Some people in Longcheng Pass had already died at the hands of the Demons.
But some were still fighting. … …
Eastern wall.
"These lunatics." The Vermilion Bird Ruler gnashed his teeth as he stared at the Northbow Sword hurtling toward him.
The White Tiger Ruler had just mobilized the Bright Moon Formation's power to block Daolord Dawnstar's attack.
The Northbow Swordmaster had taken advantage of the moment the Bright Moon Formation's power couldn't be redirected to unleash his fatal attack.
Hence, the Vermilion Bird Ruler had no external aid to rely on.
He could only rely on himself to block the Northbow Swordmaster's fatal attack.
"Do you think you're Sword Immortal Chang 'an?" the Vermilion Bird Ruler asked coldly as he calmed down his anger.
He was an Exalted realm cultivator.
The Northbow Swordmaster was only at the eighth realm.
There were also sword cultivators at the eighth realm who could kill Exalted realm cultivators.
But that sword cultivator was called Li Qiubai.
There was only one Li Qiubai in the world.
Hence, the Northbow Swordmaster's attack definitely wouldn't be able to kill him!
The Vermilion Bird Ruler was filled with boundless confidence.
Boom!
The Northbow Sword hurtled toward him like a meteor.
"Perfect timing!" The Vermilion Bird Ruler stood there and let out a long cry. His body instantly soared into the sky and swelled until he reached ten thousand feet into the clouds, causing even the moon to tremble.
Hiss!
A moment later, fiery red patterns flashed across the Vermilion Bird Ruler's body and he let out a shrill cry.
Then, he opened his beak and let out a long cry. A blazing red light shot out of his mouth and transformed into a divine bird that crashed into the flying sword.
At the same time, the Vermilion Bird Ruler's body was extremely agile and fierce. He transformed into a vermilion bird and charged forward with boundless flames.
"Primordial Vicious Art, Vermilion Bird Art!"
Daolord Dawnstar muttered.
This was a divine ability that only pure-blooded vermilion birds could use.
However, once a beast cultivator reached a certain level of cultivation, they could rely on their connection with their pet beasts and use their human bodies to unleash all sorts of vicious beasts' treasured arts.
This was the most important source of combat strength for beasts at a high level of cultivation.
The Vermilion Bird Ruler's entire body was fiery red. His aura was even more terrifying. His body glowed like red jade, but there was also a domineering aura.
Boom!
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon's arms spread out like a pair of fiery wings. Behind him, a fiery-red Vermilion Bird appeared, its entire body wreathed in flames. It was so enormous that it seemed to blot out the sky.
The pitch-black night was illuminated by the dazzling red light emanating from the Vermilion Bird's body.
There were only wrong names, but no wrong nicknames.
This was the Vermillion Bird Hegemon.
The Vermilion Bird screeched.
Northbow let out a long cry.
Finally, the two collided.
This was an earth-shattering collision. The entire void was shaking as if it was about to collapse.
The streak of light formed by the Northbow sword slammed into the divine bird formed from red light.
A thunderous boom rang out from the Divine Bird as it endured a tremendous amount of pressure. However, it was unable to endure the sharpness of the Northbow sword any longer, and with a bang, it shattered into pieces.
The beam of light continued forward. In a flash, it went straight for the pair of wing-like arms.
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon strode forward, not backing down in the slightest. Flames blazed all over his body as he swung his wing-like arms toward the Northbow Sword.
When the two collided, an astonishing clanging sound was heard.
Clang!
One was as dazzling as a shooting star, while the other was as scorching as blood. The two collided violently, and the sound of explosions reverberated through the air like the rumbling of a divine drum.
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon's eyes glowed brightly, as if they were about to burst into flames. His entire body was ablaze with Vermilion Bird Flames, and it seemed as if they were about to incinerate the Nine Heavens.
This was a human-shaped Vermilion Bird fighting against a three foot long green sword, facing off against each other.
Even the real Vermilion Bird couldn't compare to the Vermilion Bird Hegemon. There was no way he could be this powerful.
The Northbow Sword continued forward until it finally slammed into his chest.
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon was sent flying, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
All of the phenomena disappeared.
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon had returned to his original form, but his injuries were still quite severe.
Regardless, the Northbow Sword's rainbow light had already dimmed to the point where the blade itself was trembling weakly.
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon had successfully blocked the Northbow Sword Master's fatal strike.
"I already told you that you're not Li Qiubai." The Vermilion Bird Hegemon ignored his injuries as he flew backward. Instead, he stared coldly at the Northbow Sword Master, whose life force was rapidly fading away, and mocked him.
After sacrificing all of his life force to unleash this fatal strike, how could the Northbow Sword Master possibly survive?
"I'm not Chang 'an's Sword Immortal …" The Northbow Sword Master suddenly opened his eyes. He said softly, "But, you're not King Qing either."
It was at this moment that …
A speck of starlight flickered from the already dimmed Northbow Sword. Then, it suddenly bloomed.
Boundless starlight bloomed at this moment. The light was even more beautiful than the full moon of the Bright Moon Formation.
At this moment, Daolord Dawnstar, Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus, the Vermilion Bird Hegemon, the Black Tortoise Hegemon, and the White Tiger Hegemon all widened their eyes as they watched the starlight bloom.
The Northbow Sword, which had already lost its power, unleashed a second wave of power.
This wave of power came from the Northbow Sword Master's life force.
The Northbow Sword Master had hidden his life force within the Northbow Sword, and only unleashed it at this moment.
That's right. What the Vermilion Bird Hegemon believed to be the Northbow Sword Master's fatal strike was actually only the Northbow Sword Master's peak sword strike that he had unleashed with his lifetime of mastery of the Sword Dao.
Now, this sword strike was truly a fatal strike.
This strike was known as the Northbow Sword Master.
This strike was the South Sword Pavilion's signature strike. It was the South Sword Pavilion's most powerful explosive secret art.
The Northbow Sword Master watched as the Northbow Sword Master lit up. His eyes flashed, and then they dimmed.
Although there were still ripples of magic power around him, his life force had completely vanished.
Although he couldn't see the final outcome, he firmly believed that …
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon would definitely die under this strike!
At this moment, he felt great joy.
Exceptional joy.
He wasn't Li Qiubai. He couldn't be as unrestrained as the Sword Immortal of Chang 'an.
However, he had won this final battle.
Thus, he was completely satisfied.
.....
At this moment, the Vermilion Bird Hegemon revealed an expression of terror. His aura began to tremble violently.
In the next moment, a dazzling light engulfed him.
The Vermilion Bird Hegemon's body began to glow with fiery light. The Vermilion Bird Flames enveloped him, protecting him.
Bam! Bam!
Bam! He crossed his arms in front of his body. Instantly, he felt intense pain in his arms. It was as if his bones had been fractured. A large chunk of his flesh was missing, and his bones were visible.
"No, I can't block it!" The Vermilion Bird Hegemon's eyes bulged. In the end, he gritted his teeth and came to a decision.
His entire body trembled.
A blazing red light flew out and pounced forward.
It was a Vermilion Bird that had been nurtured within the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's body. It suddenly charged out, not to dominate the world, but rather to be controlled by the Vermilion Bird Hegemon to block this fatal strike.
He wanted to trade the Vermilion Bird's life for his own.
A bird's cry pierced the heavens. The fiery red Vermilion Bird cried out in fury. Scarlet flames erupted from its body, threatening to incinerate the heavens.
It flapped its wings, which bore down upon the starlight like a mountain. Its entire body flickered with scarlet light.
In addition, the Vermilion Bird opened its sparkling, diamond-like beak and spat out dazzling streaks of flame. They howled through the air in an attempt to resist the starlight.
The streaks of flame transformed into a series of translucent swords of incomparable sharpness.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Clang! The Northbow Starlight flashed, transforming into a vast expanse of divine light that collided with the flaming swords. It was as if two meteors had collided, creating a terrifying sight.
However, the Northbow Swords were brimming with divine power. They were simply too powerful.
When the swords appeared, it was as if the heavens were about to collapse.
The streaks of flame were instantly extinguished by the starlight.
The Vermilion Bird casually charged forward.
In almost an instant, it was unable to withstand this ferocious might, and its divine body began to crumble.
Howl!
The Vermilion Bird let out a mournful cry, unwilling to die.
The Northbow Swords once again unleashed a dazzling radiance that drowned out the heavens and the earth. This power was simply too powerful. In a flash, it pierced through the Vermilion Bird's body, piercing through its flames.
"Save the Vermilion Bird Hegemon!" Finally, a second passed. The White Tiger Hegemon roared. He activated the power of the Bright Moon Formation in an attempt to save the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's life.
However, it was already too late.
The outcome had already been decided.
The Northbow Swordmaster's final strike was incomparably terrifying.
The Northbow Sword spiraled forward, pointing directly at the Vermilion Bird Hegemon.
Starlight poured down from its body, crushing everything in its path. Nothing could stop it.
Splat!
A streak of frost streaked through the air.
Half of the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's body cracked open. Unable to withstand the might of the attack, his body was about to crumble.
"Ah!"
Everyone watched as the Northbow Sword pierced through the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's forehead as he let out a furious roar.
A bloody hole appeared.
The divine sword descended, instantly obliterating the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's Origin Divinity with a boom!
The Spirit Huan Sect's three Hegemons were in control of the Bright Moon Formation, but the Northbow Swordmaster had used his life to kill one of them.
The Black Tortoise Hegemon and the White Tiger Hegemon fell into a momentary silence, as if they had yet to recover from their shock.
Thump! Thump!
Thump! Thump! Thump! The only thing that could be heard was the sound of hammering.
Martial Emperor Clear Wind was doing his best to break free from the cage formed by the moon swords.
At this moment, no one was paying attention to him, so it was the best time for him to break free.
In the next moment, Martial Emperor Clear Wind's palm turned purple, and an ancient and mysterious diagram appeared. Imbued with supreme divine might, it charged forward as if it was pushing a millstone against the cage.
Thump!
Moonlight splashed everywhere, and the cage formed by the moon swords was instantly shattered. Martial Emperor Clear Wind had already broken free, and was standing beside Daolord Dawnstar and Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus.
However, the White Tiger Hegemon and the Black Tortoise Hegemon seemed to be still in shock from the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's death. They were completely unmoved.
"Hahaha …"
Loud laughter rang out in the eerily silent sky.
Daolord Dawnstar could not help but laugh out loud when he saw the Vermilion Bird Hegemon's lifeless body plummet from the sky. The other two Hegemons of the Spirit Huan Sect were speechless, and the Northbow Sword that had lost its master began to dim and fall from the sky.
His laughter was unbridled and delighted.
"Even if it's a betrayal, even if it's premeditated, even if you have an absolute advantage, you'll still have to exchange your lives to take Longcheng Pass."
The Black Tortoise Hegemon's expression darkened at Daolord Dawnstar's words, while the White Tiger Hegemon remained silent.
Daolord Dawnstar looked at the two Spirit Huan Sect Supremacies quietly. His eyes were unusually cold as he said, "That's not enough … We didn't guard Longcheng Pass well, and we're the sinners of the Human Race.
But do you really think that taking Longcheng Pass will give you victory? That you'll destroy the Human Race? With just the two of you? "
The White Tiger Hegemon was in a terrible mood.
His hands began to tremble in anger. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.
This was because he could not refute Daolord Dawnstar's mockery.
The power of the Bright Moon Formation could reach the heavens.
With the help of the Bright Moon Formation, even if it was three against six, they would not lose, let alone three against three.
They also expected that the cultivators of Longcheng Pass who had fallen into a desperate situation would inevitably launch a desperate counterattack, and they would suffer a lot of losses.
"Early sacrifices are inevitable."
This was what they were prepared for.
However, the White Tiger Hegemon had not expected the Longcheng Pass cultivators' counterattack to be so terrifying. Even in such a dire situation, they could still forcefully eliminate the Vermillion Bird Hegemon.
After a moment of silence, the White Tiger Hegemon finally said, "Yes, I admit that I underestimated you, but you also overestimated our losses."
"The Vermillion Bird Hegemon's death is indeed a painful price for us, but … that's all there is to it," he said with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Daolord Dawnstar could not help but frown.
"Dawnstar …" A slightly trembling voice reached his ears.
It came from Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus.
Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus seemed to be afraid of something.
Daolord Dawnstar turned his head and saw that Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus' lips were trembling. A look of fear flashed in his eyes as if he had seen something terrifying.
'Is he afraid of death?'
Daolord Dawnstar instinctively thought. In the next moment, he shook his head.
'Impossible. Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus is not that kind of person.'
"No …" Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus continued. His voice was filled with extreme shock. "No Dao Dispelling Heavenly Phenomenon!"
Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus had finally finished speaking.
Daolord Dawnstar felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His entire body trembled, and he stood there in a daze.
Yes, he had been feeling that something was missing since the beginning, but he could not recall what it was.
Now that Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus had said this, he finally reacted.
The Dao Dispelling Heavenly Phenomenon was missing!
In Firmament Heaven, whenever a Venerated Realm cultivator died, the Dao Dispelling Heavenly Phenomenon would appear. This was a process of the cultivator's return to the world. It was decided by the Will of the Heavenly Dao.
Hence, this was a law, an iron rule. There had never been an exception.
However, it had been at least five breaths since the Vermillion Bird Hegemon's death. Why had the Dao Dispelling Heavenly Phenomenon not appeared?
Unless the Vermillion Bird Hegemon was still alive?
Daolord Dawnstar's gaze was like lightning. He hurriedly looked at the Vermillion Bird Hegemon's body, which had fallen to the ground.
It was still lying on the ground like a pile of mud. It did not move at all. There were no signs of life coming back to life. It could not be more dead.
"Could it be that his Nascent Spirit is still here?" Martial Emperor Clear Wind had just been trapped in the cage and was focused on breaking out. He naturally did not pay as much attention to the battle as the other two. He immediately voiced his conjecture.
Cultivators were different from mortals. This was especially true for Venerated Realm cultivators.
To them, even if their physical body was no longer alive, as long as their Nascent Spirit remained, they would not be considered dead. They would still have a chance to rebuild their physical body.
"The Vermillion Bird Hegemon is definitely dead. I can clearly sense that his Nascent Spirit was completely obliterated by the Northbow Sword. There is nothing left of it." Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus immediately rejected Martial Emperor Clear Wind's conjecture.
The Nascent Spirit was the place where one's life imprint was stored. Once it dissipated, everything would vanish and cease to exist.
Hence, if the Vermillion Bird Hegemon's Nascent Spirit had been completely obliterated, there was no way he could have survived.
Spirit cultivators specialized in the Nascent Spirit. Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus was an Venerated Realm spirit cultivator. He was one of the strongest Nascent Spirit cultivators in the human race. He was an expert among experts in the Nascent Spirit realm.
How could his senses be wrong?
"He's clearly an Venerated Realm cultivator. He's clearly dead … but there's no Dao Disintegration Celestial Phenomenon? How is that possible? "Martial Emperor Clear Wind could not understand this. A trace of confusion flashed through his eyes.
"After eliminating all possibilities, the only possibility is the final answer." While Martial Emperor Clear Wind was still confused, Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus had already figured everything out.
He exhaled a mouthful of turbid air and sighed bitterly. "The Vermillion Bird Hegemon … he's actually not a human of the Firmament Heaven!"
"You mean …" Daolord Dawnstar had already understood what Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus meant. His voice also began to tremble.
"Although I don't know how they did it, this is the only possibility that the Dao Disintegration Celestial Phenomenon was not triggered when a cultivator of this level died." Spirit Sovereign Ninelotus nodded.
The law of Dao Disintegration Celestial Phenomenon was set by the Firmament Heaven's Will. Hence, it was only effective on the Firmament Heaven's Will.
Among the Demons, there was no such thing as Dao Disintegration Celestial Phenomenon.
For example, during the bloody massacre in Chang 'an, the death of a Mystique Venerated Realm cultivator who was infinitely close to becoming a Half-Martial Ancestor also did not trigger the Dao Disintegration Celestial Phenomenon.
Everything was clear now.
"No wonder the Spirit Huan Sect betrayed the human race. Moreover, it was a collective betrayal …" Martial Emperor Clear Wind said dejectedly.
For an Venerated Realm cultivator to betray the human race, it was already earth-shattering news.
However, all the Venerated Realm cultivators of the Spirit Huan Sect, including the higher-ups, were united as one and betrayed the human race …
This was akin to the entire ruling class of a country defecting to the enemy. It was so shocking that even supernatural novels would not dare to write about it.
Now, all his doubts and illogical questions had been answered.
The so-called betrayal had never existed!
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