Daoist Longshan saw General Shenyu and the Green Ox Bladesman. The two had just landed, and before they could ask questions, Daoist Longshan had already arrived.
All eyes turned toward Daoist Longshan. Luo Wentian and the others were overjoyed, and the weight in their hearts was finally lifted completely.
"Master!"
Daoist Longshan gave a slight nod. Seeing the bloodstains on General Shenyu and the Green Ox Bladesman, and recalling the terrifying blood light from earlier, he realized he had misunderstood the situation.
That earlier blood light wasn't from Old Demon Lin attacking Zhenwu Mountain, but rather his final dance before death.
He thought to himself, it must have been General Shenyu and the Green Ox Bladesman who intercepted Old Demon Lin ahead of time, thus saving Zhenwu Sect from disaster.
The moment the thought arose, a look of gratitude appeared on his face and in his eyes.
But the Green Ox Bladesman's loud laughter caught him off guard instantly:
"Old Brother Longshan, you sure kept us in the dark! Who would've thought your Zhenwu Sect still had such hidden strength!"
Everyone looked at Daoist Longshan with amused smiles.
Daoist Longshan, being who he was, immediately realized things weren't as he had imagined. He began to speculate and glanced at Luo Wentian with a smile. Luo Wentian instantly understood and started recounting what had happened in detail.
Daoist Longshan's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was in turmoil.
Old Demon Lin had arrived first, but was gravely injured mid-air by a single Heavenly Sword, allowing General Shenyu and the Green Ox Bladesman to seize the opportunity and besiege him to death?
In that moment.
He knew who had made the move.
What hidden strength of Zhenwu?
Wasn't that just his little disciple, Ning Qi?
But still, Daoist Longshan couldn't help but feel parched—one Heavenly Sword seriously wounded Old Demon Lin. Even though the demon wasn't at his peak, it was still a stunning feat. Didn't that mean... he himself might not be a match for his little disciple anymore?
He was dazed for a moment, because he knew his little disciple was only at the Qi Origin Realm. Was he really such a monstrous talent?
But he didn't dwell too long in this shock, for there was something more pressing.
How to address everyone's curiosity without revealing his disciple's identity.
It was obvious that everyone was extremely curious about the person who made the move, especially General Shenyu—his expression practically said it all.
Daoist Longshan laughed loudly and responded to the Green Ox Bladesman:
"Brother Green Ox flatters me. Compared to you and the General, we're still far behind."
General Shenyu lightly waved his hand. He saw clearly that the sudden Heavenly Sword attack possessed killing power roughly equal to the lower ranks of the Heaven-Man Ranking. The main reason it managed to injure the old demon was the element of surprise—Old Demon Lin had let his guard down.
Even so, it was worth paying serious attention to.
This was a nameless expert, not listed on the Heaven-Man Ranking, but nearly as powerful. The Great Yan Dynasty had no information on this person. From the sword technique, it didn't match any known expert.
He smiled and said:
"Daoist Longshan is too modest. If not for this true person's intervention, Old Demon Lin might not have been slain. Why not invite this true person to come out for a talk, so this general may get acquainted with such a formidable expert?" 𝖗ÂꞐộ₿Ёs̩
Daoist experts should of course be addressed as "True Person."
Upon hearing this.
Everyone's eyes lit up.
They had all wanted to say the same thing, but didn't dare to bring it up. General Shenyu was the most qualified to do so.
Daoist Longshan looked troubled.
The Green Ox Bladesman immediately asked:
"Old Brother Longshan, is there some difficulty?"
Daoist Longshan slowly nodded:
"To be frank with you both, the one who acted is a senior from decades past. When I founded Zhenwu Sect fifty years ago, he promised to protect the sect for fifty years. But his end is near, and he's a solitary man who dislikes meeting strangers. Even I rarely see the old man. If he hadn't acted just now, I would've thought he'd already left Zhenwu Mountain. So..."
He spoke sincerely and loudly enough for all to hear.
But his main intent was to let Ning Qi hear it—he was certain the boy could hear him.
The Green Ox Bladesman suddenly understood.
No wonder Daoist Longshan's first reaction had been surprise. That explained everything.
If that were the case, it would indeed be inappropriate to force a dying elder to show himself.
General Shenyu gave a slight nod. Although he still had doubts, there were no flaws in Daoist Longshan's story. The world was vast—while the Heaven-Man Ranking of the Great Yan Dynasty listed many strong cultivators, some still went unrecorded.
Demonic sect experts were excluded, and some low-profile hermits had never been listed. This elder must be one of them.
"If that's the case, then we won't disturb the elder's peace."
Daoist Longshan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gratefully said:
"Thank you, General, for your understanding."
General Shenyu waved it off.
At that moment.
A ripple of energy came from the sky again.
Everyone looked up.
Several Heaven-Man Realm cultivators were flying over. Seeing Zhenwu Mountain unharmed, Lord Xiaoyao and the others breathed a sigh of relief, smiles appearing on their faces.
A Heaven-Man expert from the imperial court asked:
"General, has Old Demon Lin been slain?"
General Shenyu nodded with a smile.
Everyone began offering praise.
"General's might is unmatched!"
Behind them, the Wang Clan Patriarch felt immense joy upon hearing the news, though he regretted not witnessing Old Demon Lin's tragic self-destruction.
But then.
He saw Zhenwu Mountain standing perfectly intact. His heart soured, and a shadow crossed his eyes.
Why had the Wang Clan suffered extermination while the Zhenwu Sect emerged unscathed?
He couldn't accept it. Deep resentment boiled within him.
On the way here, he had hoped that damn Old Demon Lin would destroy Zhenwu Mountain too before being killed by General Shenyu. But the outcome was completely different.
There's no pain without comparison.
Seeing the joyful atmosphere at Zhenwu Sect, he thought of the ruins left of the Wang Clan, and clenched his left fist tightly.
The court's Heaven-Man experts asked about the details, initially intending to praise General Shenyu, but as the truth came out, everyone was shocked.
Zhenwu Sect had a hidden expert comparable to those on the Heaven-Man Ranking?
The Wang Clan Patriarch's eyes bulged; he almost coughed up blood from frustration—this was unbearable!
Daoist Baihe's expression changed dramatically.
The Zhenxuan Sect only had three Heaven-Man Realm experts. Didn't that mean Zhenwu Sect's battle strength was approaching theirs?
He began to reconsider how seriously they should treat Zhenwu Sect.
With the potential Zhenwu had shown, once their disciples gained more experience, climbing into the top ten Daoist sects of the world was almost guaranteed—maybe one day even surpassing Zhenxuan Sect.
The Heaven-Man experts who arrived afterward were all stunned.
So many Heaven-Man experts had gathered that no one else dared speak—every face was filled with awe.
General Shenyu slowly opened his mouth:
"Since today's affairs are concluded, I shall take my leave. Thank you all for your great support during this extermination. You came here as reinforcements—now you may return without detour. Once I report back to the court, rewards will follow for all."
Everyone expressed their thanks.
Daoist Longshan made a token effort to persuade them to stay. General Shenyu then departed with several imperial Heaven-Man experts—he still had to handle the aftermath at the Deadfire Abyss branch.
The Wang Clan Patriarch followed closely behind, with the remaining Wang Clan members trailing like mourners.
They had seen their patriarch's severed arm and learned their main estate had been destroyed by the white-haired old demon. Sorrow filled their hearts. Being despised at Zhenwu Mountain had been painful enough, but now, hearing this terrible news, the grief only deepened.
Who would've thought the ones who stayed at Zhenwu Mountain would be the last survivors of the Wang Clan?
But the others at Zhenwu watched the Wang Clan's retreating backs coldly—some even felt satisfied.
Once the Wang Clan had fully departed.
Someone finally asked nervously:
"True Person, may I ask whether our elders are safe?"
Though the Heaven-Man experts didn't look in great shape, at least they had all returned. But what about the Core Formation Realm experts?
With a terrifying enemy like the white-haired old demon, no one dared assume their elders had survived.
Upon hearing this.
Daoist Longshan fell silent.
…
Ning Qi pushed open the window of the Scripture Pavilion. Hearing the distant cries of grief, he sighed softly.
The Heaven-Man Realm was the main battleground. Core Formation Realm experts sometimes needed luck to survive. Even though the court had overwhelming strength, death was inevitable.
A few Core Formation experts just didn't have the luck.
Fortunately, his master had returned safely.
However.
Ning Qi could clearly sense that his master's energy was faint—he had suffered no small injury.
"The Wang Clan..."
His gaze was deep, slowly chewing on the name, then began walking toward the Martial Arena.
He hadn't gone out earlier because he was worried General Shenyu might ask the "person who used the Heavenly Sword" to appear. He was ready to alter his appearance at any moment, but Daoist Longshan had reacted swiftly and created the identity of a "reclusive elder near the end of his life." Now, there was no more concern.
"Master."
Ning Qi stepped outside.
Sensing Daoist Longshan's increasingly weakened energy, his gaze grew darker with anger toward the Wang Clan Patriarch.
Daoist Longshan looked at his little disciple, his heart filled with comfort. Though he had countless things to say, this wasn't the time or place. In the end, he simply smiled and said:
"Don't worry, Master's fine. Just a minor injury. I'll be good as new in half a year."
Ning Qi only nodded silently.
For a Heaven-Man expert to need half a year to recover—it was no minor injury.
If it left a lasting issue, it might delay his martial path in the future.
But thankfully.
He had returned alive.
…
Another day passed.
The Core Formation experts who had gone to eliminate the Deadfire Abyss branch began to return—though naturally, a few were missing. Their factions were heartbroken.
Daoist Longshan could only sigh and did his best to offer compensation. After all, they had come to attend his Heaven-Man Ceremony and suffered disaster. He felt responsible.
But those factions didn't blame him. They only hated the Wang Clan Patriarch—the true culprit. It was foreseeable that the Wang Clan now had several new enemies.
Of course.
Whether the heavily damaged Wang Clan could ever rise again was another matter.
As each faction left the mountain—
News of the events at Daoist Longshan's Heaven-Man Ceremony spread across several provinces.
The martial world across the provinces was shaken.
Deadfire Abyss had housed a Demonic Sect branch, now annihilated by General Shenyu. For a time, he became the most talked-about figure in both the court and the martial world. Of course, the Demonic Sect now bore him a grudge.
Besides General Shenyu—
Zhenwu Sect's name also soared.
Because this operation's success was in large part thanks to the Heaven-Man Ceremony, which gathered so many experts. And that one sword slash across the skies that felled Old Demon Lin—it astonished everyone.
And Ning Qi, the "elder," was given a new title.
The Heavenly Sword True Person.