Chapter 404: The Recorder of Past and Present (XV)

In Mu Ziqiang's pupils, a sword aura several thousand meters long crisscrossed the sky, followed by a middle-aged man dressed in simple clothes, appearing ordinary but standing proudly, single-handedly holding off an army of 100,000 demons, showing no fear.
"The strongest of the Mu Jing Dynasty!"
From within the demon army appeared five figures, each exuding an extremely terrifying aura.
Five demon king-level powerhouses!
They were actually going to join forces against the Grand Elder of the Tianyuan Sect.
The Tianyuan Sect was on the verge of destruction.
The Grand Elder of the Tianyuan Sect possessed unparalleled cultivation, already reaching the pinnacle of creation, having reached the eighth level of the Profound Realm. If given another two hundred years, he might have a chance to break through to the Void Realm.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the time.
At the critical moment, a red light flashed, forcing back a powerful demon, and standing shoulder to shoulder with the Grand Elder of the Tianyuan Sect.
It was a woman, elegant and noble, none other than Ruan Hongyao, the current sect leader of the Tianyuan Sect.
The Grand Elder smiled bitterly: "Why did you return?"
Ruan Hongyao replied, "If I leave, there will be no chance of victory whatsoever."
"The sect has left its last spark. What follows... let's face it together."
Ruan Hongyao approached the Grand Elder, gazing at the silver-white blade.
"Don't hesitate. I know you cultivate the ruthless sword path."
For the first time, a struggle appeared in the Grand Elder's eyes.
He did indeed possess an opportunity... his opportunity was the incomplete inheritance of an ancient venerable one, requiring the severing of all emotions to achieve mastery.
But his life had been filled with emotions.
The sect, friends, family, lover...
"Do it."
This time, the Grand Elder did not hesitate. With the fall of the long blade, an even more terrifying aura erupted from him, stirring the wind and clouds.
Mu Ziqiang could barely open his eyes.
The terrifying blade aura actually cleaved the dark clouds in two.
When he opened his eyes, accompanied by a scream, the Grand Elder of the Tianyuan Sect had instantly killed three demon kings.
However... the one wielding the blade was not a middle-aged man, but an old man with a full head of white hair.
Just as the old man was about to continue his killing spree,
a rift suddenly appeared in space. As the rift widened, a demon with muscles as hard as rock, its skin clearly defined, emerged.
The Power Demon Emperor, the culprit who invaded the Mujing Dynasty.
The sharp blade aura directly sliced ​​through the Power Demon Emperor's skin, drawing out jet-black blood.
The Power Demon Emperor raised his hand and punched, shattering space and the earth, sending the old man crashing from the sky to the ground, smashing an entire mountain peak.
The old man did not die. He planted his long sword in the ground, his white hair flying wildly, obscuring his face and eyes.
The ground cracked, and countless demon armies instantly turned into a bloody mist... all this was affected by that aura. The entire world seemed to be reduced to a single, piercing blade of energy, aimed directly at the Power Demon Emperor, attempting to slay a ruler with its profound power!
A blade gash appeared on the Power Demon Emperor's body, followed by the tearing of flesh and blood, revealing stark white bones from top to bottom.
A thunderous laugh echoed through the heavens and earth.
"I never expected him to be a warrior, just like the one who defeated me hundreds of years ago. In times of crisis, humanity always produces those like you who can turn the tide."
The Demon Emperor slowly walked forward. As he approached the old man's body, the old man still gripped the hilt of his sword tightly... It was a pity, though, that he would never wake up again.
"If you had been given another ten years, the power of this strike might have been enough to kill me."
The Demon Emperor's tone was filled with regret and relief. He looked at the dead old man, who, from head to toe, vanished like sand in the wind, returning to the world, along with the sword.
The two most powerful cultivators in the history of the Tianyuan Sect.
The current Sect Master, Ruan Hongyao, and the current Grand Elder, Sun Ao, both perished in battle.
Mu Ziqiang felt an indescribable sorrow in his heart. The human race of the Mu Jing Dynasty had ultimately suffered a crushing defeat.
...
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye.
Since the deaths of the Tianyuan Sect's Sect Master and Grand Elder, although a few disciples escaped, it was no longer of great importance. The Tianyuan Sect's lineage was destroyed, and the Mujing Dynasty's royal family held absolute power.
The price, however, was that the Mujing royal family had to pay tribute to the Limo clan every year. The tribute wasn't treasures or elixirs, but people—living people.
These were either powerful cultivators or exceptionally talented young geniuses.
Sometimes, when the tribute wasn't enough, members of the royal family became part of the tribute.
Whenever he thought of this, Mu Ziqiang felt only irony. Why give up being a king to become a lackey?
He didn't choose death.
Mu Ziqiang joined the Limo clan; his blood was replaced with Limo blood.
Thus, he came to know a much wider world.
Demons comprise many different races. While the Power Demon race is strong, it's insignificant among the many demon races. The truly powerful demons can even rival the human race's sacred mountain... Humans possess this sacred mountain, which is why they've survived to this day, barely clinging to life.
Mu Ziqiang performed well. After obtaining the mask, he donned it, and his cultivation, already a once-in-a-century genius of the royal family, advanced by leaps and bounds, making him the number one genius of the Power Demon race. During a competition, he caught the eye of the Demon Qilin, the holy son of the Demon Sacred Clan, and was taken as a follower.
The Demon Qilin is the demon race's number one genius of ten thousand years. If he grows up, he has the potential to completely destroy the human race's sacred mountain and seize control of this world!
Mu Ziqiang earned the Demon Qilin's favor through his ruthlessness.
Why ruthlessness...? The Demon Qilin disliked any connection between demons and humans. He demanded that Mu Ziqiang sever all ties with them from their human past.
Mu Ziqiang ruthlessly slaughtered the entire Mu Jing Dynasty, including all his relatives and his parents. This ruthlessness earned him the appreciation of the Demon Qilin.
Even among demons, such ruthlessness is rare.
Mu Ziqiang did many things for the Demon Qilin, infiltrating the human race and eliminating many human geniuses.
This further deepened the Demon Qilin's trust.
"Demon Mu, if I one day become a saint and rule the Holy Mountain, I will grant you any land you desire!"
The Demonic Qilin laughed, taking Mu Ziqiang by its side. Other demons mocked Mu Ziqiang for being human, only to be mercilessly killed by the Demonic Qilin.
All this continued five hundred years later.
Feeling its cultivation was sufficient for self-defense, the Demonic Qilin, with Mu Ziqiang, infiltrated human territory, intending to confront the powerful humans.
When everything should have been flawless,
after arriving in human territory and killing several powerful humans, the Demonic Qilin sensed something amiss.
Silently,
a dagger plunged into the Demonic Qilin's chest, and Mu Ziqiang displayed unexpected strength.
"Why...why did you betray me!"
The dagger contained the blood of a human saint, suppressing the Demonic Qilin's Qilin soul and severing its connection with the demon saint.
At this moment, human warriors stood in the void from all directions.
The Demon Qilin understood perfectly well that they had been betrayed!