Countless purple demon runes shot up into the sky, forming an impenetrable barrier before Qin Zhanyu.
The next moment, the runes shook violently—but never shattered.
Qin Zhanyu glanced down at the circular pendant at her throat.
“Trying to drag me into an illusion realm? How naïve!”
Ye Yu remained silent, though he could hardly conceal his astonishment: even the Thousand Dreams Illusion could be stopped.
It was clear that the circular jade pendant around Qin Zhanyu’s neck was a rare treasure. No wonder the Lord of the Demon Realm Sanctuary would carry such a high-grade demon artifact.
Just then, the blood-soaked brothers Zhuo Kong and Zhuo Yi arrived at Ye Yu’s side. They reported that every enemy within the sanctuary had been eliminated, and the three demon envoys controlled by the Divine Heart Control Technique had fallen in battle.
Upon hearing this, Ye Yu’s expression grew grave. All the enemies defeated? That sounded impossible. According to the Soul-Summoning Banner’s tally, it had only devoured thirty-odd souls—barely an appetizer. Yet the sanctuary boasted over a hundred Sacred Envoys, and all Eight Elders had awakened. Where had they gone? Even discounting Huang Zhufeng, there were still seven Elders unaccounted for. They couldn’t all be in retreat when the sanctuary lay in ruins.
After a moment’s thought, Ye Yu turned his gaze to Qin Zhanyu. “It seems your sanctuary has been quite busy. So many Elders and Envoys are absent, leaving only this handful. What have they been doing?”
Her fingertip twitched as she sketched several demon runes in midair. With a single palm strike, the runes shot forward.
Ye Yu met her head-on and ordered Zhuo Kong and Zhuo Yi, “Take Yue Wanqiu outside. This fight isn’t for them—they should clear the area!”
With a thunderous roar, the sanctuary’s interior began to collapse under their clash. Neither held back; countless demon artifacts and treasures emerged as they fought. But Qin Zhanyu, as Sanctuary Lord, commanded the power of demon runes and cultivated at a higher level than Ye Yu. Slowly, she gained the upper hand.
Realizing he couldn’t continue like this, Ye Yu created some distance, then summoned Qing Ci with a thought.
After many days apart, she looked far more vibrant—no longer the frail beauty she once was.
“Master, why summon me today?”
“To kill a demon.”
His answer was simple. He raised his right hand, and Qing Ci nodded, “Understood.”
As their hands clasped, the Qian Kun Rebirth Staff (the Imperial Measuring Rod of Rebirth) appeared. In that instant, a surging wave of immortal power swept the entire hall.
Qin Zhanyu’s eyes widened as she stared at the staff. Her voice trembled, “T-Tiandao Imperial Weapon? Who... who are you?”
As Lord of the Demon Realm Sanctuary, she recognized legendary treasures—and the Tiandao Imperial Weapon was certainly one of them.
“Impressive recognition,” Ye Yu replied, “but let’s see if you can withstand this!”
He swung the staff forward. For the first time wielding the Tiandao Imperial Weapon, he was eager to test its might.
Immortal power poured from his body like a tidal wave—draining faster than he ever imagined a Sovereign Realm cultivator’s reserves could. Yet the Qian Kun Rebirth Staff lived up to its reputation. Everything in its path—Qin Zhanyu, the shattered stones of the sanctuary—turned starkly black and white, contrasting sharply with the surrounding ruins.
In two breaths’ time, Qin Zhanyu disintegrated into fine sand, scattering across the floor. Every object her power had touched was likewise sealed in monochrome—including her potent demon artifacts.
Within moments, a true vacuum opened before Ye Yu: a space of absolute nothingness, as if all had vanished into void. This was the true power of the Tiandao Imperial Weapon—terrifying indeed.
But then a wave of weakness washed over him: a sure sign his immortal power was exhausted. Ye Yu sheathed the staff and sat upon a chunk of rubble to recover, wincing at the steep price paid. Powerful as the weapon was, it had also consumed every piece of Qin Zhanyu’s gear in a single stroke.
Outside, Yue Wanqiu heard the silence and hurried in. When she learned Ye Yu had slain the sanctuary lord, her joy was plain—avenging her own ambush in the dream realm.
After regaining some strength, Ye Yu and Yue Wanqiu departed the sanctuary and stepped onto the passage to the Celestial Realm. Their minds were fixed on one goal: find Nangong Jingtang quickly. If he weren’t in the Celestial Realm, he might wander elsewhere—and that would be trouble.
What Ye Yu did not know was that half an hour after they left, a young woman approached the ruined sanctuary. Her face was grave as she surveyed the wreckage. Had Ye Yu still been there, he would have recognized her instantly—she was the very Qin Zhanyu he had just slain.
They looked identical—because they were the same demon. The woman before him now was Qin Zhanyu’s true body; the one he had struck down was merely a soul fragment. Before it dispersed, it had transmitted everything it saw back to her.
Hence her return.
Tiandao Imperial Weapon? She never imagined something like that would appear. The world surely had many surprises in store!
Soon, Elder Qiao Wensong and his nephew Shang Jinleng arrived. In the mortal realm, both were alive and well—yet knowing nothing of what had transpired here. Qiao ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Wensong’s voice rang out in anger, “Damn it—who dares destroy the sanctuary?”
“You needn’t concern yourselves with that,” Qin Zhanyu said, striding past. “Just carry out my orders. Tell the other Elders to speed up their work—time waits for no one!”
