Faced with Yagyu Tajima no Kami, the Demon Race backed down.
Word of this spread, shaking the entire Southern Region.
"How is that possible? He fought three demon sages alone and killed them, then single-handedly halted an army of over ten thousand demons. That's just too awesome! Which faction does he belong to? I really want to join."
"Those damned demons! Our forebears died in battle to seal them away. Now that they've emerged again, do they really think our human race has no one left?"
"I really don't understand. Those major factions, the Saber Sect, the Sword Sect, and the rest, haven't even sent experts to help. Damn them!"
"You have to admit, that man in white really is badass, especially that saber he uses. Just looking at it, you can feel its imposing might."
All sorts of discussions abounded.
Just like that, another two days passed.
Major factions such as the Sword Sect and the Saber Sect organized groups of disciples to go out and temper themselves.
Their main purpose was to hunt demonic beasts.
For a time, wherever demonic beast armies appeared, things grew lively.
What they did not know, however, was that just as the major factions took action, countless armies of demonic beasts emerged from space along the Southern Region's borders.
Even the weakest among them were at the Nascent Soul level, and there were countless Martial King Realm beasts.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
"Fresh air. How a demon misses it."
"Humans, are you ready to die?"
As those words fell, countless troops began surging forward in a frenzy.
At the same time, countless demons appeared all along the Southern Region's borders.
Scenes of them blotting out the sky and sun were everywhere.
"Kill!"
"Someone, save us! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
"You Demon Race scum, how dare you! The Sword Sect is here today. You won't be allowed to run wild!"
The Sword Sect disciples finally arrived, streaming out of their warship.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
"Humans! Fresh blood! Die!"
An utterly icy presence seemed about to weigh down heaven and earth.
At that moment, countless demons sensed it and surged over.
"Everyone, I can sense large numbers of demonic beasts approaching. Hurry and attack! Finish them off as quickly as possible!"
As those words were spoken, countless flashes of sword light swept forth.
Blood rained from the sky, and countless members of the demon army were slain in an instant.
After killing one wave, they moved elsewhere and launched another frenzied slaughter.
For a time, amid flashing sabers and flickering swords, human disciples continued to fall as well.
Gradually, the demons grew more and more numerous.
More and more powerful demons appeared too, and even the elders of the various factions grew somewhat afraid.
"Everyone, get back inside the warship! Hurry!"
The elders' faces were calm, their expressions utterly grave.
Roar! Roar! Roar!
"You killed our brethren, and now you want to leave? Have you asked our permission?"
As those words fell, presences of Martial Kings, Martial Venerables, and Spirit Bodies descended one after another.
There were snakes, eagles, demons with three heads, others with two, and even demons shaped like swords. For a moment, everyone trembled with fear.
"Humans, die!"
The demons attacked together, their attacks blotting out the sky and sun as though the end of the world had come.
"This is bad! Get inside the warship! Hurry!"
Senior disciples and elders erupted with the powerful pressure of Martial Venerables and Spirit Bodies, trying to block the attacks.
But before even one exchange had passed, they were all slain.
There were too many demons. The humans had absolutely no ability to contend with them.
They were simply cut down.
"Senior Brother! Elders! No..."
"Damn you demons! I'll fight you to the death! Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect!"
One disciple was filled with fury.
He rose straight into the air and charged toward the horde of beasts.
"Eldest Senior Brother, don't..."
Jian Wuji was the Sword Sect's eldest senior disciple, and his strength was incomparably great.
No one knew what realm he had reached.
At that moment, he attacked without reservation. As Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Sect emerged, heaven and earth changed color.
High in the nine heavens, ten thousand longswords condensed, all bowing toward Jian Wuji in a magnificent spectacle.
"Human prodigy, you will die today!"
As he spoke, a Demon Race genius released the pressure of a Spirit Body, soared into the air, and brought a hammer crashing down.
Crack! Crack!
Clang! Clang!
Smack! Smack!
In fewer than two exchanges, the mid-stage Spirit Body Realm demon genius was blasted apart.
Heaven and earth fell silent.
"Human, you're courting death!"
More than a dozen Spirit Body demons rose into the air and surrounded Jian Wuji.
"Where my sword passes, slaughter follows."
"Ninth Elder, take them back to the Sword Sect. I'll hold them off."
"No! If anything happens to you, how am I supposed to answer to the sect master?"
"If you don't leave now, you won't be able to once the demon army bears down on us."
Jian Wuji spoke with an icy expression.
But just as his words fell, a terrifying pressure bore down.
"Human, you think you can leave after killing a genius of our Demon Race? You really don't think much of us, do you?"
As those words were spoken, a palm pressed down, its terrifying water attribute manifesting a stretch of mountains and rivers.
"Get the hell out of here, or do you all want to die here?"
Jian Wuji spoke with an icy expression.
Yet the warship still did not move.
Jian Wuji was helpless. After slashing out with his sword, he simply turned, transformed into a streak of sword light, and left.
The sight left the Ninth Elder and the others dumbfounded.
"Eldest Senior Brother, you..."
Roar! Roar! Roar!
At the same time, over a hundred Spirit Body Realm demons, along with a Body Integration Realm greater demon, launched frenzied attacks on the warship.
"Damn it! Damn it!"
The Ninth Elder's face was utterly contorted.
"You beasts! If you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"
As he spoke, the warship's defenses activated, and an aurora cannon swept out.
A terrifying presence spread, and everywhere the red aurora cannon swept was reduced to ash.
Even Spirit Body Realm demons could not withstand it.
The Dao Integration Realm greater demon was likewise gravely wounded, left on the brink of death with a hole blasted through its body.
Only after all this did the Sword Sect's warship head into the distance.