No one in the higher realm could stand against so many Lu brothers fighting together, let alone just a handful of Union Realm cultivators.

Qin Zhou gazed impassively at the scene of blood splattering before him.

None of them were greenhorns fresh out of the village; their strikes were clean and decisive.

But this time, it seemed Wen Jue and the others wouldn’t need to collect the bodies. This temporary “Demon-Slaying Battlefield” established by the Heavenly Dao appeared to be automatically absorbing the spiritual energy from the “corpses.”

A massive sphere of spiritual energy was growing larger and larger above the battlefield.

Suddenly, Qin Zhou sensed an intense gaze.

He stood at the very back of the battlefield.

Through the crowd, something was staring at him.

Qin Zhou raised his eyes to see a cultivator lying face down on the ground; he must have been struck by the surge of spiritual energy from Wen Jue and knocked flying.

But Qin Zhou was certain he didn’t recognize him.

The man seemed to notice that Qin Zhou was looking at him and quickly turned his head away, but Qin Zhou had already caught the sinister glint in his eyes.

This cultivator was the “body-snatching master” mentioned by the Ancestor Guiyuan.

This Nascent Soul body was indeed not his own. He had seized it from its original owner.

He harbored no blood feud against that demonic fiend named Wen Jue. His reason for coming with the Ancestor Guiyuan was simply to forge connections with more righteous cultivators—and, of course, to reap both fame and fortune by joining them in their shared hatred against the demonic fiend.

But now… he deeply regretted it.

Now, it was they who had been placed on the chopping block, waiting to be slaughtered.

He couldn’t just sit back and wait for death…

At this point, he had no other choice.

Seizing the moment, the cultivator hurled the scroll in his hand forward. “Ancestor Guiyuan! Use this!”

Ancestor Guiyuan, already beaten to the brink of death, suddenly lit up. He darted forward to catch the scroll and immediately raised it high—

“Everyone, stop!” he bellowed.

The crowd halted, casting a glance his way.

“Let me tell you, this is the Demon-Slaying Scroll. Once shattered, even if you are powerful cultivators at the Union Realm, your souls will surely be obliterated!” Ancestor Guiyuan was covered in dust and blood, but his eyes were unwavering.

The Demon-Slaying Battlefield lay in utter chaos, but upon closer inspection, it was clear that of the dozens of righteous cultivators who had come on this expedition, very few remained.

“Let us go, or else we’ll all perish together today.” Ancestor Guiyuan wiped the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Seeing that the Lu family members had stopped and remained motionless, the righteous cultivators who had been taking a beating all fled to take cover behind Elder Guiyuan.

For a moment, the two groups stood facing off against each other.

“What kind of Demon-Slaying Scroll is this that’s so powerful?” Wen Jue stepped forward, looking at the scroll in Elder Guiyuan’s hand—it looked very familiar.

Wasn’t this the very thing those little brats from the Guiyuan Sect had pulled out to deal with him back in the secret realm?

It seemed to conjure some sort of cage to trap him, while several of them attempted to break through their cultivation barriers on the spot, hoping to use the thunder tribulation drawn by their ascension to strike him down.

Unfortunately, it didn’t work. He shattered the cage outright and killed them all.

He never expected to see this thing again.

Never mind whether it could trap him or not—haven’t these cultivators figured it out yet? The one who’s going to take their lives isn’t him at all, but the Heavenly Dao.

It’s not the Lu group who was stopping them from leaving.

“Demon! Don’t get too cocky. You may not fear the tribulation as a cultivator close to ascension but I refuse to believe you aren’t worried about the people behind you!” Ancestor Guiyuan roared.

“If crushing this thing can truly obliterate even a Union Realm cultivator’s soul, I’d love to see it,” Wen Jue sneered.

Wen Jue had seen his fair share of powerful scrolls.

Among their group of disciples, the Tenth Brother specialized in this very field. With the Tenth Brother’s scrolls combined with the Seventh Brother’s formations, it might just be possible to achieve the effect of “when the scroll shatters, all things perish.”

But even for them, the claim that crushing a scroll could annihilate all Union Realm experts was simply too laughable.

Xiao Yibai leaped back to Qin Zhou’s side.

“Village Chief, isn’t this thing…” If she remembered correctly, wasn’t this the same thing that group used in the secret realm last time…

Qin Zhou nodded. “The Demon-Slaying Scroll.”

A scroll from ten thousand years ago—why was it appearing here time and again?

“Wen Jue, let us go!” The Ancestor of Guiyuan’s eyes turned blood-red.

Wen Jue pressed forward step by step. “I told you to hold it.”

Ancestor Guiyuan was startled and immediately shattered the scroll in his hand.

A massive cage suddenly descended from the sky, trapping Wen Jue within once again.

“Everyone, the demon lord has been subdued!” Ancestor Guiyuan bellowed.

You never saw that coming, did you?

He had done this specifically to lure the demonic fiend right before his eyes.

“This scroll won’t hold him for long. Those who can escape, do so.” The Ancestor of the Gui Clan lowered his gaze.

He had truly lost any desire to fight Wen Jue.

Just like the former Patriarch of the Guiyuan Sect, he had underestimated Wen Jue. A Tribulation-stage cultivator—that was simply not something a single Union-stage cultivator like him could handle.

Like a moth drawn to the flame, he would ultimately bring about his own destruction. Moreover, he never imagined that so many Patriarchs from major sects would all side with the Demon Lord.

At this very moment, he had long since lost all hope for the future of the cultivation world.

The righteous cultivators, too, did not hesitate for a moment; they turned and fled.

Wen Jue didn’t move; he didn’t even attempt to open the cage.

Seeing this, none of the Lu family members gave chase.

But in the next instant, a thunderclap split the sky—

With a deafening boom, it reduced the fleeing cultivators to ashes.

“There’s no escape! There’s a barrier here—we can’t get out!” Watching cultivator after cultivator struck down by lightning, someone standing at the edge of the barrier shouted in despair.

At that moment, the Ancestor Guiyuan looked up at the sky.

The remaining two Union Realm powerhouses also looked utterly devastated—

“It’s the Heavenly Dao! The Heavenly Dao will not tolerate us!”

“The Heavenly Dao is merciless! The Heavenly Dao is merciless!”

Wen Jue watched them die one after another under the heavenly thunder and shook his head slightly.

Lu Qi laughed at the sight. “When it’s your own people dying, you blame the Heavenly Dao for being merciless. Weren’t you the ones who came to exterminate the demons? Rest assured, in eighteen years, I’ll still be a man of action.”

The rest of the Lu family showed not a shred of sympathy.

This demon-extermination plan had always been a fight to the death; naturally, it was better for others to die than for their eldest brother to perish.

The Heavenly Dao’s intervention came at just the right moment; they couldn’t be bothered to get their hands dirty.

“Senior, spare me! Spare me!” At that moment, a man charged straight into the crowd of Lu family members.

Everyone looked over—wasn’t this the cultivator who had dropped the scroll for Elder Guiyuan?

Wen Jue raised his hand, ready to finish him off.

“Wait.” Qin Zhou spoke up from behind the crowd, stopping him.

Wen Jue paused and turned around; Qin Zhou had already stepped forward.

“I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”

Wen Jue raised an eyebrow. “Ask away.”

“Where did you get that Demon-Slaying Scroll?” Qin Zhou looked at the disheveled cultivator. As expected, the heavenly thunder had spared him.

The cultivator looked bedraggled, but in reality, he had no injuries.

“I—I modified it myself. I’m a talismanist specializing in the Xuanmen tradition,” the man said, his voice trembling.

“That’s not true,” Qin Zhou said in a deep voice. “If you don’t tell the truth, I won’t spare your life.”

The cultivator’s pupils contracted slightly, then he bowed his head. “I won’t hide it from you all—in truth… I am a descendant of the Lord of All Heavens. This scroll is a creation from years past. I have many more items like this.”

A descendant of the Lord of All Heavens?

Qin Zhou’s expression grew somewhat peculiar.

The Lu family members looked just as puzzled.

“A descendant of the Lord of All Heavens?” Wen Jue sneered.

“That’s right. I originally came from another world and was in the middle of cultivation when suddenly a hole opened in the sky and sucked me in. But I am indeed a descendant of the Lord of All Heavens—and I even know you, Senior!”

Wen Jue looked at the man pointing at him and raised an eyebrow. “You know me?”

“That’s right! You’re Lu Yi, the Lord of the Heavens’ own son, aren’t you?”

Wen Jue:?

His own son?

Everyone turned to look at the village chief.

Just as Qin Zhou was about to speak, a sharp gleam suddenly flashed in the man’s eyes on the ground. Now was the moment! He had to seize this Golden Core cultivator—only then would he have a chance to escape!

He shot upward and charged straight toward Qin Zhou—

Everyone caught a glimpse of it out of the corner of their eyes and gasped in shock.

Immediately afterward.

There was a loud “clang.”

The cultivator had collided with something, flying straight back before crashing heavily to the ground.

It was Wen Jue’s barrier.

Galaxy, already mid-air, hopped angrily: “……” 

Master, it’s not that I’m not fast enough—it’s that Lu Yi is too fast!

“You have quite the nerve.” A flash of murderous intent flickered in Wen Jue’s eyes. To dare lay a hand on Qin Zhou right in front of him?

The cultivator was clearly terrified out of his wits. As he watched Wen Jue approach, he stammered incoherently while backing away: “Senior, spare my life! I truly am a descendant of the Lord of All Heavens!!

“Very well. If what you say is true, I shall spare your life. Swear by the Heavenly Dao: if you are not, I will crush even your soul.” Wen Jue bent down, clasping the cultivator’s throat, and said in a deep voice.

“I—I swear by the Heavenly Dao…”

The cultivator cried out, “I truly come from another world and am indeed a descendant of the Lord of All Heavens… Should I break this oath, may I die a miserable death.”

The crowd waited a few seconds.

They saw no signs of anything unusual.

So… was he telling the truth!?

“You really are a descendant of the Lord of All Heavens?!” Shisi couldn’t help but blurt out. After speaking, he looked at Wen Jue.

Wen Jue’s face darkened completely.

“Heavenly Dao, at this point, you ought to say something,” Qin Zhou said in a deep voice. He felt that if he didn’t say something soon, he might end his life in a haphazard manner.

What descendant of the Lord of All Heavens? He hadn’t even had any children.

【I’m not familiar with matters from other worlds :)】

Golden text appeared before them.

The emoji that followed left Qin Zhou momentarily stunned.

【Whether he’s your descendant is a question you should be asking yourself】

Qin Zhou was speechless and could only explain weakly, “I have no descendants.”

Wen Jue looked both shocked and doubtful.

Qin Zhou had no choice but to pull out the Milky Way.

【:(】

【He does indeed come from the Heavens Beyond. After Lu Yi smashed open the heavens, I brought Qin Zhou back, but we also unexpectedly succeeded in connecting to another world】

【The Spirit Mountain Realm—Qin Zhou, you should be quite familiar with it, right?】

When Qin Zhou heard the first part, he initially thought the Heavenly Dao was referring to the reality he inhabited. But upon hearing the words “Spirit Mountain Realm,” he froze.

The Spirit Mountain Realm…

It was the game he had been in charge of before his death. The game hadn’t even been released yet when he was in a car accident—and at the time of the crash, the laptop containing the game data had been in the car as well.

Could it be…

Seeing Qin Zhou’s expression shift from astonishment to silence, Wen Jue felt a chill in his heart.

“That’s right, I am from the Spirit Mountain Realm! Senior Lu Yi, believe me!” The cultivator finally let out a sigh of relief. Surely he wouldn’t kill him now.

Wen Jue’s hand tightened slowly around the man’s neck.

Cultivator: !?

“I do not recognize you.” He didn’t care about any Spirit Mountain Realm or whatever—all he knew was that Qin Zhou couldn’t leave. He didn’t want to hear a single word about matters beyond the heavens.

He’d gone through so much trouble to bring Qin Zhou back!

So much trouble!

A fierce glint flashed in Wen Jue’s eyes. Spiritual energy pierced through the cultivator’s entire dantian, and in an instant, the man in his grasp was dead.

Tossing aside the corpse, Wen Jue rose to his feet. The terrifying spiritual energy of the Tribulation Stage surged forth, seeming to reach the heavens—

“As for that hole, I’ll go patch it up for you right now. From this moment on, you’d better keep your mouth shut.”

【……Alright】

As if afraid of being too slow, Wen Jue vanished into the air the moment the words left his mouth.

Repairing the heavens—he was going to repair the heavens right now.

Qin Zhou tried to call out to him, but his speed was too great; in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

“Village Chief… do you know that man? Big Brother killed him because he just tried to attack you…” Everyone clearly looked worried as well.

The Heavenly Dao said the Village Chief and that man both came from the Heavens Beyond. Could it be… that man was actually the Village Chief’s confidant?

Big Brother actually killed him on a whim…

Qin Zhou shook his head. “I don’t know him.”

The crowd breathed a sigh of relief.

Qin Zhou reflected that in the Spirit Mountain Realm game, he had indeed smuggled in quite a few personal items. The Demon-Slaying Scroll, there might not be the same one from here ten thousand years ago, but because of his connection, a scroll with the same effects now existed in the Spirit Mountain Realm.

‘Lu Yi’ was also a legendary figure in that game.

So the cultivator’s words just now were half-true, half-false.

As for whether he was a descendant or not…

That was pure nonsense.

At most, he could be considered the creator god of the Spirit Mountain Realm.

If that’s the case, then his earlier guess should hold true as well…

Having figured it all out, Qin Zhou raised his gaze and shouted to the heavens, “Heavenly Dao.”

【?】

“Shouldn’t I be calling you the game guide spirit, Xiao Lu?”

The moment Qin Zhou uttered those words, they were automatically muted.

Game guide spirits are a common feature in farming and simulation games.

They usually have a lively and cute appearance and serve as guides for new players.

In fact, whenever Qin Zhou opened the game interface, a dialogue box would often appear—

【Xiao Lu: Village Chief, welcome back~】

That golden dialogue box, combined with the other party’s emoticon… Qin Zhou couldn’t help but suspect that this “Heavenly Dai” was actually the game system from before, and that Xiao Lu was the game system’s spokesperson.

【*@#……&￥）*@】

The Dao’s dialogue box was suddenly filled with gibberish.

After a long while, it spoke again—

【Village Chief, welcome back~】

Qin Zhou, however, felt neither amusement nor nostalgia. He coldly dropped a single sentence—

“If you use me again to force Lu Yi to do anything, I’ll smash you to pieces myself.”

【T0T Okay】