The News Spreads

The two elders were already scared out of their wits. Grasping this last straw, they acted almost on instinct, frantically pouring every last trace of their demonic qi into the jade talisman!

"Buzz—"

The jade talisman shattered upon activation, and a blinding black light instantly swallowed the three of them.

The power of space fluctuated violently, forming a rapidly spinning black vortex beneath their feet.

Right at the moment the demonic qi barrier completely burst apart and Xiao Ruobai thrust his long halberd forward, the figures of the three twisted and faded within the black light. Finally, accompanied by the last few wisps of dissipating demonic qi, they vanished completely!

The halberd struck empty air, only tearing through the lingering afterimages.

Fang Hanyu sheathed his sword. Looking at the corpses scattered haphazardly across the ground, he frowned slightly. "We let them get away."

Xiao Ruobai, however, shook his head. He walked to the top of the boulder, plucked the Spirit Nurturing Flower, and placed it into a specially made jade box.

"We were still a bit too slow. Let's put this treasure away first, lest anyone else comes to snatch it."

At this time, in the nearby mountain forest, several disciples from other factions were hiding, including those from the Myriad Laws Pavilion and the Heaven Divination Sect.

There were also a few bold and meticulous rogue cultivators. Attracted by the sounds of battle and the powerful spiritual energy fluctuations here, they had happened to witness the entire process.

When they saw the Demon Heaven Sect surrounding them earlier, they thought those two dirt-covered cultivators were dead for sure. They never expected the situation to reverse so quickly.

Not only did the Demon Heaven Sect flee in panic, but they also lost three elders and over a dozen disciples. The scene of rivers of blood made them tremble all over.

"My God, who exactly are these two? Even the Sect Master of the Demon Heaven Sect was beaten back by them!"

A disciple of the Myriad Laws Pavilion widened his eyes, his tone full of shock. He repeatedly scrutinized the attire of Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu, but couldn't discern any sect insignia.

"Judging by their clothes, they don't look like people from the Seven Great Sects. Could they be disciples of some hidden faction?"

Another disciple from the Heaven Divination Sect nodded, his voice carrying lingering fear.

"That guy wielding the sword just now was too ruthless. I didn't even see the shadow of his sword before the Demon Heaven Sect elder's head fell off."

"This strength is terrifying; it's practically an invincible sweep among peers. Where did such monstrous geniuses come from!"

The rogue cultivators were even more engaged in spirited discussion. Some guessed they were experts from Yun Prefecture, while others thought they were native cultivators of the secret realm. But no matter how they debated it, no one could clearly state the origins of the two.

Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu ignored the commotion around them. After putting away the Spirit Nurturing Flower, they searched the vicinity and collected all the storage rings and various valuables belonging to the people of the Demon Heaven Sect.

Many people had witnessed this great battle, and the other side had survivors who escaped, so destroying the corpses to erase the traces was meaningless.

Fang Hanyu patted Xiao Ruobai's shoulder. "Good thing we changed our outfits and no one recognized us, otherwise it would definitely attract more trouble."

Xiao Ruobai also smiled. "Let's go. The stench of blood is too strong here, it will definitely attract demonic beasts. Let's explore further ahead and see if there are any other opportunities."

The figures of the two quickly disappeared into the depths of the canyon, leaving behind a ground full of corpses and the confused, shocked discussions of the various faction disciples echoing in the canyon for a long time.

The news of the Demon Heaven Sect's disastrous defeat in the Misty Canyon seemed to grow wings, spreading throughout the entire secret realm in just half a day.

When the people of Xuan Prefecture heard that three elders and over a dozen disciples of the Demon Heaven Sect had lost their lives, and that now the entire Demon Heaven Sect only had Sect Master Mo Luo and two elders left—all severely injured—everyone clapped and cheered.

"Someone should have dealt with these demonic cult brats a long time ago!" A rogue cultivator who had once been robbed of spirit herbs by Demon Heaven Sect disciples shouted excitedly, slapping his thigh.

"They usually kill anyone they see, snatching storage bags and stealing treasures. Now that they've taken a fall, it's truly immensely satisfying!"

Others gathered together, vividly describing the battle records of the "Mysterious Halberd Wielder" and the "White-Clad Fast Swordsman." The listeners marveled repeatedly, their minds filled with the question, "Just who are these two?"

The team from the Myriad Laws Pavilion was shuttling through the Spirit Herb Slope searching for resources. When Yun Canghai heard the news, he was holding a thousand-year-old Vermilion Fruit to check its age. Upon hearing this, his fingers paused, and his brows instantly furrowed.

He looked up toward the direction of the Misty Canyon, condensing a wisp of spiritual energy at his fingertips, but he could only sense the faint demonic qi and the stench of blood lingering in the air.

"To be able to sweep through the Demon Heaven Sect with a Purple Mansion Realm cultivation, forcing even Mo Luo to flee..." Yun Canghai rubbed the leaves of the Vermilion Fruit, his tone carrying a bit of solemnity.

"Among the core figures of the Seven Great Sects in Xuan Prefecture, I haven't heard of anyone with such combat power. Could they be the inheritors of a hidden faction?"

The chief disciple beside him, Liu Chengfeng, also showed a look of confusion.

"I just asked people from other factions. No one recognized the attire of those two, and even the weapons they used showed no sect insignia. They looked more like the gear of ordinary rogue cultivators."

Yun Canghai was silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head. "How could ordinary rogue cultivators have such tacit understanding and ruthlessness? Keep an eye out. If you encounter these two again, you must figure out their origins."

Meanwhile, in the Azure Profound Sect's team, Shi Wanshan had just led his disciples to dig up a few century-old spirit herbs when he heard passing rogue cultivators discussing how "the Demon Heaven Sect was slaughtered into a river of blood by two mysterious men."

He was taken aback at first, but then he remembered that Xiao Ruobai and Fang Hanyu had entered the secret realm alone. Recalling their practical combat performance at the Purple Bamboo Peak—Xiao Ruobai wielding his halberd with imposing might, and Fang Hanyu's sword being astonishingly fast—he immediately knew what was going on.

"These two brats, what a satisfying kill." Shi Wanshan touched his chin and smiled, lowering his voice toward Li Xuanfeng beside him.

"No need to guess, it was definitely done by those two little brats, Ruobai and Hanyu! Only the two of them could beat the Demon Heaven Sect so miserably at the Purple Mansion Realm."

Li Xuanfeng nodded gently. "The strength of our two junior brothers is truly too formidable!"

Shi Wanshan's tone carried a bit of pride. "How could the disciples of our Azure Profound Sect be lacking? But keep quiet about it. Let the two of them continue causing a ruckus; it's the perfect opportunity to show those demonic cult factions a thing or two."

After the news spread, the atmosphere in the secret realm completely changed.

Previously, demonic cult factions like the Demon Heaven Sect and the Blood Soul Sect had run rampant, robbing anyone they saw and seizing any treasure they encountered. Disciples from many factions had suffered losses, but due to the opponents' tyrannical cultivation, they could only swallow their anger.

But now, learning that "demonic cults could also be crushed by Purple Mansion Realm cultivators," the pent-up frustration in everyone's hearts instantly transformed into confidence.

Since everyone was suppressed to the Purple Mansion Realm by the secret realm's rules, the demonic cults no longer had an advantage in cultivation or numbers, and Mo Luo was severely injured. It was the perfect time for revenge!

"They have few people now and no high-level cultivators holding the fort. If we don't take revenge now, we won't get a chance once we leave the secret realm!" a rogue cultivator shouted with red eyes, his knuckles turning white as he gripped his longsword.

Seeing this, other minor factions followed suit. You gather five people, I'll gather eight. Soon, a team of dozens of people was formed, specifically tracking the whereabouts of the demonic cult members.

"Don't the demonic cult brats like bullying rogue cultivators? Now that everyone is at the Purple Mansion Realm and we have the numbers, are we afraid we can't beat them?"

Although the Seven Great Sects did not openly organize teams, they were also covertly participating.

The days of the Demon Heaven Sect had thoroughly taken a turn for the worse.