Chapter 6531 - 6540

The armies of Venerable Xuanbing and Venerable Shengguang remained encamped.

Their tents were neat and clean, their disciples’ armor gleamed, their weapons sharp, and their spiritual energy abundant.

From dawn until now, they hadn’t fired a single arrow or drawn a single sword, silently watching the Heavenly Palace’s army be gradually worn down and destroyed.

Now, seeing Venerable Tianji leading his defeated troops out of the Misty Forest in a disheveled state, Venerable Xuanbing and Venerable Shengguang simultaneously smiled.

Venerable Xuanbing, riding his Xuanbing chariot, went to meet them, his ice-blue robes fluttering in the wind, a feigned expression of concern on his face.

“Heavenly Palace Master, are you alright? Why did you come out so quickly? We were just about to lend a hand.”

His voice carried undisguised mockery, like a cat toying with a wounded mouse.

Venerable Tianji slowly raised his head, his blood-red eyes fixed on Venerable Xuanbing.

His fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his nails digging into his palms—not anger, but humiliation.

“Xuanbing.”

His voice was hoarse, like sandpaper grinding iron. “How dare you say such a thing? I risked my life at the front, and twelve hundred disciples of the Heavenly Pole Palace died, and you didn’t fire a single arrow or offer a single sword strike, just stood by and watched! Now you tell me you’re prepared to lend a hand?”

Venerable Holy Light floated down from the floating platform, his white robes as white as snow, his smile as warm as spring.

His smile was as gentle as an old neighbor trying to mediate a fight. “Heavenly Pole Palace Master, you’re wrong about that. It was agreed that you would lead the charge. You couldn’t break through yourself, and now you blame us for not helping?

Besides, we were assessing the situation. Look, when you withdrew, the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge didn’t pursue you, did they? That means they were exhausted too. Wouldn’t it be twice as effective if we intervened now?”

Venerable Heavenly Pole almost spat out blood.

His chest heaved violently, his wounds burst open with anger, and golden blood flowed down his chest, staining the sand beneath his feet a dark gold.

“Assess the situation? Achieve twice the result with half the effort?” His voice was already incoherent. “Xuanbing, Shengguang, you wait. The shame I suffer today, I will avenge in the future…”

“The future?”

Venerable Xuanbing laughed, a cold laugh. “Palace Master of Tianji, you should go back and heal your injuries first. In your current state, it’s hard to say whether you can live to see ‘the future.

‘ The aftereffects of burning your essence blood are not so pleasant.”

He paused, his voice becoming even more sarcastic. “Don’t worry, we’ll handle the matter of Wanyao Ridge for you.”

Venerable Tianji didn’t speak again.

He glanced at the two of them one last time, his gaze filled with a desire to pounce on them and tear them to pieces, but he ultimately didn’t move. He couldn’t move; he couldn’t turn against Shenyuan Pavilion and Tiansheng Palace here.

Tianji Palace only had eight hundred remaining soldiers, and his own cultivation had fallen to the second rank of Golden Immortal, while the two families combined still had thirteen hundred elite troops.

No matter how unwilling he was, he could only endure it.

He turned around and led the remaining soldiers of Tianji Palace into the depths of the wasteland.

His back was hunched, his steps faltering, a trail of golden blood etched behind him, starkly contrasting against the gray sands of the wasteland.

Eight hundred remaining soldiers followed him, silent except for the clatter of footsteps and intermittent coughs.

Occasionally, someone would fall, never to rise again; his companions would simply quicken their pace in silence, not daring to look back.

Venerable Xuanbing watched the remnants of the Heavenly Palace disappear at the edge of the wasteland, his smile vanishing.

He turned and met Venerable Shengguang’s gaze.

“Now,” Venerable Xuanbing said, his voice as cold as ancient ice, “it’s our turn.”

Venerable Shengguang nodded, a smile still playing on his lips, but it was no longer gentle; it was the smile of a hunter eyeing its prey.

“The Heavenly Palace has exhausted most of the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge’s fighting force for us, and they themselves are almost depleted. Although Kai is powerful, he can’t fight against so many opponents. In addition, that woman from Qingqiu has also expended a lot of energy; I sensed that her aura is much weaker than before the battle.”

He paused, “However, that kid Kai is a bit strange. Pavilion Master Xuanbing, what do you think?”

“What do I think?” Venerable Xuanbing smiled, “No matter how strange he is, I don’t think he can stop our two families from joining forces. Let’s try diplomacy first, then force.”

The two gave the order simultaneously.

1,300 elite cultivators from the Divine Abyss Pavilion and the Heavenly Saint Palace began to form ranks.

The ice-blue robes and white armor were distinct yet coordinated perfectly, forming a line hundreds of feet long on the wasteland.

The disciples of the Divine Abyss Pavilion were in front, their icy power forming a continuous sheet that froze the sand on the ground into solid ice, causing the temperature in the air to plummet. The disciples of the Heavenly

Saint Palace were behind, their holy light power converging into several pillars of light, within which faint angelic phantoms danced.

Banners fluttered, swords and spears stood like a forest, and ice crystals and holy light intertwined, forming an encirclement even more tight and ruthless than that of the Heavenly Palace.

Venerable Xuanbing urged his Xuanbing chariot forward, arriving before the gates of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge in mere breaths.

Venerable Shengguang’s floating platform followed closely behind, its ninety-nine luminous stones lighting up simultaneously, illuminating the plaza before the gates with crystal clarity.

The white light shone on the corpses and pools of blood scattered across the ground, making the twisted faces and broken limbs appear exceptionally gruesome.

“Kai,”

Venerable Xuanbing’s voice wasn’t loud, but it carried clearly throughout the entire Ten Thousand Demon Ridge gates, “You have some skill. That fool, Venerable Tianji, deserved to fall into your hands. But don’t be too happy yet.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the defensive line before the gates. The Guiyuan Sect’s sword formation was incomplete, the Qingyun Sword Sect’s flying swords were more than half broken, and the Wanfa Sect’s restrictions were cracked everywhere.

The cultivators of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge were still standing, but they were exhausted, many bearing wounds and having depleted most of their spiritual energy.

“Look at those behind you. They’ve been fighting all day, more than half dead or wounded, their spiritual energy completely depleted. How much strength do they have left? How many more waves of attack can they withstand?”

The Xuanbing Venerable’s voice was unhurried, as if calculating an account. “Behind me are thirteen hundred elite troops, not a single arrow fired, not a single sword drawn. They’re more than enough to deal with your remnants.”

Kai stood before the mountain gate, his blue robe stained with blood, some from enemies, some from himself.

Having clashed head-on with the Heavenly Extreme Venerable for dozens of rounds, his spiritual energy was considerably depleted, but he still stood straight, his figure as upright as a javelin.

“What do you want to say?” Kai’s voice was calm.

“I’ll give you three choices,”

Venerable Xuanbing said, holding up three fingers. “First, take your people and leave the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, leaving behind all its territory and resources.

Second, hand over the treasure within you. I know what it is—a Daoist inheritance token, isn’t it? Hand it over, and I might spare your lives.”

Third, if you don’t agree, then this sect leader will have no choice but to storm in. At that time, not a single soul will be spared in Ten Thousand Demon Ridge.

A brief silence fell over the plaza.

The cultivators of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes filled with vigilance.

Gui Yuanzi straightened his body, Qing Yunzi tightened his grip on his sword hilt, and the Grand Elder of the Myriad Laws Sect silently activated the last few layers of runes that bound the restrictions.

Kai did not answer.

He raised the Dragon-Slaying Sword, and the purple chaotic fire on its blade reignited.

The flames were small, yet they formed a purple defensive line before the mountain gate.

The flames reflected in his purple eyes, dyeing them a deep purple.

He answered Venerable Xuanbing with his actions: if you want Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, you must first cross his sword.
Just as Kai was about to make his move, a white figure walked out from inside the mountain gate.

Jiang Xuelan.

She wore spirit armor, its silver plates shimmering softly in the holy light.

She wore no helmet, her black hair cascading down, simply tied back with a silver hairpin, her expression calm yet resolute.

Her white dress fluttered in the wind, her steps unhurried yet exceptionally steady, a silver-white longsword in her hand.

She walked directly to Kai, turned to face Venerable Xuanbing.

Then she made a gesture no one expected: she bowed slightly, clasped her hands in a fist salute, performing an ancient greeting.

It wasn’t the greeting of Wan Yao Ling, nor of Guiyuan Sect, but of something far more ancient and timeless.

“Senior,”

her voice was soft, yet clearly heard by everyone, “This junior is Jiang Xuelan, the seventy-second generation successor of the Ice God lineage, greetings, Senior.”

Venerable Xuanbing’s fingers paused.

He was about to urge the Xuanbing chariot into a charge when he heard the words “Ice God lineage,” and his movements abruptly stopped.

The ice-blue robe froze in the wind, its fluttering hem suspended in mid-air as if frozen.

He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Jiang Xuelan.

His gaze fell on the silver longsword in her hand, then on the spirit armor she wore. On the shoulder armor of the spirit armor was an extremely subtle rune, so faint it was almost invisible under the holy light, but Venerable Xuanbing recognized it—the clan crest of the Ice God lineage.

“The Ice God lineage?”

Venerable Xuanbing’s voice trembled slightly. “You’re from the Ice God lineage? How is that possible? The Ice God lineage was already…”

“Almost extinct,”

Jiang Xuelan interrupted, her voice calm, but a hint of sorrow hidden in her eyes. “We lived in anonymity, hiding in the spiritually barren lower realms, barely surviving for tens of thousands of years. Senior should know the Ice God lineage’s status among the gods. We were ostracized, suppressed, and driven away by other branches, ultimately forced to lower our cultivation and flee to the lower realms.”

Venerable Xuanbing remained silent for a long time.

A long, icy blue robe fluttered gently in the wind, and some of the frost covering the chariot slowly receded.

A complex expression flashed across his face, the look of someone having touched a long-sealed memory.

“You…are you truly from the Ice God lineage?”

His voice was much softer than before, no longer carrying that condescending coldness. “Show this master your bloodline mark.”

Jiang Xuelan raised her left hand, rolling up her sleeve to her elbow.

On the inside of her wrist was an icy blue mark, small, only the size of a fingernail, shaped like a hexagonal snowflake.

In the center of the snowflake was an extremely thin vertical line, like a sword, or perhaps an icicle.

She infused the mark with spiritual power, and it suddenly lit up, emitting an extremely pure, icy aura.

The aura wasn’t cold and sinister, but rather a solemn, ancient, icy power belonging to the orthodox branch of the divine race.

The Xuanbing Venerable’s pupils contracted slightly.

He remained silent for a moment, then also raised his left hand, rolling up his sleeve to his elbow.

On the inside of his wrist was a similar icy blue snowflake mark.

Two icy auras converged before the mountain gate, the air temperature plummeted, and moisture condensed into countless tiny ice crystals, shimmering with iridescent light in the sunlight.

The bloodlines of the Ice God lineage resonated upon sensing their kind; the marks on their wrists lit up simultaneously, echoing each other in an ancient way.

That echo contained tens of thousands of years and countless generations of inheritance. The Xuanbing Venerable’s brows relaxed slightly, a fleeting, inscrutable emotion flashing in his eyes.

“The Ice God lineage still has descendants,”

he said softly, as if speaking to himself. “I thought that apart from myself and a few old fogies, the Ice God lineage was extinct.”

The Holy Light Venerable frowned beside him. “Pavilion Master Xuanbing, this is not the time for reminiscing. A young girl from the Ice God lineage—you wouldn’t back down just because of a few words from her, would you?”

His voice remained gentle, but a subtle chill had crept into his tone.

The Xuanbing Venerable ignored him.

He looked at Jiang Xuelan and asked, “Why are you here? Why are you mingling with these demons and humans? You are a descendant of the Ice God lineage, a legitimate branch of the God Clan. How can you debase yourself and associate with these ants from the lower realm?”

Jiang Xuelan shook her head.

Her voice remained calm, but it held a hint of strength. “Senior, you say legitimate branch of the God Clan? Then this junior dares to ask, when have the other branches of the God Clan ever given the Ice God lineage a second glance?”

Venerable Xuanbing’s expression stiffened for a moment.

“The Ice God lineage has been the weakest since ancient times. We’ve never had a voice in the council of the God Alliance. We’re always the last in the allocation of God resources.

We’re excluded from the inheritance of God techniques. When the Ice God lineage was wiped out tens of thousands of years ago, where were the other branches of the God race?

They watched us being killed, watched us being driven out of the God race, and not a single one offered a helping hand.”

Jiang Xuelan’s voice was neither humble nor arrogant. “Senior, you are now the Pavilion Master of the Divine Abyss Pavilion, wielding great power, but ask yourself, does the God race truly consider you one of their own?”

Venerable Xuanbing remained silent.

“The other lineages of the Divine Race occupy the best spiritual veins, the best resources, and the best inheritances.”

Jiang Xuelan glanced at Venerable Saint Light, then looked back at Venerable Profound Ice. “What does the Ice God lineage have? The Divine Abyss Pavilion? You conquered the territory of the Divine Abyss Pavilion yourself, it wasn’t given to you by the Divine Race. Whether it’s the Heavenly Pole Palace or the Heavenly Saint Palace, which of them has ever given you a second glance? If it weren’t for the attack on Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, none of them would have paid you any attention.” Her

voice wasn’t loud, but every word pierced Venerable Profound Ice’s heart like an ice spike.

Venerable Profound Ice’s expression grew increasingly grim, his fingers lightly stroking his cane, his ice-blue robe fluttering without wind.

Venerable Saint Light sensed something was wrong.

He stepped forward, his voice still gentle, but with a clear warning in his tone: “Sect Master, don’t be swayed by a little girl’s words. It’s not even certain if she’s from the Ice God lineage. Even if she is, she’s betrayed the gods and allied with the demon race; she deserves to die. You don’t need to sacrifice yourself for a traitor…”

“Shut up.” The Xuanbing Venerable’s voice was soft, yet it frosted the air within dozens of feet.

The Holy Light Venerable’s smile froze. He narrowed his eyes at the Xuanbing Venerable, saying nothing more.

Silence lasted for dozens of breaths.

The wind before the mountain gate stopped. The pervasive stench of blood seemed to freeze in that instant.

The cultivators of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge gripped their weapons tightly, unsure what would happen next.

Gui Yuanzi’s palms were sweaty, Qing Yunzi’s flying sword hovered behind him, spinning silently, and the array masters of the Myriad Laws Sect had already placed their fingers on the final restrictive runes.

Xuanbing Venerable looked at Jiang Xuelan, countless emotions flashing in his eyes: nostalgia, anger, sorrow, resentment, and a barely perceptible wavering.

He had lived for tens of thousands of years. He was powerless when the Ice God lineage was destroyed, he endured the ostracism of the gods, and after conquering the Divine Abyss Pavilion, he desperately climbed the ranks, wanting to prove that the Ice God lineage was no less than any other branch.

And this little girl, this descendant of the Ice God lineage who had crawled up from the lower realm, spoke words that struck at his deepest pain.

“Senior,”

Jiang Xuelan spoke again, her voice much gentler, “the Ice God lineage is nearly extinct. If you attack Ten Thousand Demon Ridge today, regardless of victory or defeat, the Divine Abyss Pavilion will suffer a devastating blow. Our Ice God lineage can no longer afford further losses.”

She paused, her gaze fixed on Venerable Xuanbing. “Senior, please do not attack Ten Thousand Demon Ridge. This is my request to you as the seventy-second generation successor of the Ice God lineage.”

Silence fell over the plaza once more.

Venerable Holy Light’s expression gradually darkened.

He turned to look at Venerable Xuanbing, the gentleness in his eyes completely gone.

Venerable Xuanbing still remained silent.

He was still hesitant. Taking Ten Thousand Demon Ridge this time would bring abundant resources, strengthen the Divine Abyss Pavilion, and make the Ice God lineage even more prosperous.

But…

“Xuanbing brat, are you hesitating about your mother?”

Suddenly, an aged voice drifted in from nowhere.

Hearing this voice, Venerable Xuanbing was startled, his eyes filled with surprise.

“Ancestor? Ancestor, that’s your voice! Where are you?”

Venerable Xuanbing exclaimed excitedly.

Jiang Xuelan immediately recognized it as the voice of Bei Mingyuan, the ancestor of the Ice God lineage within Kai’s sea of ​​consciousness.

“Senior, our Ice God lineage’s ancestor is now only a wisp of remnant soul, surviving in Kai’s sea of ​​consciousness, waiting for an opportunity to reshape his physical body,”

Jiang Xuelan said to Venerable Xuanbing.

“What?” Venerable Xuanbing stared intently at Kai, his face filled with disbelief. “How is this possible? How could the ancestor’s remnant soul be in Kai’s sea of ​​consciousness?”

“We accidentally discovered a passage to the ancient battlefield in the Fourteenth Heaven, so we entered the ancient battlefield and encountered the ancestor’s remnant soul.” ”

Kai’s sea of ​​consciousness is vast, and he also possesses the Great Luo Golden Scripture, which is why the ancestor’s remnant soul can survive within it,”

Jiang Xuelan explained.

She didn’t dare say that Bei Mingyuan had tried to possess Kai, but his remnant soul had been suppressed by the Great Luo Golden Scripture as soon as it entered Kai’s sea of ​​consciousness, and was now obediently staying there.

“I don’t believe it…” Venerable Xuanbing shook her head, completely disbelieving.

This was simply too outrageous. How could the ancestor of the Ice God lineage, who had disappeared for countless millennia, suddenly appear in the sea of ​​consciousness of a mere True Immortal?

“You bastard, you can’t even recognize my voice? You still dare not believe me?”

This time, Bei Mingyuan’s voice truly came from within Kai’s body.

The voice wasn’t loud, even somewhat weak, yet it carried a bone-deep age and majesty, like a wisp of cold air seeping from the deepest part of a ten-thousand-year-old ice layer.

The voice echoed above the plaza, and everyone who heard it involuntarily shivered.

It wasn’t because the temperature had actually dropped, but because of the ancient and extreme aura contained within the voice, causing their souls to tremble instinctively.

Venerable Xuanbing froze on the chariot.

His fingers froze in mid-air, the fingertips still holding the position they had just hesitated in.

The ice-blue robes no longer fluttered, and the frost covering the chariot silently thickened.

He had lived for tens of thousands of years, crawling out of the sea of ​​blood from the destruction of the Ice God lineage, building the foundation of the Divine Abyss Pavilion amidst the ostracism and cold stares of the gods. He thought he would never lose his composure again.

But at this moment, his eyes trembled slightly.

That voice.

That voice he thought he would never hear again.

“Ancestor… Ancestor?”

His voice was hoarse, so hoarse it was almost distorted, as if he hadn’t used that title for tens of thousands of years. “Is it really you? You’re still alive? You… you weren’t in the ancient war…”

“Nonsense.”

Bei Mingyuan’s voice came from within Kai, carrying a hint of impatience, a hint of weakness, and a hint of the satisfaction of finally being able to speak again after being questioned by a junior for tens of thousands of years. “If I were dead, would I still be talking to you here? Do you think you’re hearing a ghost?”

The Xuanbing Venerable’s hand trembled.

His ice-blue robe fluttered without wind, the frost on its hem rustling softly.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but before he could utter a word, Bei Mingyuan’s curses returned.

“Xuanbing brat, you bastard!”

The aged voice suddenly rose a few decibels, weak yet full of vigor. “How did I teach you back then? The Ice God lineage is unyielding, never surrendering! And you, you’ve come to attack my benefactor with those two bastards from the Heavenly Extreme Palace and the Heavenly Saint Palace? Have you grown wings? Or have you lost your mind?”

Xuanbing Venerable’s lips trembled slightly. “Ancestor… I… I don’t know…”

“Don’t know?”

Bei Mingyuan sneered, his sneer carrying the vicissitudes of tens of thousands of years. “Of course you don’t know. If you knew that my remnant soul was in this brat’s sea of ​​consciousness, being nourished by his Great Luo Golden Scripture, would you still dare to come? I ask you, how many people are left in the Ice God lineage? How many are left?”

Xuanbing Venerable was silent for a moment. “I… I don’t know.”

Xuanbing Venerable truly didn’t know; he didn’t know if there were any more members of the Ice God lineage in the Seventeenth Heaven Upper Realm.

However, it’s highly unlikely that they’re gone. After all, the higher you go, the closer you are to the main altar of the gods. Back then, the Ice God lineage fled the main altar, all heading down to the lower realms, even lowering their cultivation levels. It’s unlikely that anyone would risk staying in the upper realms.

He also took a great risk when he fled to the seventeenth heaven and founded the Divine Abyss Pavilion.

“Don’t know?” Bei Mingyuan’s voice suddenly deepened, as heavy as a boulder falling into an icy sea. “Of the seven lineages of the gods, only our Ice God lineage has fallen to such a state.

Good, very good. Xuanbing brat, you brought these Ice God lineage disciples to the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge to seek death? If this battle continues, are you planning to completely wipe out the Ice God lineage?”

Venerable Xuanbing stood in the cold wind, unable to utter a single word.

His icy blue robe wrapped around his thin figure, and tens of thousands of years of arrogance and forbearance turned into silence at this moment.

“What are you still standing there for?” Bei Mingyuan’s voice suddenly rose again, “Kneel down before me!”

He stepped down from the Xuanbing chariot and walked step by step to Kai’s side.

His steps were slow, each one leaving a frosty footprint on the stone slab. His

ice-blue robe trailed on the ground, the hem already a mess of blood and ice crystals.

He stopped, looking at Kai, at this young man whose cultivation was only at the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm yet who had just repelled the Heavenly Extreme Venerable.

Then he bent his knees and knelt down. His

knees struck the cracked stone slab with a dull thud.

He lowered his head, his forehead touching the ground, his white hair scattered among the blood, mud, and ice crystals. His

ice-blue robe spread out on the ground, like a submissive subject kneeling before a king.

A Pavilion Master of the Divine Abyss Pavilion who had lived for tens of thousands of years, an elder of the Ice God lineage, a powerful figure whose stomp could make countless forces tremble in the Seventeenth Heaven, knelt before Kai.

The Divine Abyss Pavilion disciples on the Xuanbing War Chariot looked at each other, unsure how to react.

They had never seen their Pavilion Master kneel before anyone, not even the Heavenly Extreme Venerable and the Holy Light Venerable, to whom the Pavilion Master had only slightly nodded.

At this moment, the Pavilion Master knelt before a young man at the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm.

“Ancestor above,” Venerable Xuanbing’s voice trembled, “Junior Xuanbing pays respects to Ancestor.”

Kai stood still, without moving.

He knew that Venerable Xuanbing wasn’t kneeling before him, but before Bei Mingyuan within his sea of ​​consciousness.

But he also sensed something else: Bei Mingyuan within his sea of ​​consciousness was very quiet.

That quiet wasn’t calmness, but a kind of serenity born from being suppressed by time and suffering for tens of thousands of years, suddenly finding solace in a junior’s kowtow.
Get up,” Kai said calmly. “You’re kneeling before your ancestor, not me. Get up and speak.”

Venerable Xuanbing didn’t rise immediately.

He knelt for three breaths, then slowly stood up.

His eyes were slightly red, not from crying, but from the instinctive physiological reaction of an old man who had lived for tens of thousands of years in extreme excitement.

He looked into Kai’s eyes; those purple eyes held no pride, no condescension, only calmness.

That calmness made him suddenly understand why his ancestor had chosen to reside in this young man’s sea of ​​consciousness.

It wasn’t a coincidence, not luck, but because this young man was inherently different.

“Kai.”

Venerable Xuanbing’s voice returned to normal, now with a touch of solemnity. “This Pavilion Master—no, I—I owe you a favor. You protected the remnant soul of my Ice God lineage’s ancestor until now. The Ice God lineage will remember this favor.”

“Xuanbing.”

Venerable Shengguang’s voice rang out in the cold wind. His voice was no longer gentle, but carried a chilling intent born of repeated mockery and a loss of patience. “Have you knelt enough?”

Venerable Xuanbing turned to face Venerable Shengguang.

Their gazes clashed in the air, the icy blue light contrasting sharply with the golden holy light.

On the plaza hundreds of feet wide, the two colors of pressure clashed, producing a low hum.

“Holy Light.”

Venerable Xuanbing’s voice was cold. “You saw it. The remnant soul of the Ice God lineage’s ancestor is in Kai’s sea of ​​consciousness. He protected my ancestor’s remnant soul; he is Venerable Xuanbing’s benefactor. Consider the weight of the Divine Abyss Pavilion.”

The smile had completely vanished from Venerable Shengguang’s face.

His white robes billowed in the holy light, and his angular face, which had always worn a gentle, fake smile, was now as cold as stone.

Ninety-nine Light Stones simultaneously lit up on the altar behind him, the holy light cascading down and illuminating the plaza before the mountain gate.

“Palace Master Xuanbing,” he said, his voice low, each word seemingly squeezed out between clenched teeth, “are you betraying the Divine Race?”

“Betraying the Divine Race?” Venerable Xuanbing laughed, a hoarse and sarcastic laugh. “Holy Light, tell me, when has the Divine Race ever considered the Ice God lineage one of their own?”

He stepped forward, his ice-blue robes remaining perfectly still in the holy light.

“Of the seven lineages of the Divine Race, how much exclusion, how many cold looks, how much injustice has the Ice God lineage suffered over tens of thousands of years? You dare to talk to me about betrayal today? Let me tell you, it wasn’t me who betrayed the Divine Race, it was the Divine Race that betrayed the Ice God lineage first.”

The Holy Light Venerable’s eye twitched. “Xuanbing, are you insane? Are you sure you want to turn against the entire Divine Race camp for a mere True Immortal Realm brat, a remnant of the Ice God lineage who crawled out of the lower realm? Have you thought about the fate of your five hundred disciples?”

“I have.”

Venerable Xuanbing’s voice was as calm as a stagnant pool. “I’ve thought it through very clearly. Today, if you attack Kai, you are attacking me

, Xuanbing. If you attack the Myriad Demon Ridge, you are attacking the Divine Abyss Pavilion. You have eight hundred disciples of the Heavenly Saint Palace behind you, I have five hundred disciples of the Divine Abyss Pavilion behind me, and the Myriad Demon Ridge has more than a thousand capable warriors. The two sides are fighting against you. You weigh your chances of winning.”

The atmosphere in the square suddenly froze.

The Holy Light Venerable’s face twitched.

He was quickly calculating. The eight hundred disciples of the Heavenly Saint Palace and the five hundred disciples of the Divine Abyss Pavilion were originally his reliance.

If Xuan Bing defected, that would be eight hundred against one thousand five hundred, not even counting Kai, the prodigy who single-handedly repelled the Heavenly Extreme Venerable.

If Kai and Xuan Bing joined forces, plus the Golden Immortal of Qingqiu in charge, his chances of winning were indeed less than ten percent.

“Xuan Bing,”

the Holy Light Venerable’s voice was extremely cold, “I have remembered what happened today. The Divine Race has also remembered it. You have severed yourself from the Divine Race, and you will have no place in the Seventeenth Heaven from now on.”

“Whether you have a place to stand or not is not up to you alone.”

The Xuan Bing Venerable’s voice was full of sarcasm and disdain, “Get out. Before this Pavilion Master changes his mind, take your people and get out of the territory of the Myriad Demon Ridge immediately.”

The Holy Light Venerable’s fist clenched.

The knuckles under the white robe made a slight grinding sound.

He stared at Venerable Xuanbing, then at Kai, and finally glanced at Qingqiu, who stood on the mountain gate wall, dressed in white robes and with his hands behind his back.

His gaze lingered on each person for a moment, as if etching their faces into the depths of his memory—not out of grudge, but to remember the scene that had humiliated him today.

Then he whirled around, his white robes billowing, his voice chillingly cold: “All members of the Heavenly Saint Palace, retreat!”

The floating altar slowly turned, the light from the ninety-nine Bright Stones dimming slightly.

The eight hundred disciples of the Heavenly Saint Palace turned around in perfect unison, their formation perfectly intact. Even in retreat, this army maintained a chilling discipline.

But on the edge of the altar beneath Venerable Saint Light’s feet, five fine cracks appeared from his clenched fingers.

The disciples at the very back of the formation couldn’t help but look back at the gate of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge. Their gaze held not anger, but confusion and a hint of resentment.

No one understood why, when victory seemed assured, the Pavilion Master had suddenly led the Ice God lineage to defect, and the Palace Master had simply retreated.

The last disciple of the Heavenly Saint Palace disappeared at the edge of the wasteland, and the afterglow of the holy light was swallowed up again by the misty forest.

The suffocating oppressive feeling that had enveloped the gates of the Myriad Demon Ridge finally dissipated.

A gentle breeze blew across the plaza, diluting the strong smell of blood.

The mountain gate slowly opened, and Qingqiu descended from the city wall.

Her white robes were covered with dust and sweat; controlling nine layers of restrictions to fight against an army of four thousand five hundred was an exhausting day, and even a Golden Immortal of the third rank was somewhat weary.

But her steps were still light, and a faint smile was in her fox-like eyes.

“Pavilion Master Xuanbing.” She walked up to Venerable Xuanbing and nodded slightly. “Please.”

Venerable Xuanbing glanced at her, then at Kai, and finally his gaze settled on Jiang Xuelan. “Little girl, lead the way.”

Jiang Xuelan smiled slightly and turned to enter the mountain gate.

Half an hour later, in a side hall of the Demon Emperor’s Palace in the Myriad Demon Ridge, everyone sat around a stone table.

Qingqiu sat in the main seat, with Kai and Jiang Xuelan on his left, and Guiyuanzi, Qingyunzi, and the Grand Elder of the Wanfa Sect on his right.

Venerable Xuanbing sat alone in the guest seat.

Their armor still bore traces of blood, and their faces showed signs of fatigue, but none complained of being tired.

Venerable Xuanbing picked up the spiritual tea on the table but didn’t drink it. Steam rose from the teacup in his palm, the icy blue spiritual energy creating a strange contrast with the hot tea.

He looked at Jiang Xuelan, then at Kai.

“There is one more thing I need to tell you.”

His voice returned to its usual calm and coldness. “Don’t think that everything is fine just because you repelled the Heavenly Pole Palace and forced the Heavenly Saint Palace to retreat today.” Qingqiu’s brow twitched slightly. “What do you mean?” ”

Although Venerable Tianji was defeated, and the Tianji Palace was crippled, don’t forget that the Tianji Palace possesses something no other power has.” Venerable Xuanbing put down his teacup and said, word by word, “A communication channel to the Eighteenth Heaven.”

A moment of silence fell over the side hall.

The wind whistled through the cracks in the windowpanes, causing the candlelight to flicker.

“The Eighteenth Heaven?” Guiyuanzi’s expression changed. “The Tianji Palace can contact the Eighteenth Heaven?”

“Yes.”

Venerable Xuanbing’s voice was deep. “The Tianji Palace is a branch of the Fire God lineage in the Seventeenth Heaven. The Fire God lineage still has true powerhouses in the Eighteenth Heaven. Given Venerable Tianji’s crushing defeat, he won’t remain silent.

He will disregard everything to contact the Eighteenth Heaven and request the divine experts to descend. And once the powerhouses of the Eighteenth Heaven arrive…”

He didn’t finish, but everyone understood.

The powerhouses of the Eighteenth Heaven were beings that cultivators of the Seventeenth Heaven could only look up to.

The Heavenly Palace headquarters possesses a sacred spiritual vein and thousands of disciples under its command. Combined with the divine forces of the Eighteenth Heaven, if they are allowed to recover, they will undoubtedly launch a more ferocious counterattack.

After a long silence, Kai spoke, his voice still calm, “Then don’t let them recover.”

“You mean…” Venerable Xuanbing looked at Kai, a sharp glint in his icy blue eyes.

“Take advantage of the Heavenly Palace’s weakened state and destroy it in one fell swoop.”

Kai said this with the nonchalant tone of someone discussing what to eat, “Before the reinforcements from the Eighteenth Heaven descend, uproot the Heavenly Palace’s foundation in the Seventeenth Heaven. Without a foothold, even if reinforcements arrive, they won’t be able to cause any significant trouble.”

Qingyunzi gasped, “Mr. Chen, although the Heavenly Palace is crippled, it still has eight hundred remaining soldiers. Although Venerable Tianji’s cultivation has declined, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. If we attack the Heavenly Palace now, isn’t that…”

“That’s right, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.”

Kai interrupted him, his purple eyes sweeping over everyone present. “But now we’re not a single horse anymore. The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge is still standing, and the Divine Abyss Pavilion has arrived. The three forces combined are enough to crush a crippled Heavenly Palace. If we wait for reinforcements from the Eighteenth Heaven to arrive before making a move, it will be too late.”

Venerable Xuanbing was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded. “Kai is right. Now that I’ve taken this side, I won’t hesitate any longer. The Divine Abyss Pavilion’s spies have been watching the Heavenly Palace for thousands of years. I have a general idea of ​​where the passage to the Eighteenth Heaven is hidden.

From contacting the envoy to sending him down to the mortal realm, and then integrating the remnants of the Heavenly Palace, it will take at least a month. Within a month, we must destroy the Heavenly Palace.”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Kai stood up. “The wounded should stay and recuperate. The rest of you, go into seclusion immediately. One hundred days inside the Demon Suppression Tower equals one day outside. With the current resources, everyone’s combat strength should be restored within three days.”

Kai summoned the Demon Suppression Tower; only inside could they recover in the shortest time.

When Kai entered the Demon Suppression Tower, it was already filled with resources brought back from the Divine Alliance’s treasury.

Piles of crystals emitted multicolored light, rows of pills in jade bottles exuded a rich medicinal fragrance, and walls of cultivation manual jade slips emanated an ancient aura of law.

Kai sat cross-legged inside the tower.

In his battle with the Heavenly Venerable, he had almost directly confronted a peak third-grade Golden Immortal who had burned his essence blood.

Although the power of chaos restrained the holy light, the difference in their cultivation levels was undeniable, and every clash of swords consumed his vital essence.

His spiritual power had been depleted by seventy percent, and traces of the Heavenly Venerable’s holy light remained in his meridians.

Upon internal inspection, he saw tiny cracks on the inner walls of several major meridians—hidden wounds left from the clash between holy light and chaotic power within his body.

If left to heal slowly in the outside world, it would take at least several months.

He picked up a crystal and held it in his palm.

He activated the Mind Concentration Technique, and the spiritual energy within the crystal was absorbed and transformed by the chaotic power, filling his parched meridians.

The cracks in the meridians slowly healed under the nourishment of the spiritual energy, and the traces of the holy light’s scorching were gradually burned away by the chaotic fire.

Then came the second, the third, crystal after crystal, which were absorbed one by one, turning into grayish-white powder that slipped from his fingertips.

Pills were refined one after another, their medicinal power converging into torrents within his meridians, filling every tiny injury left by the previous battle.

Above his head, the runes of the Demon-Suppressing Tower slowly swirled.

The laws of time enveloped him, isolating him from the outside world’s clamor, the smoke of the battlefield, and the pervasive stench of blood.

Only the sound of chaotic power surging through his meridians could be heard, like a giant dragon born from the primordial chaos gradually awakening from its long slumber.

Qingqiu, Guiyuanzi, Qingyunzi, and Xuanbing Venerable began to integrate their three forces, reorganize their units, and discuss the route to attack the Heavenly Pole Palace.

The light of the teleportation array shone day and night over the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, and intelligence from scouts poured back like snowflakes.

Everyone knew that this battle was not yet over.

At the same moment, in the Heavenly Pole Palace.

Deep within the Heavenly Pole Palace, in an ancient stone hall.

The Heavenly Pole Venerable sat on a cold stone throne, his golden robe now obscured by blood and mud.

Half of his hair had turned white, and his face bore more than ten deep wrinkles.

The aftereffects of burning his essence blood were rapidly eroding his body; his cultivation had already plummeted from the peak of the third rank of Golden Immortal to the first rank, and was slowly declining every day.

Before him, a massive bronze door slowly opened.

Behind the door was a deep void passage, its edges engraved with ancient war runes.

The runes were even older than the Heavenly Palace itself, radiating the power of Golden Immortal-level laws.

For tens of thousands of years, this door had only been opened three times, each opening signifying the Heavenly Palace’s impending annihilation.

“Palace Master,” a wounded elder knelt before the stone throne, his voice trembling, “Are you sure… you want to contact the Upper Realm?”

“Is there any other choice but to contact the Upper Realm?”

The Heavenly Venerable’s voice was hoarse and weak. “Kai, Qingqiu, Xuanbing, they must all die. The Ten Thousand Demon Ridge must be razed to the ground. The supreme treasure must be obtained. I will pay any price, no matter who I summon, no matter how the Seventeenth Heaven is shattered…”

He coughed violently several times, golden blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his chest armor, staining the ancient runes a dark gold.

He took a deep breath, channeling his last strength into the bronze door.

The void passage behind the door began to slowly rotate, spatial power surging and blooming within. An ancient will emanated from the direction of the Eighteenth Heaven, cold and majestic, like a giant rock suspended in the heavens.

“What business does the lower realm have to disturb the upper realm?”

The Celestial Venerable knelt before the door, his forehead pressed against the cold bronze.

“The Palace Master of the Celestial Palace of the Seventeenth Heaven requests that the upper realm send down an envoy. The Divine Abyss Pavilion and the Heavenly Saint Palace have rebelled, the Daoist lineage has reappeared in the world, and the foundation of the Seventeenth Heaven’s divine race is in imminent danger.” The void passage behind the bronze gate slowly rotated, spatial power surging silently within like an undercurrent in an abyss.

No sound rang out.

That gate had existed for countless millennia; every rune on its frame was etched with the lifeblood of a powerful figure from the ancient Fire God lineage, containing the power of laws connecting the two realms.

Each opening signified the rise and fall of the Fire God lineage on this land.

And this time, it was a gate of supplication.

The Celestial Venerable, a member of the Fire God lineage, knelt before the bronze gate, his forehead pressed against the cold bronze, his posture utterly humble.

He had been the Lord of the Celestial Palace for tens of thousands of years, accustomed to his high position, and hadn’t faced anyone with such deference in a long time.

But now, his kneeling was devout, not out of loyalty to the gods, but out of a thirst for revenge.

He was willing to pay any price to summon a powerful figure from the upper realm, to flatten the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, to tear that purple-eyed youth apart with his own hands.

Deep within the void passage, the ancient will remained silent for a long time.

So long that Venerable Tianji began to doubt whether the other party simply disdained to respond to a defeated general from the lower realm.

The elders behind him also held their breath, daring not to make a sound.

Then the will spoke again.

The voice was cold and majestic, devoid of any emotion, each word like a muffled thunderclap from the clouds.

“Why is your cultivation so low?”

Venerable Tianji’s brows furrowed even lower. “Your subordinate is incompetent. A monster emerged from Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, possessing the power of chaos and protected by the Daoist inheritance.

Your subordinate burned his essence blood to fight him, and his cultivation plummeted from the third rank of the Golden Immortal Realm to the first rank. The Divine Abyss Pavilion and the Heavenly Saint Palace stood by and watched me die, and your subordinate was outnumbered, which is why I have fallen to this state.” ”

The power of chaos? The Daoist inheritance?” A slight fluctuation appeared in the voice of the will, a kind of wariness caused by the stirring of long-forgotten memories. “Tell me in detail.”

Venerable Tianji took a deep breath, shifted his knees on the ground, and began to speak from the beginning. He recounted

in detail how Kai, with his cultivation at the sixth rank of True Immortal Realm, traversed the void passage to descend

to the sixteenth heaven. He described how he single-handedly annihilated the entire Divine Race Alliance, how he returned to the seventeenth heaven with the black stone token of the Chaos Dao Palace, and how he single-handedly withstood the full-force attack after Kai burned his essence blood.

He spoke meticulously, without embellishment, knowing that lies were meaningless and would only backfire in the face of such an existence.

A long silence followed from the other end of the void passage.

The Heavenly Venerable could sense that the will seemed to be deep in thought, or perhaps discussing something with someone.

After a long while, the will spoke again.

“What is the strength of the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge?”

“Less than 1,500 men. But the Divine Abyss Pavilion has defected, and 500 disciples of the Ice God lineage have joined. With the three forces combined, their strength is not to be underestimated,” the Heavenly Venerable stated truthfully.

“How many fighting forces does the Heavenly Extreme Palace have left?”

“Less than eight hundred. But the Holy Light Venerable of the Heavenly Saint Palace is still alive, and the Heavenly Saint Palace still has eight hundred disciples. Although the Holy Light Venerable refused to help, he is still a member of the Light God lineage among the seven lineages of the God Clan, and he will not sit idly by and watch the God Clan’s foundation be swallowed up by the Myriad Demon Ridge.” The other

end of the void passage fell silent again.

This silence lasted longer than before, so long that the Heavenly Extreme Venerable thought the other party had severed the connection.

Then the will finally spoke, its voice carrying an undeniable determination.

“Head of the Heavenly Extreme Palace, the Upper Realm has decided to send two envoys down to the lower realm. Both are at the peak of the third rank of the Golden Immortal Realm, wielding the Fire God’s magic weapon. They will arrive at the Seventeenth Heaven within ten days. During this time, you must guard the Heavenly Extreme Palace and there must be no further mishaps.”

The Heavenly Extreme Venerable suddenly raised his head, his eyes bursting with wild joy.

Two peak third-rank Golden Immortal Realm cultivators. In the Seventeenth Heaven, Qingqiu was only at the mid-stage of the third rank of the Golden Immortal Realm, and the Heavenly Extreme Venerable himself was also at the peak of the third rank of the Golden Immortal Realm at his prime.

Two peak-level Golden Immortals at the third rank descending to the mortal realm simultaneously were enough to crush any force in the entire Seventeenth Heaven.

“Your subordinate obeys!” His voice trembled slightly with excitement.

“Furthermore,”

the voice of that will grew even colder, “the Divine Abyss Pavilion betrayed the Divine Race, and the remnants of the Ice God lineage must be completely eradicated. The Heavenly Saint Palace failed to offer aid; though its crime doesn’t warrant the destruction of the palace, the Holy Light Venerable must personally apologize to the upper realm. These matters will be handled by the envoy after he descends. You, cooperate well with the envoy.”

“Your subordinate understands!”

The void passage slowly closed, and the ancient will dissipated into its depths.

The runes on the bronze door gradually dimmed, and silence returned to the stone hall.

Only the flickering candlelight and the heavy breathing of the Heavenly Extreme Venerable remained.

The Heavenly Extreme Venerable slowly stood up, the wrinkles on his face appearing particularly deep in the candlelight, but a flame reignited in his eyes.

He turned around, looking at the elders kneeling behind him, a twisted smile curving his lips.

“Did you hear that? The Upper Realm is sending envoys. Two peak third-grade Golden Immortals, wielding fire-divine artifacts.”

His voice was hoarse yet powerful. “Kai, Qing Qiu, Xuan Bing, their deaths are imminent. They will all pay for their crimes in blood.”

The elders trembled with excitement.

Some kowtowed on the spot, while others wept.

They had fallen from being the most powerful force in the Seventeenth Heaven to a position where everyone could bully them. Their eight hundred remaining soldiers hid in the main hall, licking their wounds, not even daring to venture out to attack a small sect.

Now, the Upper Realm was finally going to make its move.

“Pass down the order.”

Venerable Tianji clenched his fist. “From today onwards, all defensive restrictions of the Tianji Palace are fully activated. All disciples are on high alert. Hold the main hall for ten days. When the envoys arrive, it will be the day the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge is destroyed.” Meanwhile, at the Demon Suppression Tower in Ten Thousand Demon Ridge,

a day had passed outside the tower, while a hundred days had passed inside.

Kai sat cross-legged deep within the ninth level of the Demon Suppression Tower, his body surrounded by thick purple chaotic power.

The injuries from his battle with the Heavenly Supreme Venerable had completely healed; the cracks in his meridians had disappeared, and the marks of the holy light’s scorching had been completely burned away by the chaotic fire.

His spiritual power had not only returned to its peak state but was also purer than before the battle.

The mountain of crystals before him had been mostly consumed; tens of thousands of crystals had had their spiritual power drained, turning into grayish-white powder that covered the tower’s floor, making it feel like walking on snow.

Thousands of pills had all been refined, their medicinal power devoured, transformed, and integrated into his meridians by the chaotic power.

The resources he had absorbed in the past hundred days were enough to allow an ordinary True Immortal cultivator to break through to the peak of the ninth rank of True Immortal.

But for him, who cultivated chaotic power, these resources only advanced his cultivation from the early stage of the seventh rank of True Immortal to the middle stage of the seventh rank.

The resources required for the power of chaos are enormous.

Each breakthrough requires dozens, even hundreds, of times more spiritual energy than other cultivators of the same level.

However, his combat power also far surpasses that of his contemporaries.

At the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm, he can already directly confront a peak third rank Golden Immortal Realm cultivator without being at a disadvantage.

Kai opened his eyes from meditation, a glint of light flashing in his purple pupils.

Although his cultivation had only increased by one minor realm, his power of chaos was more condensed than before. Every strand of spiritual energy was like divine iron that had been forged a thousand times, containing unimaginable power.

The protective runes of the Great Luo Golden Scripture had also become denser under the nourishment of spiritual energy. The golden dragon patterns had already covered sixty percent of his skin. Once fully covered, it would be the day he achieved the Great Luo Golden Body.

He stood up and walked out of the Demon Suppression Tower.

Outside the tower, in the square of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, everyone was waiting for him.

Gui Yuanzi had recovered to his peak condition, his white beard and hair still damp with the residual spiritual energy from when he came out of the Demon Suppression Tower.

Qingyunzi’s flying swords were all reforged, thousands of them hovering behind him, their light even more dazzling than before the battle.

The array masters of the Myriad Laws Sect repaired all the restrictions and used materials obtained from the Divine Alliance’s treasury to set up several new killing arrays.

Most importantly, Venerable Xuanbing, along with five hundred disciples of the Divine Abyss Pavilion, had already joined the battle formation of the Myriad Demon Ridge.

Their ice-blue robes mingled with the armor of the Myriad Demon Ridge cultivators, creating a unique sight.

The disciples of the Ice God lineage were initially somewhat reserved, after all, they were former enemies who had suddenly become allies, and it was somewhat uncomfortable.

However, the disciples of the Guiyuan Sect took the initiative to approach them, sharing spirit wine and pills, and quickly broke down the barriers.

Seeing Kai walk out of the Demon Suppression Tower, everyone stopped what they were doing and stood up in unison.

Guiyuanzi clasped his hands in a fist salute, Qingyunzi nodded, and the Grand Elder of the Myriad Laws Sect bowed slightly.

Venerable Xuanbing stood at the forefront, his ice-blue robes fluttering in the wind. He gave Kai a deep look, then slowly nodded.

Kai’s gaze swept over every cultivator in the plaza.

The disciples of the Guiyuan Sect were in high spirits, their eyes burning with fighting spirit.

The sword cultivators of the Qingyun Sword Sect had brand-new flying swords hanging behind them, the sword energy on the blades condensed and unyielding. The disciples of the Shenyuan Pavilion were clad in ice armor, their hands gripping their weapons tightly.

Everyone’s face bore the same expression, a longing that had been suppressed for too long and was finally waiting for the moment to counterattack.

“Everyone,”

Kai spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone’s ears, “The Tianji Palace still has eight hundred remnants. The Tiansheng Palace still has eight hundred disciples. They think we will wait at Wanyao Ridge, waiting for reinforcements from the Upper Realm to arrive, waiting for them to catch their breath before launching a counterattack. But today I want to tell you, we will not wait.”

He paused, a cold glint flashing in his purple eyes.

“We must let them know that Wan Yao Ridge is not a place they can come and go as they please. Today, we will raze Tianji Palace to the ground. Tomorrow, the Seventeenth Heaven will be our domain!”

The plaza was initially silent, then erupted in a deafening battle roar.

Thousands of cultivators shouted in unison, their voices piercing the clouds and even dispersing some of the thick fog above Wan Yao Ridge.

The golden sun, the silver moon, and the crimson sun hung high simultaneously, their rays bathing the faces of every cultivator, turning them a magnificent golden-red.

As the army set off, the sky was transitioning from dusk to dawn.

The first golden sun had not yet risen; the light of the silver and red moons intertwined on the earth, paving a silver-red path for the departing cultivators.

Kai led the vanguard, with five hundred sword cultivators from the Guiyuan Sect, supported by the flying sword formation of the Qingyun Sword Sect, charging straight towards the Tianji Palace’s mountain gate.

Qingqiu commanded the central army, leading the demon warriors of Wanyao Ridge and the array masters of Wanfa Sect, ready to provide support at any time.

Xuanbing Venerable led Shenyuan Pavilion to flank from the left, cutting off the retreat route of Tianji Palace.

The three armies, like three sharp swords, advanced swiftly towards Tianji Palace.

The outer outposts of Tianji Palace along the way were swiftly and decisively destroyed. The garrison troops in those outposts, already demoralized by the main force’s defeat, collapsed without even putting up a semblance of resistance against the overwhelming force of the three armies.

The few who attempted to resist were shredded by the sword formations of Guiyuan Sect, pinned to death by the flying swords of Qingyun Sword Sect, and frozen into ice sculptures by the icy power of Shenyuan Pavilion.

The main hall of Tianji Palace was located in the easternmost part of the seventeenth heaven, backed by a towering mountain, much of which had been hollowed out to create a labyrinthine underground palace.

Before them stood nine towers in a row, their bodies forged from meteorite gold from outer space, their tops ablaze with an inextinguishable holy flame.

The Heavenly Palace, a foundation built over thirty thousand years, once the most powerful force in the Seventeenth Heaven, now reduced to a mere eight hundred remnants huddled within this cold stone palace.

The Heavenly Venerable stood atop the highest tower, watching the approaching army in the distance.

His eyes were bloodshot, his teeth grinding together. He had anticipated Kai’s arrival, but not so quickly. How long had it been?

Just a few days?

The cultivators of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge had not only recovered from their injuries but had also integrated the power of the Divine Abyss Pavilion, actively launching an attack. “Palace Master!”

An elder stumbled up the tower, his face filled with panic. “The army from Ten Thousand Demon Ridge is already a hundred miles away! Kai is personally leading the vanguard, with Xuan Bing from the Divine Abyss Pavilion on the left, and the Qingqiu army in the rear! The total force exceeds two thousand!”

“What’s the panic!”

Venerable Tianji slammed his hand on the stone railing. “Tianji Palace’s 30,000-year foundation, its nine-layered protective array, and its 360 defensive barriers can’t even stop two thousand people?

Issue the order: activate all barriers, and have all disciples take their battle positions! Just hold out for a few days, and the envoy from the Upper Realm will arrive! Then, it will be their death day!”

The nine-layered protective array was activated instantly.

Nine golden light curtains appeared around Tianji Palace, each composed of thousands of runes, layered upon each other, like nine insurmountable shields.

The 360 ​​defensive barriers meshed together like gears, forming a fearsome war fortress.

Holy light and flames erupted from the nine towers, dyeing the entire sky gold.

But Kai merely raised the Dragon-Slaying Sword.

Purple chaotic fire extended from the sword, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long purple sword aura.

He didn’t gather his strength, nor did he use any fancy sword techniques; he simply slashed down with his sword.

The sword aura struck the nine-layered protective array of the Heavenly Palace as if it were a paper lantern.

The first layer of light barrier shattered into countless specks of light, followed by the second and third layers—the chaotic fire, like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey, devoured the power of laws contained within the holy light barrier layer by layer.

The nine-layered protective array of the Heavenly Palace, which had never been breached since its founding, shattered completely before Kai in less than three breaths.

Golden specks of light rained down, revealing the true face of the Heavenly Palace to everyone.

The Heavenly Palace cultivators guarding behind the array stared in disbelief at this scene, their weapons trembling.

Thirty thousand years of foundation, three hundred and sixty defensive restrictions—all of this was as if it didn’t exist before one person.

“Kill!” Kai’s voice wasn’t loud, but it evoked a roar from the two thousand cultivators.

The Guiyuan Sect’s sword formation was the first to charge in. Five hundred Guiyuan Sect disciples formed thirty-six sword formations, like sharp knives simultaneously piercing the Tianji Palace’s defenses.

The remnants of the Tianji Palace fought desperately, holy light and sword energy clashing fiercely in the air, each collision resulting in casualties.

But the Guiyuan Sect’s sword formation operated flawlessly, the thirty-six formations working in perfect harmony, their offense and defense seamless, tearing the Tianji Palace’s defenses apart piece by piece.

The Qingyun Sword Sect’s flying sword formation followed closely behind.

Behind Qingyunzi, thousands of newly forged flying swords rained down like a storm, pinning the Tianji Palace cultivators to the ground.

The flying swords wove an impenetrable net in the air; no one could escape its grasp.

The disciples of Shenyuan Pavilion attacked from the left, their icy power freezing the holy light of Tianji Palace into ice. The icy blue aura intertwined with the golden holy light, forming a magnificent yet deadly domain.

Tianji Venerable stood atop the tower, watching his disciples being utterly slaughtered by the three armies, his eyes burning with madness.

He drew his golden spear, wanting to rush down and fight Kai to the death. But his hand was held tightly by an elder.

“Palace Master! You can’t go!”

The elder’s voice was choked with sobs. “Your cultivation is only at the first level of the Golden Immortal Realm; you’re no match for Kai! The envoy from the Upper Realm is about to descend; you can’t die here! The Tianji Palace’s legacy cannot be broken!”

Tianji Venerable’s arm froze in mid-air, his fingers gripping the golden spear shaft, his knuckles white.

He looked at the fallen disciples below, at the elders pinned to the ground by Qingyun Sword Sect’s flying swords, at the guards frozen into ice sculptures by Shenyuan Pavilion’s icy power, and emotions he had never shown before welled up in his eyes.

But in the end, he released his grip. The golden spear clattered to the ground.

“Retreat,” his voice was hoarse to the extreme, “Retreat to the underground chamber. Await the arrival of the envoy.”

When the Celestial Venerable led his last remaining confidants into the underground chamber, the Celestial Palace’s defenses had completely collapsed.

Six of the nine towers had been blasted down by the flying swords of the Azure Cloud Sword Sect, and holy light and flames lingered weakly amidst the ruins.

The plaza was littered with the corpses of Celestial Palace cultivators and the remains of their weapons; golden blood soaked the stone bricks, and the holy light and spiritual energy accumulated over thirty thousand years was rapidly dissipating.

Kai stood in the center of the ruins, his divine sense sweeping across the entire Celestial Palace.

He sensed the location where the Celestial Venerable was hiding—deep within the mountain, a chamber enveloped by dozens of layers of restrictions.

He also sensed the fluctuations of the void passage deep within the chamber; the fluctuations were faint, yet they carried an aura of law that did not belong to the seventeenth heaven.

It was a passage leading to the eighteenth heaven.

“Guiyuanzi, take men and guard the exit of that void passage. Kill anyone who comes out without mercy,” Kai transmitted his voice.

“Understood.”

Kai walked towards the secret chamber deep within the mountain.

Dozens of layers of restrictions were like waste paper before him, the chaotic fire burning through them one by one.

The door to the secret chamber was a single piece of extraterrestrial meteorite iron, three feet thick, but it was cleaved in two by the purple sword light of the Dragon-Slaying Sword.

Inside the secret chamber, the Celestial Venerable sat on a cold stone seat, surrounded only by a few trusted elders.

He looked as if he had aged tens of thousands of years overnight; his hair was completely white, the wrinkles on his face were as deep as knife marks, his eyes were sunken, and his eye sockets were dark.

The aftereffects of burning his essence blood had hollowed out his body.

Seeing Kai enter the secret chamber, the Celestial Venerable slowly raised his head.

There was no fear, no anger in his eyes, only an indescribable weariness.

“You’ve come,” his voice was hoarse like sandpaper grinding iron.

Kai didn’t speak, but simply looked at him.

“I have lived for tens of thousands of years. From the eighteenth heaven, I laid the foundation for the Heavenly Pole Palace, ruling the seventeenth heaven for ten thousand years.”

The Heavenly Pole Venerable’s voice was soft, as if speaking to himself. “I have imagined countless ways to die: at the hands of a stronger being, in an ancient secret realm, or when I suffer a cultivation deviation. But I never imagined I would die at the hands of a youth whose cultivation is below the Golden Immortal realm.”

He paused, then suddenly laughed.

The laugh was ugly, full of self-mockery. “Kai, who exactly are you?”

Kai walked up to him, looking down at him. “Who I am is unimportant. What’s important is that you could have lived.”

The Heavenly Pole Venerable’s smile froze.

“You attacked Ten Thousand Demon Ridge because you coveted that supreme treasure. You burned your life essence because you were unwilling to accept defeat. You contacted the Upper Realm because you wanted to use external forces for revenge. Every step was your own choice.” Kai’s voice was calm. “No one forced you.”

The Celestial Venerable remained silent for a long time. Then he slowly closed his eyes.

“Make your move.”

A purple sword light flashed and disappeared in the secret chamber.

When Kai walked out of the secret chamber, only a pile of ashes remained behind him.

The Celestial Palace Master, the 137th generation successor of the Fire God lineage, had fallen. News of the destruction of the Heavenly Pole Palace spread throughout the Seventeenth Heaven.

When the news of the Heavenly Pole Palace being leveled and the Heavenly Pole Venerable’s death reached the Heavenly Saint Palace, the Holy Light Venerable was meditating on the altar.

He sat cross-legged in the center of ninety-nine luminous stones, his white robe as white as snow, his face calm, looking like a transcendent deity.

But upon closer inspection, one could see that his fingers were trembling slightly.

“Kai… leveled the Heavenly Pole Palace?” His voice remained calm, but the rising chill in his tone could no longer be concealed.

“Yes.”

The disciple kneeling below the altar was pale-faced, “The nine-layered protective array of the palace was cleaved open with a single sword strike. The Heavenly Pole Venerable led the last elders to hide in the underground secret chamber, where he was personally killed by Kai. The Heavenly Pole Palace… no longer exists.”

The Holy Light Venerable remained silent for a long time. The holy light on the altar was still warm, but he felt a chill seeping from his very bones.

He remembered those events: the Heavenly Pole Palace’s three thousand-strong army marched out in a mighty force, only to suffer heavy losses before the Ten Thousand Demon Ridge.

The Celestial Venerable burned his life essence in a desperate fight, while he and Xuanbing

stood by and watched him perish. Xuanbing, because of the remnant soul of the Ice God lineage’s ancestor’s defection, led the Heavenly Saint Palace disciples and retreated without looking back.

Now, the Celestial Palace is destroyed, the Celestial Venerable is dead, and Kai, the instigator of all this, is leading a large army towards the Heavenly Saint Palace.

“Two thousand men… the Divine Abyss Pavilion has also joined… Kai is personally leading the army…”

His heart tightened, as if gripped by an invisible hand.

He knew very well that the eight hundred disciples of the Heavenly Saint Palace couldn’t withstand Kai’s sword; Xuanbing was on Kai’s side, and Qingqiu was on Kai’s side.

“Palace Master!” Another disciple rushed into the hall, his face filled with terror. “The army of Ten Thousand Demon Ridge has arrived outside the palace gates! Kai sent someone to deliver a message, saying…”

“What did he say?”

“He gave the Palace Master two choices. First, surrender, hand over all the resources of the Heavenly Saint Palace, abandon the Divine Race stronghold in the Seventeenth Heaven, and retreat to the Upper Realm. Second…” The disciple’s voice trembled, “…following in the footsteps of the Heavenly Extreme Palace.”

The Holy Light Venerable clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking, his nails digging into his palms, drawing a trace of blood.

He remained silent for several breaths.

He raised his head and swept his gaze over the panicked elders and disciples below the altar.

Their faces were filled with fear; the glory of the Seven Lineages of the Divine Race in the past was now worthless in the face of fear.

After a long while, he finally spoke.

“Surrender.”

When these two words came out of his mouth, they carried a humiliation heavier than death.

The gates of the Heavenly Saint Palace slowly opened, and the Holy Light Venerable personally stepped out of the palace, handing over the accumulated wealth of the Heavenly Saint Palace over thirty thousand years.

Ninety-nine Bright Stones were removed from the altar, thousands of Holy Light Pills were sealed in jade boxes, mountains of crystals were stored in storage rings, and walls of cultivation technique jade slips were carefully moved back to Ten Thousand Demon Ridge by the array masters of the Myriad Laws Sect.

Adding to the treasure trove of the Heavenly Extreme Palace, the resources Kai had amassed had reached an astonishing level.

The entire accumulation of two Golden Immortal-level forces: hundreds of thousands of crystals, tens of thousands of pills, thousands of magic artifacts, and tens of thousands of cultivation technique jade slips.

These resources were enough for the four forces—Ten Thousand Demon Ridge, Guiyuan Sect, Qingyun Sword Sect, and Shenyuan Pavilion—to cultivate for thousands of years.

However, Kai did not distribute the resources equally among them. He left half for Ten Thousand Demon Ridge for reconstruction and defense. The remaining half was moved entirely into the Demon Suppression Tower.

He intended to break through to the eighth rank of the True Immortal Realm.

Each small advancement in Chaos Power required dozens of times the resources of a cultivator of the same level, but this sacrifice was worthwhile.

Because on the other side of the Seventeenth Heaven, the void passage still existed.

The envoy from the Eighteenth Heaven could descend at any moment.

What he needed to do now was to maximize his combat power before the envoy arrived. At the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm, he had a fighting chance against the peak of the third rank of Golden Immortal Realm.

But that wasn’t enough.

He needed to become stronger.

Inside the Demon Suppression Tower, Kai sat cross-legged in the center of a mountain of resources.

Hundreds of thousands of crystals formed a small mountain, engulfing him in multicolored light.

Tens of thousands of pills floated around him, like a dazzling sea of ​​stars.

The dense spiritual energy had liquefied into a visible spiritual mist, flowing slowly within the tower.

With each breath, he inhaled pure spiritual liquid.

He closed his eyes, fully activating the Mind Concentration Technique.

The crystals began to shatter.

Not one by one, but batch after batch—thousands upon thousands of crystals were simultaneously drained of their spiritual energy, turning into grayish-white powder.

The liquefied spiritual mist formed a huge vortex around him, and the spiritual liquid surged into his meridians like a burst dam, then was devoured, transformed, compressed, and devoured again by the power of chaos.

Under the repeated cleansing of spiritual energy, his meridians widened continuously, transforming from rivers into vast oceans.

The power of chaos increased at a visible rate, advancing from the mid-stage of the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm to the late stage, and then from the late stage to the peak.

Still not enough.

He began to absorb medicinal pills.

Tens of thousands of pills exploded simultaneously, their medicinal power converging into a torrent that rushed into his body. The power was so violent it almost tore his meridians apart, but the protective runes of the Great Luo Golden Scripture instantly activated, firmly locking the medicinal power within his meridians.

The chaotic fire burned in his dantian, melting all the spiritual energy, medicinal power, and fragments of laws into the purest chaotic power.

The chaotic power within his meridians grew increasingly concentrated, its color gradually changing from pale purple to deep purple, and finally to an almost blackish purple.

The bottleneck loosened.

An invisible barrier within his body emitted a faint cracking sound, as if a stone door sealed for ten thousand years had finally been pushed open.

The chaotic power, like a flood breaking through a dam, instantly surged past the bottleneck.

His cultivation level jumped from the peak of the seventh rank of True Immortal Realm to the eighth rank in one fell swoop.

Kai opened his eyes.

The chaotic energy in his purple eyes was so dense that it almost overflowed.

In that instant, the entire Demon Suppression Tower trembled, not because he deliberately released his pressure, but because his very presence caused the time law of the Demon Suppression Tower to groan under unbearable pressure.

All the protective runes of the Great Luo Golden Scripture were activated, golden dragon patterns covered his entire body, reflecting the purple chaotic power, making him look like a god who had emerged from the primordial chaos.

Eighth rank of True Immortal Realm.

He clenched his fist.

The chaotic power in his meridians was several times more powerful than before, each strand condensed to the extreme.

He had a feeling that now, facing the Celestial Venerable burning his life essence, he wouldn’t need to engage in a prolonged battle.

One sword strike would suffice.

When he stepped out of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, Qingqiu, Venerable Xuanbing, Guiyuanzi, and Qingyunzi were all waiting outside.

They had sensed the terrifying spiritual energy fluctuations within the tower and had long since stopped what they were doing.

The moment Kai emerged from the tower, everyone held their breath. Not because his cultivation had improved again, but because his aura had changed.

It wasn’t the aura of a True Immortal cultivator; it had transcended the True Immortal realm, even making Qingqiu, a third-grade Golden Immortal, feel a sense of oppression.

“Eighth-grade True Immortal,”

Qingqiu said, scrutinizing him, a complex expression flashing in his amber eyes. “I have lived for tens of thousands of years and have never seen a True Immortal cultivator exude such an aura. Kai, what kind of monster are you?”

Kai didn’t answer the question.

He looked at the sky; three blazing suns hung simultaneously in the heavens.

Golden, silver, and crimson light intertwined, dyeing the Myriad Demon Ridge a magnificent golden-red.

His gaze then shifted to the east, the direction of the Heavenly Pole Palace, and also the direction of the void passage.

“The envoy should be arriving soon,” he said calmly.

As soon as he finished speaking, a deep rumble echoed from the eastern horizon.

The sound was like a thousand thunderbolts exploding simultaneously in the sky, or the muffled breath of an ancient beast awakening.

A golden pillar of light shot into the sky from the depths of the Heavenly Palace, piercing through the clouds, the firmament, and the spatial barrier between the seventeenth and eighteenth heavens.

Within the pillar of light, two figures descended from the sky.

Both figures wore golden armor, their bodies engulfed in blazing holy flames.

These flames were completely different from the holy light of the Heavenly Venerable; they were purer, more ancient, and closer to the origin of the laws of holy light. Their

armor was inscribed with war runes of the ancient Fire God lineage, each rune radiating the pressure of a peak third-grade Golden Immortal.

Their faces were obscured by the holy light, only blurry outlines visible, but even those outlines were enough to suffocate one.

They descended upon the plaza of the ruins of the Heavenly Palace, their feet trodden upon corpses and crumbling walls.

All nine towers had collapsed, the holy flames extinguished, the stone slabs of the plaza soaked in blood, and the air thick with the stench of decay.

The Heavenly Palace, once a formidable force that had dominated the Seventeen Heavens for tens of thousands of years, was now nothing but ruins.

The envoy on the left slowly raised his head, his eyes beneath the holy light visor sweeping across the ruins.

His gaze lingered for a moment on each corpse, swept over each crumbling wall.

Then his voice rang out, cold as a poisoned blade: “Too late.”

The envoy on the right bent down, reaching out to touch the dried golden blood on the ground.

The blood had congealed into a dark golden film, crumbling into powder at the slightest touch.

“The battle ended only a few days ago. The Heavenly Palace has indeed been destroyed.” His voice was more composed than his companion’s, yet carried the same icy chill. “True Immortal Realm, seventh rank? Or eighth rank?” ”

Regardless of the rank, a mere ant from the lower realm could not possibly withstand the combined might of the two of us.” The envoy on the left straightened up, holy light erupting from his body, illuminating the ruins within a radius of several hundred feet. “Find him. Kill him. Then rebuild the Heavenly Palace.”

The two simultaneously looked up, their gazes piercing through thousands of miles of space, locking onto the direction of the Myriad Demon Ridge.

Then, the two transformed into two golden streaks of light, flying towards the Myriad Demon Ridge at an unimaginable speed.

Wherever the streaks of light passed, the air was ignited by the holy light, leaving behind two golden trails of flame tens of miles long that lingered for a long time.

…

In front of the gates of the Myriad Demon Ridge, everyone was already on high alert.

Kai stood at the forefront, the Dragon-Slaying Sword hanging at his waist.

Guiyuanzi led the Guiyuan Sect’s sword array on the left, while Qingyunzi led the flying sword array on the right. The array masters of the Wanfa Sect had activated all the restrictions, and layers of light curtains completely enveloped the mountain gate.

Xuanbing Venerable stood beside Kai, holding an ice-blue Xuanbing Pearl in his palm. An intensely dense, almost unbearable, icy aura emanated from the pearl, freezing the ground into a thin layer of frost.

Two golden streaks of light landed before the mountain gate, and the holy light on the envoys slowly receded, revealing their true forms.

The two men looked almost identical, both middle-aged, with resolute faces and the arrogance unique to the divine race.

The runes on their armor shimmered, and the magical weapons in their hands exuded a destructive aura.

The envoy on the left held a double-edged battle axe burning with holy flames, its blade engraved with war runes.

The envoy on the right held a blazing white spear, its tip pulsating with compressed holy light laws.

“Who is Kai?” The voice of the envoy on the left was devoid of emotion, like an executioner confirming the identity of a prisoner before carrying out a sentence.

Kai stepped forward. His movements were calm, as if he had been called by name while taking a walk and had casually responded. “That’s me.”

The two envoys sized him up, a hint of contempt flashing in their eyes simultaneously.

Eighth-grade True Immortal Realm, although a small realm higher than the seventh-grade True Immortal Realm mentioned in the intelligence, was utterly insignificant in front of the peak of the third-grade Golden Immortal Realm.

This gap in cultivation could not be bridged by techniques, bloodlines, or any fortuitous encounters.

In their understanding, a True Immortal Realm cultivator didn’t even have the right to make a move against a Golden Immortal Realm cultivator.

“Kill.”

The envoy on the left didn’t even bother to say more. His figure flashed, and his battle axe, carrying holy flames powerful enough to flatten a mountain, cleaved down towards Kai.

The axe blade tore through the air, emitting a piercing sonic boom, and holy flames condensed on the axe blade into a blazing white light blade tens of feet long.

Kai did not dodge. He drew his Dragon-Slaying Sword, the chaotic fire on its blade clashing head-on with the holy light.

Boom…

A visible shockwave rippled outwards from the point of impact, blasting a massive crater several meters deep into the ground in front of the mountain gate.

Cracks spread hundreds of meters away, and stone slabs, flung by the aftershocks, tumbled through the air and crashed against the mountain walls.

The shockwave forced the Azure Cloud Sword Sect’s flying swords back several meters, their blades flickering.

The left-hand envoy’s pupils contracted sharply. His battle axe bounced back, his arms went numb, and a sharp pain shot through his tiger’s mouth.

A mere True Immortal Realm ant had actually withstood his full-force attack without retreating a single step?

How was this possible?