[At this point, the Tianjian Sect, which had endured for more than 170,000 years, had perished.]
"The Tianjian Sect really was destroyed. But this time... not only did I survive, True Monarch Mingyang and Gu Changfeng survived too. It's not as if I have no one to rely on at all."
Su Yang was still barely satisfied with this outcome. There was still a path ahead for cultivation in this simulation.
[True Monarch Mingyang and Gu Changfeng were immediately stunned dumbstruck upon learning this news.]
[They had not expected your words to be so truthful, without the slightest trace of falsehood.]
[You said the Tianjian Sect would face a great calamity and be destroyed, and the Tianjian Sect truly was destroyed.]
[At this moment, they regretted it beyond measure.]
[They felt that if they had been willing to believe you earlier, perhaps all of this could have been changed.]
[Unfortunately, everything had already been missed. All they could do now was make amends.]
[After this matter, they finally became willing to believe that you had completely repented.]
[They no longer restricted your movements.]
[At the same time, they planned to return to the Tianjian Sect to take a look.]
[You had the same idea.]
[The three of you returned together to the Tianjian Sect ruins.]
[But at this moment, where could any trace of the Tianjian Sect still be seen? All that remained was a boundless expanse of water, no different from any other part of Qijian Lake.]
[True Monarch Mingyang and Gu Changfeng could not believe it.]
[They had originally thought that even if the Tianjian Sect had been destroyed, some wreckage or ruins would remain, leaving them with at least a little something to remember it by. They had never expected the destruction to be so thorough.]
[True Monarch Mingyang and Gu Changfeng decided to dive to the bottom of the lake and take a look, and you went with them.]
[Only after diving to the lakebed did you discover that this place, once the highest point of Qijian Lake, had become its lowest point, plunging an unknown number of tens of thousands of zhang deep.]
[You dove downward for several hours before finally reaching the bottom.]
[There was likewise no trace of the Tianjian Sect here. The former four great peaks were nowhere to be seen, nor were the twelve lesser peaks.]
[Suddenly, you sensed the sounds of combat not far away and rushed over.]
[You discovered two Golden Core True Persons fighting over a fragment.]
[Gu Changfeng recognized the fragment. It was actually a piece of the Natal Spiritual Treasure belonging to your master, Venerable Blazing Sun.]
[Gu Changfeng killed the two Golden Core True Persons, carefully cradled the fragment in his hands, and tucked it into his robes. It was his only remaining memento.]
[You continued searching the lakebed, but at most found fragments of fifth-grade spiritual treasures.]
[Only such tough objects could leave behind anything under the descent of the Pillar Reaching Heaven.]
[Over the next few days, you also encountered more and more cultivators. Most of them had come in search of treasure as well.]
[But as time went on, most of those who came here to hunt for treasure returned empty-handed.]
[More and more people left.]
[One day, two months later, news arrived that the fragmentary Heavenly Sword Record had appeared. The entire world was shaken!]
[Masses upon masses of people rushed over.]
[You did the same, wanting to reclaim the supreme treasure that belonged to your own sect.]
[But no one expected this to be a trap personally laid by Purple Star Demon Lord, a Spirit Transformation Venerable of the Black Demon Sect in the Northern Wasteland.]
[He had indeed found the fragmentary Heavenly Sword Record, but to restore and refine it into a demonic sect spiritual treasure, he needed a great quantity of high-quality flesh, blood, and living souls.]
[That was why he deliberately released the news.]
[Once enough cultivators had gathered, Purple Star Demon Lord activated the fifth-grade Soul Devouring Array he had prepared here in one stroke.]
[In an instant, vast numbers of cultivators were refined into blood essence and soul essence, which were poured into the fragmentary Heavenly Sword Record.]
[Your cultivation was too low, and you should have been refined first. But True Monarch Mingyang shielded you in time.]
[Yet as time passed, even he would be unable to hold on, much less protect you as well.]
[All the cultivators trapped in the formation understood that they had to find a way to break out, or death would be their only road sooner or later.]
[Besides True Monarch Mingyang, there were two other figures who could be called Nascent Soul Overlords. One of them was even the vice sect master of Wuliang Sect, a great Spirit Transformation sect of the Central Plains.]
[He said that his sect's ancestor, Venerable Tianliang, was nearby. As long as they could tear open the formation for an instant, he was confident he could send word to Venerable Tianliang.]
[Thus, dozens of Nascent Soul cultivators and the three great Nascent Soul Overlords joined forces, attacking one point of the formation in an attempt to tear it open, but returned without success.]
[Everyone fell into despair. This formation required Spirit Transformation-level power before there was any hope of breaking it.]
[At that moment, you remembered that you still had a life-saving Great Divine Ability on you.]
[Please choose...]
[1. Activate the life-saving Great Divine Ability left for you by Venerable Blazing Sun. It may be able to damage the formation and send the news out. (Extremely high success rate)]
[2. Activate the Great Divine Ability, blast Purple Star Demon Lord to death, and seize the Heavenly Sword Record. (Low success rate)]
[3. Shout, "I surrender! I'll be Purple Star Demon Lord's lackey!" and beg him not to kill you. (Extremely low success rate)]
"A choice with success rates marked this time? System, you actually grew a conscience again!"
Su Yang looked at the three options, hesitated slightly, then chose the first option.
Although the second option was more tempting, the odds were low. It was better not to take risks if he could avoid them.
[You first had True Monarch Mingyang and the Wuliang vice sect master make the necessary arrangements.]
[Finally, you took out your Star Sun Sword and activated the Great Divine Ability left behind by Venerable Blazing Sun.]
[In an instant, a scorching radiance erupted from the Star Sun Sword, transforming into a terrifying sword light that shot forward.]
[In that instant, the sword light seemed to bear the brilliance of several suns, incomparably scorching and dazzling. The Great Divine Ability left behind by Venerable Blazing Sun was Solar Fusion, one of the Tianjian Sect's Great Divine Abilities—and an exclusive modified version created by Venerable Blazing Sun himself, the Extreme Sun Fiery Transformation Sword.]
[The originally indestructible grand formation actually melted directly beneath this Great Divine Ability and did not recover for a long while.]
[The Wuliang vice sect master immediately sent the news out.]
[Then, all the cultivators fled in every direction through the great hole in the formation.]
[Purple Star Demon Lord hurriedly tried to pursue and intercept them, but it was already too late.]
[Most of the cultivators escaped, but that did not include you.]
[A Nascent Soul Overlord left behind by the Tianjian Sect was simply too conspicuous a target.]
[Purple Star Demon Lord blocked your path.]
[True Monarch Mingyang immediately intended to burn his Nascent Soul and fight Purple Star Demon Lord to the death so that you could escape.]
[At that moment, Venerable Tianliang finally arrived.]
[After a fierce battle with Purple Star Demon Lord, he successfully drove him away.]
[Afterward, he turned his gaze toward you.]
[He asked True Monarch Mingyang and Gu Changfeng whether they were interested in joining Wuliang Sect.]
Before you continue