The scenes unfolding in the city chilled everyone on the mountain to the bone. The insect army of Three Marvels Fortress didn’t even have time to mobilize before it was drowned in a sea of fire and flying swords, utterly routed.
Three Marvels Fortress’s insect army was formidable, but caught off guard, both soldiers and insects were burned alive.
The female troops of Leaving‑Love Palace were fierce, but in an instant they suffered a devastating blow. Countless swords shot down from the sky, piercing their bodies; many died where they stood, riddled with wounds.
By the time the bodies fell, the swords that killed them had already flown back up, returning neatly to the sword cases behind the cavalry.
The disciples of the various rebel factions barely had time to react before the elephant infantry scattered them, forcing each to fight on their own.
No matter how high their cultivation, facing the formation‑arts of the Everpeace soldiers, they were cut down in an instant!
Sect disciples, as individuals, were stronger than ordinary soldiers, but their cohesion was poor—one charge was enough to scatter them. Even the rebel troops who were originally Everpeace’s regular army, well‑trained and disciplined, were caught off guard and routed; once the lines broke, it was already too late.
This was a massacre. Under the banners of the Cult of the Heavenly Demon, the surprise attack was flawless—any army faced with this kind of ambush would meet the same fate.
Total annihilation.
On the mountain, the Bronze‑Mask Strategist trembled, his voice shaking: “Two paths, two paths…”
The Imperial Preceptor of Everpeace gave them two choices: one path was for the Everpeace army to crush them all the way to the South Sea, exterminating them completely—this was the court’s rule.
The other path was to follow Jianghu rules—they would challenge the Imperial Preceptor, and the commanders would fight to the death.
They had always thought they could choose one of the two paths, but hadn’t expected both to be chosen together: the Imperial Preceptor would both kill them and annihilate the rebel army.
“When did the Cult of the Heavenly Demon start serving the court?”
Palace Master Delia Qiu of Leaving-Love Palace said sternly: “When did the supreme sacred ground of the demonic path become the court’s hound?”
The Heaven-Severing Sword Formula of Leaving-Love Palace required its practitioner to be free of love and hate, to have no emotions or grudges in their heart. Only by reaching this highest state of swordsmanship, with a heart as clear as a flawless mirror, could the sword reflect the world perfectly.
But now, Palace Master Delia Qiu of Leaving-Love Palace saw her disciples being slaughtered, and her state of mind was thrown into chaos.
Her inner turmoil was no small matter. The Imperial Preceptor pointed a finger, his fingertip yuanqi turning into sword-light that exploded toward her throat in an instant!
Not only was Palace Master Delia’s heart thrown into chaos, but so were the others. When the Imperial Preceptor attacked, no one managed to intervene in time.
“We’re going to die…” Wayne Shen and the others all had the same thought.
The mountain was sealed by the eight-hundred-mu Heaven-Prison array; shockwaves from the battle couldn’t escape, only rebound within. The instant the Imperial Preceptor and his foes clashed, Wayne Shen and the others feared they’d be shattered by the aftershocks.
Just as the Imperial Preceptor struck, a giant flag suddenly appeared in front of Quinn and the others, snapping open with a loud crack. The flag swept over them, including the Dragon-Qilin—one jolt, and in an instant, flag and people vanished together.
A heartbeat later, Quinn and his companions reappeared at the mountain’s base. Wayne Shen, Elias Yun, Claire Yue and the rest looked around to see dozens of straw-hat figures beside them, unfurling their flags.
Hundreds of these strange figures formed a ring around the city’s central mountain, their banners fluttering, shrouding the entire peak. An aged voice shouted, “Go!”
Whoosh—
Hundreds of banners swept through the air. As the cloth passed, the mountain behind them—along with every cult-master-level figure atop it, including the Imperial Preceptor—was teleported away!
Where the mountain had stood, only a stretch of bare ground remained, the crushed City Lord’s Manor marking the spot.
Wayne Shen, Elias Yun and the others were left in shock and confusion, only to see the straw-hat figures raise their flags again, draping the cloth over themselves—and them.
Before Wayne Shen and the rest could react, a banner had already covered them. The world spun; when their feet touched solid ground again, they found themselves far from the carnage of Southreach City, standing atop a windswept mountain peak.
The peak was towering, the wind howling, whipping their clothes and hair. All around them stood hundreds of straw-hat figures, silently encircling them.
Wayne Shen and the others suppressed their shock and exchanged silent glances: “They’re Cult of the Heavenly Demon experts—who knows what they want with us now that we’ve been kidnapped…”
The Cult of the Heavenly Demon—mysterious, unrivaled as the first sacred ground of the demonic path—has always acted in secrecy. The Everpeace court has investigated them more than once, but never found much of use.
This time, the Cult of the Heavenly Demon has aided the Imperial Preceptor and taken them away from the battlefield—clearly, they have some scheme in mind.
Suddenly, the straw-hat figures took off their hats, assumed the disciple posture, and bowed in unison: “Subordinates salute the Cult Master Holy Teacher! Salute the Saintess!”
Wayne Shen and the others were at a loss, staring at the bowing Cult of the Heavenly Demon experts in fear. Elias Yun squeezed his eyes shut and cried, “I didn’t see anything! I didn’t see your faces—don’t kill me to keep the secret!”
At that moment, a familiar voice sounded beside them: “Rise, no need for such ceremony.”
“Thank you, Cult Master Holy Teacher.”
The straw-hat figures rose, and Wayne Shen and the others turned in shock to see who had spoken.
The first Great Ruins abandoned child to enter the Imperial Academy, its first Academy Fellow—Quinn Shepherd—he’s the Cult Master of the demonic sect?
Quinn Shepherd smiled gently at them.
Claire Yue’s voice trembled: “If the Academy Fellow is the Cult Master, then which one of you is the Saintess?”
Serena Yunxiang gave her a shy smile; Claire Yue’s skin crawled.
“I see Everglow Hall’s Imperial Supervisor Jian Sansheng! And Array Hall’s Imperial Supervisor Chen Yunting!”
Wayne Shen recognized the Sword Hall Master and Formation Hall Master, and his heart sank. He muttered, “We’re doomed. We’re absolutely doomed…”
Elias Yun burst out, “You saw their true faces, so you’re doomed! Why’d you say their names out loud? I had my eyes shut, but now I’ve heard them—so I’m doomed too!”
The Sword Hall Master glanced at the four Academy elites and said, “Holy Cult Master, now that they’ve seen our true faces, should we behead them to prevent future trouble?”
Elias Yun quickly opened his eyes, looking at Quinn Shepherd, and said with a forced grin, “Fellow Academy member—Holy Cult Master, we’re classmates, remember? You’ve beaten me up before! Fox Spirit—Lina, you know I’ve always given you lots of money—can’t you say a good word for me?”
Lina the Spirit Fox cocked her head, flicked her tail, and indicated she couldn’t help.
Quinn Shepherd reassured them: “Don’t worry, Elias. And the rest of you, relax—I’m here. I’ll take care of everything.”
He turned to the Sword Hall Master: “Sword Hall, they’re all Academy classmates. Ask if they’re willing to join the Holy Cult. If not, just bury them here in this beautiful spot.”
Quinn turned back to his friends and said, “Relax, relax. I’ll handle it.”
Elias Yun was terrified, his scalp prickling—if he had hair, it would stand on end.
Quinn added, almost casually, “Sword Hall, when you kill them, don’t do it in front of me. Wayne, Claire, don’t worry—we’re not real devils who burn and loot. Just put your hearts at ease… draw your swords quickly so they feel less pain…”
“I heard that!”
Elias Yun cried, “Sword Hall, don’t come near me—I’m already a member of the demonic sect… no, I mean the Holy Cult!”
Claire Yue glanced at Wayne Shen. "Senior brother, what should we do?"
Wayne Shen hesitated. “This time the Cult of the Heavenly Demon helped the Imperial Preceptor, so they’re on the court’s side. Joining them isn’t so bad. If we don’t join…”
He twitched, falling silent.
Claire Yue breathed out. “Joining the Cult of the Heavenly Demon isn’t so bad. Let’s just join.”
With her decision, her Wolf Thrall guard naturally had no objection.
Claire Yue batted her eyes at Serena Yunxiang. “Saintess, if we refused to join, you really wouldn’t kill us, right?”
Serena Yunxiang smiled softly. “The Cult Master is kind-hearted—he was just joking.”
Elias Yun let out a breath. “I knew it was a joke! Quinn, you were joking just now, right? Quinn?”
Quinn Shepherd just laughed, saying nothing. Elias Yun’s face turned ashen.
Quinn walked to the cliff’s edge, gazing toward another distant peak—the battlefield where the Imperial Preceptor and more than ten cult-master-level powerhouses fought, over ten li away.
The Heaven-Prison Seal the Bronze-Mask Strategist and others had set was shattered, leaving hole after hole. Terrifying storms roared out, tearing up swathes of forest and hurling trees into the air, shredding them to splinters.
The battle atop that mountain was monstrous—a life-and-death struggle between cult-master-level powerhouses. Even at this distance, through the remnants of the seal, they could feel pulses of terrifying power.
Whoosh—
Another gale swept over. Wayne Shen and the others finally realized that the wind atop the mountain was the result of the distant battle.
Quinn Shepherd said softly, “Sword Hall, Formation Hall, Everglow Hall, stand ready. Be prepared to respond if anything happens.”
The wind grew stronger, bending the trees on the mountain. Each gust followed the last, and just as the trees straightened, another wave knocked them over again—some snapped clean in half.
That mountain peak had already been shattered—Quinn saw the battlefield growing lower and lower, until it was almost level with the ground.
Even from this distance, using the Divine Firmament Heaven Eye and Azure Heaven Eye, Quinn could see the fighting there, but not clearly. Their movements were too fast—even the Azure Heaven Eye couldn’t catch their tracks, let alone their techniques.
Quinn could only judge how many were left atop the mountain by the motion trails their movements left behind.
“Another cult-master-level powerhouse has just fallen,” Quinn thought, his heart trembling.
Claire Yue glanced around, noticing the Cult of the Heavenly Demon experts simply standing silently on the peak, watching the distant battle, with no intention of helping. She asked in confusion, “Aren’t you going to help?”
“No.”
Quinn explained, “The Imperial Preceptor can resolve this alone. Three ancient monsters from the old era once ambushed him and managed to injure a completely unprepared Preceptor amid ten thousand troops, but if the Preceptor himself launches a sneak attack, there is almost no one who can withstand him. The Holy Cult’s function here is to create the opening for him to strike; that instant when rebel sect masters are distracted is the best moment for the Preceptor’s killing blows. The cult does not need to fight alongside him; it merely needs to move the ‘mountain’ and reshape the battlefield so that the Imperial Preceptor’s revolution can decapitate the old era in one stroke.”