The abyss trembled under the weight of power.
Golden sword light and demonic mists clashed in the air, splitting the sky like the world's own heartbeat.
The three saints — the Grand Elder of the Devil Sect, the Second Patriarch of the Blood Sect, and Ouyang Zhan, Patriarch of the Ouyang Family — stood facing the newcomers. Their expressions were grim, but not without caution.
Across from them hovered Lin Feng's Master, his robes fluttering without wind. The Duan, Jiang, and Martial Sect, sword sovereign sect Patriarchs stood beside him — each radiating power that could crush mountains.
Below them, Lin Feng stood bloodied but unbowed, his cracked sword still in hand. The glow of his divine aura flickered faintly around him, like the last flame before dawn.
The Grand Elder's eyes narrowed. "So the Sovereign finally shows his face. I wondered how long you'd hide behind your disciples!
Lin Feng's master gaze was cold, sharp as heaven's edge.
"You dare ambush my disciple in the lands of the Eastern Continent. You've overstepped, Demon."
A dark chuckle escaped the Grand Elder. "Overstepped? This world belongs to strength. The boy slaughtered my sect's armies, butchered half our saints-in-training. If we do not answer, what face do we have left?"
Duan Patriarch stepped forward, his beard trembling with fury. "Answer? You ambush a single youth with three saints! You're not answering — you're begging for extinction!"
The air rippled with tension, qi currents surging like tidal waves.
The Second Patriarch of the Blood Sect sneered, his crimson eyes flickering. "You talk of extinction, yet your forces bleed in every border we touch. Even now, your cities crumble. The alliance of light is but a flickering lamp in a storm."
"Then strike," said Lin Feng master. His hand rested lightly on his blade. "If you crave death so eagerly."
For a moment, no one breathed. The abyss itself seemed to hold still.
The Grand Elder's demonic aura swelled — then abruptly receded. He turned slightly, eyes narrowing. "Not today."
The Ouyang Patriarch frowned. "What?"
"This isn't the time for full-scale war," the Grand Elder said quietly, his tone sharp and calculating. "The realm's equilibrium still binds us. Too much power here and the barrier will react. You know the consequences."
Even the Blood Patriarch's eyes flickered — a hint of fear beneath the madness.
The Barrier of Realms — if broken prematurely, would draw the attention of true Saints from the Higher Realm. None of them wished to face such entities yet.
Lin Feng master lowered his sword slowly, though his aura remained razor-sharp. "So the cowards run with their tails between their legs."
The Grand Elder's expression turned into a cold smile.
"Enjoy your victory, Sovereign. Your disciple's luck saved him today — but next time, I will take his divine core and feed it to the Abyss Monarch's remnant myself."
He waved his hand. The demonic mists recoiled, forming a vortex behind him.
The Blood Patriarch gave a final sneer and vanished into the red mist, while Ouyang Zhan's eyes lingered on Lin Feng — cold, full of hate.
"This isn't over, boy. When you ascend, the Higher Realm won't protect you."
Then they were gone — their auras fading into the void like phantoms.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Only the faint rumble of collapsing rock filled the abyss.
Lin Feng exhaled slowly, forcing himself upright. His hands shook, blood dripping from his knuckles.
"Master…" he began, but his voice cracked.
His master appeared beside him in a flash of light, steadying him by the shoulder. "You did well, Lin Feng."
"I… nearly lost," Lin Feng muttered bitterly.
Lin Feng master smiled faintly. "Nearly losing and dying are not the same. You lived — and that means your sword still has work to do."
Yang Busi and Sun Mei stumbled over, battered but alive. Li Quexin approached silently, supporting them both. Her eyes lingered on Lin Feng — relief, admiration, and worry tangled together.
Duan Patriarch crossed his arms. "Their retreat buys us time, but not much. The Devil Sect and Ouyang Family won't stay quiet long."
Jiang Patriarch nodded grimly. "We must fortify the borders and rally the remaining sects. If another saint descends, we might not hold.
Lin Feng's master turned to them all. "We'll prepare. For now, tend to your wounded. I'll report this to the Alliance Council. The storm hasn't passed — it's only shifting."
As the allied patriarchs dispersed, Lin Feng stared into the dark abyss below.
The air still stank of blood and sulfur. His cracked sword gleamed faintly in the dying light.
He whispered to himself, "One day… when I stand beyond this realm… none of them will ever threaten my people again."
His master turned, hearing him. "Then ascend, Lin Feng. Grow strong enough that no shadow dares follow you."
Lin Feng nodded slowly. His gaze hardened, like tempered steel.
The abyss closed behind them as they left — its echoes fading, but its threat lingering.
Far away, in the unseen corners of the world, dark eyes watched through demonic mirrors.
The Grand Elder sat upon his throne of bone, whispering into the void,
"Enjoy your peace, When your disciple ascends, the heavens themselves will fall into chaos."