71: I'm afraid there's a big secret in this world

Xiao Zhuo moved like lightning, and wherever he passed, thunder raged and golden serpents danced wildly across the sky!

The remaining two King-rank Demons were easily cut into charred fragments under the brilliant thunderous might, like rotten wood and withered branches!

The smell of scorched flesh permeated the air, and several primordial elixir containing immense energy were swiftly snatched into his possession.

However, looking at the smoking, sizzling demon remains, Xiao Zhuo couldn't help but inwardly grumble, "This appearance... I wonder if Ten Thousand Medicine Pavilion will still accept them..."

"Aang—!!!"

A deafening Dragon roar suddenly exploded in the sky! The Dragon Demon Dominator's blood-red vertical pupils widened as if they would split!

As soon as the Deer Demon fell, he had tried to swoop down to rescue him, but Laughing Sword One's bronze ancient sword, surging with green light, had firmly held him back in the clouds!

When he finally tore open a gap and broke free, a sight that made his eyes split with rage met his gaze—the four King-rank Juniors he had brought were completely scraped clean by that golden figure, not even dregs remained!

"Ant! Die!" The enraged Dragon Demon's right arm scales bristled!

A pitch-black demonic light, condensed to the extreme and exuding an annihilating aura, fiercely erupted from his fist, tearing through the sky and heading straight for Xiao Zhuo!

As the aura of destruction approached, the hairs on Xiao Zhuo's neck stood on end, a chill rushed from his spine to the crown of his head, and cold sweat instantly drenched his clothes!

At this critical moment of life and death, he held nothing back!

The Heavenly Demon Hegemon Body roared into action!

"Roar—!" With a low growl, Xiao Zhuo's body inflated like a balloon to a massive five meters!

His tough clothes instantly turned into flying wisps, and mysterious black-gold demonic patterns furiously swirled across the surface of his muscles, which were coiled like Dragons and serpents.

The seven-foot dragon blood saber, held in his giant palm, now looked like a child's toy!

The purple Qi in his Dantian boiled! Gale winds howled around him! The Tiangang Saber Domain was fully unleashed!

His Saber Intent, enhanced to the fifth layer, and his vast Divine Thought were entirely infused into the dragon blood saber's blade!

Boom—!

On the saber's blade, a brilliant thunderous light suddenly erupted! The ultimate killing move of the Blazing Thunder Saber Canon—Blazing Thunder Heavenly Might Slash—was unleashed with full power!

A hundred-zhang thunderous giant blade tore through the air, carrying destructive energy as it fiercely shot out!

Wherever the giant blade passed, the air let out a groan of unbearable pressure, space was twisted by the extreme force, and fine black cracks appeared and disappeared erratically!

Amidst the crackling thunder, the giant blade, with the might of judgment, fiercely slashed towards that destructive demonic light!

"Hiss—!!!"

A piercing tearing sound rang out! The thunderous giant blade actually split the condensed pitch-black demonic light in two!

The aftershocks of the split demonic light whistled past Xiao Zhuo's sides, crashing into the sea below!

"Boom—!!!"

The sea surface was like a giant god had thrown a thunderbolt, erupting two terrifying hundred-meter-high water walls!

And Xiao Zhuo's Blazing Thunder Heavenly Might Slash, with undiminished momentum, had already fiercely slashed towards the Dragon Demon's face!

The Dragon Demon's pupils suddenly constricted to pinpricks! He had never expected that his enraged strike would be broken head-on by this tiny Human Race! And even... the opponent still had the strength to counterattack?!

In a hurry, the Dragon Demon crossed his arms in front of him, the scales on his arms clanging, and a dense, impenetrable protective demonic aura furiously condensed onto his claws!

"Clang—!!! Zzzzzzz—!!!"

The thunder blade and demonic claws collided with a roar! Dazzling plasma mixed with splashing sparks, like a grand fireworks display of death!

The Dragon Demon's heart was severely shaken—this strange Blazing Thunder Saber Qi could actually burn through his protective demonic aura! A piercing pain came from his palm!

"What domineering thunder!" He was both shocked and enraged, forced to frantically draw upon the demonic aura within his body to resist.

The power contained in this strike was already comparable to the full-force eruption of a Middle Stage Dominator! To clash head-on, even he would have to pay a price!

Just as the Dragon Demon was being burned and restrained by the power of Blazing Thunder—

"Old Mudskipper! Take this sword!" Laughing Sword One's clear shout pierced through the air!

The bronze ancient sword stirred the Nine Heavens' gale, and an incomparably condensed azure sword light, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, cunningly slashed towards the Dragon Demon's waist from behind him!

A frantic warning blared in the Dragon Demon's heart!

His demonic aura erupted like a volcano, and a layer of pitch-black, destructive Domain instantly expanded, attempting to envelop his body for defense!

Hiss!

The azure sword light slashed into the edge of the pitch-black Domain, incredibly sharp!

The Dragon Demon was forced to free one hand, which was currently resisting the Blazing Thunder giant blade, and hastily grabbed at that fatal sword light!

"Hmph! A Domain? Are you the only one who has it?!" A cold sneer appeared on Laughing Sword One's face.

With a thought, a larger, azure Wind Domain, filled with endless cutting intent, suddenly expanded, instantly encompassing and suppressing the Dragon Demon's less-than-hundred-zhang pitch-black Domain!

"Hum—!"

Within the Domain, the wind boosted the sword's momentum! The power of that azure sword light surged several times over!

And within the Domain, countless tiny wind blades appeared out of thin air, like a school of piranhas smelling blood, furiously cutting and tearing at the Dragon Demon's pitch-black Domain!

Within the Dragon Demon's Domain, countless black demonic flames hastily condensed, meeting the wind blades.

However, under the Domain's suppression and the pincer attack from inside and out, the pitch-black Domain's light wall instantly became covered in dense, spiderweb-like cracks!

Crack!

The next moment, the pitch-black Domain exploded like a fragile glass cover! The backlash from the Domain caused the Dragon Demon's body to tremble violently!

His defense collapsed! The Blazing Thunder light blade met no further obstruction and instantly severed his hastily blocked arm!

And that azure sword light, empowered by the Wind Domain, cut into his waist and abdomen without any hindrance!

"Puff—!"

Blood splattered! The Dragon Demon's massive body was actually cut in half at the waist by a single sword strike!

"No—! Damn it!!!" The Dragon Demon let out a mournful, desperate roar, his remaining body surging with demonic Qi, still trying to escape through the air!

However, he was still deeply trapped within Laughing Sword One's Wind Domain!

The endless, incomparably sharp wind blades, like frenzied sharks smelling blood, swarmed in, instantly engulfing his remaining body!

Hiss hiss hiss hiss—!

Ear-splitting cutting sounds rang out densely! Amidst the flashing green light, the Dragon Demon's powerful demonic body was like meat thrown into a grinder, lasting less than ten breaths before being cut into countless fragments!

Even his Divine Soul was completely churned and annihilated by the raging gale!

Laughing Sword One waved his sleeve, and the Wind Domain slowly dissipated.

He flew down and landed beside Xiao Zhuo.

"What a pity..." Xiao Zhuo looked at the dense demonic Qi dissipating in the air, smacked his lips, a pained expression on his face—how many Attribute Points was that, just gone like that!

The black-gold demonic patterns on his body receded like a tide, and his figure returned to normal, just in time to meet Laughing Sword One's eyes, which were burning like torches, filled with astonishment and inquiry.

"Good lad!" The Old Ancestor clapped his hands and laughed heartily, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes brimming with undisguised delight, "This skill of yours is incredible! If I had a grandson like you, I'd probably wake up laughing in my dreams!"

As he spoke, he pointedly glanced at Xiao Changkong beside him.

"Senior, you flatter me." Xiao Zhuo scratched his head, a trace of "helpless" bitter smile on his face, "That last move, this Junior used all his trump cards and all his might, almost didn't make it."

He then looked at Xiao Changkong with a hint of apology in his eyes.

Xiao Changkong: "..."

He felt as if an invisible arrow had struck his chest, speechless with exasperation.

He got shot while lying down! Grandfather, if you're going to praise him, just praise him, why drag me into it?

I'm also a renowned Prodigy among the younger generation, okay?

However... he looked at Xiao Zhuo, and in his heart, he had to admit that this guy was simply too abnormal!

How long had it been since they parted?

Domain, instant kill of the Deer Demon, instantaneous slaying of three King-ranks... This speed of strength increase was even more demonic than the Demons themselves! Was this even a human?

"Speaking of which, Brother Xiao," Xiao Changkong suppressed his inner complaints and asked seriously, "How did you end up in this Secret Realm? And so much earlier than us?"

Laughing Sword One's gaze also fell on Xiao Zhuo with inquiry.

Xiao Zhuo pondered for a moment, then succinctly laid out everything: the annihilation of Hundred Demon Mountain, tracking the Silver Moon's traces, discovering its secluded cultivation spot, and the demonic Qi passage sealed by the "Great Beginning Sealing Art."

"Great Beginning Sealing Art?!" When he heard the words "demonic Qi passage," Laughing Sword One's previously relaxed expression suddenly changed dramatically!

His withered hand clamped down on Xiao Zhuo's shoulder like an iron vice, with such force that Xiao Zhuo felt a slight ache in his bones, and his voice was more solemn than ever: "Xiao lad! Are you certain?! There really is a sealed demonic Qi passage there?!"

Xiao Zhuo was stunned by this sudden and intense reaction, and quickly nodded: "Absolutely true! This Junior saw it with his own eyes, no falsehoods!"

Seeing that Xiao Zhuo didn't seem to fully grasp the seriousness of the matter, Laughing Sword One's face became incredibly solemn, his eagle eyes fixed on Xiao Zhuo's, and he spoke slowly, word by word: "Listen! This matter, absolutely! Absolutely! Must not be mentioned to anyone else! Especially—you must not let any Demon know! Not a single whisper can be leaked! Understand?!"

Feeling the heavy pressure, like a coming storm, in the Sword Pavilion Old Ancestor's words, Xiao Zhuo's heart tightened, and he instantly understood that this demonic Qi passage likely involved an astonishing secret.

He immediately nodded with utmost solemnity: "This Junior understands! I will keep Senior's teachings in mind!"

"Changkong!" Laughing Sword One suddenly turned to his grandson, his tone as stern as iron, "Every word you heard just now, you are to bury it in your stomach! Understand?!"

"Yes! Grandfather! This grandson understands!" Xiao Changkong's heart trembled, and he immediately responded with a solemn expression.

"This matter is no small feat!" Laughing Sword One took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions, "After we leave this Secret Realm, I will personally report it to Prince Kang with the fastest speed. I just didn't expect... you, lad, to be the first to stumble upon this secret and enter this place. This Luck... is truly astonishing."

His gaze towards Xiao Zhuo was complex and hard to describe, containing both admiration and a hint of worry: "But what exactly is going on with this Taiyi Sect Secret Realm? These ghostly Disciples..."

"This Junior is also at a loss." Xiao Zhuo interjected, "However, this Taiyi Sect should also be a Sect in the Yuan Realm, and it also has ties with my Yuyang Sect. After this Junior showed the Yuyang Sect's direct lineage token, they treated me as a Prodigy from a subordinate Sect who came to study.

For the past ten-plus days, I have been listening to the Elder's Dao lectures in the Wendao Hall, and I have gained a great deal."

"Ten-plus days?!" Xiao Changkong exclaimed in surprise, his face full of shock, "You mean you've been in here... for over ten days already?!"

Xiao Zhuo nodded affirmatively.

Xiao Changkong gasped, "My grandfather and I noticed the anomaly in Cloud Dream Marsh in Jizhou City, discussed it with Prince Kang for a moment, and then immediately set off. From the eruption of the Secret Realm's emergence light pillar to us entering the vortex... it was definitely no more than an hour!"

Xiao Zhuo's expression also became solemn: "So... the time flow in this Secret Realm world is much faster than the outside world?"

"Perhaps... it's not simply a difference in time flow." Laughing Sword One frowned deeply, a wise light flickering in his eyes, offering a different perspective, "It's more likely that this 'Taiyi Sect' itself is in an extremely bizarre state! Those Taiyi Sect Myriad Forms Elders who chased us out disappeared like bubbles after less than a hundred li, their figures gradually fading... The secrets of this world are likely far beyond our imagination!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhuo and Xiao Changkong exchanged glances, both seeing deep shock and confusion in each other's eyes.

What kind of past and astonishing mystery was hidden within this Taiyi Sect ruin, where spirits lingered and time was in disarray?

"Senior," Xiao Zhuo suppressed his emotions and suggested, "This place is perilous and unpredictable, with Demons lurking everywhere. Why don't you return to Taiyi Sect with me? With this Junior explaining and mediating, clarifying that we are not in league with the Demons and possess the Yuyang Sect's token, I believe Taiyi Sect will no longer attack indiscriminately.

Within the Sect, it is safer than in this wilderness and vast sea, and it will also be more convenient to investigate the true nature of this world."