Chapter 177: The Demon Master Appears, Di Xie’s Fear

The world was in chaos. War raged across the land.

From every corner of the continent, waves of demonic energy surged skyward, threatening to blanket the entire world in darkness.

This winter was colder than any before. Wrapped in a straw raincoat, Gu An roamed the mortal world as the Green Hero.

Amidst the mountains, in a crescent-shaped small town, flames flickered, thick smoke curled into the sky, and countless black crows circled above.

Within the town, screams, wails, and roars intertwined, echoing endlessly.

Gu An burst from the forest, soaring like an eagle, leaping from the cliff down into the town.

From his perspective, the scene was one of sheer horror—demons and ghosts ran rampant, massacring the townsfolk. Some unfortunate souls weren’t even dead yet before the demons began devouring them from the feet up, a sight so gruesome it was enough to make one’s blood run cold.

In less than half a stick of incense’s time, the only sound left in the town was the weeping of the survivors.

Gu An walked out of the ruined town. He shook the blood from his sword before sheathing the Qinghong Sword.

Even though endless suffering lay behind him, he did not look back.

It had been ten days since the Demon Ancestor’s revival, and already, fierce battles had erupted in the northern borders of the Great Jiang Empire. Even now, Grand Ascension cultivators were engaged in deadly combat.

But it wasn’t just Great Jiang—Tianwei’s borders were also under attack from waves of demons.

Though the Taicang Empire had no external borders to defend, the demonic chaos within its own lands was no less severe than that of the other two empires.

Neither the Demon Emperor nor the Demon Ancestor had taken action yet. Gu An was in no hurry. Judging by the current scale of the invasion, even if both of them were killed, the human race would still suffer under demonic attacks for a long time.

Saving people while accumulating lifespan—for Gu An, this was a rare opportunity.

Instead of using Infinite Free Step, he chose to fly by sword, passing through countless Taixuan Sect disciples along the way.

Unknowingly, the number of Taixuan Sect cultivators in Taicang’s cultivation world had grown to occupy one-third of the entire region. No matter where one went, Taixuan Sect disciples could be found—an undeniable testament to the sect’s meteoric rise over the years. ᚱáɴ𝔬ＢƐȘ

That night, Gu An finally returned to Xuan Valley.

He sat at his writing desk, picked up a brush and paper, and began writing.

Writing helped him cleanse the killing intent in his heart.

Too much slaughter would nurture a bloodthirsty nature, and witnessing too much suffering darkened the soul. Writing allowed him to calm his mind.

Though he walked the path of the wandering immortal, he had not yet attained the heart of an immortal.

He was still shaping his Dao Heart.

No matter how high his cultivation reached, he was still just a man who had lived less than a hundred years. A person’s mindset took time to change—true immortals had all experienced thousands of years of mortal struggles before ascending.

As the sun rose, the Taixuan Sect’s bell tolled—summoning the Inner Sect disciples.

Although Gu An had already been promoted to Inner Sect disciple, he was exempt from most duties and only needed to focus on cultivating medicinal herbs.

Gu An arrived at the Third Medicine Valley, beginning his harvest of mature herbs.

Suddenly, he sensed a great battle in the distance.

Even though it was millions of miles away, the sheer pressure from the battle reached all the way to Taixuan Sect.

One of the combatants was Xuantian Yi!

Xuantian Yi was fighting against three Great Demon Kings, all at the Grand Ascension Stage!

Gu An could tell that two of them had only recently broken through.

Was this the Demon Ancestor’s doing? Or was Seven Star Spirit Realm manipulating things behind the scenes?

A battle between four Grand Ascension cultivators was beyond overwhelming—its impact shook the very heavens. Even disciples who weren’t directly involved felt uneasy.

Ever since the Demonic Cataclysm fully erupted, even those who didn’t participate in the battles could still feel the terrifying pressure of such conflicts.

Fear was inevitable.

But Gu An remained calm, continuing to harvest medicinal herbs.

Between Xuan Valley, Eight Views Celestial Realm, Third Medicine Valley, Horizon Valley, Xuantian Cave Dwelling, Nianchu Cave Dwelling, and Mountain God Dao Temple, Gu An’s annual lifespan gains exceeded 250,000 years—with occasional surges beyond that.

If the Seven Star Spirit Realm made no further moves after the Demonic Cataclysm, Gu An wouldn’t actively attack them either.

For him, the longer time dragged on, the better it was.

After finishing his herb gathering, Gu An was about to leave when he suddenly sensed something. His gaze shifted toward Outer Sect City.

He gave a few instructions to Xiao Chuan, then took flight toward Outer Sect City.

Gu An arrived at the edge of the Heavenly Mending Platform and looked toward Di Xie.

Di Xie was still comprehending the sword beneath the inscription “Righteous Path”.

Over the years, Gu An could sense that a sword intent had begun to form within Di Xie’s body.

A demon practicing the sword?

A sword demon?

Gu An thought silently as he scanned the other cultivators on the platform, using Lifespan Perception to probe them.

He was waiting for someone.

Or rather, waiting for a certain demon to arrive.

After a while, a figure stepped onto the Heavenly Mending Platform, passing right by Gu An.

[Demon Master (Nirvana Stage, Second Level): 30,290/90,000/170,000]

Nirvana Stage, Second Level!

Demon Master!

Gu An had long known about the Demon Master’s existence.

In the Demonic Domain, the Demon Master’s status was second only to the Demon Emperor.

To the Black Crow Demon Envoy, the Demon Master was an unfathomable figure—his cultivation unknown to most.

The Demon Master surely had another name, but Lifespan Perception displayed his title, just as Li Xuanmiao appeared as Xuanmiao Zhenren.

This likely had to do with name recognition—the world only knew Xuanmiao Zhenren’s title, not his real name.

The Demon Master took the form of a middle-aged man in a plain robe, exuding an air of elegance and wisdom.

He was handsome and refined, with no trace of demonic energy.

On the surface, his cultivation seemed to be only at the Core Formation Stage.

He paid no attention to Gu An, blending seamlessly into the crowd of cultivators.

Walking straight to Di Xie, the Demon Master stood behind him, silently studying the inscription “Righteous Path.”

After a long moment, he finally spoke.

“Such tyrannical sword intent… The Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path truly lives up to his reputation.”

Di Xie’s eyes snapped open.

He turned his head sharply, his face filled with disbelief.

Standing quickly, he faced the Demon Master and asked in a deep voice,

“Why are you here?”

The nearby cultivators glanced at them briefly, but didn’t pay much attention.

The Demon Master chuckled softly.

“Just came to see you… and take a look at Taixuan Sect.”

Di Xie took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

He knew the Demon Master’s true power.

His father, the Demon Emperor, had once said—

“Even if the Seventy-Two Great Demon Kings joined forces, they still wouldn’t be able to defeat the Demon Master.”

That meant… the Demon Master’s cultivation surpassed the Grand Ascension Stage!

Di Xie liked Taixuan Sect. He didn’t want to see it destroyed too soon.

The Demon Master scanned the Heavenly Mending Platform, then smiled.

“Taixuan Sect is truly magnificent… No wonder it hides a Heavenly Fate.”

Di Xie frowned.

“Heavenly Fate? What do you mean?”

He was cautious—fearful that someone might discover the Demon Master’s true identity.

The Demon Master laughed softly.

“In my divinations, Fate has changed. But no matter how I calculate, I cannot determine why.

“But I did discover one thing…

“The greatest shift in Fate has occurred right here—within Taixuan Sect.”

Di Xie’s expression darkened.

“You came all this way… What is your true purpose?”

The Demon Master grinned, his smile growing ever more sinister and cold.

Neither he nor Di Xie noticed that someone had quietly left the Heavenly Mending Platform.

Gu An stepped into a secluded alley—then, in the blink of an eye, he arrived at Xuantian Cave Dwelling in the Northern Sea Mountain Range.

He walked to the Spirit-Calming Tree, reached down, and pulled the Heaven-Splitting Axe from the ground.

Then, without hesitation, he vanished again, reappearing atop a distant mountain peak.

Raising the Heaven-Splitting Axe, he took careful aim at the Heavenly Mending Platform of Taixuan Sect.

Leaving such a powerful weapon to gather dust in Xuantian Cave Dwelling was a waste.

It would be far more meaningful to leave it as a legacy for Taixuan Sect.

With precise calculation, Gu An gently tossed the axe.

It looked effortless.

But the moment the Heaven-Splitting Axe left his hand, it erupted with terrifying power!

Space twisted violently.

The impact sent shockwaves rolling outward, flattening entire forests and scattering clouds across the sky.

Windstorms howled, making Gu An’s black hair dance wildly.

He smiled as his divine sense followed the axe’s trajectory.

Facing Di Xie’s questions, the Demon Master spread his hands and smirked.

“What purpose could I possibly have? I merely—”

Suddenly!

His expression changed drastically.

His instincts screamed at him to evade, but he was a fraction too slow.

BOOM!

With a deafening explosion, an axe fell from the heavens, crushing the Demon Master in an instant!

Blood and flesh exploded outward like a burst dam.

Di Xie was instantly drenched in blood, standing frozen in utter shock.

The surrounding cultivators were thrown off their feet by the sheer impact.

Only Di Xie remained standing—completely paralyzed.

The entire Heavenly Mending Platform trembled under the devastating impact.

Everyone in Taixuan Sect felt the earth shudder, and their instinctive fear made their spines stiffen.

Then, as they turned toward the source of the impact, they were left horrified.

A massive black axe was now embedded in the Heavenly Mending Platform.

Beneath its gleaming blade, there was nothing left of the Demon Master—just a pile of mangled flesh, like crushed mud.

The axe blade pulsed with energy, sending wisps of burning force into the air.

At the base of the axe, blood-soaked bones began to emerge, revealing a white skeleton.

The remaining demonic energy still clung to the charred bones, making it impossible to tell what race the Demon Master had belonged to.

But one thing was certain—

He was not human.

Di Xie remained frozen, as if struck by lightning.

One by one, powerful figures appeared out of thin air—including Ancestor Xuan Quan, the Supreme Elder of Taixuan Sect.

Xuan Quan’s face darkened, and he spoke in a grave tone,

“This was a demon… and one stronger than the Profound Mind Realm.”

His words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

“A Grand Demon infiltrated Taixuan Sect?”

“Good heavens… I even glanced at him earlier, wondering why he was talking about Heavenly Fate… I never suspected he was a demon!”

“But where did that axe come from?”

“Does anyone in Taixuan Sect even use an axe?”

Then, someone carefully examined the lingering energy on the Heaven-Splitting Axe—and their eyes widened in realization.

“The sword intent on this axe… isn’t this the aura of the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path?”

As soon as those words fell, all fear vanished, replaced by excitement and joy.

The Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path was still watching over them!

“The Sword Sovereign…!”

Di Xie stared blankly at the Heaven-Splitting Axe.

The Demon Master’s obliterated corpse filled him with terror.

If the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path could recognize the Demon Master as a demon, then he could surely see through Di Xie’s true form as well.

Why didn’t the Sword Sovereign kill him too?

Was it because he hadn’t acted against Taixuan Sect?

At this moment, Di Xie’s respect and fear for the Sword Sovereign reached their peak.

One thing was certain—

The Sword Sovereign was stronger than his father, the Demon Emperor.

To slay the Demon Master in one strike—without even revealing himself—

Even his father couldn’t do that.

Xuan Quan stepped up to the axe, reaching out to grasp its handle.

He attempted to lift it—

But the moment he touched the Heaven-Splitting Axe, his expression changed dramatically.

Summoning his full cultivation, he exerted all his strength—

And yet, the entire Heavenly Mending Platform shook violently under the strain.

All eyes were now fixed on Xuan Quan, the Supreme Elder of Taixuan Sect.

His face was filled with unparalleled seriousness.

Not even he could budge the axe an inch.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep