248: Chapter 248 Slaying Demons and Defending the Righteous Path

The Void Battlefield was suffocatingly silent. Even the sound of flowing light flying through the air was forcibly stripped away. Only boundless darkness, wrapped in deathly silence, spread crazily through the universe—pressing down until one could barely breathe.

Chu Changsheng hovered at the Peak of the Void Realm. His green robes danced wildly in the formless currents of Dao rhyme. As his sleeves fluttered, tiny, intricate Dao patterns seemed to flow across the fabric.

The long sword in his hand pointed diagonally downward. The wisp of emerald-gold Dao rhyme at the tip of the blade twisted and squirmed like a living creature. Threads of golden light spread outward, greedily devouring the scattered glimmer nearby. Everywhere they passed, the space rippled with fine folds—as if even this Void Realm of heaven and earth was being silently eroded and dissolved by it.

This battle just now had no heaven-shaking roars, no angry shouts that rattled the universe—dozens of figures had turned to ash in the blink of an eye.

Among them were giants of the Middle Stage Mahayana, and even three Late Mahayana Stage Cultivators. They hadn't even had the chance to summon their Lifebound Treasure before their Divine Soul and Physical Body were crushed by that peerless Sword Intent—without leaving a single trace behind.

Wherever the emerald-gold Dao rhyme passed, the Spiritual Qi was cleansed completely clean. Only a few faint, lingering remnants of souls remained, wailing in the Void Realm. The wailing was shrill and melodic, yet it was completely obliterated in an instant—without even a chance for Reincarnation.

Within the Southern Region Coalition camp, the sound of gasping for air rose one after another, joining into a single chorus.

The remaining Cultivators of the Poison Sect and Shadow Kill Pavilion turned pale as paper. Their legs trembled uncontrollably, as if they would collapse to the ground in the next second.

They were of similar cultivation level to those who had fallen, and at this moment, they felt a bone-chilling cold shoot from the soles of their feet straight to their crowns. Their blood seemed to freeze—as if they would be the next to turn into dust.

Many Cultivators subconsciously moved backward, their toes brushing against the Void Realm, leaving behind tiny ripples. Their eyes were filled with deep-seated fear; they didn't even have the courage to look at Chu Changsheng—fearing that if that indifferent, ice-cold gaze swept over them, it would invite a catastrophic disaster.

"Absolute suppression... This is not a confrontation on the same level at all!"

Someone muttered, their voice trembling with uncontrollable intensity, barely holding a tune.

In past battles between Cultivators, even if there was a disparity in strength, there was always room to struggle or a possibility of escape. But Chu Changsheng's slaughter was as effortless as harvesting crops. With every movement, life was extinguished.

This was a tyranny that surpassed the rules, a formidable power that induced despair—making one feel powerless, not even daring to raise the thought of resistance.

The White-Browed Daoist of the Supreme Dao Palace, whose face usually possessed the air of an immortal, sank completely. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened due to the extreme gravity, like carvings made by a knife and axe.

The silver threads of the horsetail whisk in his hand moved without wind, rustling softly. His fingers, gripping the handle of the whisk, tightened slightly, his knuckles turning white and veins appearing on the back of his hand—completely exposing his inner turmoil.

Chu Changsheng's strength far exceeded his expectations. What made him even more wary was the other party's decisiveness in killing.

No wasted words, not the slightest hesitation. If a disagreement occurred, he would immediately deal a lethal blow, completely breaking the unwritten rule of the cultivation world to "exchange pleasantries before resorting to force."

Such an opponent was impossible to predict and impossible to counterbalance—like a sharp sword hanging over one's head, ready to fall at any moment.

The red-haired elder of Burning Heaven Valley saw the flames around him surge by several meters with a "boom." The crimson fire was like an angry beast, baring fangs and brandishing claws, scorching the surrounding Void Realm until it twisted and deformed. Even light could not penetrate that thick flame.

His hair and beard bristled with rage, and the fury in his eyes seemed about to burst out, as if he wanted to burn Chu Changsheng to ashes. Yet, deep within that rage, there lurked a hint of undisguised wariness—coiled like a venomous snake.

With his Late Mahayana Stage cultivation, killing those Evil Path Cultivators was not difficult, but to achieve such instant obliteration without leaving a trace was absolutely impossible.

Chu Changsheng's sword was not only fast to the extreme, but it also carried a strange devouring power—as if it could annihilate everything in existence, even devouring flames completely.

The Sorrowful Old Monk of Little Sumeru Mountain pressed his palms together and chanted a low Buddhist mantra, "Amitabha..."

The Buddhist sound was no longer peaceful and distant, but carried unprecedented gravity, even faintly revealing a hint of powerlessness.

His turbid eyes looked toward Chu Changsheng, full of compassion and vigilance:

"This child's killing intent has already taken form, and his Heart Demon is planted deep. I fear words cannot save him."

"The Dao he upholds is tyrannical and peerless, violating the harmony of heaven. If this continues, it will surely become a great calamity for all living beings."

The Buddhist sounds lingered, echoing in the Void Realm, yet they could not dispel the pervasive bloodthirst and deathly silence—instead, they added a few more shades of sorrow.

Just then, five disheveled figures rushed out from the turbulent currents of the Void Realm. They were Chayuzi and the other four who had previously been blasted away by Chu Changsheng's sword.

Their Auras were withered at this moment, their Dharma images dim and lusterless, and bloodstains hung from the corners of their mouths. They were even unsteady on their feet, clearly having suffered no light injuries.

But there was not a hint of fear in their eyes; instead, they burned with resentment and madness—the flames burned brighter and brighter, almost completely devouring their sanity.

"Fellow Daoists!"

Chayuzi's voice was hoarse like a broken gong, carrying strong incitement and urgency. He pointed a trembling finger at Chu Changsheng, his fingertips turning white from the force:

"You have all seen it! This beast is cruel by nature, viewing my Southern Region fellows as grass! If we do not join forces today to completely suppress and kill him and the old ghost Patriarch Tian Yuanzi here, then when his cultivation advances further, he will surely become a great threat to the Southern Region—"

"None of our Sects will have peace!"

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on the World Tree and primordial jianmu behind Chu Changsheng and Patriarch Tian Yuanzi. His eyes lit up suddenly, and his voice rose sharply, carrying endless temptation, like the whisper of a devil:

"Furthermore, the primordial jianmu is an ancient Spiritual Root, and the World Tree contains supreme vitality and fortune! Such supreme treasures are enough to allow us to advance our cultivation further, or even break through the shackles and glimpse the secret of Ascension!"

"Are you really willing to let such a heaven-sent Opportunity fall into the hands of this Devil Head and let him continue to slaughter our fellows?!"

"That's right!"

Ancestor Witch Xuanyuzi immediately echoed, his voice full of severity, carrying incitement:

"No matter how strong he is, in the end, he is only one person! Within our coalition, there are hundreds of Mahayana Cultivators, each holding the foundation treasures of their Sect. Are we really afraid of him? As long as we join forces to set up a Formation, we can exhaust his Spiritual Qi and wear him to death!"

"At that time, the fortune of the primordial jianmu and the World Tree will be divided equally among us!"

These words were like sparks falling into a pan of oil, instantly igniting the greed and wishful thinking in the hearts of many in the coalition.

Fear and greed intertwined and collided in their hearts. Looking at the tragic state of their companions silently annihilating, a crazy thought of "If we don't join forces, we die; if we join forces, we might seize the treasure" began to spread rapidly, like a plague—sweeping through the entire coalition camp.

The fear in the eyes of many Cultivators gradually faded, replaced by greed and determination. Their gaze toward the primordial jianmu and the World Tree was filled with fervent longing—as if they were not two Spiritual Roots, but a ladder leading to Ascension.

A flash of brilliance crossed the eyes of the White-Browed Daoist, and he had already made a decision in his heart.

He knew that there was no room for turning back now. The existence of Chu Changsheng had already threatened the interests of all Southern Region Sects—if he was not suppressed and killed today, there would be endless troubles in the future.

He took a deep breath, his internal Spiritual Qi surged, and a majestic Aura radiated from his body. He said loudly:

"Everyone! Chu Changsheng's demonic nature is deep, and he slaughters his fellows; he is beyond redemption! Patriarch Tian Yuanzi harbors this Devil Head and privately occupies the Spiritual Roots of heaven and earth; he is equally guilty!"

"For the sake of the living beings of the Southern Region, and for the sake of the righteousness of the cultivation world—"

Before the words fell, he suddenly raised the horsetail whisk in his hand toward the sky. A brilliant clear light shot into the sky from the whisk, transforming into a huge Taiji Diagram in mid-air. Black and white Qi intertwined and flowed, emitting a vast Aura that suppressed everything—enveloping the entire Void Battlefield.

This was the rallying signal of the Supreme Dao Palace, and also the horn of attack!

"Slay the devils and defend the Dao, it starts today!"

"Form the 'Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Slaying Formation'!"

Following the White-Browed Daoist's order, the core experts of various factions, who had already communicated secretly with Divine Thought, immediately took action.

The experts of Burning Heaven Valley simultaneously summoned their Burning Heaven Purple Fire. Nine purple flames gathered in the air, transforming into a huge flaming lotus. As the lotus bloomed, the flames soared, emitting a terrifying Aura that incinerated everything—even the Void Realm was scorched until it hissed.

The monks of Little Sumeru Mountain chanted Buddhist scriptures, their Buddhist light brilliant and connected, transforming into a huge Vajra Demon-Subduing Circle. The circle was engraved with dense Buddhist patterns, containing the power to purify all evil—Buddhist sounds and Buddhist light intertwined, forming a solid barrier.

The Cultivators of Peerless Sword Valley drew their swords simultaneously. Ten thousand Sword Qi shot into the sky, weaving into a boundless sword net. On the sword net, the Sword Intent was chilling, enough to slice through the Void Realm—as the Sword Qi crisscrossed, it emitted a piercing whistling sound.

The Cultivators of the Beast Taming Sect successively summoned their Lifebound contracts, calling forth many phantom images of prehistoric beasts. The Azure Dragon roared, the White Tiger bellowed, the Vermilion Bird burned the heavens, and the Black Tortoise suppressed the earth. The phantom images of the beasts circled in the air, their Aura shaking the heavens and earth—as if they wanted to overturn the entire world...

Over a hundred Late Mahayana Stage Cultivators occupied their positions, and nearly a thousand Peak Middle Stage Mahayana elite Cultivators lined up around them. The Spiritual Qi in their bodies poured out continuously, their Auras connecting, forming a majestic and vast torrent of power—like a rushing river, sweeping across the heavens and earth.

Countless Magic Treasures, Formation Flags, and Talismans bloomed with brilliance simultaneously. Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, purple... light of various colors shot into the sky, intertwining and gathering in mid-air, rapidly condensing into an incomparably huge Formation—covering more than half of the Void Battlefield.

The Formation patterns flowed ceaselessly, containing the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, Wind and Thunder, Life and Death, and many other Laws of heaven and earth. The majestic pressure was like a tangible tsunami, pressing wave by wave in the direction of Chu Changsheng, Patriarch Tian Yuanzi, and the others—wherever it passed, the Void Realm trembled violently, as if it would collapse and shatter at any moment, and even the light was distorted beyond recognition.

Within the Formation, countless phantom images flickered—immortals roared, evil ghosts bellowed, Laws intertwined, and the Dao rumbled—emitting a suffocating and terrifying Aura, clearly intending to completely suppress and kill Chu Changsheng and the others within the Formation, leaving no chance of survival!