The Fish Dies and the Net Breaks!

The veins all over Zhao Qing's body bulged, and his presence reached its peak, but the deathly Qi around him also grew thick to the extreme.

He was burning his vital essence!

Not his cultivation, not his Law Power, but the lifespan every cultivator treasured most.

The White Cloud Seal rose into the air once more. This time, it did not smash down, but merged directly with Zhao Qing's sword force...

A beam of sword light shot up from the ground and soared into the heavens. Snow-white from end to end, it bore a force that could destroy heaven and earth as it pierced the firmament!

The giant ape's laughter stopped abruptly as a sense of danger swept over it.

"Madman!"

The giant ape retreated explosively, crossing its arms over its chest. Its dark gold fur bristled, and the Demon Power throughout its body condensed into a thick protective Gang barrier.

But it was too late.

Zhao Qing's entire body became part of the sword light.

Along with the White Cloud Seal, his entire cultivation, and the dozen or so years of life he had left, everything he had was committed to this final strike!

"I have cultivated for three hundred and seventy-two years, taking one step after another to reach this day."

"To die here... would be worth it!"

The sword light pierced the sky, transforming into a colossal sword that propped up the heavens and slammed straight into the giant ape...

At that instant.

A sharp blast of Sword Qi swept across the mountains for dozens of li around, leaving not a blade of grass standing!

The shock wave hurled Shi Jian more than a hundred zhang, and his body smashed through two enormous trees before he managed to steady himself. He shielded Sun Bo'an and the others beneath him with all his might.

A great patch of fur had been seared from his back, and his flesh was charred black and curled outward...

This blow had truly injured him.

Even at such a distance, he could not withstand the aftershock of a Golden Core self-detonation.

As for the immortal slaves accompanying them, Shi Jian could not look after so many people. All forty immortal slaves perished in the blast...

Not one of them survived!

When the light faded, nothing remained in the sky...

There was no Zhao Qing, no White Cloud Seal, and no giant ape, only an enormous crater several hundred zhang across.

Several mountains had been flattened by it.

The soil at the bottom of the crater had been scorched to a glassy sheen, and wisps of blue smoke still rose from it with a hiss.

The giant ape's mangled body lay scattered along the crater wall. Half its body had been shattered, and its dark gold fur was scorched black, but its chest still rose and fell faintly. It was not quite dead...

But that no longer mattered.

A streak of purple-gold light swept across the eastern horizon...

This unknown Golden Core True Person from the Supreme Purity Sect had timed his arrival precisely, showing up late only after Zhao Qing and the giant ape had left each other grievously wounded.

He landed at the edge of the crater and looked down at the giant ape, which was clinging to its last breath.

The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, a smile on his face.

One stroke of his sword.

Clean and swift, the giant ape's head fell to the ground.

The nameless True Person casually drew out the Demon Core hidden in the giant ape's belly. He held it up and examined it for a moment, a trace of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"Dark Gold Ape... tsk, tsk."

"An atavistic bloodline from an ancient variant. No wonder that good-for-nothing Zhao Qing couldn't take it down. But none of that matters now. The task is complete."

"Time to go back and report. I must thank senior brother Luanyuan for getting me such a fine assignment."

The nameless True Person put away the Demon Core and collected the Demon Beast's body. Then he swept his gaze over the battlefield, his voice carrying across the whole area:

"Zhao Qing, master of the White Cloud Temple, gave his life for the Dao and rid my Supreme Purity Sect of a menace. His was a great deed that will benefit generations to come, and I shall report it truthfully to the sect."

"Young friends, now that the Demon General has been slain,"

"Quickly clear the mountains and kill every high-level Demon Beast!"

Shi Jian lay in the rubble, watching the scene unfold with perfect clarity.

A deed to benefit generations?

Pah! This True Person from the Supreme Purity Sect had plainly waited for Zhao Qing to die, then reaped a level-five Demon Core without lifting a finger.

How much was an atavistic Demon Core from an ancient variant worth?

At the very least, it was worth many tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, not counting the Demon General's corpse. That meant a profit of at least a hundred thousand Spirit Stones...

The spoils Zhao Qing had bought with his life were effortlessly pocketed by this True Person from the Supreme Purity Sect, without any reason at all.

Then again.

These were the rules of the cultivation world. The lives of the weak were worth nothing; they were stepping stones to begin with.

Shi Jian licked his scorched lips, without any unnecessary emotion. Right now, he was thinking about only one thing...

Zhao Qing was dead. The sky over White Cloud Commandery was likely about to change!

Three days later.

The temporary meeting hall at the Cangshi Valley encampment.

The Foundation Establishment elders of the White Cloud Temple were all ashen-faced. This time, it was not a Golden Core True Person from the Supreme Purity Sect who had come...

It was a Foundation Establishment disciple, sent to deliver the superior sect's orders:

"White Cloud Commandery cannot go a single day without a master. In consideration of our past ties and senior Zhao Qing's sacrifice for the Dao, Yun Du shall take temporary charge of the White Cloud Temple."

"Our sect will give you twenty years."

"If the White Cloud Temple can produce another newly advanced Golden Core True Person within twenty years, this commandery shall remain under its control."

"If not..."

"Our sect will select another Golden Core True Person to establish a new sect here. Fellow Daoists of the White Cloud Temple, cherish what you have while it lasts."

"The goodwill between our sects can be exhausted."

Hearing this, Yun Du struck his forehead against the ground and spoke in a hoarse voice:

"We shall respectfully obey the superior sect's decree."

The Foundation Establishment disciple nodded, then handed over a Jade Slip and said:

"Continue carrying out the Mountain-Clearing Order, but do not shortchange us on the Demon Beast resources you obtain. The sect is pressing for them, so the faster you clear the mountains, the better."

"Six months from now, an elder of our sect will come here to collect them."

With that, the Foundation Establishment disciple left.

He departed without the slightest reluctance. Now that the White Cloud Temple had lost its Golden Core True Person, the Supreme Purity Sect's attitude was growing ever colder...

Even to convey a message, it had sent only a Foundation Establishment disciple.

Clearly, the temple's standing had already plummeted.

The corners of Shi Jian's mouth silently curled. He did not care about any of that; whether the White Cloud Temple lived or died had little to do with him...

What he cared about was that there was no Golden Core cultivator holding the fort in White Cloud Commandery!

That meant that during the next month of mountain-clearing, hardly any human cultivators would be able to suppress him...

It would be much more convenient for him to act from now on.

The mountain-clearing operation continued.

Without the Golden Core Demon General's orders, the beast hordes in the Great Maple Mountain Range scattered, and the various Demon Beast populations went back to fighting on their own.

The difficulty of wiping them out plummeted.

But Shi Jian became even busier.

He volunteered to lead the Sun Clan's party deep into the heart of the mountains, offering a most high-sounding reason: as a Demon Beast, he knew the mountain terrain and was therefore willing to clear a path for the main force...

Yun Du had no reason to refuse.

A great Demon Beast at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage was volunteering to risk his life for him. He could not have asked for more.

After all, without a Golden Core True Person holding the fort, the White Cloud Temple was somewhat diminished, and the forces under its rule, who had always been polite and courteous,

Were now each speaking with suggestive undertones.

Things were no longer as they had been.