The spiritual energy was restored, and he became a mortal immortal in two days.

East China Sea, Penglai waters.

The light of the Cangming Sword Formation had dimmed considerably.

Shen Cangming sat cross-legged in the center of the sword formation, blood seeping from his seven orifices, his lifespan already half burned away.

Around him, more than two thousand of the three thousand disciples of Penglai Island had been killed or wounded. The sea was filled with corpses, and the seawater had been stained dark red.

"Sect Leader! The third line of defense has been breached!"

One of the disciples cried out.

Shen Cangming opened his eyes and looked at the ever-growing rift in the sky, and at the endless stream of demons pouring out of it.

"Our ancestor Shen Lang once said: 'The East Sea Sword Sect lives on the sword, and dies when the sword is gone.'"

He said hoarsely, "Although the Cangming Sword Formation is incomplete, as long as I, Shen Cangming, have a breath left, I will not let it completely collapse."

He bit his tongue and spat out a mouthful of blood onto the base of the formation.

The Cangming Sword Formation suddenly shone brightly!

"Come on! You extraterrestrial scum!"

Shen Cangming roared, "If you want to destroy the East Sea Sword Sect, you'll have to get past me first!"

Western Desert, the edge of the deathly sand sea

The battle flag of the Hunyuan Sect has been torn to shreds by the evil spirits.

Sha Wanli stood on the ruins, the residual light of the Hunyuan Seal flashing around him.

Behind him, the Hunyuan Sect disciples were reduced from three thousand to less than five hundred.

Those who survived formed the last line of defense, using their flesh and blood to plug the cracks.

"Sect Master! We've run out of spirit stones!"

"Sect Master! The array base has shattered!"

"Sect Master! This disciple...this disciple will take his leave first!"

A Golden Core elder, embracing ten Nascent Soul level demons, detonated his Golden Core, perishing together with them.

The flames from the explosion illuminated Sha Wanli's face, a rugged face filled with tears and resolute determination.

"Grandmaster..."

He murmured, "This disciple is incompetent and cannot defend the Western Desert, but this disciple swears that as long as this disciple has a breath left, I will not allow the evil spirits to set foot in the Western Desert!"

He formed a hand seal, using the final move of the Hunyuan Seal Technique—using himself as the seal to seal the hundred-zhang-long rift!

"Primordial Chaos - Sealing the Demon with One's Own Body!"

Southern Xinjiang, Zhennanguan

Taiqingzi's golden elixir has cracked in seven places.

Each time the Taiqing Daoist Rhyme is activated, another crack appears. When the ninth crack appears, the Golden Core will shatter completely, his cultivation will be completely destroyed, and he may even perish on the spot.

But he didn't stop.

"The Supreme Purification Array - Ninth Transformation!"

The azure Daoist aura transformed into a purifying light, sweeping across an area of ​​thirty miles. Wherever the light passed, low-level demons were instantly vaporized, and even high-level demons were forced back.

However, each revolution consumes twice the amount of true essence as the previous one. After nine revolutions, Taiqingzi bled from all seven orifices, and his Daoist robe was soaked in blood.

"Ancestor!"

The disciples cried out.

"Leave me alone!"

Taiqingzi said hoarsely, "Hold Zhennan Pass! The thirty million people of Southern Xinjiang are right behind us!"

He raised his hand with trembling hands, preparing to activate the tenth revolution.

At that very moment—

A golden light flew in from the north and landed on Zhennan Pass.

That is Kunlun Yuxuzi.

Behind him followed eight Golden Core elders from Kunlun, each holding a Qiankun Seal Array Plate.

"Fellow Daoist Taiqing, Kunlun has come to our aid!"

Yu Xuzi inserted the Qiankun Seal Array Plate into the Zhennan Pass city wall, shouting, "Qiankun Seal—Suppress!"

The eight array plates activated simultaneously, transforming into eight golden pillars of light that enveloped Zhennan Pass.

The demons collided with the pillar of light, like moths drawn to a flame, and evaporated with a hiss!

Taiqingzi breathed a sigh of relief and slumped to the ground.

"Thank you... Fellow Daoist Yuxu..."

Central Plains, Zhengzhou City

This is the last line of defense in the Central Plains.

Behind Zhengzhou city are tens of millions of people who have not yet been evacuated.

Wu Minghuang stood on the city wall, her Phoenix Flame Spear held horizontally in front of her.

She had been fighting for a whole day, killing five Nascent Soul level demons and more than thirty Enlightenment level demons.

The Phoenix Flame Armor was mostly shattered, revealing the blood-stained clothes underneath.

Behind her, Shangguan Wan'er sat leaning against the crenellations of the city wall, her chest pierced by a demon's claw. Although she had used a spiritual medicine to stop the bleeding, her breath was weak and her face was as pale as paper.

"Wan'er, step back."

Wu Minghuang didn't even turn her head.

No refund.

Shangguan Wan'er struggled to her feet, a thin sword gripping her hand. "Our master fought to the death at Tianmen Mountain, and we will fight to the death here. Neither of us can retreat."

Wu Minghuang turned and glanced at her, then suddenly smiled: "Okay. Let's go together then."

She turned to face the surging demonic army below the city walls, raising her Phoenix Flame Spear high:

"Phoenix Guards, heed my command—defend Zhengzhou to the death! We stand for the city, we stand for the people; the city falls, we fall!"

Tianmen Mountain, main fissure

Of the six fissures, the one at Tianmen Mountain is the largest.

With a diameter exceeding one hundred miles, the number of demons emerging from the depths of the rift is in the millions.

Even more terrifying, an aura far surpassing that of a Nascent Soul cultivator was approaching from the depths of the rift—that was the true form of the Heavenly Demon Emperor.

Chen Xuan stood before the Human Line.

Before him stood a million-strong army of demons, the celestial demon emperor about to descend.

One person, single-handedly holding off a million.

The Cangming Sword trembled in his hand, not from fear, but from fighting spirit.

The Xuan Tian Sword Intent flowed around him, not for defense, but to gather momentum. The Hunyuan Seal Technique condensed in his palm, not for sealing, but for the impending release of destruction.

The first wave of demons pounced on them.

Chen Xuan drew his sword.

"Cangming Sword Technique: Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source"

With a single sword strike, the azure sword light split into countless paths.

Each sword light precisely locked onto a demon, and the simultaneous unleashing of thousands of swords was like an inverted Milky Way, sweeping across the battlefield!

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

Ten thousand demons exploded simultaneously!

But even more evil surged forth.

Chen Xuan formed a hand seal with his left hand: "Primordial Chaos Seal - Demon Suppression".

The chaotic light sphere spread out, transforming into a ten-mile-long barrier.

Within the barrier, all demons were suppressed and slowed down, as if trapped in a quagmire!

Chen Xuan changed his right-hand sword technique again: "Mysterious Heaven Sword Technique - Abyss Break".

The pure white sword light transformed into a ten-thousand-foot-long bolt of lightning, like a heavenly blade slashing down!

With a single sword strike, all the demons within the ten-mile barrier were reduced to dust!

The three divine powers were unleashed in succession, instantly clearing the battlefield for ten miles!

But the demons surging from the crack seemed endless; as soon as one batch was cleared out, another would emerge.

Moreover, each batch is stronger than the previous one—from Foundation Establishment level to Golden Core level, from Golden Core level to Nascent Soul level, and from Nascent Soul level to Deity Transformation level!

Chen Xuan felt the pressure.

His cultivation level is being depleted.

The Cangming Sword Technique, the Hunyuan Seal Technique, and the Xuantian Sword Technique—each move is a powerful divine ability, consuming a great deal of energy.

And the number of demons... has no end.

At that very moment—

"boom--!!!"

From the depths of the rift, that aura far surpassing that of a Nascent Soul cultivator finally descended.

A terrifying figure, obscuring the sky, slowly descended from the crack.

The devil emperor from outside the world.

It is tens of thousands of feet tall, covered in dark golden scales, and has three heads and six arms.

Each head had a pair of eyes burning with pitch-black flames, and all six eyes looked down at Chen Xuan as if they were gods looking down at ants.

His aura has surpassed the Refinement Realm and reached the Integration Realm!

The sheer pressure alone caused all living beings within a 500-mile radius of Tianmen Mountain—whether human or demonic—to simultaneously prostrate themselves on the ground, unable to move!

"In the beginning."

The Demon Emperor's six eyes spoke simultaneously, their voices overlapping like thunderous roars:

"After all these years, you're still alive."

Chen Xuan stood before the Demon Emperor, as insignificant as dust before Mount Tai.

But he remained standing, his green robe fluttering in the wind, the Cangming Sword held horizontally in front of him.

"The Demon Emperor from Beyond the World."

He calmly said, "I could seal you ten thousand years ago, and I can still do it ten thousand years from now."

The Demon Emperor laughed loudly. His laughter shattered the clouds, cracked the mountains, and made the earth tremble.

"Ten thousand years ago, you gathered all the great powers in the mortal world in the name of the Primordial Beginning to barely seal me away."

"Now the world is desolate, and you are the only one left. What makes you think you're worthy?"

Chen Xuan looked up at the towering demonic figure.

"Because I have lived for nine thousand eight hundred years."

"I've been waiting for this moment for the past 9,800 years."

He no longer suppressed his cultivation.

His aura began to surge wildly—

Peak of Nascent Soul stage.

Early stage of the Nascent Soul stage.

Mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm.

Peak of the Divine Transformation Realm.

The early stage of refining the void.

The middle stage of refining the void.

Peak of the Void Refinement Realm.

Finally, it stopped at the half-step fusion stage!

A flicker of surprise flashed across all six of the Demon Emperor's eyes: "Half-step into the Fusion Realm? You've actually touched the threshold of the Fusion Realm?"

"But I am a true Nascent Soul cultivator! Just half a step away is an insurmountable chasm!"

"An insurmountable barrier?"

Chen Xuan raised his hand, and the Cangming Sword flew into his palm. "In these nine thousand eight hundred years, I have crossed more chasms than you have eaten any living beings."

He made the first move.

"Primordial Sword Technique - All Swords Return to Their Origin!"

The Cangming Sword splits into ten thousand sword lights!

But this time, every sword light contained the sharpness of the Xuan Tian Sword Intent, the grandeur of the Cang Ming Sword Technique, and the suppression of the Hun Yuan Seal Technique—the three styles combined into one, and ten thousand swords were unleashed simultaneously!

The sword light was like an inverted Milky Way, sweeping away all the demons in the sky!

Countless demons were reduced to dust in the sword light, and even the Demon Emperor was forced back a hundred feet!

On battlefields across the Human Alliance, witnessing this scene through Lingxiao's real-time projection, erupted in thunderous cheers:

"Holy Master! It's the Holy Master!"

"The Holy Master has made his move!"

"Humanity...is saved!"

But after regaining his footing, the Demon Emperor waved all six arms in unison: "Primordial Beginning, the warm-up is over. Now I'll show you the true power of the Integration Realm!"

He formed hand seals with all six arms simultaneously!

"Six Paths of Heavenly Demons - Asura Path!"

A gigantic Asura appeared in the sky, clad in bone armor and wielding a blood-red blade, slashing down at Chen Xuan!

This strike contained the power of heaven and earth at the Integration Realm. Wherever the blood blade passed, space tore apart and mountains and rivers shattered!

Chen Xuan gritted his teeth, combined the three techniques into one, and used the Primordial Sword to block the attack head-on!

"boom--!!!"

Chen Xuan was sent flying thousands of feet backward, his blue robe torn to shreds, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth!

The Demon Emperor strikes again: "Six Paths of Heavenly Demons - Animal Path!"

The monstrous beast, towering ten thousand feet tall, lunged forward, its fangs like halberds, tearing the sky and splitting the earth!

Chen Xuan blocked again and retreated, his green robe stained with blood!

"The Six Paths of Heavenly Demons - The Hungry Ghost Path!"

The gigantic form of a hungry ghost came forth, its enormous mouth like an abyss, devouring everything!

Chen Xuan was blasted into the mountainside, creating a crater hundreds of feet deep!

"gentlemen--!!!"

On the city wall of Zhengzhou, Wu Minghuang witnessed this scene and was heartbroken. She wanted to rush out of the city wall, but Shangguan Wan'er held her back tightly.

"Sister Minghuang! Trust Mr. Minghuang!"

Shangguan Wan'er cried out, "Master said he would come back!"

On the northern frontier battlefield, Pei Hanchuan knelt on the ground, trembling all over: "Sir..."

In Penglai, East Sea, Shen Cangming gazed at the sky, tears streaming down his face: "Sword Master..."

In the ruins of the Western Desert, Sha Wanli kowtowed, crying out, "Ancestor..."

At Zhennan Pass in the Southern Frontier, the ninth crack appeared in Taiqingzi's Golden Core. He paid no heed to his own condition, only gazing at the sky: "Holy Master..."

At Lingxiao headquarters, Lin Xiaoman knelt before the communications console, sobbing uncontrollably, "Mr. Chen... I beg you... please, you must win..."

Deep in the Tianmen Mountain pit.

Chen Xuan slowly stood up.

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth; though his blue robe was tattered, his spine remained straight.

He looked at the towering demonic figure, at the six eyes burning with pitch-black flames, and suddenly laughed.

"The Integration Realm... is indeed very strong."

"But who told you—"

He raised his hand and pointed to the sky.

Am I alone?

A golden beam of light shot into the sky from his fingertip, exploded at the top of the firmament, and transformed into nine streams of light that flew to all parts of the human world!

"Nine thousand eight hundred years."

"I have used countless aliases, leaving behind countless legacies."

"These traditions are not just left to future generations."

"Also left for—"

"Me today."