The sound of Subdue Evil’s sword was equally resounding: [An Jing, in this world, there is no ceremony where sacrifice guarantees reward. Thinking ’as long as I die, things will get better’ is a form of escapism, a defeat without fighting. It is using the disappearance of life to evade the responsibility of seeking the ’best of both worlds,’ the most arduous path. The world does not believe in tears or self-sentiment, and mere self-sentiment and self-sacrifice cannot transform into true victory]

[Only through struggle, only through eternal confrontation and conflict, only through battles against all forms of corruption can miracles and tomorrow be attained!]

[The so-called ’loving oneself more than loving all beings’ is the greed and arrogance to defy ’certain death.’ An Jing, by wielding me, you have swung this self-destructive sword; are you afraid of death? Do you not think you can... transcend death?]

"Indeed, how could I fear death."

The sword thus spoke, while the Martial Artist holding the sword, who cherished life, had countless fragments floating around the whole body. An Jing smiled and calmly said, "I have never considered ’death’ as a part of the plan... Sacrifice is the most sacred battle, not a tool sacrificed for victory. I cherish life so much; as long as each person is willing to fight, they are heroes, they are resisting. I just hope..."

"All beings do not underestimate themselves; every life, every person, is of utmost importance."

[This is the reason you can hold me]

Subdue Evil softly said: [Every life is immensely important, but do not forget, your life is equally important... I still do not know how you plan to survive, and I do not wish for you to become a sacrificed offering]

"Subdue Evil, rest assured. If I were to abandon my own life for the endless multitude’s lives, that would also be a light and effortless sacrifice, a type of evil thought, a form of corruption."

An Jing did not hurry. He calmly said, "Although it sounds strange, it is just so. When facing this Heavenly Demon that devours all will and dreams, only an uncompromising certain victory, leaving no room for gaps or regrets... conclusion."

"Is the only way to win."

"So I will certainly survive."

Even as he spoke, the figure of the Martial Artist holding the Heavenly Sword was gradually shattering. Not only that, but even the Cave Heaven behind him, the manifested four-faced god, and the central Heavenly Emperor’s phantom were also shattering. Yet, in the midst of shattering, the sword light of the Heavenly Sword swept across the Abyss, clearing all Heavenly Demons, anomalies, and disasters from the world.

[The ultimate of Sword Dao... above the causality of life and death, the purest destruction, oppression, and depiction]

On the ruins above Shenjing, within the North Mysterious Sacrifice Continent, the Heavenly Cutting Venerable, who was originally combating four Great Heavenly Demons, couldn’t help but shift attention to the sword light of the Heavenly Sword. For a Sword Cultivator, this was a temptation they could not resist. If they could just glimpse more of Subdue Evil’s full power, they would gladly die.

However, soon, Heavenly Cutting, who was preparing to endure several Heavenly Demon attacks, discovered that the Heavenly Demons did not attack at all. With a shift of the Divine Sense, Heavenly Cutting was astonished to find that all four Exalted Great Heavenly Demons, including Heavenly Decline, had turned and left without the slightest intention to entangle!

[What, running so fast?!]

Heavenly Cutting Venerable was astounded, but it was too presumptuous. From start to finish, the Heavenly Demons planned to flee first.

As for Supreme Heavenly Demon, Embracing the Void Saint Demon? Haha, wish them good luck; after all, the Heavenly Demons are synonymous with corruption, betrayal, and senselessness. It’s common for demons to scapegoat superiors and run, no big deal to revive them later.

Even some lower-level Heavenly Demons might be secretly delighted: If the Embracing the Void Saint Demon and Supreme Heart Demon were to resurrect, they would lose all self-awareness, directly reduced to a shred of Demon Thought.

It must be known, Heavenly Demons lack True Spirit, fundamentally devoid of the concept of ’self,’ being purely other-transformed entities. Reduced to a shred of Demon Thought is an even more thorough death than soul destruction.

[An Jing was indeed willing to wield the Heavenly Sword at the cost of his own death? Such wastefulness, I figured he could at least entangle with the Lord for tens of thousands of years. These humans, always so unreasonable!]

At this moment, Decay was rather exasperated, and even the Heavenly Demons were blurting out statements accusing humans of being unreasonable. But Jiexin was not at all surprised. He softly said: [Your cycle that leads humanity to decay, then births heroes from decay, only for those heroes to fall and turn into decay again, has already played out for hundreds of thousands of years, quite long.]

[Everyone knows you hope to find an eternal cycle of corruption, so the Lord never awakens, and humanity never attains victory, hoping to complete eternal decay, thereby becoming the new Lord, reversing to swallow the Heart Demon and Holy Demon... But with so many lunatics among humans, how can you ensure a hero isn’t a lunatic?]

Speaking thus, he turned his head, looking toward An Jing’s direction, with a tone full of admiration: [In my opinion, this time An Jing indeed won, but we did not lose either. A hero falls, the Heavenly Sword once more shrouded in vagueness, and maybe this time... I can attempt to beguile Subdue Evil again, perhaps winning instead of being suppressed.]

Escaping from the Demon Suppression Valley of Hanging Fate Manor, Jiexin was precisely one among the numerous Great Heavenly Demons aimed to erode Subdue Evil, only to be suppressed, even a collective of them.

On the other side, Bitter Silence silently gazed at An Jing and Subdue Evil, his eyes exceedingly complex. Only in the end did he softly mutter: [Why now are you willing to wield the sword?]

[And back then... why let go? Why sit and watch the rot of the human world?]

Compared to the other Exalted Great Heavenly Demons, Bitter Silence has the simplest origin, not a collection of multiple fallen ones, thus retaining the most humanity and memory, which instead becomes his powerful source of corruption. As right now, overflowing with resentment, regret, loneliness, and rancor, these almost compelled him to solidify the ice in his hand into a sword again, unable to resist rushing to where Subdue Evil was, to die in that sword light.

[What are you daydreaming about, hurry and leave!]

Seeing such inclination, Heavenly Decline, being the oldest and most potent, second only to Supreme Heart Demon and Embracing the Void Saint Demon, clearly noticed Bitter Silence’s intent to go and explode with An Jing and Subdue Evil?

Without any hesitation, he stirred up an all-encompassing dark tide, intending to vanish alongside the scattered Heavenly Demons into the crevices of nature, the source of anomalies, evading the aftermath of the Heavenly Sword.

At this moment, An Jing also noticed the edge of the battlefield and saw these familiar old friends.