Storm Sea, Mount Daoxuan.
In an unnamed Taoist temple, a dishevelled Taoist sat cross-legged before a chessboard, holding a white piece, unable to place it for a long time.
Across from him, there was no one, yet the chessboard was not like an ordinary one with crisscrossing lines, instead, it depicted landscapes and mountains!
Upon closer inspection, within those landscapes and mountains, it seemed as if lives were being born and extinguished.
Rather than a chessboard, it resembled a world.
In one corner of this world, thunderclouds roiled.
The dishevelled Taoist, holding the white piece, stared at that thundercloud-covered area, unable to decide.
After a long while.
The Taoist put down the white piece, letting out a soft sigh, “Though you are no longer in this world, a wager is a wager.
Rest assured, I won’t interfere, let’s see how much of a storm your demon race can stir!”
…
Hundred Thousand Mountains, in a mountainous area, three advancing figures suddenly halted.
“Ancestor, what’s wrong?”
The girl in a white skirt couldn’t help but look at her ancestor, puzzled by her sudden stop.
“The fate of the world has shifted…”
The one called Ancestor was a young, beautiful woman, now gazing at the sky in a daze.
“Ancestor, how has it changed?” the sword-bearing youth among the three asked curiously.
“Before this, the human race held eight parts of the world’s fate, while the demon race took only one!” the beautiful woman said gravely.
“And now?”
“Now… the balance has tipped.”
“???”
The woman’s words were vague, leaving the youth and girl confused, but they dared not ask further, exchanging a glance and giving wry smiles.
They knew well their ancestor’s abilities, if she said the world’s fate had changed, then it surely had.
…
Southern Borderlands, Empty City.
Mo Fan looked at the ill-intentioned old cultivator, his calm gaze gradually turning cold.
“Which great demon is undergoing a tribulation here? I, Pu Suanzi, servant of the Heavenly Fate Sect, offer my respects!”
The old cultivator stopped outside the city gates, looking up at the graceful figure floating in the sky.
Bai Yaoyao glanced down at the old cultivator, noticing the terrifying sword aura emanating from him, her delicate brows furrowing slightly.
“Focus on your tribulation, I’ll handle things here!”
Mo Fan’s voice reached her, easing Bai Yaoyao’s heart slightly, though she still cautioned, “Be careful, this man’s cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment perfection, but his sword intent is blazing, his strength likely rivals that of a Core Formation cultivator.”
Mo Fan nodded, demonic energy surging around him, and he soon flew to the city wall, looking down at Pu Suanzi and saying gravely, “Old Taoist, this path is closed, please find another route!”
“No, the ones who need to find another place are you!”
Pu Suanzi looked up, revealing a mouth full of yellow teeth, his eyes flashing with surprise as he looked at Mo Fan, immediately beginning to perform a divination with his fingers.
Mo Fan frowned, unsure what the old Taoist was doing, and spoke again, “Old Taoist, this place will soon be struck by tribulation lightning, if you don’t want to be hit, leave quickly!”
“Something’s not right… how can this be…”
After a moment of divination, Pu Suanzi’s expression became uncertain, and he looked at Mo Fan again, demanding, “Toad demon, where do you come from?”
“None of your business!”
Mo Fan rolled his eyes, shouting, “Scram!”
Pu Suanzi was stunned, seemingly not expecting this demon to respond so bluntly.
“Demon, the Hundred Thousand Mountains are vast, is there no place for you to undergo your tribulation? Why must you come to the human race’s Southern Borderlands to cause trouble?!” Pu Suanzi demanded again.
“You old Taoist are so long-winded and foolish!
Who in this world doesn’t know the Southern Borderlands lie within the Hundred Thousand Mountains?
Since the Southern Borderlands are part of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, we naturally can undergo our tribulation here!
As for you humans?
To be blunt, since when did the Southern Borderlands become your territory?
Now that the two mountains guarding the Southern Borderlands have collapsed, it’s time for you to give up the lands you once claimed!” Mo Fan sneered.
“A mere demon general, yet so sharp-tongued, it seems you insist on undergoing your tribulation here?!”
Pu Suanzi’s face turned cold, his voice chilling.
“As you can see!”
Mo Fan shrugged, then sneered, “Old man, you’re only at Foundation Establishment yourself, we’re on equal footing, so why pretend?”
“Enough, I shouldn’t bother reasoning with a demon, in that case… die!”
As Pu Suanzi’s words fell, his gaze turned icy, killing intent pouring out, and a shocking sword intent shot from his eyes, piercing directly into Mo Fan’s, aiming for his mind!
This was a secret technique of the Heavenly Fate Sect, a mental attack designed to destroy consciousness.
But soon, Pu Suanzi’s pupils contracted.
His two strands of sword intent failed to shake the demon general before him!
Not only that, but those strands were instantly obliterated by an inexplicable force!
At the same time, Mo Fan came to his senses, his heart filled with lingering fear.
Just moments ago, this seemingly half-buried old Taoist had unleashed a terrifying sword intent, the second time Mo Fan had faced such a fearsome force.
The first time was in that iron token, but though that sword intent was terrifying, it wouldn’t have killed him.
This sword intent, however, was different, it genuinely aimed to erase his consciousness!
Yet, after countless temperings by the iron token’s sword intent, Mo Fan’s spirit had grown immensely strong, allowing him to withstand the attack of this terrifying sword intent.
Just as the secret technique was about to advance further, it triggered the golden coin in Mo Fan’s mind.
The coin trembled lightly, and the two strands of sword intent were completely annihilated!
Seeing his usually infallible mental technique broken, Pu Suanzi slapped his back, and the wooden sword he carried instantly flew out, blooming with endless azure light, sword energies emerging from it.
In an instant, countless visible sword energies appeared behind Pu Suanzi.
“Demon, this sword is called Phantom Extinction, to die under it, you should have no regrets!”
“Die!”
Pu Suanzi shouted, and the thousands of sword energies behind him surged, all rushing to strike Mo Fan with tremendous force!
Not only that, but Pu Suanzi himself turned into a streak of sword light, shooting forward!
Mo Fan didn’t dare be careless, pushing the Great Five Elements Crystal Technique to its limit, his body visibly covered in a layer of crimson armour.
At the same time, Mo Fan summoned a golden brick, and with a surge of mana, it expanded to the size of a door, shielding him.
Yet, as the endless sword energies approached, they vanished into nothingness, as if they had never existed.
“Hm?”
Mo Fan was stunned, then seemed to realise something, turning his head to see a massive sword energy, spanning the heavens, heading straight for Bai Yaoyao, who was condensing her demon core in the sky!
“You’re courting death!!”
Mo Fan roared, instantly engulfed in roaring flames, then transformed into a streak of firelight, vanishing from the spot.
Only then did he realise the old man’s true target had always been Bai Yaoyao!
At that moment, a thousand miles from the empty city, the middle-aged monk stopped, staring in shock at the figure ahead.
“Fellow Daoist, this path is closed!”
A calm voice came from the figure.
“Amitabha! So, Fellow Daoist is still in this world, this poor monk was presumptuous, I’ll leave now!”
The monk chanted a Buddhist phrase, gave a slight bow, then patted the golden lion beneath him, fleeing as if in haste.
