Atop the cylindrical hill, a burly figure sat cross-legged, shrouded in thick black Monster Qi, rendering his features invisible. Only a vague silhouette could be glimpsed, but his stature was exceptionally burly, taller even while sitting than most people standing—a colossus nearly three meters in height, far surpassing that of an average person.

More terrifying was the fact that while this person sat cross-legged, an endless stream of Monster Qi flowed from the hill beneath him, absorbed by his body. He sat there like the center of everything, a bottomless pit drawing thick Monster Qi from the land, continually growing stronger and stronger!

The burly man, akin to a small giant, remained motionless, seemingly at a critical moment in his transformation, or perhaps he simply didn’t consider the arrival of Duanmu Tao and his companions worth acknowledging. He focused intently on absorbing the earth’s veins and Monster Qi below Ambush Elephant Mountain, undergoing his metamorphosis.

The burly, giant-like man appeared to be in the midst of a certain transformation. Even though his aura was internalized, he was becoming stronger by the moment!

He Yuchen, as well as the black-haired man with heterochromatic eyes, acted as his protectors, allowing him to complete his metamorphosis in peace.

“You are Duanmu Tao?” The black-haired man recognized Duanmu Tao’s appearance with a hint of surprise, acknowledging his identity.

Seeing Duanmu Tao look over, the black-haired man smiled casually and introduced himself nonchalantly, “My name is Kuoba Ming.”

“Kuoba Ming?”

Duanmu Tao indeed had never heard this name. Even as the Lord of the Demon Suppressing Department, it was impossible for him to know every detail about every Elder of the Life Extinguishing Association. Some members, like Kuoba Ming, weren’t from the Great Flame Empire, being low-profile yet ranking among the Association’s Elders.

“What devilry are you fiends up to here?” Duanmu Tao asked sternly. The scene before him was anything but ordinary.

The strange man He Yuchen replied indifferently, “Lord Duanmu, can’t you see? Our lord here is cultivating. To prevent disturbing his cultivation, we’ll give you a pass today. Scram before I change my mind!”

The burly strongman seated atop the hill had a status far from ordinary, standing above He Yuchen and Kuoba Ming.

And in the Life Extinguishing Association, the only roles above an Elder were those two!

“Is it the Master of the Association… or the Vice Master?” Lian Tianlu was immensely alarmed.

The Master and the Vice Master of the Life Extinguishing Association were incredibly mysterious characters, seen only by the Association’s upper echelons. The burly strongman was suspected to be the Master or Vice Master!

The group had never imagined that what had brought them here was the investigation into the demise of an elite from their own Demon Suppressing Department at the hands of He Yuchen. Instead, they encountered such a formidable character!

Lian Tianlu and the others turned their gaze to Duanmu Tao, awaiting his decision. The burly strongman appeared to be at a critical juncture in his cultivation and did not react, while He Yuchen and Kuoba Ming seemed equally reluctant to engage in battle, wary of disturbing the strongman’s cultivation.

Confronting the suspected Vice Master or Master of the Association, compounded with two Elder-level figures from the Association, retreating now and sending word to the Great Flame Royal Family, to have the imperial family send top warriors to handle the situation, seemed like the best choice!

“We don’t have time… Back and forth would take at least several days, by which time the strongman will most likely have achieved his goal. We must stop him!” Duanmu Tao conveyed to the others gravely. He was well aware of this logic.

But there wasn’t enough time. By the time they relayed the message and the experts from the imperial city arrived, the people from the Life Extinguishing Association would probably have finished their business and vanished.

Duanmu Tao decided to take action, despite the danger. It was his duty, and backing down in the face of danger was not his style!

Moreover… if he could truly slay the suspected leader of the Life Extinguishing Association, it would be an immense achievement. Who knows, Duanmu Tao himself might even obtain a shard of the Divine Seed as a result!

In these times when the world was in chaos, every opportunity had to be seized. Duanmu Tao too, harbored a heart that sought to climb to even greater heights.

Of course, Duanmu Tao was not foolhardy. He had his trump card at the ready.

“Today… we fight together!”

A fierce will to battle surfaced on Duanmu Tao’s face, and with a mere thought, the Blade Intent that had been honed to its peak within his Sea of Consciousness trembled.

“Hum hum hum!”

The iron case on Duanmu Tao’s back vibrated, resonating with a ’clack clack’ as it unhinged from within, releasing a purple longsword carved like crystal, pulsating with an eerie glow. Duanmu Tao grasped it.

Numerous tendrils pierced into Duanmu Tao’s arm, greedily drawing blood. This caused the purple blade to surge with light, and an invisible Blade Qi emanated from it, scattering the surrounding Monster Qi!

“This is… a Demon-Slicing Divine Weapon!”

He Yuchen and Kuoba Ming on the opposing side sensed a potent threat, their expressions stiffening as they recognized it to be a true Demon-Slicing Divine Weapon!

“This Purple Soul has been passed down through the generations by the Demon Suppressing Department… Although called a Divine Weapon, it’s actually among the most demonic of weapons, having slain countless Monster Warriors and absorbed a vast number of Monster Qi Crystal Cores. Even using it… is extremely difficult for me, requiring life force as the price…”

As he held the purple, eerie longsword, an unnatural flush appeared on Duanmu Tao’s face, he thought to himself.

This Demon-Slicing Divine Weapon in Duanmu Tao’s possession was only wieldable by the Lords of the Demon Suppressing Department over the generations. Duanmu Tao could use it after his Blade Intent reached Great Achievement, but it still demanded a toll on his life. Therefore, Duanmu Tao was always cautious not to use it lightly.

But now, facing formidable foes, Duanmu Tao decisively drew forth the Purple Soul, convinced that even sacrificing half his life was worth it if he could slay the fiends from the Life Extinguishing Association!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Madara Web Novel