106: Shepherd Dog

The Dragon Corpse of the Dragon Ancestor, tens of thousands of feet long, crashed down onto the earth with a thunderous roar that shook the mountains for a hundred miles, kicking up a sky-high cloud of dust!

The Demon army, still frantically attacking the city, was terrified by this apocalyptic boom!

They had witnessed with their own eyes the fall of the once supreme Dragon Ancestor's body, now utterly lifeless!

Fear spread like a plague, and countless Demons instantly lost their Battle Intent, turning to flee in a frenzy!

Sharp hooves and claws scraped against the stone surface of the city wall, producing an ear-splitting noise, like a wail of despair!

How could Xiao Zhuo let these mobile "experience packages" escape!

He waved his arm, and the Thunder Tribulation Blade Domain suddenly expanded! Dense, violent electric arcs instantly enveloped the entire Demon-Subduing Pass and the vast battlefield in front of it!

Under the ultimate amplification of 99% Law of Thunder, the golden lightning within the Domain was no longer mere raindrops but had transformed into a destructive torrent of waterfalls!

However, this world-ending thunder storm, under Xiao Zhuo's exquisite control, perfectly avoided every single Human Race soldier!

Golden lightning, like a waterfall, only draped a sacred halo over the Human Race.

The Demons, however, faced their true doomsday! Countless bolts of lightning accurately exploded upon their bodies!

The stench of burnt, bloody flesh instantly permeated the entire Demon-Subduing Pass, so strong it was suffocating!

The Domains desperately propped open by Dominator Rank Demons flickered precariously like weak candlelight swaying in a storm, on the verge of being extinguished completely by the golden lightning waterfall, turning the Demons within them to ashes!

Demons below King-rank didn't even have time to let out a wail before they transformed into wisps of rising smoke the moment the golden lightning touched them!

When the last dozen or so heavily injured Dominator Rank Demons stumbled out of the Thunder Tribulation Blade Domain like broken sacks, their massive bodies were already covered in terrifying, bone-deep, spiderweb-like cracks, their Devilish Qi surging, yet unable to perform even the most basic healing!

At this moment, their hearts were shattered with fear, devoid of any Battle Intent, and they fled desperately into the depths of the desolate lands without looking back!

The Dragon Ancestor was slain by that golden Demon God! What did they have left to fight with?

The Demon's grand momentum had utterly collapsed!

Xiao Zhuo had no intention of pursuing them; the greatest threat had not yet been resolved.

With a thought, he withdrew his Thunder Tribulation Blade Domain.

In an instant, the surging million-strong Demon army, along with their roars, weapons, and even their severed limbs, all turned into charred dust covering the ground!

The power of the Thunder Tribulation Blade Domain was so immense that even King-rank Demons could not leave a complete corpse!

If not for that, what a colossal amount of resources this would have been!

A hint of regret flashed through Xiao Zhuo's mind, but it vanished in an instant—the most pressing matter was to deal with the final trouble!

His figure flickered, disappearing from his original spot.

The towering Giant Demon, just about to regroup, suddenly felt the sky above him darken!

He furiously swung his fist, but a long blade entwined with destructive lightning had already arrived first, fiercely splitting open his massive, muscled, demon-armored arm!

As his other wrist was just lifting, it was firmly clamped by a giant palm covered in dark-gold demonic patterns!

"Pfft—!"

A flash of blade light! A huge, ferocious bull's head burning with black demonic flames, accompanied by gushing demonic blood, shot into the sky!

Qingtian's massive demonized Dharma idol shattered with a crash, as if its spine had been removed!

The eight-zhang-tall Main Body of the Bull Ancestor was revealed, its aura weak.

Before he could react, Prince Hong, Ji Tianhong's long-prepared purple-flame heavy punch, imbued with the power to incinerate all directions, fiercely struck his chest!

"Bang—!"

Qingtian's Main Body flew backward, spinning like a broken doll, crashing through three majestic mountain peaks before finally stopping its decline amidst a pile of collapsed rubble.

Xiao Zhuo retracted his Heaven and Earth Dharma Manifestation, lightly tapped his toes on the Void Realm, and transformed into a streak of light, pursuing him directly to where he fell.

Immortal Master Azure Heaven, wielding nine green-glowing sword orbs, followed closely, and Prince Hong also arrived right behind.

At the collapsed mountain belly, rubble piled up like a mountain, with only wisps of black Devilish Qi stubbornly seeping out and rising from the cracks.

"Still trying to cling to life?" Xiao Zhuo snorted coldly, grabbing at the air with his right hand! A solidified golden Law giant palm appeared out of thin air, plunging fiercely into the pile of rubble!

"Crackle—!"

flying stones！A figure with shattered bones, black demonic armor covered in cracks, and a dying aura was firmly grasped by the giant palm and pulled out!

It was none other than Qingtian, the Bull Ancestor!

His helmet and faceplate were already shattered, revealing a ferocious, twisted bull's face, with viscous black blood constantly gushing from his mouth, broken tusks, and an aura that had decayed to its extreme.

"Cough... cough... Human Race!" Qingtian's eyes surprisingly regained some clarity in his dying moments. He stared fixedly at Xiao Zhuo and the two others, his voice hoarse like a broken bellows, yet carrying a strange mockery: "This time... I've fallen! But the Yuan Realm... hehe, it's just a tiny sheepfold! You... will all die eventually! Not a single one will escape!"

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Xiao Zhuo and the two others changed!

Immortal Master Azure Heaven's gaze suddenly became incredibly sharp, and he asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean by that? Explain yourself!"

The mockery in Qingtian's eyes grew even stronger, and he didn't remain silent, panting as he spoke intermittently: "Do you... truly believe... that we three Ancestors... suddenly ascended to the Ancestor Level... on our own? A thousand years ago... the Human Race ruled the Yuan Realm... we were merely... three ordinary Dominator Demon Kings... by what right... did we suddenly achieve Ancestor Level?"

"Are you saying that you didn't simply advance by devouring the Devilish Qi of the Demon Abyss?" Prince Hong, Ji Tianhong's face was ashen, and he pressed with a cold voice.

"Ha... haha!" Qingtian let out a few frenzied dry laughs, looking at the three of them as if they were lambs to be slaughtered: "Devilish Qi? Devilish Qi... can accelerate cultivation... but for Law comprehension... it's useless! It was those... terrifying existences... on the other side of the Demon Abyss Passage... that you... cannot imagine... who bestowed upon us... Law seeds!" He took a breath, a twisted fanaticism appearing in his eyes: "We... were merely their... chosen sheepdogs! Over the past thousand years... how many resources from the Yuan Realm... how much fresh blood and flesh... have we... thrown into the Demon Abyss... sacrificed to... our great Revered Masters!"

He stared fixedly at the three of them, as if wanting to see their fearful expressions: "Now... do you know... what you've provoked... right?"

"Bull Demon!" Immortal Master Azure Heaven suddenly interrupted sharply, a glimmer of wisdom in his eyes: "The 'terrifying existences' you speak of, have they never truly descended upon the Yuan Realm? Have they merely 'communicated' with you through the Demon Abyss Passage?"

The crazed smile on Qingtian's face suddenly froze, his pupils constricted slightly, revealing a hint of incredulous astonishment: "You... how do you know?"

"Hmph! Though the Yuan Realm is small, it is also an independent world!" Immortal Master Azure Heaven sneered, his eyes filled with the understanding of worldly affairs: "For existences from higher-level worlds, even if they forcibly opened a passage to this world, to truly descend in their Main Body would require an unimaginable price! They might even suffer backlash and suppression from the world's rules! Only fools like you, whose minds are blinded by power, would willingly become pawns for others, doing such a self-destructive and beneficial-to-others deed!"

"Wh-what?!" For the first time, Qingtian's eyes showed intense shock and bewilderment, "This... impossible..."

Xiao Zhuo, however, was no longer interested in listening to the dying Demon's ravings and shock.

His eyes grew cold, and vast Divine Soul power surged instantly!

"Swoosh—!"

A highly condensed, ethereal Soul Spear, ignoring Qingtian's already collapsed Divine Soul defense, instantly pierced the core of his Sea of Consciousness!

The light in Qingtian's eyes abruptly extinguished, all his words ceased, and his life force was completely cut off.

A cold notification flashed in his mind: [Killed one Ancestor Level Bull Demon, gained 427,893 Attribute Points.]

These hundreds of thousands of Attribute Points seemed insignificant compared to the enormous sum of over eighty million points gained from the Thunder Tribulation Blade Domain clearing a million Demons.

Xiao Zhuo looked at Immortal Master Azure Heaven, and Prince Hong, Ji Tianhong's gaze also held solemnity and inquiry: "Senior, what you just said..."

A distant memory flashed in Immortal Master Azure Heaven's eyes, and he slowly said, "The Yuan Realm, among the boundless myriad worlds, is merely a remote pond. Small, and lacking resources."

"In Immortal Master's opinion," Ji Tianhong interjected, a glint in his eyes, "the Human Race Seniors who shattered the Void Realm and departed in previous generations, must have entered other, more vast worlds?"

"Indeed." Immortal Master Azure Heaven nodded, "Our Taiyi Sect has a Legacy of ten thousand years, with no less than a hundred Shattering Realm powerhouses in successive generations, most of whom ultimately chose to leave the Yuan Realm to pursue a higher Dao.

As for where they went and what they encountered, this old man's knowledge is limited.

I only know that the path of breaking through worlds is extremely perilous, and beyond the Yuan Realm, there indeed exist higher-level worlds, where the power of the strong is far beyond what we can currently fathom."

"So, this so-called Demon Abyss, is very likely a passage to our Yuan Realm, opened either accidentally or intentionally by a powerhouse from some higher-level world?" Xiao Zhuo asked with a frown.

"Perhaps, or perhaps... there's another mystery." Immortal Master Azure Heaven shook his head slightly, a hint of uncertainty in his eyes, "The truth of the matter still needs to be explored in the future."

Xiao Zhuo said no more, raising his gaze to the tens of thousands of feet long Dragon Corpse, like a black mountain range, lying outside the Demon-Subduing Pass: "How should this Dragon Corpse be handled?"

"The prey you personally slew, naturally, is entirely yours to dispose of!" Prince Hong, Ji Tianhong laughed heartily, patted Xiao Zhuo's shoulder vigorously, then turned and transformed into a streak of purple flame, flying towards the Demon-Subduing Pass—there were countless aftermath matters awaiting him, the Prince.

Xiao Zhuo, hearing this, showed a helpless wry smile.

He did want to take this priceless treasure, but where would he find a storage Magic Treasure large enough to hold a ten-thousand-foot Dragon Corpse? This colossal object posed a temporary difficulty for him.

An Ancestor Level Physical Body, perfectly intact (the four claws had regenerated under the Dragon Demon's powerful vitality), its energy and Material value were immeasurable!

He cast a pleading look at Immortal Master Azure Heaven.

The latter understood, stroked his beard, and chuckled: "When matters here are concluded, this old man can use the cloud heaven mirror to transport it to the Yuyang Sect."

"There's no need to trouble Immortal Master with the transfer!" Xiao Zhuo quickly waved his hand, stating his plan: "Immortal Master, do you know how to process this Ancestor Level Dragon Corpse? If it can be fully utilized to refine Magic Treasure and Medicinal Pill, Junior will only take what is needed, and the rest will all go to the Taiyi Sect!"

Take it back to the Yuyang Sect? The Yuyang Sect was completely incapable of handling this Dragon Corpse, and he himself couldn't perform Alchemy or Artifact Refining, so keeping it would be a waste. It would be better to hand it over to the profound Taiyi Sect in exchange for tangible benefits.

Immortal Master Azure Heaven's eyes brightened slightly upon hearing this, looking at the massive Dragon Corpse. After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and smiled, "This old man does have some slight understanding of the Dao of Artifact Refining and Alchemy. This Ancestor Level Dragon Demon's body is indeed a top-tier treasure Material, rarely seen in the world! Very well, I shall handle this matter; I will not let you suffer any loss."

Xiao Zhuo nodded with pleasure: "Thank you, Immortal Master."

After dealing with the Dragon Corpse, Xiao Zhuo's figure flickered, appearing on the battle-scarred yet still standing city wall of the Demon-Subduing Pass.

The remaining soldiers, witnessing the return of this powerhouse who had saved the Demon-Subduing Pass like a Heavenly God, once again erupted in deafening, fervent cheers filled with awe and gratitude!

Xiao Zhuo's gaze swept over the crowd, and he quickly spotted the figures of the Yuyang Sect Disciples and Elders.

Xuan Wei, Xuan Lun, and others were prominently among them, but almost everyone was injured, their auras weak, and their faces couldn't hide their sorrow.

The Nine Realms War had lasted too long. Although Xiao Zhuo ultimately turned the tide, before he could intervene, the powerhouses of the Demon-Subduing Pass had already paid a heavy price.

Xiao Zhuo's heart sank, and his figure flashed again, appearing before the Yuyang Sect members.

Sect Master Xuan Wei looked at Xiao Zhuo with unparalleled relief and a complex expression.

Xuan Lun, on the other hand, strode directly forward, his large, fan-like hand firmly patting Xiao Zhuo's shoulder, his voice booming but with an almost imperceptible hoarseness: "Good lad! I knew it, you are definitely the most promising Disciple under my Xuan Lun! You've brought great honor to our Yuyang Sect, to our Human Race!"

"Revered Master! Sect Master! How are your injuries? What are the Sect's... losses?" Xiao Zhuo forced a smile, asking in a low voice.

Upon hearing Xiao Zhuo's inquiry, Xuan Lun's smile instantly froze, and his eyes dimmed. Sect Master Xuan Wei also looked solemn, sighing deeply, and said bitterly, "The incident happened too suddenly; the Sect only managed to gather Disciples at the Condensing Aperture Realm and above for reinforcement. In this battle... fifty-four Condensing Aperture Realm Disciples, thirty-one died in battle... Gui Zhen Realm Elders, seven died in battle... Divine Sea Realm... Cuiyun Peak's Peak Revered Master Li Miaoyi... has fallen. And also... Elder Xuan Song of the Enforcement Hall... he also died in battle."

The last trace of a smile on Xiao Zhuo's face completely vanished.

Elder Xuan Song... the chief of the Enforcement Hall in his memories, who always had a stern face, enforced rules like a mountain, and was feared like a tiger by countless Disciples.

Although he had only met him a few times, he had learned from snippets of his Disciples' words that this stern-faced Elder was actually a gentle Senior in private.

As for Peak Revered Master Li Miaoyi... that kind Revered Master who always had a gentle smile on Cuiyun Peak and had taken good care of him... now, both had fallen on this battlefield.

After the battle, the various Sects that had come to support collected the remains of their fellow members, and with endless grief and respect for the fallen, they successively embarked on their journey home.

The Yuyang Sect members also silently carried the coffins of their comrades.

Under Xiao Zhuo's protection, they entered the spatial rift returning to the Yuyang Sect.

Back at the mountain gate.

Xiao Zhuo did not intervene in the subsequent matters.

He returned alone to his familiar small courtyard in the Yuyang Sect.

The courtyard was silent, with only the rustling of leaves as the breeze blew through the trees.

He slowly sat down, his mind sinking into his Sea of Consciousness.

His gaze fell upon the astonishingly long Attribute Points balance on his panel—over eighty million!

An indescribable sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart, slightly alleviating the heavy and low mood caused by the fall of his fellow Sect members.