Three thousand miles from Shushan Sword Sect, in a desolate temple, several figures were either standing or sitting, each in a unique posture. Outside the temple, more than a dozen silhouettes lurked, all emanating an aura of immense power.
Inside the temple, a middle-aged man with a long sword on his back gazed sharply into the distance, his eyes seemingly piercing through space and time to observe the battle at Shushan. His aura was exceedingly powerful, marking him as a Heavenly Gate Grand Elder.
"Daoist Zhang, I see Shushan's Mountain and River Stars Sword and Nine Heavens Starfall Array have already been unleashed. Isn't it time for us to act?" he asked, looking toward a figure in green robes who emanated a cold, detached aura, one that seemed utterly removed from the mortal world.
"Not yet," the green-robed Daoist, a Grand Elder from the Demon-Suppressing Sect, responded. "Let's wait. The right moment hasn't come."
His words caused a white-haired Daoist nun nearby to nod in agreement. "Knife King, what's the rush? Shushan's foundations run deep. This is only the beginning. I know you harbor resentment toward the Sword Demon for your defeat, but remember—the Abyss's eruption is near. Our goal is to weaken Shushan, to shift some of the Abyss's burden onto them, not to destroy them."
With a faint sigh, the Knife King scowled but remained silent.
Their camaraderie was clearly strained, each holding their own grievances. Sensing the tension, a pudgy, cheerful Grand Elder stepped forward to mediate.
"Come now, everyone. We're all here to secure our respective interests. Let's not ruin the rare chance to breathe freely outside our territories with unnecessary squabbles," he chuckled, casting a glance around the temple at the seven gathered figures. "Each faction has brought out their heavyweights. It's rare to see the Demon-Suppressing Sect and Langya Sword Sect both send two Grand Elders."
He looked around, only to realize two members of Langya Sword Sect were conspicuously absent.
"Where did the Langya Elders go?" he wondered aloud. Others noticed the absence as well but thought little of it. At their level, such sudden disappearances were nothing unusual. But just then, the pudgy elder's expression shifted as he glanced into the distance.
A fiery streak streaked across the sky.
"Isn't that Grand Elder Qishan from Langya Sword Sect? Where's his junior, Elder Kai Qi?"
Something was amiss. Qishan appeared gravely injured, as though he'd narrowly escaped death.
"Grand Elder Qishan, what happened? Was there a Heavenly Gate Elder from Shushan?" the green-robed Daoist from the Demon-Suppressing Sect asked, his voice carrying a hint of alarm.
"Everyone, seize this opportunity! We've snagged a big catch!" Qishan shouted gleefully. In reality, he'd barely managed to fake his death and escape, only for his pursuer to see through his ruse. That terrifying presence continued to haunt him, giving him no choice but to lead it here in hopes of leveraging the power of the seven Grand Elders to shake off his pursuer.
Though desperate and dishonorable, Qishan knew his only chance at survival lay in drawing his pursuer into a confrontation with the other elders, buying him enough time to escape back to Langya Sword Sect. Thoughts of the so-called inheritance and forging techniques had long since been abandoned.
Looking shaken, Qishan tried to convince the others. "This blind elder is the one Shushan invited to defend them! Take him down, and Shushan's defenses will crumble!" He feigned determination, hoping to bait the other Grand Elders into action while planning his own escape at the first sign of engagement.
The white-haired nun glanced at him in disapproval but didn't hesitate, her silver whisk forming a wave of power aimed at the sky. The Knife King, unsheathing a pitch-black blade, struck forth with a slash of supreme blade essence.
Others, including the pudgy elder and the green-robed Daoist, hesitated momentarily but eventually joined in, sensing the formidable aura that was fast approaching.
The combined power of the seven Heavenly Gate Grand Elders was immense. Their attacks created such a tumult that the surrounding mountains, rivers, and forests shattered in their wake.
"Move back! A Grand Elder battle like this would tear us to shreds!"
"Is that one of Shushan's old ancestors? He's walking straight into disaster!"
The dozen Longevity Stage cultivators watching from outside the temple backed away in awe, staring at Qishan and his pursuer with excitement and dread. But in the next moment, their expressions changed from excitement to astonishment.
From the cloud of dust emerged a young man in pristine white robes, eyes closed, gripping a massive sword. His slender frame contrasted sharply with the colossal sword he held.
With a casual sweep of the Heavy Profound Divine Sword, he effortlessly neutralized the incoming attacks, shattering the combined efforts of the seven Grand Elders as if brushing aside a light breeze.
"Why are you attacking me?" Jason asked, his voice calm and unruffled. "Do I have a grudge against any of you?"
The gathered elders were stunned. The world-shattering attack they had launched just now had utterly vanished as though it had never existed, leaving them questioning their own reality.
"That's enough. I have more important matters to attend to." Jasons voice remained steady. He raised the Heavy Profound Divine Sword and struck out at the Grand Elders who had just attacked him.
The blade seemed to cut through time itself, and before the Grand Elders could react, their vision went dark. Under the stunned gaze of the nearby Longevity cultivators, the seven Grand Elders exploded into fragments, destroyed by a single strike.
One strike, and seven Heavenly Gate Grand Elders were felled.
The Longevity cultivators, paralyzed with fear, could barely breathe, their bodies trembling in terror.
"No! That's impossible!"
Even Qishan, who had been fleeing, was gripped by despair, feeling the last ounce of strength drain from his body. Jason had appeared before him, silent as a shadow. Extending his hand, Jason grasped Qishan's head, seizing his soul with an iron grip and probing it forcefully.
"So that's the truth," Jason murmured, a smile appearing on his face as he extracted the knowledge of the Crimson Shade Sword Forging Technique.
Satisfied, he ended Qishan's life with a flick, then prepared to leave. In merging the Xuan Yuan Sword Forging Technique with the Crimson Shade Sword Forging Technique, he could sense the techniques forming a unified whole, as though they were always meant to be one.
"Falling Star Mountain," he whispered, the destination revealed within the newly fused knowledge. Intrigued, he realized this must be the hidden inheritance left by Master Dustbound, likely a site of tremendous significance.
"Thats the Heavy Profound Divine Sword! That has to be the Sword Demon! My god, he's reappeared!"
"Did he surpass his limits and reach the unimaginable?"
"Damn it! With the Sword Demon back, there's no chance for us!"
Voices of despair reached Jason's ears, muttered by the horrified Longevity cultivators nearby. They had recognized the Heavy Profound Divine Sword, assuming Jason to be the legendary Sword Demon, who they believed had somehow returned to youth.
Jason's spiritual sense caught their thoughts. While they had been spared his wrath during the previous battle, they were now fleeing in abject terror, thinking they'd witnessed the Sword Demon himself.
"I'm not the Sword Demon," Jason said, his voice calm yet carrying far, reaching the ears of the retreating cultivators.
He had no desire to masquerade as the Sword Demon. He was himself. Although he had inherited the Sword Demon's teachings, Jason felt the pride of the original master in each sword stroke he wielded. If the Sword Demon were aware, he would not want his name misused in this manner.
Jason's words left the Longevity cultivators dumbstruck.
If he wasn't the Sword Demon… then who was he?
Their minds reeled. With a terrifying strength that didn't need lies to intimidate, Shushan now had another fearsome ancestor? And he was blind?
Ignoring their confusion, Jason departed with a relaxed stride, unaware that his single strike had sent shockwaves across the cultivation world.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。