The great battle ended, leaving Five Finger Peak and Spirit Valley in ruins.
Li Mu dispelled the formation and appeared in the Spirit Valley. He was amazed by the Xuantian Sword that had just flown away. With a fleeting glance, he saw the Xuantian Sword's attributes and was utterly shocked. He never expected that Xuantian Sword Sect still possessed such a deep heritage, truly worthy of being the largest Sect in Central Continent.
"Sect Leader Li, we have fulfilled our promise! The Undying Demon Lord has been annihilated by us! Now, you can rest assured," Yun Yi said with a smile, looking at Li Mu and gesturing.
"Thank you, three Elders, for personally taking action. If not for you three taking down the Undying Demon Lord, his scheme would surely have succeeded."
Li Mu sincerely thanked the three for saving his life. If not for their intervention, being targeted by the Body Integration Stage Undying Demon Lord, his fate was imaginable.
Yun Yi smiled slightly, cupped his hands in return, and said, "Elder Li, there is no need to thank us. You refined Dao Swords for us first, so it is only right for us to keep our promise and help you."
Xiao Shuang nodded with pleasure, saying righteously, "Eliminating demons and defending the Dao is what our Righteous Path Sects should do. Elder Li, there's no need to worry. This time, the Undying Demon Lord actually infiltrated the Eight Great Families, plotting something vast. It's also thanks to Elder Li for detecting the problem, allowing us to slay this demon."
"Indeed, the main reason we were able to annihilate the Undying Demon Lord this time was the Dao Sword refined by Elder Li. If not for the assistance of the Dao Sword, we would probably have been powerless to completely annihilate the Undying Demon Lord."
Ning Cheng was extremely fond of the Azure Abyss Dao Sword refined by Li Mu, and the battle just now made him understand the power of this sword even more.
Even though the three said so, Li Mu still thanked them. After all, maintaining a good relationship with three Body Integration Stage experts would definitely do no harm.
Afterward, Yun Yi, Xiao Shuang, and Ning Cheng bid farewell to continue their closed-door Cultivation. Li Mu sat cross-legged in the Painting World Treasure Mansion, deep in thought, planning his next actions.
The three Body Integration Stage Sword Cultivators fought against the Body Integration Stage Undying Demon Lord but could not achieve a quick victory, even with the enhancement of the Seventh-Order Dao Sword. The Undying Demon Lord truly should not be underestimated, especially the Demonic Descent he unleashed, which was terrifying. Even the three Body Integration Stage experts were helpless for a time. If not for the Xuantian Sword's intervention, the outcome would still be unknown.
The Undying Demon Lord is not the strongest existence among the Demon Abyss forces. Above the Demon Lords, there are existences like Demon Gods, which cannot be resisted without the intervention of Dao Lords or Dao Ancestors. If the Demon Abyss forces were to break the Seal on the passage and occupy the Spirit Realm, the terrifying consequences are unimaginable.
But now, his strength is insufficient to sway the overall situation or determine his own destiny. Thinking of this, a seed was planted in Li Mu's heart: to plant more spiritual plants and find ways to quickly improve his strength.
However, Li Mu would never entrust his safety to others. Even though there were three Body Integration Realm experts, Yun Yi, Xiao Shuang, and Ning Cheng, if the Undying Demon Lord had successfully approached him and suddenly attacked earlier, the three experts would not have been able to react at all. Perhaps by the time they arrived, he would have already been completely dead.
One must be strong oneself. It is unrealistic to improve one's Realm in a short period. Therefore, Li Mu's most important task now is to quickly deal with the seven extreme spiritual lands and plant high-level spiritual plants.
Now that the Undying Demon Lord has perished, Li Mu is temporarily out of danger. Next, it is time to free up his hands and search for the remaining extreme spiritual lands.
...
Within the vast territory of the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain, deep within the Ten Thousand Demon Mountain Range, lies a daunting cluster of fiery mountains. This place is not only a gathering point for violent fire elemental spiritual energy but also a crucial location for the Demon Abyss forces' invasion into the core of the Spirit Realm. Amidst the surrounding mountains, a secret, unknown world seems to be hidden deep underground.
In the heart of the fiery mountains, a massive complex of palaces comes into view. These palaces are constructed from unknown black stone, appearing as dark as ink from afar, seemingly merging with the surrounding flames and rocks. They give an unreal sensation, as if they do not exist in this space but are projections from another dimension.
At this moment, a solemn atmosphere enveloped the main hall.
Countless figures knelt on the ground, their gazes fixed on the front. The three individuals kneeling at the forefront were the renowned Shadow Demon Lord, Soul Devouring Demon Lord, and Blood Refinement Demon Lord from the Demon Abyss. These three Body Integration Stage experts, their mere presence was enough to make the entire Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain tremble. Behind them were dozens of Void Refining Realm Demon Ancestors, whose strength, though not comparable to the three Demon Lords, was equally not to be underestimated.
The Shadow Demon Lord, Soul Devouring Demon Lord, and Blood Refinement Demon Lord, although their strength was slightly inferior to the legendary Undying Demon Lord, as one of the five great Demon Lords in the Demon Abyss, their power naturally reached an unattainable level.
However, in just a short span of ten-odd years, the five great Demon Lords suffered successive heavy blows.
Among them, the most shocking was the fall of the Blood Demon Lord - Dana, who ranked second among the five great Demon Lords. The Blood Demon Lord - Dana, relying on his Blood Demon Great Law, was a top-tier expert skilled in bizarre techniques and escape arts. However, this expert, while venturing deep into the Central Continent Spirit Domain to search for the whereabouts of other Seals, encountered Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen of Xuantian Sword Sect in the Dao Lord's Cave Secret Realm in the Extreme Northern Ice Field, and was jointly slain by them.
Immediately after, the Undying Demon Lord was again severely wounded by Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen. He had no choice but to flee to the Central Continent Spirit Domain to recuperate and seek new Seal clues to atone for his sins.
Now, the two Sword Masters have led a host of Central Continent Cultivators to encircle and suppress the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain, causing heavy losses to the Devil Abyss Army. The three Demon Lords have also suffered successive injuries and have had to temporarily avoid their Edge.
As Sword Master Feng and Sword Master Chen led the Central Continent Cultivators in a fierce assault, the Devil Abyss Army's painstakingly built defensive lines in the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain crumbled like dominoes, suffering heavy losses. However, under the leadership of the three Demon Lords, the Devil Abyss Army had not yet suffered a fatal blow. After all, the Southern Wilderness Spirit Domain had long been occupied by the Demon Abyss forces, deeply rooted and intricately complex, by no means easily conquered overnight.
However, the situation changed dramatically. The Undying Demon Lord, the leader of the five great Demon Lords, encountered unprecedented setbacks in his actions in the Central Continent Spirit Domain. He mistakenly fell into a meticulously designed trap and was jointly besieged by the three Body Integration Sword Cultivators of Xuantian Sword Sect, ultimately perishing.
The Undying Demon Lord's Physical Body and Primordial Spirit were mercilessly slain, but fortunately, the Undying Demon Lord was protected by the Undying Demon God. He had made ample preparations beforehand, entrusting a wisp of his Eternal Divine Sense into a soul lamp deep within the Demon Palace.
If it were an ordinary Cultivator, once their Divine Soul was destroyed, even with a wisp of Divine Sense remaining, they would find it difficult to survive. However, the Undying Demon Lord, favored by the Undying Demon God, could use this wisp of Eternal Divine Sense to be reborn. As long as his Divine Sense remained Eternal, he could re-condense his Physical Body and restore his Realm, though it would take a considerable amount of time.
At this moment, at the top of the Demon Palace, on an altar in the center of a blood pool, a dense, ink-like black mist slowly rose, forming the outline of a terrifying existence.
The black Devilish Qi exuded a strong and suffocating aura. Every wisp of Devilish Qi was like a sharp blade, emitting terrifying pressure.
Under this powerful pressure, the surrounding Demon Cultivators were suppressed by an invisible force, falling to their knees one after another. Their bodies trembled, unable to rise, only able to bow in submission.
"How much effort and resources did the Demon Abyss expend to send you useless beings to the Spirit Realm? Yet now, you can't even break a single passage Seal. If you can't even accomplish such a small task, then what use are you!" A majestic voice came from the black mist, echoing through the Demon Palace like thunder. The voice was cold and merciless, like the roar of a vengeful spirit from the Nine Nether Hell, sending shivers down one's spine.
The Demon Cultivators kneeling on the ground trembled all over. This voice came from the supreme Undying Demon God in the Demon Abyss. Due to the fall of the Undying Demon Lord, he used a great Divine Ability to break through a crack in the Seal and descend a wisp of his Divine Thought into this world.
This Demon God is the supreme existence in the Demon Abyss. Its strength is unfathomable and unimaginably powerful. A single thought from it would be enough to easily obliterate everyone present. Their lives were as fragile as ants before him, unable to withstand a single blow.
Under this immense and unparalleled pressure, even the Body Integration Stage Demon Abyss experts, such as the Shadow Demon Lord, Soul Devouring Demon Lord, and Blood Refinement Demon Lord, were like startled quails, filled with dread, fearing that a single misstep might enrage this Demon God and cause them to be instantly ground to dust.
"Humph!"
The Demon God let out an angry snort, revealing deep dissatisfaction. However, he also understood that breaking the Seal between the Demon Abyss and the Spirit Realm still required the reliance of these individuals. Therefore, he did not directly take action to slay them.
A substantive wisp of Qi dispersed from the black Devilish Qi and headed directly towards the secret chamber where the soul lamps were stored, aiming straight for the Undying Demon Lord's soul lamp.
The Blood Demon Lord - Dana's soul lamp had completely extinguished. Even if the Undying Demon God personally arrived, he could not save his life. The Undying Demon Lord's soul lamp, however, was in a flickering state, as if it could extinguish at any moment.
In this faint light, a weak wisp of Divine Sense stubbornly protected it, preventing it from ever fully extinguishing.
As a dense wisp of Undying Demon Qi perfectly fused with the Undying Demon Lord's Divine Sense, the ethereal Primordial Spirit state of the Undying Demon Lord gradually materialized. However, at this moment, he had not yet been able to condense a complete Physical Body, only able to appear in this spiritual form.
The Undying Demon Lord's Divine Soul respectfully knelt down and reported to the Undying Demon God: "Reporting to Demon God, this time I secretly infiltrated the Central Continent Spirit Domain and found another Sealed Land. I also discovered the existence that poses the greatest obstacle to opening the Seal, so I intended to eliminate the enemy that poses the greatest threat to our Demon Abyss. Unexpectedly, that person was extremely cunning and had already set up numerous traps. Due to a moment of carelessness, I ended up perishing."
"Oh? The greatest enemy to the Demon Abyss?" The Undying Demon God's voice revealed a hint of solemnity, taking the Undying Demon Lord's report quite seriously.
"Yes, Demon God. This person's strength is not only unfathomable, but he is also exceptionally intelligent, repeatedly obstructing our Demon Abyss's plans. If he is allowed to continue growing, I fear he will become a major hidden danger to our Demon Abyss," the Undying Demon Lord reported truthfully, his tone filled with worry.
The Undying Demon God was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Could it be a Mahayana Stage Dao Lord from the Spirit Realm personally? Noticed the matter of the Seal between the Demon Abyss and the Spirit Realm? If such a powerful individual truly took action, we indeed need to temporarily lie low and avoid direct conflict with him."
The Undying Demon Lord, however, looked embarrassed and quickly replied, "Demon God, that person is not a Mahayana Stage expert. His Cultivation is merely... merely a Transformation God cultivator."
The black mist visibly trembled, clearly not expecting it to be just a Transformation God cultivator. When did a Transformation God cultivator become the greatest threat to the Seal-breaking plan? The Undying Demon God couldn't help but re-evaluate the Undying Demon Lord, seemingly considering his competence.
The Undying Demon Lord immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly explained: "Demon God, although this person is only in the Nascent Soul Realm, he is proficient in Artifact Refining. In just over a decade, he has even refined several Seventh-Order Dao Swords. The Blood Demon Lord - Dana, originally fighting two Body Integration Realm Sword Masters of Xuantian Sword Sect alone, was not at a disadvantage. It was precisely because this person refined Seventh-Order Dao Swords for those two Sword Cultivators that the Blood Demon Lord - Dana ultimately died tragically."
"My current mission was to secretly eliminate this person, but I found that in just a few years, this person had refined no less than three more Seventh-Order Dao Swords for Xuantian Sword Sect, greatly increasing Xuantian Sword Sect's overall strength."
"Originally, my Physical Body was robust, and I possessed the Undying Demon Qi Armor. As a fellow Body Integration Stage Cultivator, I was not at a disadvantage against three Body Integration Sword Cultivators. However, with the enhancement of the Seventh-Order Dao Sword, even facing one Body Integration Sword Cultivator could make me struggle to cope."
"The reason I failed this time was precisely because I faced three Body Integration Sword Cultivators holding Seventh-Order Dao Swords. Even if I used all my Moves, I was helpless. I had no choice but to desperately use the forbidden art - Demonic Descent, to ask you to descend part of your power. However, it was broken by Xuantian Sword Sect's Sect-guarding Divine Sword. If I hadn't left a wisp of Eternal Divine Sense here before going to Central Continent, I would probably have perished like Dana now!" Fearing that the Undying Demon God would misunderstand his incompetence, the Undying Demon Lord spoke voluminously, explaining in detail and clarifying Li Mu's abilities.
"A Transformation God cultivator who can refine Seventh-Order Dao Swords!"
After listening to the Undying Demon Lord's explanation, the black mist, which was the Undying Demon God, fell into a period of silence.
After a long while, it slowly spoke: "If that is the case, then this person is indeed the greatest enemy of our Demon Abyss. If this person continuously refines Dao Swords, even if the Seal between the Demon Abyss and the Spirit Realm is broken in the future and our army invades this Realm, they will still suffer losses because of him."
"Yes, Demon God, we must not let this person grow!"
The Undying Demon Lord spoke at the opportune moment: "Demon God, the most important thing right now is to find a way to eliminate this person. Although he is only a Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator, his existence will cause Xuantian Sword Sect's overall strength to continuously rise, and this will definitely have a huge impact on the future war situation."
The black Devilish Qi slowly receded, withdrawing into the black mist on the altar. After a long while, a voice emerged.
"I'll give you more time. You all must find a way to eliminate this threat. After you eliminate him, quickly occupy all the Seals and be sure to break the Seal between the two Realms as soon as possible!"
... (End of this chapter)
