"Y-Yes, Ancestral Patriarch, you make a valid point," stammered Julian Zhao, under the piercing gaze of the Grand Elder of Heaven's Gate. "I thought the same… but… but this really is true!"
Initially, Julian had been just as skeptical.
But the six major sects had indeed fled.
To verify this, he had even pursued them for thousands of miles, only to watch these powerful cultivators flee without a backward glance.
Though they held the advantage, they escaped as swiftly as frightened dogs.
If not for the complete collapse of the Heaven's Gate forces, how could this have happened? He couldn't deny the reality before him.
"Ahem!"
"Ahem!"
"Seventh Elder is a man of integrity; he would never speak recklessly," the Great Elder interjected, coughing lightly. His gaze flickered with astonishment. He understood Julian well and wouldn't have entrusted him with such a mission if he hadn't trusted him.
Such an unbelievable truth was something he was now struggling to process.
"If… if this really is true, then who could have done it?" he wondered aloud. "To kill eight Heaven's Gate Elders in a single strike! Even an Invincible Elder wouldn't be able to do that easily! Could it be… that Yang Master has emerged from the Abyssal Gate?"
The Rainbow-Clad Elder, still reeling, pondered the possibilities, searching for an explanation she could believe.
"It couldn't have been Yang Master," the Thunderous Elder objected immediately. "A few years back, he fought a true demon trying to break through the Abyssal Gate. He's still recovering."
From his tone, it was evident he regarded Yang Master as a spiritual predecessor, coming from the same lineage.
"Could it have been Senior Dugu the Sword Demon?" Sarah Qin suggested suddenly.
She, too, was stunned. A crisis that had threatened Shushan had somehow dissipated. Even the two Ancestors were taken aback—how could she, a mere junior, not be?
Yet, with her resilient heart and strong mind, Sarah quickly regained her composure, making a guess.
Who could have accomplished such a feat?
The same question echoed in the minds of everyone present.
To single-handedly kill multiple Heaven's Gate Elders would require unmatched strength!
She thought almost immediately of Dugu the Sword Demon—a legendary figure who had retreated into seclusion years ago and likely possessed such strength.
Though she had once gone to the Swordmaking House to seek the Sword Demon's guidance and had received no response, his eccentric nature was well-known. Who could say for sure?
Besides…
"Jason Chu… he might be the disciple of the Sword Demon Patriarch. Maybe he had a part in convincing the Patriarch to act," she speculated inwardly.
Her words, however, resonated with the Great Elder, Julian Zhao, and others, who nodded in agreement.
"Yes!" Julian Zhao exclaimed. "If it were the Sword Demon Patriarch, he'd have the strength. Looks like he couldn't bear to remain idle after all."
"Sarah makes a valid point," the Great Elder acknowledged. "It appears we misjudged the Sword Demon Patriarch, putting you, Thunderous Elder and Rainbow-Clad Elder, through needless trouble."
The Great Elder chuckled. For centuries, Senior Dugu the Sword Demon had occasionally intervened in times of crisis. It seemed this time was no exception. In hindsight, they might not have needed to call upon the two ancestors guarding the Demon-Suppressing Tower.
"Uh… the Sword Demon Patriarch? Are you all referring to Senior Brother Dugu?"
The Rainbow-Clad Elder's expression turned peculiar as she hesitantly asked.
The Thunderous Elder's eyes widened in astonishment, as if he'd seen a ghost.
"Indeed," they replied.
"The Sword Demon Patriarch… he's shouldered many burdens over the years," August Xia, drenched in blood and a devout admirer of the Sword Demon, declared proudly. A dedicated disciple, he recounted each of the Sword Demon's past exploits with admiration.
The strange expressions on the Rainbow-Clad and Thunderous Elders' faces only grew more intense.
They exchanged bewildered glances, each clearly at a loss.
"Elders, is something the matter?" Sarah, noticing their reactions, asked softly.
"It's impossible," the Rainbow-Clad Elder finally said, looking gravely around at everyone. "I saw Senior Brother Dugu enter eternal rest with my own eyes."
"He's been gone for at least seven hundred years."
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