After devouring the Spiritual Infant, the chains marking the ancient devil’s body began to fade, and the power of the seal grew weaker by the moment.

"Safeguard? You mean this?" A phantom of a talisman barrier flickered across the Xiyou Leader’s wrist, but the ancient devil didn’t even glance at it. A surge of devilish qi burst forth, forming a vortex that swallowed the talisman barrier whole and easily tore it apart.[1]

The Xiyou Leader gave a bitter, desolate smile.

"Petty tricks!" The ancient devil’s tone dripped with contempt. He turned toward the Devil Lord, his voice mocking. "You call yourself the Devil Lord? Such audacity!"

His gaze swept over both the Xiyou Leader and the Devil Lord. "So, will you offer up your Spiritual Infants willingly, or open your minds and let me plant my devilish barrier? Once you do, you shall serve as my loyal devilish servants."

The Xiyou Leader said nothing. A long flute floated before her. It was her life-bound astra.

Starlight spilled from the flute like drifting dust, transforming into a galaxy that encircled her as a shimmering barrier. The Devil Lord, however, remained calm and unhurried.

"You are an ancient Devil Monarch, sealed for countless years, yet still possess such strength. You must have witnessed the great upheaval of that era. Tell me, do you know why the immortal cultivation world has fallen into such decay? Is there any way for us later generations to break free from this fate?" His tone carried no hostility; rather, it was as if he were asking a question of a senior.

The ancient devil licked his lips, his eyes glinting with bloodlust and malice. "You wish to know? Become my devilish servant, and I will enlighten you. Only by serving me can you break free from this cycle. Otherwise, the late stage of the Spiritual Infant Realm will be your limit. When the heavenly tribulations come, you will perish like dust in the wind."

The Devil Lord let out a quiet sigh. "Perhaps that won’t be necessary. If I search your soul, I’ll learn everything just the same..."

The ancient devil’s expression darkened. "So stubborn. Since you refuse my mercy, I’ll take your Spiritual Infants by force. Kill!"

At his command, the spiritual sword hovering above the Dongji Leader’s head let out a sharp cry. In the next instant, countless sword qi burst forth, forming a vast sword array that descended toward the Xiyou Leader.

The Dongji Leader was a sword cultivator who had comprehended the sword force. His sword array carried immense might, suppressing the Xiyou Leader.

Sword light filled the sky, boundless and blinding, sword qi spreading everywhere like an endless tide.

In comparison, the starry river manifested by the Xiyou Leader’s flute seemed dim and fragile, as if it could be extinguished at any moment. Yet she did not meet the sword array head-on.

Having once been comrades for many years, their understanding of each other’s techniques was intimate and precise. Though they had since gone separate ways to lead their respective alliances, they had often cooperated in secret against rival factions.

They knew the strengths and weaknesses of each other very well. Without panic, she immediately located a weak point within it.

The flute played a soft, ethereal melody, and waves of invisible sound rippled outward. The scattered starlight bloomed like snowflakes, turning the dim river of stars into radiant mystic ice.

The ice-shrouded starlight shielded her, colliding with the surrounding sword qi and both energies dissolved upon contact. Her life-bound astra absorbed the brunt of the attack, allowing her to weave deftly through the gaps of the sword array, swiftly drawing closer to the Devil Lord.

The ancient devil’s movements, however, were even faster and far more terrifying.

Wearing Su Nu’s face, he no longer bore a trace of femininity or beauty, only twisted ferocity. His mouth gaped open in a shrill scream as his body erupted with blinding devilish light, the surrounding devilish qi exploding into a frenzy.

The already dim mountain col fell into total darkness, transformed into a devilish domain.

The ancient devil’s body vanished, hidden within the swirling qi. His concealment technique was so profound and sinister that no one could detect his presence.

Seeing this, the Devil Lord squinted slightly. Without moving a muscle, eerie howls suddenly rose around him. These were ghostly wails that pierced the mind and shook the spirit. Then, brilliant light flared beside him.

Within that light, countless evil spirits appeared, their crimson eyes glaring fiercely as they crowded together, snarling and clawing at the void, searching for the ancient devil.

It was the Devil Lord’s signature supernatural ability, the Divine Lunar Ghostlight.

Devilish qi surged like a storm, pressing down from all directions. The ancient devil clearly intended to capture both the Devil Lord and the Xiyou Leader in a single strike.

In an instant, the Devil Lord was engulfed by the rolling devilish qi. Yet the Divine Lunar Ghostlight was not suppressed. It flared brighter, surging against the tide like a roaring ocean, striving to tear through the true devilish qi and expose the ancient devil’s true form.

The Divine Lunar Ghostlight was hailed as the foremost divine light in Canglang Sea. It was a supernatural ability of ultimate yin and evil, dreaded by all. But even the mighty Devil Lord wavered under the oppressive might of the devilish qi.

His light could not disperse the darkness; forced onto the defensive, parts of the radiance were devoured. The evil spirits within it vanished one after another, unable even to scream.

Outmatched, the Devil Lord did not panic. His eyes gleamed sharply as his hand tightened. The divine light condensed inward, becoming compact and restrained, forming a Lunar Ghost Blade.

With a single swing, the blade cleaved through layer upon layer of devilish qi. From within the darkness came a faint, startled grunt. A black shadow flickered into view before blurring again, narrowly evading the blade.

The ancient devil’s true body had been found but the strike, though perfectly timed, failed to harm him. The Devil Lord’s relaxed composure vanished, replaced by grim resolve.

By now, the Dongji and Xiyou Leaders had clashed their way closer. The ancient devil seized the moment, gathering his true devilish qi into a massive curtain that descended upon both the Devil Lord and the Xiyou Leader.

The curtain fell with world-shaking might, combining with the Dongji Leader’s sword array to crush them both.

The Xiyou Leader’s face turned pale. She urged her flute to life, maneuvering within the narrow gaps of the sword array as she struggled to regroup with the Devil Lord.

A figure arrived in haste at the edge of the mountain col. It was the old man who had earlier taken the jade stele.

One glance at the chaotic battlefield made him gasp sharply. "The ancient devil!" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

He had come too late. The creature had already broken free from the stele but thankfully, the seal had not been fully undone.

"Devil Lord! Xiyou Leader! Was it you who released the ancient devil?" Spotting the Lunar Ghost Blade, the old man recognized the two cultivators fighting the ancient devil and sent a furious voice transmission.

The Devil Lord, having failed to wound his opponent, withdrew his blade defensively. Sensing the transmission, his eyes flickered with intrigue. "Who are you? You know the ancient devil was sealed here? Are you an heir of the Four Saints Palace? I hadn’t expected the long-fallen Four Saints Palace to still have a hidden master. You’ve come at a good time, Daoist..."

"Do you have any idea what grave sin you’ve committed? If the ancient devil escapes, the entire Canglang Sea will drown in blood!" The old man’s fury boiled over, his voice trembling with rage.

The Devil Lord sneered. "I don’t see this ancient devil as so fearsome. Strong, yes, but not invincible. Let it rage for now. Once reinforcements arrive, slaying him will be easy. Stop wasting breath with empty warnings. If you have the strength, help us break free and gather more allies. If we delay any longer, he''ll escape, devour more Spiritual Infants, and that will be the true catastrophe."

"You..." The old man’s vision swam with anger.

Then, catching sight of the Dongji Leader, his expression darkened even further.

These three were among the most renowned cultivators in the entire domain, yet not only had they broken the ancient devil’s seal, one of them had already fallen under his influence.

1. The full title will be shortened from here to make sentences smoother and easier to read. Xiyou Alliance's leader → Xiyou Leader; Beichen Alliance's leader → Beichen Leader; Dongji Alliance's leader → Dongji Leader. ☜