Beyond the Ninefold Heavenly Pass, fierce winds howled, and Sha Qi surged into the sky.
The entire sky was shrouded in pitch-black Devil Qi so dense it would not disperse. From afar, it resembled a vast canopy pressing the entire Eastern Wasteland Region beneath it, so oppressive that people could scarcely breathe.
A million-strong devil army stood in formation, their armor cold, their war spears a forest. Every Devil Race soldier stood over ten feet tall, with a hideous face. The vicious Sha Qi emanating from them converged and soared into the clouds, making even the void twist slightly.
At the forefront of the devil army, three devil gods, each ten thousand feet tall, towered between heaven and earth. Devil Qi roiled around them, dimming the sun and moon.
Their leader was none other than Mo Tianxiao, the strongest of the Devil Race's younger generation.
He wore a devil-bone crown and a Myriad Devils Battle Robe, holding a devil spear forged entirely from ten-thousand-year devil iron. At its tip, Devil Qi condensed into tangible form. Each surge tore through the void, exposing pitch-black spatial rifts.
Beside him stood two devil-god guardians of the Half-Step Emperor Realm. Their presence surged skyward, their pressure sweeping across every direction, leaving all cultivators throughout the Eastern Wasteland Region trembling, without even the courage to look up.
"Human ants, you have three breaths to open the pass and bow in submission! Otherwise, I will flatten the Ninefold Heavenly Pass and bathe the entire human Eastern Wasteland in blood!"
Mo Tianxiao's voice thundered like lightning from the highest heavens, rolling through heaven and earth. Mountains collapsed, rivers reversed their flow, and the walls of the Ninefold Heavenly Pass shook violently, as though they might crumble at any moment.
Atop the pass, the human cultivators were deathly pale, trembling all over, their eyes filled with despair.
Three devil gods, one of whom had even reached the level of invincibility beneath the Emperor Realm-such power was simply beyond humanity's ability to resist.
The masters of the Eastern Wasteland Region's great sacred lands and all its ancestor-level figures had gathered at the pass, their expressions grave and their presence feeble.
In the previous battle, humanity had already paid a terrible price. More than a dozen Half-Ancestor experts had fallen, and several ancestors lay gravely wounded and dying. Now, facing the million-strong devil army led by Mo Tianxiao, they lacked even a shred of confidence in resisting.
"What do we do? Mo Tianxiao is even more terrifying than the reports said! He's already touched the threshold of the Emperor Realm. We're no match for him!"
"Must we humans of the Eastern Wasteland be utterly destroyed here today?"
"Heaven is unjust! Why must humanity suffer such a calamity?"
Despair spread through the crowd. Many young cultivators could no longer hold back their tears, their hearts filled with helplessness.
At this moment of despair, an unremarkable voice slowly came from the depths of the sky, yet it seemed capable of piercing through the space and time of countless ages.
"Noisy."
One simple word, spoken quietly, yet it reached every ear with perfect clarity.
The instant the voice fell, the fierce winds howling between heaven and earth stopped. The roiling Devil Qi seemed pinned by an invisible hand, suspended in midair. Even the overwhelming pressure emanating from Mo Tianxiao was forcibly suppressed.
Everyone abruptly raised their heads and looked toward the source of the voice.
High above the heavens stood a white-robed figure, his hands behind his back, his robes fluttering, aloof from the world.
The man looked only about twenty, with handsome features and a tranquil bearing. Not the slightest trace of power leaked from him, making him seem like an ordinary mortal youth. Yet simply by standing there, he seemed to become the center of heaven and earth.
His figure appeared tiny, yet it eclipsed those three ten-thousand-foot devil gods and the million-strong devil army.
"It's him!"
"That mysterious senior!"
Atop the pass, someone recognized the white-robed figure. Astonishing light instantly burst from their eyes, and the flames of hope rekindled in their despairing hearts.
He was precisely the mysterious expert who had casually suppressed several Devil Race Half-Ancestors and saved all the human cultivators earlier!
Mo Tianxiao's brows knitted tightly, and a trace of gravity flashed through his eyes.
He could clearly sense that this seemingly ordinary white-robed youth concealed a power that made even his heart tremble.
That power was unfathomable, like an eternal sea of stars, vast and boundless. Even he, the strongest of the Devil Race's younger generation, felt a trace of awe.
"Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of my Devil Race!" Mo Tianxiao pointed his devil spear at the white-robed youth high above and shouted fiercely.
Behind him, the two Half-Step Emperor Realm devil gods also mobilized all their devil power, watching Lin Chen warily as though confronting a formidable enemy.
Lin Chen glanced indifferently at Mo Tianxiao below, his gaze calm and unruffled, as though looking at an insignificant ant.
"You aren't worthy of knowing who I am."
Lin Chen's voice remained level, yet carried unquestionable authority. "Get out of the Eastern Wasteland, and I'll spare your life."
As his words fell, an invisible pressure descended from the sky.
That pressure brought no earthshaking phenomena, no world-destroying force, yet the expressions of Mo Tianxiao and the two Half-Step Emperor Realm devil gods changed drastically. Their bodies stiffened as though pinned beneath an ancient divine mountain, unable to move even a finger.
The million-strong devil army fared worse. They dropped to their knees in waves, trembling all over and wailing in terror. The devil power within them churned wildly out of control, threatening to make them explode at any moment.
Towering waves surged through Mo Tianxiao's heart, and disbelief covered his face.
He was the strongest of the Devil Race's younger generation, only one step from the Emperor Realm. Throughout his generation in the entire Devil Realm, no one could withstand a single exchange with him. He could easily crush even Half-Ancestor experts of the older generation.
Yet now, with merely a sentence and an invisible pressure, this white-robed youth before him had robbed him of even the courage to resist?
How was this possible!
"Arrogant! I am the Devil Race's young lord! Today, I will bathe humanity in blood! If you dare stop me, you make an enemy of the entire Devil Realm!" Mo Tianxiao roared, forcibly driving all the devil power within him to break free of that invisible pressure. He swept out his devil spear, unleashing countless rays of devil light that formed a hundred-thousand-foot devil dragon. Baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, it lunged to devour Lin Chen.
The devil dragon roared, its voice shaking the highest heavens. Wherever it passed, the void collapsed and all things perished, as though it would swallow the entire world.
This spear strike concentrated Mo Tianxiao's lifetime of cultivation. It was his strongest attack, enough to slay any peak Half-Ancestor expert. Even a true Emperor Realm expert would have to avoid its edge for the moment.
Seeing this, the human cultivators atop the pass turned deathly pale again, their hearts leaping into their throats.
They feared that even the mysterious senior could not withstand Mo Tianxiao's fatal strike.
Facing this world-destroying spear strike, Lin Chen remained standing with his hands behind his back, his expression tranquil, making no attempt to dodge.
Only when the devil dragon reached him did he slowly raise a finger and tap lightly.
There was no earthshaking power, no dazzling Divine Ability.
Just that gentle tap.
Bang-
A dull, tremendous crash rang out.
Beneath Lin Chen's single finger, the hundred-thousand-foot devil dragon capable of devouring heaven and earth instantly shattered like a bubble, becoming a sky full of Devil Qi before vanishing without a trace.
Immediately afterward, an unmatched force surged back along the devil spear.
Mo Tianxiao's expression changed drastically. He felt an irresistible force rush into his body, breaking his bones inch by inch. He spat out a great mouthful of golden devil blood, and his enormous ten-thousand-foot body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the million-strong devil army and killing or injuring countless Devil Race soldiers.
"Young lord!"
The two Half-Step Emperor Realm devil gods paled in alarm and hurriedly moved to save Mo Tianxiao.
"You think you're worthy of making a move?"
Lin Chen's gaze cooled slightly, and he casually waved his hand.
Boom!!!
Two invisible bursts of force erupted, so fast that even the void could not capture their trajectories.
Before the two Half-Step Emperor Realm devil gods could even scream, the force pierced their bodies. Their enormous devil-god forms exploded into a cloud of bloody mist, their souls utterly scattered, leaving not even a chance of reincarnation.
One move!
Just one move!
Two Half-Step Emperor Realm devil gods slain, and the Devil Race's young lord, Mo Tianxiao, gravely wounded!
Heaven and earth instantly fell deathly silent.
Whether the human cultivators atop the pass or the million-strong devil army below, everyone stared dumbfounded at the white-robed figure high above. Their minds went blank, utterly incapable of thought.
Two Half-Step Emperor Realm experts killed instantly in one move!
What level of strength was this?
The Emperor Realm?
Or an existence even more terrifying than the Emperor Realm?
The Half-Step Emperor Realm already represented the pinnacle of combat strength in this world, a rarity seen once in ten thousand years. Yet before this white-robed youth, they were like clay chickens and pottery dogs, unable to withstand a single blow!
Mo Tianxiao struggled up from the rubble, drenched in blood, his presence feeble to the extreme. His gaze toward Lin Chen brimmed with utter terror and awe.
He finally understood that he was not facing an opponent of his own level at all, but a supreme existence standing far above, looking down upon all living beings!
"S-Senior, spare me!"
All Mo Tianxiao's former arrogance vanished. He dropped to his knees with a thud and repeatedly kowtowed to Lin Chen high above, his voice trembling. "This junior knows his mistake! I'll lead the devil army out of the Eastern Wasteland at once and never dare trespass upon humanity again! Please show mercy, Senior, and spare this junior's life!"
He feared death.
As the Devil Race's young lord and the future ruler of the Devil Realm, he still had a splendid future ahead of him. He did not want to die here like this.
From high above, Lin Chen looked down at Mo Tianxiao kneeling and begging for mercy, his gaze indifferent and utterly unruffled.
"I already gave you a chance."
"You were the one who failed to cherish it."
As his words fell, Lin Chen slowly extended his right hand, spread his fingers, then gently closed them toward Mo Tianxiao below.
"No-!"
Mo Tianxiao let out a desperate roar. He wanted to struggle, wanted to flee, only to discover that an invisible force had locked his body firmly in place, leaving him unable to move at all.
Crack-
The crisp sound of breaking bones rang out.
Mo Tianxiao's body compressed at a speed visible to the naked eye. His devil power, bloodline, and soul were all extracted by a supreme force, becoming a stream of pure energy that flowed into Lin Chen's palm.
It took only an instant.
Mo Tianxiao, the strongest of the Devil Race's younger generation, was utterly reduced to a pool of blood, his body and soul destroyed.
Thus, the Devil Race's young lord died, his Dao extinguished!
Having dealt with Mo Tianxiao, Lin Chen slowly turned his gaze toward the million-strong devil army trembling below.
"Invading humanity and bathing the living in blood-your crimes are unforgivable."
Lin Chen spoke softly, his voice level, yet carrying the authority to judge all living beings.
He flicked a finger.
A seemingly insignificant strand of white Sword Qi shot from his fingertip, swelling in the wind. In an instant, it became a hundred-thousand-foot streak of sword light spanning heaven and earth, pure and flawless, without a trace of killing intent, yet containing supreme power to destroy all evil.
The sword light descended.
There was no earthshaking explosion, no carnage with rivers of blood.
The hundred-thousand-foot sword light simply swept past. Below, the million-strong devil army, along with their Devil Qi and vicious Sha Qi, were purified by the sword light, becoming the purest Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth before dispersing into the world.
A million-strong devil army.
Utterly annihilated!
From beginning to end, only a single breath had passed.
The million-strong devil army whose Sha Qi had just pierced the sky and whose might had oppressed the Eastern Wasteland, along with three supreme devil gods, had been casually erased before Lin Chen like dust, leaving not a single trace.
Clarity returned to heaven and earth.
The fierce winds dispersed, the Devil Qi vanished completely, and sunlight once again spilled over the land, illuminating the Ninefold Heavenly Pass and the Eastern Wasteland's vast mountains and rivers.
It was as though none of it had ever happened.
Only the ruined walls atop the pass and the faint scent of blood lingering in the air bore witness to the breathtaking battle moments before.
Deathly silence.
A deathly silence that lasted a full half-incense stick.
The human cultivators atop the pass were still looking up, their mouths agape and eyes vacant. Their minds had completely crashed, unable to accept everything that had happened before them.
Two Half-Step Emperor Realm experts slain with one move.
The Devil Race's young lord erased with a thought.
A million-strong devil army purified with one sword.
Was... was this still power a human could possess?
This was a god!
A true, supreme god!
"W-We won! We won!"
After an unknown length of time, a voice trembling with excitement broke the deathly silence between heaven and earth.
Immediately afterward, earthshaking cheers erupted, soaring into the clouds.
"We won! Humanity won!"
"Thank you for saving our lives, Senior!"
"Senior is invincible! Humanity is invincible!"
"Senior is humanity's savior! The greatest expert of all time!"
All the human cultivators were so excited that tears filled their eyes. They bowed to Lin Chen high above and knelt on the ground, their eyes filled with boundless awe, worship, and gratitude.
Had Lin Chen not intervened, the humans of the Eastern Wasteland would surely have been wiped out today, with not a blade of grass left alive.
It was this mysterious and powerful white-robed senior who had single-handedly crushed the million-strong devil army, broken ten thousand laws with one sword, and protected humanity's entire Eastern Wasteland!
The masters of the great sacred lands and the ancestor-level figures also bowed, their expressions respectful to the utmost.
Before this supreme expert, their so-called sacred land masters and Half-Ancestor patriarchs were not worth mentioning, no different from ants.
Lin Chen stood high above the heavens, looking down at the kneeling human cultivators. His expression remained tranquil, without the slightest satisfaction or pride.
To him, slaying a few devil gods and destroying a million-strong devil army was merely the effort of raising a hand, too insignificant to mention.
He had signed in for a hundred thousand years and had long since swept through the ages, invincible beneath heaven. Let alone a group of Devil Race juniors-even if the ruler of the Devil Realm descended in person, he could slap him to death.
Over those hundred thousand years of signing in, the Divine Abilities, Cultivation Methods, treasures, and accumulated foundations he had obtained had long since exceeded this world's limits, reaching a level no one could comprehend.
Invincible upon entering the world was no exaggeration, but fact.
"From this day onward, none shall dare offend the humans of the Eastern Wasteland."
Lin Chen spoke indifferently, his voice spreading throughout the Eastern Wasteland Region, reaching every human cultivator with perfect clarity. "Should otherworldly fiends or powerful enemies of other races invade again, I will intervene and safeguard humanity."
As his words fell, Lin Chen's figure slowly became illusory.
"Senior, please stay!"
"Senior, please accept our bow!"
"Please tell us your illustrious name, Senior! We will surely erect shrines in your honor and worship you for generations!"
Atop the pass, the human cultivators called out one after another, wishing to persuade Lin Chen to stay, wishing to learn this supreme expert's name.
Yet Lin Chen did not look back. His figure gradually faded, finally disappearing completely from the heavens, leaving only a calm voice echoing between heaven and earth.
"My name is Lin Chen."
"Merely a Rogue Cultivator. There is no need to remember me."
The voice faded, and Lin Chen's figure was nowhere to be seen.
Yet the name "Lin Chen" was branded deep into the heart of every human cultivator in the Eastern Wasteland, never to be forgotten.
A supreme expert of his generation, invincible upon entering the world, had subdued the Devil Race with one sword and protected all humanity.
His name would surely spread throughout the nine heavens and ten lands, leaving a fragrant legacy for all eternity!
Atop the Ninefold Heavenly Pass, the cheering lasted an entire day and night.
The human cultivators were beside themselves with excitement, rushing about to spread the news of everything that had happened that day to every corner of the Eastern Wasteland Region.
"Have you heard? A million-strong army of the Devil Race invaded, and a senior named Lin Chen wiped them all out with a single sword strike!"
"Senior Lin Chen is far too powerful! Those were three Devil Gods, yet before him, they might as well have been made of paper!"
"From this day forward, we humans of the Eastern Wasteland no longer need to fear the Devil Race!"
"Senior Lin Chen is humanity's savior! We must remember his kindness forever!"
Throughout the Eastern Wasteland Region, everyone sang praises of Lin Chen's mighty name.
The great holy lands, dynasties, and sects all issued orders to erect longevity tablets for Lin Chen and make offerings day and night, thanking him for his protection.
Meanwhile, Lin Chen had long since left the Ninefold Heavenly Pass and arrived at a small city on the edge of the Eastern Wasteland Region.
He had not stayed at the pass to accept everyone's worship. Such empty fame meant nothing to him.
After signing in for a hundred thousand years, he had long since grown detached from everything. He had emerged into the world merely to behold its boundless mortal splendor and experience the warmth of everyday life.
As for protecting humanity, that was merely something he had done in passing.
After all, he was human himself.
The small city bustled with activity. Carriages and horses streamed through the streets, voices rose in a clamor, and the air brimmed with the warmth of mortal life.
Lin Chen strolled along the street in white robes, his bearing serene. He seemed out of place amid his surroundings, yet blended into them perfectly.
As he watched the hawkers calling out beside the street, the children playing and roughhousing, and the passersby chatting and laughing, a faint warmth flickered in his eyes.
This was the mortal world.
This was what he was willing to act to protect.
Just then, hurried footsteps rang out. A group of household servants in brocade, their faces fierce, surrounded a fat-headed, big-eared young master as they barreled down the street, knocking roadside stalls askew. Pedestrians hurried out of their way, seething but not daring to speak.
"Move, move! Don't block our young master's way!"
"Are those dog eyes of yours blind? You don't even recognize Eldest Young Master Wang? Tired of living?"
The servants swaggered arrogantly, shoving passersby at will. Complaints rose all around, but no one dared resist.
This Eldest Young Master Wang was the son of the city lord. Relying on his father's power, he ran rampant through the city and committed every kind of evil, bullying men and preying on women. The people had long been full of grievances, but though angry, they dared not speak.
Eldest Young Master Wang swept his narrowed little eyes over the street, his gaze suddenly fixing on a young woman in plain clothes nearby.
The young woman had delicate, lovely features and a gentle bearing. She was supporting an elderly woman and trying to move aside, but Eldest Young Master Wang's servants blocked her path.
"Little beauty, don't leave." A lewd smile appeared on Eldest Young Master Wang's face as he slowly approached, ogling her. "Come have some fun with me. I guarantee you'll dine on delicacies and drink the finest. How about it?"
"Y-you let go of me! You dare abduct a woman in broad daylight!" Frightened and furious, the young woman turned pale and struggled desperately.
"So what if I abduct you?" Eldest Young Master Wang smiled disdainfully and reached for her cheek. "In this city, I am heaven! There's never been a woman I wanted that I couldn't get!"
Seeing this, the surrounding townspeople lowered their heads, afraid to look any longer, their hearts filled with anger and helplessness.
This was not the first time they had seen Eldest Young Master Wang abduct a woman, but they were only ordinary people, utterly powerless to resist.
Just as Eldest Young Master Wang's hand was about to touch the young woman's cheek.
A clean, slender hand with well-defined knuckles reached out gently and caught his wrist in a firm grip.
"You're courting death!"
Eldest Young Master Wang flew into a rage and whipped his head around, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse. But when he saw that the person holding his wrist was a youth in white, his anger only deepened. "Where did you come from, you little bastard? You dare meddle in my business? Are you tired of living?"
Lin Chen's expression remained indifferent as he looked at Eldest Young Master Wang, his gaze icy.
"Let her go."
Three simple words, devoid of emotion, yet carrying an unquestionable authority.
Eldest Young Master Wang felt a chill shoot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. He shuddered involuntarily, and a trace of fear actually arose in his heart.
But as the city lord's son, he was accustomed to throwing his weight around. How could he concede so easily? He immediately shouted harshly, "Beat him! Beat this reckless little bastard to death right here!"
At his command, the surrounding servants immediately brandished their clubs and charged at Lin Chen.
The townspeople could not bear to watch, their hearts filled with pity for this white-robed youth who had bravely stepped forward to uphold justice.
In their eyes, although the youth's courage was commendable, he was no match for these servants and would only suffer a beating for nothing.
Yet, in the next second.
Thud, thud, thud, thud-
A string of muffled impacts rang out.
Before the dozen or so charging servants could even touch the hem of Lin Chen's robes, they were sent flying backward as though struck by an invisible force. One after another, they slammed into the ground, coughing blood, bones broken throughout their bodies, unable to rise again.
One move!
Just one move!
More than a dozen sturdy servants had all been laid low!
The arrogance on Eldest Young Master Wang's face froze instantly, replaced by utter terror.
Only then did he realize that he had provoked someone ruthless whom he could not afford to offend!
"Y-you... who exactly are you? My father is the city lord! If you dare touch me, he won't let you off!" Eldest Young Master Wang roared, fierce on the outside but fainthearted within, hoping to frighten Lin Chen off with his father's position.
A faint, mocking smile curled Lin Chen's lips.
The city lord?
Never mind the lord of a mere small city-even the sovereign of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands would not dare act so insolently before him.
"Does being the city lord's son give you the right to run rampant and oppress the people?" Lin Chen's eyes chilled slightly, and he tightened his grip a little.
"Aah-!"
Eldest Young Master Wang let out a piercing scream as his wrist was crushed. The agony sent convulsions through his body, his face turning as white as paper.
"I was wrong! I'll never dare do it again! Please spare me!" Tears and snot streamed down Eldest Young Master Wang's face as he knelt and begged for mercy, his former arrogance gone without a trace.
With a casual flick, Lin Chen flung Eldest Young Master Wang to the ground and said indifferently, "Get back home and tell that city lord father of yours to open the granaries and distribute grain within three days. He is to soothe the people and repay the sins he has amassed by oppressing them all these years. Otherwise, he can bring his head to me."
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll tell him! We'll do exactly as you say!" Eldest Young Master Wang scrambled to his feet. Disregarding the agonizing pain in his wrist, he fled the street in utter disgrace, not daring to look back.
At the sight, the surrounding townspeople bowed to Lin Chen, shedding tears of gratitude.
"Thank you for coming to our rescue, young master!"
"We will remember your great kindness until our dying day, young master!"
"Young master, you truly are a good man! At last, someone can put that bully in his place!"
Lin Chen waved a hand without saying anything more, then turned and continued strolling down the street, his figure gradually disappearing into the crowd.
To him, it had been no more than lifting a hand.
Seeing injustice on the road, he had simply drawn his blade. That was all.
The sun sank in the west, its golden afterglow spilling over the small city, warm and peaceful.
Lin Chen looked up at the sunset clouds on the horizon, his gaze calm and far-reaching.
After signing in for a hundred thousand years, he had emerged into the world invincible.
To him, there were no opponents left in the world, nor any difficult tasks beneath heaven.
In the years to come, he would wander through the mortal world, witness all the warmth of human life, and safeguard the peace of a land.
Across the myriad heavens through the ages, throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands.
From that day onward, no one could be called his match.
From that day onward, no one would dare stand against him.
He, Lin Chen.
After signing in for a hundred thousand years, the moment he emerged into the world, he was its one and only invincible true god!