Chapter 1206: The Nine Realms (3)

"Fight!" The defenders shouted with desperate determination.

"We'd rather die than surrender to the Vermilion Devil Sect! Even surrender means a horrible death!"

"They say our Yue Kingdom's capital has already fallen. The Vermilion Devil Master refined the entire city—trillions of lives, extinguished in an instant..."

"Kill one to break even, kill two to profit!" The city's native inhabitants fought with reckless abandon, fully activating their defense array. Empowered by the array, they charged headlong toward the Vermilion Devil Sect disciples who had disembarked from the battleships.

Though outmatched in raw power, their frenzied resistance threw the Vermilion Devil Sect disciples into disarray. Several Astral Monarchs even fell to their desperate assault.

The Vermilion Devil Sect disciples—each clad in blood-red robes—arranged themselves in precise formations, radiating terrifying killing intent.

"You lowly creatures dare resist us?"

"Had you surrendered, we would have randomly slaughtered half your population. But since you dare defy us, we'll kill you all!" They roared with indignation, having expected the small city's inhabitants to scatter like frightened birds at their arrival. The defenders' resolute resistance had caught them completely unprepared.

Boom! Boom!

The battle raged furiously. Eventually, the Vermilion Devil Sect disciples' superior strength prevailed, shattering the city's defensive array and pouring into the streets. The defenders retreated step by step, their resistance weakening as more cultivators fell.

Suddenly, an explosive surge of power erupted from an inconspicuous room within the city. A black-robed figure soared skyward, brandishing a gleaming war saber. In an instant, he transformed into a hundred-thousand-zhang giant with nine arms.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Blade rays filled the heavens, their overwhelming might suffused with destructive energy as they swept through the mass of Vermilion Devil Sect disciples.

In mere moments, over ten Vermilion Devil Sect disciples were torn asunder, their bodies disintegrating in the onslaught. The black-robed figure's sudden appearance and terrifying strength completely overwhelmed them.

"Die!" he roared.

"Die! Die! Die! Die!" His crimson eyes blazed with hatred as he slaughtered indiscriminately, constantly murmuring to himself: "Xin'er, I swear to exterminate every last disciple of the Vermilion Devil Sect."

"It's Tu Yun!" The Vermilion Devil Sect disciples cried in recognition.

"Run!"

"Tu Yun? The peerless saber genius from the Yue Kingdom? Didn't the Divine Master issue a kill order for him? How did he end up here? Flee, quickly!" The Vermilion Devil Sect disciples scattered in panic, recognizing the black-robed warrior's fearsome reputation.

"Tu Yun, you dare show yourself? Your death is certain!"

"Hurry, escape and report it to the elder. Request the elder to come slay him!" they shouted even as they fled.

"Come to slay me?" Tu Yun's voice dripped with contempt.

"Whether I die tomorrow remains to be seen—but you will die today!" He pursued them with manic ferocity, his saber techniques flowing like water, imbued with natural Dao resonance. Though merely an Astral Monarch, his combat prowess was formidable, easily overwhelming his opponents.

Suddenly, a cold voice cut through the chaos. "Useless trash."

An eruption of immense power followed as a blood-robed elderly man emerged from one battleship. The pressure he emanated instantly enveloped millions of li, including the entire city.

Countless defenders paled in terror. Even Tu Yun tensed visibly. "Sovereign!"

"Elder!"

"The elder has arrived!" The fleeing Vermilion Devil Sect disciples rejoiced at their salvation. Within the Vermilion Devil Sect, only Sovereigns could hold the position of elder.

Tu Yun's eyes flashed with recognition and hatred. "Sovereign Xue Lou! It's you!!"

"Haha, of course it's me." A cruel smile played across the elderly man's weathered face. "Tu Yun, during our last encounter, I carelessly allowed your escape. How could I rest knowing a peerless genius like you still walks free in this world? I've been tracking your movements all this time."

"Damn it!" Tu Yun's eyes blazed crimson with uncontrollable rage. The blood-robed elder standing before him was the person he most desperately longed to kill. The Vermilion Devil Master? He was second.

"Haha, that's precisely the expression I hoped to see." Sovereign Xue Lou's face twisted with sadistic pleasure. "That girl called Liu Yue—she was your friend, wasn't she? Before she died, she looked at me with those same eyes... Remarkable, truly. A female Astral Monarch who endured my torture for three entire days before succumbing. Such extraordinary resilience!"

"AAAAH! Die! You MUST die!" Tu Yun finally snapped, launching himself at the blood-robed elder with unbridled fury.

His saber techniques erupted like a tempest, each strike infused with the boundless rage consuming his heart. They crashed down upon Sovereign Xue Lou like relentless ocean waves.

"Yes, rage!" the elder encouraged mockingly.

"When anger consumes you, your saber techniques grow even more powerful. After you die, I'll use your animus to forge an artifact of exceptional quality." Sovereign Xue Lou laughed maniacally, his palm techniques sweeping out with majestic precision, effortlessly deflecting Tu Yun's savage attacks.

In terms of Dao comprehension, Tu Yun stood as the elder's equal. But as merely an Astral Monarch, his mana reserves fell woefully short of the Sovereign's.

After just a brief exchange, a thunderous impact resounded as Sovereign Xue Lou sent Tu Yun flying with a palm strike. Tu Yun's vital aura plummeted alarmingly.

"What a waste of potential." Sovereign Xue Lou approached his fallen opponent step by step, his voice tinged with false regret. "To achieve such heights after just over a hundred thousand years of cultivation. No wonder even the Devil Master remembers you and demands your early elimination." He shook his head with theatrical sadness. "Remember this in your next life: don't be a man."

Tu Yun froze momentarily.

Without further hesitation, Sovereign Xue Lou launched another deadly palm strike, clearly intent on ending Tu Yun's life once and for all.

The city's surviving defenders watched in helpless despair. Tu Yun had been their final hope.

Meanwhile, the Vermilion Devil Sect disciples observed with gleeful anticipation. With Tu Yun's death, their sect would eliminate one of its most dangerous threats.

"Stop." Just then, a gentle voice rang out. Though not loud, it resonated simultaneously throughout tens of millions of li of spacetime.

In that instant, the wind ceased. The Astral Monarchs locked in battle on both sides froze, the wails of the city's native inhabitants fell silent, massive boulders flung into the air by the battle hung suspended in the void.

Sovereign Xue Lou's palm, about to crush Tu Yun's skull, halted mid-air, unable to descend further.

Absolute silence!

At this moment, whether Astral Monarchs, Archimmortals, Archdeities, or even the strongest among them - Tu Yun and Sovereign Xue Lou - all discovered in horror that they couldn't move a muscle or summon any mana.

Time seemed to stand still.

Who is it?

Tu Yun was shocked, yet a glimmer of hope arose in his heart.

Which great powerhouse is it?

He was about to die anyway; no matter who the newcomer was, the worst outcome remained the same - death.

It must be an Overlord powerhouse.

Sovereign Xue Lou was completely terrified. He knew well how fearsome such an ability was.

Which Overlord is it? Do they have a grudge against my Vermilion Devil Sect?

He tried to send a message to the Vermilion Devil Master. But a moment later, he was shocked to find that his Soul Force was completely immobilized, and he couldn't activate his communication token.

Whoosh!

Space subtly distorted, and a black-robed figure stepped out, his expression calm.

It was Wu Yuan.

Vermilion Devil Sect? Yue Kingdom? This entire place is called the Nine Realms, and this is the Seventh Realm?

Wu Yuan murmured to himself.

Just moments ago, Wu Yuan's mana body had secretly scanned through the memories of many Archimmortals, Archdeities, and Astral Monarchs, peering into their spirit worlds.

With Wu Yuan's achievements in qi refining, having nearly reached the level of a True Saint, such feats were child's play. These Astral Monarchs hadn't even noticed.

However, the information these Astral Monarchs knew was ultimately limited. Wu Yuan wasn't quite satisfied, so he turned his gaze to Sovereign Xue Lou: "It’s time to sleep.”

An invisible force invaded. Instantly, Sovereign Xue Lou's eyes grew unfocused as Wu Yuan forcibly infiltrated his spirit world.

A flood of information surged into Wu Yuan's mind. His eyes flashed with surprise:

There are many sects like the Vermilion Devil Sect throughout the Seventh Realm?

The upper three realms are the true core of the Nine Realms.

There are eternal, indestructible beings.

A Sovereign's perspective was indeed extraordinary, the secrets he knew far surpassing those Astral Monarchs.

It seems I've arrived in an extremely powerful and mysterious world.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

This Vermilion Devil Master must be an Overlord, right?

A force led by an Overlord wasn't even considered first-rate in the entire Seventh Realm?

According to the information this Sovereign Xue Lou possesses, there are several thousand Overlords in the Seventh Realm alone.

Wu Yuan was rather surprised.

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

So many Overlords had emerged here? Even a Saint Realm in the cosmic sea might only have the same number of Overlords in their ranks, and this was just one realm.

The overall power of the upper three realms far surpassed the lower six realms? The information Wu Yuan deduced from these reports made him quite cautious.

I hope there are no True Saints.

Wu Yuan thought to himself.

Even with his mana body and ether body working in tandem, he could only unleash the strength of a Peak Saint. Facing a Full Saint would already give him a headache. A True Saint would crush him!

Wu Yuan's thoughts stirred, and he smiled, "Go invite the Vermilion Devil Master here. Tell him there's an earth-shattering treasure here, possibly a Xiantian artifact. Understand?"

"Yes, Master. Invite the Vermilion Devil Master here, saying..." Sovereign Xue Lou's eyes were blank as he repeated the instructions word for word.

Wu Yuan had planted a secret art in his soul and spirit, allowing him to gain a basic level of control.