The magnificent Dao rhyme of the successfully repaired Demon-Suppressing Nail, like a spark thrown into a silent pot of oil, instantly shattered thesuppressed calm that had settled over the Situ Ancestral Land. That pure, vast, and demonic-suppressing force, for the demonic energy permeating the secret realm, was like the sun melting snow, producing violent rejection and impact!
Almost the moment the Divine Nail took shape and its light shot toward the heavens:
"Buzz---!!!"
A sharp alarm instantly rang through the entire sky above the Situ Ancestral Land! Countless powerful spiritual senses, like startled hornets, wildly swept from every corner of the ancestral land toward the forbidden area where the Earth Fire Furnace was located!
"Not good! The Earth Fire Furnace is showing abnormal activity! It is the suppressing Dao rhyme! Someone has repaired the Demon-Suppressing Nail!" A voice filled with alarm and anger exploded in the core area of the ancestral land. It was none other than the Young Lord Situ Ming!
"It is the Grand Elder! They have escaped! And they actually repaired the Divine Nail! We cannot let them succeed!" Another cold voice agreed, filled with frustration.
The plan had been completely disrupted! Situ Ming and his father Situ Yuan, though the Family Head, had already been deeply controlled by demonic thoughts, were originally preparing a ceremony to use the broken nail and fragments to impact the seal. They never expected that the imprisoned Grand Elder had not only escaped but had completed the repair of the Demon-Suppressing Nail right under their noses in such a short time! This was simply a humiliation, and a fatal blow to their plan!
"All disciples loyal to the family, hear my command!" Situ Yuan's voice, carrying a metallic friction-like quality yet hiding madness, transmitted through the formation across the ancestral land. "Grand Elder Situ Ming colludes with outside enemies, betrays the family, and intends to destroy our clan's foundation! I hereby command all of you, along with this Family Head and Young Lord, to proceed to the Back Mountain forbidden area, execute the traitors, and reclaim the Demon-Suppressing Nail!"
Black and white reversed! The righteous were labeled as traitors, while their own acts of joining the demonic path were beautified as family righteousness!
With his command, from various parts of the ancestral land, streaks of escape light rose like black meteors,with murderous intent rushing toward the Back Mountain! These were mostly radical disciples and elders who had long been corrupted by demonic energy, or those determined to follow Situ Ming in pursuing "power."
However, not everyone had been deceived.
Just as Situ Yuan's order was given, in some relatively remote corners of the ancestral land and in some seemingly dormant courtyards, many figures hesitated, struggled, and finally gritted their teeth, quietly gathering toward the Back Mountain direction. They were clan members with lingering doubts in their hearts, or those who had been secretly sympathetic to the Grand Elder. The pure suppressing Dao rhyme of the Demon-Suppressing Nail was like an alarm clock, awakening some of their conscience that had been numbed by demonic energy!
Inside the Earth Fire Furnace cave, Xiao Qi, holding the repaired Demon-Suppressing Nail with its divine light internally restrained, exchanged glances with Situ Ming and the three elder loyalists. They all saw the determination in each other's eyes.
"What was meant to come has finally come." Situ Ming's aged face was full of heartache and determination. "I never imagined that our Situ family would one day have to fight among ourselves, with blood staining the ancestral land!"
"Grand Elder, evil cannot prevail over righteousness! Only by eliminating this poison can the Situ family have a future!" Xiao Qi said deeply. He could feel the warmth radiating from the Demon-Suppressing Nail in his hand, as if it was also eager to suppress demons.
"Excellent! Today, this old man will clear thegate and rectify family rules!" Situ Ming's beard and hair stood on end, and his Grand Master Core late-stage vast aura no longer concealed, exploded forth! Although weakened from being imprisoned for many days, the dignity and depth of a formation master were still terrifying.
He rushed out of the cave first, with Xiao Qi and the three elder loyalists following closely behind.
Just as they exited the cave, they were shocked by what they saw.
In the sky, with Situ Yuan and Situ Ming as the leaders, nearly a hundred cultivators pressed darkly around the Back Mountain! Demonic energy surged to the heavens, killing intentbone-chilling! Situ Yuan at the head had his face covered by a layer of black gas, his eyes mad and cold; Situ Ming held the serpent-shaped demonic sword, staring fixedly at the Demon-Suppressing Nail in Xiao Qi's hand, his eyes filled with greed and resentment.
And behind Xiao Qi and on their flanks, another twenty or thirty cultivators had gathered. Although outnumbered absolutely, their eyes were firm and they stood with the Grand Elder. They were the last force in the family that had not completely fallen!
"Situ Ming! You old fool, you truly have aunrepentant! You actually dared to collude with outsiders and steal the family's greatest treasure. You deserve death!" Situ Ming took the lead in accusing, trying to occupy the moral high ground.
"Ming'er! And all of you!" Situ Ming spoke with a heavy heart, his voice like a great bell echoing across the wilderness. "Look at this ancestral land! How much of the purity left by our ancestors remains? Demonic energy lingers, and people's hearts have fallen! You joining the demonic entity is the true sin that will drag our family into an abyss of destruction! Turn back now, and it is still not too late!"
"Turn back? Ha ha ha!" Situ Yuan let out a maniacal laugh. "Old thing, your era is over! The Demon Lord is about to return, and our Situ family will rule the world under the Demon Lord's glory! The one who is confused is you! Kill them! Leave no one alive!"
The great battle instantly erupted!
Situ Ming grinned wickedly and took the lead in targeting Xiao Qi! The serpent-shaped demonic sword tore through the longsky, bringing a mournful scream and corrupting demonic force that corroded everything, stabbing directly toward him! He knew deeply that this mysterious outsider was the key and must be eliminated first!
"Your opponent is me!" Xiao Qi showed no fear at all. He didn't evenuse the Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword. He simply held the Demon-Suppressing Nail and swung it like a short staff! Although the Divine Nail had not been fully activated, its material and the suppressing Dao rhyme it contained naturally suppressed demonic energy!
"Clang!"
The loud sound of metal and stone colliding was deafening! At the collision point of the demonic sword and Demon-Suppressing Nail, black gas and golden light scattered everywhere! Situ Ming felt a vast righteous force come at him, and the demonic force on his sword was forcibly shattered by the Dao rhyme on that nail. His arm went numb with fear in his heart!
On the other side, Situ Ming faced Situ Yuan who had been controlled by demonic thoughts. The two Grand Master Core late-stage powerhouses collided violently in the air. Formation and demonic techniques clashed, light exploded, energy waves rolled. For a time, victory was difficult to determine.
The three elder loyalists led clan members supporting the Grand Elder, forming a defensive formation and desperately resisting the frantic siege of the radical disciples who far outnumbered them. Shouts of killing, spell explosions, weapon clashes, dying screams... instantly turned this ancestral land of the Situ family into a bloody battlefield!
This was a battle between righteousness and evil within the family! A collision between upholding ancient vows and completely falling into the demonic path!
Xiao Qi and Situ Ming were locked in fierce combat. Relying on the suppression of the Demon-Suppressing Nail and his own exquisite "Dragon Swimming Nine Turns" body technique, though his cultivation level was slightly lower, he firmly entangled his opponent. His gaze swept across the chaotic battlefield, knowing he must quickly break the situation. Otherwise, once the Grand Elder's faction suffered too many casualties, the situation would completely spiral out of control.
He moved his mind, beginning to slowly inject the Green Lotus Origin into the Demon-Suppressing Nail in his hand. It was time to let this nail that had been dormant for ten thousand ages display its true edge once more!