Chapter 398 - 397: Bai Sha, Warlord of the White Slaughter

Lin Yuan’s eyes narrowed.

"Qingyue. Hold."

Bai Qingyue immediately lowered the Sun Shooting Bow.

She did not question his decision. Her connection with Lin Yuan had been strengthened through countless battles, and she recognized the seriousness in his voice. The Weapon Spirit also fell silent, redirecting its attention toward the approaching aura.

Ku Ming straightened.

The monk’s golden aura contracted tightly around his body, while the Indestructible Karmic Wheel appeared behind him. His expression became solemn as he sensed the immense pressure descending upon the Grand Court.

The surrounding demons reacted first.

The remaining Demon Kings abruptly stopped their movements, and the lesser demons scattered across the ruined courtyard began trembling. One by one, they dropped to their knees, pressing their monstrous faces against the shattered jade tiles.

None dared to raise their heads.

Even the most powerful demons present had lost the courage to remain standing.

The sudden silence spread across the battlefield.

The sounds of collapsing buildings and distant explosions seemed to fade beneath the oppressive presence approaching from above. The orthodox cultivators looked toward the sky, their expressions filled with confusion and dread as they tried to understand what could force the demons into such a display of submission.

Then reality split open.

A massive tear appeared in the bruised-purple heavens, its edges glowing with searing white light. The surrounding spatial laws twisted violently, and the opening widened until it resembled an enormous wound stretching across the sky.

A figure emerged from the rift.

He did not merely walk through the air.

His presence dominated it.

The clouds surrounding the opening collapsed beneath the pressure of his aura, and the demonic miasma scattered as though unable to withstand the weight of his existence. Every movement carried an oppressive sense of authority, while the space beneath his feet trembled under the force of his cultivation.

The figure appeared in his true form.

He was a towering humanoid White Tiger, approximately fifteen feet tall, with broad shoulders and a body covered in flawless silver-white fur. His musculature rippled beneath his coat, each movement revealing a level of physical strength that seemed almost impossible for an ordinary living creature.

His golden eyes burned with predatory hunger.

Ancient crimson scars crossed his broad chest, glowing faintly beneath the fur. Each scar carried an unusual vitality, and the energy circulating through them made Lin Yuan’s Dao Fruit tremble with another warning.

The White Tiger lowered his head.

His gaze swept across the battlefield, examining the shattered buildings, the fallen demons, and the surviving orthodox cultivators.

Then his eyes settled upon the Golden Immortal Beast.

He saw Lin Yuan’s crimson robes.

He saw Bai Qingyue holding the Sun Shooting Bow.

He saw the enormous craters scattered across the ruined courtyard, along with the remains of the Demon Kings who had fallen during the preceding battle.

For several breaths, the White Tiger remained silent.

Then he spoke.

"Considering the amount of death in this area, it could be no other than you two."

His voice was deep and guttural, carrying a physical pressure that made the surrounding air vibrate. Several weaker cultivators clutched their ears as the sound rolled across the battlefield, while the remaining demons lowered their heads even further.

The White Tiger’s lips curled backward, revealing a set of enormous fangs.

His golden eyes narrowed toward Lin Yuan and Bai Qingyue.

"You have slaughtered my Kings, destroyed the forces entrusted to me, and humiliated the Hollow Beyond through your repeated interference."

The killing intent surrounding him intensified.

"Now I shall tear the flesh from your bones and wear your skulls as a crown."

Lin Yuan did not respond immediately.

He had already identified the newcomer as Bai Sha, the Warlord of the White Slaughter and the Demon Lord responsible for issuing the Ten Thousand Devil Kill Order.

Bai Sha’s cultivation stood at the absolute peak of Void Refinement.

He was only a hair’s breadth away from Body Integration, and the aura surrounding him was considerably more oppressive than that of an ordinary cultivator at the same stage.

However, Lin Yuan recognized that the White Tiger’s danger did not come from cultivation alone.

His physical body was extraordinarily powerful, his bloodline carried an unusual authority over slaughter, and the crimson scars across his chest suggested that he possessed an ability far beyond ordinary regeneration.

The Demon Lord had not come to negotiate.

He had come to kill.

Even the Five Emperors felt the pressure bearing down upon them.

Their cultivation had reached the peak of the Nine Provinces’ orthodox hierarchy, yet the difference between their strength and Bai Sha’s was immediately apparent. The White Tiger’s bloodline released an oppressive force that seemed to suppress their physical bodies before they could even circulate their spiritual Qi.

Emperor Tianxu tightened his grip on his halberd.

Emperor Nanheng’s flames flickered.

Emperor Beiming’s protective aura contracted around his body as he struggled to withstand the pressure.

They had faced powerful Demon Kings before, but Bai Sha was different.

He possessed the strength of a peak Void Refinement Demon Lord, and his aura carried an innate authority that made even experienced sovereigns feel the instinctive urge to retreat.

Yet fear can produce strange reactions in those who have spent centuries accustomed to commanding others.

Emperor Xiyan was one such individual.

As the White Tiger’s pressure spread across the battlefield, the emperor’s expression twisted with humiliation. He had ruled the Central Continent for thousands of years, commanded countless orthodox cultivators, and stood among the most powerful figures in the Nine Provinces.

Now he found himself struggling to remain upright before a demon who regarded the entire Grand Court as a place to slaughter his enemies.

His pride could not tolerate it.

"We are the rulers of the Nine Provinces!"

Emperor Xiyan’s roar echoed through the ruined courtyard.

He raised his massive warlord blade, allowing his Void Refinement aura to flare around his body. His armor glowed with white tiger patterns, and the spiritual Qi within his meridians surged as he prepared to launch himself toward Bai Sha.

Emperor Tianxu’s expression changed dramatically.

"Xiyan, stop!"

He reached out, attempting to prevent his fellow emperor from acting recklessly.

But Emperor Xiyan had already lost himself in his anger.

He launched into the sky, his blade raised above his head as he charged toward the White Tiger with desperate determination.

"You will not claim our sky!"

His roar carried the last remnants of his pride.

The enormous blade descended in a brilliant arc, gathering enough force to cleave through a mountain. The attack was powerful, and under ordinary circumstances, even a peak Void Refinement opponent would have needed to take it seriously.

Bai Sha barely reacted.

He watched the approaching emperor with an expression of profound boredom, as though a troublesome insect had interrupted his thoughts.

Then he raised his right claw.

He did not summon a weapon.

He did not activate a complicated technique.

He simply swept his hand through the air.

SHUNK.

The sound was wet, immediate, and horrifyingly quiet compared with the force of the attack.

Emperor Xiyan’s warlord blade shattered into thousands of fragments upon contact with Bai Sha’s claws. The White Tiger’s movement continued without hesitation, cutting through the emperor’s defensive aura and tearing through his armor as though it were made from fragile paper.

In a single effortless motion, Bai Sha ripped Emperor Xiyan in half.