Sensing that three of the nine Sword Gourds he had released had gathered in this Western Ring Fortress, Qi Xiu's fingertips exuded a strand of Sword Qi, slowly polishing the wooden sword in his hand.

Since I'm already here, I might as well lend you a hand.

With a flick of his finger, he shot out a strand of vital energy, which circulated rapidly around the Western Ring Fortress and gradually entered the Sword Gourd held by the Deer Demon.

HUMMM—

The azure, jade-like Sword Gourd suddenly hummed and vibrated. Its mouth faintly glowed with a resplendent white light, seeming ready to erupt.

"You really dare to make a move!?"

Seeing the Deer Demon activating the Sword Gourd, the Tiger Demon's eyes bulged, flashing red. It bared its fangs, laced with fresh scarlet flesh, and also lifted its own Sword Gourd.

"Wait! It wasn't me!"

The Deer Demon, bewildered by the reawakening of the Sword Gourd in its hands, quickly tried to explain.

Damn it! What in the world is happening? I truly didn't activate this treasure!

"Bullshit! If it wasn't you, then who could it be?!"

Utterly disbelieving the Deer Demon's nonsense, the Tiger Demon tossed out its Sword Gourd. A ferocious and fierce expression appeared on its face as it bowed deeply before the precious gourd and suddenly shouted loudly, "Please, my treasure, turn!"

BOOM—

The activated Sword Gourd trembled violently, its power surging boundlessly. The Sword Light, which had transformed into a Blood Sea, roared out, instantly enveloping an area dozens of miles wide. The Sword Light, nourished by resentful and malevolent energy, was no longer invisible and intangible but had taken on a sinister and fierce blood-red hue. The power of the Sword Light increased severalfold.

This Tiger Demon, like the Deer Demon, was only a Half-Demon deformed by the aura of an Abnormal Technique. However, relying on the "accidentally" obtained Sword Gourd, it had killed several Demons at the Dao-Entering Realm. The Sword Gourd it wielded absorbed resentful and malevolent energy even more fiercely than the one held by the Deer Demon!

The endless, blood-red Sword Light rampaged and flew wildly.

A large group of Demons and Demonic Cultivators, who had curiously gathered around, suddenly met with disaster. Countless Sword Lights swept over them. Instantly, thousands of bloody marks appeared on their bodies, followed by their flesh being sliced into fine slivers and their bones chopped into pieces, clattering to the ground.

"Hahaha! With this treasure in hand, I am supreme! Above all in Heaven and Earth, I alone am honored!"

Laughing wildly, the Tiger Demon's body turned a fiendish black. Its physical form began to swell and deform anew, its uncontrollably twisted spirit encouraging Divine Marvels to converge of their own accord.

This Common Realm Tiger Demon was actually starting to break through to the Dao-Entering Realm!

Witnessing the Tiger Demon's transformation, the nearby Deer Demon, still in a state of shock, showed deep jealousy in its eyes.

"If that's the case, then I'll do it too!"

Completely abandoning the last shred of rationality in its heart, the Deer Demon activated its Sword Gourd, and an overwhelming wave of Sword Light roared out.

These two Demons were truly treating this Western Ring Fortress as their own Daoist training ground. They were using all the lives within the city as resources to establish their dominance and lineage.

With the Sword Gourds hovering above their heads, the Tiger Demon and Deer Demon exchanged a glance, their eyes simultaneously shifting.

"Brother, we are both chosen by destiny to have obtained these great treasures. It would be senseless for us to fight to the death, only for a third party to reap the rewards. Why don't we cooperate and slaughter this Western Ring Fortress? What do you think?"

Facing the Deer Demon's suggestion, the Tiger Demon laughed heartily, its body shrouded in swirling black mist. A thick malevolence spread through the air. "Excellent, excellent! This plan is exactly to my liking. We'll split this city, half for you, half for me."

"Half each!"

The surrounding Demons and cultivators watched as the two Demons, who had been at each other's throats moments before, now shook hands and agreed to join forces to slaughter the city. They immediately looked uneasy.

On any normal day, they could pin these Common Realm Demons to the ground with a single spit. But now, these two cowards had somehow acquired a gourd that could unleash terrifying Sword Light. Even Demons of the Dao-Entering Realm dared not confront them directly.

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

Mad, rampaging laughter rang out as the Deer Demon and Tiger Demon simultaneously activated the Sword Gourds above their heads. Two seas of swords rumbled downwards. Endless, blood-red Sword Light whistled forth, ravaging everything in their path and cutting down the city's inhabitants like grass.

Sensing danger, the Demonic Evil Cultivators who were somewhat farther away immediately scattered in panic.

However, at that very moment, a terrifying sea of swords suddenly rose in another corner of the Western Ring Fortress. The Demons fleeing in all directions carelessly plunged into it and were instantly sliced into a mist of blood and gore.

"Hahaha, my friends, joy is better shared! If you're joining forces, how could you leave me out? Baa~"

The owner of the third Sword Gourd revealed himself. He was a Goat Demon with horns, a goat's head on a human body, hooves for feet, and a pair of vertically slitted eyes that darted about strangely. He emitted a thick, rank stench and was covered in black fur.

「」

Oh? What a coincidence.

Atop a pavilion, Qi Xiu's eyes glimmered with purple light. In his black-and-white interwoven vision, he saw a tiger, a deer, and a goat. The three Demons had gathered, their auras mingling and subtly creating a special Divine Marvel: a vision of their peak splendor, before which other Demons would bow.

It seems these three Demons do indeed possess a hint of the extraordinary in their destinies. However, it's deeply hidden, only revealed when they encounter other fates that can help them achieve their potential. Tiger, deer, goat... Is this Heaven's will? If so, then I, Qi, shall lend you a hand.

With a thoughtful smile, Qi Xiu flicked his fingers. Obscure and indecipherable strands of energy shot out, slowly merging into the three Sword Gourds.

「」

Secretly manipulated by Qi Xiu, the Sword Gourds in the hands of the Tiger Demon, Deer Demon, and Goat Demon suddenly erupted with Divine Light. They became faintly interconnected, their auras growing more powerful and vigorous, and their speed of absorbing the blood-red, malevolent qi nearly doubled.

Noticing the change in their Sword Gourds, the three Demons looked surprised.

"Could it be... that our Sword Gourds come from the same source, and their meeting has triggered a qualitative change?"

Gazing at the Sword Gourd, now radiating an even fiercer and more domineering aura, the Tiger Demon was overjoyed.

The stronger the Sword Gourd, the stronger I become!

"It must be! Where in this world can you find identical treasures? These three Sword Gourds must have been born from the same origin, like three brothers from one womb!"

The Deer Demon's eyes widened as it chimed in.

"Brothers? Since these three Sword Gourds are brothers, why don't we also become sworn brothers, despite our different kinds? If we join forces, forget the Initiate Realm; even Great Demons of the Blood-Stained Realm won't be our match! Baa~"

"Good idea!"

"It's settled!"

Reaching an instant agreement, the three Demons swore an oath of brotherhood on the spot. Then, bursting into laughter, they urged their Sword Gourds forward, charging towards the Western Ring Fortress.

「」

It's done.

Watching the three Demons rampage and slaughter within the city, Qi Xiu slowly stood up. He put away the intricately carved wooden sword and departed on his Escape Light.

The An'ning Holy Nation's territory is vast, and the Golden Flower Maternal Sect has many members. Trying to destroy it all by myself would be like the foolish old man trying to move a mountain. These nine Sword Gourds will help me cultivate nine loyal and hardworking executioners. They will also help me nurture three ultimate treasures of slaughter, radiating with blood-fiend energy and dominant Sword Light. Unfortunately, the Gourd World that birthed the Sword Gourds has developed a repulsion towards me. Otherwise, nine would not be enough. With my Cultivation, summoning ninety wouldn't be a problem.

A hint of regret tinged his thoughts. Qi Xiu's original plan was to summon as many Sword Gourds as possible. He planned to use them as catalysts. On each Sword Gourd, he had secretly planted Drunken Heart Dew. The longer one used a Sword Gourd, the deeper the Drunken Heart Dew's corrosion would become, until these Demonic Evil Cultivators became sword-slaves to the Sword Gourds. He would use their own methods against them.

Regrettably, it seemed the limit of the Gourd Sword Skill was to summon only nine Sword Gourds. Any more, and the Gourd World would resist, making it impossible to summon others.

As Qi Xiu flew away, he activated the Observing Qi Skill and scanned himself. The aura of calamity, surging from some unknown source, had already risen to his chest. He estimated that soon, once the aura of calamity engulfed his head, the full force of the tribulation would erupt!

I hope there's still time… Muttering to himself, Qi Xiu increased his speed, darting towards a specific direction.

「」

「Golden Flower Maternal Sect Main Altar.」

A month passed in the blink of an eye. The upper echelons of the Golden Flower Maternal Sect gathered once again in the main hall. The Vice Sect Hierarch of the Golden Flower Maternal Sect was still seated at the head of the long, golden deliberation table. It was that strangely captivating yet extremely ugly woman—Cao Zhen!

TAP. TAP. TAP.

Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop. Cao Zhen leaned back in her large wooden chair, her gaze slowly sweeping across everyone present. Those seemingly casual glances pierced each person's mind like a dagger. Anyone her gaze fell upon trembled, barely restraining themselves from collapsing to the ground.

"Everyone, a month has passed, and you still haven't found that mysterious cultivator. But I know that fellow is like a rat, always scurrying and hiding, an expert at concealment. In such a short time, it is indeed difficult to catch him. I, Cao Zhen, am not an unreasonable person. We won't pursue this matter further."

Hearing Cao Zhen agree to overlook the issue, no one present showed any sign of happiness. Instead, the anxiety and fear in their eyes only intensified. They knew that an even more terrifying matter awaited them.

"We'll set aside the matter of that mysterious cultivator for now. I want you all to explain something to me. Why, in the last ten days, have seventeen cities in our An'ning Holy Nation been simultaneously slaughtered?! Answer me!"

With a fierce shout, an imposing, dual-bodied Dharma Idol appeared behind Cao Zhen. It was male on the left and female on the right, holding a golden flower and a green vine. One foot stood upon a barren expanse of white bones, the other upon a cluster of Golden Lotuses. An aura that commanded life and death, capable of defying fate and severing destinies, emanated from it.

In an instant, all the Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultivators felt as if they were gripped in the hands of that dual-bodied Dharma Idol, unable to struggle, like lambs awaiting slaughter. With but a thought from Cao Zhen, they would be crushed to dust!

"Vice Sect Hierarch, spare us! It's just that too many Righteous Path cultivators have recently flooded into our An'ning Holy Nation, and we..."

"Useless drivel! A waste of resources!"

Unwilling to hear another word from these incompetents, Cao Zhen's gaze turned cold. The dual-bodied Dharma Idol behind her roared into action. Golden flowers materialized in the void, and the Dharma Idol's Daoist Spirit eyes shot out countless beams of Divine Light, piercing directly into the foreheads of these Golden Flower Maternal Sect cultivators, instantly eradicating their consciousness and souls.

After disposing of these now empty shells, Cao Zhen stood alone in the deserted main hall, her hideous face revealing a trace of solemnity.

The thing she feared most had happened after all.

The deeds of that mysterious cultivator had spread throughout Dianchuan Province, becoming common knowledge. And they had failed to capture and kill him quickly enough to reverse the dire situation. As a result, an irreversible consequence had been created, one that would become increasingly difficult to manage.

Some Righteous Path cultivators... had begun to imitate him.

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