In the eyes of the Hua Family disciples, Family Head Hua Zhaoting had not drawn his sword for a very long time.

After the fall of the Immortal Capital, the few in the Immortal Sects closest to ascension became the supreme beings of the mortal realm, unrivaled by any.

Although Evil Demons had run rampant these years, growing ever more brazen and unrestrained, every extermination mission had been a joint effort of the sects. The occasions that truly required Hua Zhaoting to draw his sword in earnest were few and far between.

The last time was a long, long time ago in the Jiaming Wilderness. The people of the Hua Family and Zhaoye City had met by chance. That Black Bodhisattva was about to cause some disaster for City Lord Wu Xingxue, but was stopped by a single strike from Hua Zhaoting's sword.

Hua Zhaoting had entered the Dao through the sword. Although he usually spoke with courtesy and tact, that was merely a disposition cultivated from sitting in the Family Head's position for too long, dealing with sect affairs day in and day out.

But anyone who had seen him make a move knew that his Sword Dao naturally carried a commanding joy and an overwhelming aura that could pierce the high heavens.

Among the few who were close to ascension, he might not have been the strongest, but he was certainly not to be trifled with.

And at this moment, as a golden sword light pierced through the clouds, the disciples of the Hua Family heard a long, metallic cry that resounded throughout Peach Blossom Isle—

Hua Zhaoting had drawn his sword!

The disciples' blood boiled in an instant.

Those who were in the Jiaming Wilderness back then still remembered the breathtaking brilliance and soaring momentum of their Family Head's sword after it was unsheathed.

What a fortune it was to witness it again.

And so, with a turn of their wrists, the nearly one thousand Hua Family disciples instantly redirected their countless summoned flying swords! Following Hua Zhaoting, their sword tips all aimed in unison at the giant golden sword of light smashing down from the sky.

But as soon as the flying swords were sent out, the disciples' expressions changed abruptly!

Because they saw Hua Zhaoting's sword.

The clear Sword Qi that had once wreathed the blade was gone, replaced by web-like red threads that ran from the hilt all the way down, covering the entire sword body. Those who were closer could even smell a sweet, metallic scent on the sword.

The moment he drew his sword, all the skins, heads, and Evil Demon remnants in the courtyard began to stir restlessly.

Something's wrong!

Something's really wrong!

There's something wrong with this sword!

A storm raged in everyone's hearts, but then, another thought flashed through their minds—

What if the problem wasn't the sword?

What if... the Family Head who had led them on this night's hunt for the Evil Demon had no intention of hunting it down, but was instead like those worshipping Evil Demon remains and Master Yi Wusheng?

For the past twenty-five years, every disciple on Peach Blossom Isle had to visit the Punishment Hall every morning and evening to prevent anyone possessed by an Evil Demon from hiding among them. Even the Elder of the Punishment Hall himself was no exception.

This order was given by the Family Head, and only two people had never been checked. One was Yi Wusheng, whose poor health often kept him in seclusion. The other was the Family Head, Hua Zhaoting himself.

The disciples' scalps tingled! But by now, it was too late to do anything. They only had time to raise their faces—

—only to see the countless flying swords turn to dust before they even got near the golden light. In an instant, they vanished like smoke.

The disciples' bodies shuddered as if their skulls had been struck, and their fingers gripping their scabbards went numb.

Then came countless "clang" sounds, and in an instant, nearly a thousand people had lost their magical weapons.

They could only stare wide-eyed as Family Head Hua Zhaoting spun his blood-red sword, carrying a surging, coiling demonic aura, its tip pointed upward! The Sword Intent shot straight into the sky, clashing fiercely with the golden light.

Clang—

A piercing sound of metal striking metal erupted!

In that instant, the brilliance was dazzling. Everyone was forced to shut their eyes, and then they heard a kind of ringing hum.

They struggled to open their eyes, only to see the giant golden sword of light pressing against the tip of Hua Zhaoting's sword, forcefully bearing down, its momentum and power undiminished in the slightest.

Hua Zhaoting was horrified!

He had never anticipated that there could be a sword he couldn't block, and his expression instantly became extremely ugly.

Then he discovered: this sword strike was more than just unblockable.

Under the sharpness of that giant golden sword of light, his Sword Intent was rendered useless, and cracks appeared on his longsword. As the giant sword pressed down, his own sword shattered all the way.

In the end, Hua Zhaoting abruptly released his grip, and the hilt fell to the ground.

He dug his feet into the stone ground and retreated several zhang, spitting out a mouthful of black blood.

Of the thousand people present, none had expected a head-on clash to end like this. They were all stunned, and a great storm raged in their hearts.

"Who exactly is in Qiwu Courtyard?!"

To be precise, they should have been asking: "Who exactly were those two guests who disappeared from the guest room in the middle of the night?"

Between that Young Master Cheng and his puppet, one of them must be an Evil Demon in human skin to have attracted all the living and dead Evil Demons on Peach Blossom Isle to come and worship.

But if even the Four Hall Elders' Yi Wusheng and Family Head Hua Zhaoting couldn't stand against them, who exactly was that Evil Demon wearing human skin?

Thinking about it this way, the conclusion was terrifying.

The disciples all thought of the rumor that had been circulating everywhere since morning—the Canglang Northern Domain had collapsed, and the Great Demon Lord Wu Xingxue, who had been locked inside for twenty-five years, might still be alive, and might have even gotten out!

They all looked at each other, and in a flash, countless possibilities flew through their minds, draining the color from their faces.

But in the next moment, they were dumbfounded again.

Because after shattering Hua Zhaoting's sword, the giant golden sword of light slammed into the ground, embedding itself deep in the stone, its aftershock causing it to hum and tremble.

When the golden light dissipated, the character on the illusory giant sword came clearly into everyone's view.

It was a "Mian" character.

Everyone: "..."

Everyone: "??????"

Just as everyone was lost in shock, Hua Zhaoting failed in his counterattack, turned into a black shadow, and instantly vanished into the night.

He was so shaken by the pressure that his divine soul was gravely injured, and he almost instinctively fled back to his residence, Jianhua Hall. He had just appeared in his room when another golden sword shadow pierced straight through his back shoulder, pinning his entire body to the ground.

The Sword Qi's edge was too sharp, and the force threw the inside of the room into disarray. Tables and chairs were overturned, the bed collapsed, and several flower pots by the wall were also shattered.

When Wu Xingxue and the others chased him into the room, this was the scene that greeted them.

"He—" Yi Wusheng clutched the paper and strode over to Hua Zhaoting's side, his outstretched fingers trembling slightly.

Before he could touch the center of his forehead to probe for a spirit, he heard someone say in a low voice, "Not dead."

He whipped his head around and saw Xiao Fuxuan walk in.

When that giant sword had slammed down, Yi Wusheng had been far away and hadn't seen the illusion clearly. But he was right next to Xiao Fuxuan himself, and just as he finished screaming himself hoarse, "You absolutely must not!", he saw the Mian character on Xiao Fuxuan's scabbard.

And so, his "ah" broke into a squeak.

Afterwards, he discovered that the paper he was clutching also had a Mian character on it, right in the corner, as if pressed by a seal without red ink. It was impossible to see without looking closely.

Yi Wusheng: "..."

At the time, he had clutched the paper, looking at the man who drew the sword with suspicion and uncertainty. After a long moment, he asked, "May I ask your esteemed surname?"

It was unclear what was so amusing about this, but the "Young Master Cheng" beside them suddenly laughed.