Atop Dragon Tiger Mountain, the vast sea of clouds churned.
A figure dressed in a Daoist robe, wearing a lotus crown, slowly descended the mountain.
Using the world as stairs.
Using the cloud sea as a ladder.
This scene fell into the eyes of everyone present—whether from the righteous path or the demonic path—and their hearts trembled, reverent as if facing a deity.
"The Heavenly Master, our Heavenly Master from the Heavenly Master's Mansion!"
An elderly Daoist from the Heavenly Master's Mansion saw this and was moved to tears, his lips trembling as he spoke.
Beyond the invincible Heavenly Master, who else possessed such ability? Treading on the sea of clouds, descending from the sky?
Even the most powerful beings of this world, like those at the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm or those who have surpassed it by half a step, couldn't achieve such a feat.
Only a Heavenly Master who had mastered both the Limitless Moon and Limitless Sun could wield such means.
"Heavenly Master?"
"Heavenly Master!"
"The 183rd-generation disciple of the Heavenly Master's Mansion greets the Heavenly Master!"
"Greetings to the Heavenly Master!"
Numerous disciples of the Heavenly Master's Mansion knelt down with a thud, continuously kowtowing.
Other disciples from righteous sects also knelt, for the Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master's Mansion held special significance for Dragon Tiger Mountain and the entire world.
When a Heavenly Master was born, leaders from various righteous sects had to pay homage.
"Heavenly Master."
Daoist Pingyang looked dazed, unlike the other disciples and the righteous forces.
He knew his own situation well.
In this generation of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, there was indeed a disciple who had gained recognition from the True Martial Sword.
But how long had it been? Not even ten years.
Even if one had the potential to become a Heavenly Master, it would usually take forty or fifty years.
To become a Heavenly Master now?
"Heavenly Master."
The Head of the Mansion, Cangqing Zhenren, gazed skyward, looking at the figure treading the clouds.
As the figure drew closer, he saw the face clearly: it was Zhang Shanfeng, whom he had once given up on.
"Could it be that I was truly wrong? Walking both the Limitless Moon and Limitless Sun paths is the way to the heavens and could lead to becoming a Heavenly Master?"
Cangqing Zhenren's thoughts were chaotic, taking several breaths to calm down.
He couldn't be blamed for his loss of composure.
Others merely saw another Heavenly Master emerging from the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
No one could imagine the path this Heavenly Master walked, one unprecedented in the history of Heavenly Masters, balancing both the Limitless Moon and Limitless Sun paths, a road deemed impossible.
Had Lin Yuan not become a Heavenly Master, it would have been one thing.
But achieving the position of Heavenly Master through the Limitless Moon and Limitless Sun would make him the strongest Heavenly Master in the 6,800-year history of the Heavenly Master's Mansion, surpassing even the founding Heavenly Master.
Everyone knew that comprehending the heavenly Dao deeply could make one akin to an immortal or deity, but how many truly achieved such comprehension?
The Limitless Moon and Limitless Sun were even more so.
Their opposing powers would obliterate one's body upon rash encounter.
But now—
Cangqing Zhenren felt disbelief, complexity, amusement, excitement, and fear.
He had nearly destroyed Lin Yuan and, by extension, the whole Heavenly Master's Mansion.
If Lin Yuan hadn't insisted on his dual path of Moon and Sun, and instead chose one as demanded, at best, he would be an ordinary Heavenly Master among history.
He might even have taken fifty or sixty years to become a Heavenly Master, and by then, the entire Heavenly Master's Mansion would have been flattened by the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.
Cangqing Zhenren took a deep breath.
No matter how it happened, after five hundred years, another Heavenly Master had emerged from the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
And he was likely the strongest in history.
As for anything else?
What if Cangqing Zhenren had shown poor judgment? Even if he had to die to atone, he wouldn't hesitate.
Being able to see a Heavenly Master emerge from the Heavenly Master's Mansion was already worth it.
"Heavenly Master?"
"Damn it, how could a Heavenly Master appear at this time?"
The Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect felt his scalp tingle.
In recent decades, while amassing power, he had also been secretly testing the Heavenly Master's Mansion.
It wasn’t until he confirmed that this generation lacked a Heavenly Master that he dared to gather demonic forces, planning a decisive battle.
When the myriad demons surrounded the mountain, the Sect Master truly believed there was no Heavenly Master guarding the mansion.
Otherwise, with the Heavenly Master’s invincible power, how could they have encircled Dragon Tiger Mountain?
Yet, to his utter disbelief, a Heavenly Master emerged at the last moment.
With the Sect Master's discerning eye, he could see that this Heavenly Master had just broken through.
Otherwise, even Cangqing Zhenren wouldn't have shown such astonishment.
The sea of clouds descended.
Lin Yuan landed on the ground, his eyes calm as he gazed at the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.
Swoosh!
The True Martial Sword, embedded in the ground, rose again, swirling around Lin Yuan before hovering at his side.
"Heavenly Master."
The Sect Master felt his heart tremble.
"Retreat."
Without hesitation, the Sect Master retreated swiftly.
Despite having many trump cards, even the strongest ones brought from the Primordial Demon Sect’s inheritance land...
If he used those, Cangqing Zhenren would have perished long ago; there was no way they’d have been entangled for this duration.
But the Sect Master understood, in front of a real Heavenly Master, these were nothing more than fleeting resistance.
At best, instead of being killed by one strike from the Heavenly Master, it would take two, maybe three.
A few extra breaths of life wouldn’t change the outcome.
Hence, the Sect Master knew his choice well.
In truth, when the True Martial Sword appeared, he had suspected it was linked to the Heavenly Master.
But unwillingness compelled him to see Lin Yuan with his own eyes and confirm the truth before deciding to retreat.
Clatter.
The Sect Master's figure suddenly exploded, turning into six demonic shadows fleeing in different directions.
This was a demonic life-saving secret technique.
With the Sect Master's power, suddenly using it made it hard for even a Heavenly Master to pursue.
Plus, Lin Yuan had just broken through, his mastery of Heavenly Master powers not yet profound.
"Think you can escape?"
Lin Yuan chuckled softly.
"Rise."
With a flicker of his mind, a massive circle formed with Lin Yuan at its center, stretching hundreds to a thousand meters.
Within the circle, the Limitless Moon and Limitless Sun powers melded, becoming black and white, forming a Taiji symbol of yin and yang, constantly integrating, shifting, and colliding.
Boom!!!
Within the range.
Five of the six demonic shadows crumbled silently.
Only the Sect Master, terrified, remained.
"No!"
"What kind of technique is this?"
"You can't be a Heavenly Master!!!"
The Sect Master struggled furiously, a black demonic flame faintly igniting between his brows, trying to resist, but it crumbled into dust amidst the surging black and white waves.
Over decades of causing chaos across the world and leading the demonic sect to besiege Dragon Tiger Mountain, the Sect Master was dead.
The scene fell into a dead silence.
The experts from the Heavenly Master's Mansion felt dizzy, as if dreaming.
Though they had anticipated that the Heavenly Master would sweep away the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, witnessing it stirred myriad emotions.
The Sect Master, who had pressured them intensely, crumbled like an ant under the Heavenly Master, easily crushed underfoot.
While the righteous side was lost in thought.
The demonic side was pure and simple—filled with fear, panic, terror, and trembling emotions engulfed every demon’s heart.
"Run."
"The Heavenly Master's Mansion has another Heavenly Master; what are you waiting for?"
"The Sect Master's dead; flee or face death yourselves."
The nine vice sect masters at the Heavenly Phenomenon Realm and numerous protectors and helmsmen fled from Dragon Tiger Mountain in sheer terror.
"Slash."
Lin Yuan's thought flickered.
The Taiji Diagram expanded abruptly.
He drew the True Martial Sword, slicing gently.
Sizzle.
The sword light initially only three feet long, grew larger and heavier, incredibly sharp.
With just one sword stroke, seven of the nine vice sect masters were cleaved in two, leaving hundreds of other followers dead or injured.
Lin Yuan swung the sword a few more times.
Thousands of demonic followers' bodies sprawled across the ground, their blood almost painting the land red.
(End of Chapter)