A series of lights descended, gathering around the purple-robed Daoist.
"As the leader of the righteous path, harboring a demon and even letting Justin Shang become Sect Leader—is this what Shushan has become?" sneered a woman in golden robes, her expression filled with contempt.
"You've shamed the legacy of Shushan's predecessors!" she spat. "This time, you will not only hand over Justin but also deactivate your formations so that our six sects can conduct a thorough search. Who knows how many more remnants you may be hiding!"
A swordsman in black, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, floated in mid-air, adding loudly, "Are you going to keep hiding like turtles? Have you forgotten the Seven-Sect Alliance you signed all those years ago? We knew appointing a young girl as Sect Leader would backfire!"
"Shushan, oh Shushan, it's time you surrendered your position as the leader of the righteous path," muttered another elderly Daoist, his face kind but his words laced with venom.
Their voices echoed relentlessly outside Shushan.
"No wonder Elder Shang disappeared mysteriously all those years ago. He was a demon!"
"It could be true. Even Elder Xia isn't denying it."
"This can't be! It's impossible!"
Inside Shushan, disciples looked on with fury, their eyes bloodshot. They turned toward the elders soaring into the sky, uncertainty shadowing their faces. Unaware of the full truth, they were shaken and swayed, some even falling for the rhetoric of the powerful cultivators outside the gates.
"Elder Wang, Sect Leader Xu, I've already explained everything to you."
"We were unaware of Justin Shang's true identity. But the Sword Demon Ancestor, with his unmatched insight, dealt with him long ago. Justin has been dead for three hundred years—how do you expect us to hand him over now?"
Hovering mid-air, the Grand Elder spoke with solemnity, his tone dignified as he laid out the events of the past. He invoked the name of the Sword Demon Ancestor, instantly rekindling the spirits of many Shushan disciples who had begun to waver.
The Sword Demon was a revered figure within Shushan, a legend who inspired boundless admiration among the disciples.
"Nonsense! Just an excuse!" spat an elder of the Demon-Suppressing Sect. "If you won't hand over Justin, then there's nothing more to discuss!"
"Your Shushan has only deteriorated since Brother Caspian's passing," another elder from Langya Sword Sect retorted coldly. "Today, I'll cleanse Shushan in his honor, restoring it to its former glory."
The Demon-Suppressing Sect and Langya Sword Sect clearly anticipated this response and were prepared. Ignoring all courtesy, representatives from four of the six allied sects, excluding Star Plucking Tower and Suxin Immortal Sect, unleashed their power. A Heavenly Sovereign from each sect stepped forward without hesitation, launching an assault on Shushan's protective formation.
A thunderous roar echoed through the sky as Shushan's previously unbreakable formation began to tremble.
"Damn it!"
"They've brought the Heaven-Cleaving Divine Sword, the Barbaric Heart Sky Spike, the Infinite Demon Blade…" August Xia's face darkened. The four sects were fully prepared, even bringing out their sect-defining treasures!
They had come to eradicate Shushan.
"We can't let them act recklessly. Engage them!" ordered the Grand Elder, his face taut with urgency.
The Shushan defenders could remain within the protection of the formation, but if they allowed the assault to continue, even a single breach could spell disaster.
One by one, the Shushan elites channeled their energy, pouring their power into the formation to repel the invading forces.
A colossal battle erupted instantly.
Across the sky, divine lights scattered in chaos as the earth trembled. Day broke through the endless night over Shushan, turning darkness into radiant daylight.
All around, Shushan's defenders wielded their magical artifacts, forming complex arrays and unleashing powerful techniques. Silver-white vials floated in the air, releasing heavenly elixirs to replenish their energy.
For a time, the Shushan Sword Sect managed to hold back the invaders.
"Damn it…"
"So many unfamiliar faces…"
"The Three Great Demon Sects and the Hidden Assassins' Pavilion must be joining the chaos as well!" August Xia's expression was grim, his eyes flashing with flames of fury. A Heavenly Sovereign of the Longevity Stage was a powerful lord in their own right. Most were well-known, yet he now saw numerous unfamiliar Heavenly Sovereigns in the ranks of the attackers.
The methods and artifacts they wielded didn't match the supreme sects—they bore the hallmarks of the Three Great Demon Sects and the Hidden Assassins' Pavilion!
Despair sank into his heart. Today, Shushan was besieged from within and without, on the brink of collapse at every moment.
"Has the Sect Leader managed to summon the Ancestors yet?" he transmitted urgently to the Grand Elder, his face pale, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
"The message has been sent. Two Ancestors from the Demon-Suppressing Tower will emerge. However, the great demons within the tower have stirred, and they need at least another day."
The Grand Elder himself was struggling, his vast reserves of energy nearly depleted.
"Damn it! A breach is forming in the formation!"
"The hidden Grand Elders from the Heavenly Gate Stage have yet to reveal themselves!"
August Xia's heart pounded, his gaze catching a small fracture forming in Shushan's powerful formation. He knew that they had to hold out until the Ancestors arrived.
Today, Shushan's defenders would fall like rain.
With a somber expression, August flew toward the breach, prepared to sacrifice himself.
Fierce combat turned the sun and moon dark as another hour passed.
Just as August Xia had feared, the fracture had become a torrent. Many of Shushan's defenders had already laid down their lives in desperate combat at this breach, while invaders from the other sects also fell in droves.
However, the losses were far heavier for Shushan.
Elder Ryan Xia had fallen, as had Elder Liu.
August Xia, now weary and bloodied, was prepared to die defending Shushan.
"Unleash the Divine Artifact!" cried the Grand Elder, summoning Shushan's ultimate defense.
A rainbow-colored beam shot through the air, transforming into a heavenly light that cleaved through the invading forces.
The weapon—a divine sword formed from rivers and mountains—temporarily sealed the breach.
However, none among the Shushan defenders noticed two shadowy figures slip through the breach just before it closed, disappearing into the depths of Shushan.
…
These two shadows moved with purpose, darting southwest within Shushan.
"Is this the direction, Brother?" one of them asked calmly, his gaze reflecting boundless power as he looked forward. His attire marked him as a member of the Langya Sword Sect.
"Indeed. The Swordmaking House lies in that direction."
"No matter what the other sects seek, it's irrelevant to us of Langya Sword Sect."
"This rare opportunity cannot be missed. After all, it is the legacy left behind by Ancestor Dustbound."
The second figure, his short hair fiery red, exuded a formidable aura. His eyes gleamed as he looked toward the horizon, toward the direction of the Swordmaking House.
These two Grand Elders of the Heavenly Gate from the Langya Sword Sect had infiltrated Shushan for one purpose: to claim the inheritance hidden within the Swordmaking House—the Xuan Yuan Sword Forging Technique!
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