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Within the Magnificent Qin Sect, several startled cries rang out as the disciples within the gate finally reacted.
In an instant, sword light surged toward the mountain gate.
Chang Hao's gaze remained indifferent as he swept across the disciples rushing toward him with their swords. A faint glint flashed in his eyes.
"A sect with some strength, after all."
"To achieve such power deep in the mountains is no small feat."
As the words left his lips, sword light erupted from Chang Hao's eyes, instantly transforming into a Qi Sword that shot forward.
In a flash, the attacking disciple was struck on the sword's tip by the Qi Sword. He tumbled across the ground before scrambling to his feet, gasping for breath. When he looked at Chang Hao again, his eyes were filled with terror.
They had never seen such a formidable old man.
A single glance from him had carried such destructive force.
Stepping past the Magnificent Qin disciples, Chang Hao's expression remained impassive. His target was clear: An Yi.
Though the sword light in his eyes held considerable power, it proved insufficient to destroy the Demoness outright.
Within the Sect Lord's palace, Li Yuanli, clad in brocade robes, strode out with a grim expression. In his hand, he carried the Yuanli Sword he had forged himself, his aura sharp and formidable.
As he emerged from the palace, a group of disciples hurried to gather behind him.
Chang Hao's figure twisted, and he reappeared before Li Yuanli and the others.
"Who are you to cause trouble at my Magnificent Qin Faction?" Li Yuanli roared.
His aura was fierce, and though his cultivation realm remained at the eighth layer of the Achieving the Dao realm, his actual combat prowess rivaled that of the tenth layer. This was due to two factors: his cultivation of Su Yao's Sect Lord Cultivation Method and his own exceptional talent.
Chang Hao studied Li Yuanli for several moments, a flicker of surprise crossing his features. He hadn't expected such exceptional talent to emerge from the sects hidden among the mountains.
The talent of the young man before him was likely no less than Jiang Qing's.
"This humble Daoist is Chang Hao, the twenty-fourth Sect Lord of Mount Shu!"
With a detached expression, Chang Hao announced his identity.
Li Yuanli was stunned, both surprised and astonished. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
'The Sect Lord of Mount Shu has come here? What could he want?'
Just then, a figure approached from the side.
"Sect Lord."
With handsome features and sword-like eyebrows framing starry eyes, the newcomer was Jiang Qing. His expression was complex, as if he didn't know how to face the venerable Sect Lord.
"You don't need to say anything. I didn't come for you," Chang Hao said indifferently.
"I only came for that Demoness!"
Those few words caused everyone present to change color.
"Sect Lord, are you referring to Senior Martial Uncle's wife?" Jiang Qing asked, his face darkening.
"Excellent!"
Chang Hao nodded.
His resolve was unwavering. Even seeing Chang Hao here, he remained unmoved.
Chang Hao was utterly serious and persistent in his mission to eliminate anyone he deemed a threat.
In his heart, his original nature had already twisted into a kind of fanaticism. Having witnessed Qin Yi's growth firsthand and knowing Xu Zhangqing's expectations, Chang Hao was certain that Qin Yi possessed the potential to one day rival the God Realm. This was a potential that even the past Lords of Mount Shu, no, the entire cultivation world, had never possessed.
Gods, Demons, Monsters, Ghosts, Humans, Immortals. Among these, the God Realm reigned supreme, controlling the world.
Immortals arose from humanity, defying the heavens to achieve a fundamental transformation. But the God Realm refused to allow it. Moreover, they were well aware of the atrocities the gods had committed against the human realm.
In essence, the gods sat on their lofty thrones, hoarding all power, leaving no one able to resist them.
Immortal Cultivators are inherently driven to strive for self-improvement. With someone always looming over them, any attempt to rise is met with suppression and punishment. How could they ever accept such a reality?
Centuries ago, the Magnificent Jasper sect, unable to endure these rules, ascended in a mass flight, only to be crushed by the God Realm and ultimately perish. Yet, over the past few centuries, who is to say that the people of Immortal Cultivation have truly resigned themselves to this fate and bowed their heads?
To Chang Hao and the elders of the Mount Shu Sect, Qin Yi's value now transcends that of mere Sect Lord. He represents the Immortal Cultivators' defiance against the God Realm, a tentative attempt to test the boundaries.
If Qin Yi could one day reach the level of Heavenly Realm Divine Will, such power would elevate the status of the immortal realm and expand their space for survival.
The implications of this are profound! It could even alter the very rules of the world!
In such circumstances, what harm is there in sacrificing oneself, or even that woman?
"She's there."
"I'll kill her!"
Chang Hao uttered eight words and took a step forward.
He was decisive and direct. But in the next moment, Jiang Qing and Li Yuanli blocked his path.
"Old man! You think you're so great, Sect Lord of Mount Shu? Push me too far, and I'll destroy your world!" Li Yuanli roared, his face contorted with rage.
As the long-time Sect Lord of the Magnificent Qin Faction, he was accustomed to such status. How could he not be enraged by this unreasonable old man daring to act so brazenly on his territory?
"Sect Lord, this is inappropriate," Jiang Qing added.
Chang Hao's eyes remained indifferent. "You don't understand. Even if she were human, I would still kill her."
"Let alone a Demon!"
The casual words made Jiang Qing's face pale. He drew the Seven Stars Sword from his waist.
"You've been corrupted by the Demon path!"
"I haven't been corrupted," Chang Hao replied. "I'm merely pursuing what must be done."
The Big Dipper sword trembled, and Sword Qi erupted from it.
"How dare you act so recklessly within my Magnificent Qin Faction!" Li Yuanli roared, launching his own attack.
The three immediately clashed, their blades carving a web of sword marks across the ground.
After five breaths, Li Yuanli bore Six-Paths sword marks across his body, while Jiang Qing's cheek was slashed open, his face contorted in agony.
"I've sacrificed everything for this moment," Chang Hao said indifferently, his sword angled toward the ground. "I've channeled my last breath into peak Sword Intent. You can't stop me."
He was indeed at the absolute peak of his power. Had he not come to Mount Shu, he might have lived another five or six years, dying peacefully in his sleep. But now, after condensing and suppressing his Sword Intent before unleashing it, his entire body was trembling on the verge of collapse.
This was his final battle, the most powerful and terrifying moment of his life.
And in this moment, Chang Hao stepped into a realm he had never reached before.
"The thirteenth layer: Human Dao."
Chang Hao muttered, but he didn't even care to feel the sensation of reaching such a realm.
To cultivate the Immortal Dao, one must first cultivate the Human Dao. This is the crucial stage that bridges the Golden Core and the formation of the Nascent Soul, a realm that every cultivator dreams of achieving!
Yet even so, Chang Hao's mind remained elsewhere.
His gaze shifted to where An Yi stood. There, with her delicate features and a flowing pink gown, she stood like a spirit from a painting.
Blood stained the corner of her lips, yet her expression held no fear, only serene composure.
The moment Chang Hao saw her, he understood why even a man of extraordinary talent like Chang Yi would fall so deeply in love.
"You possess human essence... even more potent than that of ordinary people."
He sighed deeply, raising his right hand to draw his sword. But as his fingers closed around the hilt, he paused.
"Young lady... do you love Chang Yi?"
An Yi blinked, remaining silent.
"There is a matter now that, if accomplished, will elevate Chang Yi to the pinnacle of power, allowing him to roam freely across ten thousand miles of rivers and mountains, and the lands of the six realms."
"I wonder... are you willing?"
Chang Hao spoke gently, a stark contrast to his usual stern demeanor.
Not far away, Jiang Qing and Li Yuanli's faces contorted in shock, and they erupted in furious shouts.
"Stop! Old fool!"
"Chang Hao, don't act rashly! He'll go mad!"
At the doorway, An Yi suddenly smiled.
"Old Daoist, no need to ask. I am willing."
Chang Hao's smile widened as he nodded repeatedly.
"Young lady, you need not worry. I will accompany you on the journey."
"You won't be lonely."
The words had barely left his lips when his right hand trembled and landed on An Yi's shoulder.
"Come with me."
With that, he stepped forward, his foot landing on empty space.
The space before them twisted and rippled, and Chang Hao pulled An Yi through the distortion in a single stride.
"It's a pity I won't see the moment he stands in the God Realm!"
(End of Chapter)