Preparing for the Heavenly Dao, the Demon Alliance is integrating.

Standing at the peak of Falling Demon Peak, feeling the increasingly heavy pressure of the Heavenly Dao descending from the blood-colored sky, Nightmare showed no fear; instead, a cold and blazing Battle Intent burned in his eyes.

The Heavenly Dao Clone was about to descend; he didn't have much time left.

But it was enough time for him to do many things.

He slowly closed his eyes, and his vast, abyss-like Divine Sense, combined with the supreme Aura of his newly attained Undergoing Tribulation stage, surged like an invisible tide from the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, erupting across the entire Mortal Realm!

This was not a gentle transmission, but a domineering proclamation, a decree carrying a Soul brand!

Within the Mortal Realm, all those with cultivation above the Golden Core stage—whether they belonged to the Demonic Path, were Evil Cultivators, followed Heretical Paths, or were powerful Loose Cultivators who didn't fit in with the Righteous Path—all "heard" a cold, majestic, and unquestionable voice deep within their Souls at this moment:

“I am Nightmare.”

“Lord of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley, Successor of the Dao Reversal Legacy.”

“All Demonic Path forces and powerful Loose Cultivators of the Mortal Realm, I limit you to three days to gather at the Ten Thousand Demon Valley.”

“Those who submit shall survive. Those who defy shall be executed.”

“Those who do not arrive within three days, or arrive but do not submit—”

“Their Divine Souls shall be extinguished, and their Legacies shall be severed!”

The voice exploded in the Sea of Consciousness of all target Cultivators like thunder from the Nine Heavens! The Undergoing Tribulation stage pressure contained within, along with that terrifying will that defied the Heavenly Dao and sought to destroy everything, caused countless people's hearts to tremble and their courage to fail!

In remote areas, some old demons who had been in seclusion for a long time were so startled by this sudden Divine Sense transmission that they nearly suffered a Qi Deviation, and they looked toward the far west in horror.

Inside many small and medium-sized Demonic Path Sects, there was Chaos; Elders held emergency meetings, their faces filled with suspicion and fear.

Even some arrogant Demonic Path giants who occupied their own territories had solemn expressions after feeling that terrifying power in the Divine Sense, which far exceeded Soul Transformation and even faintly surpassed an ordinary Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation Cultivator.

The entire Mortal Realm's Demonic Path forces were in an uproar because of Nightmare's decree!

**Ten Thousand Demon Valley, Three-Day Deadline, Day One.**

Small and medium-sized forces that were nearby or already affiliated with the Ten Thousand Demon Valley were the first to arrive. They entered the valley uneasily and were placed in the outer areas. Seeing the battle traces on the western side that hadn't been fully cleared, as well as the lingering, Soul-shivering Aura of destruction in the air, their awe of the “Lord of Night,” who had yet to appear, reached its peak.

**Day Two.**

More Demonic Path forces arrived one after another. Among them were the five forces mentioned in the outline that were among the strongest in the Mortal Realm's Demonic Path, each with its own reliance:

**Profound Yin Sect**: Sect Master “Profound Yin Ancestor,” Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation, has cultivated thousand-year Profound Yin Evil Qi, possesses a gloomy personality, occupies the northern Profound Yin Mountain Range, and has established his own kingdom.

**Seven Kills Palace**: Palace Master “Seven Kill Demon Lord,” Peak Spirit Transformation, but excels in killing and combined attack techniques; the “Seven Kills Formation” formed by seven Soul Transformation Elders once trapped and killed an Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation Loose Cultivator, earning them a notorious reputation.

**Cave of a Hundred Ghosts**: Cave Mistress “Thousand-Faced Ghost Hag,” Peak Spirit Transformation, proficient in ghost-taming and Soul Refining techniques, with a ghost army numbering in the tens of thousands, occupying the southeastern Ancient Burial Grounds.

**Blood River Sect**: Sect Master “Blood River Cultivator,” Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation (newly entered), uses bizarre Cultivation Techniques that can transform into a river of blood to fight enemies and corrode all things, occupying a Blood Lake in the Western Regions.

**White Bone Temple**: Temple Master “White Bone True Lord,” Peak Spirit Transformation, refines bones into demons, his white bone demonic body is incredibly hard and fierce in close combat, active in the ancient battlefield ruins of the central region.

These five families each had their own trump cards and usually dominated their respective regions. Although they had heard of Nightmare's prowess, they had not seen it for themselves, and relying on their own strength and foundations, most were defiant. They brought their elite disciples and entered the Ten Thousand Demon Valley in a grand procession, led to the core training grounds, where they were settled separately from the other forces, faintly forming their own group and standing apart from the other submitters with an arrogant attitude.

**Day Three, Noon.**

The core training grounds of the Ten Thousand Demon Valley were crowded, and Devilish Qi filled the air. Almost all the famous Demonic Path forces of the Mortal Realm had arrived, a dense mass of thousands of Cultivators, the lowest being at the Golden Core stage. Everyone held their breath, their eyes focused on the tall black stone platform at the front of the training grounds.

The air was thick with tension, oppression, and deep curiosity and fear.

The Sect Master stood to one side of the stone platform, his eyes scanning the crowd below, lingering slightly on the area where the five forces like the Profound Yin Sect were located, a cold sneer in his heart.

Finally, a figure appeared in the center of the stone platform without warning.

Black clothes, black hair, eyes like Nirvana Stars.

It was Nightmare.

He simply stood there without any Aura erupting, yet he seemed to instantly become the center of the entire world. The clouds above the training grounds seemed to freeze, and all the noise vanished in an instant, leaving only the sound of heavy breathing and heartbeats.

Countless gazes fell upon Nightmare—awe, curiosity, suspicion, fear... a mix of everything.

“The three days are up,” Nightmare spoke, his voice calm but clearly reaching everyone's ears. “It seems those who should have come, have come.”

His gaze, like a cold blade, slowly swept across the field, finally landing on the leaders of the five forces, including the Profound Yin Sect.

Even figures like the Profound Yin Ancestor and the Seven Kill Demon Lord felt their hearts tighten when met with that gaze, as if pierced by an invisible chill.

The Profound Yin Ancestor coughed and took the first step forward, cupping his hands. “Fellow Daoist Nightmare, your cultivation is heavenly and your fame shakes the universe; this old man admires you. However...” His tone shifted, and his eyes flickered. “Integrating the entire Mortal Realm's Demonic Path is no small matter. Our various houses have legacies spanning thousands of years with deep foundations and many Cultivators under our command, involving the lives and futures of countless people. Although you are strong, Fellow Daoist, to ask us all to submit based solely on a single Divine Sense transmission... is that not a bit of a joke? You must make us truly convinced.”

As his voice fell, the Seven Kill Demon Lord, the Thousand-Faced Ghost Hag, the Blood River Cultivator, and the White Bone True Lord also stepped forward. Though they didn't speak, their attitude was clear. Behind them, the elite Cultivators of the five forces simultaneously surged with their Aura, joining together to faintly contend with Nightmare's invisible pressure!

Clearly, they had reached a tacit understanding to unite and test, or even challenge, Nightmare's authority!

On the training grounds, the atmosphere instantly tightened to the limit! Cultivators from other forces backed away, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

Nightmare looked at these five people, his face still expressionless, but the coldness in his eyes seemed to deepen.

“Truly convinced?” he repeated, as if he had heard something amusing.

In the next moment, his figure disappeared from the stone platform.

When he reappeared, he was standing in the center of the training grounds, ten zhang away from the Profound Yin Ancestor and the other four, facing them.

“This seat has no time to waste words with you, nor do I need you to be convinced.” Nightmare's voice suddenly turned sharp, carrying a decisive Killing Intent. “I only ask one thing—”

“Submit, or die?”

As the final word “die” was uttered, it seemed to carry the smell of bloody rust, causing the temperature of the training grounds to drop instantly!

The faces of the Profound Yin Ancestor and the others changed simultaneously; they hadn't expected Nightmare to be so direct and domineering!

“Arrogant!” The Blood River Cultivator, who had the most explosive temper, roared. “This old man wants to see what ability you have to make us die!”

Before his voice even faded, he had already struck! A blood-red light soared from his body, transforming into a massive river of blood with a foul stench that corroded the Void Realm, sweeping toward Nightmare! His first move was the killing technique “Blood River Heavens-Swallowing”!

Almost simultaneously, the other four moved as well!

The Profound Yin Ancestor flicked his sleeves, and countless pitch-black, sinister Profound Yin finger-forces shot out like a rainstorm, specifically designed to break through Protective Aura and targeting Nightmare's major acupoints!

The Seven Kill Demon Lord and the six Elders behind him instantly formed a Formation. Seven ferocious streaks of Killing Intent soared into the sky, merging into a giant blood-colored demonic blade that slashed down toward Nightmare! It was the combined ultimate technique of the Seven Kills Formation—the Seven Kills Demonic Blade!

The Thousand-Faced Ghost Hag gave a strange laugh, and thousands of ghost shadows surged from behind her, emitting ear-piercing shrieks and forming a ghost realm that interfered with Divine Sense and devoured life force!

The White Bone True Lord roared as his body suddenly grew taller, his skin turning into stark white bones. He threw a punch, the white bone fist-print solidifying and carrying the massive force of crushing mountains as it struck directly at Nightmare's chest!

Five great experts—two in the Early Stage of Undergoing Tribulation and three at Peak Spirit Transformation with a combined Formation—all attacked with their full strength! The magnitude of the power caused the entire training grounds to tremble, and the surrounding Cultivators all paled and retreated in haste!

Faced with this siege that would have left even a Middle Stage Undergoing Tribulation Cultivator scrambling, Nightmare moved.

He did not dodge, nor did he defend.

He simply took a step forward.

With that one step, the silent, nearly pure black Dao Reversal Demonic Star Flame around him erupted completely before everyone for the first time!

Boom—!!!

The pitch-black flames were like a prehistoric beast released from its cage, soaring into the sky! The flames were not hot; instead, they emitted a coldness and silence that froze the Soul! Wherever the flames passed, the blood river evaporated, the Profound Yin finger-forces dissolved, the ghost shadows shrieked and turned into green smoke, and the white bone fist-print shattered inch by inch! The imposing Seven Kills Demonic Blade slashed into the black flames like a stone dropped into the sea, being swallowed and dismantled without even causing a ripple!

The five great killing moves, in the face of the Dao Reversal Demonic Star Flame, were like snow meeting a blazing sun, instantly collapsing!

“What?!”

“This is impossible!”

The eyes of the Profound Yin Ancestor and the others exploded with unparalleled horror!

However, what made them even more desperate was yet to come.

After destroying the five killing moves, the Dao Reversal Demonic Star Flame did not stop; instead, it suddenly contracted and condensed into five extremely refined pitch-black fire-lines. Like scythes of death crossing the Void Realm, they attacked the five people at a terrifying speed that surpassed Divine Sense perception!

Fast! Too fast! So fast they didn't even have time to react or feel fear!

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

Five soft sounds rang out almost simultaneously.

A dead silence fell over the center of the training grounds.

A needle-sized black dot appeared on the forehead of the Profound Yin Ancestor. His eyes were wide, his expression frozen in boundless horror and confusion. Then, his entire body, like a weathered sand sculpture, silently collapsed and turned into fly ash.

The Seven Kill Demon Lord and the six Elders behind him maintained their slashing posture, but a bowl-sized hole appeared in each of their chests, transparent from front to back. In the next moment, all seven turned into drifting black ash.

The Thousand-Faced Ghost Hag's thousands of ghost shadows, along with her own body, were pierced by the black fire. Like paper figures being ignited, they were instantly burned to nothingness.

The Blood River Cultivator's massive blood river surged back, engulfing him. The blood quickly dried up and vanished in the pitch-black flames, leaving only a small scorched mark on the ground.

The White Bone True Lord's indestructible white bone demonic body was like porcelain struck by a heavy hammer, covered in cracks before shattering into a pile of bone shards, which were then incinerated into nothingness by the flames.

From the moment Nightmare took that step to the point where the leaders of the five forces and some of their core elites—a total of thirteen experts of at least Peak Spirit Transformation—were all turned to fly ash with their Divine Souls extinguished... the entire process took less than five breaths.

Absolute suppression! Ultimate instant kill!

There was not a sound on the training grounds. All the Cultivators, regardless of their previous thoughts, were now pale and trembling, as if cold water had been poured over them from head to toe, their very Souls shivering!

They had finally seen with their own eyes what kind of terrifying existence this “Lord of Night” was! Killing an Early Stage Undergoing Tribulation Cultivator was like slaughtering pigs or dogs! This was a power they could not possibly resist!

Nightmare slowly withdrew his hand, and the terrifying demonic flames around him quietly receded, as if the world-destroying scene just now had been an illusion. His cold gaze swept over the deathly silent crowd below, finally landing on the remaining Cultivators of the five forces, who were now leaderless and paralyzed with fear.

“The ringleaders have been executed.” His voice was flat, but more frightening than any roar. “Are you willing to submit?”

Thud! Thud!

The Cultivators of those five forces fell like a forest being chopped down, kneeling in a uniform mass, their heads hitting the ground, their voices trembling with tears:

“We surrender! We are willing to surrender! We swear our lives to the Lord of Night! We beg for the Lord of Night's mercy!”

“We are willing to offer all our resources and records, letting the Lord of Night dispose of them as he pleases!”

Where was their arrogance now? They only wanted to save their lives.

Nightmare stopped looking at them and turned to the equally shocked Ten Thousand Demon Valley Master, commanding, “Valley Master.”

“Your subordinate is here!” The Valley Master jolted and hurriedly bowed.

“From now on, integrate all the forces present. The original Ten Thousand Demon Valley will be the headquarters, and you will serve as the Vice Alliance Leader, overseeing everything. All resources, records, and personnel must be uniformly registered and allocated. If there are those who feign compliance while secretly obstructing—” Nightmare paused before uttering two words: “Execute them.”

“I respectfully obey the Lord's decree!” The Valley Master shouted, his heart a mix of ambition and awe.

“Furthermore,” Nightmare waved his hand, and several Ores emitting an ancient astral Aura, a large number of Chaos crystals, and other precious Materials floated in the air. “Using these as the core, join all the Great Master Formation experts in the valley to set up the ‘Dao Reversing Heaven Extinguishing Array’ within and around the Ten Thousand Demon Valley within three days. The Formation must be guided by my demonic flames and can gather the power of all Demonic Path Cultivators, specifically to counter the power of the Heavenly Dao.”

“Yes!” The Valley Master looked at those incredibly precious Materials, his heart racing as he hurriedly took them.

Having arranged everything, Nightmare did not stay. His figure disappeared from the training grounds, and in the next moment, he had returned to the Demonic Flame Cage at the bottom of the Netherworld Cave.

Time was pressing; the Heavenly Dao Clone could descend at any moment.

Before that, he needed to completely settle his Karma with Lin Hao, squeeze out his final value, and then, in his most complete state, face the true challenge from the Heavenly Dao!

Inside the cage, Lin Hao seemed to sense something, his remaining consciousness emitting a weak and unwilling tremor.

Nightmare looked at the person in the cage, his pitch-black eyes filled only with cold resolve.