Heaven's will intensifies, and an envoy descends.

Qingyun Mountain Range, Demon-Slaying Alliance camp.

Compared to the fluttering banners and soaring morale of the oath-taking ceremony a few days ago, the camp was now filled with an atmosphere of repression, grief, and confusion. The damaged tents had not yet been fully repaired, the air still lingered with the smell of blood and burnt remains, and the groans of the wounded could be faintly heard. The Cultivators who had retreated from the Ten Thousand Demon Valley in defeat were either silently healing their wounds or staring blankly, their morale at an all-time low.

The fall of Elder Qingyun, the death of three Nascent Soul Elders, the loss of hundreds of Golden Core and Foundation Establishment Disciples... Such heavy losses were a defeat the Righteous Path Alliance had never encountered since its inception—no, not even in the last hundred years! And the opponent was merely one Devil Head and the ragtag group he had hastily assembled!

Inside the main tent, the atmosphere was even more heavy as iron.

Lin Hao sat cross-legged on the main seat, his face pale, slowly regulating his breath. The Heavenly Dao mark between his brows was slightly dim, and his aura was no longer as harmonious and surging as it had been before the expedition. The aftermath of Nightmare's final "Demonic Star Annihilation" and the impact on his Dao Heart from witnessing the fall of Elder Qingyun had caused him significant internal injuries.

The Wudang Sect Grand Elder Void-Comforter, the gaunt-faced Loose Cultivator Deity Transformation Cultivator Venerable Xuanming, and several Nascent Soul Elders who had luckily escaped the rout all stood solemnly in the tent, their expressions heavy.

"Alliance Master, the defeat in this battle was not due to a lack of effort, but because the strength of that Devil Head Nightmare has grown too terrifying. His Demonic Flame is strange and actually able to suppress the demon suppressing talisman seal bestowed by the Heavenly Dao..." A Nascent Soul Elder from the Qingyang Sect could not help but speak, his tone filled with unwillingness and fear.

"Suppress?" Lin Hao slowly opened his eyes. Although the golden light in them was weak, they remained cold and sharp. "That Demonic Flame is no longer ordinary demonic fire; it has fused with the Legacy of the ancient Lord of the Stars! The Power of the Stars already exists in subtle opposition to the power of the Heavenly Dao. That he could steal such a Legacy is indeed a great misfortune for our Righteous Path!"

He took a deep breath, suppressing his churning Qi and blood. His voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling, but even more so, suppressed anger and humiliation: "The responsibility for this defeat lies with me. It was I who underestimated Nightmare and underestimated the defenses of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley. Elder Qingyun... died heroically for my Great Cause of Demon-Slaying!"

Mentioning Elder Qingyun made everyone in the tent even more sorrowful. The fall of a Deity Transformation Cultivator was an unbearable loss for the entire Righteous Path Alliance.

"Alliance Master, you need not blame yourself too much." Void-Comforter sighed. "That Devil Head has already become a climate and his methods are treacherous. The urgent priority is to regroup and discuss the next strategy. After this battle, although the Ten Thousand Demon Valley won, they must have consumed a lot, and Nightmare himself may also be injured. Shall we... launch another all-out attack?"

When these words were spoken, the tent fell into silence. Attack again? With what? Elder Qingyun was dead, the demon suppressing talisman seal was broken, and morale was low. If they fought again, what would the result be?

Lin Hao clenched his hands into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. He felt the hesitation and fear permeating the tent. This made him even angrier, and even more... powerless. Was it just going to end like this? Letting Nightmare remain at large and grow stronger? If so, what face would he, the son of destiny, have left?

No! Absolutely not!

He suddenly raised his head, his eyes erupting with unprecedented determination and... near-fanatical piety!

"Everyone!" Lin Hao's voice was hoarse but carried a strange power. "Although we lost this battle, the Great Cause of Demon-Slaying concerns the common people of the world, the Luck of the Righteous Path, and... the order of the Heavenly Dao! How can we give up lightly because of a momentary setback?!"

He struggled to stand up, ignoring his injuries, and walked to the open space in the tent. He looked up at the tent roof as if trying to pierce through the obstruction and gaze directly at the supreme existence in the dark.

"Heavenly Dao above! Disciple Lin Hao, acting on the mandate of Heaven to crusade against the evil devil, but the devil is fierce and stubborn, having stolen ancient evil powers, causing my teachers and friends to fall and the Righteous Path to suffer! This Disciple is incompetent and fails the grace of Heaven! Now, I pray with piety, begging the Heavenly Dao to show mercy and bestow assistance once more to help this Disciple clear away the demonic atmosphere and uphold order! This Disciple is willing to give his all to repay the grace of Heaven!"

His voice carried sorrow and remorse, but even more so, incomparable piety and pleading. Driven by his true Qi, it spread far and wide, echoing throughout the entire camp.

The people in the tent were shocked by his sudden action, but feeling the determination in Lin Hao's words and the mysterious connection that seemed to be stirred in the dark, they could not help but hold their breath, a faint expectation rising in their hearts.

Perhaps... was destiny still on their side?

Just as Lin Hao's voice fell and many Cultivators in the camp subconsciously followed in prayer—

Boom!

Above the Nine Heavens, the originally clear sky suddenly changed color! Endless clouds were stirred by an invisible hand, crazily rotating and gathering! In the center of the clouds, a point of pure, dazzling golden light that was impossible to look at directly suddenly lit up!

That golden light was different from the majestic righteousness of the demon suppressing talisman seal; it was more ancient, more vast, and more... cold and ruthless! It seemed to contain the most fundamental "order" and "Law" will of the world!

A brilliant golden pillar of light with a diameter of over ten zhang, ignoring any Formation obstructions and spatial distances, like a sword of divine punishment, crashed down from the center of the rotating vortex! It precisely covered the entire area where the main tent was located!

Everyone in the tent, including the three Deity Transformation Cultivators—Lin Hao, Void-Comforter, and Venerable Xuanming—felt a trembling and submission from the depths of their Souls under this golden light! Their internal spiritual power, Divine Soul, and even their understanding of the world seemed to be frozen and scrutinized! This was power far beyond their life level!

The golden light lasted for only three breaths before suddenly receding.

And in the center where the golden light had originally covered, in front of Lin Hao, in the void, a figure materialized from nothingness.

It was a humanoid figure, eight feet tall, shrouded in hazy golden light. It wore ancient-style armor flowing with golden Dao patterns, its face was blurred, and only a pair of eyes, like two concentrated golden suns, were cold and indifferent, devoid of any emotion belonging to living beings, possessing only a supreme majesty that looked down on ants and controlled rules.

From its body radiated an aura of "Heavenly Dao" that was of the same Origin as the golden pillar of light just now, but more solid and terrifying! Just standing there, it seemed to become the center of this world, and all Laws had to avoid and submit to it!

"Heavenly... Heavenly Dao Envoy?!" Void-Comforter exclaimed, his old face filled with unbelievable shock. Venerable Xuanming's pupils also shrank, and it subconsciously took half a step back. The other Nascent Soul Elders were even worse, almost kneeling down under this pressure.

The legendary Heavenly Dao Envoy! The direct manifestation and agent of the will of the Heavenly Dao, existing only in ancient texts and legends! It had actually descended!

Lin Hao's heart was also shaken, but it was more of an almost ecstatic excitement and... relief. He had bet correctly! The Heavenly Dao had not abandoned him!

He resisted the urge to kneel and bowed deeply, his voice choked with incomparable respect: "Disciple Lin Hao welcomes the Envoy's descent!"

The figure in the golden light scanned Lin Hao with cold golden eyes, then scanned the others in the tent. Finally, a grand, hollow voice that seemed to be composed of countless sounds of Laws resounded directly in everyone's Divine Soul:

"Lin Hao, you bear the mandate of Heaven to crusade against the chaos, yet you failed in the first battle, causing the loss of a Deity Transformation Cultivator, failing the grace of Heaven."

This voice contained no blame, only the coldness of stating facts, but it made Lin Hao tremble all over, cold sweat seeping from his forehead, and he lowered his head even further: "This Disciple is incompetent! Please punish me, Envoy!"

"However, the source of the chaos, 'Nightmare', has merged with the Legacy of the ancient Reverse Dao Practitioner. Its very existence has seriously interfered with the operation of the Heavenly Dao order and is listed as a 'Level 1 Eradication Target'. Its danger far exceeds estimates." The Heavenly Dao Envoy's voice continued, "To maintain order and clear away anomalies, you are specially granted temporary authority of the 'Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal'."

Before the words fell, the Heavenly Dao Envoy raised a finger wrapped in golden light and tapped lightly on the original Heavenly Dao mark on Lin Hao's forehead.

Hum—!

Lin Hao's forehead shook violently! The original mark suddenly shone brightly, its form becoming more complex and mysterious, and in the center, there was an additional small, constantly rotating golden point of light that seemed to contain a Universe! A power of the Heavenly Dao Origin, far purer and more vast than before, flooded into his limbs, bones, Dantian, and Sea of Consciousness like floodwaters breaking a dam!

"Uh ah—!" Lin Hao could not help but let out a low roar. Golden light exploded around his body, and his aura climbed wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye! The Bottleneck of the Mid-stage Dao Replenishing was instantly broken, and he stepped directly into the Late-Stage Transformation Spirit! And it was still consolidating and improving! The injuries in his body, nourished by this pure power of the Heavenly Dao Origin, healed instantly, and his Foundation even became more solid! That qingyang sacred sword (replica) with damaged spirituality also let out a joyful hum in the golden light, its cracks rapidly healing, and its spiritual light even brighter than before!

Not only that, with Lin Hao as the center, a soft but powerful golden ripple spread out, covering the entire main tent, and continued to spread outward, covering most of the camp! All the Righteous Path Cultivators swept by this golden ripple, regardless of the severity of their injuries, felt a warm and powerful force flood into their bodies. Their injuries healed rapidly, their exhausted spiritual power recovered quickly, and even their minds became clear and firm! The originally low morale was like being injected with a shot of adrenaline, instantly soaring!

"This is the afterglow of the 'Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal', which can temporarily increase your combat power and purify the erosion of Devilish Qi." The Heavenly Dao Envoy's voice remained cold. "Lin Hao, holding this Sacred Seal, you can invoke a portion of the power of the Heavenly Dao Origin to amplify the power of spells and temporarily suppress 30% of the strength of Cultivators below Peak Spirit Transformation. But remember, this power is not yours; do not rely on it for long."

Lin Hao felt the unprecedented powerful force in his body, as well as the terrifying authority contained in the Sacred Seal on his forehead that seemed capable of changing the world. He was so excited that he trembled all over and quickly thanked him: "Thank you for your grace, Envoy! This Disciple will certainly not fail the grace of Heaven and swears to kill Nightmare!"

The Heavenly Dao Envoy's golden eyes seemed to pierce through the tent, looking far away in the direction of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley.

"Nightmare has stolen the Reverse Dao Legacy and has become a great scourge to order. If you can kill this beast and sacrifice its Dao Reversal Origin to the Heavenly Dao, your merits can directly reach the position of 'Heavenly Dao Protector', enjoying the protection of the Heavenly Dao, having endless Lifespan, patrolling on behalf of Heaven, and monitoring the myriad realms."

Heavenly Dao Protector! Endless Lifespan! Patrolling on behalf of Heaven!

These words, like thunder, struck hard in the hearts of Lin Hao and everyone in the tent! What a reward! What glory! It was almost equivalent to ascending to the heavens in one step, becoming one of the spokespersons of the Heavenly Dao in the mortal world!

The light in Lin Hao's eyes instantly became scorching to the extreme. All setbacks, fear, and hesitation were completely dispelled by this irresistible temptation and sense of mission! He suddenly straightened his body, and only crazy murderous intent and greed remained in his eyes.

"Disciple will definitely kill Nightmare! To manifest the Heavenly Dao!"

The Heavenly Dao Envoy nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with Lin Hao's reaction.

"Three days later, after you have recovered your state and integrated the remaining troops. With the 'Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal' as the core, set up the 'Ten Thousand Dao Demon-Slaying Array'. This array gathers the sacred power of the Heavenly Dao and can trigger fragments of ten thousand Dao Laws to form a 'Spear of Order', specially designed to break the Reverse Dao Power. At that time, this Envoy will personally sit in the eye of the Formation to ensure nothing goes wrong."

After speaking, the Heavenly Dao Envoy's figure began to slowly fade, dissipating into specks of golden light.

"We respectfully obey the Envoy's decree!" Lin Hao and everyone in the tent responded in unison, their voices filled with reignited fighting spirit and fanaticism.

When the last bit of golden light dissipated, the tent returned to calm. But everyone's state of mind had already been turned upside down.

Lin Hao touched the Heavenly Dao Sacred Seal on his forehead that seemed to contain infinite power, feeling the surging power of the Heavenly Dao in his body, golden light flowing in his eyes, and a cold and cruel arc hooked at the corner of his mouth.

"Nightmare... this time, with the help of Heaven, the Sacred Seal, and the Ten Thousand Dao Demon-Slaying Array, and with the Heavenly Dao Envoy personally sitting in the Formation... I'll see how much longer you can be arrogant!"

He turned around, his eyes sweeping over everyone in the tent, his voice filled with unquestionable majesty:

"Pass the order! Heal with all your might and integrate the team! Three days later, attack the Ten Thousand Demon Valley again! This battle, we must win! The Heavenly Dao... is with us!"

"Must win! The Heavenly Dao is with us!"

The fanatical shouting spread again from the main tent, quickly spreading to the entire camp. The haze of failure was completely dispelled by the "miracle" and "promise" of the Heavenly Dao Envoy's descent, replaced by a more extreme and fanatical Battle Intent.

And in the Ten Thousand Demon Valley tens of thousands of miles away, Nightmare, who was standing on the top of the black bone tower and looking at the starry sky, seemed to have some feeling, and his brows wrinkled slightly.

The Origin Demonic Star dao seed sent a trace of a faint but clear palpitation and... warning.