Chapter 131: The Final Battle

The figure seemed to be draped in a long gown, tall yet blurred and indistinct.

"Has the Demon Lord awakened?"

The voice was ethereal and cold, as if emanating from some unknown corner.

"Reporting to Demon Commander Qiya, the Demon Lord has indeed awakened. However, she was discovered by Shang Yu, a subordinate of another Demon Commander, and he has been hunting us ever since."

Ming Yexin knew that Demon Commander Qiya was questioning him.

"And how is the Demon Lord now?" A hint of concern laced Qiya’s voice.

"She is perfectly safe. Within the borders of the Tianwu Realm, a powerful Immortal Realm master has protected the Demon Lord and even killed Shang Yu with a single blow..." Ming Yexin briefly recounted the events.

"An Immortal Realm master? Very good. I will make haste to arrive..."

Qiya’s voice faded until it vanished into the air entirely. The incense stick in front of Ming Yexin finally burned to its end.

Above, in the Immortal Realm, within Cloud-Bound City, a middle-aged man in linen robes had been waiting.

The time he had estimated had nearly passed. His message should have been delivered by now; as for Shen Bing and the others, they were likely still on their way. There was no help for it; the Immortal Realm was vast, and communication between it and the lower realms was notoriously poor. Even with their immense strength, they could not bridge the two realms directly.

Today, he finally saw the crystal ball before him light up. It meant a message had arrived. The information within the sphere jumped directly into his mind. He closed his eyes, then opened them again.

"To think that person was actually a demonic cultivator who snuck down there."

"Heh, this is a good thing, then. The Soul-Searching Sect of Cloud-Bound City should be quite pleased."

With that, he rose and headed into Cloud-Bound City. Disguised as an utterly ordinary man, he went straight to a minor subordinate sect of the Soul-Searching Sect.

"The demonic cultivator Ming Yexin, who stole the Soul-Searching Pearl from the Soul-Searching Sect hundreds of years ago, is currently in the Southern Barbarian region of the Tianwu Realm."

He quietly released the message and turned to leave. The members of the Soul-Searching Sect received the news and immediately reported it up the chain. The events of three hundred years ago were known to almost everyone; no one could have imagined that Ming Yexin was hiding in the Tianwu Realm.

This man was on the bounty list—catching him meant a massive reward!

The Soul-Searching Sect occupied the very center of Cloud-Bound City. At this moment, in the great hall of the sect, an old man in black robes hurried toward another elder.

The latter sat upright on the floor in a cross-legged position, his hair trailing behind him—a closer look revealed it to be over ten meters long. Furthermore, it appeared to be constantly growing. The old man himself was as thin as a skeleton.

"Sect Master, we have received fresh intelligence: the demonic cultivator Ming Yexin, who stole our sect’s treasure, the Soul-Searching Pearl, is currently in the Southern Barbarian region of the Tianwu Realm."

The old man remained with his eyes closed, silent, but the hair on the floor began to stir without a breeze.

"Is the source of the intelligence accurate?" A raspy voice emerged from the elder.

The black-robed man stood respectfully to the side. "Reporting to the Sect Master, I cannot yet confirm its veracity, but since the news has surfaced, it must be related. I will send men to the lower realm to investigate, and then I will petition the Sect Master again."

"Granted."

The black-robed elder bowed and withdrew. "I shall arrange the manpower immediately."

He left, and soon, he had gathered all the elders of the Soul-Searching Sect. He relayed the news to them.

"How is that possible?"
"Such a villain is hiding in the Tianwu Realm?"
"I recall that the Tianwu Realm’s status is at most that of a Profound Immortal; who would have thought Ming Yexin was hiding there!"
"Let us go down now. Our sect’s treasure has been missing for over three hundred years—it is time to retrieve it."

Many elders were in agreement that they should act immediately.

"I have already consulted the Sect Master. We will first send men down to verify; if it is true, it will not be too late to dispatch more."

The others nodded. It was true—sending so many powerhouses down now would consume a vast amount of energy just to breach the barrier. It would not be worth the cost.

"Then I shall dispatch my own disciple. He is currently at the Immortal stage—perfect for going to the lower realm!"

...

Meanwhile, in the Southern Immortal Realm.

The Southern Immortal Realm had originally served as a protective layer because it connected to the Forbidden Sea. Beyond the Forbidden Sea lay the Demon Realm. If the Demon Realm intended to pass through the Tianwu Realm, they had to cross the Southern Immortal Realm.

The Southern Immortal Realm had been embroiled in war for years. The current conflict was merely a minor skirmish, dragging on for centuries; it was nothing rare. Thousands of years of fighting had left most of the Southern Immortal Realm in dire straits. Recently, several powerful demonic beings had struck repeatedly, leaving the Southern Immortal Realm struggling to resist. Yet, the other Immortal Realms remained indifferent, acting as if they didn't care whether the south lived or died.

One hundred years ago, the Demon Lord resurrected from the forbidden lands and led his subordinates to push the Southern Immortal Realm to the brink, even occupying the entire region. The people there once believed they were doomed.

Just as despair set in, a sword intent struck out of nowhere.

That sword intent slaughtered nearly all the demon generals who had occupied the Southern Immortal Realm. Even the Golden Immortals among the demons were wounded, to say nothing of those of lower rank, who were either killed or maimed. The terror was absolute.

It was said that to counter that single strike, the Demon Lord from beyond the Forbidden Sea had to intervene personally. It was that very sword strike that forced the remaining marauding demon generals to retreat. It was the only event in recent years that had shaken the entire Immortal Realm.

Now, atop the ancient walls, countless immortals stood in armor stained with blood—the blood of demon generals.

"How is it?"
"Have the demon generals retreated?"

A middle-aged man looked ahead, holding a long halberd that shimmered with a light that cowed all living things.

"They have retreated!"
"Because of that sword, all the generals have fled!"
"We must thank the Sage King Yan of the Southern Immortal Realm. If not for his strike, we would all have been devoured by the demons today!"