Lin Jingyu and Wang Yutang of Xizhou

At this moment, Shao Mu's two disciples had long lost their previous appearance.

All five of their limbs were completely shattered, twisted at bizarre angles, drenched in blood, with auras so weak they were on the verge of dissipating.

They could not even scream, only emitting faint groans like dying beasts.

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

That, that was—

That was their boss!

That expert of the Void Refinement Realm! The existence that made them bow their heads and willingly act as dogs!

Yet at this moment, they were casually thrown there like two dead dogs!

"Run!"

Someone reacted first, screaming before turning to flee!

The rest of them woke up as if from a dream, transforming into streaks of light and fleeing in all directions!

Shao Mu did not even move.

He merely lifted his eyelids and cast a cold glance at them.

Just one glance.

The fleeing figures of those evil cultivators suddenly stiffened!

They felt the blood within their bodies suddenly lose control.

The blood that usually flowed obediently through their veins was now churning, expanding, and surging madly, as if stirred by an invisible hand.

"No—!!!"

Just as the screams left their mouths—

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Several muffled explosions rang out almost simultaneously.

The bodies of those evil cultivators violently burst apart.

A mist of blood filled the air, and shredded flesh flew everywhere. In the next instant, they converged into a torrent of blood. Along with the spiritual energy and soul energy that dissipated after their deaths, it all flew into the Three Qi Origin Return Gourd at Shao Mu's waist, which had opened automatically at some unknown point.

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

A long saber silently appeared in his palm.

The saber was pitch-black all over, with a thick and broad blade, and a faint blood-red light flowing along its edge.

Shao Mu gripped the hilt.

The demonic qi within his body erupted with a boom.

The terrifying aura of the peak Mahayana Realm was no longer concealed, sweeping in all directions.

At the same time, dense blood qi began to gather around Shao Mu.

Shao Mu's eyes focused.

The hand holding the saber twisted slightly.

And then—

He slashed down violently at the city below!

"Boom—!!!"

A dark red saber beam, a full hundred zhang long, descended from the sky and viciously slashed against that layer of blood-colored barrier.

"Crack!"

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

That layer of barrier shattered with a boom, the fragments turning into a sky full of light motes that dissipated into the void.

Sunlight finally shone into Black Stone City.

Inside Black Stone City.

Those cultivators who had been cowering in dark corners, having not seen the light of day for who knew how long, were startled by the loud noise and looked up blankly.

And then, they saw the light.

The golden, warm, and long-lost sunlight illuminated the entire city.

"This... this is..."

Someone struggled to stand up, their body so weak they could barely balance, yet they kept their head raised, staring fixedly at the incoming sunlight.

"Sunlight... it's sunlight!"

"The barrier is broken?!"

"Someone... did someone come to save us?!"

More and more cultivators struggled to their feet, walking out of those dark hiding spots and standing under the sunlight.

Their faces were filled with unbelievable ecstasy, as well as an excitement that had been suppressed for far, far too long and could finally be released.

They did not know who had saved them, nor did they know what had happened, but they knew—

They were free.

Finally, free.

Shao Mu stood in the void, looking down at the cheering, crying, and embracing cultivators below, and let out a soft sigh.

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

Someone noticed him.

"Over there! There's someone there!"

"It's him! He saved us!"

Countless gazes uniformly gathered on Shao Mu.

Shao Mu did not speak.

He waved his right hand.

Two battered figures appeared out of thin air, and were then held up by his demonic qi, clearly presented before the eyes of all the cultivators.

Shao Mu's voice rang out, calm, yet clearly transmitted into everyone's ears:

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

"Passing by this place, I discovered evil cultivators harming the innocent here, and have eradicated all of their cohorts."

He paused, his gaze falling on the two sinful disciples before him.

And then—

He made a gripping motion with his right hand.

An invisible force instantly squeezed the bodies of those two sinful disciples.

Before they could even scream, under the watch of countless eyes, their bodies shattered inch by inch, turning into flying ash.

"The barrier is broken."

Shao Mu's voice sounded again, still just as calm:

"You are free."

Having said that, he took one last look at the cultivators below.

Then, without lingering any longer, his figure turned into a streak of light, shooting into the sky and speeding away in the direction of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

In Black Stone City, countless cultivators raised their heads, watching that streak of light disappear into the horizon.

And then—

"Thud."

Someone knelt down.

Following closely, the second, the third, the hundredth, the thousandth...

More and more people knelt on the ground, heavily kowtowing in the direction where the streak of light had disappeared.

"Benefactor!"

"Thank you for saving our lives, Benefactor!"

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

......

Western Continent, Central Region.

Sword Burial Valley.

This was an eerie place that had been eroded by endless sword intent for an unknown number of years.

Looking out, the cliffs on both sides of the valley looked as if they had been split open by a giant sword. The cross-sections were smooth as mirrors, densely carved with the marks of time and sword scars left by generations of sword path experts.

Legend had it that in ancient times, a mighty sword path expert had proven his Dao here. Upon his fall, his lifelong sword intent scattered into the valley, transforming into a legacy.

Every hundred years, the sword intent would manifest, attracting countless cultivators to come on pilgrimage and compete for it.

And at this moment, deep within Sword Burial Valley, inside a hidden cavern concealed by both a natural array and artificial restrictions, a figure in green robes was sitting cross-legged.

The man had a slender figure and a handsome face like someone out of a painting, with an innate sense of aloofness and indifference between his brows.

A faint green light circulated around him, quiet and holy like a green lotus.

It was precisely Gu Changyuan's second disciple—Lin Jingyu.

In front of him quietly floated a golden sword intent.

That sword intent was about three feet long, its form erratic and elusive, sometimes solid like a real sword, sometimes scattered like a golden mist.

Every time the sword intent trembled slightly, faint phantoms of sword scars would appear in the surrounding void.

Lin Jingyu's eyes were tightly shut, the green light around him establishing some kind of profound resonance with that golden sword intent.

About thirty feet directly in front of him, a beautiful figure stood holding a sword.

The woman wore a long green dress with a hem that reached the ground. A pale green silk ribbon was tied around her waist, making her waist look even more slender.

Her facial features were extremely beautiful, but not the flamboyant kind of gorgeousness; instead, she was gentle as water and elegant as an orchid.

It was Wang Yutang, who was traveling with Lin Jingyu.

Her cultivation at the early stage of the Tribulation Crossing Realm was already considered top-tier among the younger generation in the Western Continent and the Central Continent.

Her cultivation method centered on the three words clear, soft, and resilient, using the momentum of water to sharpen the edge of the sword.

The Cleansing Water Sword Art that Wang Yutang cultivated was an outstanding example of this.

When her sword struck, it was like a clear spring washing over stones. Seemingly gentle and harmless, it actually hid deadly intent. Once it entangled an opponent, it would become as pervasive as flowing water, until the opponent was completely strangled to death.

At this moment, gripping her longsword, she vigilantly scanned every corner of the cave.

Her spiritual sense spread out like an invisible net, blanketing the surroundings so that not even the slightest disturbance could escape her perception.

Yet, every few breaths, her watchful gaze would involuntarily drift toward the green-clad figure sitting cross-legged behind her.

She was no longer just stealing glances.

She was looking openly and unashamedly.

Every time her eyes fell upon that figure, the smile on her lips would unconsciously deepen, her eyes curving into happy crescents.