"S-so huge!"
"That must be a thousand feet tall, right?"
"More than that! At least four or five hundred meters!"
"A hundred-thousand-year beast?"
"Even if it isn't, it must be nearly a hundred thousand years old!"
Once they realized that the boundlessly huge Man-Faced Sand Serpent before them might well be a Hundred-Thousand-Year Demon Beast, everyone panicked.
Their legs went so weak they could no longer support their bodies, and they collapsed onto their backsides.
"..." Ye Qingcheng likewise said nothing. All ten fingers clutched the Heavenly Abyss Sword planted in the sand, barely keeping her upright.
She had only heard of Hundred-Thousand-Year Demon Beasts from her master and read about them in books.
Such a monstrous creature could easily flatten an entire city and slaughter tens of millions!
Even the Sky Sword Sect would have to muster the strength of the entire sect to contend with one.
That was because the appearance of a hundred-thousand-year Demon Beast often triggered a sizable beast tide.
Wherever that tide swept through, ordinary people—and even ordinary cultivators—had no chance of survival.
Yet what stood before her was far more terrifying than anything Ye Qingcheng had heard from her master or read in books.
It felt as though she stood in hell, an overwhelming helplessness sweeping through her entire body.
The helplessness of knowing she would die if she did nothing, yet being unable to do anything at all!
"Hah!!!"
The Man-Faced Sand Serpent's golden eyes, spilling flames, locked onto Shadow Puppet.
It had no interest in Ye Qingcheng or the others.
It opened its abyss-like maw, threatening Shadow Puppet in an attempt to intimidate him.
Compared with that blood-red maw, Shadow Puppet looked utterly tiny, like a speck of starlight in the night sky, gleaming silver.
Then the Man-Faced Sand Serpent raised more of its body, bringing its tongue above Shadow Puppet's head, and smashed its enormous mouth straight down.
It intended to swallow Shadow Puppet whole, then scorch him with blazing heat! Melt him!
Shadow Puppet raised both hands. Spiritual energy erupted, winding around his entire body.
Then two enormous phantom arms appeared in midair.
Their huge hands opened and seized the Man-Faced Sand Serpent's upper and lower jaws, holding them firmly apart.
Then they heaved!
They actually hauled the Man-Faced Sand Serpent's thousand-foot body off the ground.
And then forcibly tore it in half!
From head to tail!
An entire serpent skeleton lay exposed and fell straight to the ground with a thunderous crash.
Overhead, blood poured down in a torrential rain, staining every stretch of desert in sight crimson.
The overpowering stench of blood punched at their nostrils, sharp and overwhelming.
The dust that had been drifting through the air also settled with the bloody rain, greatly improving visibility.
The ruins of the Kingdom of Sand, hidden within it, came into view.
They had long since fallen into utter disrepair.
Shadow Puppet immediately turned into a streaking meteor, drawing a white trail through the air as he descended to search the secret realm for treasure on Chen Mu's behalf.
He left Ye Qingcheng and the others behind, their emotions tangled beyond description.
"Am I dreaming? Never mind the ten-thousand-year ones—how did he kill even a hundred-thousand-year Man-Faced Sand Serpent King in one hit?"
"Ow! Why did you pinch me?"
"To convince you that you're not dreaming."
"He could very well be a Quasi-Emperor Realm expert on the verge of entering the Great Emperor Realm!"
"The Quasi-Emperor Realm?!"
"There's no other reasonable explanation."
"The Tianyuan Holy Land really does have vast holdings and deep coffers, just like the rumors say!"
As they marveled, someone suddenly noticed that the Teleportation Gate, which had vanished earlier, had opened again.
The elders accompanying the various groups entered the secret realm one after another.
"Are you all..." But the words stopped halfway out.
A single glance at the devastation before them left them too stunned to speak.
Piles of ten-thousand-year Demon Beasts!
There was even a hundred-thousand-year Demon Beast?!
Yet when they checked the disciples, they discovered that not a single one had been injured or killed?
How was that possible?
It overturned everything they knew.
Even if all the accompanying elders pooled their strength, they could not guarantee they would survive such extreme, brutal conditions.
Let alone slaughter the serpents instead.
"Did you kill these Demon Beasts?"
Faced with the elder's question, Ye Qingcheng recounted everything in full detail, not daring to conceal anything.
"You're saying that person hid in your shadow? And he could kill not only ten-thousand-year Demon Beasts, but even a hundred-thousand-year Demon Beast in a single strike?" Even the Tianyuan Holy Land elder, whose cultivation stood at the Martial Saint Realm, could not help being shaken by this outcome.
Had he not known Ye Qingcheng's character, and seen and heard what lay before him, he might truly have suspected that she was deliberately making a fool of him.
"Yes!" Ye Qingcheng nodded emphatically, utterly certain.
"What do you make of this?" the Tianyuan Elder asked the other elders.
"..." They looked at one another, words rising to their lips but refusing to come out.
They knew perfectly well that their strength and cultivation realms were nowhere near sufficient to weigh in on such a matter.
The Tianyuan Elder seemed about to say something else, his lips parting.
"..."
Suddenly!
A powerful chill, killing intent, terror... swept over his entire body, sharp as blades!
His eyes widened, his pupils contracting slightly.
His body went numb and refused to obey him.
From the corner of his eye, he saw someone in close-fitting silver armor walk past him without a sound.
The figure headed straight toward Ye Qingcheng.
In the next instant, everyone clearly saw Shadow Puppet stand on the shadow before Ye Qingcheng and swiftly sink into it.
Only once he had vanished completely did the oppressive weight above their heads finally disappear.
On the way back.
The Tianyuan Elder repeatedly questioned Ye Qingcheng about the silver-armored figure's origins, but received no answers.
Ye Qingcheng knew nothing about him either.
"I see..." The Tianyuan Elder gave up questioning her.
Back in his cabin, he muttered to himself, "Could this have something to do with the Sky Sword Sect?"
"Impossible. That silver-armored figure is far stronger than I am—at least at the peak of the Human Immortal Realm! How could the Sky Sword Sect possess such an expert?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought.
"It seems this must have something to do with the Inner Court." Having settled on that conclusion, the Tianyuan Elder thought no further.
After all, he was merely a lowly Outer Court elder. The mystery and might of the Inner Court lay far beyond his reach at his current stage.
"I can't keep being content with where I am. I must continue cultivating diligently and strive to enter the Inner Court as soon as possible!"
Without delay, he sat cross-legged, gathered his spiritual energy, and cultivated to improve his strength.
"..." Meanwhile, Ye Qingcheng stood on the deck, staring fixedly at her own shadow.
She racked her brains but could find no explanation.
Could I actually have some Ancient Great Lineage behind me?
Was that silver-armored figure my Guardian Envoy?
As her thoughts ran wild.
The sun sank into the dusk.
When she came back to her senses, she discovered that the Flying Boat had already reached the Tianyuan Holy Land.
After disembarking from the Flying Boat, Ye Qingcheng stepped onto her flying sword and headed straight for Qingyun Prefecture...
Knock, knock, knock.
She landed on both feet, knocked on the vermilion courtyard gate, then pushed it open and entered.
"Oh! You're back just in time."
In the courtyard, Chen Mu had just picked up his bowl and chopsticks, while Zhang Shengcai had just served the final dish.
"Young master..." The words reached Ye Qingcheng's lips when she caught sight of the silver-armored figure, who should have been inside her shadow, emerging again.
And he walked straight toward Chen Mu!
An assassin?!
Before you continue