458 - Rebirth of a Star: Another Day, Another Drama

After resolving the matter with the demon clan, it was time to address the issues with Shen Han Song and Feng Tian Xi. At this point, a group led by Tianji Pavilion and another led by Feng Tian Xi from the demon sect remained motionless, not daring to make any move. Yue Ling Long felt no sympathy for the demon sect. While one might argue that the cruelty of the demon clan is a product of their inherent differences, the demon sect, as fellow humans, had no such excuse for their wickedness. Without hesitation, Yue Ling Long swiftly ended Feng Tian Xi’s life with a single sword stroke. There was nothing showy about it; it was a simple and straightforward strike. Before anyone could react, Feng Tian Xi’s head was severed from his body. His head fell to the ground, face frozen in disbelief, stunned that he had died so unceremoniously. Shen Han Song and Huang Tian Ya were startled, their expressions unchanged, but the slight tremble in their hands betrayed their tension. Finally, Yue Ling Long turned her gaze towards the Huang Ji Sect, Tianji Pavilion, and the Huang Fu family. These were accompanied by a few smaller sects, which might be considered first-class powers on the Tian Qian continent, yet to Yue Ling Long's current might, they were mere ants. Shen Han Song didn’t beg for mercy; he believed he had done nothing wrong and had only been a bit unlucky. Had Yue Ling Long arrived a few days later, the outcome would have been different. However, now what concerned him most was whether Yue Ling Long had reached that place he longed for. “Have you ascended to the celestial realm?” His eyes were filled with excitement as he asked. Yue Ling Long nodded openly, “Yes, I did descend from the celestial realm. They are from there too.” She pointed at her father and uncle behind her. Shen Han Song looked at them, recognizing that their aura wasn’t the contaminated spiritual energy of this world but rather a purer form of energy—celestial power. Huang Tian Ya, in his excitement, asked, “Does that mean it’s possible for us to ascend from the lower realm?” Yue Ling Long shook her head, “Not for the time being.” Disappointment was evident on their faces, including Huang Fu Qian Feng’s. Shen Han Song demanded, “Then why stop the demon clan from emerging? Their emergence could have broken the seals of the lower realm and reopened the path of ascension!” He grew more agitated, trembling violently. Yue Ling Long remained calm, “Did you ever consider how many would die if the demon clan emerged? What about the ordinary people and small clans?” she questioned. Huang Tian Ya declared, “So what? Great deeds require sacrifice. They’re just ants. What’s wrong with sacrificing a few for the entire realm and its cultivators?” She chuckled coldly, “Is that rationale acceptable to you? Did you obtain consent from those you plan to sacrifice? Are you truly at peace trampling over countless corpses to ascend? Isn’t their blood your heart’s demon during tribulations?” “Hmph! We’re doing this for the future of all cultivators, sacrificing the minor for the major!” They argued. Facing their justifications, Yue Ling Long sneered, “If it’s all about sacrificing the minor for the major, why not sacrifice yourselves? With your cultivation, wouldn’t that save even more people? This is sheer selfishness!” After chastising them, she was disinclined to waste more words. In consideration of Huang Bu Fan and Shen Jing Hong, Yue Ling Long did not kill them outright. However, she spared them the death penalty but left them to suffer by abolishing their cultivation, rendering them ordinary humans. She arranged for Huang Bu Fan and Shen Jing Hong to escort them back to their sects. With Yue Ling Long’s backing and the supply of heavenly treasures, it wasn’t long before their cultivation reached the peak of the tribulation stage. Due to the current seals of the lower realm, breaking through any higher remained impossible. Yet, with their cultivation, they already stood at the pinnacle of this world. They bid farewell to Yue Ling Long and returned to restore their sects. As for the smaller sects, Yue Ling Long did not overly trouble them, understanding that they were coerced by Shen Jing Hong and others. She let them depart after a warning. Huang Fu Qian Feng posed a challenge to Yue Ling Long. As an absolute martial enthusiast, he had allied with Shen Han Song solely to elevate his prowess. Such a person’s thought process could not be gauged by ordinary logic. In the end, he willingly dissipated his cultivation and passed the Head position to Huang Fu Ling. The once deemed failure of the Huang Fu family, unable to control her own fate, eventually became its head. Although the final sacrificial ceremony did not succeed, the numerous previous ceremonies had severely weakened the seal. Bai Li Ming inspected the seal and fortified it with a celestial-level formation to ensure the demons remained contained. Fully aware of the demon clan’s terror, Bai Li Ming knew their brutal aura could corrupt the celestial energy. Should they reemerge, it would incite another war. Having settled the demon affairs, Yue Ling Long made a solitary visit to Phoenix Valley while Jiang Ling Yun and others returned to the Tian Qian continent to restore order. Now that considerably long chaos was finally nearing an end, the outside world had yet to comprehend the full scope of events. Bai Li Ming went to four corners of the lower realm to place spiritual gathering arrays, purifying the spiritual energy. Without purification, prolonged absorption of the tainted energy would lead cultivators astray. Bai Li Feng and Xiao Hei were commandeered as laborers for the task. After Yue Ling Long vanished through the teleportation array, Feng Mian initially planned to report back to Liuli Sword Sect. However, Shen Han Song and his allies, not wanting their collaboration with demons exposed prematurely, conspired to surprise attack Liuli Sword Sect. Thus, they ambushed Feng Mian. Despite being a formidable phoenix beast and the strongest among them, he was outmatched by their combined assault, severely wounded, and forced into a near-death state as he returned to Phoenix Valley to undergo nirvana. Phoenix nirvana was paramount, requiring absolute peace. Mo Lao promptly initiated a defensive barrier, recalling all phoenixes to seclude Phoenix Valley completely. While the barrier was a high-level yellow-rank formation and unparalleled in the lower realm, Yue Ling Long identified its weaknesses with ease and entered effortlessly. Once inside Phoenix Valley, a trace of her aura was unleashed, prompting several familiar presences to approach promptly. Yue Ling Long stood still as those presences arrived before her. From this, the aged voice of Mo Lao sounded, “I knew you would return!”