense force. In comparison, the pain of losing a son seemed less unbearable.
With this thought, they immediately began communicating mentally.
"What do you all think? Should we agree?" Zhang Xuanting's voice echoed in their minds. This was a matter of great importance for all the cultivators of the Northern Region, so even Zhang Xuanting didn't dare to make a unilateral decision.
"Master, this is suspicious. There's likely a trap!" Elder Tianxing from the Sun and Moon Sect was the first to speak up.
"Indeed," Luo Tianyi added. "But in terms of strategy, the demons are not as clever as humans. I really don't believe they can come up with any elaborate schemes…"
The Northern Continent was originally a paradise for demons. When humans first arrived, they were at a disadvantage, but eventually, humans managed to occupy most of the territory, relying on their strategic intelligence.
The demons, often lacking in strategy, would fall in the face of human-planned tactics, and this had solidified the current situation.
"If a full-scale battle really occurs, given the strength of the demon army, we might not have the upper hand..." Luo Tao pondered, his gaze scanning the dense demon army in the distance.
He solemnly asked, "Master Zhang, forgive me for asking, but if we fight the Tianfeng Demon Lord, do you have absolute confidence in winning?"
"Ten out of ten!" Zhang Xuanting answered decisively. The demons didn't know that he had already broken through to the peak of the Heavenly Earth Realm, and facing the Tianfeng Demon Lord would be a complete mismatch.
"In that case, I believe we should give it a try!" Luo Tao's eyes shone with determination.
Zhang Xuanting fell into thought. Luo Tao was right. On the surface, accepting the Tianfeng Demon Lord's proposal seemed like the best choice.
With that in mind, Zhang Xuanting looked directly at the Tianfeng Demon Lord and asked, "How shall we compete?"
The Tianfeng Demon Lord grinned: "It's simple. We each make five moves, and the one who lands more successful strikes wins."
"Just like that?" Zhang Xuanting raised an eyebrow.
"Just like that," the Tianfeng Demon Lord replied.
This proposal sounded quite fair, and many cultivators present were secretly astonished. Zhang Xuanting's heart rang with alarm, knowing there was a catch.
But... with the demons' shallow intelligence, what kind of intricate trap could they set?
Moreover, Zhang Xuanting had now reached the peak of the Heavenly Earth Realm and had several powerful techniques up his sleeve that he had yet to use. No matter how many schemes they had, in the face of absolute power, it would be like an ant shaking a tree.
"Alright, I'll see what tricks you demons are planning to pull today!" Zhang Xuanting immediately agreed.