Heavenly Demon Ancient Star

Li Xuanfeng bowed and took his leave. Turning around, he stepped out of the quiet room, his figure soon disappearing into the clouds and mist of the mountain path on Azure Cloud Peak.

Meanwhile, on Sky-Holding Peak.

Shi Wanshan patted the shoulders of his disciples, Lin Mochen and Shi Jingxian, his voice booming like a giant bell: "Listen to me, both of you! Going down the mountain is fine, and joining in the fun is alright too, but if anyone dares to expose the true foundation of our Sky-Holding Peak, I'll skin you alive when you get back!"

Though he shouted fiercely, his eyes hid an unconcealable pride and a trace of worry.

"Remember, if you meet someone you can't beat, run! It's not shameful! Do you hear me?"

Lin Mochen nodded calmly: "Rest assured, Master, your disciple understands."

Shi Jingxian grinned and patted his sturdy chest: "Don't worry, Master, I'm the best at playing the coward!"

The two bid farewell to their master. Shouldering a seemingly ordinary black iron axe and a heavy hammer, they strode down the mountain one after the other.

On Sword Howl Peak.

Ye Guying stood with his longsword in his arms, looking at his most outstanding disciple, Mu Chenyu.

He didn't say much. With a flick of his finger, a condensed stream of sword intent silently entered Mu Chenyu's dantian.

"This sword intent can protect you once. Go, use your eyes to see clearly whether the swords of this world are sharp or not."

Mu Chenyu bowed deeply, his eyes as sharp as a sword: "This disciple will definitely not disappoint Master!" After saying that, he transformed into a flash of sword light and silently swept down Sword Howl Peak.

In the small courtyard on Purple Bamboo Peak, Gu Changge narrowed his eyes slightly. His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of space, taking in everything happening at the mountain gate.

Watching Lin Mochen and Shi Jingxian disappear into the forest with eager vitality, and seeing Mu Chenyu leave quietly like a lone swan, a faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth.

Subsequently, his gaze fell behind these young disciples, landing on a few figures whose auras were completely different and who were hiding exceptionally well.

Supported by the sect's massive resources and Great Emperor-level cultivation techniques, the overall strength of the Azure Profound Sect was no longer what it used to be.

Peak Masters like Xuanyangzi and Shi Wanshan naturally went without saying. Even some inner sect elders with profound accumulation had successively broken through their bottlenecks during this period and successfully stepped into the Saint Realm.

At this moment, four newly advanced Saint elders acted like the most loyal shadows. They completely concealed their auras and trailed far behind the disciples, secretly acting as their Dao Protectors.

"Heh..." Gu Changge chuckled and shook his head. "Senior Brother Xuanyangzi and the Peak Masters are certainly willing to invest. The sect has gained a few more Saints, and they directly dispatch Saints as Dao Protectors... How extravagant."

Although he felt it was making a mountain out of a molehill, his fingertips still lightly tapped the void.

Several formless and intangible life-saving marks, carrying a trace of his origin Dao power, instantly traversed space and silently branded themselves into the deepest parts of the divine souls of Li Xuanfeng, Lin Mochen, Shi Jingxian, and Mu Chenyu.

Even those Saint elders secretly protecting them noticed nothing.

These marks would only be triggered in the exact moment they faced certain death and even the Saint elders could not rescue them in time.

Once triggered, it would be enough to block a full-force strike from anyone below the Great Emperor Realm, and could instantly teleport the person back to the foot of the Azure Profound Sect.

Having done all this, Gu Changge retracted his finger. His gaze shifted to Xiao Ruobai and the others, who were constantly fighting powerful enemies and tempering themselves in the Heaven's Pride Tower. He nodded slightly, a trace of imperceptible approval flashing in his eyes.

Inside the courtyard, the fragrance of tea curled upwards, clouds rolled and unrolled, and everything returned to tranquility.

However, the new generation of disciples of the Azure Profound Sect were already like newborn falcons, beginning to spread their wings and fly towards that magnificent golden age.

Just then, Little Black, who had been dozing on Gu Changge's shoulder, suddenly opened its sharp eyes.

Its Emperor-level cultivation was restrained like a deep abyss, but those falcon-like pupils shrank to pinpricks, staring fixedly at a certain direction deep in the starry sky.

Its body first stiffened slightly, as if confirming something, and then began to tremble violently and uncontrollably. Every feather on its body stood on end, and a terrifying killing intent, mixed with monstrous anger and bone-chilling sorrow, flashed in its eyes.

This emotional fluctuation caused the surrounding space to ripple violently. Although it was just a fleeting sweep of Emperor-level divine sense, it instantly shattered the clouds above Purple Bamboo Peak!

Feeling this hatred that could almost tear through the void, Gu Changge turned his gaze to Little Black, a hint of inquiry in his eyes.

Little Black flew down from his shoulder and landed on the stone table. It took a deep breath, trying to calm the anger that was almost burning away its reason, its voice becoming unusually hoarse due to extreme pain and hatred.

"Master... I... I need to go back."

A trace of surprise flashed through Gu Changge's eyes. For so many years, Little Black had followed by his side and had never mentioned the words "go back." He had almost forgotten that Little Black was not a native creature of this continent, but had fallen from the sky.

"Go back?"

Gu Changge sat up a bit straighter, looking at Little Black, whom he had long regarded as family and a partner.

"This is the first time I've heard you mention it. Tell me, what exactly is the situation that caused your emotions to fluctuate so much just now."

Little Black raised its head, blood-red flames seemingly burning in its eyes. It began to narrate in a low voice, filled with endless grief and indignation:

"Master, please understand. I come from the depths of the starry sky, from an ancient star named 'Heavenly Demon'. That ancient star, along with over a hundred surrounding life-bearing stars, were originally my territory!"

Its words carried the majesty of a former overlord, but were soon replaced by an even deeper hatred.

"On the Heavenly Demon Ancient Star, demonic beasts reigned supreme. I possess the bloodline of the Golden-Winged Great Peng. After a thousand years of cultivation, I finally became a Quasi-Emperor and ruled over a star domain!

But I had a mortal enemy, a fallen Black Phoenix! It had a cruel nature and cultivated an evil method of devouring flesh and blood. It fought with me for over a thousand years!"

"Until a few years ago, that despicable mixed-feathered bird! Knowing it couldn't defeat me head-on, it actually sacrificed all the living beings of more than half the life-bearing stars as a blood offering, drawing out an ancient Supreme Being slumbering in the starry sky restricted area to make a move!"

Speaking of this, Little Black ground its teeth, its eyes full of pain and brutality.

"Although I was fierce at the time, facing a restricted area Supreme Being, coupled with that mixed-feathered bird assisting from the side, I ultimately lost!

I fought a bloody battle in the starry sky, shattering several stars. In the end, I was heavily injured, my origin almost shattered. I was knocked out of the starry sky and fell near the Azure Profound Sect, fortunately taken in by Master."

It looked at Gu Changge, its eyes full of gratitude, but then submerged in hatred again.

"Just now, my divine sense resonated with heaven and earth, and I saw it! The Heavenly Demon Ancient Star is now ruled by that mixed-feathered bird. The stars are dim, the earth is depleted, and the living beings are plunged into misery and suffering!"

Little Black's emotions fluctuated violently, its Emperor-level aura somewhat irrepressible, faintly distorting the space.

"Now that I have advanced to Great Emperor, it is time to take my revenge!"

Its voice was resolute and decisive, "I must go back and tear that mixed-feathered bird and that damned Supreme Being into ten thousand pieces!"