With a single movement, the massive body tore through the air, carrying a terrifying sword intent that made space itself tremble as it lunged fiercely at the three demonic beasts!
Wherever it passed, space vibrated violently, as if fine spatial cracks were about to appear.
The three peak demonic beasts no longer dared to underestimate him in the slightest; their eyes revealed extreme solemnity and shock.
They felt a fatal threat radiating from that sword dragon!
The Nine Nether Sparrow attacked first. It raised its head and let out a long cry, its wings snapping open as its pitch-black feathers stood on end.
A gloomy power originating from the depths of its bloodline erupted with a loud boom!
It opened its beak and spewed out a jet-black current of air that was neither fire nor storm!
This wind was silent and formless, yet capable of eroding bone and melting metal.
This was the innate divine ability of the Nine Nether Sparrow race—the Nine Nether Black Wind!
It violently reared up on its hind legs and slammed its two front claws fiercely into the void!
"Boom!"
A brilliant golden pillar of lightning, as thick as a water vat, blasted out from between its claws!
This was also the innate lightning technique of the Suanni race.
Its destructive power was even a few degrees stronger than a perfected divine ability.
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow also possessed the Nine Nether Sparrow bloodline, but its bloodline was impure, so it lacked the Nine Nether Sparrow's innate divine ability.
However, its bloodline had mutated with the Black Flame Sparrow bloodline, giving birth to an innate black flame far more tyrannical than the ordinary flames of the Black Flame Sparrow race.
Both of its heads let out a piercing screech at the same time.
A pitch-black pillar of flame, carrying a scorching and corrosive aura, gathered in front of it.
Its might was not much inferior to the innate divine abilities of the Nine Nether Sparrow and the Suanni.
The three terrifying innate divine abilities violently collided with the roaring Sword of the Azure Dragon in midair!
"Boom!"
An indescribably massive explosion rang out, as if the very vault of heaven had been torn apart!
An intensely violent energy storm instantly swept across a radius of several miles!
The cyan-gold sword light, the gloomy black wind, the brilliant golden lightning, and the black flames—these forces madly intertwined, clashed, and annihilated each other!
The blindingly intense light made it impossible to look directly at the collision.
The devastating shockwave directly shaved a meter off the ground below, turning countless rocks and boulders to dust!
Whether it was the demonic cultivators of the Blackwater Region or True Lord Qingxuan and his group, everyone's faces were filled with horror.
True Lord Heavenly Wolf ground his teeth in secret hatred. "Damn it, this guy really has grown stronger."
"If we don't find a way to deal with him, I'm afraid Greedy Wolf Prefecture will be swallowed by him sooner or later."
Seeing this, True Lord Heavenly Wolf knew that the victor would definitely be Xu Chuan.
Therefore, without much hesitation, he turned around, transformed into a streak of black light, and departed.
True Lord Fierce Sun and the others did not bother to stop him.
"This magic treasure, this strength... how can it be so powerful!" Daoist Yuansong furrowed his brows tightly.
"If the Golden Core arena is opened at the next Prodigy Grand Assembly, he will undoubtedly be the number one prodigy of the Golden Core stage."
"This person has limitless potential and might very well become the next Ancestor of Profound Moon. Unless necessary, it would be best for our Clear Void Sect to maintain good relations with him."
The hearts of the demonic cultivators from the Blackwater Region were also surging with turbulent waves.
Xu Chuan actually had the strength to fight the five of them single-handedly.
In a life-or-death struggle, they would certainly be the ones to die.
The first clash ended in a stalemate lasting for about three breaths.
Immediately after, the twenty-eight starlights around the Sword of the Azure Dragon simultaneously flared brightly, and the sword qi surged explosively once again!
"Rip!"
The Nine Nether Black Wind was forcibly torn apart and pierced through by the peerlessly fierce sword qi!
The dark-gold lightning violently clashed with the claws of the sword dragon, erupting into a sky full of golden electric snakes, yet it failed to completely shatter the dragon claws and was instead swallowed by the ensuing torrent of sword qi!
The tyrannical black flames also failed to achieve anything, being shredded into countless tiny sparks by the sword qi.
The three demonic beasts groaned in unison. Their bodies shook violently, and they involuntarily skidded backward for dozens of meters, the horror in their eyes deepening.
Despite joining forces, they had actually fallen slightly short in the very first exchange!
Innate divine abilities were the trump cards of these powerful bloodline demonic beasts.
Although powerful, they consumed a massive amount of bloodline power. They could only be used three or four times in a short period before causing exhaustion.
Yet Xu Chuan was only expending mana.
Comparing the two.
It was equivalent to the demonic beasts using their ultimate trump cards, while Xu Chuan was merely executing a skill strike one level higher than a basic attack.
After all, with his current divine sense, controlling the Sword of the Azure Dragon was effortless.
There was no difference between him and an Early-Stage Nascent Soul cultivator.
The only difference was that the quality of his mana was one tier lower.
He hadn't even used any secret methods to boost his strength.
Xu Chuan stood beneath the cyan-gold light screen, his breathing as steady as before.
The depth of his mana far exceeded that of an ordinary Golden Core Perfection cultivator.
Even though this sword formation consumed a massive amount of mana, given Xu Chuan's current state, maintaining it for an hour would not be a problem.
"Again."
His voice was calm as his sword art changed.
The Sword of the Azure Dragon swung its body, no longer dividing its attacks.
Instead, it transformed into a resplendent sword rainbow that spanned across heaven and earth, lunging directly toward the Nine Nether Sparrow with its relatively treacherous aura!
The dragon opened its maw wide, spewing out countless dense streaks of sword qi like a torrential downpour, while its dragon tail swept across, whipping up a violent gale that tore through space!
The Nine Nether Sparrow screeched, hastily spitting out the Nine Nether Black Wind once more to defend itself as it frantically dodged.
However, the sword dragon's speed was too fast and its attacks too concentrated. The black wind failed to block all the sword qi.
Several peerlessly sharp Geng Metal sword qi pierced through the black wind, slashing ruthlessly onto its wings!
"Slash!"
Black feathers scattered as demon blood splattered across the sky!
The Nine Nether Sparrow let out a cry of agony.
Its left wing was slashed open, leaving a deep wound that exposed the bone.
The lingering sword qi continuously eroded its demonic power and life force.
Seeing its companion injured, the Suanni roared and pounced forward. With dark-gold lightning wrapped around its claws, it viciously swiped at the sword dragon's spine, attempting to force it to defend itself and save its ally.
Yet, as if it had eyes on its back, the sword dragon twisted its body nimbly and fiercely swatted out with a dragon claw made of sword qi, clashing head-on with the Suanni's lightning claw!
"Bang!"
Golden and yellow light exploded outward, forcing the Suanni to stagger backward.
Although it was uninjured, the golden lightning on its claws had been mostly neutralized.
Meanwhile, the dragon claw on the sword dragon's other side tore open a bloody gash several feet long and deep enough to reveal bone on the Suanni's arm!
Dark-gold blood gushed out like a fountain, and its scales shattered!
"Roar!"
The Suanni roared in pain, its eyes revealing fear.
Its defense was considered top-tier among demonic beasts. The toughness of its scales rivaled top-tier mid-grade defensive magic treasures, yet under the claws of the sword dragon, it was so vulnerable!
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow suffered the most.
Its bloodline was already impure, making its strength slightly inferior. It instinctively felt that Xu Chuan was targeting it specifically.
Seeing the fierce onslaught of the sword dragon, its subconscious desire to flee caused its movements to slow by a fraction.
In the gap between injuring the Nine Nether Sparrow and forcing back the Suanni, the massive dragon tail lashed out like a divine whip, solidly striking the root of the sparrow's left wing!
"Crack!"
The sound of breaking bones echoed out!
"Screech!"
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow let out a miserable shriek.
Its massive left wing twisted and hung down at an unnatural angle, nearly severed completely by that single tail strike!
Only a little flesh and tendon kept it attached as blood sprayed out like a waterfall!
Its aura instantly plummeted. It fell askew from the sky and crashed heavily onto the ground, smashing out a deep crater.
Amidst the billowing dust and smoke, only its painful twitches and mournful cries remained.
In just a few moves, the three peak demonic beasts were reduced to two injured and one at death's door!
The Sword of the Azure Dragon spiraled back and hovered above Xu Chuan's head. Its sword light remained as radiant as ever, exuding imposing dragon might.
It seemed as though that intense bout of slaughter hadn't consumed much of its power.
Xu Chuan's indifferent gaze swept over the injured Nine Nether Sparrow and Suanni, finally landing on the dying Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow at the bottom of the crater.
His voice was icy. "I am only killing it. If you two insist on protecting it, then don't blame me for executing you as well."
As these words were spoken, a chilling murderous intent filled the air.
The Nine Nether Sparrow glanced at the wretched, dying Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow in the crater.
A gloomy light flickered violently in its narrow phoenix eyes. There was struggle and wariness, but it ultimately morphed into a flash of cold ruthlessness.
"It is fiercely ambitious. Despite its impure bloodline, it constantly coveted the position of the Nine Nether Sparrow patriarch and provoked me time and again. It is for the best that it dies at the hands of a human.
It will save me a lot of trouble later!"
"Do as you please," the Nine Nether Sparrow stated indifferently.
At the bottom of the crater.
Upon hearing this, the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow struggled to raise one of its heads. Its eyes brimmed with unbelievable despair and vicious resentment as it shrieked hoarsely, "No! Brother!
You cannot abandon me!
Are you not afraid of Father's punishment?!"
"Punishment?" The Nine Nether Sparrow sneered, its tone growing even colder. "Among the demon race, the weak are meat for the strong to eat, and might makes right!
You have only your own incompetence to blame!"
With that said, it didn't even cast a second glance at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow.
Flapping its wings, it transformed into a somewhat ragged streak of pitch-black light and fled frantically toward the distant horizon without the slightest hesitation. It didn't even look back!
The Suanni shot a deep look at Xu Chuan, who stood there holding his umbrella, his sword qi soaring to the heavens.
It then glanced at the ruined sparrow in the crater. A trace of complex emotion flashed through its molten-gold pupils, but it was mostly overwhelmed by a clear realization of the current situation.
The human before it possessed unfathomable strength, with magic treasures and divine abilities of earth-shattering power.
They either needed several more peak third-tier demonic beasts like themselves to besiege him, or they had to call upon a Shapeshifting Great Demon.
However, the human race was powerful. How could the Demon Monarchs be willing to risk themselves so easily?
After all, the bodies of Shapeshifting Great Demons were coveted by countless Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
It let out a low growl, the golden flames around its body flashing as it transformed into a golden escape light. Following closely behind the Nine Nether Sparrow, it tore through the air into the distance, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
The two strongest demonic beasts had actually abandoned their companion under Xu Chuan's deterrence and the cruelty of reality!
Xu Chuan was not surprised by this.
The world of demonic beasts was far more straightforward and cruel than that of humans.
"Fellow Daoists, what follows is my private matter. Please excuse me,"
He shifted his gaze toward True Lord Qingxuan, True Lord Fierce Sun, and the demonic cultivators of the Blackwater Region observing from a distance, speaking in a tranquil voice.
"Haha, Daoist Withered Glory possesses astonishing divine abilities. Our eyes have been truly opened today. If destiny allows, we shall meet again. Farewell!"
One of the demonic cultivators from the Blackwater Region chuckled dryly, cupping his fists first.
Then, he flew off alone in a certain direction.
Most of the remaining demonic cultivators also left by themselves.
Only White Fiend and Black Fiend left together.
After True Lord Qingxuan, True Lord Fierce Sun, and the others bid farewell to Xu Chuan, they also left one after another.
In the blink of an eye, above the ruins of the recent battlefield, only Xu Chuan remained, along with the heavily wounded, dying Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow at the bottom of the crater, its eyes brimming with despair.
Xu Chuan's gaze was ice-cold. His killing intent, almost tangible, locked firmly onto the Black Flame Sparrow.
However, he didn't deliver the killing blow immediately. Instead, his hands rapidly formed hand seals.
Profound runes, containing the power of imprisonment and sealing, flew out from his fingertips.
Like chains, they sunk into the Black Flame Sparrow's body, accurately sealing the rotation of its demonic core and the fluctuations of its sea of consciousness, completely stripping it of its ability to resist or self-destruct.
He wanted to capture this bird alive!
As for the one who would actually kill it, he had already made up his mind.
However, right at the moment the sealing was completed, Xu Chuan's brow suddenly furrowed.
An extremely obscure, yet overwhelmingly vast fluctuation of divine sense silently swept across the area.
Xu Chuan's divine sense had already reached the Nascent Soul level, so he was able to detect that someone was probing him from the shadows.
'As expected, it drew the prying eyes of Nascent Soul powerhouses...'
Xu Chuan understood clearly in his heart.
He knew full well that once he exerted his full strength, it would inevitably attract the attention of the Nascent Soul cultivators who had entered the Land of Imprisonment.
After all, a battle of such magnitude could be sensed by Nascent Soul cultivators even if they were thousands of miles away.
Having anticipated this, Xu Chuan had already mentally contacted Moyue, telling him to come over.
A brief moment later.
"Roar!"
An earth-shattering dragon roar, brimming with savage and tyrannical aura, rolled in from the distant horizon!
Following that, a terrifyingly violent demonic aura swept in all directions like a tsunami!
Xu Chuan looked up to see a massive dark-green silhouette break through the clouds. Slithering through the air, it arrived in an instant.
It was a flood dragon with a body length of over three hundred meters, sporting dragon horns on its head and four claws on its underbelly!
Moyue's enormous body coiled in the air. Its dark-gold dragon eyes coldly swept over the sealed Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow below.
Then, its divine sense scattered outwards.
It collided with the hidden Nascent Soul cultivator's divine sense.
Thunderclaps seemed to echo within the void.
"Does Your Excellency hail from the Hundred Thousand Mountains?" a voice rang out.
"I am from Heavenly South, Azure Dragon Prefecture!"
Hearing the mention of Heavenly South, the obscure Nascent Soul divine sense fell silent for a moment before withdrawing without further response.
"They're gone."
Moyue spoke calmly and, with a shake of his body, shifted back into his human form.
"Senior, save me! I am the son of a Demon Monarch from the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Save my life, and my father will definitely offer you generous remuneration."
Moyue ignored it completely.
With a wave of his sleeve robe, Xu Chuan tossed its body into a Spirit Beast Pouch and also withdrew the Azure Dragon Treasure Umbrella.
"It is unwise to remain here for long. The peeping fellow from before may have retreated, but there's no guarantee others aren't scheming."
Moyue nodded slightly.
Xu Chuan concealed Moyue's aura, and the two swiftly returned to Dongxi.
Merely dozens of breaths after they left.
Several other Nascent Soul divine senses swept through the area.
Unfortunately, the aura here had been erased by Xu Chuan, making it impossible for them to track where Xu Chuan and Moyue had gone.
The Land of Imprisonment was neither exceptionally large nor small.
Even for Nascent Soul stage cultivators, finding someone inside was no easy feat.
The individuals communicated mentally.
"A Shapeshifting Great Demon has entered the Land of Imprisonment. Which Daoist is willing to reveal which Demon Monarch from the Hundred Thousand Mountains it is?"
"The aura was completely erased. That person's methods are quite impressive."
"It didn't feel like a Demon Monarch from the Hundred Thousand Mountains. The aura that burst out earlier possessed the might of a flood dragon."
"This old man heard that a Shapeshifting Great Demon from Heavenly South seems to have entered. Could it be that one?"
"From the Spirit Taming Sect?"
"No, it seems to be from the Northwest Region."
After casually exchanging some information, the Nascent Soul cultivators dispersed.
Jade Cold Pool.
Xu Chuan and Moyue returned silently without anyone noticing.
He patted his Spirit Beast Pouch, releasing the heavily injured Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow. Its enormous body resembled a small mountain.
Xu Chuan sent a sound transmission to Xu Mingyuan.
At this time, he was in secluded cultivation at the grand manor, comprehending various Tier 3 low-grade talismans.
"Mingyuan," Xu Chuan's voice echoed in his mind.
"Father, do you need me for something?"
"The time has come. The blood feud for the murder of our clan's son must be avenged. Go and bring Derong, Chongkai, and Chongjian to the Jade Cold Pool."
Upon hearing these words.
Xu Mingyuan trembled all over. After a moment of silence, he replied, "Thank you, Father."
Half a quarter of an hour later.
Xu Mingyuan arrived at the Jade Cold Pool with Xu Derong, Xu Chongkai, and Xu Chongjian.
As soon as they entered.
Xu Chongjian and Xu Chongkai noticed that the spiritual qi here was a level higher than over at the grand manor. They were both slightly surprised in their hearts.
Xu Mingyuan, on the other hand, immediately noticed the small, slender black mound in front of the bamboo hut not far away.
His pupils shrank slightly.
However, he didn't explode with emotion on the spot. Instead, he led the others up to Xu Chuan.
"Father."
"Grandfather."
"Great-Grandfather."
Xu Mingyuan and the other three cupped their fists and bowed.
"There is no need for such formalities."
Xu Chongjian glanced at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow and asked in astonishment, "Grandfather, the aura of this demonic beast is so terrifying. What tier of demonic beast is it?"
"Peak third-tier!"
Xu Chongjian and Xu Chongkai both sucked in a breath of cold air.
The fact that the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow was the perpetrator who killed Ren Xiaoyao was known only to the core members of the Xu family.
Therefore, Xu Derong did not have any particular reaction upon seeing it.
She was merely amazed by the demonic beast's strength.
Xu Chuan formed a seal with one hand, and a streak of light sank into the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's body. It immediately regained the ability to speak.
"True Lord Withered Glory, if you want to kill me, just kill me. Did you capture me purely to let these low-level cultivators surround and humiliate me?"
"Naturally, you deserve to die, but I will let you die understanding why."
"Hehe, it's merely because you saw that I was the weakest and had the shallowest heritage. It was a life-and-death struggle to begin with, yet you act so righteously.
Human cultivators are indeed just a bunch of hypocrites."
Xu Chuan paid no mind to its curses and recounted calmly, "Over twenty years ago, in the Azure Sea Forest, a human cultivator was undergoing core formation there, and you just happened to pass by..."
Hearing these words, Xu Derong's entire body shook!
She looked at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow in disbelief, and then at Xu Mingyuan.
Xu Mingyuan gave her a slight nod.
From then on, the look in her eyes as she stared at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow changed, becoming brimming with hatred!
It was an unforgettable, bone-deep hatred...
"You originally wanted to devour him, but he refused to let you have your way and, with no other option, chose to self-destruct."
"How do you know about that?"
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow was slightly startled. "There shouldn't have been anyone else around at the time. Could it be that old geezer, the Tree King, told you?
What is your relationship with him?"
By now, Xu Chongkai had also fully realized why this demonic beast was brought here.
Most of the other demonic beasts were dead. Why was it so special?
Great-Grandfather had specifically captured it alive to bring back.
Xu Chongkai's eyes were shot through with blood as he glared dead-on at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow.
"The man who self-destructed was my granddaughter's husband and one of the core members of my Xu family. He was his honored master and father-in-law. This is his wife, and these are his two sons."
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow was instantly dumbfounded.
It actually turned out like this!
"So that's how it is. No wonder you kept targeting me. It turns out that man was from your Xu family! What a pity I couldn't eat him back then!"
"You deserve to die! You deserve to die! You deserve to die!"
Xu Chongkai's aura suddenly erupted. A flying sword appeared in his hand, which he controlled to viciously stab at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow.
"Clink-clink-clink!"
Tens of thousands of sparks scattered, yet not a single scratch was left behind.
Xu Chongkai's current strength was at the early stage of the Ninth-Level Foundation Establishment. But even if he unleashed his full power, he couldn't harm the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow in the slightest.
The feathers covering its body had a defensive power comparable to a mid-grade magic treasure.
This was simply not something a dharma tool could harm!
"A mere ant! How could you possibly hurt me?!"
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow looked like a crazed prisoner facing execution.
"Thank you, Grandfather, for always keeping my husband's revenge in mind. If my husband knows of this in the underworld, he will surely be very gratified."
Xu Derong immediately fell to her knees, kowtowing to Xu Chuan.
Xu Chongkai and Xu Chongjian followed suit.
"Rise," Xu Chuan said. "Our Xu family will forever remember those who have rendered meritorious service to the clan."
"We also always repay our debts of gratitude and demand blood for blood when wronged!"
Pausing for a moment, he looked at them. "Would you like to take revenge with your own hands?"
Xu Derong glanced at Xu Mingyuan, and Xu Mingyuan cupped his fists, saying, "I request Father to make the move. Even though this beast is heavily injured, it's not something I can easily kill.
Let alone Derong, Chongkai, and Chongjian."
"I beseech Grandfather to take action! Avenge my husband and settle this blood feud!"
"I beseech Great-Grandfather to take action and avenge our father!"
"Very well."
Xu Chuan looked at the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow and declared, "Today, I shall slay you with seven words!"
"Slay me with seven words?" The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's left head jerked up, letting out a hoarse, ear-piercing sneer as black fire danced in its eye sockets.
"What a joke! Do you think you're a Great Nascent Soul Cultivator?
That your words are law, capable of annihilating a soul with a single syllable?
A mere Golden Core, yet you dare utter such arrogant words!
Even if I am heavily wounded and captured, I am not someone you can easily humiliate!
If you have the capability, give me a quick death! Quit playing tricks!"
"Kill!"
Xu Chuan spat out the first word.
The moment this syllable resounded, formless and intangible divine sense power seemingly materialized into a bladed weapon, piercing ruthlessly into the depths of the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's sea of consciousness!
"Argh!"
Both of the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's heads simultaneously jerked backward, letting out a wretched howl that didn't even sound like a bird's cry!
That howl was filled with unbelievable horror and heart-wrenching agony!
Its entire sea of consciousness was thrown into total chaos.
That kind of pain far exceeded physical trauma, striking directly at the origin of its divine soul.
Dark red trails of blood simultaneously seeped from the eyes, ears, mouths, and nostrils of both heads.
Without the slightest pause, the second word followed immediately.
"Kill!"
This time, the divine sense power transformed into dozens of Divine Sense Silver Needles. Following the cracks in its sea of consciousness caused by the first strike, they madly drilled in, pierced, and scrambled its mind!
"Aaaaargh!!"
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's screams abruptly pitched higher, becoming twisted and desperate!
The two heads slammed into and tore at each other in agony, as if trying to transfer the agonizing pain originating from the depths of its soul.
The third word.
The fourth word.
"Kill!"
"Kill!!"
"Kill!!!"
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow could no longer produce any coherent sounds; only hoarse gasps came from its throat, accompanied by imperceptible twitches.
Its massive body was like a sack completely drained of its bones.
In the next instant.
The final, faint trace of the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's life force came to an abrupt halt.
It twitched one last time and then fell completely still.
Blood slowly stopped flowing from its orifices, though those stains had long since dried and turned black.
Both heads remained in their dying posture, devoid of the slightest vitality.
Its soul was annihilated, and its body perished!
Xu Chuan raised his hand and grabbed, forcibly pulling out a remnant soul before storing it away.
Next, he put his fingers together like a knife and slashed through the air.
The Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow's chest split open, and a demonic core the size of a fist slowly flew out.
Finally, he formed another hand seal.
Immediately, gurgling, thick Black Flame Sparrow essence blood, viscous as syrup, was refined out.
Its color was dark red, nearly black, radiating an astonishing amount of qi and blood along with residual demonic power. It coalesced into a sphere and dropped into another jade bottle.
Its corpse withered at a visible rate.
The Xu family never wasted materials. Even after executing the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow, its essence soul, demonic core, and essence blood would all become materials for pill refining.
Its countless feathers, claws, and beak would become materials for forging magic treasures.
This was the corpse of a peak third-tier entity, sufficient to forge high-grade magic treasures.
The Xu family possessed other such demonic beasts as well, such as the recently acquired Profound Feather Nether Snake and the Nine Nether Earth Python from the Black Cloud Mountain Range. All of these were preserved in the hands of Xu Deling.
Seeing the Two-Headed Black Flame Sparrow thoroughly dead.
Xu Mingyuan and the others closed their eyes, as if observing a moment of silence.
'Xiaoyao, you can rest in peace now,' Xu Mingyuan said silently in his heart.
"Thank you, Grandfather. Now that the murderer is dead, we shall take our leave first."
Xu Chuan nodded.
Xu Chongjian followed them away, but after taking a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said, "Great-Grandfather, your grandson will become as strong as you in the future.
I will slay peak third-tier demonic beasts!
Protect our clansmen!
And safeguard our Xu family!"
Xu Chuan smiled with gratification. "Then cultivate well. Your path, Chongkai's path, and the path of all our Xu Clan children have only just begun."
Xu Mingyuan also cupped his fists, saying, "Father, this child will also take his leave."
"Go on. Since the matter is settled, let it go completely."
"Yes."
After they left, they headed to the Xu family's Hero Spirit Garden to pay their respects to Ren Xiaoyao together.
"Brother You Huang, that guy called Withered Glory is protecting the Dongxi Xu Clan. With him there, unless we assemble a great army from the Hundred Thousand Mountains, it will be very difficult to wipe them out.
Furthermore, over these past two days, quite a few third-tier demonic beasts have been killed by the Golden Core cultivators from the Blackwater and Heavenly South domains.
The losses this time are likely far greater than the previous occasion."
The Suanni looked at the Nine Nether Sparrow and said.
"They are somewhat substantial. If this continues, it might affect our entry into the Ancient Battlefield..."
The Nine Nether Sparrow paused, then continued, "Then let us gather all the demonic beasts. Compared to the Blackwater and Heavenly South domains, it's unrealistic for our Hundred Thousand Mountains to contend alone.
Then, we will go check out that Dongxi.
We need to bring the monkey along this time.
Its innate talent excels in melee combat, and its strength is even above ours.
If the three of us joining forces still isn't enough, we will have no choice but to report this to the Demon Monarchs."
"That works too."
Within two days.
The third-tier demonic beasts in the Land of Imprisonment gathered one after another.
As for those below the third tier, the Nine Nether Sparrow and the others didn't care much.
Whether it was for cultivators or demonic beasts, the Golden Core stage was a watershed moment.
In a relatively barren place like the Azure Dragon Prefecture, even immortal cultivators with a Mixed Spirit Root Aptitude had a hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.
Those with Pseudo Spiritual Roots also had a chance, provided they had the assistance of Foundation Establishment Pills and spirit veins.
Meanwhile, most demonic beast descendants had far better foundations than humans. Therefore, there was an endless supply of first and second-tier demonic beasts. Even within the Hundred Thousand Mountains, competition was incredibly fierce.
"Strange, we haven't seen many third-tier demonic beasts today at all. They're all just lackeys; even if we kill them, they won't exchange for many resources or spirit stones."
Many Blackwater Region demonic cultivators and Heavenly South Golden Core cultivators were puzzled.
However, there were also those aware of the situation, having seen large numbers of third-tier demonic beasts massing.
This news spread quickly.
"Are they planning a counterattack against us humans? They're biting off more than they can chew."
The Hundred Thousand Mountains was one of the hegemonic powers among the demonic beasts, with seven similar demon race factions existing across the two domains.
Their most apex powerhouse was titled Demon Sovereign.
However, much like human cultivators, the demon races also had conflicts with one another.
Unless it was a crisis of extermination or overwhelming benefits, getting them to unite was extremely difficult.
"With these third-tier demonic beasts being assembled, it seems they want to launch an attack on the final Golden Core faction within the Land of Imprisonment."
"That's a bit of an exaggeration. For a small place like this, simply sending a few late-stage third-tier demonic beasts should be enough to wipe out any Golden Core faction, shouldn't it?"
"Daoist, you are ill-informed. A few days ago, top-tier powerhouses from our Blackwater Region, Heavenly South, and the Hundred Thousand Mountains crossed paths.
One of them dominated the entire field, single-handedly taking on three peak third-tier demonic beasts.
And I heard those three even possessed Demon Monarch bloodlines, all boasting powerful innate divine abilities.
Yet, despite all that, they still lost."
"There's actually someone like that? Doesn't that mean he's invincible beneath the Nascent Soul stage?"
"Apparently, in some prefecture over in Heavenly South, he is known as the Number One Under Nascent Soul, and that Golden Core clan is a branch of his bloodline."
"It's actually like that! Well then, aren't we in for a good show?"
Many people had a premonition that the demonic beasts would launch a massive assault on Dongxi, so they waited in the surrounding areas.
Xu Mingwei, Xu Deling, Ye Fan, Xu Deyue, and Xu Mingshu all relayed the news back and asked if they were needed to return and help.
Xu Chuan, however, told them it wouldn't be too late to return in another two days.
With him, Moyue, and Mo Wentian present, Dongxi was as steady as Mount Tai.
Unless a Nascent Soul cultivator intervened, triggering a Nascent Soul battle here.
But the Nascent Soul cultivators from both domains came here primarily for the Ancient Battlefield; they wouldn't rashly interfere in a battle between Golden Core cultivators.
After all, who didn't have background and backing?
If one died fighting amongst Golden Cores, they would have nothing to complain about.
But if a Nascent Soul cultivator disregarded their status to brutally murder Golden Core juniors, they couldn't complain if the adults stepped onto the field.
In such a scenario, even Grand Cultivators might be forced to make an appearance.
Then the situation would completely spiral out of control.
Many super-scale wars could be triggered by something as small as a lowly Foundation Establishment stage cultivator.
A demonic cloud that blotted out the sun and sky rolled in from Great Liang.
Its colors were chaotic—black, gray, red, and gold churning and intertwining, as if dragging the entire sky back into the untamed primordial era of chaos.
Shadowy silhouettes filled the cloud, every one a massive, vicious outline.
Dull, thunderous roars of beasts, ear-piercing shrieks of birds, and the rustling sounds of countless claws grinding and scales clashing all mashed together, forming a horrifying cacophony that made one's soul tremble.
And leading the charge were exactly three peak third-tier demonic beasts, their auras as deep as abysses and as heavy as mountains.
In the center was the Zhuyan, which Xu Chuan had never seen before.
Its form resembled a giant ape, but it was entirely covered in long, scarlet hair like burning flames. It had a white head, bare red feet, and a visage of violent brutality.
Its enormous, bell-like eyes were blood red. Simply standing there, it emitted a palpitating aura of malice and violence.
To its left was the Nine Nether Sparrow, and to its right was the Suanni.
Within the demonic cloud were sixty to seventy third-tier demonic beasts of varying shapes and sizes.
The demons roared in unison.
The terrifying pressure pressed down heavily on the skies above Dongxi, like a mountain weighing millions of tons.
Even though it was isolated by the tier-3 high-grade Cloud Heaven Illusionary Array, that sense of oppression still pierced through the formation, permeating every corner of Dongxi.
Within Dongxi, countless cultivators and martial artists walked out of their rooms or looked up.
Their minds were all gripped by terror.
"So many third-tier demonic beasts! There's at least double the amount from last time!"
"Can we hold them off this time?"
Panicked whispers spread through the crowd. Although they had faith in the clan's grand array and their Ancestor.
The apocalyptic scene unfolding before them still shattered the psychological defenses of many young disciples.
Right at this moment.
A figure in green robes, moving neither too fast nor too slow, stepped leisurely out from the grand array.
It was exactly Xu Chuan.
He stood solitary in the air outside Dongxi. His tiny silhouette formed an incredibly stark and bizarre contrast against the overwhelming demonic beast army that blotted out the sky.
"You two, we meet again."
Xu Chuan lifted his eyes. His gaze swept over the Nine Nether Sparrow and the Suanni before settling on the ferocious, white-headed, red-furred ape.