The next day.
His sign-in attempts refreshed, and Han Xuanji continued signing in.
[Congratulations, host, on successfully signing in at the Devil-Sealing Land. You have obtained the "Devil-Suppressing Sword Instruction."]
As the system's voice faded, a profound and unfathomable supreme sword art flooded into Han Xuanji's mind. Its Sword Intent blazed like the might of heaven, naturally countering all things sinister and evil, Devil Qi, resentment, and filth!
It exerted an almost absolute suppressive force over devil path cultivation methods and Devil Qi.
"What formidable swordsmanship. Another heaven-tier sword art, and considerably stronger than the Flying Immortal Sword Instruction."
Han Xuanji nodded silently.
Over the years, he had signed in for quite a few heaven-tier cultivation methods, many of them sword arts.
Every heaven-tier sword art had its own strengths. The Flying Immortal Sword Instruction, for instance, had a tremendous range and imposing momentum, with an ethereal Sword Intent. The Soaring Firmament Sword Instruction, meanwhile, was all about speed, and paired with the Soaring Firmament Sword, it often killed in a single strike...
This Devil-Suppressing Swordsmanship, naturally, had been created to counter the Devil Race.
Its creator was none other than the legendary Devil-Suppressing Great Emperor.
From this sword art alone, Han Xuanji could conclude that the heights its creator had reached were probably beyond even the Immortal Ascension Realm. He could be called a true immortal on earth.
Enraptured, Han Xuanji comprehended the sword instruction. Within its Devil-Suppressing Sword Intent was a righteous force that swept away all the evil devils under heaven. Once he had understood it, it might prove useful someday.
He did not know how much time had passed.
Han Xuanji slowly opened his eyes, having evidently grasped the Devil-Suppressing Sword Intent.
Mastering this sword instruction was a great help to him as well.
Though it would not take his sword dao realm a step further, he had still gained something from it.
Perhaps one day,
His Sword Intent would transform without his needing an immortal's cultivation.
"But am I forgetting something..."
Han Xuanji thought about it, but it seemed nothing was amiss, so he continued cultivating.
Atop the walls of Lintian City.
Lu Fan and a number of Divine Profound Sect disciples had just repelled a wave of Demon Beasts lightly tainted by Devil Qi, and they were slightly out of breath.
"Damn it, there's no end to these demons."
The atmosphere in the city was tense. The beast tide's assault was extraordinarily fierce, and the Spirit Transformation demon generals of the Ten Thousand Demons Cave cared nothing for the lives of the low-level Demon Beasts. They were simply using their lives to wear the defenders down. The battle line kept shrinking, and many surrounding towns had been reduced to ruins by the Demon Beasts. Devil Cultivators seized the opportunity to harvest Blood Qi and refine devil path Law Artifacts.
It was not that the Divine Profound Sect had sent no reinforcements.
But the Heavenly Devil Cult was no pushover either. Whenever the Divine Profound Sect sent experts to try to salvage the situation, they were stopped.
"Damn it, is there really no way out?"
Lu Fan felt a deep despair. During his years of traveling, he had encountered one fortuitous opportunity after another, and his cultivation had continued to rise, but he was still only at the Golden Core Ninth Layer.
He could not influence the situation in the slightest. In fact, he had only survived thanks to the Devil Venerable's help.
"Strength is everything. Run when you have to."
The Devil Venerable's voice slowly sounded in his mind.
Beside him, Lin Potian sighed with emotion. Since escaping the Ten Thousand Demons Cave with Lu Fan, the two had become sworn brothers and often fought demons and devils together. Lin Potian's talent had gradually revealed itself as well. Though he had only just reached the Golden Core Realm, his terrifying physique was enough to rival experts at the Late Golden Core Stage.
After all he had been through, he felt his life had been worthwhile. He had survived so many dangerous situations and even attained the Golden Core Realm.
Suddenly, for no apparent reason, he recalled the words of that outer sect senior brother from many years ago.
"Now that I think about it, I was always thinking about romance back then. I really was too young."
Whenever Lin Potian grew discouraged, he would recall that advice and pull himself together.
"Too bad I won't have the chance to repay him for his guidance that day."
Just as Lu Fan was struggling to decide whether to flee and make plans for the long term,
A confidential report arrived, making his tightly knitted brows ease slightly and filling his eyes with shock and confusion.
"The Ten Thousand Demons Cave... has been destroyed?"
"The Void Return demon king was supposedly slain by a mysterious expert in the Devil-Trapping Mountain Range, possibly because he disturbed the mysterious expert's Tribulation Transcendence?"
Lu Fan looked at the information in the Jade Slip, barely able to believe his eyes.
That was a Void Return Realm demon king, a giant who had held sway in Yong Province for years. Had he really died just like that, with no clear explanation?
"Mysterious expert... Body Integration heavenly tribulation... Devil-Trapping Mountain Range..."
Lu Fan repeated the key words under his breath.
What sort of person would go to the Devil-Trapping Mountain Range to break through to the Integrated Body Realm?
Lu Fan simply could not imagine who could have caused such an earth-shaking commotion in that place.
"Did this senior do it deliberately?"
A surge of excitement rose in Lu Fan's heart.
"Sure enough, there are still more good people than bad in this world."
He looked at the beast tide beyond the city, still poised to attack, and his gaze sharpened.
The demon king was dead, leaving the dragons without a head. Once the news spread, there was no way those demon generals would obediently fight to the death.
Seven days later.
Just as Lu Fan had expected, the demon generals already had disagreements among themselves and could not possibly follow the Heavenly Devil Cult's arrangements completely. They soon fell apart and descended into chaos.
Some wanted to return to the Ten Thousand Demons Cave and become demon king themselves, while others, fearing that the mysterious expert would strike them down, fled at once with their subordinates.
The human cities throughout Yong Province were jubilant from top to bottom. The Demon Beast threat had vanished, and the Heavenly Devil Cult's many schemes came to nothing.
At that moment.
At the Heavenly Devil Cult Yong Province Branch Altar.
"Damn it, another unforeseen complication."
The Heavenly Devil Cult's third elder wore an ugly expression, cursing the mysterious expert who had disrupted his plans without pause.
He did not think the man had deliberately come there to undergo his tribulation, nor did he connect him to the "Devil-Slaying Sword Venerable," who had repeatedly opposed the Heavenly Devil Cult. He simply thought his luck was far too poor.
After all, even the Heavenly Devil Cult did not want to offend a Body Integration Realm expert for no reason. He could hardly send someone to demand an explanation, so he could only swallow his broken teeth.
"My lord, what should we do next?"
An outer sect elder of the Heavenly Devil Cult spoke cautiously.
"Hmm... in that case, let's use a hidden piece the cult master left behind. I refuse to believe the Divine Profound Sect can be this lucky every time."
The third elder pondered for a moment and soon made up his mind.
Before this, he had intended to use his own methods to break the deadlock first, then deal the Divine Profound Sect a heavy blow from within and without.
Now that he thought about it, that had been somewhat idealistic.
The demon king's rebellion ended just like that, a tiger's head with a snake's tail.
From then on, the situation seemed to have stabilized.
Peace came to Great Xia's cultivation world.
The Devil Cultivators had all but vanished, and the Demon Race, which had long caused trouble in Yong Province, had mostly hidden themselves away in remote mountains and ancient forests.
The entire Divine Profound Sect celebrated in the face of this situation.
Some, however, suspected that the Heavenly Devil Cult might be brewing something big.
One month later.
At the Devil-Sealing Land.
Han Xuanji had signed in for a devil-sealing Law Artifact that day when he suddenly remembered something.
"That little fellow isn't still waiting for me up there, is he?"
Han Xuanji sent out his divine sense and soon found him.
Sure enough, the little white tiger had stayed aboveground and was sound asleep. He had even attracted some low-level Demon Beasts to serve him, looking every bit like a mountain king.
Han Xuanji didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"You're living quite well for yourself."
"Hm?"
Han Xuanji's voice sounded in the little white tiger's mind, giving him a start.
"Oh, I'm just waiting for you to finish your business, Master."
"So, Master, how much longer will you be?"
After experiencing life as a demon king, the little white tiger had found it less interesting than he had imagined. He mostly just sat around, cultivated, and slept.
Though these little demons had awakened their intelligence and had even gradually shed some of their demonic nature under his protection, they still trembled with fear in his presence. They were no fun at all.
"I think it'll be a while yet. Stay put."
"Huh?"
The little white tiger's face fell at once.
After all, the environment here was unpleasant, worlds apart from his days in the Divine Profound Sect.
Sure enough, without experiencing something, there could be no regret.
Sometimes, he really did not know how blessed he was until he lost it.
"I was wrong."
"Being wrong won't help. I really do have things to do."
Han Xuanji spoke indifferently.
His cultivation had advanced steadily over the past few days. This place, which ordinary people avoided at all costs, was undoubtedly a blessed paradise to him.
They wanted him to leave?
He would refine all the Devil Qi accumulated over countless years first!
As for the sect, no one would care where an outer sect disciple had gone.
Every day, cultivators in the sect died or went missing. It was also perfectly normal for cultivators to spend decades away gaining experience. Some sects' grand elders often wandered the continent in search of fortuitous opportunities, even traveling to cultivation worlds overseas, and a trip could easily last thousands of years.
After some thought, Han Xuanji taught the Devil-Transforming Great Method to the little white tiger and instructed him:
"If you can comprehend a little of this cultivation method, perhaps you won't find it so unpleasant staying there."
"Oh."
The little white tiger nodded in confusion, feeling overwhelmed.
When demon nobility like him cultivated, they generally received inheritances through their bloodlines and were born able to wield certain Divine Abilities and Law Techniques. They basically needed only to sleep and absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to grow, and their long lifespans also made them lazy to the bone.
Cultivating such a difficult cultivation method was extremely hard for him.
Han Xuanji shook his head with a laugh. He had no particular expectations of his little lazy cat. Instead, he circulated the Devil-Transforming Great Method to absorb Devil Qi while continuing to comprehend the Devil-Suppressing Sword Instruction and the other cultivation methods he had recently obtained.
Suddenly.
A voice sounded in his mind.
[System upgrading. The sign-in function will not be affected. Please wait for the upgrade to complete...]