On a mountain peak shrouded in clouds and mist.
Inside the grand hall of Xuantiān Sect.
A group of elders and disciples surrounded a pale-faced middle-aged man.
"That purple-robed demon is far too arrogant! He actually dared to charge straight into our Xuantiān Sect and seriously wound the Sect Master with a single sword while he was off guard!"
A white-robed disciple spoke indignantly.
"Sigh… it was my own carelessness," the pale-faced middle-aged man shook his head.
"If I hadn't slipped up, that purple-robed demon would never have left alive."
"Our Xuantiān Sect is one of the top three sects in Nanjue, yet we've suffered such humiliation! If that purple-robed demon dares to return, I, Fang Haoqiong, swear to avenge this disgrace!"
"Relax. That purple-robed demon wouldn't dare come again. Last time, he merely took advantage of the fact that we were all cultivating and momentarily careless."
Inside the grand hall,
everyone was filled with rage.
From their words alone, it was as if they were ready to cut the purple-robed demon into a thousand pieces.
Just as the crowd continued their denunciations—
BOOM!
A sudden explosive sound rang out from outside the hall.
"Who goes there?!"
Everyone turned to look.
At some point unknown to them,
a figure was already standing quietly within the grand hall.
This figure wore a long purple robe and an evil-ghost mask, radiating icy killing intent.
"P–Purple-robed demon?!"
When everyone recognized that eerily familiar figure,
they were instantly dumbstruck.
No one had expected that, just moments after discussing how to deal with the purple-robed demon—
the very subject of their discussion
would be standing right before them.
"Purple-robed demon!"
"How dare you! You still dare trespass into our Xuantiān Sect?!"
"Last time, you only succeeded because our elders and disciples were absent!"
"This time, you'll never leave alive!"
"Elders! Disciples! Attack—kill her!!!"
Although the Xuantiān Sect Master's face was pale, his momentum was imposing as he raised his hand, signaling everyone to charge together.
However—
in the very next moment,
one of the disciples who had been shouting the loudest scratched his head.
"Uh… Sect Master, I just remembered I still haven't mastered a new technique today. I'll… head back first."
"Oh right! I haven't cultivated my technique yet either. I should go."
"Ah, my memory—today is my lecture day!"
An elder slapped his forehead and hurriedly left.
"..."
"Incredibly sleepy."
In an instant,
the disciples and elders who had been so righteous moments ago
all seemed to remember urgent matters, leaving one after another.
The Xuantiān Sect Master was both shocked and furious.
"You—! You all come back here!"
"It's just one purple-robed demon! We have hundreds of elders and disciples—what is there to fear?!"
But no matter what the Sect Master said,
not a single person was willing to stay.
"Senior Brother Tang! You're the Grand Elder of Xuantiān Sect!
Even you want to leave?!"
The Sect Master grabbed an elderly, gray-haired elder, grinding his teeth.
The Grand Elder paused.
He cautiously lifted his head and glanced at the purple-robed demon standing in the hall.
Seeing that she hadn't moved, he finally dared to speak softly.
"Junior Brother… it's not that I don't want to help you. Even if our founding ancestor were here, that one would finish him in two moves."
"You should endure a bit more hardship—for the sake of the sect—and take one more strike."
"I've asked around. As long as you endure a single attack, that one won't strike again."
"Whatever you do, don't resist. At best, your cultivation will be crippled; at worst, you'll lose your life!"
With a look that said I've said all I can, the Grand Elder sighed, yet his movements were swift.
He forcefully pulled his arm free from the Sect Master's grip and hurriedly fled.
However—
at that very moment,
the purple-robed masked figure, who had remained motionless all this time, finally moved.
A short sword floated into the air
and suddenly shot straight toward Elder Tang.
Although the Grand Elder was desperate to escape,
most of his attention had remained fixed on the purple-robed demon.
He noticed her movement immediately.
Horrified, he hurriedly unleashed his strongest sword technique.
Clang!
A clear metallic ring echoed.
The Grand Elder was blasted backward several steps, blood surging in his chest as a trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
"Why… why attack me?!"
He looked at the purple-robed demon in despair.
The purple-robed masked figure said nothing.
She casually waved her hand again—
several flying swords shot forth.
In an instant,
razor-sharp sword qi filled the grand hall.
The Xuantiān Sect Master and the Grand Elder
failed to last even two breaths before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
Those disciples who hadn't escaped in time
were so terrified they collapsed on the spot.
In the next moment—
a fierce storm of baleful aura swept through the entire hall.
When the baleful aura dissipated,
the purple-robed masked figure,
along with the Xuantiān Sect Master and the Grand Elder,
were all gone without a trace.
…
Nanjue.
Inside a tavern.
"Have you heard? That purple-robed demon has caused another huge disturbance!"
"You mean what happened the day before yesterday? When the Xuantiān Sect Master and Grand Elder were abducted right inside their own sect?"
"That's already old news. It's not just Xuantiān Sect anymore—Lie Wind Hall, Refining God Mountain, Heavenly Origin Palace… people from all these sects have been taken!"
"What?! That many?!"
"That purple-robed demon has a clear pattern—she only abducts experts above the Heavenly Freedom Realm."
"In just the last two days, seven or eight Heavenly Freedom Realm powerhouses have been taken—and all directly from their own sects, right under everyone's noses!"
"That's insane! She used to just challenge experts—why is she abducting them now?"
"I heard people guessing that the purple-robed demon plans to refine these experts into human pills to cultivate demonic arts!"
"Hiss… that's terrifying!"
"..."
At this moment,
almost every corner of Nanjue
was discussing the purple-robed demon's abductions.
The entire Nanjue martial world was thrown into upheaval,
and panic spread everywhere.
Sects and clans shut their gates one after another.
Some sect masters and elders even fled Nanjue overnight.
Ironically—
it was the small, obscure sects
that began expanding rapidly while the major sects dared not show themselves.
Now, everyone in Nanjue understood one thing clearly:
The purple-robed demon
was only interested in experts at the Heavenly Freedom Realm and above.
Such realms were usually only attained by sect masters or elders of top-tier factions.
Ordinary small sects,
whose strongest members were at most at the Free Earth Realm,
had nothing to fear at all.