The Rise of the Sect: I am the most persistent person in the world of immortal cultivation

While the Azure Lotus Sword Immortal and the Nine Heavens Ancestor were engaged in a fierce battle in the sky, Ye Yang led Xuan Shui Dao Ren, Yan Huo Zhen Ren, Shi Jian Men Zhu, and Yan Qing Ying to quietly ambush in a valley outside the Ten Thousand Demon Cave.

This valley is called "Soul-Severing Valley". The peaks on both sides of the valley are steep and the valley is shrouded in mist. It is the only way for the demon army to reach the Ten Thousand Demon Cave.

Ye Yang and his group had already set up a trap here, waiting for the demon reinforcements to walk right into it.

The mountain peaks on both sides of the valley are densely covered with Explosive Flame Talismans provided by the Array Talisman Sect. Each Explosive Flame Talisman is cleverly hidden in the crevices of the rocks, and cannot be detected without careful observation.

The cultivators of Tianji Pavilion set up a complex trapping array on the mountain peak. The array's core was hidden beneath ancient trees and rocks. As soon as someone stepped into the valley, the trapping array would be activated instantly.

The ground below the valley was also filled with poisonous mist pills refined by the Dan Ding Sect and heavy crossbow bolts forged by the Vajra Sect.

The Poison Mist Pill is colorless and odorless. Once triggered, it releases a deadly poisonous mist that can corrode the demon's body and demonic energy.

The heavy magic arrows are made of special metal, and the arrowheads are coated with a potion specifically designed to counteract demons, making them extremely powerful.

Ye Yang and his four companions concealed themselves in the dense forest on either side of the valley, their presence completely concealed, as if they had blended into their surroundings. Their eyes were fixed on the valley entrance, patiently awaiting the appearance of their prey.

"Senior Brother Ye, we've been waiting for three hours. Will the demon reinforcements take a detour?"

Her voice was very low, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

The energy surges from high above grew increasingly intense, each tremor making her heart tighten.

Ye Yang's eyes were sharp as he gazed into the depths of the thick fog at the valley entrance.

"Senior Qinglian sent a message saying that this reinforcement is carrying the demonic artifact 'Blood Soul Banner,' which can only be used to unleash its power by being nourished by the Yin energy of Broken Soul Valley. They will definitely not take a detour."

He ran his fingertips across the ground, picking up a bit of dirt.

"Moreover, there were fluctuations of Void Refinement Realm demonic energy in the tremor just now, so the battle in the high sky probably won't last much longer."

Xuan Shui Dao Ren held a water-attribute whisk, its silver threads condensing into tiny ice particles.

"Don't worry, Dao Ancestor Ye. Our Five Elements Demon-Slaying Sword Formation has been refined three times. Even if a demon in the late stage of the Thunder Tribulation comes, we can trap him for a while."

Master Yanhuo could not contain himself. A small flame rose from his palm, and the flame did not go out in the thick fog.

"I'd better pick a tough opponent! The low-level demon soldiers I killed a few days ago couldn't even be burned by my fire spirit shield!"

Sect Master Shi Jian immediately glared at him, pressed his earthen-yellow shield to the ground, and three dark patterns appeared on the ground.

"The Demon Clan's 'Blood Sacrifice Technique' can burn the essence and blood of demon soldiers to enhance their strength, so we must not be careless."

As soon as he finished speaking, a black crack suddenly appeared in the distant sky, and five black streaks of light tore through the thick fog and rushed in.

As the light landed, demonic energy surged like waves, and the figures of the five demons gradually became clear.

The leader was twelve feet tall, with seven blood-red magic crystals embedded in his black armor. Each crystal contained a remnant soul of a cultivator, which roared and struggled within the crystal.

The four demons behind him were even more bizarre. One of them had an arm made of white bone with chains wrapped around the joints, and the other had a bloody mask covering his face, with black blood seeping from the gaps in the mask.

"A cultivator at the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm!"

Xuan Shui Daoist gasped, and the ice crystals on his whisk shattered instantly. "That demon's demon crystal at the head of the group has devoured at least a hundred cultivators!"

A cold glint flashed in Ye Yang's eyes as he slowly drew the Azure Dragon Sky-Splitting Sword. The sword trembled slightly, resonating with the surrounding spiritual energy.

"Once they step into the core of the trapping formation, Daoist Xuanshui will first activate the water chains to bind their feet, Sect Master Shijian will use the earthen wall to seal off their retreat, Brother Yanhuo will detonate the Exploding Flame Talisman, and Qingying, you will have the Six-Winged Demon Corpse release death energy to suppress the demonic energy."

Five demons stepped into the valley. The demon general in the lead suddenly stopped, and the remnant soul in the blood-red demon crystal began to struggle violently.

"Something's not right. There's the spiritual energy of righteous cultivators within the yin energy of this valley." His voice was like a broken gong, and the demonic runes on his armor began to glow. "Look at the grass on the ground—"

Before he could finish speaking, a demon behind him impatiently swung his bone whip.
"Brother, don't waste time! The Ten Thousand Demon Cave is about to collapse. If the Black Scale Demon Lord blames us, we'll all die!" The demon said as he rushed forward. As soon as he stepped into the array's core, the runes under the ancient tree's roots suddenly lit up with golden light!

"Do it!"

Ye Yang gave a low shout, and Xuan Shui Dao Ren immediately activated the array plate. Countless water chains gushed out from the ground, wrapping around the demon's ankles like venomous snakes.

Master Shi Jian slapped the ground with both hands, and three earthen walls rose up, sealing off the entrance and exit of the valley.
With a flick of his finger, Master Yanhuo detonated the Explosive Flame Talismans on the cliff simultaneously, sending flames soaring into the sky. The heat wave instantly evaporated the thick fog, turning the entire valley into a sea of ​​fire!
However, just as the flames of the Blazing Talisman were at their brightest, the leading demon general suddenly burst into wild laughter, and all the remnant souls in the crimson demon crystal flew out, condensing into a crimson barrier in the air.

"That's all you have?"

With a wave of his hand, the Bone Whip Demon lashed out with chains that wrapped around the arm of a Dark Crossbowman. With a sudden pull, the Dark Crossbowman was dragged into the demon horde before he could even scream, and was instantly swallowed by the demonic energy.

Even more terrifying, the demon wearing the flesh mask suddenly removed the mask.

A face covered in runes appeared, and he spat out a cloud of black mist. The mist landed on the Corrupting Demon Poison Mist Pill, instantly rendering the pill ineffective and turning it into a pool of black water! "This is 'Poison-Transforming Demon Mist'!"

Yan Qingying exclaimed in alarm, and the six-winged demonic corpse immediately spread its wings, unleashing a torrent of death energy that surged towards the black mist, only to be easily swallowed up by it.

This demon is actually a master of demonic arts who specializes in countering poison and death energy!
The situation reversed instantly. Xuan Shui Dao Ren's water chain was burned off by the demon general's demonic flames, Yan Huo Zhen Ren's flames were suppressed by the black mist, and Shi Jian Men Zhu's earthen wall was cracked all over by the demon's bone whip.

"Hahaha! Die!"

The demon general held the Blood Soul Banner, and as the banner unfurled, countless wronged souls flew out and rushed towards Ye Yang and the others.

Ye Yang's pupils contracted sharply, and the Azure Dragon Sky-Splitting Sword was held horizontally in front of his chest.
The Green Bamboo Sword Intent erupted instantly. Just then, a strange realization suddenly surged within him.
Just now, when the demon general used his remnant soul to block the Exploding Flame Talisman, he clearly saw the trajectory of the demonic energy and the remnant soul; at the moment when the poisonous demonic mist devoured the death energy, he comprehended the principle of yin and yang mutually generating and restraining each other.

"The opportunity for a breakthrough?"

Ye Yang's heart stirred, and the Dao power within his body began to boil, causing the bottleneck of the late stage of the Void Refinement realm to loosen slightly.

But out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Yan Qingying was entangled by a demon's bone whip, and Xuan Shui Dao Ren was desperately activating his water shield to protect her.
Meanwhile, Master Yanhuo and Sect Master Shijian had been forced to the edge of the cliff by the demons—at this moment of breakthrough, with their Dao power in disarray, they would surely die!
Now is not the best time to make a breakthrough.

"kill!"

Ye Yang composed himself, let out a furious roar, and charged towards the demons.

Xuan Shui Dao Ren, Yan Huo Zhen Ren, Shi Jian Men Zhu, and Yan Qing Ying also launched their attacks simultaneously, moving quickly according to the positions of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Sword Formation.

A burst of multicolored light erupted from the five people, converging in the air to form a massive multicolored sword shadow.

The sword shadow contained the power of the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. They intertwined and exuded a world-destroying aura as they slashed towards the five demons.

The five demons' expressions changed drastically, and they dared not be careless in the slightest.

They all activated the demonic energy within their bodies, and the black demonic flames gathered together to form a huge black demonic shield in front of them.

The magic shield was covered with hideous runes, exuding a terrifying aura, attempting to withstand the attack of the five-colored sword shadows.

"boom!"

The multicolored sword shadows collided violently with the black magic shield, producing a deafening explosion. A massive shockwave spread outwards.

The rocks on both sides of the valley were shaken and tumbled down, and huge cracks appeared on the ground.

The black magic shield was instantly cleaved open by the impact of the multicolored sword shadows, and the black magic flames quickly dissipated.

The five demons behind the magic shield simultaneously spat out a mouthful of black demonic blood, staggered back several steps, and their faces turned pale.

"What kind of formation is this? It's incredibly powerful!"

The leader of the demons looked on in disbelief, his voice tinged with fear.

He could sense that the power contained within the five-colored sword shadows was not only strong, but also carried a purifying power that specifically countered their demonic energy.

Ye Yang gave them no chance to react, activating the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Sword Formation once more. The five-colored light surged again, and an even larger five-colored sword shadow condensed, slashing towards the demons with a determination to kill.

"Fight!"

The leader of the demons roared, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes.

He knew he had no way out and could only fight to the death. He suddenly ignited the demonic energy within his body.

The black demonic flames surged instantly, growing several times larger. Within the flames, countless wronged souls howled in agony, emanating an increasingly terrifying aura.

The other four demons followed suit, burning their demonic energy in an attempt to enhance their strength and fight Ye Yang and the others to the death.

In an instant, demonic energy surged within the valley, clashing with the multicolored light and creating a peculiar spectacle.

But the power of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Sword Formation far exceeded their expectations.

The multicolored sword shadows slicing through their defenses formed by burning demonic energy with ease, as if cutting vegetables, splitting the five demons in two.

Black demonic blood gushed out, landing on the ground with a sizzling sound, corroding small holes in the ground.

The demons' demonic essence and souls were instantly devoured by the purifying power within the five-colored sword shadows, leaving not a trace behind.

After slaying five demons, Ye Yang and his group of five did not rest. They quickly cleaned up the battlefield, removing the demon corpses and scattered weapons, and then hid again.
They await the arrival of the next batch of demon reinforcements.

They knew that the demons' reinforcements might come in more than just this batch, and they had to clear out the surrounding demons as soon as possible to completely resolve the crisis in the Star Sea Demon Realm.

In the following hours, Ye Yang and his group killed three more waves of demon reinforcements.

Each batch contains three to five demons at the Tribulation Realm, including one demon at the late Tribulation Realm.

However, under the power of the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Sword Formation, these demons were utterly helpless and perished one after another.

As Ye Yang slayed more and more demons, his Dao power became increasingly refined through constant consumption and recovery.

He could clearly feel that his cultivation level was constantly improving, and he was only one step away from the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm.

Each time he activated the Five Elements Demon-Slaying Sword Formation and each time he slew a demon, his understanding of the Dao deepened.

"Hmm?" Ye
Yang suddenly stopped, his brows furrowing slightly.

He felt the Dao power within his body begin to become chaotic, as if a powerful force was impacting his cultivation bottleneck. The Dao power surged within him relentlessly, like a overflowing river, attempting to break free from the constraints of the bottleneck.

"Senior Brother Ye, what's wrong?"

Yan Qingying was the first to notice Ye Yang's unusual behavior, and she quickly stepped forward, asking with concern on her face.

Ye Yang shook his head, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the chaotic Dao power within his body.

"It's alright. I feel like I'm about to break through to the late stage of the Void Refinement realm. It's not safe here, so you guys stay here and keep watch. I need to find a place to go into seclusion for a while to stabilize my realm and break through the bottleneck."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Xuan Shui Dao Ren then spoke.

"Rest assured, Dao Ancestor Ye, we will protect you here and prevent any demons from disturbing you! Focus on your breakthrough, and we will await your return!"

Master Yanhuo also spoke.

"Master Ye, rest assured! With us here, no matter how many demons come, they won't be able to get close to you!"

Ye Yang said no more, nodded to everyone, and then his figure flashed as he flew towards the depths of the valley. He quickly found a hidden chamber, a naturally formed cave with abundant spiritual energy, and it was extremely well hidden and not easily discovered.

Ye Yang entered the secret chamber, sealed the entrance, then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to regulate the chaotic Dao energy within his body. He cleared his mind of distractions, focused his spirit into his body, and carefully felt the flow of Dao energy.

The Dao power within his body surged like a raging river, constantly assaulting the bottleneck of his cultivation realm. Each impact caused the bottleneck to tremble slightly, but he was unable to break through it.

Ye Yang was not impatient, but patiently guided his Dao power, fusing the Green Bamboo Sword Intent with the Evil King Blade's baleful aura.

The Green Bamboo Sword's intent is righteous and peaceful, containing an endless vitality; the Evil King Blade's murderous aura is domineering and fierce, containing the power to destroy everything.

Under Ye Yang's guidance, the two completely different forces merged together, forming a unique power.

This power possesses both the vitality of the Green Bamboo Sword Intent and the domineering aura of the Evil King Blade, making it far more powerful than before.

Ye Yang guided this fused power, guiding it along a specific trajectory, repeatedly pushing it towards the bottleneck of its cultivation realm.

Each breakthrough loosened his cultivation bottleneck slightly, and the Dao power within his body became more condensed.

After an unknown amount of time, Ye Yang suddenly opened his eyes, a dazzling light flashing within them. He felt his Dao power surge instantly, like a flood breaking through a dam, shattering the shackles of his cultivation realm.

A powerful aura emanated from him, instantly filling the entire secret chamber.

At this moment, the power of Dao that broke through the bottleneck of his cultivation realm erupted within Ye Yang's body like a volcano that had been dormant for thousands of years, surging with a world-destroying force.

At first, there was only a slight tremor in the dantian, but in an instant it turned into a raging torrent, rushing through the meridians and striking the limbs and bones.

The spiritual energy around him gathered at a speed visible to the naked eye, and a vortex of spiritual energy with a diameter of more than ten feet suddenly appeared in the originally hidden and dark cave.

The pale blue spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the black evil king's blade aura surged into his body like two intertwined dragons through more than a hundred acupoints around his body.

It weaves together in the meridians to form a continuous flow of energy. With each flow, the meridians emit a subtle hum, as if they are being tempered and refined.

The fusion of the Green Bamboo Sword Intent and the Evil King Blade's murderous aura has become increasingly thorough, having long since transcended the simple superposition of power, giving rise to a completely new Daoist charm that is unlike anything before.

If the previous Green Bamboo Sword Intent was as sharp and cold as the winter, now it has gained a touch of the calm and steadiness of spring returning to the earth.

The evil aura of the Evil King Blade was originally a deathly stillness that destroyed everything, but now it reveals a trace of vitality flowing through the destruction, like a withered tree coming back to life.

A pale golden sword-shaped mark slowly appeared between Ye Yang's eyebrows. Each time the mark flashed, a golden ripple spread outwards.

Affected by this, the stalactites at the top of the cave began to tremble, and fine stone chips fell like spring rain. However, as soon as these stone chips came within three feet of Ye Yang, they were instantly shattered into dust by an invisible barrier of Dao power, leaving not even a trace.

Above the sky, the originally gloomy clouds gradually turned golden, and within the golden clouds, there were faint flashes of lightning, but they were not fierce tribulation lightning, but rather lightning containing the vitality of the Dao.

Beneath the clouds, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged towards the cave like a tide, forming a ten-zhang-diameter, azure pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth.

"what is that?!"

Xuan Shui Dao Ren, who was on guard at the entrance of the valley, was the first to notice the abnormality. He suddenly looked up in the direction from which the pillar of light was rising.

The water-attribute whisk in his hand trembled violently uncontrollably, and the tiny ice particles that had condensed on the silver threads instantly melted, turning into water droplets that dripped down. His eyes were filled with disbelief, and his voice trembled slightly.

"This aura... it's Daozu Ye! He's actually breaking through? But the commotion is far too great!"

Yan Huo Zhenren was resting with his eyes closed against the rock when he felt this pressure. He suddenly stood up, and the flames in his palms surged uncontrollably to three feet high, scorching and distorting the surrounding air.

"A breakthrough? A breakthrough in the late stage of the Void Refinement realm would at most cause fluctuations in spiritual energy within a few miles, but this pillar of light is almost reaching the sky!"

Sect Master Shi Jian stared intently at the cyan beam of light, his hands unconsciously gripping the earthen-yellow shield in his hands, the surface of which was covered with fine earth-attribute runes.
“Feel it carefully! The pillar of light not only contains Dao Ancestor Ye’s Dao power, but also a purifying power that can suppress demonic energy! It is said that Dao Ancestor Ye has an extremely sharp Evil King Blade in his hand. Could it be that the Evil King Blade has undergone some changes?”

Yan Qingying's eyes reddened slightly, and her hands unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.

The six-winged demonic corpse beside her was unusually docile at the moment. The death aura that had been surrounding it receded as if it had encountered its nemesis, and even its outstretched wings drooped slightly.

She gazed at the azure pillar of light that pierced the heavens and earth, a smile unconsciously spreading across her face, her eyes filled with admiration and joy.

"Previously on the battlefield, Senior Brother Ye had already touched upon the opportunity for a breakthrough, but he forcibly suppressed it to protect us. Now he can finally break through in peace." (End of Chapter)