My little sect, which disappeared a thousand years ago, has become a sacred site!

At this moment, Shao Mu's two disciples were no longer the same as before.

His limbs were all severed, twisted at an eerie angle, his body covered in blood, and his breath was so weak that he was almost fading away.

They couldn't even scream; they could only utter faint groans, like those of dying beasts.

The moment those evil cultivators saw the two figures clearly, their expressions changed drastically.

That, that is—

That's their boss.

That Void Refinement Realm expert! That being who made them bow down and willingly become his dogs!

At this moment, they were like two dead dogs, carelessly tossed there!

"run!"

Someone reacted first, screamed, turned around and ran away!

The others, as if waking from a dream, transformed into streaks of light and scattered in all directions!

Shao Mu didn't even move.

He merely raised his eyelids and gave them a cold look.

Just one glance.

The fleeing evil cultivators suddenly froze!

They felt their blood suddenly spiral out of control.

The blood that was originally flowing gently in the veins was now being stirred up by an invisible hand, surging, expanding, and surging wildly.

"No--!!!"

The scream had barely left his lips—

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously.

The bodies of those evil cultivators suddenly exploded.

Blood mist filled the air, and bits of flesh flew everywhere. Then, in the next instant, they converged into a blood-red torrent, along with the spiritual energy and soul energy that dissipated after their deaths, all of which flew into the Three Qi Returning to Origin Gourd at Shao Mu's waist, which had automatically opened at some unknown time.

Shao Mu's gaze fell on Blackstone City below, and then he raised his right hand.

A long sword appeared silently in his palm.

The knife was entirely black, with a thick blade and a faint glow of blood flowing along the edge.

Shao Mu gripped the knife handle.

The demonic energy within his body suddenly erupted.

The terrifying aura of the Mahayana stage's completion, now completely unmasked, swept across all directions.

At the same time, a rich aura of blood began to gather around Shao Mu.

Shao Mu's eyes narrowed.

The hand holding the knife twisted gently.

Then--

He swung it down sharply!

"boom--!!!"

A dark red blade of light, hundreds of feet long, descended from the sky and slashed fiercely at the blood-red barrier.

"Snap!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out.

The barrier shattered with a deafening roar, its fragments transforming into countless points of light that vanished into the void.

The sunlight finally shone into Blackrock City.

Inside Blackrock City.

The cultivators, who had been huddled in dark corners and hadn't seen the light of day for who knows how long, were startled by the loud noise and looked up in bewilderment.

Then, they saw the light.

Golden, warm, and long-awaited sunlight illuminated the entire city.

"This...this is..."

Someone struggled to their feet, so weak they could barely stand, yet they still tilted their head back, staring intently at the sunlight streaming in.

"Sunshine...it's sunshine!"

"The barrier shattered?!"

"Has someone...has someone come to rescue us?!"

More and more monks struggled to their feet, emerging from their dark hiding places and standing in the sunlight.

Their faces were filled with unbelievable ecstasy and the excitement of finally being able to release something they had suppressed for far too long.

They didn't know who saved them, or what had happened, but they did know—

They are free.

Finally, I'm free.

Shao Mu stood in the void, looking down at the cultivators below who were cheering, crying, and embracing, and sighed softly.

He remained silent for a moment, then slowly descended a little, appearing in the sight of the cultivators below.

Someone noticed him.

"There! There's someone there!"

"It was him! He saved us!"

Countless gazes converged on Shao Mu.

Shao Mu did not speak.

He waved his right hand.

Two broken figures appeared out of thin air, then were lifted up by his demonic energy and clearly presented to all the cultivators.

Shao Mu's voice rang out, calm yet clear enough to reach everyone's ears:

"I am Shao Mu, the Supreme Elder of the Heavenly Demon Sect."

"While passing through this area, we discovered that heretical practitioners were harming innocent people, and we have wiped out all their followers."

He paused, his gaze falling on the two unfilial disciples in front of him.

Then--

He loosely clenched his right hand.

An invisible force instantly gripped the bodies of the two wicked disciples.

Before they could even scream, their bodies shattered into dust under the watchful eyes of countless people.

"The barrier has been broken."

Shao Mu's voice rang out again, still as calm as ever:

"You are free."

After speaking, he took one last look at the cultivators below.

Then, without lingering any longer, he transformed into a streak of light, soaring into the sky and speeding towards the Heavenly Demon Sect.

In Blackrock City, countless cultivators looked up, watching the streak of light disappear into the horizon.

Then--

"thump."

Someone knelt down.

Then, the second, the third, the hundredth, the thousandth...

More and more people knelt down and kowtowed heavily in the direction where the streak of light disappeared.

"benefactor!"

"Thank you so much for saving my life!"

"Thank you, Heavenly Demon Sect! Thank you, Elder Shao!"

......

Xizhou, Central Region

Burial Valley of Swords.

This is a strange place that has been eroded by endless sword intent for countless years.

Looking out, the cliffs on both sides of the valley are as if they have been cleaved by a giant sword, with smooth, mirror-like surfaces, densely covered with the marks of time and sword marks left by powerful swordsmen throughout the ages.

Legend has it that in ancient times, a master swordsman attained enlightenment here. When he perished, his sword intent dissipated into the valley and became a legacy.

Every hundred years, sword intent manifests, attracting countless cultivators to come and vie for it.

Meanwhile, deep within the Burial Sword Valley, in a hidden cave concealed by both natural formations and man-made restrictions, a figure in green robes sat cross-legged.

The man was tall and slender, with a handsome face like a figure in a painting, and a natural aloofness and indifference between his brows.

A faint blue light swirled around him, like a blue lotus, serene and sacred.

It was Lin Jingyu, Gu Changyuan's second apprentice.

A golden sword intent floated silently in front of him.

The sword intent was about three feet long, its form unpredictable, sometimes solidifying like a real sword, sometimes dispersing like golden mist.

Each time the sword intent trembled slightly, tiny sword marks would appear in the surrounding void.

Lin Jingyu's eyes were closed, and the azure light around him was establishing a mysterious resonance with the golden sword intent.

About three zhang directly in front of him, a beautiful figure stood holding a sword.

The woman wore a long blue dress that reached the ground, with a light blue silk ribbon tied around her waist, which made her waist look even more slender.

Her features were extremely beautiful, but not in a flamboyant or glamorous way; rather, they were gentle and graceful, like water and an orchid.

It was Wang Yutang who was traveling with Lin Jingyu.

His cultivation at the early stage of the Tribulation Transcending Realm is already among the top in the younger generation of the Western and Central Continents.

Her technique emphasizes the three qualities of "clarity," "gentleness," and "resilience," using the force of water to sharpen the edge of a sword.

Wang Yutang's "Rinsing Water Sword Technique" is the best among them.

The sword strikes like a clear spring rinsing over stones, seemingly gentle and harmless, but in reality, it conceals deadly intent. Once it entangles an opponent, it penetrates like flowing water, leaving no gaps until the opponent is completely annihilated.

At this moment, she gripped her long sword and warily scanned every corner of the cave.

Her divine sense was like an invisible net, covering the surroundings, and no movement could escape her perception.

But every few breaths, her wary gaze would involuntarily drift toward the figure in blue robes sitting cross-legged behind her.

It's no longer peeping.

It means to look at things openly and honestly.

Every time her gaze fell on that figure, the corners of her mouth would unconsciously curve deeper, her eyes crinkling into crescents.