Chapter 261: A Demon Venerable's Sigh

[ In the Deep Sea, amid a hazy mist, your "Mountain and Sea Realm" covered over a thousand li, locking down the space and isolating it from the outside. ]

[ The nearly thousand-zhang Void Whale Master was massive. Its sky-blue skin shimmered like stars, covered in complex, mysterious void Dao patterns that faintly merged with space itself. ]

[ But right now, this Void Whale Master was in a wretched state. A terrifying sword gash stretched across nearly half its body, almost cleaving it in two. ]

[ A tiny figure clung desperately to the Void Whale Master's body. Mountainous power erupted from this small frame, firmly holding the massive beast back. ]

[ "Heavenly Monarch Qingcang!" ]

[ The Void Whale Master roared in fury. Power capable of raising ten-thousand-zhang waves gathered, but in the next moment, another sword light slashed down. ]

[ "What are you trying to do?" ]

[ The Void Whale Master could only defend with all its might. Its Kunpeng bloodline power boiled, connecting to the boundless foundation of the Deep Sea. As it blocked the attacks, it also rapidly healed its wounds. ]

[ A chill ran through the Void Whale Master's heart. It suddenly realized that these four human Heavenly Monarchs had come fully prepared. ]

[ They had used the opportunity of Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan hosting the Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony to gather at Heavenly Sword Peak. Then, using the peak's unique properties to blur their aura signatures, they had lured it into lowering its guard. ]

[ If the auras of the four human Heavenly Monarchs had suddenly vanished or gathered in one place at any other time, this Deep Sea overlord would have definitely been on guard. ]

[ "Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan!" ] [ The Void Whale Master cast its gaze high into the sky. Its current passive state wasn't primarily due to Heavenly Monarch Qingcang holding it back—that was only a secondary factor. ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Qingcang could only slightly restrict its movements at best. The primary suppression came from the "Mountain and Sea Realm" bearing down from all directions. ]

[ Under the suppression of the "Mountain and Sea Realm", the Void Whale Master was severely limited in its use of spatial power, and even its overall strength was stifled. ]

[ If not for the "Mountain and Sea Realm", the Void Whale Master would have been confident in escaping. The Kunpeng bloodline in its body allowed it to maximize its spatial power, enabling it to flee hundreds of thousands of li in an instant and vanish into the Deep Sea. ]

[ "When stimulated, its Kunpeng bloodline connects to the foundation of the Deep Sea. We just need to drag this out a little longer until this whale master exhausts its strength." ]

[ "Right. It's not a true spirit Kunpeng, so its bloodline power is limited. At its current rate of exertion, holding out a bit longer should be enough." ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo stood there, boundless Buddhist light constantly condensing into Buddhist seals that bombarded the Void Whale Master. With every seal that struck, the aura of this Rank 5 true spirit descendant weakened by a fraction. ]

[ On the other side, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang, still clinging desperately to the Void Whale Master, did his utmost to pin it down. ]

[ These two Heavenly Monarchs conversed as they attacked. ]

[ "Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan..." ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo glanced up at the clouds, his heart still churning. ]

[ A decade or two ago, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword had approached him, asking him to help wipe out a Demon Abyss Realm stronghold in the Human Realm. ] [ Heavenly Monarch Miduo had naturally agreed at once, but he also realized that this Demon Abyss Realm stronghold was likely far from simple; otherwise, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword would have wiped it out alone. ]

[ Seeking him out meant that Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword lacked the confidence to do it alone. ]

[ It wasn't until a few months ago, during Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan's Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony, that he went to Heavenly Sword Peak and met with Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword and Heavenly Monarch Qingyuan. ]

[ Only then did he learn the location of that Demon Abyss Realm stronghold. ]

[ It was in the Deep Sea, and that Void Whale Master had likely already defected to the Demon Abyss Realm. ]

[ Before wiping out the Demon Abyss Realm stronghold, they first had to deal with this Void Whale Master. ]

[ Originally, Heavenly Monarch Miduo had no confidence at all. If that ruler of the Deep Sea were so easy to kill, it wouldn't have roamed freely until now. ]

[ But since this matter was driven by Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword and stood entirely on the side of the Human Realm, he had to try, no matter how slim the hope. ]

[ Yet the moment they struck, Heavenly Monarch Miduo realized the Void Whale Master was far easier to handle than he had imagined. ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo instantly understood that your "Mountain and Sea Realm" was inflicting a terrifying suppression on the beast. ]

[ This suppression almost exceeded the limits of the Deity Transformation Early Stage. Otherwise, given the Void Whale Master's strength, it could have easily broken free. ]

[ "To possess such strength right after entering the Deity Transformation Stage... what exactly is his relationship with the Sword Lord?" ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo was intensely curious. His memories encompassed generations of predecessors, the oldest of whom hailed from over a hundred thousand years ago. ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo retained memories relating to the Sword Lord, but they were too ancient. Passed down through generation after generation, they had become rather blurry. ]

...

[ Compared to Heavenly Monarch Miduo, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was both delighted and shocked. ]

[ He was delighted that the Void Whale Master was suppressed to such a degree, meaning their chances of killing it completely were high. ]

[ Once the Void Whale Master died, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's punishment upon the Extreme Dao Pavilion would be lessened. ]

[ He was shocked that you, a Heavenly Monarch who had just broken through to the Deity Transformation Stage, possessed such terrifying strength—almost no weaker than Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword, who commanded the foundation of the Heavenly Sword. ]

[ As a body cultivation Heavenly Monarch, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang could naturally sense that the Void Whale Master's primary strength was focused on resisting the omnipresent pressure of the "Mountain and Sea Realm" and the successive sword beams unleashed by Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword. ]

[ The threat posed by him and Heavenly Monarch Miduo was something the Void Whale Master could easily handle. ]

[ "Thank goodness I agreed to Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's demands. Otherwise, for the rest of my life, the moment I dared to step outside..." ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Qingcang steadied his nerves. Under the combined assault of you and Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword, even the Void Whale Master was struggling this much, to say nothing of himself. Heavenly Monarch Qingcang had a feeling that even if he hid inside the Extreme Dao Pavilion, it was uncertain whether he could hold out against the two of you joining forces. ]

...

[ You stood firmly above the clouds, using the "Mountain and Sea Realm" to seal off the Void Whale Master's retreat while continuously suppressing this Rank 5 true spirit descendant. ]

[ Right now, this Void Whale Master had fully activated its Kunpeng bloodline and would be very difficult to kill in the short term. However, once its bloodline power ran dry, it would be easy to finish off. ]

[ You were in no rush. ]

[ This joint siege to kill the Void Whale Master was, of course, entirely your design. ]

[ Heavenly Monarchs could roughly sense each other's status and aura signatures, provided the other party actively revealed them. ]

[ Under normal circumstances, the five Heavenly Monarchs of the Human Realm would actively reveal their auras to express their sincerity. ]

[ This allowed the other Heavenly Monarchs some peace of mind. ]

[ Otherwise, no Heavenly Monarch would dare enter a deep slumber. This was especially true for the Void Whale Master, the only foreign Heavenly Monarch among the five. Without sensing the auras of the other four, it probably wouldn't even dare to sleep. ]

[ During this Deity Transformation Grand Ceremony, however, you had the other three Heavenly Monarchs cast a secret art to conceal their auras. At the same time, you had each of them leave a wisp of their aura behind, creating the illusion that they were still at Heavenly Sword Peak. ]

[ A Heavenly Monarch's aura was incredibly difficult to forge. Even if a Heavenly Monarch deliberately left a sliver of their own aura behind, it would still appear hazy and indistinct to the senses of other Heavenly Monarchs. ]

[ But right now, the auras of the four Heavenly Monarchs were at Heavenly Sword Peak. ] [ Heavenly Sword Peak was unique in itself. As the inheritance ground of the Sword Lord, it was suppressed by the Heavenly Sword and further bolstered by a Rank 5 grand formation. Even someone as exalted as a Heavenly Monarch would have their aura suppressed and blurred by the Heavenly Sword while on the peak, making the hazy auras entirely plausible. ]

[ This was exactly why the Void Whale Master had not been on guard. It simply assumed the four human Heavenly Monarchs were celebrating at Heavenly Sword Peak. Even if something did happen, it would be an internal human matter and none of its business. ]

[ Of course, the Void Whale Master's dismissal of the situation also stemmed from absolute confidence in its own strength. In the Deep Sea, it could connect to the origin of the sea itself. Even Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword couldn't kill it instantly, and as long as it had time to react, no one in the entire Human Realm could force it to stay. ]

[ "If I can't win, can't I still run?" ]

...

[ "That should be about enough. Its Kunpeng bloodline power is exhausted, and it's about to be disconnected from the origin of the Deep Sea." ]

[ You looked down at the battlefield from afar. The nearly thousand-zhang Void Whale Master's body, covered in mysterious void Dao patterns, had grown noticeably dimmer. The nourishment from the Deep Sea was rapidly decreasing. ]

[ "Now!" ]

[ An illusory seven-chi longsword coalesced in Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's hand, and he solemnly slashed out. ]

[ Space split open soundlessly as a dark, profound sword light flashed past. ]

[ "Roar!!!" ]

[ The Void Whale Master let out an earth-shattering roar. Layers of blood mist erupted around it, and its massive frame rapidly shrank. In the blink of an eye, it condensed from nearly a thousand zhang to a mere seven or eight zhang in size. ]

[ Shrinking a hundredfold prevented the Void Whale Master from unleashing its full strength, but simultaneously granted it a massive boost in agility and speed. ]

[ "Ten Thousand Buddhas Returning to the Source." ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo said softly. Boundless Buddhist light gathered, forming a giant Buddha statue that pressed down on the seven-or-eight-zhang Void Whale Master. ]

[ "Break!" ]

[ The blood mist on the Void Whale Master's surface boiled. With a light flick of its tail, space rippled, and the giant Buddha statue shattered. ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Miduo stumbled back several steps, his face turning pale. ]

[ "Trying to run? Stay put." ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was risking his life as well, holding onto the Void Whale Master's tail in a death grip. Back when the beast was nearly a thousand zhang long, Heavenly Monarch Qingcang had been inconspicuous, like a speck of dust. ]

[ But now, against the seven-or-eight-zhang Void Whale Master, the pressure Heavenly Monarch Qingcang bore had sharply intensified. ]

[ "Stop it!" ]

[ The sword-shaped brand on Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's forehead almost condensed into physical form, as did the illusory seven-chi longsword in his hand. Slowly, he slashed his sword down. ]

[ "Get lost!" ]

[ The Void Whale Master's mind trembled. With its Kunpeng bloodline power exhausted and its connection to the Deep Sea severed, it knew it couldn't block Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's strike. ]

[ However, the omnipresent pressure from all directions, combined with Heavenly Monarch Qingcang stubbornly clinging to its tail, made it impossible for the beast to dodge. ]

[ The Void Whale Master gathered the last dregs of its Kunpeng bloodline power into its tail and whipped it violently. ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Qingcang was sent flying, crashing into the distance like a meteor. The surging Kunpeng power tangled around him, hitting the body cultivation Heavenly Monarch like a bolt of lightning and drastically weakening his aura. ]

[ Yet, thanks to Heavenly Monarch Qingcang's interference, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword's slash finally fell. ]

[ Hum— ]

[ A streak of sword light arrived in an instant. The Void Whale Master's body jolted violently. A sword line appeared from its brow straight down to its tail, and then it snapped apart, split cleanly into two halves. ]

[ As the seven-or-eight-zhang corpse fell, it rapidly expanded, reverting to its near-thousand-zhang size, and the two halves plunged into the Deep Sea. ]

[ Splash— ]

[ A fist-sized, deep-blue demon core flew out. It was precisely the Void Whale Master's Rank 5 demon core. ]

[ Having lost the protection of its physical body, the Void Whale Master could only pin its hopes on its demon core to escape. ]

[ The deep-blue demon core warped space. In the blink of an eye, it breached the boundary of the "Mountain and Sea Realm" and fled outward. ]

[ Suddenly— ]

[ A figure clad in green robes appeared out of nowhere ahead of the deep-blue demon core. ]

[ "I've been waiting for you." ]

[ You raised your right hand. Space continuously compressed and fused in your palm as you grabbed the deep-sea demon core. ]

[ "No—" ]

[ The Void Whale Master's soul let out a final, furious roar before its consciousness rapidly plunged, completely sinking into darkness. ]

...

[ In the distance, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword saw this and breathed a slight sigh of relief. ]

[ Even without its physical body, and even if it could never return to its peak state, the Void Whale Master would have remained a hidden threat. ]

[ "Hm?" ]

[ You sealed the Void Whale Master's Rank 5 demon core, your expression changing slightly. ]

[ You snapped your gaze toward the darkest depths of the Deep Sea. ] [ Down there, a profound demonic qi was faintly surging. ]

[ "Let's go!" ]

[ Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword reached out and collected the two halves of the Void Whale Master's corpse. For this Rank 5 true spirit descendant, the most valuable part was its demon core, followed closely by its flesh. ]

[ Every single piece of flesh from that thousand-zhang body was a supreme treasure to human cultivators. ]

[ Whoosh— ]

[ Before long, you, Heavenly Monarch Extreme Sword, and Heavenly Monarch Miduo arrived at the end of the Deep Sea. ]

[ A massive island, ten thousand li across, stood in the distance. At its center stretched a jagged spatial rift. ]

[ Right now, the edges of the spatial rift were constantly crumbling, causing its size and depth to expand rapidly. ]

[ Beneath the rift stood a green-faced, fanged figure. His expression was grim. He pressed a hand against the spatial rift, slowly tearing at its edges. ]

[ "Die." ]

[ The moment you laid eyes on the green-faced, fanged figure, your soul attack struck in an instant. ]

[ Bolstered by Indomitable Will, Surpassing Oneself by Half a Move, and a devoured wisp of origin demonic thought from an Outer Domain Heavenly Demon, your soul had already reached the Deity Transformation Middle Stage Peak. Coupled with the innate talent 'Natural Enemy of Demonic Cultivators'... ]

[ When this soul attack landed on the green-faced, fanged figure, it underwent a qualitative transformation, faintly stepping half a foot into the Deity Transformation Late Stage. ]

[ "A soul attack of this caliber... how could the Human Realm possibly..." ]

[ The green-faced, fanged figure had originally thought he could hold out for a while. If he erupted with all his might regardless of the cost, his strength was no weaker than a Deity Transformation Middle Stage Heavenly Monarch. ]

[ But under this soul attack, the figure only felt his consciousness rapidly plummeting into darkness. An instant later, he collapsed to the ground. ]

[ You appeared at the center of the giant island, raising a hand to seal the green-faced, fanged figure. You then turned your gaze to the spatial rift stretching in front of you. ]

[ "Seal it!" ]

[ You immediately began sealing the slowly expanding spatial rift. ]

[ The Sword Lord and Heavenly Monarch Miduo struck at the same time. Three streams of Heavenly Monarch-level power transformed into an ultimate sealing force, suppressing the spatial rift's expansion. ]

[ Right at that moment. ]

[ "Sigh—" ]

[ A sigh suddenly rang out. It was indistinct, as if drifting over from another time and space, yet it whipped up massive waves across the heaven and earth of the Human Realm. ]