Gentlemen, it's time to enter the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls.

Chapter 382 The Demonic Sect Has Never Been United

Yunlu Immortal Sect, Guanyun Terrace.

Feng Huaiyu once again came to this scenic place, but the crowds were so large that they blocked the view.

The battle in the clouds ended two days ago, but the rogue cultivators have not dispersed.

One reason was to attend the collective funeral that the Yunlu Immortal Sect was about to hold for its fallen disciples, to express condolences for those disciples who sacrificed their lives fighting against the demonic sect, and to pay tribute to their heroic souls.

Secondly... they were reluctant to leave.

This is the greatest battle between the righteous and the demonic paths in a thousand years.

The two Demonic Sect Masters joined forces to attack, heading straight for the Yunlu Immortal Sect's mountain gate. This battle was so fierce that the sky turned completely black, and the sun and moon lost their color.

Ultimately, both Venerable Masters had their physical bodies severed, and the Yunlu Immortal Sect paid the price with dozens of disciples killed or wounded. Several Nascent Soul Realm elders were severely injured, and it would likely take them a century of arduous cultivation to recover.

Such a world-shaking battle, worthy of being recorded in history, has just passed. The scattered cultivators on the stage are like guarding a pot of peerless elixir that has just been extinguished. They want to smell the lingering fragrance in the air and will not stop until the last trace of the grand "excitement" has dissipated.

The Cloud-Viewing Platform has been packed with people these past few days. As Feng Huaiyu sat alone in a corner of the platform with his sword in his arms, he heard a group of rogue cultivators making a ruckus around a burly man with a bushy beard.

The burly man strode confidently onto the stone bench, his spittle flying everywhere as he gesticulated his arms: "That day, the demon lord Tiger's henchmen descended with countless demonic minions, dark clouds looming over the city! I, Feng, knew then that I would witness the unparalleled prowess of the righteous lords in slaying demons and monsters! So, I warmed myself a pot of wine, thinking that if the battle turned against me, I would use this wine to bolster my courage, draw my sword, and fight that demon to the death!"

Before he could finish speaking, boos erupted from all around.

"Come on, with your level of cultivation, you probably can't even beat a single 'Chang Gui'!"

"Exactly! That Tiger Lord probably wouldn't even bother to glance at you. The demonic energy he exhales with just a breath would be enough to turn you into a skeleton!"

……

Faced with the teasing of the crowd, the burly man laughed instead of getting angry, wiped his mouth and said, "Hey, I warmed the wine, that's the real story! Believe it or not, my heart is truly willing to sacrifice my life for the righteous path! However, the Yunlu Immortal Sect and the heroes of the righteous path are so powerful that they far exceed our imagination. They didn't even need a rogue cultivator like me to take action; they had already slain those two demons!"

He abruptly changed the subject, raising his voice eight octaves, instantly drawing everyone's attention back.

"However, that's not my main point!"

"As you all know, this battle in the clouds, though seemingly earth-shattering, was actually only a fleeting moment from beginning to end! I remember that at first, the Tiger Lord had the upper hand, and his immortal army of ghouls forced the righteous alliance to retreat step by step! In the end, he even transformed into a streak of blood light and rushed straight into the protective formation of the Cloud Peak Immortal Sect, seemingly about to unleash a massacre..."

At first, everyone just listened to it as a joke, but gradually, they were also infected by the imposing manner of his words and became fascinated.

Even though many of them witnessed the battle firsthand, hearing it from others gave them a completely different, thrilling experience.

Like a ghost, it hopes that others will experience what it has gone through, hear others talk about their feelings, and then express its empathy.

The burly man was clearly a master, and when he got excited, he gestured wildly, vividly reenacting the scene. Sometimes he crouched low, mimicking a demon's stealth; other times he leaped up suddenly, like a sword immortal soaring through the heavens. The rogue cultivators who hadn't witnessed the battle were completely engrossed, as if the earth-shattering fighting was unfolding right before their eyes.

From the arrogance of the Tiger Lord to the earth-shattering sword strike of Master Sheng Huai'an that reduced the Flying Lord's body to ashes; and then to the Tiger Lord's successful scheme, his charge into the sect, only to be annihilated by the mysterious Yellow Springs Sect Master with endless sword energy...

"...When I saw with my own eyes that arrogant demon lord, Hu Chang, being sliced ​​into mincemeat inch by inch by dense sword energy, I couldn't help but shout 'Good!' and then grabbed the wine jug and drank it all in one gulp! Guess what happened?"

He deliberately kept everyone in suspense, building up their curiosity, before laughing loudly, "That pot of wine is still warm, as if it was just taken off the stove!"

"it is good!"

He described an epic battle in such a dramatic way that everyone felt their pent-up emotions dissipate, leaving them thoroughly satisfied and cheering loudly.

The story of slaying a demon while the wine is still warm should be passed down through the ages.

Especially the Yellow Springs Sect Master; if he hadn't mastered the Eight-Nine Arcane Arts and transformed into a Dream Eater to break the Tiger Lord's magic, the outcome of this battle would still be uncertain.

In the end, he took out his secret treasure and used the gourd sword energy to kill him. However, his method was slightly cunning; who releases sword energy first and then calls out the name?

If one could first righteously shout, "Die, you demon!" and then unleash the sword energy, what a heroic spirit that would be!
However, it doesn't matter much. I imagine that in a couple of days, this story will be embellished and this detail will be kindly modified by later generations into the most heroic version.

Chen Ye, in particular, single-handedly turned the tide of the battle, killing the Demon Lord of the Returning Void Realm with his Profound Realm cultivation. This time, he truly became famous throughout the world.

Feng Huaiyu was also thrilled, wishing he could draw his sword and join the battle.

Unfortunately, he was also aware of his own abilities. If he were to actually participate in the battle, he would only distract the Yunlu Immortal Sect from rescuing people and would not be able to provide any assistance whatsoever.

"Ugh……"

If only he had Chen Ye's skills. Chen Ye is not a good friend. He could clearly kill Hu Chang with his sword energy, yet he told him he had no talent for swordsmanship.

That's outrageous! I'll have to make him buy me drinks later.

The discussion on the Cloud-Viewing Platform did not stop; instead, some people started talking about the famous cultivators in the world today, and some busybodies even said that they should be ranked.

Zhang Qi was the number one in the world before, without any controversy. Moreover, he was far stronger than the second-place player, to the point that the so-called rankings were meaningless.

But now that Zhang Qi has passed away, the most powerful beings in the world are those at the Void Returning Realm. The difference between them is not significant, so it is possible to rank them.

There should be a ranking for the Nascent Soul Realm and the Profound Realm.

It wasn't just because everyone was eager for a good show, but also because the battle between good and evil had begun, and chaos was imminent.

The Cloud-Gazing Platform was mostly filled with independent cultivators. They were uneasy, hoping that many heroes could actually protect them from the collapsing sky. Whether it was a joke or a way to reassure themselves, after a lively discussion, the crowd actually compiled a list.

The ranking of those in the Returning to the Void Realm is still somewhat controversial, since they are all leaders of major sects, so the ranking is not very standard. For now, Yin Xiaoshuang of the Mirage Sect is ranked first.

It was only because in the battle at Rift Mountain that both True Man Wuyun and True Man Jiaoyue were injured that Yin Xiaoshuang was the one who defeated the Azure Dragon Lord.

However, since the Five Elements Master displayed his skills in this battle in the clouds, everyone felt that there was no problem with him ranking second.

Therefore, the ranking of Void Returning Realm cultivators is: Yin Xiaoshuang first, followed by Wu Yun Zhenren and Jiao Yue Zhenren. As for the mysterious new leader of the Qinghe Sword Sect, since no one has heard of him, he can only be ranked fourth. Finally, there's Tie Shengrong, the former leader of the Fenxiang Sect, who is quite famous, but considering the sect's past reputation, he barely makes it into fifth place. As for the Huangquan Sect, everyone has heard that they have a Supreme Elder at the Void Returning Realm, but no one knows exactly how powerful he is, and even few people know his name. However, recently, people have heard a lot about the Huangquan Sect's demon-slaying and righteous deeds; it's rumored that even the Azure Dragon Venerable was defeated by this Supreme Elder. If the Huangquan Sect weren't so young, many people think Tie Shengrong should be swapped with this Supreme Elder in the rankings.

Next is Abbot Kongyuan of Cixin Temple. He has been in the Void Returning Realm for a long time. Although he rarely shows his face, we have heard a lot about Cixin Temple's deeds in suppressing demons. He can barely make it into the top ten.

As for that monk Fangyuan, rumors circulate that he also broke through to the Void Returning Realm, but no one knows if it's true or not, so let's leave it at that for now.

That's about it for the Void Returning Realm. There are too few people, the distance is too far, and there's not much to talk about.

However, the competition in the Nascent Soul Realm is extremely fierce. Sheng Huai'an killed the Flying Lord with a single sword strike, and considering Zhang Qi's praise of him before his death, he is undoubtedly the number one in the Nascent Soul Realm. Some people even want to rank him on the Void Return Realm list, as keeping him here is really a bit unfair.

The second place goes to Master Yangshuo of the Yunlu Immortal Sect. His record is well-documented, and he is renowned for slaying demons and monsters throughout his life. However, in recent years he has been reluctant to travel and has devoted himself to teaching disciples at the Yunlu Immortal Sect.

The third place goes to Wang Wancheng of the Qinghe Sword Sect. This swordsmith usually lives a secluded life and rarely fights with others, but he once killed three Nirvana Sect demon monks at the Nascent Soul Realm with a hundred swords by himself. This battle is enough to rank him in the top three.

Following them were established Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from the five major sects, most of whom were already elders in their sects, focusing on teaching their disciples.

Wang Yichen and Su Chunyi, these younger disciples, were ranked lower due to their seniority, but no one would think that these two were inferior to the older disciples.

Because the Qinghe Sword Sect is the best in the world, this has been proven countless times by the Qinghe Sword Sect and is a truth in the cultivation world.

The rankings at the Nascent Soul Realm were being discussed from dawn till dusk, but when the conversation turned to the Profound Realm, everyone fell silent.

There's nothing we can do... there aren't many famous people in the Profound Realm.

The last ranking of the Tongxuan Realm was many years ago. Su Chunyi took first place and Lingguang Xian took second place, and then nothing happened. Who remembers the names after that? There is also a long list of people who are not in the Tongxuan Realm but are on the battle ranking of Baihai Valley.

The Profound Realm is really not something to be proud of, except for Chen Ye, the sect leader of the Yellow Springs Sect.

It's all because Chen Ye's record is too outrageous. The Azure Dragon Lord, the Tiger Servant Lord, and other big and small demons all lost their lives at his hands. This record would rank among the top in the Returning Void Realm, and in the Profound Realm, it would make all other cultivators of the same realm look insignificant.

This was back when Zhang Qi was still alive. Nobody in the world had time to create any rankings. His name was too dazzling; putting anyone on second place would be an insult.

Therefore, the lists for Returning to Emptiness, Transforming into Spirit, and Reaching Profound Realm were all finalized, except that Chen Ye was the only name on the Reaching Profound Realm list.

Chen Ye of the Huangquan Sect is ranked first in the Tongxuan Realm, and the Supreme Elder of the Huangquan Sect is ranked sixth in the Fanxu Realm.

With these two rankings, coupled with Chen Ye's unbelievable achievements, from this day forward, the Yellow Springs Sect has officially replaced the Incense Burning Sect, whose mountain gate was destroyed, and has become the world's recognized fifth major sect.

The casual remarks made by a group of unaffiliated monks after drinking should have drifted into the night and gradually dissipated.

Thousands of miles away, deep within the earth's core, in a desolate, isolated underground palace.

A girl, who looked no more than seven or eight years old and had her hair styled in two buns, was sitting on a disproportionately tall black stone throne. Her bare, snow-white little feet swung leisurely in mid-air, making her delicate ankles appear even whiter from the dark throne.

The drunken banter of the rogue cultivators in the Yunlu Immortal Sect was turning into invisible ripples, reaching the young girl's ears.

Only one person in the world possesses this supernatural ability to hear the wind, to hear the voices of all things in heaven and earth; she is none other than the Venerable Lord Youluo, who has always been hidden in the darkness.

She listened intently to the boasts coming from afar, and couldn't help but smile, which eventually turned into a string of silvery giggles.

As the laughter subsided, she spoke to the empty space ahead, "The Yellow Springs Sect has gained momentum and is now thrust into the limelight. What a brilliant move—using someone else's knife to kill, going with the flow."

"Feilian, from the very beginning, you used your 'words become law' supernatural power to pronounce judgment on the fates of Hu Chang and Chen Ye. Now that the game has ended as you predicted, shouldn't your realm have reached the Dao?"

As her words fell, a tall, slender figure silently emerged from the darkness. The newcomer wore an ancient deer antler hat; it was none other than the Venerable Feilian, who had just lost his life.

He walked slowly to the throne, bowed slightly, and looked at the girl-like Youluozi. His eyes showed no contempt, but rather deep respect and apprehension.

The Demonic Sect has never been united; everything is a scheme. Anyone who is not careful will die without knowing why.

In terms of strategy and cunning, this young girl is the real grandma, while Fei Lian is just a junior.

Lord Feilian smiled calmly and said, "You are the one who truly understands the secrets of heaven. My little tricks are naturally no match for you. However, thank you for telling me that Chen Ye has a treasure gourd containing Zhang Qi's last sword energy. If I hadn't known about this, I wouldn't have been able to arrange things so well. I will remember the favor I owe you."

Youluozi swung her little feet, her clear eyes seemingly able to see through people's hearts. She asked casually, "What are you still missing to break through your realm?"

Fei Lian's smile remained gentle, but his words carried a hint of coldness: "It's just a matter of my brother Hu Chang's 'enlightenment' that's missing. He was the one who asked me for help in this battle. Now, if he can repay this favor to me in a hearty manner, I can achieve perfect merit and step into the Dao Integration Realm."

Youluozi scoffed, "Heh, so you're going to pay with his life, aren't you?"

Fei Lian didn't hide anything and said frankly, "Unless, he can produce a treasure more precious than his life."

Youluozi raised his head and looked at Feilian, his tone suddenly turning cold as he warned, "Then remember this well, you also owe me a favor, which you must repay."

“Of course.” Fei Lian solemnly promised, “I will help you open the door at the deepest part of Guixu and release the prisoners inside. I, Fei Lian, have practiced the supernatural power of words becoming law. What I promise, I will naturally do.”

"That's best."

Youluozi finally nodded in satisfaction.

All these calculations ultimately lead to nothingness.

Since Chen Ye was unwilling to help, Youluozi had no choice but to find another helper. His cultivation at the Dao Integration Realm was not enough to deal with the black dog guarding the gate, but Feilian's ability to make his words come true had a unique use and might be able to bypass the black dog's protection and open the Gate of Return to Nothingness.

As long as this seal can be broken, the mere remnant spirit of the black dog will absolutely not be able to stop the one inside.

Thinking of this, Youluozi became somewhat impatient and said to Feilian, "Since that's the case, hurry up and devour your brother. Don't blame me for not reminding you, Chen Ye has probably also set his sights on Huchang. This kid is more ruthless and decisive than you or I when he takes action."

Fei Lian frowned and said, "How could he possibly know where Hu Chang is unless you help him?"

Youluozi shook his head and said, "Of course I won't help him this time, but he has just mastered a very powerful divine ability at the Yunlu Immortal Sect, which is no less powerful than your words becoming law."

(End of this chapter)