Secret of Sky Locking, Invitation from Demon Suppressing

The Demonic Blade shattered, and the blood-red light dissipated.

Xue Yutang stumbled out from the scattered dust.

His entire body was shriveled, like an ancient corpse dried for many years. The light in his eyes had dimmed completely, leaving only endless fear and despair.

He had lost, utterly and inexplicably defeated.

Everything he prided himself on was as fragile as a joke before his opponent.

Lu Shaoyou stood with his cudgel, his golden light contained. The Twelve Dragon-Elephant Power flowed slowly within his body, giving him an unprecedented sense of control.

He looked at Xue Yutang, who was truly cornered, his gaze cold and devoid of any pity.

"He who kills, shall be killed by others."

Since he had set such a vicious trap, he should have been prepared to be killed in return.

He slowly raised the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand, preparing to send the other party on his way, to definitively end their karmic entanglement.

However, just as he was about to strike, something unexpected happened!

"Lu Shaoyou! You wait! This isn't over! My father won't let you go! I'll be waiting for you at Blood Saber Peak!!"

A shrill, venomous roar, as if from the deepest hell, echoed out.

Xue Yutang's shriveled body suddenly exploded with a "bang," turning into a dense mass of blood mist.

Immediately after, the blood mist condensed into a long, thin bloodline at an almost inconceivable speed, ignoring the distance of space.

In a flash, it appeared a hundred feet away. In another flash, it vanished towards the horizon.

Demonic Sect secret art – Blood Escape Great Law!

This life-saving secret art, which required burning one's original essence blood as a price, was so fast it was almost teleportation. Even Lu Shaoyou couldn't react in time.

"He got away?"

Lu Shaoyou raised an eyebrow slightly as he watched the direction Xue Yutang had disappeared. He wasn't overly surprised.

For a powerful figure of the demonic path like him, it would be abnormal not to have a few trump cards for self-preservation.

"Blood Saber Peak, huh..."

He withdrew his gaze, weighed the iron cudgel in his hand, and a cold smile traced the corner of his lips.

"The monk can run, but the temple can't."

He was already planning to visit Blood Saber Sect anyway. Now, he was just letting him live a few more days.

He turned around and surveyed the ravaged summit of Soul Severing Cliff.

Not a single corpse remained, only bloodstains everywhere. Huge cracks crisscrossed the area. The entire mountaintop platform had been pressed down by several feet.

The air was still filled with a nauseating smell of blood and residual malevolent resentment.

What was supposed to be a martial arts gathering had ultimately devolved into such a tragic end.

Lu Shaoyou felt no ripple of emotion within him.

He only regretted that if he had landed that final blow properly, he could have at least gained tens of thousands in Slaughter Value.

He casually slung the Qi Mei Cudgel over his shoulder and was about to turn and leave when his movements suddenly halted.

He slowly raised his head, his gaze like lightning, fixing on a lone peak not far away.

"You've been watching the show for quite a while, it's time to show yourself, isn't it?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried clearly.

As his words fell, two figures, as if appearing from nowhere, landed silently at the edge of Soul Severing Cliff.

The arrivals were none other than the Golden-Masked Man and the Grey-robed Elder, who had been observing from the sidelines.

Though they hadn't intentionally released their auras, their mere presence exuded a transcendent aura that felt out of place in this world.

It was as if they didn't belong here but hailed from a higher realm.

Lu Shaoyou's pupils constricted slightly.

So strong!

He felt a pressure far exceeding the Xiantian realm from these two, even more terrifying than when Xue Yutang had wielded the Demonic Blade moments ago.

It was an absolute suppression at the level of life itself.

Especially the man wearing the golden mask, the power within him was as deep as the sea, as vast as the abyss. His current Twelve Dragon-Elephant Power felt faintly seen through by the other.

These two were definitely existences beyond the Xiantian realm!

The Golden-Masked Man paid no heed to Lu Shaoyou's wariness. His gaze swept across the battlefield-like Soul Severing Cliff.

Finally, it landed on Lu Shaoyou, his deep eyes carrying undisguised admiration and... lingering fear.

"Young man, impressive methods, impressive strength, and even more impressive composure."

He spoke slowly, his voice deep and magnetic.

"Just now, it's fortunate you didn't force a breakthrough. Otherwise, both you and I would likely be in big trouble today."

In a single sentence, he exposed the shocking scene that had just unfolded.

Lu Shaoyou's heart tightened, and he instantly connected the man's words with the system's prompt.

It seemed this so-called array wasn't just talk.

"Trouble? What trouble?" Lu Shaoyou asked, feigning ignorance, his grip on the Qi Mei Cudgel tightening.

He could sense that neither of these two harbored any ill will towards him.

But as the saying goes, one must always guard against others.

"Do you know why, for the past two hundred years, martial arts have declined in Qingzhou, with no one able to break through to the Transcendence Grandmaster realm?" the Golden-Masked Man asked, instead of answering directly.

"I would be honored to hear it."

The Golden-Masked Man gazed at the sky, his eyes seeming to pierce through the endless void, his tone laden with gravity.

"Because the sky of this Qingzhou has been locked by an array."

"This array is named the Sky Locking Array."

"It was set up two hundred years ago by the Outer Domain Demonic Sect, taking advantage of the Great Gan Dynasty's declining national power, in conjunction with certain traitors from Qingzhou. They spared no expense in resources to construct this peerless evil array."

"Once this array was completed, it severed Qingzhou's connection with the outside world."

"Those from the outside, as long as their strength reaches the Transcendence realm, cannot enter Qingzhou. And Xiantian martial artists within Qingzhou cannot leave."

"Their path upwards was also severed, making it impossible for them to sense the opportunity for breakthrough. They would be forever trapped in the Xiantian realm."

The Grey-robed Elder added, "Not only that, but the Blood River Spirit Sacrificing Array set up by Xue Yutang is merely a sub-array of this Sky Locking Array."

"Over these past two hundred years, the Demonic Sect has set up countless similar blood sacrifice evil arrays throughout Qingzhou. Each activation generates a massive amount of blood calamity power."

"This power is relentlessly polluting the Qingzhou Dragon Vein buried deep beneath the earth of Qingzhou!"

The Golden-Masked Man continued, his voice growing colder.

"Once the Qingzhou Dragon Vein is completely polluted, its connection with the dynasty's destiny will be entirely severed. At that time, the entirety of Qingzhou will transform into a true demonic land! Life will be extinguished, and nothing will grow."

"By then, the Demonic Sect can use this place as their forward base to invade our Great Gan. The consequences would be so dire that even the imperial court would be powerless to intervene."

His words struck Lu Shaoyou like thunderclaps, echoing in his mind.

He finally understood why the system had warned him that forcing a breakthrough would attract the attention of contemporary powerhouses.

It turned out that behind it all lay such a world-shattering conspiracy.

However, he still had doubts.

Lu Shaoyou looked at the two men before him, his gaze sharp as a blade.

"Since you say that Transcendence Grandmasters cannot enter Qingzhou, how did the two of you manage to get in?"

He was one hundred percent certain that the two before him, especially the Golden-Masked Man, had strength that far surpassed the Xiantian realm.

His question was pointed and direct.

The Grey-robed Elder's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.

The Golden-Masked Man, however, seemed to have anticipated it.

"Great Gan, Demon Suppressing Division, Commander-in-Chief, Qin Wuya."

He announced his name, each word carrying immense weight.

"As for how we entered..." Qin Wuya's eyes flashed with a complex, unreadable emotion. "Naturally, we paid a great price. What that price was, you don't need to know for now."

"Demon Suppressing Division?" Lu Shaoyou savored the name.

This was the Great Gan Dynasty's most mysterious and powerful enforcement agency, responsible for suppressing demons and monsters throughout the land, wielding immense authority.

And the Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Suppressing Division was a legendary figure, holding great power in the court, appearing and disappearing like a phantom.

He never expected such a person to appear in the humble Qingzhou.

Qin Wuya's gaze fixed intently on him, and he finally revealed his purpose.

"Lu Shaoyou, with your talent and strength, it would be a shame to remain confined to this corner of Qingzhou."

"Are you interested in joining the Demon Suppressing Division!"

"As long as you agree, you will receive the dynasty's support."

"Cultivation techniques, elixirs, divine weapons – all resources, as long as you have the capability, will be at your disposal! Even the position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Suppressing Division is not impossible."

These words were undeniably significant.

The position of Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Demon Suppressing Division was enough to drive ninety-nine percent of martial artists in the world to madness, a status and honor beyond compare.

Yet, after hearing this, Lu Shaoyou merely curled his lips, shifted the Qi Mei Cudgel on his shoulder, and replied indifferently.

"Not interested."