Black Fiend Sect's Ruthless Extreme

The Heavenly Human Holy Land had no background in the Immortal Realm. In this Nine Heavens Realm, their foundations and qualifications were actually much shallower than those sects with immortal backing.

The Holy Land rose to power after the path to immortality was severed, meaning they had no patron in the Immortal Realm.

This was one of the reasons why some factions secretly looked down upon the Heavenly Human Holy Land in its early years.

However, precisely because the path to immortality was severed, the immortal artifacts, talismans, and other methods from the Immortal Realm that those factions relied upon either could no longer be transmitted or diminished with every use. They became bottom-of-the-box life-saving trump cards that they dared not use lightly.

Coupled with the Holy Land's increasingly formidable strength, in the past, Tribulation Transcendence realm cultivators from other major families would choose to ascend after reaching the great circle of perfection, leaving very few peak Tribulation Transcendence experts behind.

But now, unable to ascend, the number of Tribulation Transcendence realm cultivators in the Holy Land had rapidly climbed over the past millennium, making it one of the top factions in the entire Nine Heavens Realm.

The severing of the immortal path for a thousand years was not entirely without change.

Unable to ascend, a large number of peak Tribulation Transcendence cultivators were stranded in this realm. Unwilling to see their Dao paths cut off, they exhausted their wisdom to forge a new path in this desperate situation.

Over time, above the Tribulation Transcendence realm, a new realm designation gradually emerged—the Half-Immortal.

Cultivators of this realm far exceeded ordinary peak Tribulation Transcendence experts in magical power, divine soul, and comprehension of laws. Although they had not undergone the baptism of immortal qi to reshape their immortal bodies and souls, and had not truly stepped into the immortal realm, their strength was no longer comparable.

Correspondingly, weapons also developed a new tier. Originally, weapon grades were divided into Mortal, Spirit, Profound, Earth, and Heaven, with each grade further divided into Low, Mid, High, and Peak qualities. Now, the Half-Immortal grade had been added.

Listening to Bai Ling'er's explanation, Gu Changyuan finally gained a comprehensive and clear understanding of the current Nine Heavens Realm.

And the time when the path to immortality was severed perfectly coincided with the time he was swept away by the spatial turbulence.

If he was told these two events were unrelated, he wouldn't believe it even if beaten to death.

Thinking of this, a trace of icy killing intent flashed through Gu Changyuan's eyes.

Making him suffer a baseless exile for a thousand years, narrowly surviving nine deaths in a perilous land like the Ruins of Disorder, and enduring countless hardships.

This Imperial Court... must pay the price!

......

While chatting idly, the finger Gu Changyuan used to hold his teacup paused imperceptibly, and a glimmer of light colder than ice swept through the depths of his profound eyes.

He did not turn his head; he merely placed the teacup gently back on the table, casually reached out his right hand toward the void beside him, and gave it a tug.

The movement seemed effortless, yet it contained a massive, world-shaking force capable of tearing space apart.

Gah—!

A short, sharp cry of alarm sounded, accompanied by the faint ripples of space being brutally torn open.

In the next instant, a figure was forcefully dragged in from outside the Heavenly Human Holy Land's mountain-protecting grand array, an unknown distance away, and viciously slammed onto the bluestone floor of the courtyard.

Pfft!

The person opened his mouth and spewed a mouthful of blood. The protective spiritual light around his body instantly dimmed and shattered, and his aura withered. It was obvious that a large portion of his cultivation had been crippled by that single grab and throw, leaving him unable to move.

This was astonishingly a cultivator at the mid-stage of the Tribulation Transcendence realm.

Li Jue?!

When Bai Ling'er saw the intruder's face clearly, a layer of frost instantly covered her beautiful features, and her tone was cold and disgusted.

Gu Changyuan did not even spare a second glance at the wretched spy on the ground. He merely asked indifferently,

Who is this person? Which sect does he belong to? And what is their relationship with the Holy Land?

He had long anticipated that his ascent to the top of the Immortal Ascension Terrace would attract the attention of various factions. Some would be curious, others wary.

But this person's prying intent was not only undisguised, it also carried a cold hostility and greed. This was no longer simple attention.

Reporting to Master, he is Li Jue, the Sixth Elder of the Black Fiend Sect.

Bai Ling'er hurriedly explained.

The Black Fiend Sect is considered a local overlord in the Western Region of the Eastern Continent, and their strength cannot be underestimated.

During the Holy Land's early expansion, we clashed with them over an ancient yin vein. We exchanged blows several times, both sides suffering casualties, forging quite a deep grudge.

They have always eyed our Holy Land covetously, but now, fearing the Holy Land's prestige, they dare not launch a large-scale invasion openly.

As soon as Bai Ling'er's voice fell, the last trace of warmth completely vanished from Gu Changyuan's eyes.

He didn't ask another question, nor did he give Li Qianjue, who was staring in terror on the ground and seemingly wanting to beg for mercy or issue a threat, any chance to speak.

With an indifferent expression, he simply made a crushing motion toward the figure.

Crack... squelch!

The teeth-aching sound of bones shattering and flesh being crushed echoed almost simultaneously.

Li Qianjue's neck twisted at a bizarre angle. The light in his eyes instantly dissipated, and he couldn't even let out a scream.

Immediately after, a wisp of purple-gold flame ignited at Gu Changyuan's fingertips. The flame instantly swept over Mo Xuanfeng's corpse.

Not only did it incinerate the physical body, but even the divine soul was tightly enveloped by the flames and refined inch by inch into nothingness, leaving not the slightest trace behind.

A moment before making his move, he had also preemptively sealed Gu Xing'er's five senses for a split second.

A child shouldn't look at such things.

Bai Ling'er was also startled by her master's sudden, clean, and utterly decisive thunderous methods.

Although she was already a sect master who had weathered many storms, her master's demeanor of treating a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator like an ant and killing with such ruthless decisiveness still made her feel a trace of unfamiliarity.

But on second thought, her master had struggled and slaughtered in the purgatory-like environment of the Ruins of Disorder for one thousand one hundred years...

This cold disregard for life was perhaps a necessity for survival.

Thinking of this, that bit of astonishment transformed into a deeper sorrow and heartache.

With a wave of Gu Changyuan's hand, several storage artifacts and protective treasures stripped from Li Qianjue floated in front of him.

Without even looking, he casually wiped them, completely purifying any residual divine soul marks and auras that might have remained on them. He then handed them to Bai Ling'er. His expression had restored its previous gentleness, as if the god of slaughter from just a moment ago was merely an illusion.

These things, although not much, can be considered what this scoundrel has scrounged up over the years. Handle them as you see fit, whether putting them in the treasury or rewarding disciples, anything is fine.

Bai Ling'er collected her thoughts and respectfully took them.

Yes, Master.

With a thought, she stored these items in her own storage space, preparing to hand them over to the treasury for inventory and registration later.

Peace returned to the courtyard, as if the brief, bloody interlude had never happened.

Gu Changyuan and Bai Ling'er returned indoors and continued their conversation, discussing the Holy Land's changes over the millennium, the disciples' growth, the games played by outside factions... Time slowly slipped away in their talk.

It wasn't until the sun slanted westward that an intense and majestic burst of spiritual energy suddenly erupted without warning from a secluded cultivation chamber near the courtyard.

Crimson light shot into the sky, with faint illusions of rising flames. The scorching aura could be clearly perceived even through layers of restrictions.

Immediately after, formidable spiritual energy fluctuations also erupted successively from two other directions. One carried a sharp saber intent, while the other was wrapped in a swift wind. These were exactly the signs that Yun Tianhe and Han Feng were also about to emerge from seclusion.