The Eternal God Emperor and the Demon Ancestor

Inside Blood God Pass, unlike the deafening sounds of battle outside, the council hall was peaceful and serene.

Ling Che, his Daoist form gleaming, sat on sandalwood chairs on either side of the main hall, alongside Xue Renxian. The tables were laden with sacred fruits and wines, specialties of the central region of the Kunlun Realm. Crystalline juice dripped from Ling Che's fingertips, emanating wisps of clear Daoist energy. He glanced at the mirrored screen suspended in the ceiling, its shimmering light reflecting the battles across the Kunlun Realm. A smile played on his lips: "Brother Xue, your half-brother's swordsmanship is actually a bit more refined than yours. In my opinion, he's almost at the Divine Realm of Swordsmanship. Perhaps this battle will be the key to his breakthrough."

Xue Renxian paused slightly in the bronze wine cup he was holding. His cold eyes swept over the blue-clad, sword-wielding figure in the mirror, and his tone was as indifferent as frost: "The Sword Emperor's sword is naturally stronger than mine. But he is not my elder brother, and I, Xue Renxian, have never needed any elder brother."

Upon hearing this, Ling Che shook his head helplessly, picked up a purple-veined sacred fruit, took a bite, and as the juice splashed out, his voice carried a hint of sigh: "Alas, in the end, it's all Old Man Xue's fault. That old fellow, bearing the title of the most handsome man in the Kunlun Realm, is naturally a womanizer, attracting beauties all over the Kunlun Realm, and his illegitimate children are as numerous as fish crossing a river."

These words immediately chilled the atmosphere in the hall.

Everyone knows that Xue Renxian is the illegitimate son of Xue Yubai, the former city lord of Wanxiang City. Years ago, Xue Yubai, seeking to learn about the swordsmanship of the Blood God Sect, infiltrated the sect under the alias Xue Yubai. With his handsome face and silver tongue, he managed to win the heart of Lin Hong, the then-holy maiden of the Blood God Sect. Lin Hong was exceptionally talented, originally the chosen successor of the previous sect leader, and already betrothed to an elder of the sect, a once-renowned genius of Kunlun.

But Xue Yubai's appearance disrupted everything.

The two secretly conceived a child, and after Lin Hong gave birth to Xue Renxian, their affair was exposed. The old leader of the Blood God Sect was furious and personally attacked Xue Yubai, severely injuring her. Had it not been for fear of Wanxiang City, he would likely have already reduced her to ashes. Lin Hong, having violated the sect's rules, was imprisoned in the Blood God Sect's forbidden area and eventually died in despair.

The current city lord of Wanxiang City, the renowned Sword Emperor of Kunlun, is the son of Xue Yubai's lawfully wedded wife and also Xue Renxian's half-brother.

"Eight or nine hundred years have passed. The grudges of the previous generation should have long since faded away." Ling Che put down his wine cup, his voice deepening. "Your mother's death was not solely the fault of Old Man Xue. Over the years, Lord Xue has secretly taken care of you quite a few times. He is not a bad person by nature, and you should not hold such a grudge."

Xue Renxian didn't speak, but his five fingers suddenly tightened, and several cracks appeared in the cold bronze wine cup. Wine dripped through his fingers, staining his robe and spreading a dark mark. His gaze was fixed on a corner of the mirror screen above, where Sword Emperor Xue Aomei was fighting a deadly battle against Xia Yingtian, an undead vampire cultivator from the Palace of Death.

Just then, the scene on the other side of the mirror suddenly changed, causing Ling Che's gaze to sharpen.

Huang Qiming stood in the sky to deal with the Martial Emperor's Flowing Light Dao, his hands forming a seal, and the Dao of Destiny swirling around him, actually condensing a Gate of Destiny that was tens of thousands of miles high.

"Good heavens!" Ling Che sat up abruptly, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes. "When did Huang Laosi cultivate the Dao of Destiny to the Divine Realm? Judging from the fluctuations in his Daoist aura, he has also grasped quite a few of the mysteries of destiny. This time, Senior Yang is probably going to suffer some trouble."

As expected, the battle situation in the mirror screen changed rapidly.

The Gate of Destiny hung in the heavens, casting down countless chains of fate that tightly locked the space around the Martial Emperor. The Path of Flowing Light, the Martial Emperor's main sacred path, was unparalleled in the Kunlun Realm. When unleashed at full power, its speed was even faster than that of ordinary pseudo-gods. However, under the suppression of the laws of destiny, its movements were slowed down by several degrees. Each shift felt as if a billion-pound weight was pressing down on it.

But the Martial Emperor was, after all, the Martial Emperor, his cultivation having already reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm. With a long roar, the spear in his hand erupted with dazzling light, displaying the divine mastery of the spear, where the spear's way merged with the way of flowing light, the spear tip slicing through the void, actually tearing apart the chains of fate.

The powerful combat strength of the two cultivators colliding with the Gate of Destiny caused the sky to collapse continuously, and spatial fragments fell like raindrops.

Ling Che watched the stalemate in the mirror, then scanned the scenes of other battlefields. The cultivators of the Kunlun Realm fought valiantly, but against the cultivators of the Hell Realm who had also cultivated the Path of Destiny, they were ultimately at a disadvantage. He sighed softly, tapping his fingertips on the table, his tone heavy with seriousness: "The Kunlun Realm has not yet entered the Heavenly Court, and therefore has no chance to enter the Temple of Truth to comprehend the Path of Truth. Without the principles of the Path of Truth to protect them, they will ultimately suffer against these cultivators of the Hell Realm who have also cultivated the Path of Destiny..."

The Kunlun Realm boasts an ancient heritage, its profound foundation unparalleled among all realms. Confucianism has produced four patriarchs, each a figure of immense stature and influence; Buddhism's Zen principles are exemplified by the Venerable Monk Sumeru, the last Buddha in the world; Taoism's mysteries are embodied by the Supreme Taoist Ancestor, who left behind the *Taishang Ganying Pian*, guiding all paths back to their origin. The three great demonic sources, the progenitors of the demonic path, practiced and propagated their teachings here, their thirty-six demonic stone carvings passed down through the ages. The Sword Ancestor, the originator of swordsmanship, left behind a wordless sword manual, its sword intent immortal and traversing countless realms. Such ancestral lineages are scattered throughout the Kunlun Realm like stars, each lineage capable of supporting the destiny of a great world.

Alas, the ancient war of the gods, that cataclysmic event that swept across the heavens, utterly shattered the glory of this land. Among the powerful beings above the level of Great God, Lord Wentian led his divine army in a bloody battle in the Hell Realm, ultimately dying in the Yellow Springs Starfield; the Azure Sky City perished in the endless abyss of Kunlun; the Holy Monk of Sumeru died protecting the realm; and the Lord of Fallen God Island, the strongest in spiritual power in the world, was imprisoned in the Temple of Destiny. In the end, not a single god-level powerhouse from the Kunlun Realm returned. Even the true gods and false gods who clung to life were secretly plotted against by hostile forces such as the Heaven Realm, and they all perished, leaving not even a wisp of their souls behind.

After the Middle Ages, the lineage of the Kunlun Realm was like a broken river, with an insurmountable chasm appearing. Dragon Lord Jiwang, this once mighty figure who shook the heavens, also suffered fatal injuries in the God War and had to hide in the Chaos Tower of the Divine Dragon Sun and Moon, sealing himself deep in the Yin-Yang Sea, falling into an endless slumber.

If it weren't for the Venerable Monk Sumeru's foresight into the future, his use of the supreme Dao of Time and Space to traverse countless ages and spread his teachings, and his self-transformation into the Dao to suppress the destiny of the Kunlun Realm, this land would likely have been unable to even give birth to a single Great Sage. After all, at that time, the Kunlun Realm's spiritual roots had been severed, its spiritual veins were depleted, its laws were in disarray, and the path to sainthood was already fraught with thorns, making every step extremely difficult.

"It seems that I will eventually have to make a trip to the Dark Triangle and venture into the Sword South Border again."

"The inheritance of the Path of Origin should rightfully belong to the Kunlun Realm. Only by finding it can the cultivators of the Kunlun Realm make up for their biggest weakness and go further on the path beyond the Saint Realm."

Ling Che's thoughts drifted to the two yet-to-be-born temples—the Temple of Origin and the Temple of Sword God. These two temples were the core of two lineages; if they could be taken ahead of time, it would undoubtedly boost the Kunlun Realm's foundation dramatically. However, a lingering concern remained. The emergence of these temples would inevitably trigger extraordinary phenomena in the heavens and earth. If the commotion was too great and detected by spies from the Heavenly and Hell Realms, it could bring annihilation to the already precarious Kunlun Realm.

As Ling Che was lost in thought, his gaze suddenly sharpened, fixed on the direction of the endless abyss. There, the fluctuations of a battlefield had subsided.

Deep within the endless abyss, at a hidden camp of the Blood God Cult, the stench of blood permeated the void.

Shangguan Qingli of the White Lotus Sect sat cross-legged, her white skirt stained with specks of blood. Her jade-like hands formed a hand seal, and the sacred energy of the White Lotus rose from her body, transforming into pure white lotus blossoms that slowly healed her injuries. Beside her lay a corpse, its eyes wide open in death.

A faint sword mark was visible between the eyebrows of the corpse—the fatal wound. This man was none other than Luo Bin from the Fierce Sea Divine Palace of the Temple of Destiny. His face still bore the marks of extreme horror and disbelief, as if he could not believe, even in death, that he would perish in such a "desolate world" as Kunlun Realm.

"Shangguan Qingli..." Ling Che murmured, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "I didn't expect that she would be the first to defeat her opponent. Luo Bin of the Xiong Hai Divine Palace is a top-tier Great Saint trained by the Temple of Destiny. His strength is not weak, and his combat power far exceeds that of ordinary people of the same level. It seems that I underestimated this female venerable of the White Lotus Sect."

The White Lotus Sect is one of the seven ancient sects of the Kunlun Realm, on par with the Blood God Sect and the Starry Sky Sect. Its history can be traced back to millions of years ago, and it is said to have been founded by "Li Tian," a powerful figure of the heavens in the history of the Kunlun Realm.

Unfortunately, the ancient war of the gods broke out, and several powerful figures from the White Lotus Sect resolutely followed Lord Wentian to conquer the Hell Realm. However, they were ambushed by the enemy and were completely wiped out, with not even a single corpse brought back. The remaining true gods in the sect also perished in the subsequent battle to protect the realm.

Compared to the Blood God Sect, the White Lotus Sect suffered a far more tragic fate. The Blood God of the Blood God Sect died in battle while defending the Kunlun Realm against the invasion of the Hell Realm. His divine body was protected by the Venerable Monk Sumeru and buried within the Blood God Sect, thus preserving most of its heritage. However, all the deities of the White Lotus Sect perished outside the realm, and the sect's supreme martial arts and techniques for Great Saints and above were lost with the fall of its deities.

During those long years, the White Lotus Sect failed to produce even a single Great Sage, gradually declining and almost becoming a second-rate force.

Until Shangguan Qingli appeared. This woman, with unparalleled talent, comprehended the remaining half of the "Taiyin Wusheng Xuanmiao Zhenjing" of the White Lotus Sect in a desperate situation, forcibly breaking through the shackles and becoming the first Great Saint of the White Lotus Sect since the ancient divine war. She was revered by the disciples of the sect as "Wonderful Mysterious Lady Venerable".

With Shangguan Qingli's victory, the other battlefields in the Endless Abyss are also gradually reaching the point of determining the winners and losers.

The clash of sacred powers shook the void. A variety of profound and unparalleled sacred techniques emerged one after another. Some drew upon the power of the stars, transforming them into countless stars that crashed down; some summoned the phantoms of ancient divine beasts, roaring and tearing the heavens and earth apart; and some condensed their own sacred will into laws, transforming them into a vast world to suppress their opponents.

The brilliance of the royal artifacts and supreme artifacts illuminated the darkness of the endless abyss. Blades flashed like bolts of lightning, sword energy soared to the heavens, and the sound of hammers shook the universe. One after another, these supreme treasures appeared, unleashing earth-shattering power that terrified and astonished onlookers.

Above a fractured canyon deep within an endless abyss. That canyon, stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles, is a remnant of ancient wars. On the cliffs on both sides of the canyon, there are still traces of swords and blades from that time, exuding a chilling aura of slaughter.

At this moment, above the canyon, two figures are fiercely clashing. They are none other than Master Shenmeng from the Kunlun Realm and Han Ji from the Temple of Destiny.

Han Ji, clad in a black robe, exuded a terrifying aura. His eyes were icy, as if he regarded all living beings as mere ants. He suddenly clasped his hands together and unleashed a fierce roar: "Sacred Intent of Corpse Mountain and Blood Sea!"

In an instant, the world changed color, and a torrential rain of blood poured down. Within that blood rain lay boundless resentment and murderous intent, transforming upon landing into an endless sea of ​​blood. Within this sea of ​​blood, countless corpses floated, some were enemies who had fallen at his hands, others were various ferocious beasts. They all opened their scarlet eyes, unleashing deafening roars, and charged towards Master Shenmeng.

This is the third-grade holy intent that Han Ji comprehended, and he combined it with a supreme holy technique, using slaughter to nourish the holy path and corpses to forge power, making it extremely terrifying.

Faced with this overwhelming sea of ​​blood and mountains of corpses, Master Shenmeng remained calm, his hands clasped together, chanting the Buddhist mantra: "Amitabha, all dreams are but illusions, arising and ceasing!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the golden sword in his hand was suddenly drawn. The blade shone with boundless Buddhist light, and its sword intent was sharp, directly cleaving through the space in all directions. The sword moves were elusive and unpredictable, sometimes transforming into a shower of flying flowers, sometimes into a dreamlike bubble, making them impossible to grasp.

Ding Ding Ding!

The golden sword flashed, swift as lightning. In just a few breaths, Master Shenmeng had already struck the sword over a thousand times. Each strike contained the Buddhist principle of "illusion and impermanence," as if it could see through illusion and point directly to the essence.

The onrushing corpses turned to ashes under the sword light; the boundless sea of ​​blood crumbled inch by inch under the sword intent. In just a moment, Han Ji's proud holy intent and holy techniques were torn to pieces by Master Shenmeng and vanished without a trace.

Han Ji staggered backward, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. His holy energy surged violently, clearly indicating a serious injury. He looked up at Master Shenmeng, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes, and spoke in a deep voice, "Old monk, your cultivation is rare in the entire Heavenly Court and Hell Realm. I once fought against the strongest mortal in the Western Buddhist Realm, the Bitter Bamboo Bodhisattva, and in terms of strength, he is far inferior to you. I never imagined that the already desolate Kunlun Realm could still cultivate such a peerless sage comparable to a true Buddha!"

Master Shenmeng sheathed his sword and stood still, his Buddhist light fading, his expression remaining calm. He slowly said, "Amitabha, this humble monk's cultivation is merely superficial, far inferior to that of a true Buddha. As an inspector of the Judgment Division of the Temple of Destiny, you have committed far too many killings, and the karmic debts you incur are countless. This humble monk only hopes that you can lay down your butcher's knife, repent, and reform yourself; otherwise, you will surely face retribution and inescapable calamity in the future."

"Put down your butcher's knife?"

Upon hearing Master Shenmeng's words, Han Ji suddenly sneered, his laughter filled with disdain and arrogance. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes: "As the Inspector of the Judgment Division of the Temple of Destiny, wielding the power of life and death, I am the calamity of all cultivators in these realms!"

"In this vast universe, the law of the jungle prevails. As long as one's strength is sufficient, who dares to punish me?"

A cold, desolate voice, carrying an arrogant air of looking down upon the world, echoed above the canyon. The long sword in his hand slowly came out of its sheath, the blade gleaming on his ferocious face, and an even more terrifying killing intent suddenly erupted.