"All of you, come in."

A calm and indifferent voice came from the depths of the bamboo forest. Upon hearing this, the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables exchanged glances and then, with heavy steps, walked into the bamboo forest.

Bamboo leaves fluttered and fell incessantly.

Upon reaching the depths of the bamboo forest, the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables saw the fifteen Demon Kings and Demon Lords lying on the ground.

"Sir, they..." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Millions of demons were handed to the Human Race in vain; they were ineffective in their task and deserved a heavy punishment. I have cut a thousand years of their cultivation." Without turning his head, the calm and silent figure continued to gently wipe the bamboo branch in his hand.

Before he finished speaking, the Demon Kings and Demon Lords lying on the ground gradually awoke, each with a bright red sword mark on their foreheads.

Their thousand years of cultivation had already been severed.

"Thank you, sir, for sparing us."

Seeing that their subordinates and disciples still had their lives spared, the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables heaved a small sigh of relief.

As long as their lives were intact, although a thousand years of cultivation had been severed, severely damaging their vitality, there's still a chance to recover.

"Sir, this time we underestimated the enemy and didn't expect that Hunyuan True Lord to have such means.

Next time, I am willing to lead the army myself and ensure to capture that Hunyuan Daoist with my own hands and offer his soul as a banner."

A man with black hair and a black robe, exuding an extreme coldness as if he were the Lord of the Nine Nether, coldly spoke among the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables.

It was the Soul Refining Demon Venerable who had suffered under Qi Xiu's hand.

As a Primordial Spirit True Honor, he surprisingly suffered at the hands of a junior in the Dao Body Realm.

This period, he had been the subject of ridicule and taunts among his peers in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

Such a great enmity needs to be avenged in person to ease his dissatisfaction!

"Hmm, it's rare for you to have such resolve.

However, after two consecutive military expeditions, the losses of the various Demon Caves within the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains are not small. I intend to pause our advances for now. After you return, inform the various Demon Caves to station their troops and recuperate, and await my orders before gathering for the next expedition."

Station troops and recuperate?

Hearing the words of this supreme existence, the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables all froze, looking at each other with hesitant eyes.

Though they were demons, they did understand strategy.

In a standoff between two races, the momentum is strongest at first, then fades, and finally weakens; even a child knows this principle.

Now, after the initial surprise attack and a second reinforcement, although they suffered considerable losses with poor results, they also inflicted significant pressure and casualties on the Human Race.

In such circumstances, they should logically increase their forces, striking the Human Race hard while they struggle to recover, not necessarily achieving a decisive victory, but at least exhaust the Human Race's capacity to respond.

Pausing now to station troops and recuperate would seemingly grant the Human Race a free hand in capitalizing on their early gains.

Once they've recovered, all their previous investments would be for naught.

Thus, faced with the arrangement of this supreme being, the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables did not immediately agree and instead remained silent, concerned, and hesitant.

"What, is there a problem?"

Seeing no response from behind, the calm figure wiping the bamboo branch slowly turned around, and a pair of black-and-white-clear eyes fell upon the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables.

Being gazed at by these apparently ordinary eyes, the faces of the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables changed drastically.

The man before them merely turned around, yet his terrifying aura was already connected with heaven and earth, exuding an endless, pitch-black aura, faintly transforming into a giant sword capable of severing the ages.

This sword remained motionless yet emanated the ultimate killing intent, seemingly ready to descend at any moment to sever their heads.

"No, no."

Their tone carried a hint of panic as these Primordial Spirit-level Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables involuntarily retreated half a step, shaking their heads repeatedly, expressing they had no issues.

"Then why aren't you leaving?"

To the man, the Primordial Spirit-level Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables seemed like old dogs he had raised, coming when called and leaving when waved away, without a shred of dignity.

Facing the man's coldness, however, the Evil Ancestor Demon Venerables dared not show any dissatisfaction, ushering their juniors away respectfully, exiting the bamboo forest.

With their departure, the bamboo forest returned to silence.

Regaining his composure, the man lowered his gaze to the polished, jade-like bamboo branch in his hand and softly spoke:

"Everything is set; only an opportunity remains.

We will meet again soon..."

As his voice fell, bamboo leaves landed, each like a sword.

...

Dianchuan Province, Kun Gu Mountain Range, Jiantian Peak!

On the winding and rugged mountain path, two towering figures treaded step by step along this scarcely populated and towering peak.

Looking at the narrow path barely three feet wide underfoot, and the vast, boundless sea of clouds to one side, Bai Qingfeng took a deep breath:

"Even such a remote place you managed to find.

This place, while towering, has an isolated and high terrain, lacking blessing sources, making it a barren land. It can hardly be called a Cave Heaven or Blessed Land and can even be said to be a cursed mountain.

Do you really want to choose this place for our mountain gate?"

"Yes."

Walking in front of Bai Qingfeng, Qi Xiu's eyes were vibrant with a purple hue, spirited and bright, standing atop the heavenly peak, overlooking the world below, filling him with a vast and refreshing feeling.

"Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands are the foundation for other Daoist inheritances.

But for our Primordial Lineage, they are merely embellishments.

Better if there, but no matter if not.

This Kun Gu Mountain Range is known as the first mountain range of Dianchuan Province.

Just because it isn't a celestial mountain or blessed land, and because the mountain secretly carries an inexplicable, sharp and fierce spirit, it's not favored by the major sects and families.

Now it perfectly suits us."

"As you wish, after all, you are the leader of a sect."

Having cultivated Qi Xiu's 'True Scripture of Primordial Unity for All Eternity,' Bai Qingfeng naturally understood that the celestial mountains and blessed lands needed by ordinary Daoist inheritances were indeed of little significance to the Primordial Lineage.