Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, Erased From Existence

The Heavenly Profound Sect Master's face was twitching wildly. He scrutinized Chu Lu from head to toe, desperately trying to find any injuries or abnormalities on him.

However, his eyes were practically bulging out, and he still couldn't find anything wrong.

Intense fear and intense confusion surged into his heart simultaneously. He asked with a trembling voice, "You, why aren't you injured? How did you block the Demon Slaying Mirror's attack?"

"I didn't block it," Chu Lu replied while continuing to harvest the elders around him. "That thing is useless against me."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!" the Heavenly Profound Sect Master roared hoarsely. "The Demon Slaying Mirror is a supreme treasure left by the Old Ancestor. He couldn't have made a mistake! As long as you feel guilt, you will surely die. You killed so many people along the way, how could you be completely unaffected?"

"I really wasn't," Chu Lu answered casually.

The Heavenly Profound Sect Master froze, then roared with a ferocious expression, "Nonsense! Utter nonsense!"

He gritted his teeth, raised the Demon Slaying Mirror high, and said, "I don't know what method you used to block that previous strike, but I don't believe you can block it once and then block it again! Demon Slaying Mirror, shoot!"

Mana was infused into it again, and a white light shot directly at Chu Lu.

However, Chu Lu didn't react. He waved his hand, killing the last elder, and then walked towards the Heavenly Profound Sect Master.

The Heavenly Profound Sect Master's cheeks were flushed red with excitement, and his eyes were bloodshot.

He showed no fear, but instead repeatedly activated the Demon Slaying Mirror recklessly, as if he had fallen into a state of madness.

"Shoot!"

"Shoot!"

"Shoot!"

"Shoot!"

Chu Lu neither dodged nor evaded. He walked step by step towards the Heavenly Profound Sect Master, facing the light beam from the Demon Slaying Mirror and listening to the sect master's furious shouts.

Finally, he arrived in front of the Heavenly Profound Sect Master, grabbed the Demon Slaying Mirror, and snatched it away.

"Huh?" The Heavenly Profound Sect Master was stunned, as if he had only just realized that Chu Lu had already reached him.

He looked at Chu Lu, who was staring at him with a blank expression. The fear that had been suppressed by madness finally surged up.

"Now it's your turn," Chu Lu said.

"Ah..." The Heavenly Profound Sect Master's legs began to tremble, and his face showed the familiar expression of fear that Chu Lu knew so well.

Chu Lu raised his sword, about to strike.

Suddenly, an ancient voice came from afar, "Stop!"

Chu Lu showed no surprise upon hearing the voice.

After all, this was a classic plot. He had encountered it several times before.

He and the Heavenly Profound Sect Master simultaneously looked towards the source of the sound and saw an old man in tattered Daoist robes slowly flying over.

Chu Lu didn't react much, but the Heavenly Profound Sect Master's face changed drastically. He immediately knelt in mid-air and said, "Master!"

Chu Lu: "Master?"

Luo Qingdie's voice sounded in his mind at the opportune moment: "That is the Pure Yang Daoist, the former Sect Master of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, and the current Sect Master's Master."

"So that's how it is," Chu Lu nodded, then looked at the Pure Yang Daoist and said, "Old man, so what are you here for? Do you want to persuade me to stop and save your disciple?"

The Pure Yang Daoist did not answer. He first looked at the mess of the mountain gate with a look of grief.

"After more than ten thousand years, with dozens of sect masters working diligently day and night, the mountain gate that was painstakingly built has now become like this in just a few hours."

Hearing this, the Heavenly Profound Sect Master's face turned ashen. He kowtowed repeatedly in mid-air, "It is my disciple's incompetence! It is my disciple's incompetence!"

"Indeed, you are incompetent!" the Pure Yang Daoist said, glaring fiercely at the Heavenly Profound Sect Master. "When I passed the position of Sect Master to you, it was for you to govern wisely and strengthen the sect, to slay demons and protect the righteous path! But what have you done?"

The Pure Yang Daoist became more and more angry as he spoke. He reached out and slapped the Heavenly Profound Sect Master fiercely, causing his head to turn sideways and leaving a bright red palm print on his face.

"Who told you to slander your peers! Who told you to trap and kill your peers! Who told you to sacrifice fellow disciples!"

The Pure Yang Daoist continued to hit him as he spoke, and in a short while, the Heavenly Profound Sect Master's face was flushed red.

Chu Lu stood to the side, arms crossed, watching. He had vaguely guessed the Pure Yang Daoist's intentions and felt bored.

"Enough," Chu Lu said. "If you think that by putting on a show of self-inflicted suffering, you can make me let you go, then you're underestimating me."

Only then did the Pure Yang Daoist finally look at Chu Lu. There was no trace of hatred in his eyes, but rather deep guilt.

"This old Daoist has no such intention," the Pure Yang Daoist said. "But this old Daoist sincerely hopes that fellow Daoist Luo can show mercy and spare our Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect."

A sinister smile appeared on Chu Lu's lips, and he immediately prepared to kill both the master and disciple.

But as his killing intent leaked out, the Pure Yang Daoist spoke again, "However, this is not for us, but for the common people of the world."

"Oh?"

"Fellow Daoist Luo should be aware of the situation in the Nine Provinces," the Pure Yang Daoist said. "In the distant past, righteous path cultivators and demonic cultivators mingled within the Nine Provinces. Demonic cultivators were brutal, killing people to practice their arts at any moment, and the common people lived in misery. It was only a thousand years ago, during a grand Demon Suppression War, that demonic cultivators were finally driven out to the endless wilderness beyond the Nine Provinces, and the Magic Severing Array was erected to prevent their return. Only then could the common people live and work in peace."

"For the past thousand years, the Magic Severing Array has been maintained by this sect," the Pure Yang Daoist continued. "Therefore, only cultivators of this sect know how the array operates and how to maintain it. If you, fellow Daoist, completely destroy this sect, and the array is left without maintenance, demonic cultivators will take the opportunity to infiltrate the Nine Provinces, which will lead to a great disaster."

"My wicked disciple deserves to die, and I, for my poor guidance, also deserve to die. The elders who blindly obeyed also deserve to die. But the common people of the Nine Provinces are innocent. They should not die because of this."

"Besides, there are other righteous path cultivators who, due to the rumors spread by my wicked disciple, hate you to the bone. They will surely come to find you, and in the end, it will inevitably lead to bloodshed. You will have to kill innocent people, and I imagine you wouldn't want that either."

"Therefore, I implore you, fellow Daoist, for the sake of the innocent common people, for the sake of the innocent fellow Daoists, please allow us to atone for our sins with our remaining usefulness and contribute to meritorious deeds." The Pure Yang Daoist bowed sincerely. "We will continue to maintain the Magic Severing Array, protect the people of the Nine Provinces, and also clear your name, restore your innocence, and set everything back on the right track."

"I see," Chu Lu nodded and said, "What you said makes quite a bit of sense."

Upon hearing this, a slight smile appeared on the Pure Yang Daoist's face.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

—Great, we've finally saved the sect.

When the Pure Yang Daoist saw that the Demon Slaying Mirror was ineffective against Chu Lu, he understood that although Chu Lu appeared to be a ruthless Great Demon who killed innocent people, he was actually a good person with principles.

And the simplest way to deal with a good person was moral blackmail.

Although his previous words were spoken in a very humble manner, they were essentially using the lives of the common people and fellow cultivators as a threat, forcing him to back down.

And as expected, it succeeded.

The Pure Yang Daoist quickly suppressed the smile on his face, lest he anger Chu Lu.

Then he stood up and said with a look of shame, "Then..."

Pfft.

His sword pierced through the Pure Yang Daoist's throat.

"Huh?" The Pure Yang Daoist froze, staring blankly at Chu Lu, who had made the move, unable to comprehend why he had done it.

Didn't he say his words made sense?

"Too bad," Chu Lu said as he drew his sword, "I never compromise."

Blood bubbles emerged from the Pure Yang Daoist's lips. He pointed at Chu Lu, trying to speak but unable to. His body went limp.

"Master!" the Heavenly Profound Sect Master exclaimed, rushing over to embrace the Pure Yang Daoist's corpse.

The moment he touched him, he knew his master's life force had been extinguished.

He turned to look at Chu Lu, his eyes filled with rage. "Luo Qingdie! You beast! You actually killed Master! You're finished! It's too late even if you stop now. I'd rather die than maintain the Magic Severing Array or clear your name! When the demonic cultivators invade and the land is ravaged, the righteous path will deem you the culprit and come to attack and punish you. Let's see how you survive!"

"Then let them come," Chu Lu said, slowly ascending into the air.

Although he had killed many people along the way, the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect was so vast, with at least hundreds of thousands of disciples. The number he had killed was merely a drop in the ocean.

And while Phoenix Arrives was Luo Qingdie's most skilled sword technique, it wasn't suitable for large-scale destruction.

Therefore, Chu Lu began preparing the sixth strike of the Nine Heavenly Phoenix Swords—Phoenix Flame Burns the Heavens.

"Wh-what did you say?" the Heavenly Profound Sect Master looked up at Chu Lu.

"I said, then let them come," Chu Lu replied. "If the demonic cultivators come, I'll kill them. If the righteous path comes, I'll kill them. If the world cannot tolerate me, then I will cleanse the world."

Above Chu Lu, countless dark clouds gathered, as if endless darkness was about to engulf the entire world. The wind howled, and the space between heaven and earth was filled with a suffocating sense of oppression.

He looked down with a detached expression and said, "All who resent me, envy me, covet me, mock me, curse me, hurt me, or betray me shall not survive in this world!"

The Heavenly Profound Sect Master was dumbfounded. He had never heard any righteous path cultivator speak such absurd words.

"Wh-who do you think you are? The Emperor of the Nine Provinces?" he said.

"Precisely," Chu Lu said, his eyelids slightly lowered. He slowly raised his hands, his Mahayana Stage magic power unleashed without reservation.

Suddenly, a dazzling bolt of lightning split the dull darkness, instantly illuminating the surroundings as if it were daylight. Immediately after, deafening thunder roared, the sound like thousands of horses galloping, or like ten thousand heavy hammers striking the earth, making one's heart tremble.

Under the lightning, Chu Lu slowly spoke, his voice echoing throughout the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

"In heaven and on earth..."

"I alone am honored!"

A terrifying aura spread with Chu Lu's words.

The Heavenly Profound Sect Master and the Heavenly Profound cultivators hidden in various mountain ranges felt a soul-crushing chill.

The next moment, under their gaze, Chu Lu pointed at the majestic mountains below and said, "Phoenix Flame Burns the Heavens!"

The Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, spanning millions of acres, was instantly engulfed in flames.

###########

Hua Honglian: "So you wiped out the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect?"

Several days later, Chu Lu was flying over a wilderness.

The Chat Group, however, was buzzing with conversation.

Luo Qingdie: "No. Chu Lu wiped it out; I didn't do anything."

Xu Liniang: "Is she trying to distance herself?"

Zhu Shanlin: "Definitely trying to distance herself!"

Liu Ruyue: "Wants to play the innocent one."

Chu Lu: "I killed those people for you, and you're making me feel cold..."

Luo Qingdie: "But, but... Fine! I killed them! Happy now?"

Hua Honglian: "Why does that sound so reluctant?"

Xu Liniang: "As if someone forced you."

Zhu Shanlin: "Starting to play the victim now."

Liu Ruyue: "White lotus."

Luo Qingdie: "I'm not, I... Ahhhhh!"

After a period of commotion, seeing Luo Qingdie genuinely exasperated, everyone chuckled and stopped.

Hua Honglian: "Speaking of which, what are you guys doing now?"

Luo Qingdie: "We just crossed the Magic Severing Array and are now preparing to go kill demonic cultivators."

Everyone was instantly filled with question marks.

Luo Qingdie: "It was Chu Lu's idea."

Chu Lu: "This time it's correct, it was indeed my request."

"Why?"

Chu Lu: "I just don't want to repeat the same mistakes."

Last time, after destroying the Inquiry Sword Sect, he thought the mission was complete and planned to rest for a few days before returning. He never expected the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect to suddenly appear.

And this time, after destroying the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect, Chu Lu figured another enemy would likely pop up soon.

So, rather than passively waiting like last time, it was better to take the initiative. This would save a lot of time.

Then, between leaving the Nine Provinces to kill demonic cultivators and causing trouble for other righteous path cultivators, he chose the former.

The reason was simple: demonic cultivators kill innocent mortals, while righteous path cultivators only want to kill Chu Lu.

Clearly, the former should be dealt with first.

Speaking of which, this was also one of the reasons he annihilated the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect.

The Magic Severing Array could still operate spontaneously for a period without maintenance, but if someone deliberately sabotaged it from within, it wouldn't last long.

For those disciples of the Heavenly Profound Immortal Sect at the lower levels, it wasn't impossible to let them go. After all, most of them were already terrified and wouldn't dare to seek trouble with him.

But the thought that one of them might, out of resentment, deliberately destroy the Magic Severing Array and let demonic cultivators into the Nine Provinces, would be troublesome. So, he simply killed them.

With the Phoenix Flame Burns the Heavens technique unleashed, even if there were survivors, they would be too few to have any significant impact.

However...

"It's really desolate around here." Chu Lu looked around. It was all wilderness, with no signs of civilization.

He asked Luo Qingdie, "Where should we go to find demonic cultivators? Do you have any ideas?"

Luo Qingdie: "This... I really don't. Although I've been here a few times, it was always at the border defending against invading demonic cultivators. I've never ventured deep inside."

"Is that so..." Chu Lu felt a headache coming on. Just as he was pondering what to do, a voice suddenly came from ahead.

"Oh? Isn't this the famous Sect Master of the Inquiry Sword Sect, Luo Qingdie?"

Chu Lu raised an eyebrow and looked up, seeing a charming and sinister man standing in front of them.

He was tall and slender, dressed in a black robe, like a ghostly silhouette in the night. His eyes were narrow, with a hint of demonic red at the bottom. It was obvious at a glance that he was no good person.