"It's very likely related to the Demon Sovereign," one of the demons muttered under his breath.
"That's right. The Demon Sovereign was hiding here, and suddenly a battle at Mahayana level broke out. That can't be a coincidence."
"The Patriarch said the Demon Sovereign is a human-demon hybrid, often able to disguise themselves as a human cultivator and evade detection. Even though no demonic energy has been sensed during this fight, who's to say the Demon Sovereign didn't use some kind of technique to hide it?"
"There are three distinct Mahayana auras in this battle. Could the Demon Sovereign be one of them?"
The demons hesitated.
If the Demon Sovereign had already recovered to that level of strength, weren't they just walking to their deaths?
"Impossible. The Demon Sovereign was gravely injured. Even if recovery was fast, it couldn't be this fast!" the leading Mahayana demon said coldly. "Besides, before we set out, the Patriarch entrusted me with the clan's divine artifact. Regular Mahayana cultivators mean nothing to me."
"Chief, what do we do now? Should we head straight to Tianxing Sect, or check out that mountain over there first?" another demon asked.
The Mahayana demon pondered for a moment, then said, "The battle there is entirely at Mahayana level. You'd be of no use if you went. I'll go check it out myself. Follow the original plan and continue to Tianxing Sect. As far as I know, only three Grand Elders there are troublesome. The rest can't match you. As for the protective formation, the Patriarch gave us formation-breaking flags. You each take one. I'll be back after I scout the situation."
"Yes, sir."
The demons split into two groups.
The Mahayana demon headed straight toward He Shan. He needed to see for himself what exactly was happening. If this had something to do with the Demon Sovereign, and the Mahayana cultivators there had already taken him away, then finding him would become nearly impossible.
But if the Demon Sovereign was still hiding in Tianxing Sect, then there was no need to worry.
A sect as large as Tianxing couldn't just disappear overnight.
The Mahayana demon soon arrived at He Shan.
There, a sword spirit was holding off two Mahayana opponents on her own, looking entirely at ease. The moment the Mahayana demon arrived at the mountain, a bead he carried began to heat up furiously. His expression shifted immediately.
The Demon Sovereign!
He really was here.
That bead had once been set in the crown worn by the Demon Sovereign. The Patriarch had reforged it into a magical tool. It served no other purpose but one — it retained the Demon Sovereign's aura, and if the Sovereign was nearby, it would burn.
Without hesitation, the demon raced toward the battlefield.
And with just one glance—
He saw Yang Yun, being guarded closely. He had once heard that the Demon Sovereign had a unique healing method — during the recovery process, there would be a period when he reverted to the form of a child.
The gloomy-faced child before him — who else could it be but the Demon Sovereign?
He was hiding here!
The sword spirit was holding off Yang Yun's subordinates.
The Mahayana demon's eyes gleamed.
This was the perfect opportunity.
He turned into a black mist and shot toward Yang Yun.
He didn't care who was fighting whom.
It didn't matter.
As long as Yang Yun died, his mission would be accomplished. He attacked with full strength, not intending to leave Yang Yun any chance to survive. But just as he reached Yang Yun's side, a transparent shield materialized in front of him.
The barrier blocked the first wave of his assault, then shattered instantly. Though it only bought a moment's delay, it was enough. Yang Yun's two subordinates reacted at once.
"Stop!" one of them shouted, throwing himself in the way of the sword spirit.
The other dashed forward to shield Yang Yun.
The sword spirit raised an eyebrow, preparing to continue fighting.
But then—
A stick of incense's time had passed.
She sighed, looking disappointed, and vanished from where she stood.
As a spirit entity, she was bound by a certain rule.
And although she hadn't had her fill of combat—
Time was time. A stick of incense was a stick of incense.
Once the sword spirit disappeared, a sword suddenly appeared on Yun Jin's back.
The spirit had returned to her sword.
Meanwhile, disciples of Tianxing Sect were rushing toward He Shan.
Fang Mingyue noticed the change and blinked in surprise. "You…"
Yun Jin grinned and no longer concealed her appearance. She revealed her true face.
"Yun Jin!" Fang Mingyue gasped.
Others from Tianxing Sect turned toward her.
Yun Jin?
Wasn't she still inside the Wushuang Sect's secret realm?
How had she returned to the sect so quickly?
Yue Zhao and the others began to shed their disguises as well.
Lin Ya raised his voice and said, "My disciples just wanted to give everyone a surprise. They're still young at heart."
Zhao Wuji's face darkened.
He had always had an inexplicable fear of Yun Jin.
And who could blame him?
Ever since Yun Jin joined Tianxing Sect, they had clashed many times.
But no matter how hard he tried, he — the Sect Master — had never come out on top. Not even once.
And this time—
Even the Demon Sovereign and Mahayana cultivators were involved.
By rights, Yun Jin shouldn't be able to change anything.
No matter how talented she was, she was still just growing.
And yet—
At the sight of Yun Jin, Zhao Wuji couldn't help but feel a rising panic. He shook himself mentally, trying to push the thought away.
Don't overthink it!
She's just Yun Jin. What can she possibly change?
She can't change a thing.
Besides, Lin Ya and the others had already been poisoned. It was only a matter of time before it took full effect.
Yun Jin?
She's useless.
She's powerless.
"Long time no see, Sect Master," Yun Jin greeted Zhao Wuji cheerfully.
Zhao Wuji's face turned black. He said coldly, "Brazen and reckless! Yun Jin, you sneaked into the sect without permission. Have you no regard for the rules?"
Yun Jin raised a brow. "When it comes to being brazen, who could compare to you, Sect Master?"
"What are you insinuating?" Zhao Wuji snapped.
And at that moment—
Suddenly—
The Tianxing Bell let out a constant ringing.
The elder in charge of the bell paused in shock, then hurriedly pulled it out.
The golden bell was now shrouded in a faint black mist.
The faces of the Grand Elders changed instantly.
"Demons! There are demons!" one of them cried. "We're under attack! Quickly, activate the great formation!"
The three Grand Elders responded at once, channeling their spiritual energy to activate the array.
But—
Halfway through, it was as if something punctured their channels and drained all their power. Their spiritual energy vanished in an instant.
The Grand Elders' expressions shifted.
They tried again.
Same result.
Their spiritual energy wouldn't flow.
"My spiritual energy! Something's wrong with my spiritual energy!" one elder gritted out.
Others tried too. Their expressions twisted in shock. None of them could gather any power.
What was going on?
Zhao Wuji pretended to try as well, then said, "Mine is gone too. The demons must have planned this in advance. They must have used some secret method to sabotage us! These wretched demons… so cunning!"
He looked furious.
And why wouldn't he?
No one knew about the Shengyang Minglu.
Once it entered the body, it vanished without a trace. Even if they tried to investigate now, they wouldn't find anything.
Which meant—
Whatever he said would be the truth.