"Outrageous!"
The moment Ji Xiaoyu's summoned phantom obliterated a Luo family great cultivator, the other Luo family members erupted in fury. They brandished their treasures, ready to subdue her on the spot.
Before Luo Yetian could speak, the phantom behind Ji Xiaoyu unleashed a surge of golden flames, sweeping across the heavens in all directions. The surrounding cultivators, unable to avoid it in time, instinctively raised their spiritual and magical defenses.
As the golden flames passed, the world underwent a sudden transformation.
The sky turned crimson, and countless meteors streaked across the horizon. Each meteor left a trail of powerful energy waves, creating a magnificent yet terrifying spectacle.
Floating high above, Ji Xiaoyu's lips bled slightly, but her expression remained cold and indifferent.
The golden flames engulfing the phantom behind her flared even brighter, and the Dao patterns on its forehead shimmered with an otherworldly light. Ji Xiaoyu raised her right hand to her mouth, chanting softly. Layers of golden runes emerged from her body, rapidly expanding until they filled the entire sky in a matter of moments.
"To think that the innate Dao rune harbors such a will! Which ancient predecessor have we disturbed?"
A hoarse voice echoed as a gray-robed elder materialized, positioning himself in front of Luo Yetian.
Luo Yetian immediately bowed, showing utmost respect.
The elder, however, did not turn around. His gaze remained fixed on the golden phantom behind Ji Xiaoyu.
"A mere Loose Immortal isn't enough," Ji Xiaoyu said, her voice calm yet piercing.
The elder's expression shifted drastically. Without hesitation, he retrieved a jade staff.
Boom!
A terrifying wave of golden flames surged forward. The gray-robed elder mustered his magic power to shield himself, but the heat still reached Luo Yetian behind him, causing him to feel a scorching pain—not just on his skin but deep within his very soul.
"How is this possible… Who is she really?" Luo Yetian struggled to process what he was witnessing.
Below, the Ji family members were equally stunned.
They had never imagined that Ji Xiaoyu's innate Dao rune could harbor such overwhelming power.
Ji Qiankun suddenly recalled her words from three years ago, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
The gray-robed elder, despite his Loose Immortal cultivation, could not withstand the boundless golden flames. His skin began to crack and bleed, and Luo Yetian, standing behind him, fared no better.
The other Luo family great cultivators attacked from all directions, but their magic powers disintegrated upon contact with the golden flames. None could even get close to Ji Xiaoyu.
The mountains across the land trembled as if they were on the verge of collapse, alarming cultivators meditating within their caves. More and more individuals flew into the sky, their faces filled with shock as they looked at Ji Xiaoyu from a distance.
Under their watchful eyes, the golden phantom behind Ji Xiaoyu raised its right hand. Its fingers drew jagged lines across the sky, leaving cracks in the heavens. When its hand came to a stop, the space along its path shattered, and golden flames licked at the edges of the void, forming a massive glowing ring.
Blood trickled more freely from Ji Xiaoyu's lips, yet her expression remained unwavering.
The golden phantom reached into the glowing ring and withdrew a massive fan made entirely of golden light. Its surface was shaped like a maple leaf, inscribed with countless runes, each appearing to conceal a miniature world.
As the fan emerged, the heavens and earth began to collapse. Space twisted and shattered, the sea of clouds dissipated, and the towering peaks crumbled into dust.
Cultivators residing in the region scattered like headless flies, their terror palpable.
"Evacuate everyone!"
The gray-robed elder, now covered in blood, roared his command while desperately resisting the golden flames. Behind him, Luo Yetian's skin began to rot, his body barely holding together.
Just as Luo Yetian turned to flee, the golden phantom behind Ji Xiaoyu swung the massive fan. The resulting wave of fiery wind swept across the sky, incinerating everything in its path. The surrounding cultivators disintegrated into golden specks of light, like fireflies scattering into the air. Neither the gray-robed elder nor Luo Yetian stood a chance; they were reduced to golden sparks in the blink of an eye.
The sight left the Ji family and other nearby cultivators utterly horrified.
Ji Xiaoyu tilted her head slightly, her gaze falling upon Ji Qiankun.
The Ji family members were frozen in fear, unable to meet her eyes.
Within the Ji family, everyone was aware that she had been offered up as a sacrifice for the family's gain. Her marriage had never been her choice.
"How does the Ji family plan to survive after the Luo family's annihilation?" Ji Xiaoyu's icy voice pierced through their terror.
Ji Qiankun, Ji Hantian, and the others felt a chill rising from their bones, spreading through their entire bodies.
Ji Xiaoyu's eyes began to fill with blood, quickly turning completely red.
"Xiaoyu, what exactly are you planning?" Ji Hantian asked urgently. Although the Luo family had been obliterated, the surrounding families had not yet been affected by the golden flames, providing them with a glimmer of relief.
Ji Xiaoyu, her eyes now resembling crimson orbs, lifted her head to the horizon.
At the edge of the sky, a massive black rift appeared. One after another, powerful figures emerged from the rift, flying toward her at astonishing speed.
Their auras far surpassed that of the gray-robed elder, and their murderous intent locked firmly onto Ji Xiaoyu.
Unperturbed, she raised her right hand, and the golden phantom mirrored her, lifting the radiant fan once more.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of her, causing her eyes to widen in shock. Even though her irises were blood-red, it was clear that she was taken aback.
Standing before her was Gu An, his form radiating the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body. In his hands, he wielded two swords—the Heavenly Solemn Sword and the Azure Swan Sword—both shrouded in dark purple demonic energy, their true forms hidden.
Facing the approaching powerful cultivators from the distant Seven Stars Spirit Realm, Gu An casually swung his sword.
The brilliance of the sword illuminated the heavens!
A streak of sword energy, as radiant as a white rainbow, swept across the firmament. The great cultivators charging toward Ji Xiaoyu were engulfed in the sword light before they could even register Gu An's presence, reduced to nothingness.
[You have successfully seized 590 years of lifespan from Luo Ku (Loose Immortal Stage, Level 7).]
[You have successfully seized 387 years of lifespan from Zhen Lan Daoist (Loose Immortal Stage, Level 9).]
[You have successfully seized 1032 years of lifespan from Lu Changfeng (Loose Immortal Stage, Level 7).]
...
A series of prompts flashed before Gu An's eyes.
Gu An turned slightly, his gaze falling on the frail Ji Xiaoyu, whose life force was rapidly dissipating. The power of her innate Dao rune was far beyond what he had anticipated.
It had already reached a level comparable to the Wandering Immortal Realm.
But it was clear Ji Xiaoyu couldn't sustain it, her vitality draining rapidly.
"Withdraw your divine power," Gu An commanded. His voice carried the calm authority of the Sword Master of the Dao, raspy yet steady.
Ji Xiaoyu smiled faintly and replied, "The wheel of reincarnation has already begun; it cannot be reversed."
Gu An's gaze shifted to the golden flame apparition behind her. He could discern that the soul aura of the apparition was identical to Ji Xiaoyu's, though the power didn't seem to originate from within her. It was more akin to a summoned force.
He cast a lifespan investigation spell toward the apparition but found no results.
"Are you here specifically to aid me, Sword Master?" Ji Xiaoyu asked suddenly.
"I've come to eradicate the Seven Stars Spirit Realm," Gu An answered simply.
Blood trickled from Ji Xiaoyu's scarlet eyes as she chuckled. "This life of mine has been too short. Sword Master, I hope we meet again in the future."
Her body abruptly radiated golden light before shattering into countless fragments. A golden rune emerged amidst the radiant debris, absorbing all the surrounding light into itself before swiftly merging into the golden flame apparition.
Gu An's attention returned to the massive golden fan in the apparition's hands, sensing the terrifying power it held.
This artifact's strength rivaled even that of the mysterious Divine City, though it wasn't a physical object—it was purely a manifestation of energy.
The golden flame apparition swung the fan once more, sending a massive wave of golden flames over Gu An's head. The flames tore through the heavens, ripping apart the very fabric of space. From beyond the fractured realm, torrents of overwhelming spiritual energy poured into the battlefield.
A blinding light erupted from the distant darkness, heralding the approach of an aura that surpassed even that of a Wandering Immortal. Its speed was incomprehensible.
A Flying Immortal had arrived!
The Flying Immortal raised a hand, unleashing a domineering force meant to obliterate the golden flame apparition in a single strike. The apparition, undeterred, lifted its fan in defense.
The collision reverberated across the heavens.
The skies trembled, the space fractured and distorted.
Standing beneath the fan, Gu An glanced upward at the radiant artifact, his curiosity piqued by its nature.
"Sword Master, my strength won't hold much longer," Ji Xiaoyu's weary voice echoed, faint but resolute.
The golden flame apparition's arm trembled as the fan drew closer to Gu An. It was evident that the apparition couldn't withstand the overwhelming power of the Flying Immortal.
Gu An fixed his gaze on the approaching Flying Immortal, casting a lifespan investigation spell.
[Di Gang Divine Lord (Flying Immortal Stage, Level 1): 129,080/230,000/250,000]
A Flying Immortal with a lifespan of over 120,000 years!
Gu An took a step forward, traversing the clashing forces in an instant to appear directly before the Di Gang Divine Lord.
The Di Gang Divine Lord's expression twisted in disbelief.
The brilliance of Gu An's sword illuminated the heavens once more, and with a single strike, he obliterated the Flying Immortal—body, soul, and all. The terrifying energy released from the strike pushed even the golden flame apparition back.
The golden apparition, still holding its massive fan, seemed to stare at Gu An's silhouette. Its features shifted subtly, betraying a rare sense of shock at his power.
"I underestimated you, Sword Master," Ji Xiaoyu's voice murmured, her tone filled with a strange mixture of awe and finality. "I look forward to meeting you again."
The golden flame apparition disintegrated into radiant particles, retreating into the innate Dao rune.
The rune tore through the fabric of space and vanished without a trace.
Gu An turned his gaze downward. The Ji family cultivators were retreating, but among them, Ji Hantian paused. Feeling a sudden sensation, he turned and locked eyes with Gu An.
In that moment, Ji Hantian's heart was filled with equal parts reverence and guilt.
He was awestruck by the unparalleled dominance of the Sword Master of the Dao, but also ashamed. He felt that he had let down the elder's expectations of him and the ideals of justice left behind on the Heaven Mending Platform.
Above, the sky still raged with golden flames, as tumultuous as crashing waves. But in a blink, the Sword Master of the Dao had vanished from Ji Hantian's sight.
Gu An traversed the void in a single step, arriving at a vast white jade square. Thousands of disciples from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm sat cross-legged, meditating with solemn focus, their gazes fixed on the grand palace ahead of them.
No one noticed his arrival.
Gu An's eyes rested on the palace. Within, he could sense the unmistakable presence of another Flying Immortal.