The divine radiance of the Seven Stars Mirror illuminated the square, revealing the distressed expressions of all Seven Stars Spirit Realm disciples. At this moment, the disciples realized the dire situation they were in. It seemed the Flying Immortals above were preparing to abandon them.
Cries, pleas for mercy, wails, and angry curses echoed across the square.
Amidst it all, Gu An stood unfazed, staring at the two swords in his hands.
Tianyi Realm Lord looked down at Gu An from above and asked, "Do you have anything left to say?"
The origin of the Sword Master of the Dao was shrouded in mystery, and the fact that he had slain Flying Immortals unsettled Tianyi Realm Lord. He feared that Gu An might have a formidable backer. Thus, he hesitated to strike immediately.
If Gu An had no such support, there was no way Tianyi Realm Lord would let him leave alive today.
Gu An lifted his gaze, looking at the six Flying Immortals above. In a calm tone, he asked, "Is everyone here? Are there any other allies?"
This question caused the faces of the seven Flying Immortals to darken.
Arrogance!
Having lived for tens of thousands of years, this was the first time they had encountered someone so brazen.
With a divine treasure like the Seven Stars Mirror and seven Flying Immortals working together, how could he be so arrogant?
Tianyi Realm Lord contemplated countless possibilities in an instant. Could it be that Gu An's cultivation surpassed the Flying Immortal Realm? But such an ethereal existence—would they truly hide in a remote corner of this continent instead of venturing beyond the heavens in search of greater opportunities?
Feeling the power of the Seven Stars Mirror, Tianyi Realm Lord's eyes glinted with cold determination.
Even if Gu An were stronger than the Flying Immortal Realm, the deaths of so many elite cultivators of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm could not go unanswered!
Raising his hand, Tianyi Realm Lord directed the towering Seven Stars Mirror, which trembled violently and unleashed an even more terrifying pressure.
The cries and screams of all the Seven Stars Spirit Realm disciples abruptly ceased. Despair filled the air as they felt their skin disintegrate and flesh melt away.
At that moment, a boundless energy enveloped them, instantly erasing their pain. They widened their eyes in shock, instinctively searching for the source of the power. Their gaze fell upon Gu An.
"Do you see it now? This is the sacred ground you have placed your faith in," Gu An said, his voice calm but penetrating.
His words struck the disciples like thunder. These were the geniuses of the Six Star and Seven Star Sects, individuals who believed they carried the Spirit Realm's future on their shoulders. Yet now, without committing any fault, they were abandoned. How could they accept this?
Wan Li Divine Lord joined the others beneath the Seven Stars Mirror. The seven Flying Immortals radiated divine light, forming a formation akin to the Big Dipper beneath the Seven Stars Mirror. Their combined energy fused with the mirror's aura, intensifying its overwhelming power.
Gu An looked up at them, a hint of wonder in his eyes.
"So, this is the power of a divine treasure?"
The Seven Stars Mirror's current strength seemed to surpass that of Flying Immortals, possibly rivaling even the top three levels of the Unrestrained Primordial Immortal Realm.
Of course, even if such an immortal couldn't match its strength, they could still easily escape.
A new thought crossed Gu An's mind, and he spoke aloud, "If I were to shatter this dark sky, could you bring light and justice to this land?"
His words caused the seven Flying Immortals to frown.
The disciples on the square were equally stunned. Before they could process what he meant, Gu An swung his sword.
With his right hand, he held the Heavenly Solemn Sword. Rotating his wrist, he swung upward, the blade carving an arc from below.
His movements were casual, devoid of any overwhelming aura. Yet, as the sword cleaved upward, the sea of flames and waves of energy were extinguished. The seven Flying Immortals before the Seven Stars Mirror disintegrated into ash before they could react.
Boom—
The Seven Stars Mirror shuddered violently as the sword's energy struck it. Thunderclouds above were split apart, and sunlight streamed through.
The tens of thousands of disciples on the square stared, their mouths agape, unable to believe their eyes.
They had felt the overwhelming power of Tianyi Realm Lord and the Seven Stars Mirror—forces beyond comprehension or resistance.
Even under the protection of Gu An's energy, they had expected an intense battle. Yet, the result defied all expectations.
One slash obliterated them!
The invincible power of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's strongest was swept away as effortlessly as clouds in the sky.
The raging winds spread in all directions, dispersing the spiritual mist that had blanketed the mountains. Entire forests and valleys were revealed, trembling under the storm's force, creating a spectacle of unparalleled grandeur.
In the sky, only the Seven Stars Mirror remained.
The towering divine treasure, once radiating endless power, now retracted its aura. Shaking for a moment, it began to fall.
System Notifications:
[You have successfully claimed 25,709 years of lifespan from Tianyi Realm Lord (Flying Immortal Stage, Level 7).]
[You have successfully claimed 10,041 years of lifespan from Wan Li Divine Lord (Flying Immortal Stage, Level 3).]
[You have successfully claimed 18,116 years of lifespan from Xiao Lang Divine Lord (Flying Immortal Stage, Level 5).]
Six notifications appeared before Gu An, leaving him puzzled.
Why was there one missing?
Gu An clearly remembered the seventh Flying Immortal—Thousand Faces Divine Lord, who was at the fourth level of the Flying Immortal Stage.
He had sensed their presence and was certain all seven were obliterated. How could one have escaped?
Could Thousand Faces Divine Lord have a secondary form?
But if that were the case, why did the system show their lifespan being claimed?
Gu An extended his divine sense, scanning the continent. His search expanded outward, yet no trace of Thousand Faces Divine Lord's presence could be found.
This revelation broadened Gu An's understanding.
Thousand Faces Divine Lord was a truly remarkable individual, capable of escaping his grasp, exhibiting techniques even surpassing Tianyi Realm Lord, who was at the seventh level of the Flying Immortal Stage.
With the harvest of over eighty thousand years of lifespan from this battle, coupled with the fifty thousand years gained from eliminating the Luo Family cultivators earlier, Gu An had accumulated nearly one hundred thirty thousand years. This not only saved him months of effort but also removed a significant potential threat.
Raising his hand, Gu An claimed the now-diminished Seven Stars Mirror, inserting his divine sense into it. With unrelenting dominance, he dismantled layers of restrictive barriers, swiftly locating the celestial spirit within. He forcefully subdued it, compelling the spirit to acknowledge him as its master.
Meanwhile, the gusts of wind continued to roar across the heavens and earth. The disciples on the square looked up in stunned silence, struggling to come to terms with the fact that they had survived.
Thud!
A cultivator suddenly knelt on the ground, bowing deeply toward Gu An.
As one knelt, so did the others. Before long, over ten thousand disciples were prostrating themselves before Gu An. The sight was both grand and humbling.
"The future of this Seven Stars Spirit Realm rests in your hands," Gu An declared. "If it continues to bear the name of a sacred land yet practices the path of evil, I will return. Next time, it won't just be the upper echelons who perish."
His voice echoed across the square. Holding the Azure Swan Sword in his left hand, he swung it toward the grand palace.
Boom!
A wave of sword energy surged forth, splitting the palace in half before reducing it to ash.
The sheer power of such a casual strike left the kneeling disciples trembling with both awe and fear. At the same time, an unshakable sense of reverence for Gu An took root in their hearts.
The Sword Master of the Dao wasn't just powerful—he had also saved them. How could they resent him?
If there was anyone to blame, it was the upper echelons who had planned to kill them in cold blood.
Suddenly, their eyes widened in disbelief. As the palace turned to ash, a torrent of spectral entities emerged—foul spirits with monstrous and humanoid forms, emanating the unmistakable aura of fiendish demons. They wailed in agony before dissipating with the wind.
Though eliminating these fiendish spirits brought Gu An no additional lifespan, the act left an indelible impression on the minds of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's prodigies.
A sacred land, harboring so many fiendish demons?
By the time they processed what had transpired, Gu An's figure had vanished.
Far away, on the horizon, a teleportation array materialized, and a stream of cultivators poured through it. Meanwhile, the stunned disciples on the square remained rooted in place, reeling from the day's events as though caught in a waking dream.
In a dimly lit hall, a woman in a violet dress stared at the highest wall where six oil lamps had simultaneously extinguished. Her brows furrowed deeply.
Perched on her shoulder, a ghostly boy's eyes widened as he exclaimed in shock, "The Realm Lords have fallen? How is that possible?"
The six extinguished lamps represented the pinnacle of power within the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. The largest among them, symbolizing Tianyi Realm Lord, had once shone with the brilliance of an Immortal body surrounded by countless stars.
At that moment, a figure materialized beside the woman in violet. No sooner had he appeared than he spat a mouthful of blood and immediately assumed a meditative position, channeling his energy to suppress the chaotic force within him.
The violet-dressed woman turned to face him, her frown deepening.
"Thousand Faces Divine Lord, what happened? Why have the Realm Lords fallen?" she asked coldly.
The figure, none other than the Thousand Faces Divine Lord who had escaped Gu An, was clad in a cyan robe. His long hair draped over his shoulders, framing a face as delicate as a woman's. However, his complexion was ashen, and his lips quivered uncontrollably.
"The Six Star Cave was attacked. The Realm Lords believed it to be an assault by the Star Sea Sect and went to provide support. Instead, we encountered the Sword Master of the Dao," Thousand Faces Divine Lord recounted, his trembling voice laden with despair. "With a single strike, he annihilated us… The Seven Stars Mirror's power couldn't withstand his sword energy. The mirror has now fallen into his hands."
He opened his eyes, which reflected nothing but hopelessness. "He's too powerful. Flying Immortals are like dust before him. If I hadn't sensed the danger early and used my divine ability to transfer my primary and secondary souls, I wouldn't have survived. Even so, the destruction of my secondary soul caused severe backlash, and I'll need at least ten thousand years to recover."
As he recalled Gu An's formidable figure, his body trembled involuntarily.
Turning to the woman, he said, "Second Cave Lord, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm is finished. Seven Flying Immortals have fallen, leaving only you and me. With the Seven Stars Mirror now in the hands of the Sword Master of the Dao, we can't possibly resist the Star Sea Sect. We must make plans to escape!"
The violet-dressed woman, known as the Second Cave Lord of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, fell into a contemplative silence upon hearing this.
For some time, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm had been under relentless pressure from the Star Sea Sect. She had considered the possibility of its collapse but never imagined it would happen so swiftly, with seven Flying Immortals falling in a single day.
Flying Immortals—this was the foundation of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
"Plans? What plans could we possibly make? Besides, the gates to the Supernatural Realm have already opened. When calamity descends, karma will bind us, and even fleeing to the outer heavens won't save us," the Second Cave Lord muttered, her gaze inscrutable.
Thousand Faces Divine Lord, after suppressing his injuries, rose to his feet. "I don't care. I'm leaving the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. After cultivating for over a hundred thousand years, I won't let it all go to waste. If there's ever anything I can help you with, let me know. But I won't face the Sword Master of the Dao again!"
He bowed to the Second Cave Lord before vanishing.
Left alone in the dim hall, the Second Cave Lord and the ghostly boy on her shoulder were shrouded in flickering candlelight. Their shadows on the walls took on grotesque, monstrous shapes.