Saint Who Lay Low

On the Heaven Mending Platform, tens of thousands of disciples knelt, blood runes swirling beneath their feet, turning into threads of blood that wrapped around their bodies.

"Senior! I am not a demonic spy!"

"You are the real demon! You will not die a peaceful death!"

"How ridiculous, so many demonic spies! This is an enormous joke. I never thought Tai Xuan Sect could be so corrupt. They call themselves the number one righteous sect in Tai Cang Dynasty, but they will be destroyed soon enough!"

"Chu Xian, even if I die, I will haunt you as a ghost!"

"Such despicable acts, are you not afraid of the wrath of both gods and men? Are you not afraid of retribution?"

Cries, pleas, and curses echoed throughout the outer sect city.

At the center of the Heaven Mending Platform, the grooves in the stone pillar began to fill with blood, flowing upward as though veins were being filled, giving off an eerie, horrific sight.

Rolling dark clouds surged from all directions, swiftly covering the skies above the outer sect city, casting a shadow over everything.

The faint golden barrier emitted by the Demon-Subduing Umbrella began to solidify, enveloping the entire city. Those disciples who hadn't made it to the Heaven Mending Platform desperately tried to escape but found themselves trapped inside the city, unable to break free.

Ye Lan trembled, trying to stand, but she could not. Feeling her spiritual energy draining away, fear and despair filled her eyes.

Nearby, Su Han and Zhen Qin were in the same condition. They couldn't even speak, only waiting in helpless dread for death to claim them.

In the distance.

Inside a pavilion.

The hunched old man stared at Chu Xian's figure with a grave expression. "I never imagined he had grown so powerful. The talents of Tai Xuan Sect are truly remarkable. It's only been a few years…"

A glimmer of fear appeared in Jiang Qiong's eyes. Merely facing Chu Xian's overwhelming presence, she dared not act rashly. The difference between them was too vast.

"So, this is the legendary Nirvana of Heaven and Earth Array…"

Jiang Qiong muttered to herself, prompting the old man to glance at her. "Miss, this array could be a threat to us. We should leave at once."

Jiang Qiong nodded. Her target was not Chu Xian, and his appearance had taken her by surprise, especially the activation of the Nirvana of Heaven and Earth Array. The impact it had left on her was immense.

The two immediately turned and prepared to flee the outer sect city.

Rumble—

Thunder rolled in the dark clouds above, like the roar of a god, oppressive and deafening.

Chu Xian glanced up, his eyes calm. After a brief moment, his gaze returned to the city below.

He looked down at the tens of thousands of struggling disciples with a faint look of pity in his eyes.

"For the eternal glory of Tai Xuan Sect, your sacrifice will not be in vain."

He muttered, as if trying to comfort himself. The pity in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by cold indifference.

He raised his hand, gripping the Demon-Subduing Umbrella, preparing to exert more force and refine the cultivation of all the disciples on the platform in one go.

Ye Lan, now lying on the ground, struggled to lift her gaze. Under the rolling thunderclouds, Chu Xian's figure looked terrifying.

But at that moment, it wasn't Chu Xian she saw.

Instead, it was another shadow—someone she feared would not escape this calamity.

She regretted not warning Gu An yesterday, urging him to leave Tai Xuan Sect early.

Today's events were an affront to both heaven and earth, and Chu Xian was sure to kill all the miscellaneous disciples tied to this outer sect city.

More and more blood-colored runes appeared on her body, wrapping around her like chains, as though pulling her into the earth. An overwhelming fatigue washed over her, forcing her eyes to close.

The White Spirit Sword at her waist trembled, as if anxious for its master.

Just then.

Ye Lan sensed something. She instinctively opened her eyes, and sunlight shone on her face. Not just her, but many of the tortured disciples also opened their eyes in surprise as the sky suddenly brightened.

The bloodied Lu Jiujia could only use his peripheral vision to glimpse the heavens. Above him, the rolling thunderclouds were scattering, pushed away by some powerful force.

From the swirling clouds, it was clear that something powerful had swept them aside in an instant.

Jiang Qiong and the hunched old man, who were hurrying through the streets, noticed it clearly. They turned their heads, stopping in their tracks.

Suspended above the Demon-Subduing Umbrella was a sword. The sword was wreathed in sword aura, making its form difficult to discern, but its outline was long and slender.

Chu Xian glanced up, moving the umbrella aside, his brow furrowing.

"Who?"

His voice echoed through the city, tinged with tension.

That single word ignited hope in the hearts of the disciples. On the Heaven Mending Platform, their eyes filled with anticipation.

Boom!

A terrifying, overwhelming sword intent exploded from the sword in the sky, shattering the faint golden barrier covering the city in an instant.

Chu Xian's face changed drastically. He immediately poured his spiritual energy into the Demon-Subduing Umbrella, which trembled violently, releasing powerful energy to resist the sword's aura.

"Combine—"

Chu Xian's eyes widened, but before he could finish speaking, the sword descended with an overwhelming force. It shattered the mighty power of the Demon-Subduing Umbrella, pierced through it, and impaled Chu Xian's body.

It fell like a meteor!

The sword crashed down onto the Heaven Mending Platform, embedding itself into the stone. It trembled ceaselessly, emitting sword intent that obliterated all the blood runes on the platform. The massive stone pillar at the center shattered in an instant.

The sword aura brushed past Ye Lan, making her robes flutter, and she felt as though she had just woken from a nightmare.

Su Han and Zhen Qin experienced the same. They quickly stood up.

More and more disciples shook off their restraints and rose to their feet, all turning to look at the sword at the center of the platform. To them, the sword was not terrifying—it had saved them.

Someone looked up and saw Chu Xian still floating in the sky, holding the handle of the now-shattered Demon-Subduing Umbrella. His body trembled uncontrollably, and blood poured from his seven orifices.

"Why…"

Chu Xian's voice trembled. Before he could finish speaking, his body erupted with sword light, and he disintegrated into dust, his soul unable to escape.

The sky turned a dark yellow, like the coming of dusk.

"How is this possible… he was in the Void Crossing stage…"

The hunched old man stared wide-eyed, his voice filled with fear.

Jiang Qiong also struggled to maintain her composure. Chu Xian had been beyond the Divine Transformation stage, so what level of cultivation could kill him with a single sword?

From her perspective, a pillar of energy had descended from the heavens, splitting the world in two.

That was sword energy!

A sword cultivator of such caliber had emerged…

At that moment, Jiang Qiong felt utterly insignificant. Her injuries and the past century of stagnation made her feel as though she had already been left behind by the world of cultivation.

Meanwhile.

At the Third Medicine Valley.

Old Tian, standing under a great tree, gazed in the direction of the outer sect city. Despite the distance, he could see the pillar of sword energy above the Heaven Mending Platform.

"Body Fusion Realm…"

Old Tian muttered softly, his words barely audible to himself.

On the mountaintop at the valley's edge, Ye Yan stood in the wind, his long robe billowing behind him. Gripping a spear, his posture remained steady, his gaze fixed on the distant sword energy pillar, filled with awe.

Dozens of miles away.

Shen Zhen stood on a cliff, the entrance to a cave behind her. The wind and waves tossed her black robes and veil, revealing fleeting glimpses of her lower face.

Her eyes, too, reflected the sword energy pillar, full of curiosity.

There was such a sword cultivator hidden in Tai Xuan Sect!

She couldn't help but think of the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal, who had slain a Nascent Soul cultivator with a single leaf. No one knew the true extent of his power or who he really was.

…

Ye Lan stood on the edge of the Heaven Mending Platform. In front of her were tens of thousands of disciples. She couldn't see the sword that was surrounded by people, but her gaze naturally drifted to the White Spirit Sword at her waist.

The sword was still trembling slightly.

Her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Just then, the outer disciples began retreating in waves, their voices filled with a thunderous uproar. Ye Lan was drawn to a sharp sound.

The grinding noise of a sword against stone!

She immediately leaped into the air, standing on her flying sword. Not just her—tens of thousands of disciples followed, soaring into the sky, forming a spectacular sight.

Those who flew into the sky widened their eyes in amazement. The sword that had slain Chu Xian was slowly moving, its blade still embedded in the stone, sliding across the platform with sparks flying, its sword intent spreading in all directions.

Liu Chang, an elder of the Scripture Pavilion, frowned and muttered, "Righteous... Dao…"

As the sword finished its final stroke, it shot into the air, flying past the heads of all the disciples and disappearing beyond the horizon in an instant.

Everyone turned to look at the center of the Heaven Mending Platform, where two large words were engraved.

"Righteous Dao!"

The strokes were bold and powerful, exuding a sharp, murderous aura.

Jiang Qiong and the hunched old man hovered in the sky, staring at the two words, utterly shaken.

Even these two demonic cultivators from Thousand Autumn Pavilion were left speechless.

Tai Cang's so-called righteous sect had been carrying out demonic acts, but in the end, a mysterious sword cultivator had thwarted their plans, leaving behind the words Righteous Dao.

What did this signify?

Though Tai Xuan Sect had its dark side, it seemed there were still great cultivators who upheld justice!

Jiang Qiong, who had always scoffed at Tai Xuan Sect's reputation as a righteous sect, now found herself reconsidering. Perhaps Tai Xuan Sect was not as despicable as she had thought.

…

Back at Xuan Valley, inside the pavilion.

Gu An sat at his desk, his brow furrowed.

Someone had locked onto his Azure Swan Sword, making it difficult for him to directly recall it.

He was controlling the sword remotely with his sword intent, and that earlier strike wasn't just any ordinary attack—it was a move from the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword technique.

He had mastered the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword to the Integrated Mastery Stage!

"Since you want to chase it, fine. Let them all know there is a sword hanging over Tai Xuan Sect."

Gu An thought silently as he picked up a brush, ready to test if he could control the sword and write at the same time.

The Azure Swan Sword was already more than six thousand miles away, and the distance was increasing rapidly.

Above the sea of clouds, the Azure Swan Sword streaked through the sky, leaving a long trail of energy behind it that extended to the horizon.

Suddenly, the sword came to a halt, suspended above the clouds.

Within three breaths, a golden light sped toward it from the horizon, stopping less than a hundred feet away.

The golden light dispersed, revealing a man in blue Daoist robes, holding a whisk in hand, his appearance exuding an air of immortal grace, though his expression was grim.

"Who are you, exactly? A sword cultivator of the Body Fusion Realm in the Tai Cang Dynasty is unheard of." The man in Daoist robes asked, his voice stern.