Above the sky, thunderous explosions echoed without end, powerful spells weaving together and lighting up the heavens in a brilliant display of color.
The corpses of demon birds began to fall, their shrill cries ringing through the valley.
"Kill!!"
Disciples and elders fought with everything they had—some forming hand seals to cast spells, others wielding flying swords to slash down from above. Determination burned in their eyes as they battled for their sect's survival.
High in the sky, Sect Master Xu Yonian and seven peak-stage Golden Core elders were locked in a desperate fight against the Qingpeng Demon King.
Boom!!
The force of their clash created a shockwave that swept through the forest below, uprooting trees and hurling them through the air before reducing them to splinters.
It was utter chaos, as if a natural disaster had descended upon the land.
The Qingpeng Demon King sneered. "Is that all? If this is the extent of your strength, then you're nothing to me!"
"Arrogant beast!" Xu Yonian barked. With a hand seal, countless bolts of blue lightning tore through the sky, roaring down like an enraged dragon.
"Kill!"
The other peak lords joined in, unleashing their most powerful techniques.
In an instant—
The scene turned apocalyptic. Earth shattered, and the sky seemed to collapse.
"Interesting. Then allow me to show you what a Nascent Soul cultivator is truly capable of!"
The Qingpeng Demon King's eyes gleamed with bloodlust as it flapped its enormous wings, its aura skyrocketing. A second later, it opened its beak and unleashed a blinding beam of destruction.
Boom!!!
The beam blazed across the battlefield like a rising sun.
As the shockwave gradually faded, several battered figures crashed down, sending clouds of dust into the air.
"Cough… cough…"
Xu Yonian and a few elders staggered to their feet, blood trailing from their lips, their eyes filled with grief and helpless rage.
There was no denying it—the gap between the Golden Core Stage and the Nascent Soul Stage was insurmountable.
"Hahaha! Who else dares resist? Accept your deaths!"
The Qingpeng Demon King's laughter rang with cruel triumph.
"No…"
Despair spread through the ranks of the Xuantian Sect. Seeing their strongest fighters so easily defeated, disciples and elders alike felt their hope collapse.
Death loomed over the entire sect like a shroud.
Then suddenly—
A strange, elderly voice rang out, full of arrogance completely out of place for someone so aged.
"Hey! You overgrown chicken! Yeah, I'm talking to you!"
"Huh?"
The Qingpeng Demon King turned, startled. On a nearby mist-covered peak, a black-robed old man stood leaning on a cane, shouting through a strange device.
"You damned human… You dare insult me?!"
The Qingpeng Demon King could scarcely believe it. The man had no cultivation aura and looked frail, like he was moments from death.
"Ye… Ye Disciple?"
Xu Yonian and the seven elders were stunned. None of them had expected the long-retired master of Mysterious Peak to appear at such a moment.
Ye Junlin waved his cane and held the loudspeaker to his mouth, shouting again, "That's right, you dumb bird! Come hit me! I'll be right here!"
Trapped on the mountain with no way to escape, Ye Junlin had returned to his cave dwelling, where his original body lay in seclusion, and retrieved a curious artifact—a spirit-powered loudspeaker. It required no cultivation to operate; a single spirit stone was enough to amplify his voice ten thousandfold.
His goal was simple: provoke the enemy into a fight!
Everyone, from disciples to demon beasts, paused. A lone white-haired elder shouting at the Qingpeng Demon King was not something they expected.
"Holy crap… Isn't that the legendary recluse from Mysterious Peak?"
"I've heard of him! Youngest Golden Core cultivator in Xuantian Sect history, disappeared after losing his cultivation in a battle…"
"Uh… he's a lot more temperamental than the stories said."
Murmurs of disbelief spread.
The Qingpeng Demon King seethed, its Nascent Soul pressure distorting the very air. Its eyes glowed with fury.
"I've never seen such a brazen old man…"
"Well, now you have!" Ye Junlin retorted, raising his chin like he had a death wish.
But in truth, sweat was trickling down his face. His body was trembling, his vision blurring.
> [Ding! System reminder: Host has 10 seconds remaining before death at current location.]
[Initiating countdown—10, 9, 8, 7…]
"Why the hell isn't this bird attacking yet?! Somebody help me!" Ye Junlin wailed in his mind, feeling like he was about to meet his ancestors.
"Impudent! I'll wipe you off the face of the earth!"
Blinded by rage, the Qingpeng Demon King unleashed a beam of destructive energy straight at him.
It was a full-force strike from a Nascent Soul-stage beast. No one in the sect could survive it.
"Ye Disciple!"
Xu Yonian and the others were devastated.
No one expected that the greatest sacrifice of the Xuantian Sect would come from the man who once broke the Golden Core record.
"Finally…"
Yet Ye Junlin didn't tremble. Instead, he smiled, eyes bright with anticipation.
> [Ding! Host is being attacked by a Nascent Soul enemy. Activating passive: 'Grow Stronger Against the Strong'. Cultivation rising to mid-Nascent Soul Stage!]
In the blink of an eye, terrifying energy erupted from within his body.
Wrinkles vanished. His skin regained its youthful luster. Age spots disappeared.
His face transformed rapidly—sword-like brows, deep-set eyes like stars, handsome and refined. But his long white hair didn't turn black; instead, it glowed even more brilliantly, like silver starlight cascading down his back.
"So this… is the Nascent Soul Stage?"
Ye Junlin marveled, stunned and exhilarated by the power surging through him.
> [Ding! Of course~ This system is top-tier!]
A cute, childish voice rang in his mind, enough to make any anime-lover's heart flutter.
Boom!
Knowledge poured into his brain like a tidal wave. In mere moments, he had fully comprehended a devastating new technique.
"Ah, my friend! That earlier insult? A complete misunderstanding. I've reconsidered and would like to reconcile with your sect. I'll even visit sometime, how about that?"
"Everyone, retreat!"
The Qingpeng Demon King hesitated, then tried to make peace and withdraw.
But—
"Since you've come, don't even think about leaving."
Ye Junlin's voice was calm.
The Qingpeng Demon King narrowed its eyes. "Your cultivation's a bit stronger than mine, but not by much. Are you really going to risk everything for a fight?"
Though Ye Junlin had reached mid-Nascent Soul Stage, the demon king was confident in its raw strength and battle instincts. It still believed it had a chance.
Backing down now was already a gesture of goodwill.
"Self-righteous fool. Still just a dumb bird," Ye Junlin sneered.
"You've gone too far!"
Completely enraged, the Qingpeng Demon King flared its wings, surging with demonic energy. It began burning its core, ready for a fight to the death.
"Ye Disciple…"
Xu Yonian and the others were nervous. If anything happened to Ye Junlin now, the sect would suffer a loss beyond measure.
Yet Ye Junlin's expression remained tranquil. His silver hair flowed in the wind as he slowly raised his hand toward the sky.
Boom!!!
The world dimmed. Winds howled.
A colossal pressure descended from the heavens.
A titanic finger, veined with ancient runes and radiating a suffocating aura, appeared in the sky above.
At the same time, a deep, resonating voice echoed through the heavens, shaking the souls of all who heard it.
"Great Desolate Prison Sky Finger!"
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