Standing Alone Against the Heavenly Demon, Emperor-Level Might Shakes the Lands!

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Figures rapidly flew out from cave dwellings into the void. They were all high-rank Great Saints. There were even nine-Dao Great Saints among them. Yet whether high-rank or nine-Dao, none dared step beyond the boundaries of the mountain-protecting array. Rumble! The Heavenly Demon continued its assault against the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect's mountain-protecting array. Lu Changsheng took a step forward and arrived in the void as well. "Sect Master, what is happening? Did our Dao Comprehension Holy Sect not reach an agreement with the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone? Why is the Heavenly Demon attacking our mountain-protecting array in person?" Lu Changsheng asked the Sect Master directly. The Dao Comprehension Holy Sect Master's face was grim. Staring intently at the Heavenly Demon, he said coldly, "I do not know what is going on either." "Heavenly Demon, what madness has possessed you?" Hearing the Sect Master's demand, the Heavenly Demon fixated its colossal head on him. "Fools!" "Your Dao Comprehension Holy Sect is on the brink of disaster, yet you remain blind to it." "Emperor Beichen has promised this seat that as long as the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone takes part in the war between the two realms, he will not interfere with whatever we choose to do." "And this seat had only one condition: to eradicate your Dao Comprehension Holy Sect and let my Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone reign supreme!" The Heavenly Demon's voice was thunderous. It echoed across the entirety of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. At once, the crowd erupted into an uproar. "What?" "That's impossible!" "How could Emperor Beichen agree to such terms?" "We have no ties to Emperor Beichen, do we? In circumstances like this, he merely needs to refrain from intervening—what does our sect's survival have to do with him?" "That's a Heavenly Demon..." Panic swept through the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. The Sect Master looked increasingly grim. "Sect Master, quickly send a message to Emperor Beichen to ask if this is true!" "Regardless, we are a human holy sect, while the Heavenly Demon is of an alien race..." "Even if Emperor Beichen will not aid us, surely he wouldn't make such promises to the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone..." Many urged the Sect Master to reach out. After a moment of hesitation, the Sect Master sent a message. Everyone waited in silence. Before long, a response arrived. It contained only four words: Handle it yourselves. Seeing those four words, everyone understood. Emperor Beichen and the Heavenly Demon truly had struck some sort of pact. The Dao Comprehension Holy Sect's persistent refusal to enter the war between the two realms had evidently provoked the Emperor's displeasure. "Our Dao Comprehension Holy Sect is an Emperor lineage protected by a mountain-protecting array that even an Emperor cannot easily breach! So what if it's a Heavenly Demon? Didn't the demon fail to break through last time?" "Indeed! As long as we hold fast and maintain the array, the Heavenly Demon can do nothing to our Dao Comprehension Holy Sect!" "To protect our lineage, we must rely on ourselves..." Many elders spoke up, seeking to steady everyone's morale. The sect boasted ancient heritage and immense foundation. They had long understood the truth of relying on their own strength. Thus, over countless years, the sect had never considered subordinating itself to any Emperor, depending entirely on its own might to resist the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone. Even after a Heavenly Demon was born in the forbidden zone, the sect had held its ground through the mountain-protecting array. As for an Emperor? The sect had never placed hope in one. Emperors owed them nothing. Yet under the present circumstances, if Emperor Beichen had struck a deal with the Heavenly Demon, even if he did not strike at the sect himself, such conduct chilled them to the bone. Regardless of anything else, the Heavenly Demon was of an alien race. The mountain-protecting array shuddered violently. The Heavenly Demon's attacks did not slacken in the slightest; if anything, they grew fiercer. "Hold fast!" The Sect Master and Supreme Elders stepped in personally to stabilize the array. They possessed great confidence in their defensive formation, knowing it could withstand attacks at an Emperor's level. Buzz. Suddenly, a horde of strange beasts flew out from the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone. Every single one was comparable to a Great Saint, and quite a few rivaled nine-Dao Great Saints. Such numbers had clearly arrived under the Heavenly Demon's command, their intent obvious. "Heavenly Demon, do you intend to start a full-scale war between the human race and the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone?" At this sight, the Sect Master could no longer remain calm. When the Heavenly Demon had attacked before, the sect held out because the demon alone could not shatter the barrier. But if the forbidden zone mobilized all its strange beasts, things would be entirely different. In a situation like this, any shift in the balance of power could prove fatal. Previously, the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect never feared an all-out war with the forbidden zone. They had deep reserves of their own, and the forbidden zone belonged to an alien race. If they emptied their lair to wage war, it would cease to be a private grievance and become a clash between humanity and strange beasts. Human powerhouses would intervene, and allied sects would offer aid. Now, however, the situation had shifted. For the forbidden zone to mobilize in full, they must have secured assurances. Likely, no one would come to the sect's aid. Such was the effect of Emperor Beichen. Rumble! With the onslaught of so many strange beasts, the mountain-protecting array groaned under immense pressure, looking as if it might collapse at any moment. Even if it held out now, what about later? Ten days? A month? Three months, or even a year? The array could not endure such relentless attrition for long. In the end, it would surely shatter. "There must be a way..." The Sect Master, elders, and others frantically messaged friends, allied sects, and even Emperors! Day after day slipped by. Ten days, a month, three months... Three months passed. The sect's mountain-protecting array still held, showing no sign of immediate collapse. Yet the hearts of many within the sect grew colder and colder. Despair took root. Over these three months, they had exhausted every possible avenue, reaching out to anyone and any faction capable of offering aid. The result was total silence. Not a single person or power stepped forward. Directly or indirectly, every reply pointed to one name: Emperor Beichen! It seemed Emperor Beichen had used the war between the two realms as justification to block any outside help for the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. It all came back to Emperor Beichen. To wage the war and win over the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone, Emperor Beichen had not hesitated to abandon the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect. Of course, this stemmed from the sect repeatedly declining his invitations to join the conflict. From his perspective, cutting them loose was only natural. "So this is the Great Tribulation... It seems our Dao Comprehension Holy Sect cannot escape its doom after all," the Sect Master sighed deeply. At last, he understood the true nature of a Great Tribulation. As long as one remained in the Dark Domain or chaos, there was no evading it. No hiding from it. Even sealing off the mountains would not keep it at bay. The sect had repeatedly refused to go to the two-realm battlefield, only for the Heavenly Demon Forbidden Zone to bring calamity right to their doorstep—threatening total extermination. All of this was inextricably tied to the Great Tribulation. "Elder Lu, if the mountain-protecting array breaks, take the teleportation array and flee to the Tianyuan Holy Sect. If possible, please bring along some disciples so that the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect may preserve a spark of its lineage..." The Sect Master approached Lu Changsheng with this earnest plea. To preserve a spark of the sect's heritage. The reason he had to wait until the array fell before leaving was that as long as the mountain-protecting array was active, the teleportation array could not function. Lu Changsheng fell silent. He neither agreed nor refused. Over these three months, he had closely observed the array and the Heavenly Demon. He already had a clear grasp of the array's condition. It could not last much longer. In all likelihood, it would fall within a few days. An array laid down by an Emperor and hailed as the bastion of an Emperor lineage still had its limits. Under constant, relentless battering, it would eventually yield. And once it collapsed, Lu Changsheng knew full well what would follow. The Dao Comprehension Holy Sect would cease to exist. "Sect Master, let me go outside," Lu Changsheng said. His words made the Sect Master snap his head up in shock. "Elder Lu, what did you say? You want to go out and face the Heavenly Demon?" The Sect Master shook his head, refusing almost instinctively. For a Great Saint to confront a Heavenly Demon without the protection of the array could lead to only one outcome: death! Throwing his life away served no purpose, even for a nine-Dao Great Saint. "Sect Master, you should know that I became an Invincible Great Saint at the Tianyuan Holy Sect." "Even an Invincible Great Saint is of no use. Facing a Heavenly Demon means certain death." "When I became an Invincible Great Saint, I was only an eight-Dao Great Saint. Now, I have grasped the ninth Great Dao!" Lu Changsheng manifested nine Great Daos. The Sect Master's heart jolted. He fell speechless. Indeed, Lu Changsheng had been an Invincible Great Saint with only eight Daos. What about now, as a nine-Dao Great Saint? Could he somewhat contend with an Emperor? The Sect Master hardly dared imagine it. In the entire history of the Dark Domain, had any Great Saint ever rivaled an Emperor? Virtually none. No matter how peerless an Invincible Great Saint might be, facing an Emperor still meant certain doom. "All beneath an Emperor are mere ants"—that saying was no empty boast. Yet facing total annihilation, what did the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect have left to lose? Even treating a dead horse as if it were alive was worth a try. As for Lu Changsheng, his confidence naturally did not stem from mere nine Great Daos. It came from his Illusory Realm. Particularly after reopening his world nine times and subsequently reconstructing fifteen hundred Great Daos. That was an astronomical number. So many Great Daos had elevated his Illusory Realm to an unfathomable level, solidifying it to the absolute utmost. Lu Changsheng even felt he could attempt the metamorphosis of his Illusory Realm right now. Of course, the success rate would probably only be forty to fifty percent, but it was already enough for a gamble. Naturally, he had no intention of gambling. He only needed to keep reconstructing Daos—two thousand, three thousand, or more—and the success rate would rise accordingly until success was guaranteed. Right now, however, Lu Changsheng felt he could clash head-on with an Emperor. Even if he proved no match, holding out for a while should be entirely feasible. His real concern was exposing his identity. What if the Heavenly Demon saw through him as a World Master? That would bring immense trouble. Yet if it truly came to that, he could simply retreat to chaos. There would be no insurmountable issue, aside from being unable to see Lin Qingluan for a long time. Unless forced by circumstance, Lu Changsheng had no desire to confront an Emperor-level entity directly. A Heavenly Demon was comparable to an Emperor. Yet to abandon the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect merely to hide his identity was something his conscience could not abide. From beginning to end, the sect had treated him impeccably. Even now, on the brink of annihilation, they had not asked him to die alongside them, only that he escape with some disciples. Therefore, Lu Changsheng resolved to face the Heavenly Demon. In fact, deep down, he even harbored a trace of anticipation—to see whether his Illusory Realm, fortified by fifteen hundred Great Daos, could withstand the might of a Heavenly Demon! "Very well!" "Since Elder Lu possesses such resolve, I will not stand in your way." "However, you must carry the Sect Master token. With it, you can enter and exit the mountain-protecting array at will. If you cannot withstand the Heavenly Demon, retreat into the array immediately so you do not sacrifice yourself in vain." The Sect Master handed Lu Changsheng the Sect Master token. It was the symbol of the sect master's authority. With it, Lu Changsheng's safety was significantly bolstered. If outmatched, he could withdraw into the formation at any time. The array could still hold for several days, during which the Heavenly Demon could do nothing to him once inside. "I shall go test the Heavenly Demon!" Without further hesitation, Lu Changsheng stepped out of the cave dwelling and took to the sky, striding steadily toward the sect gates. At this moment, nearly everyone in the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect was watching the Heavenly Demon outside the array, watching the crumbling formation. When Lu Changsheng strode forward step by step toward the gate, he caught the eyes of countless cultivators. "What is going on? Isn't that Elder Lu? Where is he going?" "Is Elder Lu planning to step outside the array?" "Isn't that just throwing his life away?" "I heard Elder Lu was known as an Invincible Great Saint at the Tianyuan Holy Sect." "Even an Invincible Great Saint faces certain death against a Heavenly Demon, doesn't he?" Many cultivators stared blankly at Lu Changsheng's figure. They watched him stride toward the sect gates, step by step. Even the strange beasts outside the array paused in surprise. "Huh?" "A mere Great Saint dares to step out to his death?" The Heavenly Demon's colossal head was nearly the size of a mountain peak. Its voice roared like rolling thunder. Before a Heavenly Demon, even the ambient pressure was more than an ordinary Great Saint could endure. One step, two steps, three steps, four steps, five steps... Finally, Lu Changsheng reached the boundary of the mountain-protecting array. One more step, and he would be outside. Without the array's protection, he would face a Heavenly Demon and an army of formidable strange beasts. Everyone stared intently at his back. Words were useless now. Many cultivators felt their blood surging with agitation. Whoosh. Finally, Lu Changsheng took that final step, walking out from the shelter of the mountain-protecting array. He stood directly before the Heavenly Demon! Silence! For a moment, both the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect cultivators within the array and the strange beasts outside fell utterly silent before Lu Changsheng. Even the Heavenly Demon narrowed its eyes, glaring down at him. "You actually dared to come out?" "What gave you the courage?" The Heavenly Demon's voice crashed by Lu Changsheng's ears like exploding thunder. Its terrifying aura swept toward him like a tidal wave. Yet Lu Changsheng stood quietly in the void, his body not swaying in the slightest. He looked up at the Heavenly Demon. This was his first time facing an Emperor-level entity head-on. Buzz. The next instant, Great Daos manifested one after another around Lu Changsheng. One, three, five, eight, nine... Lu Changsheng manifested nine Great Daos. Of course, this was merely the number he chose to reveal in the Dark Domain. If he truly wished to manifest them all, he possessed far more than nine. Even revealing over a thousand would be simple enough. But manifesting over a thousand Daos would make it obvious to all that he was no true Great Saint. Yet whether nine Daos or over a thousand, the actual power was identical. After all, the true source of his power was the Illusory Realm. Nine Daos drew from the Illusory Realm; fifteen hundred Daos also drew from the Illusory Realm. The display did not matter. What mattered was the Illusory Realm itself. Boom! Lu Changsheng erupted. Nine Great Daos swept down in a crushing wave, with a single target: the Heavenly Demon! "Courting death!" The Heavenly Demon roared in fury. With Lu Changsheng acting so presumptuously before it, how could a Heavenly Demon tolerate such insolence? Besides, Lu Changsheng belonged to the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect—he deserved nothing less than death! The Heavenly Demon thrust out a massive claw. It tore through the sky like an avalanche, descending with the crushing weight of Mount Tai. Rumble! That was the strike of a Heavenly Demon—the equivalent of an Emperor's blow. Beneath the Emperor realm, no one could withstand it. Moreover, Lu Changsheng had not retreated into the array. He met the blow solely with his nine Great Daos—or rather, his Illusory Realm. Everyone held their breath. The cultivators of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect in particular realized what he was doing. Knowing he was outmatched, he was confronting the Heavenly Demon head-on in a desperate, final stand! Lu Changsheng's heart remained as tranquil as an ancient well. He had experienced far too many battles—even life-or-death struggles. Even facing a Heavenly Demon, fear never crossed his mind. Channeling the power of his Illusory Realm through the guise of nine Great Daos, he brazenly struck back against the descending claw. Finally, the Heavenly Demon's attack slammed into Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm. Fierce! The power of this blow was extraordinarily formidable. Under the impact, Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm shook violently, faintly threatening to tear apart. Yet his Illusory Realm was no longer what it once was. A full fifteen hundred Great Daos anchored every inch of it, making it unimaginably solid—all so it would not collapse during metamorphosis. Even Lu Changsheng did not know just how sturdy it had become. After all, using continuous comprehension of Daos to reinforce an Illusory Realm was extraordinarily rare in the vast universe—practically unheard of. Every step he took was paved through his own steady progress. The Illusory Realm trembled intensely, as though explosions were detonating across its interior. Yet no matter how violently it shook, it never collapsed—nor did it show any sign of giving way. To onlookers, Lu Changsheng and the Heavenly Demon had traded a direct, head-on blow. The terrifying shockwaves rippled out in all directions, carrying an impact far beyond what any Great Saint could withstand—even a nine-Dao Great Saint would have been obliterated by the mere aftershocks. If the aftermath was so dreadful, what of Lu Changsheng? Eyes locked onto the void. As the dust cleared, a lone figure stood resolute in midair. Lu Changsheng! It was Lu Changsheng! He hadn't died! He remained upright in the void, without moving an inch. At that sight, the cultivators of the Dao Comprehension Holy Sect erupted into a frenzy. "Hahaha! He blocked it! Elder Lu actually blocked a blow from the Heavenly Demon! That is a Heavenly Demon, on par with an Emperor!" "A head-on strike from a Heavenly Demon, and Elder Lu blocked it with his own strength? Truly incredible!" "So a Great Saint can clash directly with a Heavenly Demon after all?" From disciples to elders, everyone in the sect was dumbstruck, shaken to their core. They had witnessed an impossible miracle. Lu Changsheng's figure in the void seemed to tower like a giant, as though imbued with boundless might—faintly resembling an Emperor himself. "Hm?" "He blocked it?" "He is merely a nine-Dao Great Saint..." In truth, the most shocked of all was the Heavenly Demon. It knew its own strength intimately. Even against Emperor Beichen, it felt no fear. The two had sparred before; though Emperor Beichen had edged it out slightly, neither had fought to the death. In a fight to the death, the outcome would be uncertain. In any case, it stood on the same tier as an Emperor. Yet Lu Changsheng was clearly only a nine-Dao Great Saint, yet he had withstood its full blow! This made no sense! Could it be a treasure? The Heavenly Demon's thoughts turned grim. While treasures capable of withstanding a strike from a Heavenly Demon were exceedingly rare, they did exist. However, such treasures shared a common flaw: they could not endure prolonged combat. If it could block one blow, could it block two, three, or countless more? "Die!" Infuriated, the Heavenly Demon unleashed the full power of its true body. It was a terrifying beast akin to a fiendgod. Thrusting out two massive claws that blotted out the sun, it slammed them viciously toward Lu Changsheng. This was raw, unadulterated power. It differed somewhat from an Emperor's might, resembling a source lifeform to a degree. Yet the Heavenly Demon possessed a bloodline; once unleashed, its bloodline power became even more terrifying. Lu Changsheng still displayed only nine Great Daos. He understood his current state well. As long as his Illusory Realm could block the Heavenly Demon's assaults, that was enough. Bang! This time, his Illusory Realm shook violently again. Fifteen hundred Great Daos resonated in unison. Yet it held firm. Then came a second blow, a third, a fourth, a fifth... Lu Changsheng's Illusory Realm stood like an immovable mountain. In that moment, everyone realized the truth. Lu Changsheng could withstand the Heavenly Demon head-on! In a sense, this was an Emperor! Or rather, Emperor-level combat power!