Chapter 32: Exorcising Demons, Upholding the Dao

The Yun Emperor passed away peacefully!

When that invisible sword qi reached him, his consciousness had already been severed!

For someone as wicked as him, dying so painlessly—without a doubt, he was fortunate.

After Li Zhangsheng's sword qi slew the Yun Emperor's body, it did not dissipate but shot upward at an angle into the distant sky!

Boom—

The distant void was split open like a huge gash, and only after a long while did it begin to slowly heal!!

"It would be best not to use this sword if possible—it's too destructive to the environment!"

"Next time, if I can use my gaze or a finger, I'll just use my gaze and finger!"

Li Zhangsheng clicked his tongue and muttered to himself.

He also feared the Yun Emperor would revive like last time, rise from the spring water, and continue his evil deeds, so he had no choice but to draw his sword and utterly destroy the Yun Emperor's vitality!

The feel was the same as before, but the power was far greater than before!

Although Li Zhangsheng had tried his best to suppress his power, using less than one-tenth of his strength!

…Yet this power still exceeded his expectations!

Moreover, when the sword qi vanished, Li Zhangsheng seemed to hear a pained groan!!

He didn't know who he'd injured, feeling rather embarrassed!

Fortunately, when Li Zhangsheng swung his sword just now, he deliberately adjusted the angle, so the sword qi flew upward at an angle toward the distant void!

Had it been a horizontal slash, who knows how many living beings would have been caught in the disaster!

The Ming Emperor beside him stared at the healing rift in the distant void, and for some reason his body began to tremble uncontrollably!

After he recovered, he began to blame himself for being useless.

"This sword qi isn't aimed at you—why are you scared of a chicken feather?"

The Ming Emperor comforted himself with that thought.

He took a deep breath, his heart pounding like thunder!

Luckily, last time I was quick-witted; as soon as the senior appeared, I dropped to my knees begging for mercy!!

Otherwise, I might very well have become the Yun Emperor's cautionary tale!!

Thank goodness, thank goodness—I'm now on the same side as the senior!

Heh heh, right? I'm now on the same side as the senior—what do I have to fear?

From now on, as long as I stay by the senior's side, only others will fear me!

Not far from Li Zhangsheng and his group, under a roof eave, there was a person looking extremely terrified, wearing a cyan-blue robe, hair disheveled!

Duan Yun, current sect master of the Setting Sun Sect!

By sacrificing wandering cultivators and poor sect cultivators, he raised his cultivation to the peak of the Quasi-Emperor, a great demonic figure!

When Li Zhangsheng and the others had just broken the Setting Sun Sect's sect-protecting grand formation, he was in seclusion in a secret chamber, probing the threshold of the Emperor Realm!

Therefore, he didn't come out right away, missing the spectacle of the Setting Sun Sect elders and disciples turning into blood mist fireworks, and also avoiding immediate death!

However, he happened to catch Li Zhangsheng's splendid sword strike that slew the Yun Emperor!

Originally, he was furious, intending to fight alongside the Yun Emperor to give these troublemakers who came to the Setting Sun Sect a proper lesson!

…But then he personally witnessed Li Zhangsheng's single sword instantly annihilate the Yun Emperor, whom he had always regarded as a deity!

That sword also severed the anger in his heart, and then his body began to tremble uncontrollably for some unknown reason!!

At that moment, Li Zhangsheng and his companions all turned their gazes toward Duan Yun.

They noticed that Duan Yun's eyes, which had originally been filled with scarlet qi, grew faint as the Yun Emperor died!!

Immediately, Duan Yun seemed like a different person; he looked at his own hands, dazed, and muttered frenziedly: "I… how could I have done such a heinous thing? Heaven, what was I doing before?!"

"With such grave sins, I am unworthy of my ancestors; I am a sinner of the Setting Sun Sect!"

Li Zhangsheng casually pointed at Duan Yun, and with a boom, Duan Yun vanished into nothing!

Judging by Duan Yun's reaction, he must have been given some kind of bewitching substance by the Yun Emperor.

As the Yun Emperor died, he gradually regained his clarity!

However, having already committed such heinous deeds, even though he has now regained his clarity, living in this world must still be a painful ordeal.

So Li Zhangsheng simply did a good deed and ended his suffering!

"Ah, these heretical demonic paths are truly annoying." Xiao Jue sighed softly, "I don't even know what organization the Yun Emperor belongs to, or who all these captives are meant to be sacrificed to!"

Li Zhangsheng's expression remained calm; he gazed down at the ground beneath the Setting Sun Sect, flicked his hand, and the already split-in-two Setting Sun Sect shifted sideways.

Immediately, a huge pit appeared!!

The pit held rows upon rows of people, originally sitting there with heads bowed, but as soon as the sky above suddenly brightened, they all curiously lifted their heads.

"Father, Elder Ancestor, Elders, I'm here!" Liu Yiming saw the people in the pit and also happily swooped down, quite the show-off!

"Yiming?"

The Elder Ancestor of the Liu Yun Sect, Liu Shouzhu, and the Sect Master of the Liu Yun Sect, Liu Chenfeng, saw Liu Yiming and quickly stood up!

"Junior Sect Master!"

The many elders and disciples of the Liu Yun Sect saw Liu Yiming and all felt excited!

Had the Junior Sect Master brought people to rescue them?

Liu Yiming arrived at the pit's entrance, but there seemed to be an invisible wall there; Liu Yiming crashed into it at extreme speed!

Bang!

Liu Yiming cried out in pain and rubbed his head!

Show-off failed!

"Damn!" Liu Yiming wondered: "What is this thing?"

"Idiot, if this deep pit weren't covered by a formation, wouldn't the people inside have flown out on their own?" Xiao Jue muttered.

Li Zhangsheng lightly pointed his finger at the deep pit, and with a boom the formation covering it shattered.

Immediately afterward, Li Zhangsheng wiped away the restrictions placed on everyone inside the deep pit.

For a moment, everyone who had survived the catastrophe surged out of the pit, each face lit with the smile of "It's great to see the sky again."

At that moment, Liu Shouzhuo and Liu Chenfeng followed Liu Yiming to Li Zhangsheng's side.

"Father, Elder Ancestor, this is the Sect Master of our Longevity Sect; thanks to him we found you and rescued you." Liu Yiming introduced to Liu Shouzhuo and Liu Chenfeng.

"The Sect Master of our Longevity Sect?" Hearing these words, Liu Shouzhuo and Liu Chenfeng both felt weird.

However, they quickly dismissed those trivialities, and both hurriedly clasped their hands toward Li Zhangsheng, saying, "Many thanks for saving our lives, Senior!"

"It's just a trivial effort, no need for such ceremony!" Li Zhangsheng waved his hand indifferently.

"Previously, Elder Ancestor Xuanji once saved my life, and now you have saved the entire Liuyun Sect."

"The kindness of the Longevity Sect cannot be repaid by the Liuyun Sect; if you ever need us in the future, just give a word, and the entire Liuyun Sect will go through fire and water, sparing no effort."

Liu Shouzhuo again sincerely bowed his thanks, while secretly rejoicing that he had let Liu Yiming go to the Longevity Sect for cultivation; otherwise the Liuyun Sect might not have escaped this calamity.

The saying "Under an Emperor Realm, all are ants" — Liu Shouzhuo truly understood it this time.

He himself is a quasi-Emperor Realm expert, boasting that his battle prowess stands out among peers of the same realm.

However, when that red-robed Emperor Realm powerhouse descended upon the Liuyun Sect that day, Liu Shouzhuo offered no resistance and was simply taken into their cauldron.

Liu Shouzhuo felt deep helplessness and despair!

He understood that being seized by such a formidable Emperor Realm evil cultivator, the Liuyun Sect's chances this time were slim.

Who could rescue them from the hands of such Emperor Realm powerhouses?!

Unexpectedly, Liu Yiming today actually brought the Sect Master of the Longevity Sect to rescue them!

Who would have thought that a casual decision back then would now save the entire Liuyun Sect!

This kid hasn't forgotten his roots; he'll come home to check, otherwise if his home were stolen he wouldn't even know what happened.

"Shen Qingsong said the Liuyun Sect has always been friends with the Longevity Sect; friends just help each other out of hand, no need for such solemnity!" Li Zhangsheng said calmly to Liu Shouzhuo.

Liu Shouzhuo smiled, rose to his feet, looked at Li Zhangsheng, and then asked, "Senior, I have a question I don't understand; may I ask you something?"

"Oh? What question?" Li Zhangsheng replied.

"May I ask, Senior, are you the master of Elder Ancestor Xuanji...?" Liu Shouzhuo asked cautiously, afraid of being abrupt.

"How come, you know me?" Li Zhangsheng looked curiously at Liu Shouzhuo.

"Indeed!"

Liu Shouzhuo secretly gasped in astonishment — he really was the founding ancestor of the Longevity Sect!

Afterwards, he spoke with utmost respect and excitement: "Elder Ancestor Xuanji once mentioned you to me, saying his master is the most handsome and strongest person under heaven; once you see him, you know who he is."

"Seeing you today, I recalled the words Elder Ancestor Xuanji once told me."

"I never expected that in my lifetime I would be able to see a great expert like you, Senior — truly a fortune of three lifetimes!"

Li Zhangsheng chuckled in surprise, "This kid sure knows how to talk when he's out there."

"Senior, I don't know whether Elder Ancestor Xuanji has truly passed away?" Liu Shouzhuo asked again cautiously.

Since the founding ancestor of the Longevity Sect has returned, he surely wouldn't just watch Elder Ancestor Xuanji pass away!

Yang Xuanji had saved Liu Shouzhuo's life, and Liu Shouzhuo has always kept that kindness in his heart, deeply concerned about Yang Xuanji's situation.

"He's just asleep." Li Zhangsheng said casually.

"I see, then all we can do is wait for him to wake up before I go visit him." Liu Shouzhuo secretly let out a sigh of relief.

"The Xuan Emperor is still alive?"

Upon hearing Li Zhangsheng's words, the Netherworld Emperor beside him also felt somewhat surprised!

"'Xuan Emperor' is the Emperor Realm title of Yang Xuanji!"

When he first became an Emperor Realm expert, he once fought Yang Xuanji!

Over these years he has also been monitoring Yang Xuanji's condition; his imperial soul is so dim it's a mess, possibly on the verge of kicking the bucket at any moment!

Unexpectedly, he's still alive — really an old turtle!

But then he looked at Li Zhangsheng and immediately felt it made sense!

"Lord Netherworld Emperor, so you're here too?" Liu Shouzhuo only then noticed the Netherworld Emperor.

"'What, have you been ignoring me all along? I thought you didn't recognize me.'"

The Netherworld Emperor snorted inwardly, but still smiled and said, "Indeed, a certain Emperor Realm evil cultivator seized people to carry out that sacrificial rite; this happened within Qingzhou territory, and I, as emperor, naturally wouldn't stand by idly, so I came together with the Senior to exterminate demons and uphold the Dao!"

"Lord Netherworld Emperor, your righteousness is admirable!" Liu Shouzhuo clasped his hands toward the Netherworld Emperor.

"Since everyone's fine, let's head back." Li Zhangsheng said, and then led Xiao Jue and the Netherworld Emperor away.

Liu Yiming then first followed Liu Shouzhuo and the others back to the Liuyun Sect!

……