The moment Liu Xi appeared, Mo Tong and Xuan Guang immediately sensed something unusual. Their expressions turned grim.
For someone to evade their perception and arrive so silently in this area—this was no ordinary person.
Who was this man?
The same thought crossed both their minds. Even within the vast Great Thousand World, the number of Heavenly Sovereigns was limited, let alone one with the aura of an Immortal Grade expert like Liu Xi.
In this circle, everyone at their level was at least somewhat known—if not personally, then by name.
Yet Liu Xi was an exception.
His early history was a blank, his rise explosive.
Because of that, although his name now shook the Great Thousand World, most had never actually seen him.
Mo Tong stepped forward. Divine light radiated across the sky as he spoke coldly, voice laced with authority and threat.
"Friend, I advise you not to meddle in matters that do not concern you. We are here under orders to retrieve the daughter of the Ancient Buddha Clan's Clan Leader—fiancée to the Maha Clan Leader, Maha Tian. If you delay us, you will bear the consequences!"
His tone carried both warning and superiority. After all, as the head of the Mo Lineage within the Ancient Buddha Clan, there were few he had reason to fear.
Xuan Guang added, his aura surging as he tried to suppress Liu Xi with sheer presence.
"Indeed. Cultivation is a difficult path. It would be wise not to involve yourself in needless trouble."
The combined mention of the Ancient Buddha Clan and Ancient Maha Clan—two of the Great Thousand World's Five Ancient Clans—was usually enough to deter even the boldest interloper.
But Liu Xi was not "usual."
Holding Qing Yanjing gently in his arms, he smiled.
"I've heard of the Buddha Clan and the Maha Clan," he said lightly. "But…"
His smile deepened into a playful smirk.
"Maha Tian—he's the Maha Clan Leader, isn't he? I met him recently. Knocked him unconscious with a single slap. A mediocre Immortal Grade at best, nothing remarkable."
His words were calm and almost lazy, but their effect was devastating. To Liu Xi, this was merely stating a fact. To everyone else, it was blasphemy.
Maha Tian, late Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereign, a genius one step from the Saint Grade—yet this man dismissed him as a weakling?
And worse—rumor held that Maha Tian had indeed been struck down not long ago. The timing, the tone… all pointed to one name.
Qing Lian.
Realization dawned instantly. Qing Yanjing froze for a heartbeat, gazing up at the man's face, her heart flooding with both disbelief and joy.
He wasn't just anyone—he was Qing Lian, the Demon Slayer King.
Mo Tong, Xuan Guang, and their entourage of lineage elites all tensed. They had never met him, but everyone had heard of him.
The man who—
Defeated five Heavenly Sovereigns on the Skylaw Continent.
Suppressed the Fire Spirit Clan's ancestor and sealed him away.
Entered the Burning Heaven Continent's Abyss Domain, slew multiple Demon Emperors, and crushed Maha Tian with a single strike.
Since then, his fame had soared—no one in the Great Thousand World hadn't heard his name.
It wasn't that Maha Tian was weak. It was that Liu Xi's rise was unreal.
Compared to him, both Mo Tong and Xuan Guang—mid Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereigns—were insignificant.
The two exchanged glances, their expressions heavy. If this truly was Qing Lian, there was no chance of victory.
Still, they refused to simply believe his words.
After a moment's silence, Mo Tong withdrew his outward aura and forced a more diplomatic tone.
"Qing Lian, please give our Buddha Clan some face. The lady in your arms is the Clan Leader's daughter and the fiancée of the Maha Clan Leader. Return her to us, and you will be an honored guest of the Buddha Clan. We can even mediate between you and the Maha Clan, resolving this misunderstanding peacefully. There's no need for enmity."
His voice was soft and deferential—but his mind was cold and calculating.
Once they got the girl back, he and Xuan Guang would unite their forces with the Maha Clan and crush Qing Lian together.
Beside him, Xuan Guang played along perfectly. While Mo Tong spoke in honeyed words, Xuan Guang added veiled threats—about the Buddha Clan's deep foundations and the Maha Clan's might, warning that even Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereigns could be subdued.
Hearing this, Qing Yanjing bit her lip, worry flashing in her eyes. She didn't want to drag Liu Xi into her troubles.
She tried to rise, but Liu Xi held her firmly, his gaze burning with confidence and defiance.
"I'm taking her with me today," he said calmly. "Let's see who dares stop me."
His voice carried through heaven and earth, quiet yet unshakable, resonating with a strength that could not be challenged.
Qing Yanjing's cheeks flushed crimson, the warmth spreading from her neck to her ears. For the first time in her life, she felt utterly safe.
"You…"
Mo Tong and Xuan Guang's expressions darkened. Even after invoking both their clans, this man remained unmoved.
Retreat was intolerable. They exchanged one last glance and nodded.
They would test him—with force.
"Attack!"
The order rang out. Spiritual Energy erupted like a tidal wave, splitting the skies apart.
Six colossal Celestial Bodies emerged, each towering tens of thousands of feet high. Their auras shook the sea and sky.
Two Immortal Grade Heavenly Sovereigns—Mo Tong and Xuan Guang—and four Spirit Grade Heavenly Sovereigns stood united. The Buddha Clan's power was indeed terrifying.
Qing Yanjing's face turned pale. "Senior Qing Lian, don't mind me—just go!" she cried.
"Be good. Don't move."
Liu Xi's tone was calm, but in the next instant, the void behind him ignited in blinding radiance.
Boundless Chaotic Spiritual Energy surged.
A towering figure materialized—the Azure Lotus Undying Body.
It emanated eternal, unshakable might.
The Celestial Body took one step forward—space shattered. Its fist gleamed with infinite light as the world itself trembled under its power.
Where it passed, all things perished.
The air where Mo Tong and Xuan Guang stood detonated. Their Celestial Bodies crumbled into fragments under the blow, the sky collapsing with them.
"Run!"
Terror filled Xuan Guang's voice. Liu Xi's strength exceeded anything they could comprehend.
Without hesitation, he and Mo Tong burned their Spiritual Essence, dragging their four subordinates into a spatial storm.
Even for Heavenly Sovereigns, stepping into such chaos risked eternal loss—but compared to facing Liu Xi head-on, even the storm seemed merciful.
(End of Chapter)
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