Chapter 963: The World Welcomes a New Order

Xi Ping’an’s body stiffened.

He had almost forgotten that, back when the Great Sun Sword Son was still in Foundation Establishment, he had been hunted by him.

He had thought the other had forgotten too.

“You might as well die.”

“You’re beyond saving.”

Jiang Ding slowly drew his sword and said coldly: “Everyone who seeks to kill me—past, present, or future—must die. This is unchangeable.”

“Even heaven’s king himself won’t change that.”

“No one can alter it.”

Clang!

The sword was drawn,

ready to sever this golden sword fragment-soul.

Not just now—later, he would also shatter its true body and its divine realm into fragments, reduce its soul to ash.

“Unchangeable?”

Xi Ping’an’s expression remained calm, as if he saw no sword about to shatter him.

“I possess the Great Sun Sword Son’s inheritance—a Soul Transformation-level inheritance.”

Shhh!

The Taiqing Flying Sword settled steadily upon his third eye, not advancing an inch.

Jiang Ding stared at the fragment-soul before him, uncertain and wary.

“Mingguangzi is not you—a Sword Son tainted by the Eastern Pole Demon Sect.”

Xi Ping’an smiled lightly: “He would never fear that a successor might surpass him and thus seal the inheritance to remain alone at the top.

The Great Sun Sword Sect could not bear the Soul Transformation inheritance, so he placed the Sword Pavilion’s Soul Transformation legacy with me, holding out a slim hope that one day a true Sword Son would arise within the Great Sun Sword Sect.”

“The lifespan of a fire-worship deity is long. Even after vast ages, when my true self is eroded by worship energy, when my true self vanishes and I become entirely what the countless faithful imagine me to be—inside and out—”

“Even then, I would still pass the Sword Pavilion’s inheritance to the next Great Sun Sword Son, for it fosters goodwill.”

“But alas, when the true Great Sun Sword Son finally appeared, it was you—a man of the Eastern Pole Demon Sect…”

Xi Ping’an sighed deeply.

Had it not been so, he would have gained a powerful ally; with his father’s arrangements and the bonds of worship, he might have escaped this small world with the other, ascending to higher realms, truly approaching the Great Dao.

“What do you say?”

Xi Ping’an asked: “By your Sword Heart Oath, swear never again to kill me in any way, and I will give you the Soul Transformation inheritance—something Mingguangzi himself desires. If I can slay you, I believe his breakthrough to Void Refinement will become certain, stronger than slaying the Nine Dao Sons.”

Clang!

The Taiqing Flying Sword descended, piercing Xi Ping’an’s third eye. Agony surged.

“Why?”

Xi Ping’an stared in shock.

Is my life truly so important?

Wasn’t it just one chase? Is that worth such pettiness?

“I don’t trust you.”

“Especially not a mere fragment-soul.”

Jiang Ding whispered: “Wait. I will find you. I will catch you. Don’t rush to self-destruct then—my mind may change.”

A fragment-soul has no right to speak with him.

At all costs, he must capture Xi Ping’an swiftly. Such an enemy roaming free always breeds unease—he must be kept within control.

Beyond that, the worship deity path.

Judging by its current manifestation, it conflicts violently with his own path. His Immortal Dao requires civilization, constant change and development; the worship deity path suppresses the growth of Immortal Dao civilization!

This is a fierce conflict of Dao paths.

He may not endure having this thing linger on his path, unslain, while it grows stronger.

After slaying Xi Ping’an’s fragment-soul, silence settled over the place.

As space runes hummed continuously, one by one, Yuan Ying True Persons and Jin Dan Realms from Tu Shan Zhongting emerged from the teleportation array, swiftly forming ranks.

“Lord!”

Hei Louxi and one hundred and eight thousand maidens knelt in salute.

The East Sea will be cleansed by them: all old forces, worship temples, fanatical believers who refuse to submit will be executed; temples will be destroyed; political, economic, administrative, and agricultural reforms will be launched.

“Go.”

Jiang Ding gave a slight nod.

“Build our East Sea. Turn this land into a paradise for Tu Shan Zhongting cultivators. Bring peace and the Immortal Dao to all living beings. Eradicate every resistance and force.”

“Yes, Lord!”

Hei Louxi and one hundred and eight thousand maidens cried out fervently.

They swiftly scattered in all directions, establishing teleportation arrays on local spirit veins, seeking cultivators to cooperate with. In this process, they executed temple priests and Daoist priests among mortal factions, and so on.

Since their founding centuries ago, Tu Shan maidens, beyond cultivation and combat, have always handled such tasks—everything is second nature.

Within decades, the East Sea will once again flourish as a cultivator realm, supplying vast quantities of spirit stones, heavenly treasures, and ever-evolving Immortal Dao knowledge.

Jiang Ding cultivated for years within the fifth-rank inferior spirit vein of the East Sea Sword Court, watching the East Sea transform.

Once he confirmed no issues remained, he vanished in a glow of spatial teleportation.

…

Southern Frontier.

This place is known as the Ten Thousand Mountains.

Everywhere, thick mists and poisonous vapors swirl; venomous insects and ferocious beasts roam—a primordial jungle of towering peaks and dense forests.

The people here adapt to their environment, mostly

practicing Gushu and poison arts, their faces painted in garish colors, venomous insects swarming the air, filling hearts with dread and scalp with chills.

All demonic beasts, sentient Gu insects, and the sacred ground of cultivators’ hearts is Wan Du Zong, Gu Shen Mountain.

Here, colorful mists swirl perpetually; any demonic beast or cultivator who touches them dies instantly. Only Wan Du Zong’s demonic and human disciples may enter or leave—it is the forbidden land of the Southern Frontier’s billions of demonic beasts and cultivators.

Today, a youth in blue robes entered the mountain without permission, passing through the colorful mist—yet no one came to stop him.

The entire Gu Shen Mountain was silent, save for the wind through Lin Hai.

“Are they all dead?”

Jiang Ding sighed, looking to the roadside.

A woman, stunningly beautiful and voluptuous, wore only scraps covering her vital parts; golden and silver bells adorned her ankles, chiming melodiously in the wind, embodying the unique allure of Southern Frontier women.

But now, she was dead.

A hole gaped in her chest, covered in gnaw marks—as if something had feasted thoroughly, devoured her heart, then flown away.

This was no isolated case.

Beside her, a black tiger, at early Jin Dan stage, also had its chest torn open, its heart vanished.

Further out, along the path, steps, pavilions, bathhouses, meditation chambers… everywhere, every human and demon, regardless of what they were doing, had died at the same moment—heart devoured, the thing inside flying out to return to its true master.

Bai Zu Tian Jun had used human and demonic disciples to brew Gu , treating the entire sect as one vast breeding pot; before leaving, he carried out a bloody harvest.

“Gone is better.”

“After all, Bai Zu Tian Jun will come down to join you in death.”

Jiang Ding sighed.

He walked slowly to the summit, sweeping the area with his spiritual sense and sword intent, gathering data on local spirit veins, earth veins, preparing to set up arrays and the boundary-defining array’s foundation.

Once the boundary-defining array is complete, everything within this world will be under control; Xi Ping’an and Bai Zu Tian Jun, no matter where they are, will be instantly located and eradicated.

This world will welcome a new order.