'Only one year?'
Atop a high mountain peak, Yang Xiao wore a grave expression.
He had always thought highly of himself. He believed that after three years, he would have a chance to fight Nangong Tianling of the True God Realm—and even defeat her. But one year...
It was too short.
'If that Vast Heaven Immortal Lord really breaks through to the True Immortal Realm, becoming comparable to a True God, will I have the power to stop him in a year?'
'This is a trap set by the Northern Wilderness Divine King!'
Yang Xiao was in a terrible mood.
Although he had the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion, where one year could be used like a thousand, he knew his own situation best. It was impossible for his cultivation to break through while staying inside the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.
Besides, for most people, even a thousand years wasn't nearly enough time to cultivate to the True God Realm.
Naturally, Yang Xiao felt no confidence at all.
After all, in his previous two lives, he had no experience cultivating to godhood himself, so he had no idea how much time he would need.
The pressure on him instantly skyrocketed.
But on second thought, if that Vast Heaven Immortal Lord was truly going to annihilate every Martial Cultivator in the Celestial Cloud Region, Yang Xiao would definitely fight him.
In fact, they had already clashed.
Yang Xiao suspected that if he wasn't mistaken, the person behind Xuan Tianzhan was likely a subordinate of that Vast Heaven Immortal Lord.
As for why Yang Xiao didn't think that person was the Vast Heaven Immortal Lord himself?
It was purely because that man was too weak.
At best, he was at the Mid-stage Void Immortal, equivalent to a Mid-stage Demigod. There was no way he could attempt to reach the True Immortal Realm, equivalent to a True God, within a year.
If that man had been a Peak Void Immortal...
...there was no way Yang Xiao could have destroyed his willed Clone so easily back then.
'Damn it, I forgot to ask Nangong Tianling about the origins of the Immortal Dao!'
Thinking of the Immortal Dao, Yang Xiao's expression changed again.
But thinking back...
...there was nothing he could have done.
Nangong Tianling did things far too quickly.
She left as soon as she said she would.
She didn't even go to see her own father.
'Could it be...'
'That my father truly has no connection to my current life's origins?'
A glint flashed in Yang Xiao's eyes.
He had made a decision.
'Even if my father in this life shares no blood ties with me, his protection and love are greater than that of most fathers in the world. In this life, I will only ever acknowledge him as my father.'
With a stir in his heart, Yang Xiao began to look north, in the direction of the Northern Wilderness Forest.
Because the Carefree Sect...
...was also in that direction.
But when he looked...
...his expression changed yet again.
Because, above the Northern Wilderness Forest, Blood Evil Qi surged into the heavens.
Faintly, it seemed to be wreathed in Demonic Qi.
'A sign of great misfortune... Could someone have Fallen into Demon? Xue Yi! Yes, it must be her. The Bloodthirsty Celestial Cyan was rooted in her body for three hundred years; the demonic nature has long been deeply planted! This is bad, I have to stop her.'
A flash of Golden Light erupted from behind Yang Xiao.
Two Golden Wings unfurled into the sky.
His figure shot away in an instant.
And just after he left...
A phantom-like figure appeared on the mountain peak.
It was, surprisingly, Nangong Tianling.
'The Golden Wing Divine Technique? No, it's the Golden Roc True Body. This little fellow really is hiding secrets. To think he successfully cultivated a Great Divine Technique like a Supreme True Body. It seems that although his aptitude is poor, his comprehension is excellent. And his providence is immense. Maybe, in three years, he really can give me a surprise.'
Nangong Tianling watched the instantly vanishing Yang Xiao.
A faint smile graced her lips.
She had left a wisp of her aura here precisely to observe Yang Xiao.
And because Yang Xiao, in his haste, had directly manifested the Golden Wing True Body, he had allowed her to glimpse some of his secrets.
However, compared to great secrets like the True Greater Yang Fire, the Nine Yang Celestial Skill, and being a Divine King Reincarnation, the mere Golden Roc True Body wasn't that big of a secret for Yang Xiao.
It didn't matter if she found out.
In fact, if Yang Xiao had known she had such a trick up her sleeve, he might have intentionally revealed a few more secrets, just to stop this woman from constantly looking down on him.
But with Yang Xiao's current strength, it was impossible for him to have noticed.
Especially now, when his mind was completely filled with the image of Xue Yi.
He was filled with worry.
He pushed the Golden Roc True Body to its absolute limit.
'Damn it, how could Nangong Tianling have taken me so far away? Faster, I need to be faster! A little closer! Just a little closer, and I'll be able to sense the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion's presence. Then I can directly escape into the Sword Mansion and come out from there.'
Yang Xiao cursed inwardly.
But his speed only increased.
He was the master of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. As long as he could sense its existence, he could easily enter it from anywhere.
Furthermore, as long as he left his aura somewhere, he could teleport there from within the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion.
It was just like before, when he had held Nangong Tianling above the Carefree Sect, entered the Land of Inheritance, and then re-emerged from the Land of Inheritance above the Carefree Sect.
It was incredibly convenient.
In fact, because the flow of time in the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion was different, even though Yang Xiao and Nangong Tianling had spent a considerable amount of time in the Land of Inheritance, when they reappeared...
...others only thought a single instant had passed.
Not long at all.
But this time, in order to have Yang Xiao and Yun'Er dual cultivate, Nangong Tianling had brought them to such a remote place—the highest and most central point in the Celestial Cloud Region.
Yang Xiao's Spiritual Level was completely unable to sense the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion's aura.
He could only rely on his Golden Roc True Body.
Fortunately, his Golden Roc True Body had been refined using the Essence Blood of a true Divine Beast, and its cultivation had reached the Peak of Small Divine Power, allowing him to fly at incredible speeds.
In just a short while, he had flown tens of thousands of miles.
Finally, in an area still a hundred thousand miles from the Carefree Sect, he sensed the existence of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. With a stir of his Heart Spirit, his figure vanished in an instant.
When he reappeared...
...he was already in the Northern Wilderness Forest.
Because time was too tight, even though he knew his father and the others were waiting for him at the Carefree Sect, he had no time to go and explain things to them first.
Instead, he appeared directly in the Northern Wilderness Forest.
Upon arriving, Yang Xiao's perception of the Blood Evil Qi and Demonic Qi became even clearer.
He could easily determine...
...that this aura was coming from the Pure Yang Sword Sect's residence.
At the same time, with a sweep of his Spiritual Power, Yang Xiao perceived the entire scene within.
His heart instantly sank.
'I'm late! I'm too late!'
That thought flooded Yang Xiao's mind.
His expression became inexplicably desolate.
And helpless.
Because he saw it: the entire residence of the Pure Yang Sword Sect had already become a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. Their deaths were horrific. Although these people weren't closely related to him...
...seeing them die so tragically...
...still left a tight, suffocating feeling in Yang Xiao's chest.
But what shook his Heart Spirit even more violently...
...was the Pure Yang Ancestor.
This old man, who had dedicated his entire life to the Celestial Cloud Region...
...was also dead.
Killed by his own sword.
And what pained Yang Xiao the most...
...was that crimson figure.
Xue Yi.
She...
...had truly Fallen into Demon!