Boom! Boom! Boom!
The terrifying demonic claws descended.
Jiang Zhenshan and the others urgently shouted warnings, their bodies tensing as they prepared to intervene at any moment.
"That's it?"
The old man in the green mountain robe slowly raised his head. A trace of boredom appeared in his warm, calm eyes.
That single look made the demon's heart tremble for no reason.
Sensing an unprecedented threat, the demonic claws accelerated, pressing down with even greater ferocity.
Hearing Chu Xun's contemptuous words, the elders of the Jiang family also shuddered. They couldn't tell whether Chu Xun was being overly arrogant—or if he was simply that strong.
Demonic qi rolled and boiled violently, gathering above. The oppressive darkness made even Ninth-Realm Human Emperors tremble, forced to admit they were no match.
"Eight Desolate Palms!"
Chu Xun gently raised a hand.
In that palm, there was a sense of decay—of desolation itself.
"It's been a long time since I've used this," Chu Xun said softly, nostalgia and emotion flickering in his eyes.
As his sword dao had grown stronger, this palm technique had nearly been forgotten. Now, as it was activated again, an earth-yellow palm the size of a millstone appeared in midair, carrying immense suppression and a powerful suction force.
The moment it collided with the thousand-zhang demonic claw—
The claw shattered instantly.
Not only that—the power of desolation unleashed a terrifying devouring force, greedily swallowing the demon claw's life essence.
"Screech—!"
Fear finally appeared in the demon's eyes.
It wasn't afraid of sword techniques or divine abilities—but it feared the loss of vitality.
After being suppressed for a thousand years, it had already weakened to the extreme, even weaker than the Green Bull Demon Lord. Every drop of life essence was precious beyond measure.
How could it endure such devouring?
Grinding its teeth, it roared in fury:
"Get out!"
Bang!
It forcibly severed its own connection to the demonic claw.
Chu Xun remained indifferent, black hair fluttering as he looked down coldly, like a lofty god gazing upon mortals.
"Too weak," he said flatly.
"Vulnerable."
Bang—!
The Eight Desolate Palm continued descending.
Under everyone's gaze—
Boom!
It slammed down and suppressed the demon.
Crack!
Crack!
Bang!
In less than a single breath—
The demon exploded.
The demonic qi in the sky rapidly dissipated.
Jiang Zhenshan.
The many elders.
Even the silver-haired elder and the Sixth Elder stood frozen in place.
They had seen Chu Xun's talisman paper before and knew he was powerful—but they had never imagined he would be this terrifying.
"Killed… in one second?" Jiang Zhenshan swallowed hard, his mind buzzing.
This demon had plagued the Jiang family for over a month, pushing them to the brink of life and death, forcing them to evacuate their entire clan.
And yet—
It was so easily crushed?
From start to finish, it had taken no more than a single breath.
Gulp.
Gulp.
The three elders.
The five ancestors.
Those who had chosen neutrality.
All fell into silence.
Every gaze was fixed on the green-robed figure standing in the air, waves of shock surging endlessly in their hearts.
Facing their stunned expressions, Chu Xun remained calm as ever. Slowly lowering his gaze, he spoke softly:
"It's not resolved yet."
"That was only an incarnation."
"Huh?"
Before the Jiang family elders could even react, a strange laugh echoed from beneath the cracked formation:
"I didn't expect a Half-Saint to appear. No wonder the Jiang family dared to open the formation so casually."
The familiar voice sent chills through everyone.
They turned toward the formation, their scalps instantly going numb.
The demon that had been suppressed for a thousand years hadn't emerged at first—
What they had killed was merely an incarnation.
Fear and relief surged simultaneously through their hearts.
Fortunately…
They had invited Chu Xun.
Otherwise, even if the Jiang family had exhausted every last resource to destroy that shadow, they would only have discovered—too late—that it wasn't the real body.
A true catastrophe would have followed.
"Elder Chu!"
"Be careful!"
Jiang Zhenshan tensed completely.
Even as an incarnation, the demon had displayed power beyond the Ninth Realm of the Human Emperor. As for the true body—it was at least Half-Saint level.
It could not be underestimated.
Buzz—buzz—buzz!
Fog rolled violently, surging out from the formation and swallowing the sky in an instant.
In less than two breaths, the vast Jiang clan went from blazing sunlight to pitch-black clouds. Demonic qi boiled violently, filling heaven and earth.
Tianji Sect.
The old man holding the Tianji Disc gazed at a reflected image—the dense demonic qi above the Jiang clan—and murmured:
"The Jiang family's crisis has erupted."
The Jiang clan had once sought his help, only to be refused. Their waters ran far deeper than they appeared. Getting involved would invite great danger.
Now, he wanted to see how they would handle it.
Zhenwu Sect.
Before the saint stood a mirror reflecting the Jiang family's current state. He lowered his eyes slightly, calmly observing the unfolding changes.
Goddess Sect.
Xiandao Sect.
Shenxing Sect.
All were using secret treasures to observe the Jiang family from afar.
"Hehe…"
Amid the rolling demonic qi, a solid figure condensed and emerged.
The true demon revealed itself.
Two horns jutted from its head, dark scales covered its body. It was clearly human in origin, yet now resembled a monstrous ghost.
Even Chu Xun's eyes showed a trace of sympathy and pity.
Cultivating demonic arts until one became neither human nor ghost—
What was the point?
No humanity.
No friends.
No enemies.
Only endless slaughter in exchange for power.
What could such a path possibly lead to in the end?
A pitiful existence.
That gaze seemed to enrage the demon.
It roared furiously, ferocity twisting its face.
"Little thing, I've seen through your cultivation!"
"You're not a Half-Saint at all. You're only forcing Half-Saint power through some secret technique!"
"In truth, you're still in the Human Emperor Realm!"
"Today—you die!"
"Roar—!"
The demon roared madly.
Its cultivation surged.
Eighth Realm of the Human Emperor.
Ninth Realm of the Human Emperor.
Half-Saint.
Peak Half-Saint.
Saint…
Just a step away.
At the last moment, it stopped.
Even so, the terrifying aura swept across the entire Jiang family. The elders felt their breathing grow heavy, their bodies stiff.
Those below the Ninth Realm couldn't even remain suspended in the air—let alone assist Chu Xun.
Jiang Zhenshan.
The silver-haired elder.
The Fifth Ancestor.
These few were barely able to stand in midair. They stared nervously at Chu Xun, their hearts pounding.
The pressure on us is already this terrifying… what about Elder Chu?
"We should avoid its edge first!" Jiang Zhenshan said anxiously, breath ragged. "It can't last long like this. I'll quickly activate the formation!"
"No need."
Chu Xun spoke calmly.
"Hehe… you know struggling is useless?" the demon laughed strangely, its ferocity growing even stronger.
Inwardly, it remained vigilant against the Eight Desolate Palm. That strange technique that devoured vitality was dangerous—as long as it avoided it, the old man before it would be nothing more than prey.
"Sword," Chu Xun murmured.
In an instant—
Buzz buzz buzz!!!
The Sword Mountain behind the Jiang family trembled violently.
Countless swords were embedded there—broken ones, intact ones, plain ones, sharp ones. Thousands of blades had long formed a sword mountain.
Jiang family sword cultivators often ventured there seeking opportunities, but the swords were too proud, too arrogant, unwilling to acknowledge them.
Now—
With Chu Xun's single word—
"Sword comes."
The entire Sword Mountain shook.
Buzz buzz buzz!
Almost instantly—
Thousands of swords transformed into blazing rainbows, tearing through the sky.