Great Sage Oversees the Battle, Stirring a Frenzy; the First Traces of a Martial Path Conspiracy Emerge

The Golden-Winged Great Peng King's corpse still radiated residual warmth outside Clear Wind City when storm clouds suddenly gathered overhead. A terrifying pressure far beyond the Nascent Soul Realm blanketed the land, making even Clear Wind City's walls tremble faintly. Chen Fan looked up and saw a figure in purple robes slowly emerge from the clouds. The old man's face was gaunt, black demon mist swirling around him. Every breath he took threw the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy into disorder—it was the Great Sage of the Demon Race, a pinnacle Void Refinement Realm expert, the Purple Robe Great Sage!

"A mere human actually managed to kill this Sage's Peng King. You have some skill." The Purple Robe Great Sage's voice exploded like thunder, his gaze fixed on Chen Fan with icy killing intent. "But ants will always be ants. Today, this Sage will personally oversee the battle and flatten every city of your human race!"

Before his words had faded, the Purple Robe Great Sage waved a hand, and black demon mist surged into the distance like a tidal wave. Moments later, the earth shook as countless Demon Race soldiers poured forth from all directions. Their numbers far surpassed the army that had previously besieged Clear Wind City, and several Early Spirit Transformation demon kings were among them. Their momentum was vast and mighty as a black flood that crushed toward Clear Wind City.

"This is bad! The Demon Race army is here!" Elder Li's face turned deathly pale. "A Void Refinement Great Sage is personally overseeing them. We can't possibly hold them back!"

Chen Fan's brow furrowed. He could clearly feel the Purple Robe Great Sage's pressure—a horrifying force far beyond his current strength. Even if he had broken through to the Human Immortal Realm, before a Void Refinement Realm expert, he was as insignificant as a child. Yet he did not retreat. He gripped the Evil Slaying Sword tightly as the power of his Human Immortal Realm blood and qi slowly circulated around him. "Elder Li, immediately send word to the major human sects and request reinforcements! We will hold Clear Wind City first and wait for aid to arrive!"

Elder Li hurriedly nodded, taking out a Communication Talisman and pouring spiritual energy into it. Messages flew toward the major human sects one after another. Chen Fan turned and shouted at the human cultivators in the city, "Everyone, the Demon Race army is at our gates, and a Void Refinement Great Sage is overseeing the battle. Today's fight concerns the survival of humanity! If we retreat, the homes and families behind us will become food for the Demon Race! Take up your weapons and stand with me—defend Clear Wind City to the death!"

"Defend Clear Wind City to the death!"

"Live and die with humanity!"

Chen Fan's words ignited the fighting spirit of the human cultivators in the city. They raised their weapons one after another, their eyes filled with resolute killing intent. They knew there was no road left behind them. Only a battle to the death remained!

Before long, the Demon Race army reached the foot of Clear Wind City. At the command of several Spirit Transformation demon kings, countless Demon Race soldiers launched a charge against the walls. Siege rams battered the gates, ladders were raised against the ramparts, and Demon Race soldiers climbed upward like ants, roaring wildly. The scene was utterly brutal.

Chen Fan held the Evil Slaying Sword as he stood at the very forefront of the walls. The power of his Human Immortal Realm blood and qi formed a golden barrier around him. Every swing of his sword killed several Demon Race soldiers. Golden Sword Qi swept out like Death's scythe, endlessly harvesting Demon Race lives. Elder Li and the other cultivators also fought desperately at their posts. Arrows, spells, and Sword Qi intertwined into a solid defensive line.

But the Demon Race army was simply too numerous. With the Purple Robe Great Sage high above in the clouds releasing his pressure and suppressing the human cultivators' spiritual energy circulation, cracks soon appeared in the human defenses. An Early Spirit Transformation Black Bear Demon King seized the opportunity and broke through the line. His massive bear paw slammed toward the wall, instantly tearing a huge crack through it. Many human cultivators were sent flying, coughing up blood.

"Die for this king!" the Black Bear Demon King roared, raising his paw again to strike the wall and completely destroy Clear Wind City's defenses.

Chen Fan's eyes narrowed. His body flashed, and he instantly appeared before the Black Bear Demon King. The power of his Human Immortal Realm blood and qi condensed into a golden spear in his hand. "Blazing Spear Art: Formation Breaker!" The spear tore through the air with a piercing shriek as it stabbed toward the Black Bear Demon King's chest.

The Black Bear Demon King's face changed drastically. He hurriedly gathered demon energy into a shield before him. But Chen Fan's spear contained the power of the Human Immortal Realm and Evil-Breaking Power. It pierced through the shield with ease and plunged into the Black Bear Demon King's chest.

"Aah—!" The Black Bear Demon King let out a miserable scream. His body crashed heavily to the ground, and he moved no more.

After killing the Black Bear Demon King, Chen Fan did not pause. His body flashed again as he charged toward the other demon kings. He knew that only by killing the Demon Race's upper ranks could he disrupt their attack rhythm and buy time for the reinforcements to arrive.

But how could the Purple Robe Great Sage allow him to slaughter so freely? Seeing Chen Fan kill the Black Bear Demon King, a flash of killing intent crossed his eyes. He raised a hand and fired a stream of black demon power at Chen Fan. It moved with terrifying speed and carried an aura of destruction, arriving before Chen Fan in an instant.

Chen Fan's heart tightened, and he hurriedly gathered his blood and qi into a shield. But the demon power was far too terrifying. The shield shattered instantly, and Chen Fan was struck head-on. He flew away like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily into the city wall and spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"Brother Fan!" Lin Xiaohu's voice came from behind him, filled with panic and worry. He had originally escorted the civilians to the valley at the rear, but he could not stop worrying about Chen Fan and had secretly returned to Clear Wind City.

"Xiaohu, who told you to come back? Go back, now!" Chen Fan struggled to his feet and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes full of urgency. He knew the Purple Robe Great Sage's target was himself. It was far too dangerous for Xiaohu to remain in the city.

"I'm not going back! I want to fight beside you!" Lin Xiaohu ran to Chen Fan's side, holding an ordinary iron sword. Though his strength was weak, his gaze was resolute.

At that moment, cries of battle suddenly rose in the distance. Streaks of spiritual light flew in from the horizon—the reinforcements from the major human sects had arrived! The sect masters and elders of leading sects such as the Heavenly Sword Sect, Pill Cauldron Sect, Ten Thousand Beasts Valley, Purple Haze Palace, and Pure Void Temple personally led the way, followed by countless disciples. Their momentum was immense as they charged toward the Demon Race army.

"Purple-robed old monster, you dare invade human territory? Today, we will make sure you come but never return!" The Heavenly Sword Sect's master held a longsword, his voice ringing out with the aura of Late Soul Transformation.

The Purple Robe Great Sage looked at the human reinforcements, surprise flashing through his eyes before he gave a cold laugh. "So what if you have come? This Sage is in the Void Refinement Realm. You Nascent Soul Realm ants think you can contend with this Sage?"

"Whether we can contend with you or not, we'll know after we try!" The Pill Cauldron Sect's master took out a golden pellet. After infusing it with spiritual energy, the pellet transformed into a massive flame and shot toward the Purple Robe Great Sage. The masters and elders of the other sects also unleashed their strongest spells, countless streaks of spiritual light blasting toward him.

The Purple Robe Great Sage snorted disdainfully. The black demon mist around him surged explosively, forming a gigantic shield. The spiritual lights crashed against it with earthshaking booms, yet failed to break through. Instead, they were rebounded by the demon mist, and many human cultivators were struck by the reflected force and vomited blood.

"The gap is the gap!" the Purple Robe Great Sage sneered. "Today, this Sage will show you just how vast the difference between the Void Refinement Realm and the Nascent Soul Realm truly is!"

Just as the Purple Robe Great Sage prepared to attack and utterly crush the human reinforcements, Chen Fan suddenly noticed something unusual—the sect masters and elders of the major human sects were all peak Nascent Soul Realm experts, yet under the suppression of the Purple Robe Great Sage's demon mist, their spiritual energy circulated with abnormal sluggishness, and their spells were far weaker than usual. Although Chen Fan was also suppressed by the pressure, his blood and qi circulation had only slowed slightly and was not greatly affected.

Why are spirit-root immortal cultivators suppressed so severely, while Martial Path cultivators are affected so little? Chen Fan was puzzled when a passage from Zhao Lie's inheritance suddenly flashed through his mind: "In ancient times, the Martial Path was orthodox, while the spirit-root system was an outside thing. It cultivated by borrowing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, and though its progress was swift, it was also bound by the rules of heaven and earth. Once those rules changed or it encountered special suppression, its combat strength would plummet."

An outside thing? Bound by the rules of heaven and earth? Chen Fan's heart stirred, and a bold conjecture formed in his mind: perhaps the spirit-root immortal cultivation system truly concealed some kind of conspiracy, and the Demon Race Great Sage's demon mist happened to restrain the spiritual energy circulation of spirit-root immortal cultivators!

At that moment, the Purple Robe Great Sage's attack had already begun. Black demon mist descended like a gigantic hand, swatting toward the human reinforcements. The sect masters and elders changed expression drastically and hurriedly cast defensive spells again, but they still struggled to withstand the demon mist. Their defensive line collapsed in an instant, and many disciples struck by the mist were reduced to flying ash.

This can't go on any longer! Chen Fan made his decision. He took a deep breath as the power of his Human Immortal Realm blood and qi circulated madly within him. At the same time, he drew upon the power of the Blazing Spear Art and condensed it into an enormous golden flaming spear in his hand.

"Purple-robed old monster, I'm your opponent!" Chen Fan shouted. His body flashed as he shot toward the Purple Robe Great Sage like an arrow released from the bowstring. The golden flaming spear carried power capable of burning heaven and destroying earth as it stabbed toward the Purple Robe Great Sage's chest.

The Purple Robe Great Sage had not expected Chen Fan to dare attack him proactively. Surprise flashed through his eyes before he sneered. "A human who doesn't know life from death. Since you seek death, this Sage shall grant it to you!" He raised a hand and blasted a stream of black demon power toward Chen Fan.

Chen Fan neither dodged nor evaded. The golden flaming spear pierced straight through the demon power and continued toward the Purple Robe Great Sage. The Purple Robe Great Sage's expression changed drastically. He had not expected Chen Fan's blood and qi to be so powerful that it could easily pierce even his demon power. He hurriedly twisted aside, but the flaming spear grazed his shoulder, leaving a wound deep enough to expose bone. Black blood flowed without cease.

"You can actually injure this Sage?" The Purple Robe Great Sage's eyes were full of disbelief, before they turned even more furious. "Human, you have successfully enraged this Sage! Today, this Sage will tear you into ten thousand pieces!"

Black demon mist surged wildly around the Purple Robe Great Sage, and his aura became even more terrifying. He formed seals with both hands, firing countless streams of black demon power toward Chen Fan, each containing an aura of destruction.

Chen Fan's eyes narrowed as the blood and qi within him surged to their limit once more. The golden flaming spear whirled in his hand, forming a golden barrier that blocked the demon power's attacks. At the same time, he continuously pondered the contents of Zhao Lie's inheritance, trying to find a method to restrain a Void Refinement Realm expert.

He knew that defeating the Purple Robe Great Sage alone was nearly impossible. But he had to buy time, allowing the human reinforcements to recover their footing while searching for more clues about the conspiracy behind the spirit-root system. This war between myriad races concerned not only humanity's survival, but also the revival of the orthodox Martial Path. He absolutely could not retreat!

On the battlefield, the golden flaming spear and black demon power collided again and again, producing earthshaking booms. Chen Fan's figure darted through the demon power, every attack carrying an unyielding will. Like a ray of light in darkness, he illuminated hope for the human cultivators. The Purple Robe Great Sage, meanwhile, had been enraged by Chen Fan and attacked madly, yet he could never completely defeat him.

In the distance, the sect masters and elders of the major human sects watched Chen Fan's figure, their eyes filled with respect and confusion. They respected his courage and strength, yet could not understand why Chen Fan's blood and qi could resist the demon mist's suppression and even contend with a Void Refinement Realm Great Sage of the Demon Race.

"Could it be... that the Martial Path is truly stronger than spirit-root immortal cultivation?" The Heavenly Sword Sect's master muttered to himself, a trace of confusion in his eyes. He had cultivated the spirit-root immortal cultivation system for centuries and had always believed it to be orthodox. Yet on today's battlefield, a Martial Path cultivator had become humanity's hope.

Chen Fan knew nothing of everyone's thoughts. At this moment, all his attention was focused on battling the Purple Robe Great Sage. He could feel his blood and qi being steadily depleted, but at the same time, every clash with a Void Refinement Realm expert tempered his body and will, deepening his understanding of the Martial Path and bringing him ever closer to the Earth Immortal Realm.

In a corner of the battlefield, a white figure silently watched it all—it was Su Muxue. As she looked at Chen Fan, a complicated expression flashed through her eyes. She tightly gripped an ancient jade pendant, engraved with symbols similar to those in the Martial Path Elixir Scripture. She seemed to know something about the spirit-root system and the ancient Martial Path as well, but for some reason, she had never spoken of it.

A great battle concerning humanity's survival, the revival of the Martial Path, and the truth of the world was raging fiercely outside Clear Wind City. And Chen Fan, this newly advanced Human Immortal, stood at the center of the storm, using his fists and will to write a legend belonging to the Martial Path while advancing step by step toward uncovering the world's conspiracy.