Subduing Him (Happy January 11th)

"Escape!"

The moment Ji An appeared, this ancient god-demon, who had survived since the God and Demon Era, made a decision instantly.

Back then, when he was being chased by the Immortal Beixing of the Black-White College, although he had also felt a life-or-death threat from the other party, it was far less than one ten-thousandth of what he felt now when facing Ji An.

His ability to survive from the God and Demon Era to the present day has never relied on overwhelming strength, but rather on his far superior ability to assess situations compared to his own kind.

Back then, there were some Void Returning Gods and Demons stronger than him, but those compatriots who thought too highly of themselves have long been wiped out by the God-Slaying Guards of the Great Xia Imperial Court, either becoming prisoners or turning into withered bones.

"Walk!"

The ancient god-demon let out a low roar, and his enormous lava body suddenly burst forth from the ground, instantly distorting the surrounding space. His figure flickered, about to disappear into the void passage.

However, just as his figure was about to merge into the distorted space, "Hmph."

A cold, clear snort echoed throughout the Heaven and Earth.

"You dare to play tricks like teleportation in front of me?" Ji An smirked.

"Certainly!"

As the word was uttered, Ji An gently pointed his right hand into the air.

A Spatial Power instantly enveloped the area. The escape passage, which had been distorted and was about to take shape by the ancient gods and demons, was completely sealed off in an instant.

"What?!" The ancient god and demon who had just stepped into the spatial passage let out a horrified roar.

He clearly sensed that his distorted spatial passage had vanished in an instant.

That Void God he was so proud of, which had helped him evade countless assassins and was essential for his survival, was now being so easily cracked.

Back when he was being hunted down by the Immortal Beixing, he managed to escape only thanks to this supernatural ability. But today, this life-saving technique is proving to be so utterly useless!

The massive body of the Lava God-Demon, formed from molten lava, appeared and disappeared in the solidified Space Interlayer, and for the first time, fear surfaced in its vertical pupils.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from mid-air, and the figure of an old man in a blood-red robe slowly appeared.

The old man wore a tall purple-gold crown and a magnificent blood-red robe. He exuded a cold yet powerful aura of Loose Immortal. Yinglong Guard Inner Guard had rushed over after sensing the intense energy fluctuations below.

His gaze instantly locked onto the lava god-demon imprisoned in the void.

It was him?!

The old man in the blood-red robe suddenly narrowed his eyes, recognizing the origin of the god-demon before him, and a monstrous wave surged in his heart.

As Loose Immortal within the Yinglong Guard Inner Guard, he possesses an extremely vivid memory of many wanted posters.

The appearance of the god-demon before them was exactly the same as that of the ancient god-demon recorded in the books who escaped from the sword of the Immortal Beixing and wandered the world for countless years!

The old man in the blood-red robe felt a sense of foreboding. He knew that this ancient demon god was cruel and tyrannical, and had a history of taking his anger out on people, including killing Human Race cultivators.

At this moment, he could only secretly pray that this fiend was in a good mood today and would show mercy out of consideration for his status Yinglong Guard Inner Guard, and not kill him outright.

However, the moment this thought crossed his mind, the old man in the blood-red robe realized the situation before him!

That ancient god-demon, who struck fear into the hearts of countless cultivators, showed no sign of making a move, nor did it manage to escape. It simply hovered in the void, its face filled with terror.

Only then did he notice another figure on the scene—a young man dressed in silver and gold robes, who stood quietly in place, yet the aura emanating from him sent a frantic warning through his very soul.

The old man in the blood-red robe was startled and instantly recognized the man's identity—it was none other than Ji An, the Three-Clawed Yinglong Guard who had recently risen to fame within the Yinglong Guard!

He had heard some information about Ji An, which claimed that his actual combat strength was at most comparable to that of an ordinary Loose Immortal.

But how could an ordinary Loose Immortal possibly accomplish what they're witnessing?

Just as the blood-robed elder was utterly shocked, Ji An remained calm. He didn't even glance at the blood-robed elder floating in mid-air, but simply waved his hand casually.

The next moment, an invisible, gentle wave spread out, enveloping Ji Ning, Mu Zishuo, and the Azure Void Snake below.

"Big brother?" Ji Ning only had time to utter a single exclamation.

Before the words were even finished, the two people and the snake vanished into thin air, instantly transported by Ji An to a safe area a hundred miles away.

At the same time, Ji An's voice rang in Ji Ning's ears. "Xiao Ning, lead them back a bit, so they don't get caught in the aftermath of the upcoming battle."

All of this may seem like a long story, but it actually happened in the blink of an eye.

Ji An raised his eyes, his gaze falling on the ancient god-demon whose vertical pupils were filled with fear.

His restrained aura suddenly erupted, unleashing a boundless pressure that shook the Heaven and Earth and earth and made all things submit, like Mount Tai pressing down upon him.

It poured down like a waterfall.

He spoke calmly, his words clearly reaching the ears of the ancient gods and demons. "Your Void God is not bad, but unfortunately your understanding of the Dao of Space is too superficial. Obediently surrender, swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao, and serve me for fifty years, and I will spare your life."

If they put up a stubborn resistance—"

In fact, from the very first moment he saw this ancient god-demon, Ji An knew that Ji Ning's life was not in danger. Letting this god-demon live was not something he could refuse.

But then he thought that in a few years, he and Ji Ning would have to leave the Great Xia World to study under a master. At that time, the safety of their parents would become a major worry.

Therefore, it's safer to leave a powerful god or demon as a backup plan. After all, no one knows whether his arrival as a butterfly will cause the Shaoyan Clan to take action against the Ji Clan.

Upon hearing Ji An's conditions, the ancient god-demon let out a deafening roar, "I, Zhu Yan, am a naturally born and raised ancient god-demon. How could I submit to you Human Race cultivators? Wishful thinking!"

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Ji An's eyes, and his tone was icy. "Since you refuse to submit, then I'll beat you until you do!"

Before he could finish speaking, Ji An had already made his move.

With a casual gesture, the Thousand Ox Sword hanging at his waist transformed into a streak of Flowing Light and hovered in front of him.

"Buzz"

A clear, resonant sword cry echoed through the sky. In an instant, the vast Suhé River, stretching for thousands of miles, appeared out of thin air. Its surging, roaring waters instantly submerged this entire Heaven and Earth, trapping Zhu Yan within its depths.

Zhu Yan's massive body, composed of scorching magma, hissed and hissed as the waters of the Suhé River cascaded down, spewing magma and releasing plumes of white smoke. He was both shocked and enraged, letting out a roar that shook the Universe: "Roar! Human Race brat, I'll show you what true divine and demonic power is!"

He suddenly swung his enormous fist, the wind howling as it passed, distorting space and turning scorching magma into a raging torrent, as if trying to evaporate the entire Suhé River, attempting to tear apart the Suhé River's blockade and break through to find a way out.

At the same time, he secretly locked onto the void, his divine and demonic power surging within him, preparing to forcibly tear open a spatial passage and escape once more.

Ji An in the center of the Suhé River, his figure as upright as a pine tree, like a pillar that stabilizes the Sea God, remaining unmoved no matter how turbulent the river water was.

Faced with Zhu Yan's frenzied counterattack, he merely stirred his thoughts and uttered a single word. "Suppress!"

The Thousand Ox Sword in the void instantly burst forth with dazzling light, drawing upon the power of the entire Suhé River. In an instant, nine enormous water dragons formed from the waters of the Suhé River surged forth from the vast river, their roars shaking the heavens as they bared their fangs and claws and pounced toward Zhu Yan.

Nine water dragons simultaneously crashed into Zhu Yan's enormous fist, which contained destructive power.

With a deafening roar, the surging torrent of lava was instantly frozen, and the surrounding space seemed to solidify as well.

The spatial passage that Zhu Yan had secretly created was completely annihilated under the impact of the water dragon's power.

"Puff!"

Zhu Yan's massive body shuddered violently, and he spat out a mouthful of magma-like blood essence, his eyes filled with even greater horror.

His divine and demonic power, which he was so proud of, and his ability to escape through the void, which he relied on to save his life, were so vulnerable in front of this seemingly young Human Race Void-Returning Earth Immortal!

At the edge of the battlefield, the old man in the blood-red robe was now covered in dust and dirt. His once magnificent blood-red robe was torn in several places by the aftershocks of the battle, making him look extremely disheveled.

He gazed into the distance at the earth-shattering scene—the Wanli Suhé River churning endlessly, nine water dragons roaring and crisscrossing, lava gods and demons howling and struggling within it, space itself like shattered glass, constantly twisting and cracking—a storm raged in his heart.

"This—this is far beyond the combat power of an ordinary Loose Immortal!" The blood-robed elder's voice was hoarse. "With a mere flick of his wrist, he suppressed an ancient god-demon—this Ji An definitely possesses strength comparable to Million-Year Loose Immortal, or even Heavenly Immortal! No, his strength is probably even greater than that of an ordinary Heavenly Immortal!"

He clearly remembered that this Zhu Yan Flame God was someone who had escaped from the sword of the Million-Year Loose Immortal Beixing of the Black-White College!

But now, he is completely suppressed by Ji An and has no power to fight back!

In order to avoid being affected by the increasingly terrifying aftershocks of the battle, the blood-robed elder did not hesitate for a moment and immediately transformed into a streak of blood-red light, flying towards the direction where Ji Ning and the other two were located.

He landed steadily in front of Ji Ning and the other two, forcing a kind smile on his face, and his tone became exceptionally polite. "You three young friends have been frightened. I am Xuejiu, an inner Blood Vulture of the Yinglong Guard Inner Guard. May I ask how you three are addressed? And what is your relationship with that senior Ji An?"

"Junior Ji Ning is a disciple of the Black-White College, and a student of Immortal Dian Cai." Ji Ning clasped his hands in a respectful bow and replied, "This gentleman beside me is my junior brother, Mu Zishuo. This Azure Void Snake is a spirit beast I recently tamed in the Prison Mountain Great Marsh. As for Senior Ji An, he is my elder brother."

Mu Zishuo and Azure Void Snake also hurriedly stepped forward and bowed to Blood Vulture Loose Immortal in greeting.

The smile on the Blood Vulture Loose Immortal's face grew even wider, his eyes full of flattery. "So it's my Ji Ning, I've heard so much about you!"

Your brother is truly a genius! With him in charge, this ancient god-demon will surely meet its end!

His tone was exceptionally polite, a stark contrast to his arrogant demeanor in the original work.

In the original story, even though he knew that Ji Ning and the other person were disciples of the Black-White College, and that Ji Ning was even Personal Disciple of the Immortal Dian Cai, he didn't take it to heart. After all, the Black-White College was far too weak compared to the Yinglong Guard branch in Anchan Commandery.

But times have changed! Ji Ning's elder brother is a terrifying being with the combat power of a Heavenly Immortal! No matter how powerful his background is, he can only bow down in the face of absolute strength. He dares not offend a direct blood relative of a Celestial Heavenly Immortal.

In the center of the battlefield, the battle was nearing its end.

Ji An maintained control of the entire situation. With each swing of the Thousand Ox Sword, he drew upon the power of the Suhé River, transforming it into dazzling sword lights that fell like divine punishment.

He controlled the output of his power, each strike enough to severely injure Zhu Yan, yet he deliberately avoided killing him, instead constantly eroding his divine and demonic power, causing him to struggle in endless pain.

"Roar! Roar!"

Zhu Yan's roar, which started as a furious rage, gradually became weak and hoarse, filled with heart-wrenching pain.

His aura grew increasingly weak, the blazing magma on his body became dull and lifeless, and his massive body was covered with countless wounds, dripping with blood.

He tried every means, unleashed his potential several times, and even burned his own essence to unleash a desperate secret technique, but under the sword light of the Suhé River containing the Spatial Power, all his resistance was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, and was easily crushed.

Another sharp beam of the Suhé River sword light pierced through the air, precisely penetrating Zhu Yan's shoulder, and divine and demonic power surged outward like a tidal wave.

"Stop—stop!" Zhu Yan struggled to raise his massive head, his vertical pupils filled with utter terror and despair, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible, "Fifty years— Human Race brat, I promise you—fifty years! I—I surrender!"

Upon hearing this, Ji An gently raised his right hand, and the Thousand Ox Sword immediately hovered in mid-air. The Ten Thousand Suhé River slowly contracted, and the overwhelming pressure that was suffocating gradually dissipated.

He looked down at the ancient god and demon below, their auras weakened and their state wretched, and gently shook his head, his tone calm and indifferent. "If you had known this would happen, why did you suffer this physical pain in the first place?"

Zhu Yan's enormous head drooped limply, his voice deep and muffled. "Heavenly Dao above! I, Zhu Yan, swear today: I willingly submit to Master Ji An, serving him for fifty years! During these fifty years, I will be utterly loyal, obeying my master's commands without hesitation, even unto death, and will never betray him! If I break this oath, may my cultivation never advance an inch, and may I be afflicted by endless calamities and tribulations, never to be freed!"

As the last word fell, an invisible rule of Heavenly Dao suddenly descended.

Ji An nodded in satisfaction. Gods and demons born of Heaven and Earth are not subject to the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, but once bound by the oath of Heavenly Dao and subjected to the punishment of the Three Calamities and Nine Tribulations, they become no different from ordinary cultivators.

Seeing Zhu Yan make his vow, Ji An nodded slightly.

Zhu Yan's enormous lava body rapidly shrank, eventually transforming into a burly man with crimson skin.

He bowed deeply to Ji An, then silently walked to the side behind Ji An and stood there with utmost respect. In this way, unless one looked closely, others would only think that he was Human Race cultivator who had practiced some kind of special technique.

Only then did Ji An turn his gaze to Ji Ning, Mu Zishuo, and the Azure Void Snake, a hundred miles away, and the demon.

The three of them had just witnessed Ji An subdue that terrifying ancient god-demon with swift and Thunder methods. At this moment, their faces were filled with shock and admiration, and their eyes were filled with awe.

With Ji An, Ji An transformed into a streak of Flowing Light, taking Zhu Yan with him, and appeared in front of the three people and the snake in an instant.

Ji An's gaze first fell on the Blood Vulture Loose Immortal standing to the side.

This Loose Immortal expert from the Yinglong Guard Inner Guard was now in a state of turmoil, his eyes filled with awe and fear as he looked at Ji An.

The intelligence he possessed classified Ji An's strength as that of an ordinary Loose Immortal, but now it seemed utterly absurd! This was no ordinary Loose Immortal; he was clearly a Heavenly Immortal with unfathomable power!

Ji An's voice was calm and even. "Fellow Daoist Blood Vulture."

Blood Vulture Loose Immortal's heart skipped a beat. He immediately bowed deeply, his attitude extremely respectful, not daring to even breathe loudly. "What are your orders, Senior? This junior Blood Vulture, will obey your command!"

"I don't want anyone else to know about what happened today." Ji An looked calmly at the Blood Vulture and slowly said, "I don't want a single word about my true strength or the matter of subduing Zhu Yan to come from your mouth, lest it cause unnecessary trouble."

The Blood Vulture Loose Immortal instantly understood Ji An's meaning. He nodded vigorously, solemnly promising, "Senior, rest assured! This junior understands the gravity of the matter! I would never dare to divulge a single word of what I saw and heard today! If I disobey, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!"

"Not enough." Ji An shook his head slightly, his tone indifferent. "I need absolute certainty. I request that Fellow Daoist Blood Vulture swear an oath to the Heavenly Dao."

Blood Vulture Loose Immortal's body trembled slightly, and a look of difficulty appeared on his face. A vow to Heavenly Dao is different from a verbal promise; once broken, it will inevitably suffer the backlash of Heavenly Dao, with unimaginable consequences!

But he knew very well that he could not hesitate at this moment. In front of a powerful figure like Ji An, his status Yinglong Guard Inner Guard was utterly insignificant. If he displeased Ji An, he would probably die here today.

He took a deep breath and solemnly swore an oath before the unfathomable Heavenly Dao: "Heavenly Dao above! I, Blood Vulture, swear today: I will never reveal to any living being the true strength of Senior Ji An that I have witnessed, his subjugation of the divine demon Zhu Yan, and all the details of what happened here today! If I break this oath, may I die and perish, never to be reincarnated again!"

He is Loose Immortal, and even if he perishes in the future, he can be reincarnated and cultivate again thanks to the foundation of Loose Immortal.

Therefore, the punishment of never being able to reincarnate is undoubtedly more terrifying than death.

Just as the Blood Vulture Loose Immortal made his vow to Heavenly Dao, two more sounds of air being torn apart suddenly came from mid-air.

A silver-haired youth wearing a tall crown and with disheveled hair, and a burly old man wearing Black Iron armor, appeared one after the other. Both of them exuded a powerful aura of Loose Immortal, clearly indicating that they were also Inner Guard immortals of the Yinglong Guard.

The silver-haired youth's gaze swept across the battlefield below, a relaxed smile playing on his lips. He asked loudly, "Brother Blood Vulture, are there gods and demons causing trouble here again?"

The blood-robed elder Blood Vulture, felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He quickly composed himself, forced a smile, and strode towards the two.

He laughed loudly and said, "Haha, so it's you two. You're just a minor deity in the Void Returning Early Stage. Fellow Ji An and I joined forces and forced him to leave!"

Under normal circumstances, he would certainly tell the truth, but he had just made a vow to Heavenly Dao, how could he dare to disobey it in the slightest?

Moreover, even if he disregarded his oath to Heavenly Dao and revealed this matter, before Ji An could even make a move, the demon Zhu Yan beside him would probably slap all three of them to death.