The afterglow penetrated the thick dust, scattering between the broken walls and crumbling ruins.
A young boy, his face smudged with dirt, a broken longsword hanging at his waist, stared blankly at the sky in the distance, shrouded in Demonic Qi.
He had personally witnessed the cruelty of the Yao Race, the tragic deaths of his loved ones, and the fall of Cultivators…
Despair had long since taken over his body and mind.
Suddenly!
The terrifying Demonic Qi, so dense it seemed to solidify, was cleaved open by several streaks of brilliant Sword Light.
It carried an supreme will, one that could sever all and cleanse the universe.
Even from a thousand miles away, the boy could clearly feel the terrifying power fluctuations that were both heart-stopping and strangely reassuring.
Immediately after, the vast Demonic Qi that covered the sky, seemingly eternal and unyielding, was violently torn apart.
"That… that is…"
The boy's eyes widened suddenly, and his cracked lips trembled slightly.
The broken longsword in his embrace emitted an extremely faint hum at this moment, as if responding to the Sword Intent coming from the distant sky.
"An Immortal… It's an Immortal! An Immortal has made a move!!!"
Hope ignited in the boy's heart, and hot tears washed away the dirt on his face.
These were not tears of sorrow, but tears of overwhelming excitement at seeing a glimmer of hope in desperation.
He suddenly stood up, pointing towards the sky, which appeared exceptionally clear after the blue light dissipated, and screamed with all his might, his voice hoarse but filled with unprecedented power:
"An Immortal! An Immortal has made a move! An Immortal is here to save us!!!"
His cry was like a giant stone thrown into a lake, instantly breaking the deathly silence of the refugee camp.
The numb people raised their heads blankly, looking in the direction the boy pointed.
"An Immortal?"
"The Demonic Qi has dispersed?"
"Are we truly… saved?"
…
At the former location of the Yao Race's vanguard camp.
What was once filled with monstrous Demonic Qi and clamor had now become a scene of utter silence.
Countless Yao Race soldiers had simply vanished into thin air.
There were no broken walls, no mountains of corpses, no seas of blood.
Only a terrifying, bottomless pit, covering an area of a hundred miles, remained.
In the air, only a faint trace of terrifying Sword Intent lingered.
The two Ascension Realm Demon Saints of the Yao Race were the main commanders of this invasion, and the Demon Master was the strategist for this invasion, holding extremely high prestige within the Yao Race. Coupled with the many high-ranking Yao Race members in the camp, they were the main force of this invasion.
Originally, the Demon Master's plan was to occupy the lands of Great Ming, slowly eliminate the Human Race Cultivators, and then gradually infiltrate Great Xia.
However, in an instant, it all turned to dust.
"How… how is this possible?!"
The Yao Race's vast army instantly dissolved into chaos; no one knew what had happened.
"The Demon Master is dead?"
"The Great Saint is dead too?"
A Returning to Void Realm Demon King was terrified; just moments ago, it was still dreaming of the Yao Race unifying the world, and in the blink of an eye, both the commander and the strategist were completely wiped out.
Panic, like a tsunami, swept through the entire Yao Race army, and morale instantly collapsed.
The Golden Armored Demon Saint and the Illusion Mist Demon Saint were Great Saints from the Heavenly Demon Realm, possessing heaven-shattering strength. The fact that they were killed without even having the power to retaliate indicated that the one who made the move far surpassed them.
How could these Yao Race members dare to linger?
No one had any desire to invade Great Xia anymore.
The original plan to invade Great Xia was instantly interrupted.
Countless people of Great Ming were thus saved.
"An Immortal has made a move!"
"Heaven has eyes!"
…
A million miles away, the Yao Race vanguard camp was completely annihilated.
All of this was unknown to anyone.
But everything that happened in the Great Xia Royal Capital was witnessed by everyone.
The silence lasted for only a very brief moment.
Immediately after, like a volcanic eruption, deafening cheers, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami raging, swept through the entire Royal City.
"Divine Might of the Sword Immortal!"
"The Demon-Slaying Sword Immortal is mighty!"
Not to mention the common people in the Royal City, even Cultivators at this moment had burning eyes, shouting themselves hoarse, their voices soaring into the clouds.
Many people actually didn't see clearly what happened, but the supreme Sword Intent lingering between heaven and earth, coupled with the legends of the Demon-Slaying Sword Immortal from days past, was enough for them to revere Han Xuanji as a divine being.
"One day, I too want to be revered by tens of thousands of people, just like Master."
Li Taiqing slowly unclenched his fists, his eyes filled with endless adoration and yearning.
Immortals should not be high above, looking down on all living beings and treating them as ants.
Many Disciples of Shenxuan Sect within the city were now holding their heads high, including Immortal Master Heaven Jade Perfected Person and other Shenxuan Sect experts on the White Jade Immortal Platform, their faces unable to stop smiling.
Only those with profound cultivation, especially those who had reached the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, could barely glimpse a chilling truth from the lightning-fast clash.
"The strength of that Yao Race member is not simple… definitely not of the Tribulation Transcendence Realm."
"None of us discovered it beforehand."
They exchanged glances, their Divine Thoughts conversing silently.
The one who ambushed from among the crowd was very likely a great demon of the Ascension Realm.
And Han Xuanji not only defended against it but also instantly counterattacked, slaying the demon with supreme Immortal and divine methods under the watchful eyes of all.
Even though that Sword Intent world was not directed at any of them, they still felt a deep sense of oppression.
With a single thought, heaven and earth were changed.
This could no longer be described merely as "powerful"; this was truly the method of an Immortal.
They were fortunate that such a powerful being was not an enemy.
If he were an enemy, they would have no chance of winning at all, and wouldn't even know how to survive.
At this very moment.
Xia Emperor Ji Chengtian stood at the forefront of the high platform, a chill instantly spreading from the soles of his feet throughout his body, even his fingertips tingling slightly.
He had already learned from a message from the Royal Family's Old Ancestor that the demon who had just made a move was likely of the Ascension Realm. If Han Xuanji had not been here, the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Without Han Xuanji's presence, that Demon Saint could probably, with just a thought, silently take his head or even turn the Royal City upside down!
Han Xuanji slowly came to the center of the Immortal Platform with Little White Tiger, his white robes still pristine and unstained.
It was as if the astounding feat just now was as ordinary as brushing away a fallen leaf.
His gaze calmly swept over the excited crowd, finally resting on the Xia Emperor, and he said indifferently:
"Mere rabble, quite a spoilsport."
"Thank you for your move, Sword Immortal!"
Ji Chengtian bowed deeply again, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible tremor.
The Tribulation Transcendence Realm Old Ancestors behind him no longer held any pretense, their gazes towards Han Xuanji filled only with reverence.
A thought suddenly arose in Ji Chengtian's mind.
To erect a statue, build a temple, and offer worship for ten thousand generations.
He wanted to build an Immortal Temple for Han Xuanji in this Royal City with the highest specifications.
To cast a golden statue, establish an Immortal temple, and receive the incense offerings of my Xia for ten thousand generations.
Han Xuanji didn't know what the Xia Emperor was thinking, but he silently asked the System in his heart.
"What star-level sign-in location is this place?"
"This place's Dao contains a four-star sign-in location."
"Four stars?"
A hint of surprise and anticipation flashed in Han Xuanji's eyes.
Originally, he thought it was already good that Great Xia had a few three-star sign-in locations; he didn't expect there to be a four-star sign-in location.
One must know that a three-star sign-in location already yielded Immortal Artifacts, and four-star locations usually had extremely valuable rewards.
Thinking of this, Han Xuanji didn't hesitate and silently chanted in his heart:
"System, sign in."
The System's voice sounded.
"Congratulations to the Host for successfully signing in at the White Jade Immortal Platform, obtaining the entry "Human Dao Luck"."
Han Xuanji was slightly stunned.
"Human Dao Luck?"
"Human Dao Luck: Protected by Human Dao Luck, in the ethereal realm, it will help you avert disasters and misfortunes. The power of your Heavenly Tribulation will weaken. The more you are revered by the Human Race, the stronger your Human Dao Luck will be."
"This is indeed a good thing."
Han Xuanji could feel his spiritual platform clear, and wisps of golden Qi appeared above his head, shielding him from some of the Tribulation Qi.
He had a feeling that if the Human Dao Luck continued to grow stronger, it might bring him even greater benefits.
At this moment, a burst of insight appeared in Han Xuanji's mind.
No wonder it is said that some Cultivators, despite years of arduous cultivation, still emerge from seclusion when a great era descends.
Amidst the mortal world, there are also great Opportunities.
However, corresponding to this are great dangers; even Ascension Realm powerhouses face the risk of falling.
Indeed, in this short time, Han Xuanji had already slain three Ascension Realm existences.
"So, am I not the biggest tribulation?"
Han Xuanji thought inexplicably, then shook his head.
How could an honest and sincere person like him be a tribulation?