Chapter 353 ·The Old Man of Demonic Shadow

From a Martial Arts Sect to an Immortal Cultivation Sect

Countless black bats swept rapidly through the dim world, their combined shrieks deafening, startling the mountains and forests.

Under the watchful eyes of thousands of Clear Sky Sect disciples within the stronghold, the bats surged forward one after another, crashing into the sect’s defensive formation.

The mountains trembled, dust billowed, and the disciples inside the formation could all feel an immense impact force. They stared at the formation with tense expressions.

Wei Tianxiong took out the Clear Sky Token and issued orders, increasing the number of disciples maintaining the formation.

Just as the swarm of bats was about to tear open a gap, the formation suddenly burst with radiant light. The barrier visibly strengthened, and countless black bats exploded into blood mist—an extremely spectacular sight.

Yuan Li leapt into the air, exiting the formation and landing atop a mountain peak. Narrowing his gaze, he saw a massive force of Myriad Yin Sect cultivators approaching from the horizon, their momentum overwhelming.

Rolling demonic energy surged behind them, as if ready to devour heaven and earth.

More and more Clear Sky Sect disciples noticed the incoming enemy forces. Seeing such an imposing display, their expressions grew increasingly grim.

This battle carried more pressure than any before!

“Prepare for battle!”

Chu Jing’s voice echoed throughout the formation, heard by every disciple.

To prepare for this battle, they had long conducted drills—forming organized ranks and dividing into ten combat divisions. They would not remain passively inside the formation but would fight around the stronghold.

One after another, Clear Sky Sect disciples surged out from both flanks of the formation like a rain of arrows. Meanwhile, the black bats continued slamming into the formation between the two armies. Even though they could not break through, they showed no fear of death, like moths flying into flames.

In the distance—

Large numbers of Myriad Yin Sect cultivators advanced, standing on magic implements or riding mounts. There were even flying buildings, pagodas, and massive demon beasts as large as flood dragons twisting through the sky. Their momentum far surpassed that of an army of thousands.

Qi Changfeng, who was in charge of battling the Clear Sky Sect, was also present. His expression was so dark it seemed ready to drip water. This battle would determine his life or death. If he failed, the Myriad Yin Sect would not spare him—someone had to take responsibility.

He could only gamble that the elder of the main lineage would suppress the Clear Sky Sect.

From afar, he spotted Yuan Li. His eyes burned with fury.

Back then, when he had gone to Xiyu Immortal City for negotiations, Yuan Li had humiliated him with a single punch, stripping away all his dignity. Since then, he had been forced to take responsibility for this matter, sinking deeper and deeper into it. Every time he heard of Yuan Li’s achievements, he gritted his teeth in hatred.

“Today, you must die!” Qi Changfeng roared inwardly.

Dark clouds churned in the sky as the two sects, already entangled in war for a year, collided head-on. A full-scale war between immortal cultivation sects erupted!

Yuan Li took the lead, charging alone into the Myriad Yin Sect army. His fists moved like the wind—one punch could send over a dozen enemies flying. Even those who blocked with magic implements were blasted back, coughing blood, while those too close died on the spot.

In an instant, more than a hundred Myriad Yin Sect cultivators surrounded Yuan Li. They unleashed spells from afar, even using magic implements to restrict his movement.

Suspended in the air, Yuan Li was like a flood dragon—mere mortal restraints could not bind him. When spells and artifacts struck his body, he dispersed them directly with his blood energy, utterly domineering.

A bolt of lightning flashed past Yuan Li’s head—Xu Ning arrived with her sword, her target clearly Qi Changfeng.

After fighting for so long, the Clear Sky Sect had already identified the enemy’s commander.

Zhao Zhen, Ji Ya, Hu Yan, Sword Solitary, Zhang Ping, Bai Ning’er, and others all threw themselves into battle. From above, it was clear that the Myriad Yin Sect vastly outnumbered the Clear Sky Sect.

Yet when the two sides clashed, it did not become one-sided—instead, they reached a stalemate.

The Clear Sky Sect had geniuses, and so did the Myriad Yin Sect. Soon, there were Myriad Yin Sect cultivators capable of holding off dozens of Clear Sky Sect disciples alone.

Meanwhile, after giving a few instructions to Chu Jing, Wei Tianxiong also stepped out of the formation and joined the battle.

On the six mountains within the formation, the teleportation platforms operated continuously, bringing in a steady stream of Clear Sky Sect reinforcements. At the same time, lower-cultivation disciples were transporting spirit stones away from the area.

Far away at the Clear Sky Sect, Li Qingqiu also received the news and learned that the Spirit Mine stronghold had entered battle.

He did not take action—first, because he chose to trust the Sword Demon; second, because he was wary of any hidden contingencies from the Myriad Yin Sect.

After a year of conflict, both sides had gathered intelligence on each other.

Although Li Qingqiu did not intend to reinforce, he still stepped out of his cave dwelling and went to the mountain peak to await the outcome of the battle.

Outside the Taikun Mountain Range, beside the Xi River, two figures were heading toward the mountain range.

One old, one young.

The old man wore a simple gray robe. His figure was not tall, and his back was slightly hunched. In one hand, he held a wooden staff, its tip carved into a lifelike serpent head.

Beside him, the youth appeared around sixteen or seventeen years old, half a head taller than the old man. Handsome, with long hair tied high behind his head, he wore blue robes and carried a sword at his waist, exuding youthful vigor.

“Master, is it really necessary for you to personally come deal with a mere Clear Sky Sect?” the blue-robed youth asked, puzzled.

The gray-robed elder replied, “I’m simply curious about what the Clear Sky Sect is relying on, so I came to take a look. Although this land has long been ravaged by the Land of Demons and Devils, a thousand years ago it gave rise to the Supreme Sword Sect. Perhaps the Clear Sky Sect has inherited their legacy.”

This explanation satisfied the youth somewhat.

“Are you worried that Elder Jiuying might obtain the Supreme Sword Sect’s inheritance?” he asked curiously.

The gray-robed elder snorted. “Of course not. Though we don’t get along, I’m not that wary. After all, we are currently colleagues. It’s just that the soul of her grandson appeared under strange circumstances—I feel there is a greater scheme behind this. If the Myriad Yin Sect fails to take down the Clear Sky Sect in this battle, its reputation will be ruined. Even if we lose, I will personally destroy the Clear Sky Sect’s mountain gate to recover our honor.”

He was one of the three great cultivators of the Myriad Yin Sect, known in the cultivation world as the Old Man of Demonic Shadow.

The blue-robed youth was his youngest disciple, Chang Jie.

Having grown up under the Old Man of Demonic Shadow, Chang Jie had already reached the eighth layer of the Spirit Sense Realm. He was a renowned genius within the sect. He had originally intended to display his abilities in this mission against the Clear Sky Sect, but he hadn’t expected his master to accompany him.

Although his master’s presence ensured success, he felt displeased, as if his own opportunity had been hindered.

“Is reputation really that important?” Chang Jie asked resentfully.

Since childhood, the Old Man of Demonic Shadow had always spoken about reputation. His way of acting mirrored that of the Myriad Yin Sect—if their reputation was tarnished, they would destroy the opponent’s Dao lineage and plunder their resources.

Though Chang Jie was no saint, he despised such behavior.

The Old Man of Demonic Shadow gazed ahead, already seeing the outline of the Taikun Mountain Range. He said calmly, “Jie’er, reputation concerns everything. It can even avoid many troubles. If others fear you, they won’t dare scheme against you. This applies both to factions and individuals.”

Chang Jie sneered. “So you’re afraid I might fail and damage your reputation, aren’t you?”

Recently, Yuan Li’s fame had spread even within the Myriad Yin Sect. Chang Jie also wanted to challenge him, but he knew that if he lost, it would damage his master’s reputation.

The Old Man of Demonic Shadow fell silent and did not reply.

The more Chang Jie thought about it, the more frustrated he became.

The master and disciple continued forward in silence.

Because his master was present, Chang Jie felt there was no danger in this journey, allowing his thoughts to wander and his resentment to grow.

After about the time it took for one incense stick to burn, Chang Jie saw the magnificent Small Zhou Heavenly Net Formation.

“Eh? Such a small sect actually possesses such a powerful protective formation!”

Chang Jie exclaimed in amazement. The formation covered the entire Taikun Mountain Range—an awe-inspiring sight even for the Myriad Yin Sect.

Upon seeing it, the Old Man of Demonic Shadow frowned, a bad premonition rising in his heart.

Perhaps there was an even more terrifying existence behind the Clear Sky Sect—and the sect itself was merely a front!

Thinking this, he stopped. The serpent head atop his staff began spewing demonic energy, swirling around him.

“Jie’er, stay here. I will go ahead alone.”

The Old Man of Demonic Shadow rose into the air, turning his head slightly to instruct Chang Jie.

Hearing this, Chang Jie panicked. “Master, this is my—”

Boom——

A terrifying force tore through heaven and earth, striking the Old Man of Demonic Shadow at an unimaginable speed. His demonic energy scattered instantly. Before he could even react, he was blasted into a cloud of blood mist.

Blood splattered all over Chang Jie.

Chang Jie’s eyes widened as he froze in place, his mind blank.

Everything had happened too fast—so fast that even someone at the Spirit Sense Realm could not process it.

Only half of his master’s wooden staff remained, falling before him.

The world in his vision began to shake violently. His heartbeat thundered in his ears like war drums. Fear surged like a tide, swallowing his heart.

His master… was dead?

Dead!

His body stiffened. First, he looked toward the direction from which the terrifying force had come—but there was no trace of his master. Then he slowly turned back toward the Taikun Mountain Range.

He saw nothing—only a clear mark across the sky, as if left behind by some overwhelming power.

The extreme fear made it hard for him to breathe.

His master was a great cultivator of the Heaven-Connecting Radiance Realm… yet he had been annihilated in an instant…

Forcing himself to move, Chang Jie suppressed his fear and tried to flee in the direction he came from.

But just as he turned around, a hand landed on his shoulder.

That single touch nearly made his heart leap out of his throat, freezing him in place.

“Did I allow you to leave?”

A calm voice entered his ears.

Behind him stood a figure—Li Qingqiu.

Li Qingqiu’s face was right behind Chang Jie’s head. Chang Jie’s face was filled with despair and terror, sweat pouring down his forehead, while Li Qingqiu remained calm and composed.

The stark contrast between their expressions was striking.