The divine light of the Seven Star Mirror was dazzling, illuminating the expressions of every disciple in the Seven Star Spirit Realm gathered in the square. At this moment, these disciples realized that something was terribly wrong—those lofty Celestial Ascendants seemed to be preparing to abandon them.

Shouts, pleas for mercy, wails, and curses rang out in succession.

Yet, Gu An, who was being watched by seven Celestial Ascendants, simply stared at the two treasured swords in his hands.

Master of the Tianyi Realm gazed down at Gu An and asked, “Do you have any last words?”

The origins of the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path were mysterious—he had even slain Celestial Ascendants. A trace of fear lingered in Master of the Tianyi Realm’s heart. He worried that an even more terrifying existence stood behind the Sword Sovereign, which was why he hesitated to act immediately.

If there was no powerful backer, then today, he would never let the Sword Sovereign walk away alive!

Gu An lifted his head, looking at the six Celestial Ascendants in the sky, and asked, “Are all your reinforcements here? Or is there anyone else coming?”

As soon as these words left his mouth, all seven Celestial Ascendants’ expressions changed drastically.

Arrogance!

They had lived for countless years across multiple epochs, yet they had never met someone so brazen.

With an Immortal Dao Supreme Treasure in their possession and seven Celestial Ascendants working together, how dare this man still act so recklessly?

For a moment, the Master of the Tianyi Realm considered many possibilities. He even entertained the thought that the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path was stronger than Celestial Ascendants. But then, he dismissed the idea. How could such an unfathomable being be hidden away in this remote corner of the continent?

Shouldn’t he have already ventured beyond the heavens in pursuit of the Great Dao’s Fortune?

Sensing the overwhelming power of the Seven Star Mirror, a sharp glint flashed in the Master of the Tianyi Realm’s eyes.

Regardless of whether he surpassed Celestial Ascendants, since he had slaughtered so many powerful cultivators in the Seven Star Spirit Realm, this matter could not simply be overlooked!

Without hesitation, he raised his hand. The Seven Star Mirror, towering ten thousand feet high, trembled violently and unleashed an even more terrifying pressure!

The entire square fell into sudden silence as the voices of the disciples were abruptly cut off. They watched in despair as their skin began to fester, their flesh melting away.

Just then, an immense power enveloped them, instantly dispelling their suffering. Their eyes widened in disbelief, and they instinctively sought out the source of this power—only to see Gu An.

“Do you understand now? This is the so-called ‘Holy Land’ that you believed in?”

Gu An’s voice rang out, making the disciples’ faces twist with complicated emotions.

They were geniuses of Six Star Cave and Seven Star Cave, thinking themselves indispensable to the Seven Star Spirit Realm, believing they carried its future. Yet now, they were being abandoned without cause. How could they possibly accept this?

At that moment, Wanli Divine Lord also flew beneath the Seven Star Mirror, joining the six others. The seven of them aligned in formation, shining like the Big Dipper as they suspended themselves beneath the mirror. Their magic power merged with the Seven Star Mirror’s energy, amplifying its oppressive might.

Gu An looked up at them and sighed inwardly.

So this is the power of an Immortal Dao Supreme Treasure?

He could sense that the Seven Star Mirror’s current might had already surpassed the Celestial Ascendant Realm. Even cultivators in the first three layers of the Free Soaring Immortal Stage would struggle to withstand it.

Of course, even if they couldn’t resist, escaping would be easy!

Suddenly, a new thought crossed Gu An’s mind. He spoke, “Tell me—if I were to shatter this dark sky, would you all bring light back to this land?”

The seven Celestial Ascendants frowned.

The disciples in the square were stunned. Before they could react, Gu An swung his sword.

His right hand gripped the Tianxiu Sword. Twisting his wrist, he turned his palm downward, slashing upward with the blade.

His posture was casual, his strike seemingly devoid of force. Yet as his sword cleaved the heavens, the flames and turbulent winds raging across the sky were instantly extinguished.

The seven Celestial Ascendants before the Seven Star Mirror didn’t even have time to react before they were reduced to ashes.

Boom—!

The Seven Star Mirror trembled violently as the sword aura struck it. The thunderclouds above were instantly severed, allowing sunlight to pour through!

The tens of thousands of geniuses in the Seven Star Spirit Realm square were left utterly dumbfounded.

They had personally felt the overwhelming power of the Master of the Tianyi Realm and the Seven Star Mirror, a force far beyond their comprehension.

Even under the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path’s protection, they had expected an intense battle.

But that didn’t happen.

One sword strike—annihilation!

Utter devastation!

It was as if those Celestial Ascendants were no more than misty clouds in the sky!

Violent gales swept across the land, rolling away the lingering spirit fog that shrouded the mountains, revealing landscapes stretching as far as the eye could see. The spectacle was magnificent beyond compare.

Only the Seven Star Mirror remained in the sky!

The colossal Seven Star Mirror swiftly withdrew its energy. Its frame trembled for a moment before it began plummeting downward.

[You have successfully seized 25,709 years of lifespan from the Master of the Tianyi Realm (Celestial Ascendant Realm, Seventh Layer).]

[You have successfully seized 10,041 years of lifespan from Wanli Divine Lord (Celestial Ascendant Realm, Third Layer).]

[You have successfully seized 18,116 years of lifespan from Xiao Lang Divine Lord (Celestial Ascendant Realm, Fifth Layer).]

A total of six lines of notifications flashed before Gu An’s eyes, making him frown slightly.

One was missing.

He distinctly remembered that there were seven Celestial Ascendants—one of them was Thousand-Faced Divine Lord, a cultivator at the fourth layer of the Celestial Ascendant Realm.

He was certain all seven had been reduced to ashes. There was no way one could have escaped.

Did this man have another body somewhere else?

If so, why did the system still register his lifespan?

Gu An’s divine sense expanded rapidly, scanning the entire continent, yet he couldn’t find a single trace of Thousand-Faced Divine Lord.

This was eye-opening.

A cultivator capable of escaping from him, stronger even than the Master of the Tianyi Realm? Thousand-Faced Divine Lord was certainly a force to be reckoned with!

With a single battle, Gu An had gained over 80,000 years of lifespan. He had already accumulated 50,000 years from slaughtering the Luo Family cultivators, meaning he had obtained nearly 130,000 years of lifespan—not bad at all, saving him several months of effort.

More importantly, he had erased a major threat!

Gu An raised his hand, collecting the now-shrunken Seven Star Mirror into his grasp. His divine sense pierced into it, forcibly shattering layers of restrictions before quickly finding the immortal spirit and making it recognize him as its master.

The windstorms continued to rage as the surviving cultivators in the square stared at him in stunned silence, only now realizing they were still alive.

Suddenly, a single disciple fell to his knees, bowing his head to Gu An.

One after another, more cultivators followed suit, kneeling and kowtowing.

Over ten thousand people prostrated before Gu An, a sight both grand and awe-inspiring.

“The fate of the Seven Star Spirit Realm is now in your hands,” Gu An declared. “If you continue the ways of the past—calling yourselves a ‘Holy Land’ while practicing the Demonic Path—I will return. And next time, it will be your leaders who perish.”

With that, he raised his left hand, gripping the Qinghong Sword, and slashed toward the grand palace.

Boom!

A single streak of sword aura cleaved the palace in two, reducing it to ashes.

As the grand palace crumbled into ashes, a swarm of demonic souls burst forth. Their sinister aura filled the air—men and women, even beast-like creatures—howling in agony as they disintegrated into nothingness.

These were malevolent spirits—Sealed Demons.

Though their destruction brought Gu An no additional lifespan, it sent an overwhelming shock through the disciples of the Seven Star Spirit Realm.

A Holy Land… nurturing this many Sealed Demons?

The realization hit them like a thunderbolt. They had been abandoned by the very sect they once revered. And now, they saw the truth—beneath its glorious facade, the Seven Star Spirit Realm was steeped in darkness.

Before they could collect themselves, Gu An was already gone.

Far away, at the horizon, a teleportation array flickered into existence.

Waves of cultivators poured through the portal, arriving at the square, but the young geniuses who had just witnessed the impossible remained frozen in place.

They stood in stunned silence, replaying the events over and over in their minds.

Everything felt like a dream.

Meanwhile, in a Dark Palace…

A woman in a violet robe sat before a towering wall, staring at six extinguished oil lamps.

Her brows furrowed deeply.

On her shoulder, a childlike ghost widened its eyes in shock before screeching, “The Realm Master… is dead?! How is that possible?!”

The highest row of oil lamps represented the Seven Star Spirit Realm’s ruling elite. Among them, the Master of the Tianyi Realm’s lamp was the largest, shining like a celestial body.

And now, it had vanished—a silent testament to his demise.

Just then, a figure materialized out of thin air beside the violet-robed woman.

The moment he appeared, he vomited a mouthful of blood.

Without hesitation, he dropped to the ground, entering meditation to suppress the violent backlash surging through his body.

The violet-robed woman turned toward him, her frown deepening.

“Thousand-Faced Divine Lord… what happened?” she asked, her voice sharp.

The man sitting in meditation was none other than the Thousand-Faced Divine Lord—the one who had escaped Gu An’s strike.

Dressed in a flowing cyan robe, his long hair cascaded over his shoulders, and his features were so delicate they could be mistaken for a woman’s. But right now, his pale complexion and trembling lips betrayed his terrifying experience.

“Six Star Cave was ambushed.”

His voice trembled as he spoke.

“The Realm Master and the others thought the Starsea Sect Alliance had launched a large-scale assault… so they rushed to reinforce the defenses. But instead, we ran into him—”

“The Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path.”

A look of absolute terror flickered in his eyes as he continued, his voice hoarse:

“He killed us all with a single sword strike…”

“The Seven Star Mirror’s power couldn’t even block his sword aura.”

“Now, the Seven Star Mirror belongs to him.”

The Thousand-Faced Divine Lord exhaled shakily.

When he finally lifted his gaze, despair burned deep within his pupils.

“He’s… too strong…”

“In front of him, Celestial Ascendants are nothing but dust.”

“Had I not sensed danger beforehand and used my secret art to shift my primary soul and sub-souls, I would have perished along with them. Even so, the death of my sub-soul has left me heavily injured. It will take me at least ten thousand years to recover.”

A violent shudder ran through him as the image of the Sword Sovereign’s casual slash replayed in his mind.

He turned to the violet-robed woman, saying gravely:

“Second Cave Master, the Seven Star Spirit Realm is finished.”

“We’ve lost seven Celestial Ascendants in a single day.”

“And with the Seven Star Mirror in his possession, we don’t stand a chance against the Starsea Sect Alliance. We must make a decision—quickly!”

The Violet-Robed Woman—Second Cave Master of the Seven Star Spirit Realm

She fell into silence.

For some time now, the Seven Star Spirit Realm had been under relentless suppression from the Starsea Sect Alliance.

She had even considered the possibility of their downfall.

But she never imagined it would happen so soon.

Seven Celestial Ascendants… annihilated in a single day.

The foundation of the Seven Star Spirit Realm—erased in an instant.

“Make a decision?”

She finally spoke, her voice low and eerie.

“But what choice do we have?”

“The gates of the Divine Anomaly Realm have already opened. Once the calamity descends, our karma will be inescapable.”

“Even if we flee beyond the heavens, it will be useless.”

The Thousand-Faced Divine Lord forcibly stabilized his injuries before speaking again.

“I don’t care.”

“I’m leaving the Seven Star Spirit Realm.”

“I’ve cultivated for over a hundred thousand years—I refuse to see it all destroyed in an instant.”

“If you ever need my help in the future, I will not refuse.”

“But… I will never face the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path again.”

With that, he rose to his feet.

Bowing slightly to the Second Cave Master, he vanished without a trace.

The Dark Palace Fell Silent.

Only the Second Cave Master and the ghostly child on her shoulder remained.

The flickering candlelight cast twisted shadows on the walls—monstrous, clawed figures, like demons ready to break free.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep