The exit of the Myriad Tribulations Sword Tomb was now guarded by the 'Heavenly Gang Demon-Sealing Array', a powerful formation erected by thousands of righteous cultivators, which imprisoned the once continuous snow-capped mountains.
Golden rune chains stretched across the void, completely sealing off the exit. 'This wicked creature has been inside the tomb for ten days. Even if it's not dead, it will surely be pierced through the heart by ten thousand swords.' 'Pass down the order: once the demonic energy overflows, immediately activate the array and reduce it to ashes!'
However, just as the elders of the various sects in the Northern Territory were discussing this, a faint, muffled cracking sound came from deep within the earth. Rather than exploding as expected, the once indestructible Myriad Tribulations Stone Gate seemed to have been corroded by some force, silently turning into dust.
From the swirling ashes, a figure slowly emerged.
Xiao Wuchen's black hair cascaded down his shoulders. In his withered hands was no longer the ordinary Life and Death Sword, but the Great Sin Demon Sword fused with the 'Nine Netherworld Tribulation Sword Embryo', crackling with eerie purple lightning.
He murmured softly, 'Flowers bloom...' His voice was hoarse, like two rusty iron plates rubbing against each other. Xiao Wuchen's sword technique was once called 'Flowers Bloom to Reveal the Buddha', chilling yet conveying a mortal's yearning for the afterlife. However, having experienced self-inflicted wounds, the rebuilding of his demonic core and the bloodshed of his remnant soul, this sword intent had utterly collapsed within his consciousness, only to be reconstituted within his withered demonic bones.
[Ding! Sword Intent Evolution Judgment:]
Original Sword Intent: 'Flowers Bloom to Reveal the Buddha' (Between life and death, a glimmer of hope remains)
New Sword Intent: 'Blood Stains the Yellow Springs' (absolute death; all things are buried).
Realm Judgement: Transcending the limits of mortals and officially entering the Demon Sword Core Formation Realm (Great Perfection)!
'If I cannot obtain what I seek before the Buddha, then... I will send the Buddha to the Yellow Springs!" A Supreme Elder of the Qingyang Sect roared, "Great Formation, activate!" Golden chains, like raging dragons, lashed out at Xiao Wuchen.
Xiao Wuchen raised his eyes slightly, his body remaining still as he traced a line in the air with his demonic sword.
'Bloodstained Yellow Springs, First Form: The Blooming of the Other Shore Flowers."
The golden chains, which had been suspended in the air, suddenly sprouted dark red Other Shore Flowers in response to this sword technique. These flowers were formed from condensed blood energy. The moment the flowers bloomed, the spiritual energy that constituted the great formation was instantly drained and the golden pillars of light shattered, turning into a rain of blood.
"Ah—!" Screams instantly filled the air. Disciples of the Foundation Establishment with weaker cultivation didn't even have a chance to escape before their lifespans were drained by the blood-red flowers, turning them into withered bones.
'You fiend! How dare you commit such an act of annihilation on the Eastern Wilderness!' Three Nascent Soul stage elders joined forces and unleashed their natal magic weapons. Three streams of azure light converged to form a gigantic azure hand which attempted to slam Xiao Wuchen down from the sky.
Xiao Wuchen stared coldly at the giant hand, covering the sky, and called it "Azure Heaven".
'Azure Heaven?' The Great Sin Demon Sword in his hand roared deafeningly, its demonic core spinning wildly and plundering all life within a ten-mile radius.
'Second move: Yellow Springs of No Life.'
A sword, imbued with the divine aura of the laws of destruction and glowing purple-black, arced through the air for a hundred feet before crashing head-on into the azure giant hand. 'Boom!' 'Azure Heaven' shattered. The magic weapons were destroyed and the Dao hearts of the three Nascent Soul elders were utterly shattered in the deathly stillness of this sword strike.
Blood dripped from the blade of the sword, burning small pits into the scorched earth.
Xiao Wuchen stood in the centre of the ruins, his black hair fluttering in the blood-soaked wind. He had completely shed his mortal aura; he was no longer a "defective product" seeking approval, but rather a demonic, immortal sword capable of dictating the rules of life and death.
[Ding! System mission updated: The host has officially achieved the Demonic Sword Core Formation; the mortal chapter has ended completely, and the main storyline of the cultivation chapter begins: 'Instant Demonic Ascension', 'establishing the Yellow Springs Demon Palace', and 'launching a rebellion against the Heavenly Gang Sect'!
Xiao Wuchen looked up at the distant, sprawling immortal sects and holy lands, his eyes filled with a calm yet utterly insane madness.
'Who's next?'
Outside the Sword Tomb of Ten Thousand Calamities, the wind and snow had been replaced by a dense blood-red mist. Within a ten-mile radius, the spiritual vein passages were littered with the severed limbs of three thousand righteous cultivators. Once the most abundant source of spiritual energy in the Northern Territory, this place, known as the "Dragon Head Plain", had now become a living hell.
Xiao Wuchen stood leaning on his sword, his dark hair concealing a pair of eyes that flashed with chilling ferocity. 'System, using this dragon vein as the foundation, activate the "Corpse Fiend Sealing Spirit Array".'
[Ding! Command confirmed! Three thousand cultivator corpses detected, containing rich spiritual essence and extreme resentment. Conditions for the 'Demon Palace Sacred Foundation' met! System red light mode overload: currently stripping away the pure spiritual energy of the veins and transforming it into the energy of the Nine Netherworlds!"
Xiao Wuchen suddenly plunged the Great Sin Demon Sword into the spring on Dragon Head Plain, instantly turning the once crystal-clear spiritual water black. The dragon vein groaned with a muffled roar that shook the entire Northern Territory, as though a colossal dragon were being forcibly skinned and dismembered and had unleashed its fury. Three thousand corpses floated eerily to the surface under the horrified gaze of the surrounding rogue cultivators.
In life, they were high-ranking elites and elders of their sects; in death, Xiao Wuchen transformed them into 'foundation stones' with his fingertips, each one radiating a sinister aura.
With the bones of Nascent Soul cultivators as pillars, they upheld immortal demonic might.
With the fire of the Golden Core as eternal lamps, they illuminated the eternal darkness.
With three thousand divine souls as array spirits, they wailed eternally, unable to find peace.
A dark, oppressive palace complex exuding utter silence rose from the gushing demonic spring. Three blood-red characters on the palace gate plaque pierced the heavens.
'Palace of the Yellow Springs'.
'The black-haired demon dared to found a sect on Dragon Head Plain and use the corpses of our fellow disciples to build his palace!'
This news spread like wildfire throughout the Eastern Wilderness within half a day. Even the second- and third-rate sects that had previously remained neutral began to feel uneasy. While the destruction of the Qingyang Sect might have been an accident, the blood sacrifice on Dragon Head Plain was an outright declaration of war.
This was not just murder, but the destruction of the foundation of the righteous path. A festering wound had been forcibly carved into the once 'pure' world of cultivation.
On top of the towering sacred mountain of the Heavenly Gang Sect, the Silent Flame Platform of the 'Righteous Path Alliance', which had been silent for millennia, suddenly erupted with a dazzling white light.
A young man wearing a silver-white robe and carrying the Seven Star Divine Sword slowly opened his eyes. His pupils held no emotion, only the "rules" and "heavenly principles" of the "Righteous Path Alliance".
'A change has occurred; this wicked creature must be punished!'
His voice resounded through the heavens. He was Ye Chen, the greatest genius the Eastern Wilderness had seen in ten thousand years. He was hailed as the 'Incarnation of the Heavenly Dao' and the 'Heavenly Saint Son'.
'Take my Demon-Slaying Sword! I will personally go to the Yellow Springs Palace to see just how much demonic energy that crippled creature truly possesses.' Deep within the palace, Xiao Wuchen sat alone on a throne made of countless white bones. He supported his head with one hand and rested the Great Sin Demon Sword horizontally on his knee. Beneath his feet, the once parched earth was now seeping forth inky demonic springs. This was because, after reforging his demonic core, his body was constantly absorbing the essence of this world.
[Ding! Yellow Springs Demon Palace Level: LV1.]
Current Deterrence Value: 9999+ (The Northern Border of the Eastern Wilderness is in a state of extreme panic).
[System prompt: The righteous 'Chosen One' is approaching. Host, please prepare for the first 'Destined Showdown'.' Xiao Wuchen slowly opened his eyes, his black hair moving despite the lack of wind.
'Holy Son? Mandate of Heaven?' He smiled contemptuously and lightly flicked the blade of his sword with his fingertip. 'What this crippled body of mine loves most is severing this so-called Mandate of Heaven.'