Acting Again

As Su Luo's voice faded, the New Heavenly Demon Sect erupted in excitement once more.

They had no interest in reviving the demonic path, but they were more than eager to use that pretext to kill.

They had been pent up for far too long.

Su Luo wasn’t joking with them—once the order was given, they set out immediately.

A horde from the New Heavenly Demon Sect marched out of Soulreturn Valley in full force.

Of course, they weren’t targeting any specific sect—they simply cut down anyone they encountered.

They knew better than to provoke the major sects, but they still wanted to stir up trouble.

Along the way, they bared their ferocious faces, hoping to run into large groups of people.

The righteous factions had been hunting them, so encounters were inevitable.

As long as they killed quickly and fled, they wouldn’t leave any traces behind.

They were well aware that a direct confrontation was out of the question—the fate of the Earthly Fiend Sect served as a stark warning.

On the road, Su Luo opened his journal.

[This operation is merely an appetizer before the real battle with Lin Xuan begins.]

[With the Earthly Fiend Sect gone, the Heavenly Demon Sect is naturally the next target for extermination.]

[But as it stands, the Heavenly Demon Sect isn’t even a worthy opponent. Lin Xuan has already reached the Great Ascension stage, while the New Heavenly Demon Sect doesn’t have a single Great Ascension cultivator.]

[Thus, the New Heavenly Demon Sect must be strengthened.]

[First, in terms of reputation—only with notable achievements can we force Lin Xuan to take action personally.]

[And this achievement will be provided by Nangong Xiyun.]

[Our opponent this time is Nangong Xiyun, and we’ll soon encounter her.]

[Even with the full might of our sect, we’ll only manage a stalemate before ultimately driving Nangong Xiyun into retreat.]

[Yet, the Heavenly Demon Sect will suffer heavy losses, with many casualties.]

[But such a feat is already impressive.]

[For a group without a single Great Ascension cultivator to repel one is no small accomplishment.]

[Through this battle, I’ve also come to realize just how weak I am—I must grow stronger.]

[Thus, I’ll enter seclusion once more to break through to the Great Ascension stage.]

[With the inheritance of the Demon God and the aid of certain… supplements—such as secretly absorbing the cultivation of those who’ve long practiced the Demon God Scripture—I’ll soon reach Great Ascension.]

[I did break through, but the heavenly tribulation I endured was far more severe than Lin Xuan’s. Perhaps this is retribution.]

[Still, I survived, and my power surged.]

[With newfound strength, I naturally grew arrogant, believing myself invincible once more, and began plotting revenge against Lin Xuan.]

[I laid countless traps, waiting for Lin Xuan to walk into them.]

[Yes, the entire sect mobilized—just to deal with Lin Xuan alone.]

[...]

[Unsurprisingly, I lost, and the entire New Heavenly Demon Sect fell with me.]

[Lin Xuan’s overwhelming power was on full display once again.]

[Though he defeated us, he was left battered and bloodied. Just then, reinforcements from the righteous factions arrived, forcing me to flee.]

[In the end, I escaped, along with most of the New Heavenly Demon Sect’s members.]

[Total annihilation was avoided, but we suffered another devastating blow.]

[Before the New Heavenly Demon Sect could even rise, it had already begun its decline.]

[Lin Xuan’s reputation soared once more thanks to this victory.]

Su Luo closed his journal.

[Diary entry completed. Reward: Speed +4, Strength +4, cultivation advanced by one stage. Current cultivation: Tribulation Transcendence, late stage.]

...

Su Luo led his sect members onward, their faces alight with excitement.

And soon, their excitement grew even fiercer.

"Look! Someone’s over there!"

"After walking for so long, we’ve finally run into someone—but just one? That’s hardly enough for all of us to kill."

"Are you stupid? We can just extract the locations of their family members and have a grand reunion."

"Hahaha, let’s hope they’re not from the demonic path."

Nowadays, if the New Heavenly Demon Sect encountered demonic cultivators, they forcibly recruited them and made them practice the Demon God Scripture.

In the grand scheme of things, these people were nothing more than future energy reserves for Su Luo.

After all, Su Luo could absorb the cultivation of those who practiced the Demon God Scripture to enhance his own power.

But as they drew closer, their excitement vanished, replaced by sheer panic.

"Nangong Xiyun!"

"No way! Why is she here?!"

"Don’t be afraid! She’s alone—if we kill her, it’ll make us more infamous than slaughtering ten thousand!"

"Are you dreaming? She’s not someone we can handle!"

The once bloodthirsty New Heavenly Demon Sect fell silent at the sight of Nangong Xiyun.

They turned to Su Luo—should they fight or flee?

Su Luo burst into laughter, his face twisted with dark amusement. "What luck—to encounter Nangong Xiyun alone. Kill her."

His tone brimmed with confidence.

That confidence instantly infected the others.

"Right! So what if it’s Nangong Xiyun? We have our Demon Lord!"

"Hmph, let’s make this the place where Nangong Xiyun falls!"

"Too bad Jiang Ningshu isn’t here—with her, it’d be a sure victory."

Jiang Ningshu hadn’t joined them. After suffering a crushing defeat shortly after setting out, what was the point?

Nangong Xiyun stood before them, clad in pristine white robes, her expression icy, her gaze as deep and unfathomable as a frozen abyss.

Even from a distance, she exuded an aura of lethality.

Su Luo hadn’t seen her like this in a long time. It was hard to believe this was the same woman who had once been so warm.

Next time they were together, maybe he could ask her to maintain this cold demeanor while they…

But now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

With a wave of his hand, Su Luo gave the order.

The entire Heavenly Demon Sect unleashed a barrage of techniques at Nangong Xiyun.

A chaotic storm of spells surged toward her.

Nangong Xiyun remained expressionless as she drew her sword.

Before her, numbers meant nothing.

Well, almost nothing.

The Heavenly Demon Sect’s members were no weaklings—many were at the Nascent Soul or even Void Refinement stage.

When enough attacks came at once, even she had to dodge half and block the rest.

Still, she emerged unscathed.

Yet this alone was enough to exhilarate the New Heavenly Demon Sect.

They were actually suppressing a Great Ascension cultivator!

Encouraged, they redoubled their efforts.

"We can do this! We can do this!"

"Hahaha, we overestimated her! With so many of us, there’s no way we’ll lose!"

"Demon Lord, finish her off!"

Su Luo naturally joined the fray—he was, after all, the strongest in the Heavenly Demon Sect.

The others could only create minor distractions for Nangong Xiyun.

The real battle would be decided between him and her.

Nangong Xiyun’s sword clashed violently with Su Luo’s midair, the metallic screech piercing the air.

Their blades gleamed with radiant light as terrifying forces collided.

The shockwave from the impact sent gusts of wind tearing through the surroundings.

Su Luo gritted his teeth, pouring every ounce of strength into resisting.

Yet even then, he couldn’t overpower Nangong Xiyun.

Fortunately, the Heavenly Demon Sect’s members provided cover, allowing him to barely hold his own.

Throughout the onslaught, Nangong Xiyun’s expression never wavered—cold and detached as ever.

She was nothing if not professional. When it was time to perform, she committed fully, not even exchanging a glance with Su Luo.

Their understanding needed no words.