Lord of the Earth

"It's Sword God Simon!"

"With a single sword strike, he slew a demigod-level being, and Ximen Sword God's swordsmanship has likely already reached the 'divine realm'!"

The crowd was filled with excitement, their gazes toward the white-clad figure on the eaves filled with awe and reliance.

This is because the swordsman named "Ximen Chuixue" is a true "veteran expert" in the mysterious inn.

Rumor has it that he set foot in the Eternal Land just a few months after its formation, and even more incredibly, he was different from those who were forced to enter the inn in order to survive.

They actually came here on their own initiative!

For some of the lowest-ranking ordinary "guests," this was simply incomprehensible.

Only those powerful individuals with similar cultivation levels could vaguely understand the unwavering pursuit of this peerless swordsman.

"He wanted to use this catastrophic battlefield as a whetstone, and the billions of demons as trials, to temper his sword heart with endless slaughter and crisis, so that his 'sword way' could reach the divine level, and prove the Dao through killing!"

A woman carrying a long spear, exuding a sharp aura, sighed softly, her eyes filled with admiration.

"To date, he has slain more than three hundred beings of the Saint Realm on the battlefield, including eighteen demigods! The 'Snowstorm' sword in his hand, having been bathed in the blood and essence of too many powerful beings, has long since evolved into a true divine weapon... Once he truly takes that step and becomes a god through the way of the sword, he will probably be among the top experts among the gods!"

Such achievements made many newcomers to the Mysterious Inn yearn for them, yet feel that they were out of reach.

It should be noted that the strength of the "guests" in the inn varies greatly. The weak ones may only be at the Transcendental level, while there are quite a few powerful ones with Saint Realm cultivation.

However, those who can kill demigod-level cataclysmic beings are extremely rare.

After all, all the "resources" here—from food and elixirs to divine weapons and secret manuals, and even safe dwellings—must be purchased with the luck, merit, and even a special kind of "wish power coin" gained from killing calamity-inducing creatures. Most people struggle to survive, let alone rely on killing calamity-inducing creatures to cultivate and hone their skills.

"Is it still not enough..." On the eaves, Ximen Chuixue murmured to himself, "The pressure that ordinary demigods can give me is no longer enough... If I want to truly become a god through 'swordsmanship'... perhaps, I need to face peak demigods... or even, true gods!"

He was dressed in white, his posture upright like a pine tree, and the restrained sword intent around him was as calm as a cold pool, yet it soothed the fear in the hearts of countless "guests" in the lower realm.

These humans from all the heavens, some of whom had witnessed their homes being devoured by catastrophic creatures, and others who had been enslaved by other races, found their final refuge in the mysterious inn.

And Ximen Chuixue is the most reliable "stabilizing force" in this land of despair!
For him, who had already stepped into the realm of demigods and whose swordsmanship was almost divine, killing that demigod demon that exuded an aura of despair was not difficult at all. The opponent did not even last three breaths under the "Snowstorm" sword!
However, just as Ximen Chuixue withdrew his sword strike and the surging sword intent around him subsided slightly...

A sudden change occurred!

hum!
The surrounding void suddenly froze, the flowing laws of heaven and earth seemed to be frozen, and even the energy particles in the air stopped moving. Time seemed to be thrown into invisible amber; the exclamations of the guests below and the roars of the demons in the distance all became slow and blurred, and even Ximen Chuixue's thoughts felt a slight stagnation!
Immediately afterwards, a giant net covering an area of ​​thousands of miles appeared out of thin air.

The net was woven from dense, impenetrable shadows, each strand of which was wrapped with dark golden curse runes. As the runes flowed, they exuded the aura of the laws of "imprisonment," "devouring," and "corrosion," instantly locking down the space above and below, and even blocking the void rifts completely!

"Hehehe... What a magnificent sword technique! My mount couldn't even withstand a single strike from you!"

A hoarse voice with eerie, overlapping tones echoed in the frozen void, like the whispers of countless wailing souls, sending chills down one's spine.

"So it's you who want to stop us from entering this newly born eternal land? Humans!"

A colossal figure shrouded in deadly shadow slowly emerged from the distorted dimensional rift.

The figure had no fixed form; its entire body was a flowing shadow, from which countless faces of creatures struggling in agony would occasionally emerge. It was none other than a "Shadow Demon" from the abyss!
Its "body" continued to expand, eventually transforming into a towering, shadowy giant hundreds of feet tall, its hands wrapped in chain-like divine patterns, its gaze fixed on Ximen Chuixue on the eaves, full of mockery and scrutiny.

"What benefits has this eternal will given you that make you risk your lives like this? Don't you humans know that you have long been used by the gods as tools and cannon fodder in the creation of this world?"

The Shadow Fiend's voice was full of seductive power.

"This so-called eternal land is nothing more than a springboard opened up by the gods using the flesh and blood and fortune of your human race, so that they can descend at their leisure!"

"What? A conspiracy in the Eternal Land?"

"Aren't humans and gods mortal enemies? How could they possibly be cooperating?"

An uproar erupted in the crowd, and panic and confusion spread rapidly.

Shadow Fiend's words were completely different from the understanding that humans had been instilled with, shaking the beliefs of many.

"Qiang!"

Only Ximen Chuixue remained expressionless, but the long sword in his hand emitted a clear and resonant sword cry like thunder.

He stood with his sword in hand, and the sword intent that had been contained within him surged forth instantly, transforming into a semi-transparent white sword domain. The edge of the sword domain collided violently with the Shadow Net, emitting a sizzling sound. Countless tiny yet incomparably sharp sword lights flickered and danced on the surface of the sword domain, struggling but firmly resisting the overwhelming divine pressure.

His face remained cold and indifferent, but the tips of his fingers gripping the sword turned slightly white from the force, and an unprecedented solemnity suddenly gathered in the depths of his deep, cold eyes.

He sensed that the monster before him was no ordinary demigod!

Although the oppressive aura it exuded did not seem to reach the true god-level realm, it carried the projection characteristics of a higher-level power—cold, eerie, and unfathomable…

This is very likely an avatar of a "god-level shadow demon"!

Although he longed for a powerful whetstone, a divine avatar... this stone was far too hard. If he was not careful, he might not only fail to sharpen the sword but also cause his sword, which he had tempered for ten years, to completely break apart!
"Hmm, his will is firm, and his swordsmanship is clear. Given time, he will surely have the opportunity to step into the divine realm..."

The Shadow Fiend clone seemed to have read his mind, its voice carrying a teasing tone, like a cat playing with a mouse.

"Unfortunately, I won't give you that chance. Your abundant aura of genius is barely enough to receive the power of this avatar of mine... I'll use you as the first sacrifice for my descent here!" "When this Japanese god breaks through to the second level of the Eternal Land, or even ascends to the position of a true god, perhaps he will take pity on you and reshape a battle body for you, so you can follow me and become my guardian sword slave. How about that? Hahaha..."
The demon's voice was like a thousand insects burrowing into one's heart, disturbing one's soul and attempting to break down Ximen Chuixue's will.

"Qiang!"

The only response was an even more dazzling and colder sword light!

At this moment, Ximen Chuixue became one with his sword, transforming into an eternal moonlight that cleaved through the void, and fearlessly slashed out once again!

This sword strike embodies his lifelong cultivation and understanding of the way of the sword, and it is unstoppable!

scoff!

Where the sword light passed, even the enormous shadowy giant was cleaved in two, just like the demigod beast of calamity before!
"What a magnificent sword of slaughter! It has already touched the threshold of the God-level of rules... With a single strike, all things are slain. Alas, you are ultimately not a true god!"

Shadow Fiend's voice carried a hint of surprise, but was mostly filled with malicious mockery.

Wow!
The cleaved shadow did not dissipate; instead, it instantly split into hundreds and thousands of even more bizarre and agile shadow clones, which, like a black tide, bypassed Ximen Chuixue and pounced on the densely packed inn guests below!
"It is said that humans are very loyal and righteous... I want to see whether you care about yourself or these ants!"

puff!
A clone pierced through the body of a Western Continent knight. The knight's eyes instantly became empty and dull. Then, thick shadows emanated from his pores. He reversed his grip on his sword and ruthlessly stabbed at his unsuspecting human companion!

"Ha ha……"

Another clone transformed into a wisp of black smoke and entered the mouth and nose of a terrified old man.

The old man's skin turned gray and strange patterns appeared at a visible speed. He let out a hoarse, inhuman roar that did not belong to him, and ran like a madman toward the core array eye that maintained the inn's barrier!
"No! Stop them!"

"Damn it! Physical attacks are so ineffective against them!"

The guards below were filled with shock and rage. They slashed with swords and unleashed spells, but most of their attacks penetrated the shadows and failed to cause any real damage.

These shadow demon clones are formless and intangible, specializing in attacking the souls and spirits of living beings. Ordinary methods are of little use; on the contrary, once someone is "possessed" by them, they are "taken over" and transformed into the claws and teeth of calamity-stricken beings!
Just when the entire inn's defenses were about to collapse—

Boo!
A piercing shriek, brimming with supreme majesty and righteous spirit, instantly drowned out all the chaos and roars!
Before everyone's eyes, a colossal figure, majestic and imposing beyond compare, appeared above the inn—a gigantic golden-winged roc! Its wings spread wide, like clouds hanging from the sky, and its divine radiance stretched for thousands of feet!

Each feather was as if forged from pure gold and divine iron, flowing with the brilliance of the sun's true fire, like the blazing sun in the sky, intense, magnificent, and awe-inspiring, instantly sweeping away the darkness, evil, and cold aura that permeated the world.

Under the dazzling divine light, countless shadow demon clones that rushed towards the guests let out miserable screams and melted away as quickly as ice and snow meeting the sun!
"A Golden-Winged Roc?! No... this is... a divine manifestation!"

The Shadow Demon's clones merged into the main body, roaring in shock and rage, its voice carrying a hint of surprise and doubt for the first time.

"There's actually a god-level expert guarding this place?!"

The golden-winged roc stood proudly in the void, its cold golden pupils sweeping over the shadow demon without any response. Suddenly, the most wondrous tuft of feathers on its head, resembling a crown, fell off.

hum!
Intertwined and converged in mid-air, immeasurable divine light poured into it, instantly transforming into a gigantic war bow over ten feet long. The bow's body was ancient and simple, seemingly forged from a mixture of dragon bones, phoenix sinews, and divine metal, and was engraved with ancient star trails and totems of conquest and slaughter; the bowstring was made of pure golden chains of divine law, and with a slight tremor, it caused the surrounding void to resonate!
Boo!
The Golden-Winged Roc opened its mouth and spat out an incomparably pure primordial divine power, which transformed into an arrow burning with raging golden flames and engraved with the four ancient divine characters "Serve the Country with Utmost Loyalty" on the bowstring!

No words, no warnings, only thunderous punishment!

"Om-!"

The bowstring rang out, like a thunderclap from the heavens!
The moment that divine arrow left the bowstring, time seemed to freeze once again!

Wherever the arrow passed, the void was ignited, leaving behind a trail of golden flames that would never die out, and a scorching, holy aura swept in all directions!

The golden flames, as if possessing a life of their own, spread wildly and burned along the cursed web of shadows!
"Ugh—!"

The Shadow Demon let out an extremely painful howl, feeling its divided soul and even its original body being rapidly purified and burned by the golden flames!
The flames contained not only the power of extreme yang and strength, but also an overwhelming and invincible will that could not be resisted by any evil. The indestructible Shadow Net melted and collapsed rapidly in the face of such power, as if it had encountered its nemesis!
"You...you wait! I will never let this go!"

The Shadow Demon's main body was severely damaged and could no longer maintain its form. It suddenly shrank into a wisp of solid black smoke, frantically tearing apart the not-yet-completely-burned net, attempting to escape into the void!

However, the Golden-Winged Roc merely flapped its wings indifferently.

boom!
Endless divine light surged forth like a tsunami, arriving first despite being delayed, and precisely struck the fleeing wisp of black smoke!
"Do not--!"

With a desperate shriek, the black smoke was instantly evaporated and purified by the divine light.

The golden-winged roc's image slowly dissipated, transforming into countless warm golden specks of light.

These points of light did not disappear directly into the world, but rather, like rivers flowing into the sea, they converged towards a certain place below the inn.

Where the light points converged, a majestic figure gradually appeared. It was a general clad in crimson-gold armor, which was covered with the marks of war, yet it still shone brightly, radiating a divine light as heavy as a mountain and as awe-inspiring as an inviolable force.

There was no deliberate aura emanating from him, yet there was a natural blend of the fierce, bloodthirsty aura of someone who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and the righteous energy of someone who protected the land, even as he simply stood there.

Just like a banner that establishes a firm foundation for the world, it instantly calmed the panicked hearts of all.

"Thank you."

Ximen Chuixue sheathed his sword and rarely spoke.

He looked at the golden-armored general, a hint of respect flashing in his eyes.

Because what they possess is the same unwavering commitment to protecting the people that runs through the military spirit; it is the true will to fight for the protection of humanity! (End of Chapter)