Shared Heavens Begins with Douluo Continent

Moreover, the Heaven and Earth Great Shift was the Ming Cult's sacred guardian art. Back then, Cult Master Yang had only cultivated it to the fourth level, yet he was nearly unrivaled under heaven. Only Zhang Sanfeng could best him.

If that Dai Changsheng had truly inherited Cult Master Yang's teachings and cultivated the Heaven and Earth Great Shift to the sixth level, then perhaps he really could surpass Zhang Sanfeng."

"..."

Yin Yewang's expression changed slightly at those words. "Father, what should we do? Should we go to Bright Summit or not?"

"Back then, I left the Ming Cult and founded the Heavenly Eagle Cult because I could not stand Yang Xiao's habit of abusing public office for personal gain."

The White-Browed Eagle King narrowed his eyes. "Now that Cult Master Yang has a successor still alive, I naturally must go to Bright Summit and meet him.

If this man can make me wholeheartedly submit, just as Cult Master Yang did, then I would not mind leading the Heavenly Eagle Cult back into the Ming Cult."

"Since Father has said so, I'll have someone prepare the carriages and horses. We'll set off for Bright Summit tomorrow."

"Excellent."

At the same time, spies from the various factions hidden within the Ming Cult also spread news through all sorts of channels that the Ming Cult had a new Cult Master.

Before long, the news spread throughout the martial world, stirring up quite a few hidden storms.

The Kunlun Sect was affected the most. If the Ming Cult reunited and prepared to expand outward, the Kunlun Sect would undoubtedly be the first victim.

Thanks to Shangguan Rongzhi for the 100 Qidian Coins, thanks to Shangguan Rongzhi for the 932 Qidian Coins, thanks to Shangguan Rongzhi for the 491 Qidian Coins, thanks to Novel-Loving Passerby for the 100 Qidian Coins, thanks to Novel-Loving Passerby for the 300 Qidian Coins, and thanks to the other readers for their support.

Correct Two Principles Swordplay

A dark and windy night was perfect for murder and arson.

Kunlun Sect, the sect leader's private residence.

He Taichong, dressed in white nightclothes and looking imposing, asked Ban Shuxian with a face full of worry, "Madam, the Demonic Cult is growing stronger by the day. What should we do?"

Ban Shuxian was not only He Taichong's first wife, but her martial cultivation was no weaker than his.

Back then, their master, Bai Luzi, had died while fighting a Ming Cult expert. He had not had time to leave behind any final instructions, causing the Kunlun Sect members to fight fiercely for the position of sect leader.

Had Ban Shuxian not supported He Taichong with all her strength and joined forces with him to suppress their other fellow disciples, He Taichong could never have taken the position of Kunlun Sect leader.

To repay Ban Shuxian for her kindness, He Taichong married this senior sister of his and made her the wife of the Kunlun Sect leader.

Unfortunately, Ban Shuxian had ordinary looks. It had not mattered much when she was young, but as she grew older, she became a plain-faced old woman.

Ban Shuxian was originally only two years older than He Taichong, yet she looked more than ten years older than him.

Thus, tired of the old and enamored with the new, He Taichong used Ban Shuxian's inability to bear children as an excuse to take concubines.

Because of Ban Shuxian's accumulated authority over the decades, coupled with He Taichong's own guilty conscience, he held this senior sister and stern wife of his in great awe.

But fear was fear; He Taichong still married one concubine after another. It was just that with every additional concubine he took, he feared his wife three parts more.

"Do not worry, Husband. Though the Kunlun Sect alone is no match for the Demonic Cult, we are far from the only sect that bears a grudge against them."

Seeing He Taichong's troubled expression, Ban Shuxian patted his hand and comforted him. "Never mind the other sects. The Demonic Cult and the Emei Sect have long been at each other's throats. We can send Abbess Miejue a letter. I'm sure she would be more than willing to join hands with us against the Demonic Cult.

And I heard that the Demonic Cult's new Cult Master has sent people overseas to search for the Golden Mane Lion King.

If we spread word that the Golden Mane Lion King is returning to the Ming Cult with the Dragon Slaying Saber, the major sects will surely gather at Bright Summit to fight over it, just as they did when we went to Wudang Mountain to celebrate Zhang Sanfeng's birthday. What could a mere Demonic Cult possibly amount to then?"

"Brilliant! My wife is truly brilliant. Your husband is far inferior~"

After hearing Ban Shuxian's words, He Taichong finally breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly began flattering his wife.

"Bang! Bang! Bang..."

The moment He Taichong finished speaking, a series of heavy thuds sounded from outside the courtyard, making the couple's expressions change drastically.

"Who's out there? Sneaking around like a ghost—get the hell out here!"

As Ban Shuxian shouted at the door, she dragged He Taichong from the bed and drew the treasured sword hidden beneath it.

"He Taichong, our Cult Master has graced you with his presence! Why haven't you come out to pay your respects yet?!"

"It's that bastard Yang Xiao!"

Because He Taichong and the others had been Yang Xiao's longtime rivals, they recognized his voice at once, and their faces turned even uglier.

The Cult Master Yang Xiao spoke of was obviously the Demonic Cult's new Cult Master, Dai Changsheng. If this man could subdue Yang Xiao, then his strength was certainly far above Yang Xiao's.

Damn it!

He Taichong and his wife hesitated for a moment before finally opening the door with grim resolve.

Three figures stood in the courtyard outside the bedroom.

Two of them were old acquaintances of He Taichong and his wife. Who else could they be but Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao?

However, the one who truly made the couple wary was the young man in white standing between them.

His aura seemed both present and absent, as though he had fused with his surroundings. His cultivation had likely reached the state of returning to simplicity.

He Taichong's pupils constricted slightly, but he calmly cupped his hands and said, "You must be Cult Master Dai. May I ask why Cult Master Dai has come to my home so late at night?"

"I think the Kunlun Mountains are too small to accommodate so many sects. It would be better if the Ming Cult were the only sect here."

Seeing their guarded expressions, Dai Changsheng said coldly and without expression, "You have only two choices before you: submit or die!"

"Hahaha..."

He Taichong and Ban Shuxian exchanged a glance, then laughed as though facing death without fear. "Bastard! The Kunlun Sect and the Ming Cult share an irreconcilable blood feud. Even if we die today, we will never submit to a bastard like you!"

"How dare you disrespect the Cult Master!"

Just as Yang Xiao and Wei Yixiao were about to attack in fury, Dai Changsheng raised a hand to stop them. He then said to He Taichong and his wife, "Since the two of you have some backbone, I will personally send you on your way!

But there is something you should understand: not everyone is as principled as you.

Those Kunlun Sect elders who have long coveted the position of sect leader are more than willing to submit to me. So even if you die, you cannot change the Kunlun Sect's fate of destruction!"

"Bastard, enough talk! Take my sword!"

Seeing hesitation appear on He Taichong's face, Ban Shuxian immediately let out a furious shout and was the first to thrust her sword at Dai Changsheng.

Under the previous Kunlun Sect leader, Ban Shuxian had been the only female disciple. He had favored her greatly in daily life and had practically raised her as his own daughter.

Perhaps He Taichong could fear death, cling to wealth and glory, and forget the blood-deep hatred between their master and the Ming Cult, but Ban Shuxian could not.

So be it! I'll consider it repayment for the kindness I've owed you all these years!

He Taichong sighed helplessly, then unleashed the Kunlun Sect's ultimate art, the "Correct Two Principles Swordplay," joining Ban Shuxian in attacking Dai Changsheng.

The Correct Two Principles Swordplay was one of the most famous sword arts in the martial world. Like the Huashan Sect's "Reverse Two Principles Saberplay," its footwork and techniques were derived from the Four Symbols and Eight Trigrams, possessing sixty-four variations.

If saberplay and swordplay were combined, they would produce four thousand and ninety-six variations, nearly enough to unravel all the complexity of martial arts beneath heaven and bring the techniques of all weapons to their utmost limits. Its power was immeasurable.

In the original story, when the Huashan Sect's two elders confronted Zhang Wuji at Bright Summit, He Taichong and Ban Shuxian had used this swordplay in coordination with them.

Had Zhou Zhiruo of the Emei Sect not offered guidance from the side, had the four of them not possessed insufficient mastery, and had it not been their first time working together so clumsily, they would not have been defeated by Zhang Wuji's Heaven and Earth Great Shift.

Thus, Dai Changsheng was quite interested in the Correct Two Principles Swordplay. He did not hurry to defeat He Taichong and Ban Shuxian. Instead, he defended with the Heaven and Earth Great Shift while secretly learning their techniques.

The Nine Yang Divine Skill, cultivated to great mastery, already gave an enormous boost to learning other martial arts. Combined with Dai Changsheng's Comprehension far surpassing that of ordinary people, learning someone else's martial arts in battle was naturally no challenge.

Muzan Kibutsuji

In the original story, when Zhang Wuji fought the experts of the six major sects, he had taken the opportunity to secretly learn quite a few martial arts, including the Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand.

Very soon, He Taichong and Ban Shuxian finished displaying the entire Correct Two Principles Swordplay. Having memorized every variation of their sword techniques, Dai Changsheng finally stopped holding back.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Dai Changsheng suddenly waved his hand, forcibly redirecting the couple's sword momentum and making their blades pierce each other's chests.

Feeling his life rapidly slipping away, He Taichong, who had always both feared and respected Ban Shuxian, suddenly felt incomparably relaxed.

Using the last of his strength, He Taichong smiled and asked, "Se... Senior Sister, we were husband and wife for so many years. Al... although we could not grow old together, we... we did die in the same place. I... I did not break my promise, did I...?"

"Ju... Junior Brother, I'm the one who wronged you. I... I never bore you a son or daughter, so... so I do not blame you."

When Ban Shuxian finished speaking, she embraced He Taichong with a blissful smile and fell to the ground.

"Why go this far?"

Dai Changsheng shook his head helplessly at the sight.

Dai Changsheng had not originally intended to kill He Taichong and Ban Shuxian, but they themselves had refused to choose the other path to survival.

After dealing with the obstructive couple, Dai Changsheng supported a more sensible Kunlun Sect elder and had him succeed to the position of Kunlun Sect leader.

At the same time, Dai Changsheng secretly ordered the new Kunlun Sect leader to seek aid from Wudang Sect, Shaolin Sect, Emei Sect, Kongtong Sect, and Huashan Sect under the pretext of avenging He Taichong and Ban Shuxian. Using the Dragon Slaying Saber as bait, he would form the Demon-Slaying Alliance and besiege the Ming Cult at Bright Summit.

As the saying went: before fighting external enemies, one must first pacify internal ones!

Dai Changsheng had no intention of guarding against surprise attacks and schemes from the major Central Plains sects while fighting the Yuan Dynasty army, so he simply devised a plan to lure them to the Kunlun Mountains and wipe them all out in advance!

Moreover, Dai Changsheng was quite interested in the Heavenly Sword in Abbess Miejue's possession and Shaolin Sect's seventy-two ultimate arts. He could obtain them along the way.

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba World

Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture

In a dark alley, Muzan Kibutsuji, dressed in a black suit and white top hat, killed several foolish thugs before barely suppressing his fear of Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

Hundreds of years ago, just when Muzan Kibutsuji had believed himself invincible beneath heaven and thought he could eat no more beef, he had encountered the man named Yoriichi Tsugikuni.

Had Muzan Kibutsuji not caught Yoriichi Tsugikuni off guard and split his body into over eighteen hundred fragments to flee in all directions, he would likely have died beneath Yoriichi Tsugikuni's sword long ago.

To avoid ever encountering that living nightmare, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, again, Muzan Kibutsuji had hidden himself away in terror. He had only dared to reappear in the world after Yoriichi Tsugikuni died of old age when his lifespan ran out.

Just now, while Muzan Kibutsuji had been strolling through the city disguised as a human as usual, Tanjiro's keen sense of smell had exposed his true identity.

When Muzan Kibutsuji noticed that Tanjiro's earrings were identical to the ones Yoriichi Tsugikuni had worn, his heart had nearly stopped from fright!

Although Tanjiro's aura felt extremely weak to Muzan Kibutsuji, he had sensed no aura at all from Yoriichi Tsugikuni when they first met either. He had thought Yoriichi Tsugikuni was merely an ordinary swordsman!

Thus, Muzan Kibutsuji had not dared fight Tanjiro at all. Instead, he turned an innocent passerby into a demon and used that demon to hold Tanjiro back.

However, after recovering from his fear, Muzan Kibutsuji became more and more unwilling to accept it. He could not possibly hide for another hundred years just because of a pair of earrings, could he?

"Snap!"

Muzan Kibutsuji suddenly snapped his fingers, and Nakime immediately transported two demons who had awakened Blood Demon Arts from the Infinity Castle to his side.

"There is a demon slayer wearing hanafuda-shaped earrings. Bring me his head!"

"As you command!"

The two demons respectfully answered, then vanished from sight.

Meanwhile, in a park on the other side of the city, Tanjiro was apologizing profusely to the noodle stall owner.

Tanjiro had originally planned to have a bowl of udon for dinner, but the moment he had ordered, he caught Muzan Kibutsuji's scent. He had left Nezuko behind and immediately chased after Muzan Kibutsuji.

The noodle stall owner had almost thought Tanjiro intended to skip out on the bill, or use Nezuko as payment.

"Sorry, Nezuko. I left you behind just now."

Just as Tanjiro finished apologizing to the noodle stall owner and was preparing to leave with Nezuko, Nezuko, with a bamboo muzzle in her mouth, suddenly took on an adorably fierce yet wary expression and stared intently at the figure beneath a large tree ahead.

"Nezuko, don't be nervous. He isn't an enemy."

After Tanjiro saw who it was, he first reassured Nezuko, then asked Yushiro, who wore a white coat and had short dark green hair, "May I ask what you need?"

Although Yushiro and Tamayo were also demons, their bodies had been modified. They only needed to drink blood to meet their daily needs.

That was why the scent they gave off was similar to Nezuko's, rather than the foul, bloody stench emitted by other demons.

Tamayo had also secretly helped earlier, allowing Tanjiro to restrain the innocent passerby whom Muzan Kibutsuji had transformed into a demon. Otherwise, he would still have been stuck there.

Despite Tanjiro's friendly attitude, Yushiro had no intention of being pleasant to him. With a cold face, he said, "I came because that lady instructed me to bring you two to her."

Yushiro's attitude was so poor mainly because he feared that carelessly coming into contact with demon slayers would threaten Tamayo's safety.

Led by Yushiro, Tanjiro took Nezuko's little hand and headed toward the secluded courtyard where Tamayo lived.

What Tanjiro and the others did not notice was that a figure dressed in a black robe was silently following behind them.

The figure carried a four-foot saber on his back and had a tall, slender build. It was none other than Dai Changsheng, who had already advanced to become the "Sound Pillar."

Ever since Tanjiro and Nezuko arrived in Asakusa, Tokyo Prefecture, Dai Changsheng had been watching them from the shadows.