Haoqing Sect Trampled; Shocks Across the Immortal Dao and the Yuan World!

"What? The grand array is broken..." Every cultivator of Haoqing Sect could only watch helplessly as the immense mountain-guarding array shattered in an instant. With the barrier destroyed, Haoqing Sect stood wide open, shorn of all defense. *Pfft.* The cultivators anchoring the formation went pale as parchment, coughing up mouthfuls of fresh blood. Clearly, the violent rupture of the grand array had rebounded upon them. Of course, such minor backlash amounted to almost nothing. What truly mattered was not their injuries, but the undeniable fact that the protective array had fallen. The Deity Transformation Forefathers felt their hearts shudder violently! Gazing at the colossal palm hanging in the sky, they could hardly believe their eyes. In stark contrast to the despair of Haoqing Sect's cultivators, the members of Divine Sword Villa were ecstatic. They had finally cracked Haoqing Sect's turtle shell. Years ago, Divine Sword Villa had arrived in the Yuan World brimming with high spirits. They had even wiped out an immortal sect back then. Just as they had prepared to display their full might, however, they crossed paths with Haoqing Sect. A great war ensued. Divine Sword Villa had lost an Earth Saint in the clash—a testament to how brutal the struggle had been. That single defeat had cost them dearly, ruthlessly derailing all their grand ambitions. For years afterward, Divine Sword Villa had made no progress whatsoever in the Yuan World, all because of their confrontation with Haoqing Sect. And now, Haoqing Sect's mountain-guarding array was broken. Divine Sword Villa finally had the chance to wipe away their past disgrace. "Kill!" "So Haoqing Sect has a day like this as well!" "Old Ghost Xuanlin, you were the one who struck down our Divine Sword Villa's Earth Saint back then. Come out and face death!" One after another, Divine Sword Villa's eight Earth Saints manifested their Earth Saint Dao bodies. Like fiendgods blotting out the sun and sky, their immense forms spanned the firmament. Their colossal silhouettes looked down upon Haoqing Sect below, as though poised to wipe every last person out of existence. "The sect is in crisis! This is a matter of life and death! Strike the bell nine times!" "Elders and disciples alike, whether in ordinary seclusion or life-or-death seclusion, must all emerge!" "Haoqing Sect's million-year legacy cannot be ruined at our hands!" "Slay the evil demons! Protect the lineage!" The resounding voice of a Deity Transformation Forefather thundered across all of Haoqing Sect. Every martial artist of Divine Sword Villa was branded an "evil demon" in the eyes of Haoqing Sect. Now driven to an irreconcilable impasse, they were prepared to stake everything on preserving their lineage. Lu Changsheng observed the scene unfolding before him. With a heritage spanning a million years, Haoqing Sect possessed immense foundation and depth, and countless cultivators were fiercely loyal to it. Moreover, cultivators could not be converted into blood scions. This battle was destined to be a bitter fight to the death. There was no room for luck. Since that was the case, Lu Changsheng resolved to go all out, holding nothing back. "Extinction Bell!" One of the Deity Transformation Forefathers directly summoned Haoqing Sect's supreme sect-protecting treasure. It was an ancient, unadorned black bell. *Clang...* The melodious toll reverberated across the void, booming into everyone's ears. Yet the moment the chime rang out, a faint, invisible ripple seemed to wash over all present. "What is this...?" Many shuddered. Then, to their horror, they discovered their bodies could not move. It was as though their forms were firmly shackled in place. Only the Martial Saints fared slightly better, yet even they felt bogged down as if wading through a swamp, struggling with every step. Even the Earth Saints were affected! The Earth Saints' Dao bodies felt as though weighed down by thousands of jin, bearing crushing pressure from all directions. This pressure clearly restricted their Dao bodies. "What is this treasure?!" "It can actually restrain our Earth Saint Dao bodies!" "A sect-protecting treasure! That's Haoqing Sect's Extinction Bell! Rumor has it that once this bell appears, it can suppress and extinguish all things!" "We can see the suppression, but where is the extinction?" No sooner had the words left the lips of Divine Sword Villa's fighters than a Martial Saint began to tremble violently. "I... my body is disintegrating." "Save me..." That Martial Saint could hardly believe his eyes, raw terror surfacing in his gaze. He was a genuine Martial Saint. Yet his saint body was unraveling bit by bit, scattering into the air like sand on the wind. In just a brief moment, the Martial Saint perished, reduced completely to ash. There were no earth-shattering phenomena. Just like a silent rain moistening the earth, it quietly reduced an esteemed Martial Saint to dust. A shudder ran through the members of Divine Sword Villa. Understanding dawned on them in an instant. "It's that Extinction Bell!" "When the bell tolls, all things are extinguished! How could there be such a terrifying magic treasure?" "Quick, destroy the Extinction Bell!" The eight Earth Saints attacked one after another, trying to shatter the bell. However, their Earth Saint Dao bodies were already impaired. Their movements were sluggish. The Extinction Bell could shift between large and small forms, relocating at will. Its sole drawback was perhaps the immense toll it took to activate. Furthermore, while it hindered Earth Saints, it was not fatal to them. Yet against anyone beneath an Earth Saint, it was sheer slaughter. Even Martial Saints were thoroughly obliterated by its power. Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes slightly. "A decent magic treasure." "A pity, though..." His voice was placid. He had heard the tolling of the Extinction Bell as well, and had sensed that invisible ripple. Yet that was all. The bell's impact on him was negligible. Lu Changsheng's Earth Saint Dao body was practically the mightiest of its kind. He was invincible among Earth Saints! What could the Extinction Bell possibly do against him? Lu Changsheng threw a punch. It was merely an ordinary strike. Yet unleashed through his Earth Saint Dao body, it was utterly transformed. As if heaven and earth were splitting apart, terrifying power crashed squarely onto the Extinction Bell. *Crack.* In a single instant, dense fissures spread across the bell's surface. "My Extinction Bell...!" The Haoqing Sect Forefather's eyes turned bloodshot. This was their sacred sect-protecting treasure! To think it had been cracked open by Lu Changsheng with a single blow! "Evil fiend, I will see you dead!" Driven to the peak of fury, the Forefather broke away from the battlefield and cast a secret technique without regard for the cost. *Hum.* A flash of dark light streaked through the air. It was a flying sword. The blade was extraordinarily miraculous, its speed pushed to the absolute extreme. Vanishing and reappearing in an eye-blink, it arrived right before Lu Changsheng, stabbing savagely into his Earth Saint Dao body. And then... Lu Changsheng lowered his gaze. He looked down at the flying sword. The weapon had struck his Earth Saint Dao body dead-on, yet his body remained entirely unscathed. Instead, the sword was bounced straight back. "Is that all?" Lu Changsheng shook his head. These Deity Transformation cultivators were far too weak. Spells, arrays, magic treasures—none of them posed the slightest threat to him. Without him even realizing when it began, Lu Changsheng had grown to look down upon all living beings. No Earth Saint could threaten him any longer, and the same held true for Deity Transformation cultivators now. In his eyes, there was perhaps little difference between a Deity Transformation cultivator and a Nascent Soul. Lu Changsheng reached out. Catching the flying sword directly in his grasp, he squeezed with force. *Snap.* The sword shattered on the spot. At the same time, Lu Changsheng clapped both hands together. His colossal palms swept forward with vast momentum, closing in around the Forefather. The giant hands arrived before the Forefather in a blink, clapping together with tremendous force. *Rumble!* The sky boomed with a deafening blast. Possessing not even the slightest strength to resist, the Forefather's physical body was pounded into paste. Even his Nascent Soul was crushed to pieces. Yet beyond their Nascent Souls, the true core of a Deity Transformation cultivator was their origin spirit. So long as the origin spirit endured, the cultivator would not perish! *Whoosh.* The defining trait of an origin spirit was speed—inconceivable speed. Thus, the instant Lu Changsheng crushed the Forefather's flesh and Nascent Soul, the origin spirit broke free, attempting to flee immediately. How could Lu Changsheng let him get his way? Drawing in a deep breath, his titanic Earth Saint Dao body inhaled deeply before suddenly blowing forward. *Whoosh...* Breathing out a tempest! The breath Lu Changsheng exhaled formed a violent gale that swept through the sky, instantly swallowing the Forefather's origin spirit. "Ahhh!" A shrill scream ripped from the origin spirit. Engulfed by the raging winds, it was subjected to relentless, tearing slashes. Almost instantly, it was torn to shreds, dissipating into nothingness in the blink of an eye. The scattering of the origin spirit marked the true fall of a Deity Transformation cultivator. Silence! The sky fell utterly still. The Nascent Souls, Golden Cores, Martial Saints, and Earth Saints all witnessed the scene with their own eyes. Even the ordinary mortals below who had come to attend the disciple recruitment ceremony saw it clearly. Dead! A Deity Transformation Forefather was dead! With his origin spirit completely unraveled, a Forefather had fallen. This was an enormous event—a heaven-shaking catastrophe! In the Yuan World, it was exceptionally rare for a Deity Transformation cultivator to fall. After all, Deity Transformation stood at the apex of the Yuan World; any further step meant ascending to a higher realm. Between peers of the same realm, even if one was defeated, the terrifying speed of an origin spirit almost always guaranteed escape. Hence, while a Deity Transformation cultivator might lose, they rarely died. In terms of life preservation, they were indeed far superior to Earth Saints. Yet now, one had fallen. His origin spirit had been entirely annihilated. This was true death. And the one who had slain this Forefather was not another Deity Transformation peer, but a martial artist! An Earth Saint of Divine Sword Villa! Everyone had seen it with their own eyes: Lu Changsheng had merely exhaled a breath that turned into a tempest, annihilating the Forefather's origin spirit. Breathing out a gale to slay an origin spirit? Such horrifying methods struck fear into the hearts of every remaining Forefather of Haoqing Sect. "Hahaha, well killed!" "Years ago, an Earth Saint of our Divine Sword Villa fell. Today, a Deity Transformation of your Haoqing Sect has fallen as well!" "Today, not only will a Deity Transformation perish, but your sect's mountain gate will be trampled flat and your lineage severed to display the glory of the Martial Dao!" "That an Earth Saint can reach such heights fills us all with pride!" The martial artists of Divine Sword Villa were immensely invigorated. Lu Changsheng was simply too powerful. Without seeming to exert much effort at all, he had slapped a Deity Transformation to death. It was terrifying beyond measure, yet for Divine Sword Villa, it sent their morale soaring through the roof. "We cannot stop him! Flee!" "This man is too strong! Even if we join hands, we are no match for him!" "Flee quickly to other immortal sects! Divine Sword Villa are not immortal cultivators, but evil fiends; they cannot last! While the green hills remain, there is still hope to rebuild Haoqing Sect in the future!" The remaining Forefathers had already lost their will to fight. They had wanted to protect their sect, but under these circumstances, they clearly could not. Continuing to fight was simply throwing their lives away. They were lofty Deity Transformation cultivators; even if they left their sect, they remained lords of a domain, held in reverence wherever they went. Why would they stay to die? With their minds made up, the Forefathers disengaged immediately and scattered in all directions without hesitation. When Deity Transformation cultivators set their minds on escaping, a momentary lapse was all it took for them to vanish into the distance. Only the Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators, whose reactions were a beat too slow, failed to flee in time. Lu Changsheng did not pursue them. There was no point. For one, he could not catch up to them. For another, his goal today was to trample Haoqing Sect flat, shaking the Yuan World and spreading the renown of the Martial Dao. So long as that objective was met, it was enough. As for hunting down Deity Transformation cultivators, there would be plenty of opportunities to face them later on. There was no rush. "First, destroy Haoqing Sect!" Lu Changsheng's immense Earth Saint Dao body expanded once more, turning into a towering giant that spanned the heavens and blotted out the sun. Then, that colossal Dao body stomped a massive foot down toward Haoqing Sect's mountain gate. *Rumble! Boom!* Under Lu Changsheng's descending foot, the vast mountain gate of Haoqing Sect broke apart in an instant, the mountains crumbling and the earth splitting. The entire sect—an immortal great sect with a million years of heritage—was reduced to ruins. Innumerable Haoqing Sect disciples, whether of Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, or Nascent Soul, were buried alongside it. At this moment, Haoqing Sect was destroyed! Apart from the Forefathers who had fled earlier, almost no cultivators of Haoqing Sect survived. In contrast, the ordinary mortals who had gathered to attend the disciple recruitment ceremony were unharmed. It was as if that earth-shattering struggle had nothing to do with them. Witnessing Haoqing Sect's domineering destruction by Divine Sword Villa dealt an immense shock to their minds. So, the lofty, untouchable cultivators could die as well! Moreover, their deaths could be so wretched and helpless. A strange thought began to sprout within their hearts. Martial artists could become this powerful? If so, could they choose to practice martial arts instead of cultivating immortality? Once the thought took root, it lingered obstinately in their minds. "Haoqing Sect has been wiped out..." "A million-year legacy, with countless Forefathers... how could it be destroyed?" "Yet the proof is right before our eyes. Where did this Divine Sword Villa come from? They have no spiritual aura about them. They're said to practice martial arts, but can martial artists really reach such heights?" "Even if some Forefathers escaped, it won't change anything now. From here on out, Haoqing Sect's lands belong to Divine Sword Villa. We should start thinking about how to join them instead." "Indeed. Whether Immortal Dao or Martial Dao, so long as it makes one strong and allows one to rise above the rest, that is enough. Perhaps we can try asking about the requirements to join Divine Sword Villa? Do they test for spiritual roots as well...?" Many hearts stirred with longing. Lu Changsheng glanced at the crowd below and offered a faint smile. "Go down and explain the situation of our Divine Sword Villa to those people." "Anyone wishing to join Divine Sword Villa must convert into a blood scion and cultivate the Flesh Martial Dao to tertiary growth before they may enter our ranks." Divine Sword Villa's Martial Saints accepted their orders one after another. Following this battle, Lu Changsheng's prestige had reached its pinnacle. No one dared disobey his commands. After all, Lu Changsheng was different from the natives of the Yuan World. If they fought the natives, the worst outcome was simply retreating back to the Immortal Martial World, where the Yuan World's people could do nothing to them. Yet Lu Changsheng could return to the Immortal Martial World as well. If they offended Lu Changsheng, death would still await them upon returning to the Immortal Martial World. Divine Sword Villa would never be able to protect them. One Martial Saint after another descended before the crowd. "If you wish to join Divine Sword Villa and cultivate the Martial Dao, you must convert into blood scions." "Only by becoming blood scions and cultivating the Martial Dao to a certain realm may you join Divine Sword Villa." "Anyone can be converted into a blood scion. No spiritual root or special aptitude is required. Even immortal cultivators, should they willingly renounce their cultivation, can convert into blood scions and restart their path through the Martial Dao..." The explanation from Divine Sword Villa's Martial Saints set off an uproar among the mortals. No spiritual roots needed! No special aptitude needed! Anyone could become a blood scion! This was simply... unbelievable! "Martial Dao! I want to cultivate the Martial Dao!" "To think no spiritual roots are required—this is completely unheard of!" "For that reason alone, who wouldn't want to join Divine Sword Villa?" "In the past, one had to possess a spiritual root to cultivate immortality, yet producing a spiritual root is exceedingly difficult. Who could have thought Divine Sword Villa was so domineering, letting anyone cultivate the Martial Dao without a spiritual root!" "I am willing to convert into a blood scion right now..." In an instant, countless people voiced their willingness to become blood scions. Of course, Lu Changsheng would not personally handle the conversions. Transferring a batch of blood scions from Divine Sword Villa was a simple matter. Besides, with the people within Divine Sword Villa's domain already converted, it was time to extend the process across Haoqing Sect's former territories. The mortal population under Haoqing Sect vastly surpassed that of Divine Sword Villa's previous sphere of influence. It would be more than enough to sustain conversions for a very long time. For now, Lu Changsheng had to wait. Divine Sword Villa needed time to "digest" such a massive population. *If every person under Haoqing Sect's former dominion is converted into a blood scion, will that be enough to condense an embryonic martial dao?* Lu Changsheng looked forward to the prospect. Still, he knew Haoqing Sect's surviving Forefathers would never let things rest. Those old fellows had most likely sought refuge with other immortal sects or powerful factions. He had to be prepared for their eventual counterattack. *The Flesh Martial Dao... given this world's upper limit, it can be deduced up to septenary growth.* *However, I myself am only an Earth Saint, and an Earth Saint merely rivals septenary growth. This is a critical point.* *The potential of the Flesh Martial Dao definitely does not stop at senary growth.* *I should enter seclusion now and see if I can deduce the Flesh Martial Dao to septenary growth during this period.* Lu Changsheng's thoughts stirred. Upon arriving in the Yuan World, he had found that the Flesh Martial Dao remained fully functional. As expected, the path of flesh and blood was universally applicable across many worlds. After all, it drew upon the purest flesh and blood, rooted entirely in the most fundamental rules. However, advancing from senary to septenary growth represented a qualitative leap and was bound to be extraordinarily difficult. Even with comprehension surpassing all throughout history, deducing the Flesh Martial Dao to septenary growth would present immense obstacles. Regardless, Lu Changsheng had to give it a try. Thus, after settling the arrangements, he entrusted the task of integrating Haoqing Sect's territory to the Earth Saints of Divine Sword Villa. He then retreated into a secret chamber to begin his seclusion and deduce the Flesh Martial Dao. The battle between Divine Sword Villa and Haoqing Sect sent shockwaves through the entire Yuan World. This was no minor matter. Haoqing Sect had been annihilated! Strictly speaking, Haoqing Sect was not the first immortal faction wiped out by Divine Sword Villa. It was the second. The first had been destroyed by Divine Sword Villa several years ago. Yet the destruction of Haoqing Sect's mountain gate carried a vastly greater impact. After all, Haoqing Sect boasted an immense foundation and a million-year legacy, standing as a true hegemon of the Yuan World. And the result? They had been steamrolled in a direct confrontation and wiped off the map. Even a Deity Transformation cultivator had fallen. This struck the entire Yuan World with utter disbelief. As the news spread, uproar erupted across the realm. "What? Haoqing Sect was wiped out?" "Wasn't Haoqing Sect at the height of its prosperity, with a continuous stream of Deity Transformation experts and a profoundly deep foundation? What faction could possibly destroy them?" "I heard it was an entity called Divine Sword Villa. What's more, their people aren't immortal cultivators, but martial artists!" "Martial artists slaying a Deity Transformation and trampling Haoqing Sect? What a joke! That's utterly impossible!" "It truly seems to be martial artists, though they are quite peculiar—they say one must convert into a blood scion to practice their Martial Dao..." For a time, news concerning Haoqing Sect and Divine Sword Villa spread throughout every corner of the Yuan World. Of course, the public conflated the Flesh Martial Dao with the martial arts of the Immortal Martial World. This suited Divine Sword Villa's goals perfectly. There was no need to explain. Regardless, the Flesh Martial Dao was currently capable of reaching senary growth, rivaling a Martial Saint. That was already formidable enough. It was equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm, standing atop the upper echelon of cultivation throughout the Yuan World. As for the Deity Transformation realm—or the Earth Saint equivalent? According to Lu Changsheng, he was actively deducing it. Whether he would succeed remained unknown. Yet if the Flesh Martial Dao spread and sufficient blood scions were converted, an embryonic martial dao would surely condense. Then Divine Sword Villa's purpose would be fulfilled. To the surviving Forefathers of Haoqing Sect, these rampant rumors were like rubbing salt into an open wound. Whenever Divine Sword Villa was mentioned, Haoqing Sect was inevitably brought up alongside it. Haoqing Sect had become nothing more than a stepping stone—a mere backdrop to Divine Sword Villa's rise. Yet even as Deity Transformation cultivators, there was nothing they could do. With news of this magnitude, could they stop people from talking? That was impossible. All they could do was prepare a comeback to rebuild Haoqing Sect. To do so, however, required borrowing the strength of other immortal sects. Consequently, the surviving Forefathers traveled together to Kunyu Immortal Sect. Kunyu Immortal Sect was one of the sacred grounds of the Immortal Dao in the Yuan World. The Yuan World possessed sacred grounds as well, numbering no more than ten. The criteria to become a sacred ground were simple: They had to possess a spirit treasure to anchor their sect's destiny! A so-called spirit treasure was a magic treasure that had birthed its own sentience. Its might was world-shaking. Once a spirit treasure was brought to bear, even Deity Transformation cultivators would perish beneath it. Thus, any immortal sect possessing a spirit treasure was an indisputable, genuine sacred ground! Kunyu Immortal Sect was precisely such a place, and the closest sacred ground to Haoqing Sect. Presently, the Forefathers of Haoqing Sect were gathered within Kunyu Immortal Sect's grand hall. A Deity Transformation Forefather of Kunyu Immortal Sect personally received them. "Fellow Daoists of Haoqing Sect, this old man has already heard of what transpired with your sect." "May I ask the purpose of your visit?" the Kunyu Forefather asked calmly. A Haoqing Forefather spoke up impatiently, "We have come to request that Kunyu Immortal Sect deploy your spirit treasure to eradicate Divine Sword Villa!" "This Divine Sword Villa is a power established by a band of martial artists who appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Their strength is earth-shattering, fully capable of rivaling—and even surpassing—the Deity Transformation realm!" "Yet they are martial artists who do not cultivate the Immortal Dao. Furthermore, they are converting blood scions on a massive scale, with not a single person under their rule cultivating Qi Refinement! Is this not severing the very roots of our Immortal Dao?" "We implore Kunyu Immortal Sect, out of consideration for our shared bond as fellow cultivators of the Immortal Dao, to wipe out Divine Sword Villa, uphold our righteous path, and purge these evil fiends!" The Haoqing Forefathers spoke with righteous indignation. Yet it fell on deaf ears. The Immortal Dao in the Yuan World was hardly a place of harmonious unity. Even a sacred ground had countless grievances and friction with other immortal sects. Cultivating immortality was, in truth, cultivating resources. The struggle for cultivation resources among sects had never ceased. Under normal circumstances, even a sacred ground would find it virtually impossible to compel Haoqing Sect to do its bidding. Now that Haoqing Sect was wiped out, they conveniently remembered Kunyu Immortal Sect. The sect master of Kunyu Immortal Sect narrowed his eyes slightly and remarked with a calm, unruffled tone, "Fellow Daoists, you should know that a spirit treasure anchors the destiny of our Kunyu Immortal Sect. It cannot be lightly deployed unless the sect faces a matter of life and death." "Furthermore, Divine Sword Villa holds an old grudge against your sect. In storming your mountain gate, they acted under the banner of seeking vengeance. What reason would our Kunyu Immortal Sect have to strike at them with full force?" "The Immortal Dao values life above all. Fellow Daoists, you remain too attached to worldly matters." Hearing the words of Kunyu Immortal Sect's master, the Haoqing Forefathers felt immense resentment. Yet what could they do? Why would Kunyu Immortal Sect avenge Haoqing Sect based on mere empty words? "Fellow Daoist, if your noble sect is willing to help rebuild Haoqing Sect, preserve our lineage, and destroy Divine Sword Villa, our Haoqing Sect is willing to attach itself to Kunyu Immortal Sect as a subordinate sect for ten thousand years, completely unaltered!" A Haoqing Forefather laid out their terms. "Ten thousand years?" The Kunyu sect master's thoughts stirred, but a mere ten thousand years meant little to him. "A million years without change!" the Haoqing Forefather pressed on, bargaining further. The Kunyu sect master offered a faint smile. "Fellow Daoists, why not stay as our guests for now? We may exchange insights on the Great Dao together—would that not be splendid?" The underlying meaning was clear, and the Haoqing Forefathers understood it immediately. He was dissatisfied! Evidently, Kunyu Immortal Sect did not want a temporary attachment; they wanted eternal servitude! "Our Haoqing Sect is willing to honor Kunyu Immortal Sect as our primary master sect for all eternity, never to waver!" After a brief consultation, the Haoqing Forefathers gritted their teeth and reached a decision. To become a subordinate sect to Kunyu Immortal Sect forever! To be attached to them for all time! Though this would diminish Haoqing Sect's standing, at least their lineage would not be extinguished. In the future, their disciples could still cultivate to the Deity Transformation realm and even enter Kunyu Immortal Sect to discuss the Dao with their Forefathers. It was merely a loss of status and independence, nothing more. Besides, serving as a subordinate to an established sacred ground was hardly a disgrace for Haoqing Sect. "Good!" "The Immortal Dao is the righteous path, and our Kunyu Immortal Sect, as a sacred ground, naturally bears the duty of upholding it!" "Divine Sword Villa are evil demons and deserve to be slain!" "This master shall immediately report to our Forefather and request the sect-protecting spirit treasure to eradicate Divine Sword Villa!" With that, the Kunyu sect master hesitated no longer, rising swiftly to leave the grand hall.