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Chapter 1273: The Demon Sovereign “I agree with you. He really was arrogant and self-important. Relying on underhanded tactics to turn the Thunder Hall into a top-tier sect, he then ran roughshod over weaker sects. Many small sects were wiped out by them—their methods were brutal, and their behavior was disgusting. Now they’ve even created a monster like the Poison Man, who’s aroused the wrath of heaven and the people. They deserve to be wiped out; they’re a disgrace to all the sects under heaven.” “Pfft! You must have been bullied by the Thunder Hall or Luo Rulie yourself to be so furious. What do we value among sects? The survival of the fittest—absolute power. If you have the strength, you can do as you please. The fact that Luo Rulie has fallen this time only proves he was outmatched.” “Enough. All this talk is pointless. The Thunder Hall has been wiped out, and the fact that Xuantian Sect disciples are once again roaming the world is a reality. What we need to focus on now is our own interests.” “Right. I agree we should focus on how to handle this situation. Xuantian Sect disciples haven’t been seen in the world for quite some time. So why have they suddenly reappeared, and why did they resort to such extreme measures right off the bat? What are their intentions?” “The Xuantian Sect has always had disciples roaming the world; it’s just that their timing is unpredictable. What possible purpose could they have?” “Hmph. I refuse to believe that such a major sect would send disciples into the world merely for simple training. Every time they do so, they cause such a huge commotion—could it all really be a coincidence?” “Indeed. This time, they’ve made such a huge splash the moment they appeared—their deeds have spread across the land, earning them widespread admiration. They even directly killed a general of the Demon Realm. Is the Xuantian Sect really just acting by coincidence, or do they have a specific purpose? What do you all think?” “If it weren’t for what happened to the Shushan Sword Sect, I might have thought it was just a coincidence. But since the Shushan Sword Sect was targeted at the exact same time, this matter is likely far from simple.” “Exactly, that’s what I think too. A mysterious master attacked Shushan and took the Demon Sword, and since we still haven’t figured out who that mysterious master is, I think the Xuantian Sect is a prime suspect. After all, there are very few masters capable of moving freely in and out of the Shushan Sword Sect’s forbidden areas, and the Xuantian Sect is one of the few with the ability to pull this off.” “Now that you mention it, you’re absolutely right. A mysterious master—it seems impossible to pinpoint exactly who it is, but there are very few masters in the entire world capable of entering the Shushan Sword Sect and taking the Demon Sword. The Xuantian Sect is one of them, and Yuzhou City appears to be quite close to the Shushan Sword Sect.” “It seems this matter involving the Shushan Sword Sect is indeed quite thorny and complicated. We were originally thinking of getting involved, but now it looks like we need to be cautious. Otherwise, one misstep could mean certain death.” “Alright, everyone really does need to proceed with caution. The Xuantian Sect is no ordinary sect—better safe than sorry.” “These are turbulent times. Who knows what the outcome will be? Let’s just wait and see. We certainly can’t get involved recklessly.” Naturally, he heard all sorts of rumors along the way, but he took them in stride. To him, it was all of little consequence; everything was merely a side task he undertook for Xuejian’s sake. Traveling through the mountains and rivers on their way to the Kingdom of Nanzhao was truly delightful. For Qian Ruhai, this was the part he truly enjoyed. Since Xuejian had resolved her inner turmoil and had her identity officially recognized, she had been in high spirits ever since, as radiant as a beautiful fairy. One day, they arrived at a perilous stretch of terrain. The cliffs on either side soared high; should bandits lie in ambush here, it would be a surefire way to reap a huge reward. Of course, for Qian Ruhai and his party, such threats were of no consequence—anyone daring to rob them was asking for death. But just then, a flying sword plummeted from the sky, whistling through the air as it hurtled toward Qian Ruhai. “Master, watch out!” Xuan Lei and the others shouted immediately, preparing to intervene. But clearly, the sword was faster than they were. By the time they noticed it, the blade was already upon Qian Ruhai, piercing straight toward him. Had it been any of them in his place, they would likely have been impaled by the sword—not necessarily killed, but certainly humiliated. But for Qian Ruhai, this was no challenge at all. The moment the sword lunged at him, he effortlessly dodged it. After its first failed attempt, the flying sword did not strike again but instead screeched away, departing at an incredible speed. “Be careful. The opponent possesses the cultivation level of a Nine Heavens Mystic Immortal,” he said calmly. He already knew who had arrived. In the original *Xianjian III*, only two individuals possessed such cultivation: one was Feipeng, the Divine General and former incarnation of Jing Tian whom he had slain, and the other was, of course, Chonglou, the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. Feipeng’s reincarnation, Jing Tian, had already been killed by him, his soul and body utterly annihilated. Now Chong Lou had come looking for him. With a moment’s thought, he pieced together the cause and effect: Chong Lou and Feipeng were lifelong enemies. As the saying goes, “Two tigers cannot coexist on one mountain”; the two must settle the matter once and for all, or their very existence would be meaningless—such is the loneliness of the master. Yet at the same time, they were also friends. Their mindsets were so closely aligned that others could not comprehend them; only those at their level could truly understand one another. Thus, they were also kindred spirits. They could die by each other’s hands and settle their rivalry, but they absolutely could not die at the hands of anyone else. Moreover, Feipeng’s death this time had been particularly unjust. After reincarnating as Jing Tian, he had inherited none of his former power, and to be killed at this stage naturally filled Chonglou with fury. Upon hearing this, Xuan Lei and the others were startled. No wonder they hadn’t been able to detect the flying sword’s approach in advance. Xuan Lei, the most powerful among them, was only at the late-stage Xuan Immortal realm—just one step short of a true Nine Heavens Xuan Immortal—and the others were naturally even further behind. It was clear that the enemy who had attacked was no ordinary foe. Nine-Heaven Xuan Immortals were few and far between across the Six Realms. Xuan Lei and the others speculated on the enemy’s intentions, though they felt no concern—for they knew just how powerful their master, the Patriarch of the Xuantian Sect, truly was. This was a source of pride for every disciple of the Xuantian Sect. Just as the words fell, the flying sword that had shot away turned around and flew back. This time, however, its speed was not particularly fast, and the group finally got a clear look at its appearance. Its design was somewhat exaggerated: the blade was broad, a full ten fingers wide, covered in dragon patterns, and emitting black smoke—giving the impression it was ready to devour the world at any moment. A black dragon clung to the hilt, lifelike and vivid, as if it were alive. From every angle, this sword was a peerless weapon—or perhaps a peerless weapon of destruction. But it wasn’t actually the main focus. The focus was the person standing upon it. Indeed, when the flying sword reappeared this time, a slender yet muscular man stood upon it. Clad in black armor, he looked supremely imposing. A black helmet crowned his head like an imperial crown, and though his face was shrouded in black mist, it sent a chill down one’s spine. If this man were to appear before the disciples of the Shushan Sword Sect, they would recognize him immediately as the mysterious master who had raided the Demon-Sealing Tower and stolen the Thousand-Year Demon Sword. Here, however, he had no secrets to hide. One didn’t need to know the full story; judging by the demonic aura swirling around him and his sheer power, it was clear he was Chonglou, the Supreme Ruler of the Demon Realm. “Are you from the Xuantian Sect?” Chonglou asked with a tone of disdain. As the Supreme Ruler of the Demon Realm, he possessed his own arrogance; in his eyes, aside from Feipeng, who was his equal, everyone else in the Six Realms was nothing but ants. “That is correct; we are from the Xuantian Sect,” Qian Ruhai replied calmly, his voice devoid of any emotion. Consequently, he sounded even more arrogant than Chonglou, as if he regarded nothing but himself as worthy of attention. This naturally caused Chonglou’s gaze to flicker with a hint of curiosity and surprise. After all, few could maintain such composure in his presence, and since the other party’s attitude was even more haughty than his own, he couldn’t help but want to subdue them. Thus, he imbued his voice with an aura of authority—a spell and tactic used in the Demon Realm to command subordinates. Anyone whose cultivation was lower than his would be compelled to submit. “Do you know who I am, and why I have come to see you?” Chonglou asked. Under normal circumstances, the entire group should have already been on their knees, trembling in fear, answering every question he asked. But strangely, that wasn’t the case. Not only did the leader fail to do so, but neither did the others; not even their expressions changed in the slightest. He naturally had no idea that the moment he deployed this tactic, Lin Fei had already sensed it. Consequently, Lin Fei had preemptively unleashed his own aura, enveloping everyone around him—rendering Chonglou’s tactic instantly ineffective. Speaking as usual, still with an air of arrogance, he said calmly, “'You’re just Chonglou from the Demon Realm. You’ve come to find me merely because I killed Jing Tian—or rather, the reincarnation of Feipeng. You see this as an insult to you, for you regard Feipeng as your lifelong nemesis. You believe only he was worthy of being your opponent, yet now he’s been slain. You’re furious, as if someone had stolen your prized possession. Little do you realize you’re nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well. Do you truly believe there’s no one in the world who can match you? Do you think our Xuantian Sect—a school that has existed since time immemorial—is merely a figurehead?” As Qian Ruhai finished speaking, Xuan Lei and the others finally realized the other party’s identity. However, they didn’t care in the slightest. Xuan Lei even retorted, “So you’re the Demon Lord of the Demon Realm. So what?” Such was the arrogance and confidence of the Xuantian Sect disciples. In their hearts, the Xuantian Sect was invincible; the Sect Master was the only one they needed to respect and fear, the undisputed number one in their eyes. As for everyone else, they didn’t even bother to acknowledge them. Yet the moment those words were spoken, Chonglou—whose composure had remained unshaken for years—suddenly felt a surge of uncontrollable rage. He let out a cold laugh: “Fine. Very fine. It has been a long time since this Demon Sovereign has been this angry. You have succeeded in provoking me. Now, pay the price.” With that, Chonglou struck without hesitation. The Demon Sword he had been standing upon materialized in his hand, and without a moment’s pause, he swung it directly at Xuan Lei. Instantly, a blade of light erupted—this time, the magical power he channeled was even greater than that used to destroy the Demon-Sealing Tower. Though the Demon Sword was not forged by him and did not share the absolute harmony of “unity between heaven and man” with him, its very name revealed its nature: that of a demon. And since Chonglou was the Supreme Ruler of the Demon Realm, their synergy was naturally complementary, enhancing one another’s power…… Facing this strike, Xuan Lei showed no sign of retreat; the Xuantian Sect had no cowards. Thunder erupted from the ground, and lightning surged from Xuan Lei’s body in a dense swarm, shielding him all around, as if the God of Thunder himself had descended. Just then, the sword beam struck Xuan Lei. “Die!” Chonglou said coldly. Yet after delivering that first strike, he did not immediately follow up with a second. In his view, that single blow was enough to take Xuan Lei’s life. After all, he was at the Nine Heavens Xuan Immortal realm, while Xuan Lei was merely at the Xuan Immortal realm—even if he was in the late stage, even if he was just one step away from becoming a Nine Heavens Xuan Immortal, there was still a vast gulf separating them. This was an insurmountable chasm. It was the same principle as a Mystic Immortal overwhelming a Celestial Immortal—a qualitative difference that could not be bridged or measured by mere quantity. His primary concern now was Qian Ruhai; his full attention was focused on him, wary of a sudden attack. However, he had absolutely no intention of taking action—neither to attack him nor to assist Xuan Lei. At that moment, the sword’s glow struck the lightning surging through Xuan Lei. A thunderous roar echoed across the wilderness for a long time, but the lightning was instantly cleaved in two by the sword’s glow. Indeed, even the lightning had been cleaved in two—a testament to the ferocity of this strike, which completely defied the laws of nature. Lightning is formless; even the sharpest weapon could never sever it in two, let alone this surging, compensatory lightning. Its might was so overwhelming that it could likely destroy an entire city with ease. According to Chonglou’s plan, this strike was not only meant to sever the lightning barrier surrounding Xuanlei but also to cleave Xuanlei himself in two, obliterating both his body and spirit. The Demon Sword, combined with his demonic energy, could devour any soul—no spirit could withstand its consumption. Yet an unexpected turn of events occurred. Just as the sword’s glow sliced through the lightning and struck Xuan Lei’s body, a dull thud echoed. Not only was Xuan Lei not split in two, but he didn’t even take a single step back—he had withstood the blow head-on. “How is this possible?” Chonglou spoke, his voice laced with confusion and anger. Though his face remained shrouded in demonic energy, making it impossible to see clearly, one could easily imagine the expression on his face at that moment—a twisted mix of disbelief and uncontrollable rage. In truth, no one could believe it: a Ninth-Rank Xuan Immortal—and one at the late stage, no less—failing to kill a late-stage Xuan Immortal with a single strike. It was a humiliation too great to bear. But Chonglou had no idea that all the laws of this world would deviate—or even be completely wrong—when applied to the Xuantian Sect. For the Xuantian Sect, passed down since time immemorial, was mysterious and unfathomable, yet it had never become complacent. Instead, its 10,000 permanent disciples encompassed every kind of talent—and top-tier ones at that. Thus, over the years, they had developed many innovations. Take cultivation techniques, spells, and all manner of bizarre magical artifacts, for instance. They have optimized, refined, and even reengineered and innovated upon them. Consequently, the cultivation levels of Xuantian Sect disciples can sometimes be considered illusory. Armed with the finest cultivation methods, bizarre yet immensely powerful spells that defy conventional wisdom, and a variety of formidable, unpredictable magical artifacts, their actual strength often surpasses their official cultivation rank—to the point where they can even kill opponents of higher cultivation levels. Take Xuan Lei, for instance. Although he is only at the late-stage Xuan Immortal realm, the power of his lightning is comparable to that of an early-stage Nine Heavens Xuan Immortal. Moreover, the protective lightning he just unleashed is one of his strongest spells—an optimized version refined through countless iterations. Coupled with the formidable protective armor crafted by the Xuantian Sect’s artifact masters,it’s no surprise he could withstand a direct strike from a late-stage Nine Heavens Xuan Immortal. “Haha, the Demon Sovereign is nothing special,” Xuan Lei laughed heartily, exuding a heroic and dashing air.