Chapter 272: Ancient Sacred Relic, Bilateral Trade, Wait for Me to Get Out, Annihilate the Jie Tian Sect!

The terrifying sword aura fell.

A group of Heavenly Prides who came to seek heavenly materials and earthly treasures were cut down one by one.

Fresh blood and white bones splattered everywhere; there is no such thing as a Heavenly Pride or not—under the world, cold‑blooded and ruthless.

Inside Tongtian Sword Mountain.

Except for the Sword of Nine Heavens, a Heavenly Pride, most are ordinary geniuses—talented youths from various regions—who, due to the world's changes, received destiny and thus entered the Fifth and Sixth Realms one after another.

Perhaps to the ancient great clans, the Fifth and Sixth Realms mean little, but for the present human race, this level is respectable, a mid‑tier power; add a bit of youth, and they become the Heavenly Prides of each region.

They came to Tongtian Sword Mountain not to claim its destiny, but purely to obtain treasures that others disregard; even a fragmentary sword intent is a priceless treasure to them.

Unfortunately,

Gaining benefits requires bearing huge risks; the Sword Mountain was never a place for them, and now, in a sense, they have brought this upon themselves.

Puff puff puff puff.

Figures after figures were slaughtered, shattered to pieces, blood spilling across the Sword Mountain; they became cannon fodder, utterly unable to resist.

At a single glance, thousands fell, the sword aura descended, Seventh Realm masters were annihilated on the spot, with no resistance at all.

Beside the main peak.

Gu Jin Nian's Nine‑Layer Divine Tower could not fully withstand such onslaughts.

Boom boom boom.

The Divine Tower trembled; it is a divine artifact, having absorbed many supreme implements, the strongest divine weapon of the age, bar none.

Yet under these circumstances it still could not resist the sword aura, which is somewhat unreasonable.

It is obvious.

It was Silent Extinction Sword God who acted.

If not for him, no one could achieve this level.

Below the Divine Tower.

Gu Jin Nian furrowed his brows as Senior Tie Bing's voice rang out.

"Mader, we've been seriously duped this time."

Senior Tie Bing spoke, a bit nervous.

"What's wrong?"

Gu Jin Nian had a bad premonition.

"We've been duped,"

Senior Tie Bing continued, realizing a huge problem.

"He must know you have entered the Seventh Realm of the Art Dao, knows you will set up the Twelve Sealed Heavenly Formations; now the surrounding aura is sealed, and using the Sword Mountain's momentum, he turns your formation into his."

"Now we can't even think of escaping here, I'm really doomed, why did I calmly tell you about this formation?"

"We're finished now."

Senior Tie Bing was truly flustered; he felt something catastrophic was about to happen.

"Senior, what does it mean? What is Silent Extinction Sword God doing to me?"

Gu Jin Nian furrowed his brows; he understood the words but wondered what the attack was aimed at. "The ultimate brilliance, some ancient mythic relics appear, all born from Heaven and Earth's reflection; their purpose is to destroy this world. You are the Great Qi Carrier of the age; they aim to kill you first."

"Knowing you entered the Seventh Realm of the Art Dao and then exploiting it—doesn't that sound terrifying?"

Senior Tie Bing spoke.

Before Gu Jin Nian could think, he continued.

"Don't you get it? Heaven and Earth's reflection brought them into existence; they should have faded away in the river of time. Even if revived, they are merely puppets. Yet now they can use formations to counter you. Think about what that means?"

Senior Tie Bing said, his tone truly frantic.

And Gu Jin Nian instantly understood what Senior Tie Bing meant.

"Do they have their own intelligence?"

"Not just simple puppets?"

Gu Jin Nian asked.

"Yes."

"Exactly. I thought the revived ones were merely puppets with little thought, but now it seems it's not that simple; a cataclysm is about to erupt."

"This Silent Extinction Sword God has a mission. People of his caliber don't care about whether the world perishes or not; they may even endorse Heaven and Earth's will. Otherwise, even if Heaven and Earth reflected their emergence, they could refuse it if they wished."

"In other words, the enemies you'll face in the future aren't just the ancient Five Clans; there are also these mythic superiors."

"During the Divine Transformation Era, they were called the Supreme; each was an extraordinary being. The Ten Hall Kings weren't the strongest, though they were comparable—at that level, they were evenly matched."

"Had you not opened the Six Paths of Reincarnation, the endless Yin soldiers alone could have destroyed heaven and earth."

"Compared to the Ten Hall Kings, this Silent Extinction Sword God is even more troublesome."

He said, appearing to have some insight into the Silent Extinction Sword God.

"What do you mean?"

Gu Jin Nian asked.

"The Supremes of the mythic era were each invincible back then, each bearing their own obsession."

"In that era, everyone wanted to forge their own path; all laws and heavenly origins were about carving one's own way."

"But most people could not carve their own path; beings like Silent Extinction Sword God, though they forged their own, coveted more, so their tangled affairs became terrifying, spawning inner demons."

"With the world's revival, they also seek to fulfill their direct wishes; it's the inner demons at work."

Senior Tie Bing spoke, revealing the cause.

"Inner demons at work?"

"What inner demons does Silent Extinction Sword God have?"

No becoming an immortal?

Or no eternal life?

Gu Jin Nian asked curiously.

Probably not; the mythic age is far too long, time itself is essentially worthless. The Silent Extinction Sword God has lived at least tens of thousands of years, and someone like that simply doesn't care about life or death.

Think about it: a person who has lived for tens of thousands of years—what emotions could they still have? Apart from the obsession in their heart that keeps them unwilling, what else could they care about?

Senior Tie Bing expounded a fact.

On this point, Gu Jin Nian truly agreed.

Indeed, people say that eternal life is the goal countless pursue, but that's because most people's lifespans are short—only a hundred or two hundred years at most.

Thus they are reluctant to give up many things.

In reality, living a thousand years is already hard to bear.

Consider this: from birth to death spans a thousand years; your childhood best friend departs, the person you love the most departs, your parents depart, everyone you know gradually leaves you.

Think about it—after a hundred years, they all leave one by one.

Two hundred years later, you might even hope your enemies are still in this world, at least you have something to care about.

Three hundred years later, you see your descendants leave this world, and you feel no emotion toward them at all.

Even five hundred years later, you will feel an unprecedented loneliness, stemming from pondering whether you are still a person, what your purpose in this world is, and what you truly ought to do.

A thousand years later.

The vast sea turns to mulberry fields, all things begin to change; everything is both familiar and utterly strange, and in the whole world you know no one.

It feels as if the world has abandoned you; nothing can bring you joy or interest.

The feeling of universal loneliness is beyond what a normal person can endure; ultimately one may become mad.

That is normal.

As for why the Shenzhou Continent is different, the people around it do not pass away as quickly, and with a closed cultivation, periods of tens, hundreds, even several hundred years can pass in an instant.

Thus, under such circumstances, time seems slower.

By calculation, five thousand years would drive a person mad.

As for the Silent Extinction Sword God, having lived tens of thousands of years, he has long lost all emotion; for him, perhaps the purpose of living is simply to resolve the obsession in his heart.

What is the Silent Extinction Sword God's inner demon?

Gu Jin Nian spoke, asking Senior Tie Bing.

I have no idea.

If I knew his inner demon, would I be saying all this to you here?

Senior Tie Bing grew a bit irritated; he knows some things about the Silent Extinction Sword God, but not everything.

Then what are you saying?

Is there any solution?

If this continues, we might not be able to endure.

Gu Jin Nian also became somewhat irritated.

At this point, if there is a way, it feels unnecessary to cause trouble.

There's no good method left.

All paths have been sealed.

Now we are all trapped; whether we can get out alive is a question, and this Silent Extinction Sword God hasn't truly acted yet—if he does, it will likely be even more terrifying.

The latter spoke, making Gu Jin Nian feel unprecedented pressure.

Indeed, the Silent Extinction Sword God hasn't acted yet; if he does, it will probably be even more terrifying.

At this very moment.

Gu Jin Nian gazed at the main peak of Tongtian Sword Mountain.

Around the main peak, terrifying sword Qi swirled, its interior impossible to see through.

Sword Nine Heavens, save me.

At that moment, a voice sounded—it was Su Canghai's voice. His battle was grim, his body drenched in blood, his bones exposed, looking terrifying.

He is a contemporary heaven's pride with a true dragon body, a strongman of the Seven Realms of Martial Dao, Fourth Peak.

At this level, across the whole world, he ranks among the top combat forces—though not surpassing the Ancient Tribes, he is certainly no ordinary being.

Yet under such onslaught, he is on the brink of death, unable to hold on for even half a minute.

Clang! Sword Nine Heavens is no better; chaotic sword Qi surrounds him, blocking the sword Qi, yet his body is also drenched in blood—still far better than Su Canghai's.

One hundred and eight Sword Mountains, countless casualties.

Except for Gu Jin Nian's Nine-layer Divine Pagoda, which can hold, the others are all more or less wounded.

Moreover, this sword Qi is strange; it amplifies according to the opponent's strength, giving a sense of a heavenly tribulation.

"Gu Saint."

"We can use an Ancient Holy Artifact to force open a passage and escort you out, but can we fully protect my Jie Tian Sect disciples?"

At that moment, Chang Yun Tian's voice sounded.

It echoed through the Sword Mountain.

Hearing this, Su Canghai and the others rejoiced; under such pressure, not to mention them, even Sword Nine Heavens cannot hold.

Gu Jin Nian felt unprecedented strain; if the sword formation were any stronger, everyone might die here.

Now the Jie Tian Sect actually has a means to escort them out, which is indeed a good thing.

However, whether they can leave safely still depends on whether Gu Jin Nian is willing to act.

Below the Nine-layer Divine Pagoda.

When Gu Jin Nian heard Zhang Yuntian's words, his first reaction was that these people definitely wanted to trap him.

Does the Heaven‑Cutting Sect really help out of kindness? To put it bluntly, if these people could trade their lives for his, the major forces behind the Heaven‑Cutting Sect would be eager to exchange—one hundred Sword Nine Heavens would be worth it.

However, Gu Jin Nian became even more aware of one thing.

That is, as long as these people are present, they will only cause trouble for him; sending them away is the only safe option.

"Sir, the Heaven‑Cutting Sect is certainly not well‑minded; we will stay here and advance and retreat together."

Mu Yun's voice rang out as he looked at Gu Jin Nian, his eyes showing no hesitation; he was not speaking falsely nor trying to flatter Gu Jin Nian, but sincerely willing to advance and retreat together with him.

He regarded Gu Jin Nian as his own mentor.

"No need."

"Your leaving is a good thing for me."

"They probably want me to stay here alone."

"It's not a bad thing; sooner or later we would reach this point, so it's better to let me finish it alone."

Gu Jin Nian spoke.

He saw clearly that the other side merely wanted to keep him here to face the Void‑Eradication Sword God.

Though it was extremely dangerous.

Yet likewise, they offered a concession, allowing the younger generation to go out together, preventing total annihilation.

This is a transaction.

Any wise person can understand.

"Master, why can't we all break out together? Your cultivation has already reached the Seventh Realm; it's not that you have no way."

"If you need the students' assistance, just ask, Master; we students are willing to risk everything for Qilin Pavilion."

Wu Man and the others spoke up in turn; they were also straightforward—if Gu Jin Nian asked, they would sacrifice their lives.

Even if it were even more dangerous, they didn't mind.

"No need."

Gu Jin Nian shook his head, then projected his intention outward.

"Alright!"

"Open the passage."

That was Gu Jin Nian's reply, and while Mu Yun and the others were about to say something else, abruptly a dazzling light struck the Heaven‑Piercing Sword Mountain directly.

In an instant, a passage opened, almost in a flash, leaving no time for anyone to consider.

Gu Jin Nian did not linger; using his great divine power, he sent the Qilin Pavilion's Heavenly Pride out.

"After you go out, head straight for Qilin Pavilion without lingering; be careful, they may target you."

Gu Jin Nian spoke, and after saying that he gathered a saintly force to protect them, being more worried that the Heaven‑Cutting Sect's people would strike Mu Yun and the others.

So he prepared a precaution in advance.

As Mu Yun and the others left, Gu Jin Nian glanced at Su Canghai and his group.

Without hesitation, Gu Jin Nian waved his hand, and Su Canghai and his group were instantly flung backward; he would not be overly gentle with these people.

"I'll go too."

Senior Tie Bing's voice rang out at that moment; he tried to run, but Gu Jin Nian caught him, not letting him leave.

"Kid, what do you mean by this?"

Senior Tie Bing became a bit flustered.

"Stay, and face it together."

Gu Jin Nian didn't waste words; he slapped him, making him behave.

And just after Su Canghai and his group left, the light vanished instantly, and the passage could not be opened.

Indeed, not even a sliver of chance was given.

"Gu Sheng."

"The sacred artifact cannot be revived for too long, otherwise it will disturb the master of the Heaven‑Piercing Sword Mountain and cannot continue."

"We will adjust again; are you ready?"

Zhang Yuntian's voice rang out.

Obviously, Gu Jin Nian's conjecture was right; they intentionally wanted to keep him here.

However.

What Gu Jin Nian didn't expect was that

He had thought Zhang Yuntian was just being polite.

But unexpectedly, a holy light shot out again; it was indeed terrifying, an ancient human‑race sacred artifact of boundless power.

The target, however, was indeed the summit of the Heaven‑Piercing Sword Mountain.

Boom! The summit was assaulted, instantly awakening as if on its own, its sword aura becoming even more ferocious.

Obviously.

This is no longer merely trying to disgust Gu Jin Nian; it's to drive Gu Jin Nian into a dead end.

"Damn, Gu Sheng, the sacred artifact is hard to control; please forgive me, Gu Sheng."

"This is not the Heaven‑Cutting Sect's fault; we also wanted to rescue you quickly."

Zhang Yuntian's voice rang out.

Even more disgusting.

Leaving Gu Jin Nian behind was actually guessed by many; after all, the two sides are enemies, so there's no problem, it's a mutual exchange.

After all, the Qilin Pavilion's Heavenly Pride went out, and the Heaven‑Cutting Sect's Heavenly Pride also went out.

It's not a big problem.

But to deliberately provoke an uprising at the main peak of Heaven-Reaching Sword Mountain—that's rather disgusting.

Do you have to kill Gu Jin Nian to be satisfied? And you even utter such disgusting words.

You have absolutely no shame.

"It's nothing."

"Wait for me to go out."

"Flatten the Severing Heaven Sect."

Gu Jin Nian remained calm; such tactics were nothing new to him, and he had even made all preparations.

However.

This time, he didn't want to put up with it either.

After going out.

"Destroy the Severing Heaven Sect!" His tone remained calm as he voiced his thoughts.

(End of chapter)