Melee

"Elder Brother Sect Leader, Elder Mu is likely more than just a traitor—look at his corpse," Lin Miaoke urgently reminded.

The group immediately turned their attention to Elder Mu's body, their expressions darkening in an instant.

Black demonic energy billowed from the corpse, its lifeless face now twisted into a grotesque snarl, its unseeing eyes blood-red.

"This is... a Human Demon! Elder Mu has fallen into demonic cultivation!" one of the peak elders exclaimed in shock.

"Someone must have ordered him to sabotage the formation's core. There may be more Human Demons hidden within the Sword Sect!"

The words sent a chill through everyone’s hearts. With traitors possibly lurking among them, vigilance became unavoidable.

Before anyone could speak further—

BOOM!

A deafening explosion shook the heavens and earth.

"Disaster! The mountain-protecting formation has been breached!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several peak elders transformed into streaks of light, darting toward the sect’s entrance.

Dugu Wei glanced at the severely injured Meng Yan and hastily retrieved a supreme-grade healing pill. "Junior Brother Meng, take this medicine immediately and focus on recovery."

Meng Yan didn’t hesitate, swallowing the pill before forcing a weak smile. "Thank you for your concern, Elder Brother Sect Leader. I’m fine—I can still fight."

He attempted to step forward but staggered, nearly collapsing.

Dugu Wei steadied him, his voice grave. "Junior Brother Meng, don’t push yourself. I know your loyalty to the Sword Sect is unwavering, but in your current state, you’d only throw your life away."

Meng Yan’s eyes burned with fervor. "We of the Sword Sect would rather die standing than live kneeling. The enemy is at our gates—what is there to fear in death? Even if I perish, I will contribute to the sect’s survival!"

Dugu Wei was deeply moved by Meng Yan’s resolve. "Then I entrust you with a greater task. Take the Sect Leader’s Token and go to the Sword Tomb. Find the Grand Elder—plead for his awakening!"

"Elder Brother, this is too much! The Sword Tomb is a forbidden ground—only the Sect Leader, the Grand Elder, and the Chosen One may enter. I—"

"No more arguments! Go! The Sword Sect teeters on the brink of annihilation. Only the Grand Elder can turn the tide now."

Meng Yan accepted the token with a solemn nod.

Dugu Wei mirrored the gesture before vanishing in a streak of light.

Once alone, Meng Yan’s expression twisted into something sinister. A bone-chilling laugh escaped his lips as he examined the Sect Leader’s Token.

His scheme had succeeded—beyond expectations. Dugu Wei had handed him the token so easily. Heaven itself aids the Human Demons!

In truth, he and Elder Mu had sabotaged the formation core together. The other elders had also fallen to their coordinated ambushes—Elder Mu was his earliest converted Human Demon.

After destroying the core, they staged this act. Not only did it absolve them of suspicion, but it also earned Dugu Wei’s absolute trust.

Who would suspect a peak elder who had "heroically defended" the formation core while grievously wounded?

With this token, the Emperor Demon Sword was now within his grasp!

After a brief surge of exhilaration, Meng Yan hurried toward the Sword Tomb.

The token granted him unimpeded passage.

The Sword Tomb remained as it always had—shrouded in eternal darkness, volcanic ash blotting out the sky, a crimson wasteland littered with divine swords.

Meng Yan’s gaze locked onto the volcano. The Emperor Demon Sword lay within. Even from this distance, its overwhelming imperial aura pressed down like an abyss.

But retrieving it now was impossible—the decrepit old monster slumbering inside had to be dealt with first.

Hidden beneath his robes, Meng Yan’s fingers flickered through a series of hand seals, releasing an imperceptible ripple of energy.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t dare such tricks under the Grand Elder’s nose. But the ancient powerhouse was a shadow of his former self, clinging to life through forced slumber.

Only a massive disturbance could rouse him now.

After setting his trap, Meng Yan reached out through the demonic link, sending a covert message to Ling Fei’er: Strike when the moment comes.

Then, he adopted a mask of grief and desperation. Activating the Sect Leader’s Token, he cried out in a broken voice, "Grand Elder! The Sword Sect needs you—save us!"

---

"Kill them all!"

"Destroy the Sword Sect!"

"Their Chosen One annihilated our Netherworld Sect! Today, we repay blood with blood!"

The cacophony of war—explosions, battle cries, war drums—drowned out all else.

The allied forces of multiple factions surged into the Sword Sect like a flood. The war had begun in earnest.

"We will defend our sect to the death!"

"Fight them to the last!"

The Sword Sect’s disciples met the invaders head-on.

Divine light erupted in dazzling hues, mystical weapons clashed, and countless techniques tore through the battlefield.

Dugu Wei fought alone against four Heavenly Monarchs. At the peak of his realm, he feared no single opponent—but the enemy had no intention of dueling honorably.

The four monarchs surrounded him, attacking relentlessly.

As for Old Man Kumu and Monk Kongjie—both enslaved Daoists—they had vanished the moment the mountain-protecting formation fell, their whereabouts unknown.

Fortunately, the defensive formations laid within the sect’s grounds allowed the Sword Sect to hold the line—for now.

But the stalemate shattered in moments.

Waves of demonic energy erupted from within the Sword Sect’s ranks. Screams followed as trusted comrades turned their blades on their own.

The hidden Human Demons had struck.

Though only a hundred or so, their ambush inflicted more damage than the external enemy. Their true objective, however, was dismantling the formations.

Helpless rage filled the Sword Sect’s disciples, but the tide had turned irreversibly.

Victory tilted toward the invaders.

Amid the chaos, Gu Qingfeng was busy—not looting, but collecting enslaved Daoists.

The looting was already handled. With the Heaven-Sent Formation eliminating travel time, and Yan Mengdie’s assistance alongside his growing army of enslaved Heaven’s Chosen, pillaging had become frighteningly efficient.

His forces swelled with every battle. Most Heaven’s Chosen from the major sects now served him—why waste such talent by killing them?

Better to keep them as subordinates.

Back in the lower realm, he’d reveled in the authority of a demonic overlord. Now that he’d risen to power, it was time to flaunt it.

Addicted to expanding his forces, Gu Qingfeng ventured into the Primordial Forbidden Land, hunting for more enslaved Daoists.

None escaped his grasp. In mere days, he’d subjugated nearly a hundred—over a dozen at the Heavenly Monarch realm, the rest Heaven’s Chosen.

As for Heavenly Venerates? Not a single one.

It seemed that all the Dao Servants at the Celestial Venerable realm were deep within the Primordial Forbidden Land. Gu Qingfeng's senses were now incredibly sharp, and even though he hadn't ventured into the depths, merely standing at the periphery allowed him to perceive an overwhelming sense of dread lurking within.

Danger—grave danger. The heart of the Primordial Forbidden Land likely held the secrets of the heavenly curse cast by the Heavenly Dao in ancient times.

Such secrets were far beyond what Gu Qingfeng's current strength could uncover.

Thus, erring on the side of caution, he chose not to proceed further.

With over a dozen Celestial Monarchs and hundreds of Celestial Beings under his command, such a retinue was more than sufficient to make an impression in the Azurewood Domain.

"This trip has yielded enough gains. It's time to return and claim the Emperor Demon Sword. Once this venerable one marches back to the Sword Sect with so many subordinates in tow, let’s see who dares to accuse me of falling into demonic ways again. Hmph!"