BOOM!

However, in the next moment, the Sword Key, condensed from golden light, suddenly burst apart, turning into a sky full of golden radiance!

"Ah—!"

A scream erupted!

WHOOSH!

A person burst out from within the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion!

"Damn it! Damn it! The Sword Key that I spent hundreds of millions of years refining! You brat actually destroyed it! You dare ruin my plans! You're seeking death! I curse you! I curse you to be struck down by endless thunder! I curse you to never be reborn! Get out of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain! I curse you so you never get back on your feet!" the sinister voice roared crazily.

"Not good! Run!"

Outside the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, numerous cultivators heard the terrifying, ghastly roar and fled in horror!

At that moment, inside the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, the fragments of the Sword Key floated in midair. The Sword Spirit of the Sword Key had turned into a mere sword shadow!

"You..." Inside the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, the sinister voice suddenly paused, then emitted a shrill laugh. "So, the Sword Key was just a cover! You wanted to trick me into entering the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, but you actually intended to steal my Sword Key! You wish! The Sword Key belongs to the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion! If you want to steal it, you'll have to dismantle my remnant soul first! You little bastard! Don't delude yourself! The Sword Key is mine!"

BOOM!

Just as the sinister voice finished howling, the sky turned dark. Ominous clouds gathered densely, shot through with flashing lightning and roaring thunder. An extremely dangerous aura spread all around, enveloping the entire Yunxia City!

"Not good! Something's wrong with Ten Thousand Swords Mountain! The Sword Spirit within is reviving!"

"My God! What in the world is that thing?!"

"Run! Ten Thousand Swords Mountain is going to be destroyed!"

The cultivators of Yunxia City panicked and ran for their lives.

"Haha! You little bastard! You destroyed my physical body, and now I'm without one! But I still possess the combat strength of the Nascent Soul Realm! Now let's see what you have to fight me!" the sinister voice laughed wildly from within the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion.

SWISH!

The next second, the sinister voice faded away.

"Hm?"

At the highest point of the Sword Tower, Chen Zheng frowned slightly, his gaze fixed on the golden fragments floating in the air. Within the fragments, a vague figure could be seen, but it quickly dissipated as if it had never truly existed. Moreover, he couldn't feel anything contained within these golden fragments. He didn't even know why he had suddenly made a move.

Could I be connected to the Sword Key? Chen Zheng muttered to himself.

He reached out to grab one of the pieces.

WHOOSH!

However, the moment he touched the golden fragment, it exploded!

"Hmph. Truly useless, unable to withstand even the mark I left behind. Forget it! We'll talk again after you have successfully possessed another identity," a cold voice emanated from the exploded golden fragment before completely vanishing.

BOOM!

CRACK!

High above the Sword Tower, the sky was now oppressively dark, as though a massive entity was about to descend. Lightning flashed and thunder roared through the clouds, threatening to tear the sky apart at any moment!

WHOOSH!

Suddenly, a rift tore open in the pitch-black sky. It was a colossal, blood-red gate. As the crimson gate cracked open a sliver, strange howls echoed out.

"Ah!"

"What kind of monster is that?!"

"Save me!"

Outside the Sword Tower, the cultivators of every clan in Yunxia City stared at the suddenly opened blood-red gate, their faces filled with horror. They felt an unprecedented sense of dread, despair, and fear.

WHOOSH!

At the same instant, the colossal gate fiercely sucked inwards!

"Ah!"

"No!"

"Save me!"

"Spare me!"

In the blink of an eye, thousands of cultivators were devoured by the gate. A moment later, the gate was restored to its original state, while the thousands of cultivators were reduced to nothing but white bones.

"Ah!"

Atop the Yunxiao Pavilion, the cultivators looking at the scene outside trembled uncontrollably. What courage did they have left to fight for treasure?

"My wife and children!"

"Help!"

"Ah! I don't want to die!"

At that moment, a man and a woman, both Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators, tried to flee in a panic. But just as they flew out of the Yunxiao Pavilion's range, their bodies burst with a loud BANG, turning into two heaps of white bones!

HISS!

Inside the Yunxiao Pavilion, all the remaining cultivators gasped in cold horror. They could clearly feel that the temperature inside the pavilion had dropped by more than tenfold, making each of them feel as if they were in an ice cellar.

"Why do I feel like I'm falling into an abyss?"

"My spell power has been suppressed!"

"What is that!"

Just then, outside the Yunxiao Pavilion and the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, many people suddenly appeared.

"This is Yunxiao Pavilion! It is the private property of my Li Family! You cannot take it! Stealing is forbidden!"

"I am an elder of the Wang Family! If you dare touch my Wang Family's property, you will face an endless hunt!"

Outside the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, cultivators from the Wang Family and the Li Family confronted each other. The Wang Family elder glared at the Li Family elder.

"Hmph! Li Family Head, Li Family Elder! Are you provoking the Yunxia Sect? Have you thought about the consequences? I'm telling you, this is the Ten Thousand Swords Mountain of the Yunxia Sect! An ancient great demon is sealed within it. Once that demon breaks free, the Yunxia Sect certainly won't intervene! If you know what's good for you, leave Yunxiao Pavilion immediately. Otherwise, not even my Wang Family will be able to protect you!" The Wang Family elder's gaze swept across the crowd, finally locking onto the Li Family Head, Li Yuanqing, atop the pavilion as he asked with cold indifference.

"Hmph! Who do you think you are? So what if it's Ten Thousand Swords Mountain? Why would my Li Family fear your insignificant Wang Family! If you dare to stop my Li Family today, we will not let this go! For every person in your Wang Family, my Li Family will slay one of yours! We don't believe your Wang Family can bear those consequences!" Li Yuanqing retorted viciously.

"Hmph!" The Wang Family elder sneered, raising his right hand and pointing directly at Li Yuanqing.

CRACKLE!

In an instant, a dark gleam shot out!

SPURT!

Li Yuanqing's right shoulder was pierced through, and blood gushed out.

"Ah!" he howled in pain.

Although he had already entered the Core Formation Stage, was protected by a defensive magic artifact, and was bolstered by a formation, he had absolutely no power to resist an ancestor at the Body Integration Realm. Moreover, his injuries were worsening, and his lifespan was rapidly draining away.

"Hmph! You think you're safe hiding inside Yunxiao Pavilion? You're wrong! Even Yunxiao Pavilion can't block an attack from the Sword Key! Once the Sword Key explodes, everyone inside the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion will be turned to ash! You will be the scourge of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, and your Li Family will become the public enemy of the entire Azure Dragon Empire!" the Wang Family elder sneered again.

"You... You vicious old man!" Li Yuanqing's face was twisted with ferocious rage.

"Heh! Me, ruthless? Compared to your Li Family, my Wang Family doesn't even come close! I advise you to obediently hand over the Command of Ten Thousand Swords and avoid bringing this disaster upon yourself," the Wang Family elder taunted. His gaze shifted, fixating on the command token. "This magic treasure now belongs to me!"

WHOOSH!

He shot forward, charging out!

"You dare!" Li Yuanqing roared.

"Old fool! You're asking for death!" the Li Family cultivators yelled, cursing at the Wang Family elder as they snapped back to their senses.

"Jie jie! The Command of Ten Thousand Swords is mine!" the Wang Family elder cackled, now only ten yards away from it. He could grab it with a simple reach.

Unfortunately for him, the Command of Ten Thousand Swords vibrated, and a beam of sword light surged forth!

SQUELCH!

The Wang Family elder's chest exploded on the spot!

THUD!

He crashed to the ground.

"Ah—!" a final scream rang out.

A gaping hole had been torn through the Wang Family elder's chest.

"The Command of Ten Thousand Swords, accepting a mere ant as its master... that truly surprises me. But I had already anticipated this and made thorough preparations. I have invited the forbidden figure of Ten Thousand Swords Mountain here. Today, your Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion must be destroyed! None of you can run, and none of you can escape!"