"How dare a demon speak such nonsense!"
Qiu Ling Daoist angrily rebuked, his long sword radiating a brilliant light, yet he was unable to suppress Chen Jiuyang's great saber.
Among the myriad of Daoist traditions, only the Martial Dao reigned supreme, and the Immortal Dao offered eternal life! Even the demon race, to advance further, had to tread the path of martial cultivation and transformation to contend with human prodigies!
Within the Martial Dao, after stepping into the Imperial Dao, all things returned to their primal simplicity. One's own physical body became the entirety of their Dao, rarely relying on external objects. When wielding divine abilities, ordinary ones, facing the Martial Dao Furnace, were shattered with a mere flick of a finger.
Seizing an opportunity, Chen Jiuyang suddenly withdrew and ascended, his powerful arm extended. A great bow materialized, his gaze chilling.
"Speaking nonsense?"
"No..."
"It is you who are too weak."
"Today, I shall test if I can kill an Imperial Dao realm expert while in the Sovereign realm!"
"Four Symbols of Heavenly Will—"
"Myriad Phenomena Heavenly Will!!!"
The great bow was drawn taut like a full moon, imbued with Chen Jiuyang's personal martial will. A peerless divine ability, nearly a union of myriad phenomena, erupted from the bow along with the arrow.
With a single shot, Qiu Ling Daoist, Fang Lie Daoist, and the great demon Ning Shang all changed color.
Except for the great demon Ning Shang, the other two already knew of Chen Jiuyang's mastery of the art of war and this peak divine ability, its power almost irresistible!
"Candle Dragon Spear!"
"Myriad Sect Sword!"
"Demon God's Eye!"
The three supreme divine abilities of their own Daos were fiercely unleashed, attempting to resist Chen Jiuyang's divine ability that spanned heaven and earth, infused with his personal martial will.
Heaven and earth turned black and white, then burst into a riot of colors as essence and spiritual energy were incinerated!
In an instant, facing the pupils of the great demon Ning Shang, Chen Jiuyang felt a pressure akin to that of a Martial Saint descending, battering his Martial Dao Furnace and personal will.
"Hmph!"
Chen Jiuyang was immediately struck, letting out a pained grunt, blood seeping from his lips, his killing intent surging: "You are courting death!"
He suddenly swung the Yan Sheng Saber towards Ning Shang: "Origin Dao—Heavenly Will is Like a Saber!"
Across the void, Chen Jiuyang cleaved, splitting the sky in two. The center of the cut was aimed at the great demon Ning Shang's physical body.
"Useless..."
The great demon Ning Shang's body was split in two, then rapidly healed. A deep look of apprehension flashed in his eyes as he sneered, "No matter how high your martial prowess, you have not crossed the Imperial Dao. Separated by cultivation realms, if you cannot shatter our Martial Dao Furnaces, how can you kill us?"
"To kill an Imperial Dao realm expert from the Sovereign realm? That is a fool's delusion!"
Chen Jiuyang's brow furrowed. He had also sensed that after dozens of exchanges, although the strength within him was inexhaustible, there was still a thin veil separating him. Even if he could injure them, he could not kill them.
His gaze turned cold as he stared at Ning Shang, "If I cannot kill you now, it doesn't mean I can't kill you later."
"Wait until I step into the Imperial Dao, and then see if you dare to say that again?"
Ning Shang sneered, "But first, you must survive today!"
"Indeed!" Qiu Ling Daoist sneered, "Yan Fengyun is severely injured, and the Human King Sword is what protects his life. The Human King Sword can only protect one person. You must decide who you want to live."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jiuyang slowly retracted his moves, his aura returning to calm.
Chen Jiuyang pondered for a moment, then said, "Thank you for reminding me."
"Emperor Yan, I will temporarily leave the Human King Sword with you. It can be used for self-preservation until your injuries heal."
"'Sleepless'," Chen Jiuyang uttered.
Ancestor 'Sleepless' immediately appeared beside Chen Jiuyang.
"Demon Dao Tribulation Transcending cultivator!"
"Guardian!"
The pupils of Qiu Ling Daoist and Fang Lie Daoist contracted simultaneously.
Ancestor 'Sleepless' asked, "Sect Master, what are your orders?"
"Return to the sect, prepare yourselves. I am going to break through to the Imperial Dao, and then I will come to kill those pigs and dogs of the Five Pseudo-Daos," Chen Jiuyang said.
"Swish!"
Ancestor 'Sleepless' immediately tore open a spatial rift.
Chen Jiuyang stepped directly into the spatial rift and vanished from the scene.
Even the peerless powerhouses like Qiu Ling Daoist, Fang Lie Daoist, and the great demon Ning Shang showed expressions of astonishment.
Moments ago, they were locked in a life-and-death battle, and now, the fight had abruptly ended, with him summoning his guardian and departing.
They then glanced at the Human King Sword before Emperor Yan.
Qiu Ling Daoist was instantly infuriated, the dignified Imperial Dao peerless powerhouse so stifled that he spat blood:
"Pfft—"
They could neither kill Chen Jiuyang nor do anything to Yan Fengyun. All their painstaking preparations had come to naught, making them a laughingstock for no reason.
...
On this day.
The Mountain and River Ranking and the World Ranking were updated.
Chen Jiuyang remained at the first position on the Mountain and River Ranking.
The World Ranking was updated, with Qin Shujian still in first place.
Qiu Ling Daoist, two hundredth.
Fang Lie Daoist, one hundred and eighty-ninth.
Great Demon Ning Shang, one hundred and fiftieth.
Chen Jiuyang, eight hundred and thirty-third.
The emergence of three new names on the rankings caused a stir.
Subsequently, the events at Immortal Falling Cliff spread throughout the land.
The Five Great Holy Lands, in alliance with the demon race, intended to kill Emperor Yan, and Chen Jiuyang arrived in time, using the Human King Sword to save Emperor Yan.
Upon the news breaking, the world was shaken, erupting with thunderous clamor!
The Five Great Holy Lands and the faction of the Enforcers had completely fallen out.
In an instant, the situation escalated once more.
Chen Jiuyang, through his own might, battled four peerless powerhouses, successfully forging his furnace, and was only a hair's breadth away from stepping into the Imperial Dao.
Overnight, the war between the righteous and demonic factions directly entered a white-hot stage!
The war between the righteous and demonic factions, which had been delayed for years, officially commenced with fierce combat.
...
After forging the furnace, although there was joy in finally overcoming the most difficult hurdle, the distance to stepping into the Imperial Dao, marching upon the Five Great Holy Lands, and awakening the ancestors to appear was still a mere sliver.
Within the True Demon Sect, various families sent lavish gifts to Sect Master Chen Jiuyang.
However, Chen Jiuyang himself was not as happy.
Ancestor 'Sleepless' said, "When you, Sect Master, ascended to the Sovereign realm, you attracted the Four-Nine Wind and Fire Tribulation."
"Now, you have achieved the unprecedented feat of forging a Martial Dao Furnace with five primordial origins. As you said, you even used divine abilities that defied heavenly principles before..."
"If you were to face a tribulation upon stepping into the Imperial Dao, even I cannot imagine what level of heavenly tribulation you would attract."
Ancestor 'Sleepless''s words instantly extinguished the enthusiasm of Qiu Yihan, Lin Yuexian, Ji Lengyue, Chen Biandao, Han Peiling, and others.
Instead, they became worried.
The Four-Nine Wind and Fire Tribulation last time had already caused them great concern, and now, it was even more worrying.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes flashed with a sharp glint as he recalled the scene deduced from the Creation Heavenly Mystery Jade Plate. If he failed in his attempt to break through to the Imperial Dao, even if he survived, those within the True Demon Sect would no longer obey his commands peacefully.
"Let's return to the Green Bamboo Spiritual Domain to undergo the tribulation..."
"Arrange it first."
"Before undergoing the tribulation, I still have other matters to attend to."
Currently, as he was about to break through to the Imperial Dao, matters concerning Ye Tiannan, Wang Jiguang, and Qin Rouyu's departure from the Five Great Holy Lands must be resolved.
He owed Yao Zixuan a great deal, and he also owed Qin Rouyu a great deal.