At the foot of Yuanhua Mountain, in front of the thatched hut.
The torrential flow descending from the sky collided with the accumulated pool on the ground, the splashing water kicked up waves of cool wind that swirled along the air currents to the side of the old man sitting by the riverbank.
The gaunt old man dressed in an Outer Court Daoist Robe simply stared expressionlessly at the gurgling river flowing before him.
"Huo Mu is dead."
Suddenly, Li Haoran slowly spoke as if talking to himself.
He raised his head, looking towards the sky in the direction of the outer court.
Nine thousand years ago, the cause planted within the sect must be concluded today.
...
"Chen Yan", or rather, the Black Flood Dragon Remnant Soul that had regained a sliver of its sanity, showed no interest whatsoever in the corpse of the Kongshan Sect cultivator it had just brutally torn to shreds.
Then, "Chen Yan" raised a hand, lightly wiping it through the air, and a ring appeared in "Chen Yan's" hand, held between its thumb and forefinger.
In the next instant, "Chen Yan" loosened its fingers. The ring fell from its hand, and almost at the same moment, Chen Yan collapsed limply onto the ground like a kite with its string cut.
Death.
At this moment, death, in the truest sense, descended upon Chen Yan.
The moment the ring landed on the Black Flood Dragon's body, ripples spread across the black scales, and then the ring vanished without a trace.
Immediately after, the earth shook and the mountains trembled.
The terrifying might of a Great Demon of Dao Union Realm, far more horrifying than "Chen Yan's" physical body by countless times, erupted within the outer court of Kongshan Sect.
First breath.
An extremely terrifying demonic aura and pressure rapidly devoured the entire outer court of Kongshan Sect, and it was still continuing to erupt outward, showing signs of sweeping through the entire Kongshan Sect.
Outside the Training Grounds, Qi Yi, who had sensed the eruption of Huo Mu's spiritual energy, had already swiftly led all the officers of the Imperial Law Court to flee to a distance of a thousand zhang from the Training Grounds.
And at the moment Huo Mu smashed hundreds of thousands of vast spiritual energy towards Chen Yan, the area within seven hundred zhang around the Training Grounds had already been completely reduced to ruins.
Yet when the terrifying pressure of the Ninth Realm Great Demon's might, centered on the Training Grounds, devoured the entire outer court, it still caused Qi Yi's face to pale slightly.
Even Qi Yi, a Seventh Realm cultivator, was like this, let alone the few Spirit Connection Realm cultivators by his side.
Second breath.
At least three thousand outer court disciples had already been crushed to pieces the instant the Black Flood Dragon resurrected, by the vast demonic aura pressure it released in its unconscious state.
And that chilling demonic aura pressure was still intensifying.
Multiplying in intensity.
At this moment, the Black Flood Dragon was conscious.
It was consciously releasing its massive demonic aura pressure, using its Great Demon might to effortlessly crush everything in the outer court of Kongshan Sect.
"Get away now!"
Qi Yi clearly realized something was wrong. Lightly tapping his toes on the ground, in just one breath, he flashed out another several thousand zhang in distance.
However, those few Spirit Connection Realm cultivators were clearly not so fortunate.
Third breath.
The enormous black snake raised its head. Even from a thousand zhang away, one could clearly see every single scale on this Black Flood Dragon's body.
At least twelve thousand outer court disciples had already perished by this time.
As for those Spirit Connection Realm cultivators from the Supreme Imperial Law Court who hadn't managed to escape in time, those with slightly higher cultivation were vomiting blood, suffering severe root-level injuries, their lives entering a final countdown.
As for those with lower cultivation, they had already died on the spot.
Even Fifth Realm cultivators couldn't withstand the indiscriminate pressure of a Dao Union Realm Great Demon!
Fourth breath.
A streak of Clear Light streaked across the horizon, heading precisely towards the outer court's Training Grounds.
No one could clearly see what existence this rapidly approaching Clear Light was, except for the giant Black Flood Dragon that had just resurrected in the Training Grounds.
It was a thin, not particularly tall figure of a white-haired old man.
The moment the Clear Light struck the ground, the entire sky above the outer court of Kongshan Sect manifested golden spiritual energy and veins. The air suddenly emitted countless crisp sounds like shattering glass.
The Black Flood Dragon's shriek shook the heavens. A crimson bloody light rapidly climbed alongside the pitch-black demonic aura, clashing against the golden spiritual energy veins filling the sky.
Fifth breath.
Li Haoran transformed into Clear Light once more, sweeping past the side of the giant Black Flood Dragon again and again.
Every time he swept past the Black Flood Dragon's side, enormous golden chains appeared on the Black Flood Dragon's body.
When the pitch-black demonic aura erupting from between the Black Flood Dragon's scales collided with the chains wrapped around it, they actually emitted the heavy, resonant toll of a bronze bell.
The Black Flood Dragon resurrected now was far from its complete form.
Facing Li Haoran with his damaged Dao foundation, it could be said that this former half-step Immortal Ascension Realm Ninth Realm Great Demon actually had little means to fight back.
But what Li Haoran needed to face was not just this greatly weakened Black Flood Dragon before him.
There was also the backlash of karma.
Sixth breath.
The Clear Light that Li Haoran had transformed into swept past the Black Flood Dragon's body for the eighty-first time.
The golden spiritual energy veins manifesting in the sky above had also become completely clear.
Clouds scattered for ten thousand li, the sky was bright and clear.
The Black Flood Dragon roared, resisting with all its might.
Meanwhile, the Clear Light transformed from Li Haoran soared upward, instantly taking its place atop a profound golden grand formation.
Li Haoran's white hair billowed. He lowered his head, looking down at Kongshan Sect beneath the grand formation.
Seven thousand years.
Taking the identity of Supreme Pivot Elder, Li Haoran had guarded the sect for a full seven thousand years in this era where the Path to Immortality had been completely severed.
He didn't feel that he had made particularly great contributions to the sect.
He had never even imagined that one day he would become Kongshan Sect's Supreme Pivot Elder.
But he simply felt that, since he had already taken the position of Supreme Pivot, he should shoulder the responsibilities that came with this position.
Li Haoran knew that not all the decisions he had made over these seven thousand years were correct;
there were even many undeniable mistakes.
Over these seven thousand years, not just the Pivot Court, but whether it was the Imperial Law Court, the Martial Pacification Court, or the Surveillance Court, all had voiced many objections against him.
But...
Seventh breath.
The spiritual energy between heaven and earth trembled. One hundred and eight golden sword blades manifested within the grand formation in the sky, slowly rotating, emitting pleasant sword hums.
Countless memories of past years flashed through Li Haoran's eyes.
But what ultimately remained in his eyes was only that vast, righteous clarity.
This thin, gaunt old man who had presided over the Supreme Pivot Court for a full seven thousand years raised his palm, then pressed it towards the golden light grand formation beneath his feet.
One hundred and eight sword blades plummeted down, slashing towards the giant Black Flood Dragon in the outer court of Kongshan Sect.
Karma.
The karma sown nine thousand years ago by True Person Caiyun, Kong Yang, would lead to the destruction of Kongshan Sect today.
The gaunt old man channeled the formation with all his might. His face rapidly aged further.
The backlash of the karma would be borne entirely by Li Haoran alone.
Regarding this, Li Haoran had no regrets or resentment.
Because everything this Supreme Pivot Elder who had guarded the sect for seven thousand years did was merely to give future generations an explanation, which was:
"I, Li Haoran, have no shame before Kongshan Sect!"
In an instant, that Great Demon that even Kong Yang, the Immortal Ascension Realm True Person, had been unable to slay, was utterly annihilated, reduced to ashes.
Vanishing from the world from then on.