The One-Year Deadline

The two men's expressions changed simultaneously when they saw Su Yao turn around and attack.

The man in white pushed forward with both palms, and the "Resounding White Sound" sounded like hundreds of sharp blades slashing out, tearing the Great Void around Su Yao to pieces.

The old woman then took out a yellowed book. The pages moved without wind, and a yellow-green aura spread out in front of her to form an invisible "Scripture Pavilion" domain, attempting to "hide" Su Yao's inspiration within it.

Su Yao neither dodged nor avoided.

With his left hand, he swept out the Vermilion Brightness Sword, the Balmy Wind breeze and summer heat pouring down like a rainbow, completely evaporating the white streaks and sound waves that filled the sky. With his right hand, he swung the Autumn Steed Sword, a clear sword light piercing through the yellow-green aura, the Sword Intent bursting forth, cleaving the "Scripture Pavilion" domain in one strike.

The old woman's expression changed drastically. She hurriedly threw the book behind her, and it transformed into a yellow-green barrier. However, the barrier shattered like thin ice in the sun before Autumn Steed Sword. The Sword Intent pierced through the barrier and precisely entered the old woman's brow.

Before the old woman could even scream, her body fell into the Great Void like a withered leaf.

At that moment, a strange phenomenon occurred.

The old woman's physical form suddenly froze in mid-air. Then, starting from the sword scar between her brows, countless illusory yellow-green pages surged out of her body, as if thousands of volumes of books were being ignited simultaneously. The pages swirled, burned, and turned to ashes in the air. From within the ashes, lines of ancient shamanistic inscriptions faintly emerged, like sacrificial texts and Witch Talisman, flickering in the Great Void.

That was the "Scripture Pavilion" power of the Path of Bamboo-Bookcase Wood she had cultivated throughout her life, which was now forced out of her body by the Sword Intent, turning into a rain of pages.

As the pages turned, the old woman's figure gradually vanished, like an old book blown away by the wind, its pages peeling away, drifting, and turning to dust, from cover to inner pages.

Finally, the countless pages coalesced into a faint yellowish-green aftertaste, like ink stains in water, slowly spreading and disappearing into nothingness in the Great Void.

The old woman with the Bamboo-Bookcase Wood fell to the ground.

The man in white's expression finally changed when he saw the old woman fall.

He retracted both palms, completely withdrawing the "Resounding White Sound," and with a turn of his body, transformed into a sharp white light, disappearing into the depths of the Great Void.

But before he could move, Su Yao's sword light had already arrived.

The Autumn Steed Sword spread out like moonlight, and the Sword Intent burst forth, severing the white light in one strike.

The white-robed man tumbled out of the white light, a very thin sword wound appearing on his chest. Sword Intent spread from the wound, tearing his physical body apart inch by inch.

The man in white glanced down at the sword wound on his chest, his lips moved, but he couldn't utter a single word.

The next moment, starting from the sword wound on his chest, countless extremely sharp white light streaks suddenly burst forth from his body, like hundreds of sharp swords piercing outward from his body at the same time.

Those crisscrossing streaks of light cut, disintegrated, and shattered his figure, turning it into countless white fragments, like a sharp meteor shower, exploding, splashing, and dissipating in the Great Void.

Wherever the shattered light passed, fine white marks were cut into the Great Void, lingering for a long time, like a mirror surface slashed by an invisible blade.

That was the "sharp" power of the path of Dui Metal he had cultivated throughout his life, which went out of control after his death, turning into a final white rain of swords.

The white-clad man who Dui Metal has fallen.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the Fire Demon King Li dared not linger any longer.

He suddenly activated the Crimson Sun Pendant, Li Fire energy surged wildly from the pendant, enveloping him in a crimson sun as he fled towards the northern horizon.

Su Yao did not give chase.

He watched the receding crimson streak of light, then sheathed his twin swords in his sleeves, his expression calm.

"You run fast."

After saying that, he turned to look at Xuan Yan.

Xuan Yan had already emerged from the center of the formation. Although his face was still pale, the silvery-white light barrier had slowly dissipated, revealing the rugged red rock walls of Red Rock Mountain.

He was struck on the left shoulder by the man in white, and he was currently using his Law Power to suppress the injury, with a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Daoist," Xuan Yan bowed respectfully, his voice hoarse.

Su Yao nodded, his gaze sweeping over the wound on Xuan Yan's left arm. He casually took out a jade bottle from his sleeve, poured out a pill, and handed it to him.

"Take it."

Xuan Yan took the pill, said nothing, and swallowed it.

The two entered Red Rock Mountain, one after the other.

Inside the mountain lies a hidden world.

A crimson stone staircase winds its way up from the foot of the mountain, its sides covered with runes of the Heavenly Chaos Dao, clearly indicating that the Zhao Household has been cultivating it for thousands of years.

But at this moment, there was no one on the stone steps, and most of the runes on the stone wall had dimmed.

Su Yao and Xuan Yan followed the stone steps upwards, passed through three stone gates, and finally arrived at a huge cave hall inside the mountain.

The cave hall was sparsely populated.

Su Yao glanced around and immediately got a sense of the situation. There were about forty or fifty people in the cave, most of whom were children, the youngest still in swaddling clothes and the oldest no more than ten years old. There were also a dozen or so young people, the oldest no more than forty years old and the youngest only fourteen or fifteen years old. They were all pale-faced and had weak auras. Most of them were only at the Qi Refinement stage, and the highest was no more than the Peak Qi Refinement.

A Aristocratic Clan capable of producing Purple Mansion True Person is now reduced to nothing but the elderly, women, and children.

Su Yao remained silent.

He didn't care about morality, nor did he care whether the Zhao Household deserved to die. He just found it strange that after so many years of scheming within the Zhao Household, the Wisdom Light Dao Lineage had only left these children behind.

Xuan Yan stood beside him, remained silent for a moment, and then whispered:

"Brother Dao, my True Lord has sent word that I am only to kill those who deserve to be killed and destroy the scriptures that should be destroyed. As for what schemes the Zhao Household may be plotting, I have no idea."

He paused, a hint of something complex creeping into his voice:

"The Wisdom Light Dao Lineage has planted so many pawns in the Zhao Household for so many years, yet now only these children remain... I also find it strange."

Su Yao did not respond.

He gazed at the trembling children in the cave, remained silent for a long while, and then slowly spoke:

"Did your True Lord say anything else?"

Xuan Yan shook his head. "He only instructed me to guard the Zhao Household, kill the traitors, and destroy the ancient books. He didn't mention anything else."

Su Yao nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

He turned around, about to leave.

At that moment...

A profound sound came from the depths of the Great Void, falling into the Red Rock Mountain, echoing like a great bell, reverberating between the stone walls:

"Su Yao receives the imperial decree."

Upon hearing this, the two stopped simultaneously and looked up abruptly.

The profound voice continued, each word clear and distinct, as if divine decree had been laid down:

"You are all to cause Proclaiming Earth True Lord's reincarnation to Liberation by Violence within one year!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the mysterious sound dissipated, leaving only a buzzing echo in the stone wall.

Su Yao and Xuan Yan exchanged a glance, both seeing the same expression in each other's eyes.

Within a year, the True Lord will be reincarnated and his body Liberation by Violence.

The gap between them and the reincarnations of True Lord is deeper than an insurmountable chasm, after all, the latter possesses the favor of Fruition Position official position...

But there was no room for negotiation in that profound voice.

Su Yao withdrew his gaze, looked at the crimson sky outside the cave hall, and remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking:

"Let's go back to Golden Ao first."

Xuan Yan nodded without saying anything more.

The two turned and walked down Red Rock Mountain.

Behind them, the children in the cave were still huddled in a corner.

There is a word cloud:

The Red Cliffs, like blood, illuminate the lone battle array; Comet Light circles the mountain corner.

A sword comes from the east to slay two demons; the pages of the book turn to dust.

He cleaved the Dui Metal, Li Fire, and Zhao Household young children to lock the stone door.

Xuan Yin urged the Liberation by Violence again; how could they possibly break the one-year deadline?