From the very beginning, when Su Jingxuan encountered Qi Yan in this world, he had a vague inkling that he might have crossed into a different realm. He found himself back in the past, in the real world, at a time when Qi Yan had not yet become the figure in the black robe—everything at its very inception. He bore witness to what had transpired before, perhaps already being entwined in the course of history; no one could resist the inexorable gears of history.
He didn’t know if the past could be altered, but he could choose what he wanted to do. Even if unsuccessful, at least he wouldn’t regret it; at least he wouldn’t remain an oblivious bystander.
Qi Yan possessed a cultivation level in the Great Vehicle stage. Absorbing Qi Yan’s cultivation was sufficient for Su Jingxuan to completely mend the trauma in his soul. Unlike ordinary cultivators, he, who had accidentally arrived here, had all his power sealed within his soul. He didn’t need to diligently cultivate like ordinary practitioners. As long as the soul trauma was healed, he could freely wield his power.
Keeping Qi Yan’s cultivation within him, as Qi Yan had completely lost his sanity and gone into a frenzy, would only exacerbate his madness, ultimately turning him into a mindless killing machine. After absorbing Qi Yan’s cultivation and reaching the peak of soul strength, Su Jingxuan settled the people and headed directly for the human realm.
He couldn’t believe Ji Baiyin had met his end like this. He didn’t comprehend the nature of Yunhai Sect, but how could a sect that stood among the six major sects of the human cultivation world be so feeble?
He had heard Ji Baiyin mention that Ji Tianying had long been a late-stage cultivator approaching ascension. Such a person didn’t need the support of a sect; they could traverse the spiritual realm alone.
Even if the five major sects joined forces, it was not impossible for Ji Tianying to protect Ji Baiyin. Ji Baiyin was Ji Tianying’s own son. No matter how indifferent a cultivator might be, it was inconceivable to ignore their own flesh and blood.
He couldn’t believe Ji Tianying could genuinely watch his son being forced to death like this. Baiyin was Qi Yan’s big brother. They had protected him for three hundred years, and he had to bring Ji Baiyin back.
However, before going to Yunhai Sect, the people of the five major sects could not be ignored.
Su Jingxuan had always believed in revenge when there was a grudge. Regardless of whether the destruction of the Night Demon Tribe was related to the five major sects, the fact that they pressured Ji Baiyin and injured Qi Yan could not be denied.
Since he had taken action, he would repay tenfold. The people of the Night Demon Tribe had lost their sanity due to the destruction of their tribe. Their revenge and killing were chaotic, targeting anyone from the human realm they encountered, like madmen venting their frustrations.
It seemed cruel, killing quite a few low-level cultivators, but it was all in vain. They only killed unlucky low-level cultivators, and there was no real loss to their true enemies.
Su Jingxuan was grateful for the training he had undergone in the illusory world. The strong resilience he had developed at that time allowed him to remain calm now.
Starting with the first sect, the Instrument Sect, followed by the Sound Sect, Minghe Valley, Changyun Gate, and Tianqi Palace, in order of strength, he went to settle scores with each one. Although the five major sects all had high-level cultivators, there was still a difference in strength within the Ascension stage. A half-level difference determined the decisive gap in strength.
After absorbing Qi Yan’s cultivation, Su Jingxuan not only repaired the original trauma but also directly broke through to the late stage of Ascension. There were fewer than five people in the spiritual realm who could stop him, as few cultivators at the Ascension stage were willing to remain in the spiritual realm.
The disparity in strength was absolute in the spiritual realm. Upon attacking each sect, Su Jingxuan didn’t waste words; he directly initiated a killing spree, sparing no one related to Ji Baiyin and Qi Yan.
Although he only targeted the sect heads and elders of each sect and didn’t harm low-level cultivators, news spread after the attack on the first sect. The entire spiritual realm was shocked.
By the time the second and third sects were attacked, the various races in the spiritual realm had gone from being shocked to being fearful and uneasy. Although there had been enmities and hatreds in the spiritual realm for many years, no one had dared to openly go to someone’s door and kill people like this before. Who was this person who dared to be so blatant, killing all the elders of a sect in one night, including powerful cultivators at the Ascension stage? When did the spiritual realm produce such a madman, and what did he want?
The people of various races were both frightened and curious as they continued to secretly investigate. Some were vigilant, some were worried, and some were apprehensive, but more were excited. The six major sects had many spiritual mines and immortal mountains under their control. If they were all destroyed, these things would become ownerless and available for anyone to seize.
Kill them all, quickly wipe out all six major sects!
After three sects were annihilated while the rest of the smaller sects and races had no issues, apart from the six sects’ people, the others secretly breathed a sigh of relief. It was evident that the killer wasn’t crazy but had a grudge against the six major sects.
People from various races relaxed and, at the same time, became more curious. No one in the spiritual realm was without grievances and hatreds, but for the first time in thousands of years, they saw someone so openly engaging in a killing spree. If their enemies were killed by this mysterious strongman, fine. If they weren’t, they could take advantage of the situation and deliver a final blow.
From a distance, watching Su Jingxuan shrouded in a blood mist, his figure almost indiscernible, everyone was still very afraid and didn’t dare to get too close.
Cautiously following behind, he watched as one after another of the six major immortal sects were annihilated. The blood mist surrounding him grew so dense that it almost solidified, causing a chill to run down his spine.
It wasn’t until they reached the Cloud Sea Sect that a crisp, youthful voice emerged from the blood mist.
“All of Cloud Sea Sect, listen carefully. If you don’t want rivers of blood in your sect today, hand over Ji Baiyin to me.”
Although the voice belonged to a seemingly inexperienced youth, it sounded no different from a demon from hell. The icy tone reached the ears of every Cloud Sea Sect member.
Onlookers from various factions observed from a distance, while the people of Cloud Sea Sect nervously held their treasures as a defense. Lower-level cultivators remained composed, but elders of Yuan Ying and above turned pale, sweating in their palms.
The reason was simple—all the five major immortal sects that had suffered casualties had individuals above Yuan Ying level killed for the first time. This made them regret their pride in their advanced cultivation.
“I don’t know where this senior comes from, and where did our six major immortal sects offend you? Why does the senior resort to such a bloodthirsty approach? Are you not afraid of being haunted by inner demons when ascending?” A Cloud Sea Sect elder couldn’t bear it and spoke up.
“I care not for inner demons. Five major immortal sects harmed our clan’s saint, slaughtered our people. They should be killed. I’m not in a good mood today. Hand over Ji Baiyin, and I’ll leave. Otherwise, I’ll wash Cloud Sea Sect in blood.” Su Jingxuan stood in the blood mist, coldly staring at the Cloud Sea Sect members hiding behind their protective formation. With a wave of his hand, he directly shattered the eye of their defensive array, leaving Cloud Sea Sect exposed.
Cloud Sea Sect members recoiled in shock, not expecting him to effortlessly break the protective array that had guarded the sect for thousands of years. This man not only possessed high cultivation but also demonstrated a profound knowledge of formations.
The atmosphere became tense. Cloud Sea Sect members clutched their treasures, preparing for an attack. Su Jingxuan infused his spiritual power and scanned them, finally stopping at a middle-aged man standing at the forefront.
Though not elderly, the man had snow-white hair, handsome features, and wore a feathered crown with a silk robe. His resemblance to Ji Baiyin was striking, and his aura was almost ethereal, indicating that he was either not an ordinary person or had reached an advanced stage of cultivation.
“Ji Tianying, I’ll say it one last time. Hand over Ji Baiyin. Are you giving him to me, or not?” Su Jingxuan locked eyes with Ji Tianying, taking a storage pouch from his waist and throwing it. Dozens of heads fell from the sky and piled up on the ground. The heads were fresh, dripping with warm blood, and recognizable faces made the onlookers shudder. Friends and acquaintances lay among them, intensifying the impact.
Cloud Sea Sect members wore unpleasant expressions, tightly gripping their magical treasures. Su Jingxuan manipulated his spiritual power, glancing over them before finally fixing his gaze on the middle-aged man at the forefront.
Though Ji Tianying appeared expressionless, he was meticulous. As two powerhouses nearing ascension engaged in a battle, Cloud Sea Sect’s territory could not withstand their might. To ensure the sect’s safety, they needed to move to another battlefield after a few exchanges.
Su Jingxuan did not hesitate, breaking the array with a single attack and leaving Cloud Sea Sect defenseless. The members retreated in shock, never expecting him to effortlessly dismantle the protective formation that had safeguarded the sect for thousands of years.
As they left Cloud Sea Sect, the two continued their battle, eventually landing on a magnificent peak of Cloud Sea Mountain.
After several rounds of intense fighting, Su Jingxuan was already exhausted, and Ji Tianying was not in a much better condition. Though not severely injured, a significant portion of his spiritual power had been depleted, leaving him panting.
“Hand over Ji Baiyin,” Su Jingxuan demanded.
“My son is already dead,” Ji Tianying replied.
The same two sentences had been repeated countless times from Cloud Sea Sect to this point. Su Jingxuan refused to accept it, and Ji Tianying remained unyielding.
The deadlock was broken when an unexpected change occurred on the mountain peak. Shadows descended, surrounding them. Several powerful individuals encircled Su Jingxuan and Ji Tianying, emitting a murderous aura.
“Attack!” The leader ordered without hesitation, and two individuals advanced towards Ji Tianying, while the rest targeted Su Jingxuan. Clearly, their goal was to kill him.
Having just fought with Ji Tianying, Su Jingxuan was already exhausted. These masked individuals seized the opportunity and attacked ruthlessly, their moves lethal and leaving him powerless to defend himself.
Who were these people, and why were they attacking him? Su Jingxuan had not offended anyone in the spirit realm except the five major immortal sects. As the five major sects had been annihilated, why would these masked experts go after him?
“If you dare to act, why bother hiding?” Su Jingxuan said defiantly, even in the face of death.
Even if he were to die, he wanted to die with a clear understanding. Using his last bit of strength, Su Jingxuan’s eyes turned red as he launched a final attack, breaking the disguises of those attacking him. Their true faces were revealed.
In his last moments of consciousness, Su Jingxuan saw Ji Tianying, heavily injured, being pushed in front of him. Ji Tianying’s sword pierced Su Jingxuan’s heart.
He also heard a dragon’s roar and the voice of Qi Yan.
“Ji Tianying, I, Qi Yan, swear that I will not exterminate your human race or your Cloud Sea Sect. I swear never to give up.”
Su Jingxuan wanted to open his eyes to see, but he had no strength. It felt as if his soul had entered complete darkness.
Until a gentle force merged into his soul, Su Jingxuan suddenly opened his eyes. He saw not a battlefield in ruins, but a cave filled with abundant spiritual energy.
He was lying on an altar at the moment, surrounded by a group of old men with white clothes and white hair and white beards. Seeing him open his eyes, everyone’s faces showed ecstatic expressions.
“Quickly, inform the sect leader that His Highness Xuan is awake.”
Accompanied by the sounds of surprise from everyone around him, Su Jingxuan lay on the altar. The seal of his soul was finally opened, and the dust-covered memories poured out.
