Chapter 381: Collecting a Debt

At the same time.

Somewhere in the East Continent, a continuous range of mountain peaks soared above a sea of clouds. A hazy mist drifted among them, faintly revealing magnificent jade pavilions. From time to time, immortal cranes would fly past.

At this very moment, atop one of the peaks in this sea of clouds, the Celestial Secret Elder and the Steward Hall Master stood respectfully before a cave sealed by a stone door, trembling in fear.

The two exchanged a look, then suddenly dropped to their knees in unison. "Saint Master, please forgive our transgressions!" they cried out.

Then, the two cautiously began to recount everything that had happened in the Jiuli Mountain Range.

This time, the Celestial Profound Sacred Land had truly suffered a devastating loss.

In the battle at the Celestial Lake Swamp, although the Celestial Profound Sacred Land had mobilized a massive force, they had failed to capture Shen Daoxing. In the end, they had only lost one elder at the Earth Profound Realm and a few disciples at the Spirit Transformation Realm. For a Sacred Land with such a deep foundation, this was nothing.

This time, however, in the battle at the Jiuli Mountain Range, while the scale of the operation was not as grand as before, they had lost not only a Saint Heir and an elder at the Refining Dust Realm, but even the dignified Mountain Master of Canglan Mountain, Huo Tian—an expert at the Celestial Balance Realm—had fallen. This was, without a doubt, a devastating loss.

Huo Tian, among their seven Mountain Masters, may not have had the highest Cultivation Realm, but he was the most skilled in the art of slaughter. The entire Ancient Battlefield relied on him to maintain order. Now that Huo Tian was gone, the Ancient Battlefield would likely fall into the hands of Cangzhou before long.

The losses the Celestial Profound Sacred Land suffered this time were too great. It was an injury that had struck them to the bone.

"Saint Master, it was truly an accident," the Celestial Secret Elder explained. "No one could have expected that the remnant of the Celestial Demon Sect, Elder Taiyin, would actually be capable of summoning the true form of a Celestial Demon."

As their words faded, the cave sealed by the stone door remained deathly silent, with no reaction at all.

Seeing this, the Celestial Secret Elder and the Steward Hall Master exchanged a look, and both heaved a long sigh of relief.

However, at that very moment, a deep, rich, and magnetic voice slowly boomed from within the sealed cave. "What of Shen Daoxing?"

Hearing this, the Celestial Secret Elder froze. He hesitated, finding it difficult to speak, but finally opened his mouth slowly. "Shen Daoxing... Saint Master, please forgive me, but we let him escape. By now, he has likely already entered the territory of Cangzhou."

As he spoke, the Celestial Secret Elder slammed his forehead heavily onto the ground with a THUD.

As the Celestial Secret Elder's words faded, an absolute, deathly silence fell. Not a sound came from within the sealed cave.

But the next moment...

A heaven-shattering BOOM echoed out.

The Celestial Secret Elder and the Steward Hall Master, who were in front of the cave, were suddenly blasted backward into the air.

The cave suddenly blasted apart, shattering into countless pieces. A colossal golden figure then emerged, rising high into the air.

He had a head of white hair but the face of a seventeen-year-old. His body was enormous, taller than any of the mountain peaks in the sea of clouds. A golden wheel slowly materialized behind him, spinning continuously. With his Daoist robes fluttering, he looked like a True Monarch Immortal descending from the heavens.

"Shen Daoxing, the Celestial Slaughter Demon Star... This was the prophecy the Immortal Lord bestowed upon our Sacred Land. He must die!" The words, devoid of all emotion, emanated slowly from the colossal figure's mouth.

Immediately, two beams of golden light shot out from the colossal figure's bright eyes, piercing through the clouds and scanning the ground below as if searching for something.

After a short while, he seemed to find what he was looking for. He then extended a massive hand and slowly pressed it downward, pushing through the sea of clouds.

But just then.

Without any warning, a white light suddenly flashed. An immense beam of sword light that seemed to stretch across heaven and earth burst up from below, piercing through the clouds and streaking across the sky in the blink of an eye.

A colossal BOOM resounded throughout heaven and earth.

The mountain peak where the Celestial Secret Elder and the Steward Hall Master had been was suddenly cleaved in two.

The next moment.

A languid voice slowly echoed over the sea of clouds. "Old Xiao, did you really think you could bully my big brother whenever you please?"

Immediately after, a sky-shaking streak of light shot up from below, piercing through the cloud layer with a PFFT. Like a meteor, it streaked across the sky and right through the hand extended by the colossal figure.

In an instant, the colossal figure's hand shattered, dissolving into a shower of golden light.

The newcomer had flowing white hair and an aged face, yet his eyes were sharp and full of spirit. His long, white eyebrows hung down past the sides of his eyes, swaying in the wind. With his hands behind his back, he walked slowly through the void, exuding an air of carefree detachment from worldly matters.

This person was none other than He Yi.

Seeing this, the Celestial Secret Elder, who had just landed on a nearby peak, was stunned. He immediately leaped back up into the air. "How audacious, He Yi! You dare trespass into our Celestial Profound Sacred Land alone!"

He Yi, however, didn't even spare the Celestial Secret Elder a glance. He simply extended two fingers and gave them a light flick.

Suddenly, a simple strand of Sword Intent shot forth, reaching the Celestial Secret Elder in an instant.

The Celestial Secret Elder was stunned. He hurriedly swung his sleeve, and an ancient, profound Tai Chi Diagram appeared before him.

The next moment, however, the Tai Chi Diagram let out a sharp CRACK and shattered without holding for even a second.

SPURT!

The Celestial Secret Elder spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood. A large hole had appeared in his chest, and he drew a graceful arc through the sky as he fell into the sea of clouds below.

The next moment.

A brilliant white light flared. In a daze, He Yi's figure began to swell and expand. In just a moment, a Golden Body Dharma Aspect, equal in size to the Saint Master's, had manifested.

He was clad in fluttering white robes, standing tall enough to touch the heavens and plant his feet on the earth. Countless streams of light formed from Sword Intent slowly circled him, making him look like a Great Sword Immortal descended from the heavens.

The Celestial Profound Sacred Land's Saint Master glanced down at the Celestial Secret Elder falling into the clouds, then raised his head to look at He Yi, his expression blank. "He Yi, you dare? Those who trespass on my Sacred Land shall die!"

Suddenly, the light from the Celestial Profound Saint Master's Golden Body Dharma Aspect flared brightly, and the massive hand that had been shattered was restored to its original state.

Immediately.

VMMMMM! Without any warning, an abstruse Daoist hymn began to resonate from the heavens.

The next moment, a fiery red light blazed. A crimson sun slowly rose behind the Celestial Profound Saint Master, making him appear like a true Celestial Monarch descended from the heavens, filled with an undeniable, sacred brilliance.

Suddenly, the Celestial Profound Saint Master pressed down with a massive golden hand, a large, spinning sigil of sacred law emblazoned upon it.

Instantly, the winds surged and the clouds roiled. The very heavens seemed to shift, moving with his descending palm.

Across from him, He Yi gave a cold smile. "Old Xiao, did you think you could just bully my big brother? Today, I will make your Celestial Profound Sacred Land pay the price!"

As he spoke, He Yi raised a hand toward the sky. Suddenly, a brilliant white light pierced through heaven and earth, shining down. A Divine Sword descended from above, slowly landing in his hand.

...