The Demon General was slain by Tang Xiaoqi's supreme purifying sword intent. Its scattered demonic energy was even transformed by the "World-Purifying Sacred Domain" and fed back into it, making the light curtain more solid and its range faintly expanding slightly. Allied morale surged greatly; cheers like a tsunami swept across the entire "Watchtower Bastion." Every soldier's gaze upon that figure in blue robes in the sky was filled with near-fanatical adoration and trust. Even Nascent Soul demons could be slain! This undoubtedly injected the strongest heart-strengthening tonic into all beings struggling under the demonic catastrophe's shadow.
Xiao Qi calmed his qi and blood churning from intense battle. The wound on his shoulder had mostly healed under purification power. He did not relax his vigilance because of slaying one Demon General; his gaze remained heavily grave as he gazed into the churning demonic energy pillar deep within Ten Thousand Poison Marsh. He clearly sensed—a deeper, more terrifying aura, carrying a trace of familiarity yet utterly foreign, was rapidly condensing and awakening within that light pillar.
This aura made his Nascent Soul in his dantian tremble slightly, caused his guardian dharma image phantom behind him to autonomously manifest, issuing silent warnings.
Just then, another occurred!
That pillar of demonic energy connecting heaven and earth, instead of raging in anger at the Demon General's fall,. Churning demonic energy contracted inward, condensed, the color transitioning from pitch-black to an even deeper, seemingly light-devouring dark purple.
A terrifying pressure, ten times, a hundred times greater than the Demon General's, like a primordial beast awakening after slumbering for ten thousand years, slowly emanated from that dark purple pillar!
This pressure was no longer merely destruction and evil, but carried a supreme dominating majesty—commanding all demons, trampling all living beings! Before the bastion, those low-level demons still attacking madly, the instant this pressure descended, were like ministers before a monarch—simultaneously stopping their attacks, prostrating on the ground, emitting fearful whimpers. Even the pervasive demonic energy seemed to have become docile.
The morale just lifted by the allied forces, before this indescribable terrifying pressure, was like being doused with ice water—instantly frozen! Everyone felt their breath catch, hearts gripped tight by invisible hands, even thoughts becoming sluggish. Some cultivators of lower cultivation directly softened their legs and collapsed, losing all fighting will.
"This... what is this..."
"Far, far stronger than that Demon General just now!"
"Nascent Soul late stage... definitely Nascent Soul late stage or above!"
Despair, like the deepest night, once again shrouded everyone's hearts.
Xiao Qi's expression also became unprecedentedly grave. He stared fixedly at that dark purple demonic energy pillar, the hand gripping his Nirvana Crimson Flame Sword whitened from tension. This aura... he was too familiar with it! Familiar to the bone!
Under countless gazes of shock and terror, that dark purple demonic energy pillar slowly cracked open a gap.
A figure stepped out.
He was normal human height. Around him was a full body armor set of grotesque design, flowing with dark purple demonic patterns. The armor enveloped him completely, even his face covered, revealing only a pair of eyes—hollow, deathly still, with no emotional color whatsoever, only pure-to-the-extreme, ice-cold killing intent!
In his hand was no weapon. He simply stood there casually, yet the dark purple demonic energy emanating from him constantly warped and collapsed the surrounding space, as if even light could not escape its devouring. The strength of his aura reached—Nascent Soul late stage! And ordinary Nascent Soul late stage—that was terrifying power tempered by the demonic lord's source demonic energy, existing solely for killing!
However, what made Tang Xiaoqi's blood nearly freeze instantly, his pupils contracting to the extreme, was not this terrifying cultivation, but that figure's silhouette—even though covered by demonic armor, even though the aura had become evil and unfamiliar, that outline, the resonance from deep within the bloodline, faintly...
"Father... mother..."
A name he had deeply buried in his heart, thought he would never have the chance to call out again, burst forth with endless shock, pain, and disbelief!
Xu Zhan!
This Demon Marshal stepping from the demonic energy pillar, emanating Nascent Soul late stage terrifying pressure, was his father who should have perished in that villa massacre, his soul scattered when fighting the demonic lord to mutual destruction—Xu Zhan!
No, perhaps at this moment, he could no longer be called Xu Zhan.
He was what the demonic lord had remolded using Xu Zhan's body and remnant soul as a foundation, with endless demonic energy and resentment—the Demon Marshal! The sharpest blade, most loyal, and most terrifying weapon of slaughter under the demonic lord!
It seemed he heard Xiao Qi's silent cry, or perhaps sensed that special blood connection. The Demon Marshal Xu Zhan's hollow, deathly gaze slowly turned, crossing several li, precisely falling upon Xiao Qi.
There was no excitement at a reunion, no warmth of father-son recognition.
In that gaze was only a freezing through millennia, and... naked killing intent like prey, sufficient to freeze souls!
He raised his armored arm, pointing at Tang Xiaoqi.
No words, but a crystal-clear mental like an icy spike fiercely pierced into Xiao Qi's:
"Purification... source... rebellious son... must die!"
The next moment, the Demon Marshal Xu Zhan moved.
He did not any flashy movement technique, merely a simple step forward.
"THUMP!"
As if the entire earth shuddered with it! His form instantly blurred. When clear again, he had already appeared before the "World-Purifying Sacred Domain" light curtain, less than a thousand zhang from Xiao Qi!
He didn't even glance at the domain emitting light he found abhorrent. He casually raised his right hand, formed a fist, then punched toward that solid light curtain!
No earth-shaking sound and fury, no energy surges.