The Lingxu Dharma Form abruptly retracted all sword energy. At this moment, with himself as the center, the flow of time within a thousand-mile radius slowed down by a hundred thousand times.

Throughout the entire Cangzhou region, all swords, magical treasures, and weapon spirits trembled simultaneously. Blades, spears, swords, and halberds all bowed toward the source of the sword light.

Burial Armament City shook violently.

Every cultivator in Burial Armament City instinctively tightened their control over their weapon spirits to prevent them from escaping.

At this moment, only a single streak of azure light appeared between heaven and earth.

That wisp of azure light was as fine as a hair, spanning the entire sky.

The instant it descended, it transformed into a fissure that cleaved the heavens.

Where the sword passed, the Crimson Sky Demon King's newly condensed hundred-zhang demonic form with nine heads and eighteen arms was shattered by the sword energy.

The sword energy pierced through all the acupoints across the Crimson Sky Demon King's body. Though his demonic form was repeatedly severed by the sword energy, it continuously regenerated within the sword light.

However, what gushed from the wounds wasn't demon blood, but his damaged primordial spirit, now covered in fine sword marks.

The first strike fell.

The Crimson Sky Demon King vomited blood profusely as a strand of his bloodline was severed.

The sea of blood in his chest churned violently.

Then came the second strike - silent and soundless.

Not daring to underestimate this attack, the Crimson Sky Demon King burned his own feathers.

A pair of enormous wings unfurled behind him, every feather blazing with fire.

He folded these fiery wings tightly around himself like a cocoon.

Simultaneously, the Vermilion Bird divine blood within him and the Great Ascension realm's natural laws activated, surging over his body like a torrent.

This tremendous power interwove across his form, coalescing into flowing armor of crimson gold and dark red.

The armor's surface shimmered with strange patterns as ancient demonic scripts surfaced upon it.

These demonic scripts squirmed like living creatures, constantly shifting and flickering.

"Come!"

When the sword's cry finally resounded through the heavens,

The Crimson Sky Demon King froze.

Hmm? Why hadn't the sword fallen yet?

Suddenly he looked down to see a vertical line slowly splitting open across his chest.

That sword had struck its target even before being fully drawn.

"Pfft!!"

The Crimson Sky Demon King's body reformed amidst the flames.

He raised his hand, sending a meteor shower of fiery sparks raining toward Lingxu.

Lingxu showed no fear. "Have another sword then!"

"........"

One Great Ascension cultivator wasn't enough for you, Lingxu?

Then let's have several more.

The Happy Old Man took a deep breath, his aged fingers like snake skin clutching several chess pieces.

The entire tower swayed precariously under the storm's fury as the Happy Old Man stood alone.

He extended a finger and lightly tapped the void.

Instantly, a dazzling light shot from his fingertip.

As this radiance appeared, an immense power rippled outward.

Then a broad Great Dao path slowly unfolded across the void.

Without hesitation, the Happy Old Man stepped onto this path.

His figure vanished from this world, entering another realm.

His silhouette gradually receded along the Great Dao until disappearing at its end.

Behind him emerged the phantom of an enormous dharma form.

Strangely, unlike others whose dharma forms were projections of themselves,

The Happy Old Man's dharma form was an inverted sundial.

Its hand moved slowly - but in reverse.

This wasn't mere reversal of a sundial. As it turned backward, it seemed to reverse time's very flow.

With each rotation of the sundial, the River of Time rapidly spread across the Eastern Desolate Demon Territory.

The Happy Old Man's hair turned completely white as his lifespan drained away at terrifying speed.

This was irreversible longevity.

Blood streamed continuously from his seven apertures.

In the blood pool, the demons who had been sacrificed now began reassembling.

Their bodies moved in eerie reverse motion, slowly returning to the altar.

Time flowed backward, reversing the River of Time.

Within this reversed temporal flow, long-dead lives gradually revived.

The Wasted Bone Elder, Luo Zhi, The Toad, the nine-tailed fox Bai Li...

Their figures emerged one after another.

This was why they had willingly chosen sacrifice initially.

Lingxu stared in shock at this scene. Even he was nearly dumbstruck.

This...

What kind of move was this!?

The Toad examined his restored body with disbelief.

The other demon kings reacted similarly.

However, they didn't remain stunned for long.

Soon they proceeded with their prepared next phase.

"My turn!!"

The Wasted Bone Elder eagerly extended his hands and viciously tore his own body apart.

In the Eastern Desolate Demon Territory, the blood pool's contents boiled again, roaring and churning.

The demons who had just been sacrificed once more willingly offered their lives to become offerings for the Wasted Bone Elder's Great Ascension breakthrough.

This time, the demon kings acted even more decisively.

Clearly, having done this once before, they were more proficient now.

Since they knew they could revive, there was nothing left to fear.

Thus they unhesitatingly sacrificed themselves again.

A path to heaven formed from reassembled blood and bone.

The Wasted Bone Elder's body underwent astonishing changes in an instant as light flowed across him.

Chaos demon marks slithered like snakes across his skin.

Simultaneously, his dharma form rapidly expanded, transforming in the blink of an eye into a towering skeletal demon god.

Compared to the Crimson Sky Demon King's demonic form, the Wasted Bone Elder's resembled the descent of the Thunder Department's chief deity.

Each breath triggered storms as countless lightning bolts erupted from his nostrils and mouth, creating terrifying spectacle.

From Tribulation Transcendence peak, he ascended again to Great Ascension.

Only they knew how much lifespan this consumed, or how long it could last.

Clearly, they wouldn't resort to such methods unless absolutely desperate.

Two Great Ascension cultivators abruptly descended upon Cangzhou.

Burial Armament City emitted a dull hum as weapon spirits trembled.

The city's ruler extended a hand from his wide sleeve and gave a light wave.

Immediately, Burial Armament City regained its calm.

Two Great Ascension cultivators?

This was the demons' confidence?

From within the Great Dao of Time, the Happy Old Man extended another finger.

The star chart beneath his feet grew increasingly distinct.

A black chess piece flew out.

Behind him, the sundial reversed yet again.

The Happy Old Man laughed wildly at the sky.

"Hahahaha!!"

"The most valuable wager in this life is nothing but my worthless existence."

"Burn away the three souls and seven spirits to illuminate destiny's obscurity."

"Even betting my life, I'll still defeat heaven by half a move!!"