"Bam!"
There was a loud bang along the distant horizon as the flying sword tumbled backward.
Qin Yun's expression changed as he waved his hand to put away his flying sword.
Only then did Yi Xiao and Hong Lingtong, who had been standing by the city walls, fly over.
"Brother Yun, what happened? Can't your flying sword pursue an enemy for thousands of kilometers?" asked Yi Xiao.
Qin Yun sighed inwardly.
There was a saying, that a flying sword could kill enemies five hundred kilometers away. But that was for ordinary Paramount realm sword immortals. Now, Qin Yun's flying sword could pursue an enemy for up to ten thousand kilometers.
"His realm is far above mine. He easily escaped my flying sword's pursuit." Qin Yun shook his head and sighed. "Thankfully, his Dharmic powers are inferior to mine and his Dharma treasure is far inferior to mine… That was how I survived this clash."
Qin Yun knew very well that if both parties had equal Dharmic powers and Dharma treasures, even his Cyclic Sword Flash wouldn't have stood a chance!
"Brother Qin Yun, you are already very powerful. I was watching the whole thing astounded," said Hong Lingtong as he shook his head. "It made me think, our cultivation times are almost similar. I feel ashamed after seeing your strength."
"I had some opportunities." Although Qin Yun said so, he felt mixed emotions. He actually cultivated a century more than Hong Lingtong!
"Where did this mysterious fiendish demon come from?" Yi Xiao could not help but ask. "His strength is above Brother Yun's and he is completely unheard of."
"The murderer who recently engaged in the widespread human massacre is very likely this mysterious fiendish demon," said Qin Yun. "With his strength he is completely capable of sucking dry the flesh and blood of a hundred and eighty thousand people in ten minutes! I do not think that there are any other mortal fiendish demons that are capable of doing so."
"I agree as well." Hong Lingtong nodded as he knitted his brows. "However, why did he suddenly come to Grand Dominance to fight you?"
"That's what puzzles me too." Qin Yun gently shook his head. "I have never met him before. There has been no news of him before throughout the entire world. It's as though he appeared out of thin air. I wonder why he would suddenly attack me. Did he come to deal with me because I've been slaying fiendish demons across the world?"
While they were engaging in their conversation, a figure appeared in the distance. He was a middle-aged Daoist with a tall headdress, and he arrived beside them with another step.
"Patriarch?" Yi Xiao could not help but be alarmed.
The person that had just arrived was an existence that Divine Firmament Chapter disciples were most impressed with. He was Ancestral Master Zhang, recognized by all to be the strongest person in the Daoist school of thought.
"Greetings, Senior (Patriarch) Zhang." Qin Yun, Hong Lingtong, and Yi Xiao immediately bowed reverently.
"Alright." The middle-aged Daoist looked at Qin Yun. "Where is that powerful mortal fiendish demon you mentioned?"
"He failed to kill me but he did not persist in combat either. He quickly fled and my flying sword was unable to pursue him." As Qin Yun spoke, he pointed to the north. "He fled north."
The middle-aged Daoist frowned as he looked north. A vertical eye opened in his glabella. There were hints of lightning in the eye. After looking north, he swept his gaze in other directions.
Qin Yun could not help but guess when he saw that.
The third eye… was likely the divine power, Eye of Lightning. Ancestral Master Zhang had previously mentioned that it was the best divine power he had! He too had received the Eye of Lightning Dharmic formulation and had prepared it for his wife.
"He lives up to being the source of a catastrophe. His concealment art is indeed powerful. I actually can't find him despite his departure being recent," thought Ancestral Master Zhang.
He immediately dispelled his divine power and looked at Qin Yun and company.
"I would like to speak with Qin Yun in private," said Ancestral Master Zhang.
"Senior (Patriarch), we shall take our leave." Yi Xiao and Hong Lingtong immediately departed.
The two rapidly flew away.
"It's actually Patriarch!" Yi Xiao felt a little excited.
"The light shone providence shines on Ancestral Master Zhang is truly terrifying, massive, and impressive." Hong Lingtong was astounded. "His strength is indeed terrifying. He certainly lives up to being the Dao Ancestor's personal disciple of legend."
Hong Lingtong knew very well how impressive Ancestral Master Zhang was.
He was the most illustrious Daoist cultivator in the world's history. He had created and perfected the Divine Firmament Lightning Dharma, which was recognized as the best Dharmic Dao. It was even more powerful than the numerous Dharma spells that the Dao Ancestor had left behind in Numinous Treasure Mountain. Of course, that was because the Dao Ancestor had only imparted the most basic Dharmic formulations, leaving the research and improvement work to future generations.
However, Ancestral Master Zhang was just too heaven-defying. His name had long reached the other worlds.
"For him to attract the Dao Ancestor and become a personal disciple of the Dao Ancestor, he's truly terrifying." Hong Lingtong mumbled inwardly.
In the spot outside the city, only Qin Yun and Ancestral Master Zhang were left.
"Tell me in detail about this mortal fiendish demon," said Ancestral Master Zhang.
"Just a while ago, he arrived outside Grand Dominance City. I sensed a pure fiendish aura through the array formation and immediately came to investigate," said Qin Yun. "Now that I think back on it, with his realm, I would not have been able to sense his fiendish aura if he put his all into converging it. It's clear that he deliberately faked being at the Paramount realm to draw me over so that he could take the chance to kill me."
"He came to Grand Dominance to kill you?" Ancestral Master Zhang was puzzled.
"I believe so." Qin Yun nodded.
Judging from the battle, there was no doubt that the purple-robed man wished him dead. He struck out more than ten times with his palms at the last moment, before leaving only when he realized he could not do a thing to the Cyclic Sword Flash.
"He couldn't crack my Cyclic Sword Flash so he departed immediately," said Qin Yun.
"He's careful." Ancestral Master Zhang looked at Qin Yun. "From the remnant auras around here, even I am shocked by your strength. What realm have you reached? Is your Dao domain fifteen kilometers? What is it?"
"A Dao domain of twenty-five kilometers," said Qin Yun but he was feeling astounded inwardly.
Could he determine his strength just from the remnant auras in the surroundings?
"You just stepped into the Dao and your Dao domain is twenty-five kilometers?" Ancestral Master Zhang was astonished.
"It's because of the Amita wooden figurine I chose. I finished the hundred years dream recently," explained Qin Yun. "With what I gathered from those hundred years, I took a final step into the Dao after returning to my homeworld, reaching this realm."
Ancestral Master Zhang looked at Qin Yun and could not help but ask, "Are you sure you're not a reincarnated immortal?"
"Reincarnated? Can cultivators even reincarnate?" Qin Yun was baffled.
"Yes, they can."
Ancestral Master Zhang looked at Qin Yun. "However, I do believe you are a native cultivator of this world! You are much stronger than reincarnated immortals. Once a reincarnated immortal awakens their memories, they recover their realm. The realm they reattain would be the one that they obtained in their previous incarnation! However, to raise it again would be very difficult… You are different from them. You have cultivated for a short period of time. You have just stepped into the Dao, so improving would be easier."
"Are there reincarnated immortals in our world now?" Qin Yun was filled with questions.
"There have been some in history but I have not heard of any recent ones to date," replied Ancestral Master Zhang. "Don't envy reincarnated immortals. If they were not forced to do it, who would want to reincarnate? If they never awaken, they would forever be stuck in Samsara."
Qin Yun was alarmed.
So there was that much danger for reincarnated immortals?
"Qin Yun, to have this Dao domain of yours after you just stepped into the Dao represents the promising prospects of the path you have taken," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "Some unorthodox Dao are weak upon entry into the Dao. Their prospects are even worse. And you have just stepped into the Dao with a Dao domain that spans twenty-five kilometers! Then, as long as you continue to accumulate experience and enhance it… you will have a limitless future. Once your Dao domain reaches fifty kilometers, it wouldn't even be difficult to become a Skyimmortal. Unfortunately, you have cultivated in the sword immortal lineage."
Ancestral Master Zhang was a person who cherished talent. He felt regretful that Qin Yun had chosen a path that prevented cultivation conversion.
"If I did not cultivate as a sword immortal, I might not have my present achievements," said Qin Yun with a laugh.
"Cultivate well. Perhaps, you will be able to create a Dharmic formulation that condenses an Essence Soul," said Ancestral Master Zhang. However, he knew how problematic it was for those who chose the sword immortal lineage.
He had to create an Essence Soul Dharmic formulation by himself. This obstacle had held back every astounding sword immortal that had ever stepped into the Dao in history. Would Qin Yun be the first to create his own Essence Soul Dharmic formulation? Ancestral Master Zhang believed the odds were against him.
He also had to create a Skyimmortal Dharmic formulation for the sword immortal lineage himself! The difficulty was even more ludicrous! Ancestral Master Zhang did not even dare think about it.
"Is your Intrinsic Flying Sword at the first-grade or the transcendent-grade?" pressed Ancestral Master Zhang.
"It's a first-grade Dharma treasure. It hasn't been long since I stepped into the Dao. My Intrinsic Flying Sword is still being nurtured. It will need time to reach the state of a transcendent-grade Dharma treasure," replied Qin Yun.
"Alright." Ancestral Master Zhang nodded slightly. "How much stronger was the mortal fiendish demon?"
"He completely repressed me," said Qin Yun. "However, he could not crack my Cyclic Sword Flash."
"You have purplish-gold Golden Core Dharmic powers and a first-grade Intrinsic Dharma treasure. With your present realm… you should be able to produce strength at the peak second Firmament Essence Soul realm," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "With that estimate to go on, his strength has probably reached the beginning stages of the third Firmament of the Essence Soul realm."
"He lacks a powerful Dharma treasure and his Dharmic powers were very ordinary too," said Qin Yun immediately. "He fought me with his body alone."
Ancestral Master Zhang nodded. "His original body must have been an Other Realm Fiendcelestial that was at the peak third Firmament Essence Soul realm. He must have the means to contact his homeworld… This will be troublesome."
Ancestral Master Zhang now knew why Lunatic Wang had divined the murderer to be the catastrophe.
He was indeed a new catastrophe.
"Troublesome?" Qin Yun asked immediately. "Will he continue with his massacre?"
"Although it's a pity that hundreds of thousands of humans have died, it does not really shake the world's foundations," said Ancestral Master Zhang. "The danger he poses goes beyond that. However, there's no need to be overly worried."
Ancestral Master Zhang was knowledgeable and rich with experience.
Although it was considered a catastrophe, the level of threat was still tenable! The catastrophe three hundred years ago was what was truly terrifying! Thankfully, the Godfiend lineage produced an astounding existence—Human Emperor. Due to his cultivation system, Human Emperor managed to suppress that one catastrophe perpetually. He received immense merit in this world and naturally had the qualifications to rule over the world. The Daoist and Buddhist sects also recognized the Great Chang empire.
Compared to the catastrophe three hundred years ago, the threat this time was relatively weaker.